Silver Scorpio - International News | Spot News | Top News | Flash News | Live News
July 25 (Reuters) – BP Plc’s (BP.N) board will discuss the future of Chief Executive Tony Hayward when it meets on Monday to discuss the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and the firm’s second-quarter results, sources familiar with the matter said.
They said the focus will be on the timing of Hayward’s departure, rather than whether or not he would stay with the company.
“The details are being worked out,” one source said. (Reporting by Tom Bergin, editing by James Davey; editing by Karen Foster)
(Reuters) – British pension buyout firm Paternoster has hired bankers to put a valuation on the company as investors look to exit the business, the Independent on Sunday reported.
Deals
Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE), the largest shareholder in Paternoster, will most likely buy out investors and merge the Paternoster business into its Abbey Life insurance operation, the paper reported, citing sources close to the situation.
Paternoster declined to comment.
Last September, Paternoster said it would cut jobs and replace founder Mark Wood as Chief Executive after it received a 5 million pound ($7.3 million) cash injection to allow it to resume writing new business.
($1=.6865 Pound)
(Reporting by Julie Crust; Editing by Louise Heavens)
Defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova was beaten 6-3 2-6 6-4 by fellow Russian and 30th seed Maria Kirilenko at the French Open on Friday.
Two days after saving four match points in the second round against Germany’s Andrea Petkovic, Kuznetsova found herself in a similar hole but this time there was no escape.
Kuznetsova, who beat Dinara Safina to win the title for the first time last year, hung on grimly by saving two match points but Kirilenko converted at the third time of asking when Kuznetsova prodded a backhand into the tramlines.
Kirilenko will face Italy’s Francesca Schiavone in the fourth round.
(Editing by Miles Evans; To query or comment on this story emailsportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
Wellington, May 26 (ANI): Megan Fox is eyeing a part in the new Pirates of the Caribbean flick, it has emerged.
Movie bosses are reportedly looking for an actress to play a sexy mermaid in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides”, which stars Johnny Depp as pirate Captain Jack Sparrow.
And Megan, whose exit from the Transformers franchise has recently been announced, is keen to land the role.
“Megan is mulling over a number of big movie offers including another sci-fi franchise and a role in the next Pirates of the Caribbean,” Stuff.co.nz quoted a source, as saying.
The insider added: “She would play a mermaid who charms Captain Jack but she has a dark motive.”
Also, teaming up with Depp is something Megan has always dreamt of.
“Megan has always loved Johnny and is desperate to work with him. She”s grateful to Transformers for making her name but she”s ready to move on to better and bigger things,” said the snitch. (ANI)
New Delhi, May 15 (IANS) The Indian cricket team’s tour manager Ranjib Biswal and speedster Ashish Nehra Saturday presented contradictory versions of reports that the players were involved in a pub brawl in St Lucia after the team’s disappointing exit from the World Twenty20.
Biswal said the players had a minor ‘argument’ after being harassed by some fans in the pub.
‘It was nothing big. It was just a verbal talk. The boys had gone there for dinner and were harassed by Indian fans and there was some argument over that,’ said Biswal.
Nehra, on the other hand, denied any such incident.
‘I came to know about it only while reading the newspapers in London. I was surprised to see where this news came from. It is baseless.’
‘We went to have dinner there and were watching the West Indies and Australia match. About the rest, I have no knowledge,’ he said.
‘No one said anything to us. There were many fans from all over the world.’
On team’s performance, Nehra said: ‘We are all disappointed. We had a good team and we could have done better. But it’s a part of the game. The same team won World Cup two years ago.’
Barbados (West Indies), May 4 (ANI): Should Australia win against Bangladesh here on Wednesday, it could finish as Group A leaders after the round-robin phase of the Twenty20 World Cup.
Two teams from the group advance on Thursday to the Super Eights and even if Australia suffered a narrow defeat to Bangladesh they would still qualify for the second stage on superior run-rate.
Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 21 runs last Saturday.
Australia has a poor record in World T20, with a semi-final finish in 2007 in South Africa and an embarrassing first-round exit in 2009 in England.
“There”s probably extra motivation from within the squad. We want to perform better than we have in Twenty20 cricket in general, not just in this tournament,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted captain Michael Clarke, as saying. (ANI)
Madrid, Apr 29(ANI): Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo has hinted that he is planning a future away from the Bernabeu.
Ronaldo, who moved to Madrid from Manchester United for a world-record transfer fee of 80 million pounds last summer, insists he will not spend the rest of his career with the club.
“Football is all about cycles. I believe that you are in teams for cycles. I spent several years wanting to play in Madrid, but I don’t see myself here at 40,” The Daily Express quoted Ronaldo, as saying.
His comment surprisingly comes weeks after Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said that Ronaldo could make a sensational return to Old Trafford.
Talking about his decision to leave United, Ronaldo said: “Alex Ferguson understood my decision. I continue to talk to him.”
The 25-year-old also expressed disappointment over the prospect of ending the season without any silverware.
“It would be a bad year if we don’t win the league because a club like this has to always win something every year,” Ronaldo said.
“Not winning this year wouldn’t be a failure, but it would be a lost year. But I am confident we can win the league,” he added. (ANI)
Islamabad, Sep.20 (ANI): The United States, for the first time, has disclosed that it wanted a ‘safe exit’ for the former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf after he stepped down from the Presidency.
In an interview with an American news paper, US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne Patterson said Washington wanted a ‘dignified’ retirement for Musharraf.
She said the US wanted a peaceful transition to democracy in Pakistan at that time.
Commenting on the ever increasing demand for Musharraf’s trial under the Article Six of the Constitution by certain quarters in Pakistan, Patterson said it was an ‘internal matter’ of that country.
“Now he (Musharraf) has become a thing of the past and we have no position on him,” The Daily Times quoted Patterson, as saying. (ANI)
Islamabad, Sep.19 (ANI): Pakistan Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira has rejected reports of a deal being inked to allow a safe passage to former President General Pervez Musharraf after he stepped down last year.
Kaira said Musharraf was ousted from the Presidency under political pressure from parliament.
Talking to media persons at an Iftaar dinner here, Kaira said there was not any deal rather it was a negotiated settlement which facilitated Musharraf’s safe exit.
“Musharraf was ousted peacefully from the Presidency under political pressure from the Parliament. It was not an agreement, but a negotiated settlement after dialogue between all stakeholders,” The Daily Times quoted Kaira, as saying.
“Even Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif had congratulated President Asif Ali Zardari on showing Musharraf the door without disturbing the political setup,” he added.
Kaira also denied that Zardari had accepted that he too was a part of the deal which involved national and international guarantors. (ANI)
Islamabad, Sep.19 (ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has denied inking any ‘safe exit’ deal to facilitate former President General Pervez Musharraf’s safe passage from the country after he stepped down from the Presidency.
In an interview to a private television channel, Gilani said: “If there had been such a deal, it would have surfaced by now, as the media is very vibrant today.”
Gilani also said would be wrong to say that Musharraf has been ‘pardoned’, as neither he has been convicted by the court of law nor been ‘indemnified by parliament’.
When asked whether there is any possibility of invoking the Article Six of the Constitution against Musharraf, Gilani reiterated that he was willing to do it if parliament passed a unanimous resolution.
“I am for it. We must create history. But at the same time, we should not rock the boat. If there is a unanimous resolution, the whole nation would be together,” The Daily Times quoted Gilani, as saying.
Commenting on the Baloch issue, he said the government is preparing a package for the insurgency hit province which would include constitutional, administrative and economic reforms. (ANI)
New Delhi, Sep 18 (ANI): Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has said that late end-season rains will help India’s winter crops.
Talking to reporters here on Thursday, Pawar said, “It’s true that because paddy area transplantation has been dropped, but the late rains are very helpful particularly for Punjab, Haryana, Orissa and Chhattisgarh.”
“There would not be any pressure on food grains supply, as the stock position was good,” Pawar added.
Meteorological Department has said that since June 1, monsoon rains have been 20 percent below normal and heavy showers in the past week have reduced the total seasonal deficit by three percentage points.
Met department said the country can expect heavy rains for at least another week, but the withdrawal of the monsoon, which usually begins to wind down in early September, would be delayed.
A surge in food prices unexpectedly pushed the annual change in India’s wholesale price index into positive for the first time since late May, putting pressure on the central bank to bring forward an exit from its easy monetary policy.
The annualised wholesale price index rose by an unexpected 0.12 percent in the year to September 5, compared with the previous week’s 0.12 percent fall and analysts’ forecast of a 0.08 percent decline.
The food articles sub-index rose an annual 15.4 percent, up from the previous week’s 14.8 percent rise, as a dry spell hit nearly half of India’s districts, hurting summer crops and prompting the government to take steps to raise supplies. (ANI)
Islamabad, Sep 16 (ANI): The Pakistan Muslim League-N has moved a privilege motion in the National Assembly (NA) against the statement of President Asif Ali Zardari on giving the safe passage to the former president Pervez Musharraf.
The motion signed by 91 MNAs has been brought by Hanif Abbasi, Dr. Tariq Fazal and Anjum Aqeel, the NA Members of the PML-N.
It may be recalled that opposition leader in NA, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had announced to move a motion against Zardari the previous day, and demanded Zardari to present all the aspects of the deal – regarding Pervez Musharraf – in front of the nation and Parliament.
Earlier in the day, contradicting media reports over indemnity being granted to Musharraf, Zardari’s spokesman has said that there have been no negotiations with the so-called international guarantors to give indemnity to the former president.
In a statement, Farhatullah Babar said the President Zardari in an informal talk on Monday with reporters had remarked that national political leaders and parties had held negotiations among themselves to chase Musharraf out of office and restore Presidency to the democratic forces.
In the talk with journalists there was no mention of negotiations with the so-called national or international guarantors to give immunity to Musharraf subsequent to his exit, he said.
Zardari’s remarks of negotiations among national political parties to strategise the sacking of Musharraf have unfortunately been distorted and misrepresented as talks with so called guarantors for indemnity to Musharraf, Dawn quoted Babar, as saying.
He said no one denied the holding of negotiations among national political parties to drive Musharraf out of office.
Babar said it was the result of these negotiations that the national parliament and all provincial assemblies adopted resolutions calling upon Musharraf to quit.
It was also the result of these negotiations that the parties joined hands in preparing a comprehensive and historic charge sheet to impeach Musharraf in case he refused to quit, he said.
There was nothing new in Zardari’s remarks about negotiations among political parties to force Musharraf out of office, except for the distortion and spin now given to it, Babar added.
Babar said the noise and din raised over the alleged remarks wrongly attributed to the President is part of the campaign to discredit Zardari for anything and everything that goes wrong. (ANI)
Islamabad, Sep.16 (ANI): With President Asif Ali Zardari disclosing that his predecessor General Pervez Musharraf was given a ‘safe exit’ from the country, it appears, Musharraf may have avoided a high treason trial for his unconstitutional actions, but according to an editorial there is hardly any possibility of the former general returning to Pakistan in the near future.
The editorial in The Daily Times said Musharraf may be safe for the time being, but he would hardly be seen playing golf in Pakistan for years to come.
Referring to the Kargil debacle, the editorial termed Musharraf as a bad strategist, and alleged that the former general was rarely seen keeping his words during his autocratic rule.
“Neither was he a great strategist, as was proved by Kargil and his covert support of the Taliban; he was also no man of his word. He may be safe from the hangman’s noose but he will not be able to play golf in Pakistan for a long time,” the editorial said.
It also blasted the country’s political leaders for running to foreign powers for protecting their heads from ‘internal’ crises.
“Too proud to admit that there could be foreign stakeholders in Pakistan, a direct violation of state sovereignty, we can’t, however, deny that our politicians have leaned on foreign guarantors to save their careers and sometimes their lives,” the editorial said.
“Therefore, if President Zardari today absolves his party from the discomfiture of bringing Musharraf to trial, he knows that the PMLN leader Mr Nawaz Sharif too is riding in the same boat with him,” it went on to add.
However, the editorial lauded the Pakistan Army for refraining from getting involved in the demand for Musharraf’s trial, saying the armed forces, till now, had reacted sensibly.
“The one stakeholder in Pakistan that has acted less rashly than the politicians is the Pakistan Army. It has seen more clearly the risks that would have affected Pakistan’s security if the populist demand for Musharraf’s head had been met,” it concluded. (ANI)
New Delhi, Sep. 11 (ANI): A Malaysian spiritual seeker, who landed in a Varanasi jail for violating Indian immigration laws, has finally left for home in Johor.
After being released from jail on August 27, Lim Soon Seng was waiting to obtain his exit certificate from the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Delhi to leave India.
“I was shattered in prison. All I wanted to do was to heal and help people but I went through some bad karma in India. There were so many legal complications.
“It placed so much stress on my family and me. Now I am free and happy to go home and see my sister,” The Star Online quoted Lim as saying before his departure on a Malaysia Airlines flight for Kuala Lumpur.
A follower of the Krishna Consciousness movement, Lim of Johor landed on the ghats of Varanasi in 2001. For the next six years he diligently renewed his visa as he wandered in orange robes with sadhus and lived a life of solitude.
But Lim’s spiritual sojourn turned into a nightmare when his passport expired in 2005 and he failed to renew it.
For the next 20 months, Lim, in his 50s, languished in Varanasi jail, one of the most crowded and dreaded Indian jails where notorious criminals are held.
Lim was charged under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act, where offenders can face a jail sentence of between six months and seven years.
A German diplomat, who visited the jail to meet a fellow citizen, came across Lim and notified the Malaysian High Commission in Delhi about his predicament.
Once the embassy assured the local district magistrate that he would be repatriated to Malaysia safely, Lim was released. (ANI)
Sydney, Sep 9 (ANI): Almost one in 10 Australian men admitted to having had a relationship or fling with a co-passenger on an airline flight, when questioned during a survey.
The survey on inflight preferences, involving 1,000 respondents, revealed that women were half as likely as men to admit to a high-altitude fling.
Seventy per cent of respondents in the survey nominated their seat location as the most important factor contributing to the enjoyment of their journey.
The survey, by online travel specialist Expedia.com.au, found the front of the plane was the most popular seating place among 37 per cent of respondents.
Almost 30 per cent nominated an exit row, 19 per cent said over the wing, while only 15 per cent said the back of the plane.
In fact, Expedia has recommended that travellers should select a seat at the time of booking.
“We know that being able to choose the most suitable seat improves the comfort of a flight and the overall travel experience of our customers,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Expedia’s Louise Crompton as saying, while releasing the survey results.
The travel company has introduced new technology that enables customers to view and select their seating preferences while booking certain international flights. (ANI)
London, Sep 4(ANI): Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has expressed confidence about handling the intense pressure at Manchester United as well as handling responsibilities of the national squad.
At the club level, after Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit, his responsibility at Old Trafford has doubled, while hopes and aspirations of the nation are on him to lead England to World Cup success.
“I started playing when I was 16 and there has always been expectation and pressure. I have no problem with that. I see it as a challenge,” the Daily Express quoted Rooney, as saying.
“I hope I can be the main man. I am probably playing the best football I have played for England, certainly over the last year. I am really enjoying myself with Manchester United,” he added.
The 23-year-old also said that Man U reckons Cristiano and Tevez’s exit as a big challenge to retain the league title and, personally it is a better opportunity for him to score more goals.
“I want to score more goals. I should be scoring more goals,” Rooney said.
Rooney further said that the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, will definitely be the biggest challenge in his career. (ANI)
London, Sep 3 (ANI): Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso, who knew that his time at Liverpool was up a year ago, has now revealed the full details behind a dramatic 28 million pounds Anfield exit.
Alonso admits the decision to skip a Champions League match for the birth of his son almost three years ago caused a rift with manager Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez.
And the midfielder admits he found it hard to accept being classed as a cash cow when Benitez tried to sell him a year ago, The Sun reports.
Alonso, 27, is now one of the next generation of Real Madrid ‘Galacticos’ after his switch last month. But only now has he spoken out about his relationship with fellow Spaniard Benitez – and the joy of feeling wanted at Real.
“It was a tough call and a very difficult decision to make after five years at the club. I have always said that it has been a professional relationship. I have always tried to do what he asked me to do, to try to deliver on the pitch, to do the talking on the pitch,” he said.
Benitez made no secret of wanting to bring Gareth Barry to the club from Aston Villa last year.
Alonso was identified as the valuable asset to fund the move. The deal did not materialise and Barry ended up joining Manchester City in the most recent transfer window.
“Last summer when the club proposed I had to be sold to get funds to sign new players. It was difficult to accept that. I accept it as a professional but that moment probably changed my mind – and I thought, maybe, from that moment it was maybe time for a change,” Alonso said.
Benitez did little to disguise his displeasure with playmaker Alonso when he opted out of a Champions League last-16 second leg at Inter Milan with Liverpool leading 2-0 to be with his pregnant wife.
Alonso said: “When the birth of my child happened, I had to make a decision. I had to be with my family as it was a very important moment.” (ANI)
New Delhi, Aug.31 (ANI): ‘Lateral entrants’, a term coined for non-RSS workers, are in for tough days ahead in the Bharatiya Janata Party.
In the wake of recent wrangling in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) followed by the exit of senior leader Jaswant Singh and L.K. Advani’s aide Sudheendra Kulkarni, the party has decided to clip the feathers of ‘lateral’ entrants. It literally implies that the members, who are non-swayamsewaks, will no more be able to enjoy the power and clout they used to till recent past.
A senior leader, seeking anonymity, said, ” BJP has decided that the next BJP President will be a swayamsewak and will not be a ‘ lateral entry’. This will further strengthen the chances of hardcore RSS workers-Arun Jaitley, Bal Apte and Narendra Modi-being appointed as the new bosses of the organisation and put to rest speculations about Sushma Swaraj becoming the new President of the party after Rajnath Singh’s three-year term comes to its end by the end of this year.
According to a top BJP source, the cadres of the party are deeply pained by the recent statements made by Jaswant Singh and Advani’s aide Sudheendra Kulkarni who left the party citing that he has fundamental differences with BJP’s ideology.
Party believes that cadres across the country are deeply anguished by the conduct of ‘lateral’ entrants who enjoyed enormous power and were aspirants of holding top jobs if party had won. But they defected after the party lost in the elections.
According to sources, although party will downsize the clout of non-swayamsewaks in party affairs, it will not bar their entry into the party.
Source told ANI that BJP would welcome lateral entrants into the party in future on the basis of their professional ability and capacity.
It is learnt that RSS chief in his recent meetings with the BJP leadership had suggested that they should trim the role of lateral entrants in the BJP and promote swayamsewaks in the party.
Taking a dig at the so called intellectuals, who form the major chunk of ‘lateral entrants’ in the party, top source also said: “We have competent cadres who can speak good English and also write a book.”
Admitting that the generational change in the party is imminent, party sources also indicated that Advani will continue to guide the party with his experience and moral authority even after he steps down as the leader of Opposition. By Naveen Kapoor(ANI)
London, Aug 21(ANI): Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has said that Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit from Manchester United has already given Chelsea an upper hand over the Red devils.
“It is very difficult to replace Ronaldo. I heard Alex Ferguson say that himself and I don’t think he will look to replace him. He will look to make the team strong as a whole by not having him. That is the only thing they can do,” The Sun quoted Lampard, as saying.
“That is probably one of our big plusses this year – we didn’t lose our big players,” he added.
The Premier League champions sold Ronaldo to Real Madrid for 80 million pounds this summer, and suffered an early title blow on Wednesday after losing 1-0 to Burnley.
The 31-year-old said that draws and loss against so early in the Premier League is completely unexpected from big teams like Man U.
“The league is probably closer now, which has been a bit of a natural thing over the past few years. In United’s case, you don’t want to draw the promoted teams so early in the season. They come out of the blocks to try and get some points,” Lampard said.
“The Burnley game wasn’t completely unexpected. I thought it might be a difficult game for them. We have now got a little bit of a lead over them and Liverpool. It is nice to get your noses in front,” he added. (ANI)
Dhaka, Aug.20 (ANI): A court in Bangladesh ruled on Thursday that troops should withdraw from the insurgency-hit Chittacong Hill Tract.
The order was passed despite pleas from some residents about militant attacks.
The army has begun pulling out the Chittagong Hill Tracts, where the government signed a peace treaty with the main militant group in 1997, but halted last week due to a court petition from a Bengali settler.
Government figures show 2,500 people died during two decades of fighting before the peace deal, and deadly violence has continued between the settlers who moved to the area recently and indigenous tribal groups who seek autonomy.
The armed forces said 2,100 troops would be withdrawn and 35 security camps dismantled by September. (ANI)
Copyright © 2013 · eleven40 theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in