PREVIEW – Tamim gives Bangladesh glimpse of hope

May 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Tamim Iqbal gave Bangladesh a glimmer of hope for the first test against England starting at Lord’s on Thursday by promising to take his place at the top of the order despite a painful wrist injury.

The dashing left-hand opener has been told he can play with his left wrist taped, although he may eventually need surgery.

“I don’t want to take any chances but I’m batting okay in the nets and the pain is getting better day by day,” he told reporters.

Tamim, who scored three fluent half-centuries during the two-test home series against England this year, is one of Bangladesh’s two world-class players.

The other is captain and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who expects to play despite contracting chicken pox.

Cooler weather and showers predicted for the weekend after a brief burst of searingly hot weather in south-east England will also create the usual problems for visiting teams at the start of the English summer with assistance for the home bowlers.

England have rested their Twenty20 captain Paul Collingwood and all-rounder Stuart Broad at the start of a hectic season, giving an opportunity to Eoin Morgan to show he can take his one-day form into the test arena.

Morgan does not have a great first-class record but the England management are impressed with his temperament under pressure and the Bangladesh attack provides as gentle an introduction to test cricket as anyone could wish.

England begin the home season buoyed by their win in the Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean and with an Ashes defence against losing finalists Australia to look forward to at the end of the year.

TURBULENT PAKISTAN

After the two-test Bangladesh series they play four tests against Pakistan, who are condemned to play their international cricket abroad because of the uncertain security situation at home.

Pakistan also play two tests against Australia and for the first time since the rain-drenched 1912 Triangular series between England, Australia and South Africa, Lord’s will stage three tests.

Even by their own turbulent standards, Pakistan have endured a spectacularly troubled year.

The International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit is investigating their woeful performances in Australia and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has banned former captains Younus Khan and Shoaib Malik after an internal inquiry.

The pair were still included in a preliminary tour party on Tuesday pending their appeals against the bans along with fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar who has had more than his share of brushes with the Pakistan authorities.

They will be captained by the flamboyant wrist-spinning all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who ended a four-year self-imposed exile from test cricket at the weekend and who is, himself, appealing against a fine for ball-tampering.

The clear indication is that the PCB is determined to field the best side it can muster regardless of its own sanctions, a team who at their mercurial best can fully test both England and Australia and give useful hints to the course of the subsequent Ashes series.

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

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Lanka defeat NZ in second US T20 clash

May 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Sri Lanka beat New Zealand by seven wickets in the second of two Twenty20 matches, part of international cricket’s historic attempt to break into the US market.

Sri Lanka triumphed in the low-scoring affair with more than four overs to spare to earn a 1-1 draw in the series on Sunday.

Nuwan Kulasekara tore through New Zealand’s top order, taking three wickets in the second over as he removed openers Brendon McCullum and Aaron Redmond along with Rob Nicol.

New Zealand were an embarrassing 13-5 at one stage.

Daniel Vettori and Nathan McCullum were the only New Zealanders to reach double figures, but the 81 runs amassed by New Zealand was no challenge for Sri Lanka even on the slow, lifeless pitch.

Vettori’s 27 gave New Zealand a glimmer of hope, and Nathan McCullum’s 36 took their total to 81 before they were bowled out in the 18th over.

Mahela Jayawardene got Sri Lanka going with a 12-ball 17.

Thissara Parera added 24 and Tillakaratne Dilshan overcame his struggles to find his timing for an unbeaten 33.

Sri Lanka had lost Saturday’s opening game of the series, which marked the first cricket games on US soil between two ICC full members.

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Man U will have only itself to blame for Premier League title loss: Van Der Sar

May 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 4 (ANI): Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has said that Manchester United will only have themselves to blame if they come up short in this season’s title race.

United trail leaders Chelsea by a point going into the final day of the season, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side clear favourites needing only to beat Wigan at home to be champions.

“You hope, but you don’t really expect anything,” said the Dutchman.

Van der Sar admitted he and his United team-mates did not expect any favours from Liverpool, with Fergie’s men aiming to outstrip them by claiming a record 19th title.

“I think we expected it,” added Van der Sar.

Van der Sar conceded United, who face Stoke at Old Trafford on Sunday, were not optimistic of Wigan denying Chelsea victory at Stamford Bridge to give them a glimmer of hope.

“You want to grab every little chance there is. You never know in football, of course, but it’s going to be hard, difficult and unlikely. But never mind, we have to make sure we work until the end. It would have been nice if we were a point ahead,” he said. (ANI)

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Elementary for man of match Watson

May 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Australia made an impressive start to their Twenty20 World Cup campaign with Shane Watson hammering 81 from 49 balls in a convincing 34-run victory over defending champions Pakistan on Sunday.

Australia’s innings ended in bizarre fashion with a five wicket maiden but their total of 191 was always going to be tough for Pakistan.

The Australians have yet to truly shine in the shortest version of the game and were eliminated without a win from the group stages of last year’s edition.

But on this evidence they have assembled a team of hard-hitting specialists and quick bowlers who can cope with the unique demands of the format.

One of those Twenty20 specialists, David Warner helped get Australia off to a rapid start with 26 from 18 balls, taking the total to 51 inside six overs before he fell.

After Clarke went cheaply, David Hussey and Watson took charge, adding 98 in 8.2 overs of aggressive hitting.

Hussey struck 53 from 29 balls including five sixes as he laid into the Pakistani attack.

Although the final over resulted in no runs and five wickets — two of them run-outs and three of them to left-armer Mohammad Aamer – Pakistan knew they would need a flying start if they were to have any chance.

But openers Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt both went inside the opening four overs and, despite a lively 41 to Misbah-ul-Haq and 33 off 24 balls from Shahid Afridi, Australia never offered them more than a glimmer of hope.

Pakistan were up against some good bowling, with three wickets each for pacemen Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes.

Outstanding fielding, with eight catches taken, ensured Australia kept the upper-hand, bowling out their opponents with the final ball.

Perhaps the most impressive catch of the day though was made by an on duty St Lucian policeman in the stands who nonchalantly snaffled an Umar Akmal six, one-handed and without the slightest facial expression as he lobbed the ball back on to the field to roars from the crowd.

The entertaining encounter completed a high-scoring day at Beausejour Stadium and once again was watched by a good crowd in high spirits in marked contrast to the sterile atmosphere of the World Cup in the region three years ago.

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Business loan demand drops, defaults rise

April 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Reuters) – Small and medium-sized business borrowers in the United States showed signs of continued stress in February as the percentage of loans in default stayed at a two-year high, PayNet Inc reported on Thursday.

Accounts behind 180 days or more, and unlikely ever to be paid, remained at 0.90 percent of lenders’ portfolios in February, unchanged from the 25-month high they reached in January, according to PayNet, which provides risk management tools to the commercial lending industry.

Accounts in moderate delinquency, or those behind by 30 days or more, rose in February to 4.41 percent from 4.37 percent in January, according to PayNet.

The only glimmer of hope in PayNet’s monthly report was with accounts 90 days or more behind in payment, or in severe delinquency, which improved modestly in February, slipping to 1.36 percent from 1.38 percent in January. It was the seventh consecutive monthly improvement in the measurement.

But the Thomson Reuters/PayNet Small Business Lending Index, which measures the overall volume of financing, fell 6 percent year-over-year in February and was down 8 percent from the previous month.

In January, the SBLI had risen for the first time in 27 months, a uptick that fueled hopes prospects were improving for small businesses, which led the broader economy into the past two recessions and are widely regarded as the best hope for job creation in any recovery.

Bill Phelan, president and founder of Skokie, Illinois-based PayNet, said the drop indicated that lenders remain reluctant to extend credit to small and medium-sized businesses.

“What we see in these trends is that it’s an anemic recovery,” Phelan said. “Business expansion is tepid. The financial health of small businesses is still tenuous. Job creation certainly can’t be occurring with these kinds of indicators.”

On Wednesday, three separate reports raised questions about the job-creating strength of the current U.S. recovery.

The payroll processing company ADP reported that U.S. private employers unexpectedly shed jobs in March and measures of U.S. Midwest business activity and New York City business conditions both fell.

“It just shows the plodding nature of the recovery,” Phelan said. “Usually you see growth ignite as you come out of a recession because there’s pent-up demand. But we don’t see that in these numbers.”

PayNet collects real-time loan information from more than 227 leading U.S. lenders. The company’s proprietary database, which is updated weekly, encompasses more than 16.5 million current and historic contracts worth $740 billion.

More than half the money invested in plants, equipment and software in the United States in any given year is financed with loans, leases and lines of credit.

(Reporting by James B. Kelleher; Editing by Richard Chang)

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Abba stars hint at reunion

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, March 26 (ANI): Millions of Abba fans around the world have a reason to smile – the legendary Swedish pop group has hinted at a reunion for a one-off performance.

But in an interview with The Times today, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, the male half of the Swedish group, offer a beguiling change of tone.

When asked by The Times if they were willing to give a performance – perhaps with an orchestra – that could be aired across the globe, Benny Andersson replied: “Yeah, why not?”

“I don”t know if the girls sing anything any more. I know Frida [Anni-Frid Lyngstad] was in the studio.” Then a little later: “It”s not a bad idea, actually,” he added.

Björn Ulvaeus suggested the band could croon their record Super Trouper”s last track.

He said: “We could sing The Way Old Folks Do.”

The pair”s comments may offer little more than a glimmer of hope, but they are in contrast to previous statements by the band members, who split in 1982.

Only two years ago Ulvaeus said: “We will never appear on stage again. There is simply no motivation to regroup. Money is not a factor and we would like people to remember us as we were – young, exuberant, full of energy and ambition.

“I remember Robert Plant saying Led Zeppelin were a cover band now because they cover all their own stuff. I think that hit the nail on the head.”

Andersson has also previously derided talk of a reunion. “We”d need a good reason to re-form and I just don”t see one. We could never recreate the old days. I”d rather be remembered for the way we were 30 years ago,” he said.

Abba have enjoyed a renaissance. One in four British households owns the DVD of a film version of the Mamma Mia!, the musical inspired by their works. They have sold 370 million records, and sell about three million each year.

Abba had consistently topped the music charts between 1972 and 1982 and even inspired the musical Mamma Mia!

In 2000, quite famously, they turned down a 1 billion dollar deal to reunite for a 100-date tour.

At the time Ulvaeus had said: “This is the budget of a small country so we had to give it some thought. In the end we decided that, whatever offer was on the table, it would be stupid to re-form and utterly ludicrous to change the images people all over the world have of us.” (ANI)

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Liverpool win at Hull to keep title hopes alive; Hope for West Brom

May 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London – Liverpool kept their title hopes alive with a 3-1 win at Hull City on Saturday as they moved back above Manchester United on goal difference at the top of the English Premier League. A first-half strike from Xabi Alonso set Liverpool on their way and two goals from Dirk Kuyt sealed the points, though champions United can go back three points clear at the top, with a game still in hand, if they beat Tottenham Hotspur later on Saturday.

Chelsea are three points behind the top two after they won 1-0 at West Ham United, while bottom side West Bromwich Albion gave themselves a glimmer of hope in their battle for survival by beating Sunderland 3-0 at the Hawthorns.

Alonso smashed a rebound from his own free kick late in the first half of their match at Hull and things then got worse for the home side when Caleb Folan was sent off after
58 minutes for kicking out at Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel.

Dirk Kuyt then doubled their lead with a header four minutes later but Geovanni pulled one back with 18 minutes to go thanks to a neat finish after good work from Daniel Cousin.

Fernando Torres headed against the crossbar from close range but Kuyt made sure of the points with his side’s third late on, leaving Hull still just three points ahead of the relegation zone, with four games to go.

Salomon Kalou’s second-half goal put Chelsea in front at Upton Park but the striker turned into the villain with 20 minutes to go when he conceded a penalty for pulling back Herita Ilunga.

However, Petr Cech came to his rescue with a fine save from Mark Noble’s spot-kick and Chelsea took the points.

West Brom remain bottom but now only two points behind Newcastle and six points away from safety after goals from Jonas Olsson, Chris Brunt and Juan Carlos Menseguez gave them a 3-0 win over Sunderland.

Robinho and Stephen Ireland scored the goals as Manchester City won 2-1 at Everton for only their second away win of the season, while Stoke are still not totally safe after their 1-0 loss at Fulham.

Fifth-placed Aston Villa were held to a 1-1 draw at Bolton Wanderers in the day’s other match. (dpa)

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Mitsubishi raises output target for electric car, AS

April 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

TOKYO (AP) Mitsubishi Motors Corp. will increase production of its planned electric vehicle after orders for its first 2,000 cars were quickly filled, a spokesman said Friday.

Japan’s No. 4 automaker aims to roll out the “i MiEV” zero-emissions car for leasing in Japan by July.

The first year’s planned production of 2,000 units has already sold out with Japanese corporate leasers, including utility Tokyo Electric Power Co. and convenience store chain Lawson, said company spokesman Kai Inada.

Due to the strong interest, Mitsubishi Motors is raising its output of the model for 2010 from 4,000 to 5,000 units, he said. Mitsubishi Motors plans to sell the i MiEV which can be recharged from a regular home socket in Europe through Peugeot Citroen PSA in 2010, and sales to individual consumers in Japan are planned for 2011.

The potential growth of such “green” cars is offering a glimmer of hope for the world’s automakers, which are struggling to cope with plunging auto demand caused by the global economic slowdown and credit crunch. Earlier this week, Malaysia’s national car maker Proton and Detroit Electric, a Netherlands-based company, signed a $555 million deal to make electric cars by early next year.

U.S.-based Tesla Motors has a prototype electric car that is scheduled to be produced by 2011. General Motors Corp.

, Ford Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co.

, are also planning electric vehicles. Governments in the U.S., Europe and Japan are offering or planning consumer incentives, such as tax breaks, for environmentally friendly vehicles.

While rival Japanese automakers like Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co.

focus on gas-electric hybrid vehicles, Tokyo-based Mitsubishi is making its i MiEV the pillar of its ecological strategy. Mitsubishi is hoping to reach annual sales of 10,000 electric vehicles soon, but Inada called “speculative” the report Friday in The Nikkei, Japan’s top business daily, which said i MiEV production will reach 20,000 in fiscal 2011

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Microbicide gel offers promising HIV prevention method for women

March 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, March 6 (ANI): A vaginal microbicide gel has for the first time shown some promise to prevent HIV infection in women in a clinical trial involving more than 3,000 subjects in the U.S. and southern Africa.

While making a presentation on the trial’s findings at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI), the researchers said that one 0.5 per cent dose of a microbicide designed to prevent HIV from attaching to cells in the genital tract, was 30 per cent effective.

While the results of the study known as HPTN 035 are encouraging, the researchers behind it say that additional evidence is needed to determine more definitively its effectiveness.

“These findings provide the first signal that a microbicide gel may be able to prevent women from HIV infection,” says Dr. Salim S. Abdool Karim, professor of clinical Epidemiology at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, pro vice-chancellor (research) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa, and director the Center for the AIDS Program of Research in South Africa, who led the multi-center study for the U.S.-based Microbicide Trials Network (MTN).

“Indeed, for the millions of women at risk for HIV, especially young women in Africa, there is now a glimmer of hope. But these findings also indicate that more research is needed; we can’t yet say that we have an effective microbicide,” he added.

Microbicides are substances intended to reduce or prevent the sexual transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections when applied topically.

While various microbicides are being tested in clinical trials, none of them has ben approved for use as yet because previous trials have yielded disappointing results.

The study-conducted between February 2005 and September 2008, and involving 3,099 women at six sites in Africa and one in the U.S.-evaluated the safety and effectiveness of two candidate microbicides for preventing male-to-female sexual transmission of HIV.

“I am particularly impressed by and grateful to the women who took part in HPTN 035. “We have reached an important milestone in HIV prevention research, and these women deserve credit for the success of the study,” said Dr. Sharon Hillier, vice chairman and professor, department of obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and MTN principal investigator. (ANI)

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Jade Goody ‘undergoes emergency op to remove life-threatening tumour’

February 7, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, Feb 7 (ANI): Cancer-stricken Jade Goody yesterday underwent emergency surgery to remove a life-threatening golf ball-sized tumour, according to reports.

The reality TV star – who is fighting for her life after being told the disease had spread to her bowel, groin and liver – was told by docs that they had to operate immediately to save her life after locating a golf ball-sized growth, the Daily Mirror said.

The tumour was found after she complained of agonising stomach pains, reports the Daily Express.

The Big Brother star was first diagnosed with the illness last August and has undergone extensive chemotherapy treatment, which has left her hairless.

She is also being given a new drug to help combat her spreading illness.

Doctors have reportedly prescribed a two-month course of Topotecan, which is still being tested in the UK and is used by sufferers who do not respond to more conventional treatments.

Goody said it had given her a “glimmer of hope”. (ANI)

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