Are Earth Day and Good Friday an unholy alliance?s

Holy Week this year has a surprising twist. The international observance of Earth Day and the Christian church’s celebration of Good Friday converge on April 22.

To many in the church this will come as an unwelcome intrusion. I’ve learned in my years as a pastor not to schedule anything that would compete with the rhythms of Holy Week. I’m still reminded occasionally by the keepers of the church calendar about the year I agreed to do a wedding on the Saturday before Easter. I won’t do that again.

For others, the threat of this coincidence goes much deeper than potential scheduling conflicts. They will see this as a sacred-secular fault line in an ongoing cultural struggle between two opposing ideologies.

When the Episcopal Church recently trumpeted this year’s Earth Day as a welcome addition to Good Friday observances, the news was greeted with suspicion in some quarters. One hyperbolic headline proclaimed: “Episcopal Church Replaces God With Gaia on Good Friday.”

Given the sensitive nature of Good Friday, I think there is good reason to be cautious in making connections. In a popular culture that has a knack for seamlessly combining cultural narratives, it’s important to not carelessly turn Good Friday and Earth Day into some kind of earthy, spiritual, "Inception"-meets-"Toy Story 3" mashup. Instead of mixing metaphors and liturgies, I think the most helpful approach is to simply answer the question this coincidence brings to the surface: Does the death of the Jesus on the cross have anything to do with caring for the Earth?

I think a faithful reading of the Good Friday service of Tenebrae - in which candles are extinguished one by one, congregants leave the church in silence, and the cross is shrouded in a black cloth - demands that the church answer this question with an emphatic, Yes!

I haven't always been so passionate about this, but my work as a pastor and my family’s journey over the last few years has changed that. Four years ago my church started a farmers’ market in the parking lot and more recently helped turn an abandoned industrial lot into a community garden.

As we have paid closer attention to the intersections of faith and environment, some of our most hallowed practices have been transformed. For example, instead of using precious resources to buy small forests of poinsettias and Easter lilies every year for Christmas and Easter services, members of the congregation now join forces to buy thousands of trees to be planted in impoverished communities around the world through an organization called Plant With Purpose. As we seek to follow Jesus in our community and reflect Jesus in our practices, we are discovering that caring for the Earth is not an option, it is essential.

My work at the intersections of faith and environment took a very personal turn in 2008 when our young suburban family launched an experiment in consumption. In an effort to find a more sane and faithful way to live, we committed to a year of consuming only items that were local, used, homegrown or homemade.

Going green is not necessarily how we understood our journey at the beginning of the year, but we quickly realized that our rules landed us in the middle of a vibrant environmental movement. We joined with others in celebrating the year of the locavore, food not lawns, walking school buses, backyard chickens and the virtues of reusing and recycling. As we followed these green practices, we discovered that they have a holy rhythm to them. They connected us in important ways to Jesus - his life, his mission and, yes, his death on the cross. Based on our experience, it’s not so strange to imagine Earth Day and Good Friday as appropriate companions on the calendar.

The typical Good Friday service follows the progression of Jesus’ seven last words, the lights dimming with each successive reading, culminating with total darkness and the reading from John 19:30, “It is finished.” Unlike every other worship service during the year where I encourage people to joyously greet each other after worship, on Good Friday I ask that everyone recess in silence. Before the triumph and victory of Easter Sunday, there is the solemn darkness of Good Friday.

It’s important to recognize that this sacrifice of Jesus reaches far beyond personal suffering and sin. Earth Day’s collaboration with Good Friday helps the church remember that, like his love, Jesus’ sacrifice is for all the Earth.

Along with inviting churches to embrace this coincidence as a holy reminder, I do have a word of invitation to Earth Day organizers. Just as Earth Day serves as a helpful reminder and even corrective to the church this year, Good Friday offers something helpful to the environmental movement as well.

As I understand it, Earth Day was originally conceived of as a “teach-in” on campuses to help people understand the damage that was being done to the Earth. It was less a street festival featuring green businesses and more of an earnest wake-up call declaring that there is a crisis, that we live in a world on the brink, a world in need of saving. This is something that organizers of Good Friday services and Earth Day festivities can certainly agree on.

A death that gave life to five people

Though she died in a road accident last week, 17-year-old Reena will live in the collective memory of five patients who have got a new lease of life because of her donated organs.

Reena, a resident of Jind in Haryana, was seriously injured and was declared brain dead at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) here.

Her distraught family consented to donate Reena's liver, both kidneys and two corneas, giving a ray of hope to the five patients.

Her liver was successfully transplanted to a 44-year-old patient from Uttar Pradesh April 15. This was the first liver transplant surgery in PGIMER, one of the leading medical institute of northern India.

PGIMER director KK Talwar said: "Seven to eight departments were involved in this operation. The donor, whose brain was dead, helped five people to live a new life. It is really exemplary."

PGIMER has decided to place a photograph of Reena in its premises - as a tribute.

Delhi-born cancer specialist wins Pulitzer : Indians Abroad: India Today

A Delhi-born cancer specialist - Siddhartha Mukherjee - won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in general non-fiction category to become only the fourth person of Indian origin to get the honour.

The Indian-American physician's acclaimed book on cancer, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, won the prestigious award.

The prize carries a $10,000 award.

Mukherjee's book was also listed in "The 10 Best Books of 2010" byThe New York Times and the "Top 10 Non-fiction Books" by theTime magazine. He is also listed on Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People" list this year.

Mukherjee, 40, who is an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University, grew up in the city's Safdarjung Enclave and studied at St Columba's School before training as a cellular biologist in Oxford as a Rhodes scholar. His first book is a runaway success.

In his book, Mukherjee has recounted centuries of discoveries, setbacks, victories and deaths, told through the "eyes of his predecessors and peers, training their wits against an infinitely resourceful adversary that, just three decades ago, was thought to be easily vanquished in an all-out war against cancer".

An award-winning science writer, Mukherjee examines cancer with a cellular biologist's precision, a historian's perspective and a biographer's passion.

'India has exam system, not education system'

In the thick of the entrance exam season, a furious dispatch to the Prime Minister from his own scientific adviser has termed such tests as one big menace.

Strongly recommending an immediate halt to the system of sitting for a pile of exams, C N R Rao, who heads the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (SACPM), said in a letter sent last week that the American method of holding one national exam before joining university is the way.

Putting it bluntly, Rao told the PM that India is said to "have an examination system but not an education system... When will young people stop taking exams and do something worthwhile?"

Referring to the exam overdrive, Rao briefedManmohan Singh on the various flavours of examinations that dot a student's life: "It is important to relook the entire examination system including the system of final examinations, entrance examinations, qualifying examinations, selection examinations, and so on. Now one hears of a proposal to have a qualifying or accreditation examination for medical graduates and post-graduates."

Students who groan under the pressure of multiple entrance exams will cheer this advice. Citing the example of Joint Entrance Examination conducted by IIT, he said: "IIT entrance exams have the reputation of being difficult and purposeful, but they have also had a negative effect on young minds. Young people suffer so much to succeed in these entrance exams, and in the process lose excitement in education itself."

The lakhs who don't make it across the IIT gates, Rao told the PM, get exhausted and can't perform as well as young people with fresh minds.

Talking about the agony that the Indian higher education sector is in, the SACPM, in a brief document sent to the PM recently — accessed by TOI — noted, "Today there is not a single educational institution in India which is equal to the best institution in the advanced countries".

In view of the growing number of aspirants for higher education, the SACPM has readied a 10-point checklist of key problems and challenges. It has asked the human resources development ministry to set up a taskforce to come up with an action-oriented document within a year.

"We should seriously consider a possible scenario wherein the young India advantage enables India to emerge as the provider of trained manpower for the entire world in the next 20-30 years. This could be a worthwhile national objective," he told the PM.

Rao's checklist for higher education include:

Raising the bar: Provide all required support to 10 educational institutions to enable them to compete with the best in advanced countries

Look ahead: There's a manpower mismatch in many countries with too many professionals in some subjects. Prepare a vision document which foresees the problems 20 years hence

Inclusivity: Increase the number of fully residential schools up to higher secondary level in rural India to nurture rural talent

Magnitude 6.6-quake jolts Japan coast - CNN.com

Fires burned in northeastern Japan Monday evening after a powerful earthquake shook the region, sending a landslide into Iwaki City, authorities said.

A preliminary estimate put the quake's magnitude at 7.1, which was later lowered to 6.6, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Residents in Tokyo also felt the jolts.

A tsunami warning issued by Japan's Meteorological Agency was canceled.

The quake was centered about 164 kilometers (101 miles) northeast of Tokyo, or about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, according to the USGS.

Workers at the plant were asked to evacuate.

The Tohoku Electric Power Company said 220,000 households and businesses in Fukushima where without power after Monday's quake.

After World Cup loss, Sangakkara quits as captain

Kumar Sangakkara stepped down today as captain of Sri Lanka's ODI and T20 teams three days after his side's defeat to India in the final of the World Cup.

He has, however, offered to continue to lead the Test side on an interim basis for the upcoming series against England and Australia "if this is considered helpful for the new captain".

"I would like to announce that after careful consideration I have concluded that it is in the best long-term interests of the team that I step down now as national captain so that a new leader can be properly groomed for the 2015 World Cup in Australia," a statement from Sangakkara said.

"This was a decision I made prior to the 2011 World Cup.

“I will be 37 by the next World Cup and I cannot therefore be sure of my place in the team. It is better that Sri Lanka is now led by a player who will be at the peak of his career during that tournament."

India's population rises to 1.2 billion: Census of India 2011 -

India's population rose to 1.21 billion people over the last 10 years — an increase by 181 million, according to the new census released today, but significantly the growth is slower for the first time in nine decades.

The population, which accounts for world's 17.5 per cent population, comprises 623.7 million males and 586.5 million females, said a provisional 2011 Census report. China is the most populous nation acounting for 19.4 per cent of the global population.

The country's headcount is almost equal to the combined population of the United States,Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan put together, it said.

The population has increased by more than 181 million during the decade 2001-2011, the report said. The growth rate in 2011 is 17.64 per cent in comparison to 21.15 per cent in 2001.

The 2001-2011 period is the first decade — with exception of 1911-1921 — which has actually added lesser population compared to the previous decade, Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner of India C Chandramauli said in presence of Home Secretary Gopal K Pillai.

Among the states and Union territories, Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state with 199 million people and Lakshadweep the least populated at 64,429.

The combined population of UP and Maharashtra is bigger than that of the US.

(Read: Major highlights of the Census 2011)

(Read: Literacy rises by 9.2%, now 74.04%)

The highest population density is in Delhi's north-east district (37,346 per sq km) while the lowest is in Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh (just one per sq km).

The Census indicated a continuing preference for male children over female children. The latest child sex ratio in is 914 female against 1,000 male—the lowest since Independence.

"This is a matter of grave concern," Chandramauli said.

According to the data, literates constitute 74 per cent of the total population aged seven and above and illiterates form 26 per cent.

The literacy rate has gone up from 64.83 per cent in 2001 to 74.04 per cent in 2011 showing an increase of 9.21 per cent.

India vs Pak semifinal: Companies pad up to let employees enjoy - The Times of India

NEW DELHI: Work will take a backseat at IndiaInc when the cricketing world's arch-rivals India and Pakistan face-off in the World Cup semi-final at Mohali on Wednesday.

While some companies are considering half- or full-day leave for employees on the day of the match, others have installed TV screens across office premises or made arrangements for special screening of the match to ensure employees get the pulse of the cricketing ties between the two nations that have fought three wars since independence.

FMCG company Dabur India is weighing an "off" on Wednesday. "The only constraint is that it is yearend closing, so work pressure is quite high at the moment," said Dabur India executive director A Sudhakar.

The company had declared a holiday on the day of the T20 final between India and Pakistan in 2007.

Food and beverages major PepsiCo India may allow half-day leave for employees if it doesn't impact the organisation's functioning, said Samik Basu, vice-president (HR) and chief people officer for India Region.

Some firms are also looking into work-from-home facility for that day. "If employees want to work from home or leave early to be able to watch the match, we are open to that," said Ashish Kumar, chief HR officer at multiplex chain operator PVR Ltd , which is screening the match at some of its multiplexes. The firm is also considering an exclusive screening for its employees.

Employees of the Future Group's Big Bazaar, the country's largest hypermarket retail chain, will be free to watch the match on large screens installed in stores, said its president, Rajan Malhotra.

"The idea is to let employees enjoy the match while at work, because they tend to take leave during such crucial matches," said S Varadarajan, executive vice-president (HR) at BPO firm Quatrro.

The company has in-house contests surrounding the World Cup to give employees a sense of involvement in the sporting event. Salil Kapoor, COO of the country's largest DTH service company Dish TV, said, "We would have special screening of the match in high definition feed for our employees in office and have also tied up with some pubs and clubs with special discounts for our employees."

India's tiger count rises to 1,706, habitat shrinking

India has 1,706 tigers in the wild, marking an increase of 295 in the big cat's numbers, says the tiger census released on Monday. But Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh called the findings a mixed bag as tiger occupancy area has shrunk by nearly 22 per cent due to poaching and development.

The Sundarbans mangrove forests have been included in the census for the first time, with 70 tigers in the area. The rest of the country now has 1,636 tigers, marking an increase of 12 percent over the 2006 figure of 1,411 tigers.

Tiger Estimate 2010, carried out by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, along with several other government and private partners, was released by Ramesh at the March 28-30 International Tiger Conference in Vigyan Bhavan.

It says occupancy area has shrunk from 936,000 hectares to 728,000 in the last four years with a major decrease in northern Andhra Pradesh - East Godavari, Karimnagar, Vishakhapatnam -- due to poaching and development.

"We have a mixed bag as the tiger numbers have increased from 1,411 to 1,636, but the there is decrease in tiger occupancy which shows that tiger corridors are under biggest threat," Ramesh told a packed hall.

The interesting part of the census is that close to 30 per cent of estimated tiger population is outside the 39 tiger reserves and India does not have a strategy to protect the big cats in these areas, he said.

The latest census indicates that the Shivalik-Gangetic plains (Uttarakhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh) have 353 tigers, central India and Eastern Ghats (Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh) have 601 tigers, Western Ghats (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka) 534, the northeast hills and Brahmaputra floodplains (Assam, Mizoram, West Bengal) 148, and the Sunderbans 70.

The last census in 2006 had shown a sharp fall in tiger numbers, at 1,411 tigers in the wild. India was home to about 3,000 tigers around two decades ago.

This time, the upper limit for the tiger numbers has been set at 1,875 and the lower limit at 1,571. The average figure comes to 1,706.

The tiger estimation this time was done using more scientific methods of camera trapping rather than usual pug mark count to get more realistic figures.

"In the former method, tigers walk across a sensor and take self-photograph and each tiger has a unique stripe pattern like finger printing which avoids duplication. The authorities have taken 615 pictures of adult tigers as the sample size, based on which the estimation of the total figure was done," said Y.V. Jhala, who headed the tiger census team.

Tiger loss has been quite significant in northern Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh while Maharashtra and the Terai regions (Himalayas) have shown a significant increase in the big cat population.

The Nagarhole-Mudumalai-Bandipur-Wayanad reserve forests that straddle three states in the Nilgiris has the single largest population of the tiger in the world while the Sunderbans have the highest tiger density in the world.

The tiger census found that the man-animal conflict has been increasing in Corbett, Ranthambore, Tadoba, Bor and Bandhavgarh national parks.

Reacting to the tiger census, Ramesh called for the need to balance development and environment.

"Many tiger reserves are under threat from coal mining, hydel power projects, irrigation projects. There is a need for nine per cent economic growth and there is no dispute in that, but we have to reconcile growth with environment," Ramesh said.

"Choices have to be made on whether we can afford nine per cent growth and end up our forest cover. We have to find a way of balancing imperative high growth with imperative preserving ecosystem," said Ramesh.

Talking on the same lines, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said: "I don't know why I am being seen as the biggest threat to environment. There is a need to balance development and environment."

Death penalty waived for 8 Indians - Hindustan Times

A Sharjah court has waived the death sentence awarded to eight Indian youths for the murder of a Pakistani national after a Dubai-based Indian hotelier paid blood money to the family of the victim on their behalf. The murder took place on July 11, 2009 following which 10 men, eight Indians -- all from Punjab and two Pakistani were arrested.

The death penalty of two Pakistanis have also been waived off after Dubai-based hotelier SP Singh Oberoi paid blood money.

"Death penalty has been waived off for all the 10 accused, eight Indians and two Pakistanis. They have to serve three years of imprisonment of which they have already completed 21 months. So they will be free in another six months and will be deported directly to their home countries," Oberoi said following the verdict on Sunday.

Several such cases involving Punjabi youths embroiled in bootlegging turf battle have come to light in recent times.

The latest case involved murder of Pakistani national Mumtaz Yousuf, who hailed from Faislabad.

The Indians who were arrested are: Kuldip Singh, Sachin Kumar Sharma, Rakesh Kumar, Sukhpal Singh, Hardev Singh, Charanjeet, Amarjeet Singh and Rashwinder Pal.

Oberoi said that on November 24, 2009 he, alongside the victim's father, appeared in court and registered a compromise statement.

"The honorable Judge accepted our request and on February 1 this year I paid the blood money to Mohd Yousuf in court in the presence of the jury. I submitted the required documents in the court on February 6 following which the case was closed and February 28 was fixed as the judgment date. However, this date was then postponed to March 27 (Sunday) when the verdict was finally delivered," he said.

The Pakistanis who will be released include Mohammed Ansar Chaudhary and Shahid Hussain Ifthreen Rana from Multan Burewal.

Oberoi said that there are several such cases pending and involves over 60 young men from Punjab.

This case is, however, different from the case involving 17 Indians who were convicted of murder and have filed an appeal.

India (Ind) vs Pakistan (Pak): Thrills and spills in India-Pakistan Cup matches

India (Ind) vs Pakistan (Pak): Thrills and spills in India-Pakistan Cup matches

NEW DELHI: Excitement and pressure will go hand in hand when Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Indians clash with Shahid Afridi's Pakistanis in Wednesday's high-voltage World Cup semifinal in Mohali.

There has never been a dull moment ever since the two countries played their first World Cup match in 1992 at Sydney.

Pakistan, playing impressive cricket in the ongoing tournament, will also be determined to overcome a jinx after having lost all of their four World Cup matches against their arch-rivals.

All-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, man of the match in Pakistan's quarterfinal win over the West Indies in Dhaka on Wednesday, has said he is keenly looking forward to playing in Mohali.

"It will be really exciting to play India. The atmosphere will be really electrifying. Playing in front of an Indian crowd will be interesting," Hafeez recently told an Indian newspaper.

"I hope India and Pakistan play more matches in future."

It will be the third one-dayer between India and Pakistan in nearly three years as the cricketing ties between the two snapped following the 2008 attacks on India's financial hub Mumbai.

The World Cup matches between India and Pakistan have provided plenty of thrills.

Top Pakistani batsman Javed Miandad was a photographers' delight in 1992 when he jumped up and down, apparently in imitation of Indian wicket-keeper Kiran More who had been repeatedly appealing.

The 43-run defeat at Sydney did not affect Pakistan's chances as they rallied from the brink to win the World Cup under Imran Khan's inspirational leadership.

But the next defeat in the 1996 World Cup did.

Pakistan's 39-run defeat came in the quarterfinal at Bangalore where many believed they had lost half the battle before the first ball had been bowled.

Their captain and quality paceman, Wasim Akram, withdrew from the game due to an injury - a decision the fans found hard to swallow. He was later widely criticised for pulling out of a big match.

Pakistan lost the remaining half of the battle when well-set opener Aamer Sohail lost his cool and wicket after being involved in a verbal duel with Indian seamer Venkatesh Prasad.

Chasing a 288-run target, Pakistan were 113/1 before Sohail was bowled for 55 to become one of Prasad's three victims. It was all over when veteran Miandad was run out for 38 in what turned to be his last World Cup appearance.

The third World Cup clash came at Old Trafford in England in 1999. It was again Prasad who troubled Pakistan, claiming five wickets to help India win by 47 runs in a Super Sixes fixture.

The 2003 World Cup match at Centurion in South Africa was dubbed as a duel between superstars Sachin Tendulkar of India and Pakistani paceman Shoaib Akhtar.

Tendulkar won the fascinating battle, smashing a robust 98 before becoming the paceman's lone victim of the innings. Akhtar conceded 72 in 10 overs in his team's six-wicket defeat.

Tendulkar is now just one ton short of completing 100 international centuries while Akhtar is retiring after the World Cup.

India (Ind) vs Australia (Aus): I am playing for a very special person: Yuvraj

India (Ind) vs Australia (Aus): I am playing for a very special person: Yuvraj

AHMEDABAD: Yuvraj Singh, who has had a dream run in the World Cup, says that he is playing the tournament for a mysterious "someone special" whose name he did not disclose.

"I am playing for a very special person that comes in my mind and whenever things are not going well I think of that person and things work out," man-of-the-match Yuvraj said after India's five-wicket win over Australia in the quarterfinals in which he made an unbeaten half-century and grabbed a couple of wickets.

His dream of guiding India to a win over Australia in the World Cup realised, Yuvraj said he is now focussing on the semifinal against Pakistan, saying the much-anticipated game would be a battle of equals.

Looking ahead to the clash in Mohali on March 30, Yuvraj, who collected his fourth man of the match trophy in the ongoing World Cup, said it would be another dream game.

"The India-Pakistan game is going to be another dream game after India-Australia. It's a great victory for India today. We would be playing our best cricket against Pakistan. They know our game we know theirs both teams are equal. They have had a very good tournament and have beaten West Indies and Australia," Yuvraj told reporters here after India's five-wicket win over the defending champions.

"We don't want to think about the Pakistan game now. It has been a high-pressure game for us (against Australia) and lot of our system has been drained. We would like to relax for a couple of days and then make plans about Pakistan game," he added.

Yuvraj it was very difficult to keep his emotions in check in the high-octane quarterfinal.

"Over the last one year I have been dreaming of staying till the end and taking the team to victory against Australia in the World Cup and the moment has come. This is the moment I have lived for as a cricketer," he said.

He admitted that it was a tough situation with enormous pressure on him and any small mistake on his part could have thrown India out of the World Cup.

"It was very hard to control emotions. It was difficult to control oneself in such a situation as one mistake and you will be out of the World Cup. I tried to just watch the ball, play down the ground and not lift the ball in the air," said the left-handed batsman.

Yuvraj conceded that the dismissal of Gautam Gambhir, who was run out due to a misunderstanding with him, and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in quick succession had put the team under pressure but Suresh Raina lived up to the challenge in crucial stages.

"When Gambhir got out I thought I will get a good partnership going with MS (Dhoni) but when MS got out I knew I was in trouble. When Raina came in I told him to take his time and let's get 20-30 run partnership. He has shown nerves in a crucial stage and this will boost his confidence also," he said.

He said he had already apologised to Gambhir for the mix-up that resulted in his partner getting run out today.

"I have apologies to Gautam for the miscommunication on the field. We have not played together much. I think it was probably my fault," said Yuvraj.

Though he got his fourth man-of-the-match award in the tournament, Yuvraj sounded modest and said the team effort was crucial.

"I feel good to have contributed to the team but the victory cannot be achieved by one person, it's a team effort," he said.

He said though he cherished the centuries he had scored in his career, even scores like his 52 not out last night were special as they resulted in the team winning a crucial tie.

"Though centuries are very special for a player, when you are able to contribute 20 or 30 runs which help the team win crucial matches they also become special," he said.

Looking back at the past one year which had seen him being axed from both the ODI and Test teams, Yuvraj said he was very happy that things have turned around for him.

"Last year everything I touched turned into mud. This year it has been a good year," he said.

Praising coach Gary Kirsten for the contribution he has been making, Yuvraj said that was the vital difference from 2007 when the team was knocked out in the first round of the World Cup.

"In 2003, the team was very great (when it made the final). I don't want to talk about 2007. In 2011 with Gary coming in, our confidence in each other has grown. Players confide in each other and the way Gary keeps the team like a family that shows in our performance," he pointed out.

Death toll of Myanmar's earthquake rises to 74, 111 people injured

Death toll of Myanmar's earthquake rises to 74, 111 people injured

TACHILEIK, Myanmar, March 25 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of Myanmar's Thursday earthquake has increased to 74 with the injured remaining at 111 as of Friday 2:30 p.m. local time, according to an official statement.

A total of 390 residential houses, 14 monasteries and nine government department buildings were destroyed in the mainly affected areas of Tarlay, Naryaung and Monglin. Of them, Monglin was badly ruined in terms of residential houses with 128.

Relief measures are being taken by the state's Natural Disaster Preparedness Committee and local Red Cross as rescue teams are rushing to the stricken areas.

The quake also triggered landslides and collapsed buildings in Myanmar's northeastern Tachileik and Tarpin, Shan states.

A strong earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale jolted Loimwe, 56 kilometers southeast of Kengtung in northeastern Myanmar on Thursday night at 20:29:30 hours local time (1369 GMT).

The quake's epicenter, only 10 kilometers deep, struck the hills of Myanmar bordering Thailand and Laos.

The quake was also felt in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and China.

According to reports from the Laos, the 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Myanmar shook Laos' northern province of Bokeo and Luang Namtha on Thursday night, but no casualties have yet been reported.

According to a statement on Friday from Laos' Department of Meteorology and Hydrology at Water Resources and Environment Administration, people living in Bokeo and Luang Namtha provinces in the north of the country felt the quake, but no damage or injuries have been report from the sparsely populated region.

Meanwhile, the Irrigation department of Thailand on Friday confirmed that the earthquakes in Myanmar had not caused damage to any major dams in the northern region of Thailand.

"The department ordered a structural inspection of the dams in the northern provinces of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai and found that all dams were undamaged by the quake," Bangkok Post online quoted Chalit Damrongsak, the department's irector-general, as saying.

There are no cracks at all in the dams, he said.

Chalit said he had ordered irrigation officials nationwide to regularly make safety checks of dams under their supervision.

The powerful 7-magnitude earthquake on Thursday night sent shock waves that shook buildings in many parts of Thailand and rattled the nerves of highrise residents in Bangkok.

People living near the dams were worried their structural integrity might have been affected and sought reassurance, Thai media reported.

In Thailand, a 55-year-old woman was killed Thursday in the quake in northern Chiang Rai province.

Some 60 aftershocks have been recorded in northern Chiangmai province since the deadly earthquake, according to Thai Meteorological Department's Seismological Bureau.

An officer from Seismological Bureau disclosed that the quake in Myanmar was followed by 56 aftershocks below 5.0 magnitude as well as six aftershocks over 5.0 magnitude.

The aftershocks are expected to continue for a week with different magnitudes ranging from 3.0 to 5.0, but no greater than 6.0 magnitude quake is expected, the seismological bureau said.

According to Vietnam News Agency, buildings in Hanoi shook when the earthquake happened, which caused panic among residents of apartment blocks.

Burma earthquake: More than 60 killed

More than 60 people have died in a magnitude-6.8 earthquake in Burma which struck near the Lao and Thai borders.

It happened at 1355 GMT on Thursday and was centred about 70 miles (110 km) from the northern Thai city of Chiang Rai, the US Geological Survey said.

It was felt 800km to the south in the Thai capital Bangkok, and in the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi.

The quake was shallow, at a depth of 6.2 miles (10km). There are fears the casualties could be much higher.

State radio in Burma said that 65 people had been killed and 111 injured in the quake.

It said that 244 houses, 14 Buddhist monasteries and nine government buildings were damaged.

The town of Tachileik and surrounding villages in Burma's Shan state appear to have borne the brunt of the earthquake.

Cracks are visible in roads and rice fields have been wrecked by rising silt and water, reports say.

The state-controlled New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported that 15 houses collapsed in the town of Tarlay.

Roads, bridges, hospitals and other buildings have been at least partly damaged.

"We are trying to reach the remote areas," one official said told AFP.

Patients in Chiang Rai, Thailand, were evacuated from a hospital following the earthquake

"The military, police and local authorities are trying to find some people injured in those affected areas but the roads are still closed," he said.

The districts around Kengtung and Tachileik are hilly and remote but an active border trade is carried out between many scattered communities.

The BBC's Rachel Harvey in Bangkok says Burma is ill prepared to deal with natural disasters.

Communication systems and infrastructure are poor and the military government tends to limit the flow of information.

It is likely to take some time before a clear picture of the the disaster emerges, our correspondent says.

Collapsing wall

On the Thai side of the border, paddy fields and temples from Chaengsaen to Mae Sai have been damaged.

In Chiang Rai in northern Thailand, scores of people have been injured and buildings affected.

"We are worried that the area might be hit with stronger quakes. There was another quake at 7am," said Somsri Meethong of the Mae Sai District office, referring to an aftershock.

"I had to run again like last night. What we have seen on TV about Japan added to our fear."

One woman in Thailand's Chiang Rai province, close to the epicentre, was killed when a wall collapsed.

In neighbouring Laos, little damage and no casualties have been reported.

The head of the disaster preparedness for the Red Cross there, Bountheun Menevilay, said the quake was felt strongly in the thinly populated border provinces of Luang Namtha and Bokeo.

Earlier reports suggested there had been two strong earthquakes moments apart in the same area, but the USGS later clarified that there had been just one quake.

Earlier this month, on 11 March, a 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck just north of this area, 225km (140 miles) southwest of Dali in Yunnan, southern China.

That was the same day as the huge 9.0 magnitude quake and tsunami hit Japan; however, Japan is on a different tectonic plate.

India rewrite history. Send Australia packing.

It is not often that Ricky Ponting scores a gritty century and ends up on the losing side, especially in a World Cup. But he did as India avenged their 2003 World Cup defeat at the hands of Australia in glorious fashion. The second quarterfinal in Ahmedabad between the two heavy weights was always going to be more than just a match. For some, it was the final before the final. And indeed, the meeting more than lived up to the hype with the home team overcoming some tense moments to romp home with 5 wickets in hand.
A sense of anticipation hung in the air as Ricky Ponting put his boys in to bat first. R Ashwin opened the bowling with Zaheer Khan on a dry and crumbly pitch getting drier and crumblier by the minute. After danger man Shane Watson (25) was castled by Ashwin and the team score at 40-1, Brad Haddin took on the responsibility of punishing loose deliveries mercilessly. Munaf Patel soon became the opener's bunny, as Haddin brought up his fourth tournament half-century off the medium-pacer. However, Yuvraj Singh soon got the breakthrough and Haddin was gone for 53.
On the other end, his skipper, Ponting, had been putting together a chanceless knock that went a long way in restoring his confidence. The middle overs were soon to become a battle of the captains. As Ponting played out an impeccable innings steeped in class, MS Dhoni constantly came at him with different bowlers from both ends and used Zaheer Khan's capabilities with the old ball judiciously. There was also a palpable intensity in the Indian fielding today, with new inclusions Raina and R Ashwin ensuring that the Indians had around 20 fewer runs to chase. In the end, the Australians notched up a competitive score of 260-6 notwithstanding Ponting's dismissal on 104 in the penultimate over.
A fluent start by both Indian openers was not to last long, with the tentative-looking Virender Sehwag wassurprised by a Shane Watson delivery in the 9th over. Tendulkar, in the meantime, carried on with some fearless play, opening the full face of the bat to smack some glorious drives to the boundary. He, however, lived a tad dangerously en route to 18,000 ODI runs and yet another sublime half-century. The little master jabbed at a Shaun Tait delivery in the 19th over, which saw him back in the pavilion on 53 with India at 94-2.
Virat Kohli (24) spent an aesthetically pleasing time at the crease, but played a ridiculous shot to gift his wicket away. Gautam Gambhir (50) gave Yuvraj Singh valuable company, and then inexplicably succeeded at running himself out, after a failed attempt on the previous delivery as well. With the Indian skipper soon gone and the team needing 74 to win off 73, it looked like the "chokers" tag was back in business.
But finisher Suresh Raina, newly included in the squad, had other ideas. Both he and Yuvraj waited out a few tight overs from the pacers and then opened the floodgates off two consecutive Lee and Tait overs, which went for 14 and 13 runs respectively. There was no stopping them thereafter, and Ponting's last-ditch efforts to prolong his team's World Cup stint by reintroducing spin were not to be. Yuvraj Singh (57 off 65 and 2 wickets) who has made a habit of seeing his side through won his fourth consecutive Man-of-the-match trophy and setup another high-voltage clash against Pakistan in the semi-final in the week to follow.
Brief Scores: India 261 for 5 (Yuvraj 57, Tendulkar 53; D Hussey 1-19) beat Australia 260 for in 49.4 overs (Ponting 104, Haddin 53; Yuvraj 2-44) by 5 wickets with 14 balls remaining.

DMK starts campaign, laptops for all students - Politics - Politics News - ibnlive

DMK patriarch and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Thursday filed his nomination for the April 13 Assembly polls from Tiruvarur, his native town.

Karunanidhi kickstarted his election campaign on Wednesday promising freebies and this time he's targetting young students.

Combating the stain of corruption with a promise of populism 87-year-old M karunanidhi drove past the DMK cadre lined up to see him embark on yet another political journey.

The road ahead is not easy. The corruption taint has had maximum impact in the DMK’s urban strongholds. One of the reasons crtitics say the DMK chief gave up urban Chennai where he has contested since 1967, and drove down to his rural hometown Thiruvarur.

The veteran has just one answer to the controversies, allegations, and anti-incumbency that surrounds him.

"In our manifesto we had promised laptops to students from OBC, SC and ST. Now I announce that all students will be given free laptops,” said Karunanidhi.

In 2006, the DMK rode to power with the promise of free colour TVs and rice at 1 rupee a kilo. His government did deliver the goods but will it work again in 2011.

DMK patriarch and Tamil Nadu

Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today filed his nomination for the April 13 Assembly polls from Tiruvarur,

DMK starts campaign, laptops for all students - Politics - Politics News - ibnlive

Australian Innings Ends in 260

Australian Innings ends in 260/6

Ponting at his best: Once he got past 20, the Ponting of old who used to torment the Indians came back and he played a sublime innings. The glorious lofted inside out hit over cover to the spinners was a prominent shot throughout his innings and he played the spinners with complete ease - playing late, with soft hands and nurdling, nudging it into the gaps. And to consider all this after he was designated as someone who can't play the spinners when he flopped miserably way back here in 1998.

Ding-Dong battle: It's been like a chess game. Not like a cricket match. Both sides not giving an inch to each other from ball one. The Aussies came out with a set plan in not giving away wickets early on to the spinners even as India went and opened the attack with Ashwin. Watson belted a few, before he perished to Ash. That's when the man for the big occasion came in - Ponting - under severe stress, with all sorts of rumors circulating about his impending retirement. The crowd at Motera would've done well to keep quiet when Ponting came in, instead they booed him loudly and that would've only stirred up the fighter in him even more. He took his time early on, and then showed his true class.

Here is the detail description of the last over:

Predict the runs scored in the next over and win exciting prizes!
49.6	Harbhajan to David Hussey, 2 runs, David Hussey takes it from outside off, swipes it over mid wicket and takes two, 260 is a good total on this wicket and it will take some chasing from the Men in Blue
49.5	Harbhajan to Johnson, 1 run, Johnson reverse paddles it to short fine, brings the well set David Hussey on strike to face the final ball
49.4	Harbhajan to Johnson, 2 runs, Johnson flicks it through mid wicket, Yuvraj at deep mid wicket does not pick it up, and they sneak an extra run
49.3	Harbhajan to Johnson, no run, in the blockhole, Johnson can't do much, dug back to the bowler
49.2	Harbhajan to Johnson, 2 runs, short ball, pulled with utter disdain and OMG! What a stop, wonderfully done by Ashwin at long on, ran hard and dived full length, 100 marks for the effort
49.1	Harbhajan to David Hussey, 1 run, fuller, off stumpish, David Hussey drills it down to long off, they don't take on Munna, they settle for a single
49.1	Harbhajan to David Hussey, 5 wides, poor bowling that, too full and sliding down the leg, makes life difficult for the keeper, 5 bonus runs!
Harbhajan Singh [9.0-0-37-0] is back into the attack