Tsunami
fundraiser tie: Warne, Lara to play for ICC XI
Sydney:
Aussies Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist have been included
in the ICC XI squad, which will take on an Asian XI team
in a charity match to raise funds for tsunami victims. The
Asian-XI, to be picked by former New Zealand bowler Richard
Hadlee, will be announced tomorrow. Aussie skipper Ricky
Ponting will lead the ICC XI announced by former Australian
captain Steve Waugh. West Indian captain Brian Lara, leading
Australian players Matthew Hayden and Glenn McGrath and
Englishman Darren Gough have also been included in the team.
The ICC XI is as follows: Ricky Ponting (Aus/Captain), Matthew
Hayden (Aus), Adam Gilchrist (Aus), Stephen Fleming (NZ),
Brian Lara (WI), Chris Gayle (WI), Chris Cairns (NZ), Shane
Warne (Aus), Glenn McGrath (Aus), Dwayne Bravo (WI), Darren
Gough (Eng), Daniel Vettori (NZ). The first fund-raising
match will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on
January 10. The return leg will be played at a venue selected
by the Asian Cricket Council in February or March The team,
expected to comprise players from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan
and Bangladesh for the Melbourne match, will be announced
on Monday. The December 26 tsunami, which was triggered
by an earthquake off the coast of Indonesia, is estimated
to have killed 1,50,000 people.
Siemens
announces 6 crore for tsunami victims (Go
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Mumbai:
German telecom giant Siemens has announced a relief
grant of six crores, as much as one million Euros for the
Asia Fund in aid of the tsunami disaster that struck South
and South East Asia last week. "Siemens has plans of adopting
tsunami affected villages and to do so company's employees
also have decided to contribute their one-day's salary.
Siemens, which has announced its support of nearly one million
Euros (six corers) for the Asia Fund will ensure that every
rupee reaches to the needy person. Siemens also has plans
to take up relief work in Sri Lanka and Indonesia," said
Jurgen Schubert, the Managing Director, of Siemens "On priority
basis Siemens has made arrangement of blankets, mats, bed
sheets and towels to be distributed among affected victims
of tsunami in India," he added This is also not the first
time that Siemens has contributed in aid of natural disasters.
During the Gujarat earthquake that devastated Bhuj, Siemens
had contributed extensively in the region's reconstruction.
Closed
Kalpakkam unit to reopen (Go
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Chennai:
Madras Atomic Power Station's (MAPS) second unit at
Kalpakkam, which was shut down following the Tsunami, was
expected to start operating from later today again. The
second unit at Kalpakkam was shut down as a precautionary
measure after seawater had entered into the pump house on
December 26. The first unit was shut down some months ago
for replacement of cooler chamber. However, the Atomic Energy
Regulatory Board on December 30, had cleared Unit Two for
resumption of power generation after an inspection by the
officials.
Cuddalore
mosque provides refuge to Hindus, Christians (Go
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Cuddalore
(Tamil Nadu): As a shining example of communal harmony,
a mosque in Cuddalore district has given shelter to hundreds
of Hindus and Christians affected by the killer tsunami
tragedy that struck last week. More than 6200 people have
been killed in Tamil Nadu, the worst- hit state in the country.
The Muslims have been providing round the clock relief in
terms of food, clothing and shelter to all the affected
women and children of the district. "Here everyone is taking
care of us. We are getting food to eat properly. I don't
have any problem here but I don't have anyone," said Nilamma,
a Hindu woman. The mosque has also provided the homeless
with medicines. The tsunami, which travelled at up to 310
mph, not only washed away tens of thousands of people and
hundreds of villages and towns, but also polluted vital
water wells.
WHO says
without immediate safe drinking water, millions more people
face disease and death. The international organisation also
said that the government must give simultaneous attention
to the children, thousands of whom now face a fight for
their lives against infections and diseases, such as elephantiasis,
cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, malaria,
meningitis and hemorrhagic fever. Mohammad Younis, the head
of the Muslim relief organisation, said they are taking
full responsibility for the people of the district. "Since
26th December onwards, we have been feeding all the people
here. The money belongs to the Muslims. We are ready to
take all responsibility here," he said. On Friday, the government
reduced its toll of dead and feared dead from the tsunami
to 10,736 from 13,268 after almost 3000 people listed as
feared dead in the Andamans were accounted for. In total,
the deadly tsunami has claimed some 124,622 lives in 13
countries across Asia and Africa.
Prayers
held in Capital for Sankaracharya release (Go
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New
Delhi: Hindu rightists offered special prayers today
in the Capital for the early release of Kanchi Sankaracharya
Jayendra Saraswati, who is under arrest on the charges of
involvement in the murder of a temples employee, Sankaraman.
BJP president LK Advani also attended the prayers. The main
Opposition party is spearheading a countrywide campaign
for the unconditional release of the seer. Sankaraman, a
known critic of Saraswati's policies, was hacked to death
in the ancient temple town in early September. The pontiff
has also been named in a murderous assault on the monastery's
former accountant Radhakrishnan. Mulachi Ganesham, a priest
participating in the prayers, said: "We pray for the pontiff
who has prayed for everyone's good. We pray for him and
for our religion". The lower court in Kanchipuram and the
Madras High Court have repeatedly denied bail to the seer.
