Thursday, November 27, 2014

Phillip Hughes dead: Australian cricketer dies after bouncer at SCG

Phillip Hughes

Phillip Hughes

Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes has died in hospital, two days after he was struck on the head by a cricket ball while playing in a Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Australian team doctor Peter Brukner said in a statement released by Cricket Australia on Thursday afternoon that Hughes had died at St Vincent's Hospital.
Peter Brukner, Australia team doctor, said he never regained consciousness and died in hospital in Sydney.
"He was not in pain before he passed and was surrounded by his family and close friends," he said in a statement.
"As a cricket community we mourn his loss and extend our deepest sympathies to Phillip's family and friends at this incredibly sad time. Cricket Australia kindly asks that the privacy of the Hughes family, players and staff be respected."
In an incident that has stunned the cricketing community in Australia and abroad, Hughes, 25, was hit on side of the head while attempting to hook a ball during an inter-state Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday.
Hughes, who was wearing a helmet, appeared to compose himself but then leant forward and collapsed face first onto the pitch. The batsman, who played 26 Tests for Australia, was taken to hospital and remained in an induced coma.
Tony Abbott, Australian Prime Minister, led tributes.
"His death is a very sad day for cricket and a heartbreaking day for his family. What happened has touched millions of Australians," he said.

"For a young life to be cut short playing our national game seems a shocking aberration. He was loved, admired and respected by his teammates and by legions of cricket fans."
Australian cricketers past and present took to Twitter to express their sorrow.

Australian cricketers have gathered at the Sydney Cricket Ground and wandered out one-by-one to pay tribute to Phillip Hughes on the pitch where he was killed.
Those seen making their way to the centre of the empty ground included Michael Clarke, the Australian captain.
The death of Hughes, a former Test batsman, has devastated Australia’s tight-knit cricketing community. In the past two days, players have been seen crying as they have come and gone from St Vincent’s hospital, where Hughes was in intensive care.

Australia has been preparing to play a test against India but it is not clear whether it will go ahead.
“The game will go on – it has to – but it is a sad loss for the game of cricket,” former Australian captain Mark Taylor told Channel Nine. “He [Hughes] was a good country lad. He was really the quintessential Australian cricketer. You don’t expect this to happen and even when he got hit, you think he will bounce back.”
Taylor expressed sympathy for Sean Abbott, who bowled the bouncer which struck Hughes.
“I hope Sean Abbott can forgive himself because the cricket community doesn’t blame him at all.”
A tribute to Hughes in Sydney's Daily Telegraph said the day "will forever be remembered as one the most sorrowful days in Australian cricket's 138-year history".
"Cricket's saddest day is upon us," wrote Robert Craddock and Peter Badel.
"For deep-seated shock and sadness it is doubtful whether any incident has caused more widespread grief than this heartbreaking tale of a strong-willed young cricketer playing an innings, expecting to see him recalled to the Test team and suddenly losing his life... The devastation of Hughes' death is deep and widespread and stretches far beyond the boundary of cricket and even sport."

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Thursday, November 13, 2014

Rohit Sharma smashes highest ever ODI score with 264 for India against Sri Lanka

  • Rohit Sharma is the first player to score two ODI double centuries 
  • His 264 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, came off just 173 balls
  • The innings overtakes Virender Sehwag's 219 against West Indies 
  • India set Sri Lanka 405 for victory at 8.10 an over to win their fourth ODI 
  • Sharma's score alone beat the 251 Sri Lanka managed before being all out
Rohit Sharma scored the highest ever individual score in a one-day international and became the first player to score two career double centuries in a 50-over match with 264 against Sri Lanka. 
The sensational innings on a batsman-friendly Kolkata came off 173 balls with 33 fours and nine sixes, and only ended on the last ball of India's innings as Sharma holed out in the deep.
Sharma said he was 'ready to bat another 50 overs' after walking off the Eden Gardens with his side on a formidable 404 for five after winning the toss and batting first. His score alone would have won the match by 13 runs after the visitors were all out in the 44th over for 251.

Sri Lanka were made to pay for dropping the destructive 27-year-old in the fifth over with his tally just four runs at the time.  
Sharma's innings demolishes Virender Sehwag's previous record of a 149-ball 219 against the West Indies in 2011. Sharma also has the third top score in ODIs with his 209 off 158 balls against Australia in November last year.
Sharma's knock got off to a modest start with the opener reaching his hundred in even time, with his first 50 off 72 balls and his second 50 in a swift 28 deliveries.
From then it was a procession for the right-hander. His third 50 took 25 balls and the 50 up to his 200 took just 26 deliveries. With the end in sight, and Sharma looking to cash in knowing 350 is an achievable target at this ground, he reached 250 in a further 15 balls. 

TOP 10 ODI INNINGS OF ALL TIME 

1) ROHIT SHARMA (India) 264 (173 balls) v Sri Lanka, November 13, 2014
2) VIRENDER SEHWAG (India) 219 (149 ball) v West Indies, December 8, 2011
3) ROHIT SHARMA (India) 209 (158 balls) v Australia, November 2, 2013
4) SACHIN TENDULKAR (India) 200* (147 balls) v South Africa, February 24, 2010
5) CHARLES COVENTRY (Zimbabwe) 194* (156 balls) v Bangladesh, August 16, 2009
6) SAEED ANWAR (Pakistan) 194 (146 balls) v India, May 21, 1997
7) VIV RICHARDS (West Indies) 189* (170 balls) v England, May 31, 1984
8) MARTIN GUPTILL (New Zealand) 189* (155 balls) v England, June 2, 2013
9) SANATH JAYASURIYA (Sri Lanka) 189 (161 balls) v India, October 29, 2000
10) GARY KIRSTEN (South Africa) 188* (159 balls) v UAE February 16, 1996

'Once I got to 50 I knew I had to make a century because it was a good batting wicket and we knew 350 was easily chaseable. That made me stay there as long as possible,' Sharma said on Sky Sports 2. 
'It is important to look at the team score as that is how you build an innings.' 
Had opening bowler Nuwan Kulasekara been given his full allocation of 10 overs he could have made a century of his own after going for 89 runs off nine overs at a rate of 9.88. 
His only consolation was that it was off his bowling that Sharma's wicket fell, with the rampant 27-year-old finding the safe hands of Mahela Jayawardene instead of the middle of his bat.
Coming into this match, Sharma had scored 142 for an India A side ina  warm-up against the Sri Lankans - his last knock before that was in August against England in Cardiff where he injured his hand.
Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar are the only other players to have reached 200 in an ODI.
One record Sharma fell short of was for the highest score for a limited-overs match, falling a single shot along the ground short of Alistair Brown's 268 for Surrey in 2002.
India got off to the perfect start with the ball, removing Sri Lankan opener Kusal Perera without scoring with the third ball of their first over.
Despite a mid-innings fightback from Angelo Mathews (75) and Lahiru Thiramine (59) the target proved a task too great and India took a 4-0 series lead with one match remaining.

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Monday, October 27, 2014

Hiru Golden Film Awards 2014

Hiru Golden Film Awards 2014

The Hiru Golden Film Awards was held on a grand scale at the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium yesterday leaving a golden note in the history of Sri Lankan cinema as the largest local cinema awards ceremony held ever in Sri Lanka.

Hiru Golden Film Awards organized to international standards was held with the participation of a galaxy of Bollywood and local superstars.

Several Bollywood superstars including Bipasha Basu, Neha Dupia, Anil Kapoor, Sunil Shetti and Vivek Oberoi joined this historic cinematic experience.

In addition, super vocalist Alka Yagnik who thrilled the hearts of Bollywood fans also joined her fellow film stars.

State of the art technology and most modern lighting systems never used in a Sri Lankan awards ceremony were used to provide lighting for Hiru Golden Film Awards.

In addition, the most sophisticated sound control system and most advanced camera system in the country were used to cover this spectacular event leaving a lasting memory of the ceremony.

Sri Lankan film industry which began 67 years ago has passed its golden era where film personnel were appreciated.

But no quality productions were screened afterward thereby making it one of the causes to collapse the industry.

In order to fill the vacuum, Hiru Golden Film Awards, was organized according to a concept by Asia Broadcasting Corporation Chairman Rayynor Silva, taking a revolutionary profile in the local cinema industry.

16 years ago, the local radio industry was also given new perspective following a concept given by Asia Broadcasting Corporation Chairman Rayynor Silva.

As a result, a family of radio channels such as Hiru FM, Sha FM, Sun FM, Gold FM and Sooriyan FM were introduced.

Leading in the arena, Asia Broadcasting Corporation later introduced its first Television channel Hiru TV which has already left its musing in the hearts of its viewers.

Chairman Rayynor Silva championed both Radio and Television and the latest endeavour of Asia Broadcasting Corporation was Hiru Golden Film Awards.

Hiru Golden Film Awards, the first of its kind, awarded films that were screened in 2012 and 2013 and another 100 short films produced during the same period.

Hiru Golden Film Award was held at a time where there is a large vacuum in the local film industry.

Awards for Most popular Actor, actress and the most popular song were presented according to an opinion poll carried out through S M S’s and awards ceremony web site.

Accordingly the award for the best film direction was presented to Ashoka Handagama for “Iniyawan” while “Siri Parakum” received the award for the most popular film.

Akila Dhanuddara who featured in “Siri Parakum” was awarded most popular actor and Yashoda Wimaladharma was awarded most popular actress for her role in “Samala Sandwaniya”.

The Best Actor award went to Darshan Dharmaraj for “Iniyawan”.

Chandani Seneviratne who acted in “Nikini Wassa” was presented with the best actress award.

Veteran artists from Sri Lanka as well as Bollywood stars Bipasha Basu, Anil Kapoor, Sunil Shetti, Vivek Oberoi, Neha Dhupia and super vocalist Alka Yagnik who participated in the Hiru Golden Film Awards, presented the awards.

The Best Supporting actor award was presented to Ashan Dias for his role in “Siri Parakum” while Niranjani Shanmugaraja was awarded Best Supporting actress for her role in “Iniyawan”.

The best upcoming actor award went to “Jagath Manuwarna” for his roles in “Nikini Wassa” and “Karma”.

Sulochana Weerasinghe became the best upcoming actress for her role in Nikini Wessa.

Pramuditha Udaya Kumara was awarded “Best child actor” for his role in Siri Parakum.

Amila Thenuwara was awarded “best film songwriter” for the song “Ikigasa handana” from Samala Sandwaniya while Amarasiri Peiris was awarded best male background singer for the same song. The song Ikigasa handana was also selected as the most popular song.

Uresha Rawihari was awarded best female background singer for the “jala dhara” in Kusa Paba.

The best film editor award was presented to Ajith Ramanayake for Iniyawan while Palitha Perera received the award for best camera direction for the film “Karma”.

The award for the best Scriptwriter was won by Aruna Jayawardena for Nikini Wessa.

“Hiru Jeewana Pranama special award” at the Hiru Golden Film awards was presented to Swarna Mallawarachchi.

Hiru Uththamachaara award was won by late Andrew Jayamaanna who has provided a yeoman service to the tele and cinema industry as a director and a camera director.

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Friday, October 24, 2014

Watch the Canadian Parliament Attack



Canadian police have released new videos showing the moments before the deadly attack on the country's parliament in Ottawa, saying that the slain suspect is likely to have acted alone.
Authorities also said on Thursday that they believed 32-year old Michael Zehaf-Bibeau was planning to travel to Syria.
The grainy surveillance camera video showed a man rushing out of a vehicle, brandishing a firearm, as several people in the nearby street scrambled for cover.
Earlier on Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper told parliament members that his government would speed up plans to bolster laws on "surveillance and arrest" following the attack.
Zehaf-Bibeau was shot dead after storming into the main parliament building shortly after killing Nathan Cirillo, a soldier guarding the nearby national war memorial.
Parliament opened with applause for the sergeant who shot Zehaf-Bibeau, and a moment's silence for the dead soldier.
"The objective of these attacks was to instill fear and panic in our country," Harper said. "Canadians will not be intimidated. We will be vigilant, but we will not run scared. We will be prudent but we will not panic."

Mother 'crying for victims'
According to family members and friends, the suspect's past included robbery and drug offenses.
The mother of the attacker said she was crying for the victims of the shooting, not her son.
"Can you ever explain something like this?'' Susan Bibeau said in an interview with the Associated Press. "We are sorry.''
"If I'm crying it's for the people. Not for my son."
"I am mad at my son," she said in a separate email to the agency. "I, his mother, spoke with him last week over lunch, I had not seen him for over five years before that,'' the email said. "So I have very little insight to offer."
She said that no words could express the sadness she and her husband were feeling over the death of the soldier
"We are so sad that a man lost his life. He ... leaves behind a family that must feel nothing but pain and sorrow. We send our deepest condolences to them although words seem pretty useless. We are both crying for them."
"We also wish to apologise for all the pain, fright and chaos he [Zehaf-Bibeau] created. We have no explanation to offer."
The Ottawa attack came two days after another man, whom Harper described as an "ISIL-inspired terrorist" ran over two soldiers in a car park in Quebec, killing one and injuring another before being shot and killed by police.

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Friday, October 17, 2014

Watch Michelle Obama Dance With a Turnip

Michelle Obama Dance With a Turnip
Michelle Obama Dance With a Turnip

 

The First Lady Michelle Obama posts a Vine showing her throwing some moves with a turnip to promote her healthy living campaign.

This could be the epitome of mum dancing.
During a Vine Q & A session to promote her healthy living Let's Move! campaign, Michelle Obama was asked how many calories she burned "when you turn up."




Cue the First Lady recording a clip of her dancing to Lil Jon's 'Turn Down for What?' and giving it a foody twist.
The cringe-worthy clip is irresistible and has gone viral since it was posted late on Tuesday.

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Saturday, October 11, 2014

Nobel Peace Prize 2014: Pakistani Malala Yousafzai, Indian Kailash Satyarthi Honored For Fighting For Children's Rights


The 2014 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded on Friday to Pakistani Malala Yousafzai and Indian Kailash Satyarthi for "their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education."

"Children must go to school and not be financially exploited," The Norwegian Nobel Committee stated in a press release. "In the poor countries of the world, 60% of the present population is under 25 years of age. It is a prerequisite for peaceful global development that the rights of children and young people be respected."
Yousafzai, 17, was shot in the head by Taliban militants in 2012 for having the temerity to seek an education. The Islamist militant group also took issue with her for publishing a blog in 2009 that promoted the right to education.
"I think of it often and imagine the scene clearly. Even if they come to kill me, I will tell them what they are doing is wrong, that education is our basic right," Yousafzai said on her website.
After receiving treatment for her injuries in a British hospital, Yousafzai dedicated herself to the cause of education for all. She said being shot had only strengthened her resolve.
"They can only shoot a body, they cannot shoot my dreams," Yousafzai said. "They shot me because they wanted to tell me that, 'we want to kill you and to stop you campaigning', but they did the biggest mistake: they injured me, and they told me through that attack, that even death is supporting me, even death does not want to kill me."
Yousafzai penned the bestselling book, "I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up For Education And Was Shot By The Taliban," and launched The Malala Fund, a nonprofit organization focused on helping girls go to school and promoting their right of education. For her efforts, she has received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, the European Union's annual human rights award. Previous winners include Nobel Peace Prize laureates Aung San Suu Kyi and Nelson Mandela.
To date, only 15 women have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Yousafzai is the youngest Nobel laureate ever.



Satyarthi, 60, is a children's rights activist who has dedicated his life to helping the millions of youths in India and around the world that have been forced into slavery.
A former electrical engineer, Satyarthi has participated in countless peaceful demonstrations and protests against the exploitation of children. He has mounted raids on factories where children were forced to work, and helped free and rehabilitate thousands. Satyarthi also established Rugmark (now known as Goodweave), a group that aims to "stop child labor in the carpet industry and to replicate its market-based approach in other sectors," and currently heads the Global March Against Child Labor, a conglomeration of 2,000 social-minded organizations and trade unions in 140 countries.
Satyarthi's contributions have received many honors, including the Aachener International Peace Award, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, the Wallenberg Medal and the Defenders of Democracy Award.
"This is an honor for all my fellow Indians, as well as an honor for all those children in the world whose voices were never heard before properly," Satyarthi told India's NDTV network.



"The Nobel Committee regards it as an important point for a Hindu and a Muslim, an Indian and a Pakistani, to join in a common struggle for education and against extremism," the Committee stated in a press release. "Many other individuals and institutions in the international community have also contributed. It has been calculated that there are 168 million child laborers around the world today. In 2000, the figure was 78 million higher. The world has come closer to the goal of eliminating child labor."
The two will split the Nobel award of $1.1 million.
The committee awards the Nobel Peace Prize annually to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." It is one of five Nobel Prizes established by Alfred Nobel, inventor of dynamite, in his will in 1895.
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Friday, September 19, 2014

Scotland rejects independence with No winning 55% of vote

Scotland Independence
Scotland  independence

Scotland has voted against ending its 307-year-old union with England and Wales, with the Scottish National party conceding defeat in the historic referendum.
The result was mathematically certain to be a victory for the Better Together campaign after 30 of Scotland's 32 local authorities declared, including the major cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. An estimated 55% of voters are expected to reject First Minister Alex Salmond's prospectus for independence when all the results are declared.
The yes campaign scored four big successes, winning 53% in the largest city of Glasgow, 54% in West Dunbartonshire, 57% in Dundee and 51% in North Lanarkshire.
However, the no camp was victorious in 26 authorities. It won overwhelmingly in areas where it was expected to do well, including Edinburgh, Aberdeenshire and Borders, but also in areas that could have gone to the yes campaign, including Falkirk, Inverclyde, Eilean Siar and Clackmannanshire.

Awaking to a likely victory for Better Together, David Cameron, the prime minister, tweeted that he had spoken to Labour former chancellor Alistair Darling, leader of the no campaign, and congratulated him on a "well-fought campaign".


The outcome was a deep disappointment to the vocal, enthusiastic pro-independence movement led by the Scottish first minister, Alex Salmond, who had seen an opportunity to turn a centuries-old nationalist dream into reality, and forced the three main British parties into panicked promises to grant substantial new power to the Scottish Parliament.

The decision spared Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain a shattering defeat that would have raised questions about his ability to continue in office and diminished his nation’s standing in the world.


But while the result preserved a union molded in 1707, it left Mr. Cameron facing a backlash among some of his Conservative Party lawmakers. They were angered by the promises of greater Scottish autonomy that he and other party leaders made just days before the vote, when it appeared that the independence campaign might win. Some lawmakers called for similar autonomy for England itself, and even the creation of a separate English Parliament.
The outcome headed off the huge economic, political and military imponderables that would have flowed from a vote for independence. But it also presaged a looser, more federal United Kingdom. And it was unlikely to deter Scottish nationalists from trying again.
The passion of the campaign also left Scots divided, and Mr. Salmond was expected to call later on Friday for reconciliation after a vibrant exercise in democracy that had episodes of harshness and even intimidation.
President Obama had made little secret of his desire that the United Kingdom remain intact. Indeed, Britain had long prided itself on a so-called special relationship with the United States, and Britain’s allies had been concerned by, among other things, Mr. Salmond’s vow to evict Britain’s nuclear submarine bases from Scotland, threatening London’s role in Western defenses.
As the vote approached, the margin between the two camps narrowed to a few percentage points, and at one point, the “yes” campaign seemed to have the momentum.
That was enough to alarm Britain’s political leaders from the three main parties in the Westminster Parliament in London. In a rare show of unity, they promised to extend significant new powers of taxation to Scotland, while maintaining a formula for public spending that many English voters saw as favoring Scots with a higher per-capita contribution.
Voters remained divided to the very end.
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