Nobbs' quiet approach has the team impressed

NEW DELHI: India's top-place finish in the Asian Champions Trophy in China could be attributed, among other factors, to some hot coffee!

Michael Nobbs and his support staff ensured that the Indians got on to the pitch in the event after drinking a cup of coffee to stay alert. But it was not the only thing that they did before the match. 

Dhoni, Bindra conferred Lt. Colonel rank

Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra were on Tuesday conferred with the rank of honourary Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army by President Pratibha Patil.

"President Pratibha Patil has granted the honourary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army to the captain of Indian cricket team Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the ace shooter Abhinav Bindra," a defence Ministry spokesperson said.

Victorious Indian hockey team returns home

The victorious Indian hockey team received a rousing welcome when it returned home in the wee hours today after claiming the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy in Ordos, China.

Even though the crowd gathered at the Indira Gandhi International Airport was not huge but it did enough to give a warm welcome to the players. The fans who gathered at the airport were seen dancing to the beats of drums.

Mata guides Chelsea to 2-0 win over Leverkusen

London: Two second-half goals from David Luiz and Juan Mata gave Chelsea the ideal start to their Champions League campaign after the London side were made to toil for a 2-0 victory against German outfit Bayer Leverkusen at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, in a game which saw Fernando Torres' goal drought continue.

The victory, the first for new boss Andre Villas-Boas in the competition, sees Chelsea take the early lead in Group E as they now turn their collective focus on next Wednesday's trip to Valencia. Before that though, they face Premier League champions Manchester United in a league tie on Sunday.

Perhaps keeping that in mind, Villas-Boas made a number of changes from the team which beat Sunderland at the weekend. Frank Lampard and Nicolas Anelka were named on the bench while Daniel Sturridge retained his spot, with Fernando Torres returning to the starting XI in search of only his second goal since arriving in west London.

Chelsea v Bayer Leverkusen: Andre Villas-Boas desperate to march one step beyond in Champions League

The gift-wrapped box of footballing fireworks that is the Uefa Champions League is reopened on Tuesday evening, unveiling the greatest technical and tactical show on earth.

Not a man readily given to hyperbole, Villas-Boas paused for considered thought before making his pronouncement after training at Cobham.

England seek new captain for experimental XI to face West Indies

When the two matches at the Oval were originally added to the schedule England’s senior players were told only Stuart Broad, as Twenty20 captain, would be required to play, but that was changed when Andy Flower decided to view the games as a chance to work on Twenty20 tactics.

Barcelona 2 AC Milan 2: match report

Thiago Silva powered home a header in the second minute of stoppage time to snatch a 2-2 draw for AC Milan at holders Barcelona in the pair's Group H opener on Tuesday.

The Nou Camp was stunned into near-silence after only 24 seconds when Alexandre Pato left the Barca defence for dead and beat goalkeeper Victor Valdes, the fifth-fastest goal in Europe's elite club competition.

After His Open Victory, Djokovic Is ‘the Happiest Guy’

Timothy A. Clary/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesNovak Djokovic at the Empire State Building on Tuesday.

Fresh off a convincing and thrilling United States Open final victory over Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic admitted he was feeling anything but fresh Tuesday morning.

After defeating Nadal in four exhausting sets, 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-1, he celebrated with a party at his hotel in SoHo and managed only a couple of hours of sleep before he made his morning media rounds.

‘It will take time for WI to recapture its halcyon days'

APIN ELITE COMPANY... Curtly Ambrose after being inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

A man, who was synonymous with speed and the fearsome glare, has mellowed down to strumming a guitar in Antigua, but Curtly Ambrose continues to ask searching questions off the field.

Gambhir to miss Kolkata’s CLT20 qualifying matches

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announced that their injured skipper Gautam Gambhir would miss the Champions T20 League qualifiers and his availability for the main tournament, if the team makes it, would depend on his regaining the complete fitness.

Let Lorgat say whatever he wants: BCCI

LONDON/MUMBAI: The Indian team's absence from the ICC Awards ceremony on Monday night hasn't gone down too well with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and it wasted little time in laying the blame squarely on the BCCI. 

Four Indians in ICC ODI Team of the Year; Dhoni captain

Dubai: The ICC on Monday announced its ODI Team of the Year, as chosen by a specially appointed selection panel chaired by West Indian batting legend and former captain Clive Lloyd.


The announcement was made at a special function ahead of the LG ICC Awards ceremony which is being held this evening at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London. Presented in association with FICA, the LG ICC Awards recognise the best international players and officials of the past 12 months.

FIH awards Champions Trophy to New Zealand

Leandro Negre dismissed talks that FIH was interested in hosting events in India since it would guarantee them a good profit. (TOI Photo)

NEW DELHI: A week after taking away the Champions Trophy from India, theInternational Hockey Federation (FIH) on Tuesday announced the allotment of the event to New Zealand and gave enough indication that India may be barred from holding or participating in future events if they don't put their house in order. 

London 2012 - New Zealand replace India as Champions Trophy hosts

The International Hockey Federation has announced that New Zealand will replace India as hosts of this year's Champions Trophy in December.

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• India stripped of Champions Trophy

The sport's world governing body last week took away India's hosting rights because of an administrative mess which may cost the country future events as well.

"It is always tough to move an event out of any country, but I have to say that the silver lining is the bid from New Zealand," said Federation president Leandro Negre.

Supreme Court verdict boost for Gujarat's Modi

The Supreme Court rejected on Monday hearing a case that links Gujarat's chief minister Narendra Modi to the deadly religious riots in 2002, a move that may help the opposition politician's chances if he runs for prime minister in 2014.

Taliban gun attack, explosions rock Kabul

An Afghan man carries a wounded man on his back to a hospital, after he was injured during a gun battle between Taliban militants and security forces in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011. (AP / Ahmad Jamshid)

View larger image Dust rises after firing by Taliban militants in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011. (AP / Ahmad Nazar)   View larger image Smoke and dust rises from a building, unseen in distance, which is occupied by Taliban insurgents during a coordinated assault in Kabul, Afghanistan on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011. (AP / Musadeq Sadeq)   View larger image Fighting erupts near military hospital close to the diplomatic quarter in Kabul, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011.

Afghan security forces were battling with Taliban gunmen near the U.S. embassy in Kabul on Tuesday after insurgents launched an unprecedented, multi-pronged attack on the city.

Train collision near Chennai, 7 dead

A train accident took place near Arakkonam, Chennai on Tuesday night when a passenger train was hit from behind by a Chennai Electric Multiple Unit train.

The passenger train was travelling from Arakkonam to Katpadi in Tamil Nadu and was waiting for signal when it was hit by the local train, derailing three bogies.

2 trains collide near Chennai, 9 dead

New Delhi: Two trains collided near Arakkonam in Vellore district of Tamil Nadu on Tuesday night resulting in at least eight people being killed and 85 others injured, many of them critically. The tragedy took place when a passenger train was hit from behind by an Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train.

Death toll in Kenya pipeline explosion rises to 82

People search through the debris of their burnt-out home in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011, following a gasoline pipeline explosion. (AP / Khalil Senosi)

NAIROBI, Kenya — The death toll from a gasoline pipeline explosion in Kenya's 

capital has risen to 82, a Red Cross official said Tuesday, as residents of the Nairobi slum waded through a sewage-filled river in search of more bodies.

"We want to do a quick search through the rubble to just ensure that we've been able to collect all the bodies and after that we will take a transit walk and search through the stream of water to ensure there are no more bodies left," said Red Cross coordinator Pamela Indiaka.

Heavy rains, flooding leave 226 dead in Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Heavy rains and flooding in Pakistan's southeastern Sindh province has killed some 226 people over the past month, the National Disaster Management Authority said Tuesday.

Mubarak's intelligence chief testifies at trial

Omar Suleiman, one of the most secretive figures from the Mubarak regime. Photograph: EPA

One of the most secretive figures of Hosni Mubarak's inner circle has testified at the ousted Egyptian leader's trial under a media blackout, facing questions as to whether his former boss ordered the use of lethal force against protesters.

Egypt's military ruler not in court for Mubarak testimony

CAIRO, Egypt — Egypt's military ruler and one-time confidant of Hosni Mubarak failed to attend a court session Sunday that was expected to bring highly anticipated testimony about the ousted president's alleged role in the death of protesters and possibly offer insider revelations about the regime's final days.

IAEA declares Fukushima reactors stable

The damaged Japanese Fukushima power plant has achieved a stable condition, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano, declared Monday, six months after the nuclear accident.

Argentina bus, trains crash at crossing

At least seven people are dead and more than 160 others injured after a crash involving a bus and two passenger trains at a railway crossing in a suburb of Argentine capital.

The bus driver was among those killed as one train rammed the vehicle into a platform and then struck another locomotive head-on in the morning rush-hour accident Tuesday, Argentine Transportation Secretary J.P. Schiavi said.

Obama Takes Jobs Plan to Voters as GOP Questions Tax Component

President Obama is returning to what's becoming familiar territory to sell his $447 billion jobs plan, as he steps up pressure on Congress to pass the bill "immediately" despite early complaints from Republicans about his call to use tax hikes to pay for it. 

Obama gambles his political future on $US450bn jobs package

President Barack Obama is planning to give his American Jobs Act a Rose Garden send-off. Photo: AP

BARACK Obama was sending his $US450 billion ($A429 billion) jobs package to Congress overnight, keen to avoid any tampering by Republicans, many of whom have voiced opposition to the new stimulus action.

Desperate to reignite America's flagging recovery 14 months from next year's presidential election, Mr Obama was planning to give his American Jobs Act a Rose Garden send-off, pushing the case for the measures as necessary to drive down unemployment.

Palestinians officially launch statehood campaign

RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinians launched a campaign on Thursday to rally support for UN recognition as an independent state, planning demonstrations in the Palestinian territories and worldwide before asking the world body to accept them as a full member state later this month.

Gunmen attack school van in Pakistan; 5 dead

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Taliban gunmen attacked a school van in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing four children and the driver in an assault they said was carried out to punish local tribesman for resisting the insurgent movement.

At least 14 other children and two female teachers were wounded in the attack in Matani on the outskirts of the main northwestern city of Peshawar, said police officer Ejaz Khan.

Israeli official condemns attack on Cairo embassy

CAIRO, Egypt — A senior Israeli official on Saturday denounced an overnight attack on his country's embassy in Cairo as a "blow to peaceful relations" between the two Mideast neighbours, adding to already growing tensions between the two nations six months after the ouster of Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, Israel's closest Arab ally.

U.S., NATO buildings attacked in Kabul

Taliban insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles at the U.S. Embassy, NATO headquarters and other buildings in the heart of the Afghan capital Tuesday in a brazen attack two days after the United States marked the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.