UNITED NATIONS: Russia and China vetoed on Saturday an Arab and Western-backed resolution at the UN Security Council calling for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down over his bloody crackdown on a popular uprising.

The setback in diplomatic efforts to defuse the revolt peacefully came after world leaders and Syrian opposition activists accused Assad’s forces of killing hundreds of people in a bombardment of the city of Homs, the bloodiest night in 11 months of upheaval in the pivotal Arab country.

Shortly before the Security Council voted, US President Barack Obama denounced the “unspeakable assault” on Homs, demanded that Assad leave power immediately and called for UN action against Assad’s “relentless brutality”.

“Yesterday the Syrian government murdered hundreds of Syrian citizens, including women and children, in Homs through shelling and other indiscriminate violence, and Syrian forces continue to prevent hundreds of injured civilians from seeking medical help,” Obama said in a statement. “Any government that brutalises and massacres its people does not deserve to govern.”

He and other Western and Arab leaders put unprecedented pressure on Assad’s veto-wielding ally Russia to allow the Security Council to pass a resolution backing an Arab League call for Assad to transfer powers to a deputy.

But US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Saturday it had not been possible to work constructively with Russia ahead of the vote, even though military intervention in Syria – fiercely opposed by

Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/Russia-China-veto-UN-resolution-on-Syria-killings/articleshow/11758535.cms

Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl-2012/news/IPL-auction-Weve-had-enough-of-our-relationship-with-BCCI-says-Subrata-Roy/articleshow/11755560.cms

NEW DELHI: Dashing wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum was the first to be auctioned as he was bought for $900,000 by Kolkata Knight Riders followed by the Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who was clinched by Chennai Super Kings for whopping $2 million in the tie-breaker of IPL 5 auction in Bangalore on Saturday.

Who got whom in IPL players’ auction

In Pics: Bidders at IPL players’ auction

Former Pakistan player Azhar Mahmood, who now has a British passport, has been sold to Kings XI Punjab for $200,000. He started with a base price of $100,000.

Australia’s James Faulkner was also grabbed by Kings XI Punjab for $190,000.

Darren Bravo, who went unsold in the first time, has been bought on his base price by Deccan Chargers for $100,000 while Owais Shah remained unsold in the second time too at a base price of $200,000.

New Zealand all-rounder Doug Bracewell got lucky at the second time after Delhi Daredevils bought him for $50,000.

South African seamer Marchant de Lange, who took a seven-for on Test debut, has been bought for $50,000 by Kolkata Knight Riders.

South Australia batsman Daniel Harris, who had a base price $50,000, sold to Deccan Chargers for $70,000.

Kevon Cooper, the Trinidad Tobago all-rounder, has been bought by Rajasthan Royals on base price of $50,000. West Indies opener Lendl Simmons couldn’t attract any buyer.

Lankan all-rounder Thisara Perera, who had a base

Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl-2012/news/IPL-5-auction-Chennai-Super-Kings-buy-Ravindra-Jadeja-for-whopping-2-million-in-tie-breaker/articleshow/11752059.cms

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NEW DELHI: A paraplegic interior designer claimed to have murdered his wife and four-year-old son, and was found lying next to the bodies when the police broke into their bedroom in Rohini, northwest Delhi, in the early hours of Friday.

Nitin Maini (30) also tried to injure himself using a pair of scissors, police said. Nitin told the cops who arrested him that he suspected his wife of being unfaithful. But both families – Nitin’s and his wife’s – said the wheelchair-bound man couldn’t possibly have committed the murders as he could hardly move without help.

The victims, Shweta Maini (24) and Garv appeared to have been strangled, police said. Shweta’s father has alleged the hand of Nitin’s family in the killings.

Nitin, who became paralysed waist down in a bike accident three years ago, was to shortly receive compensation of Rs 21 lakh.

Shweta and Nitin Maini had defied their families to get married six years ago. “They had to marry in Patiala House courts, and I backed Nitin during their courtship. He loved Shweta immensely and could not have killed her. When he could not even move without help, how could he have committed two murders and then tried to kill himself?” said a friend who did not wish to be named.

The double murder has devastated Nitin’s immediate family. His mother, Sushma, had been happy when the couple celebrated their wedding anniversary on Thursday night. Hardly

Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Paraplegic-held-for-killing-wife-son/articleshow/11747802.cms

NEW DELHI: In a surprise development, the Indian cricket team’s longtime sponsor Sahara India on Saturday ended financial ties with the BCCI and also pulled out of the IPL by withdrawing from Pune Warriors’ ownership just hours before the players’ auction.

Sahara, which has been the team sponsor for 11 years, signed a renewed agreement with the BCCI on July 1, 2010 till December 31, 2013.

Sahara was paying Rs 3.34 crore per Test match, one-day international and Twenty20 international under the new terms.

“…after an 11-year journey as sponsors, we can say with surety that cricket has become very rich. Many rich people are there to support cricket with a strong will to do so. So, with absolute peace of mind we can exit from cricket under BCCI and are exiting with a heavy heart,” Sahara India said in a statement.

“It was an emotional decision for us to start this sponsorship but our emotions were never appreciated and many genuine situations were not given due consideration at all,” the statement read.

Sahara, which entered the cash-rich IPL bandwagon last year along with the now-disbanded Kochi Tuskers Kerala, complained that several requests put forth by it with regards to players and the number of matches were not accepted by the BCCI.

“Our first entry into IPL was thwarted in 2008 when we were disqualified, owing to a small technicality on the whims and fancies of BCCI. Yet

Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/top-stories/Sahara-withdraws-Indian-cricket-team-sponsorship-and-Pune-Warriors-ownership/articleshow/11751668.cms

NEW DELHI: Dashing wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum was the first to be auctioned as he was bought for $900,000 by Kolkata Knight Riders followed by the Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who was clinched by Chennai Super Kings for whopping $2 million in the tie-breaker.

Who got whom | Batsmen | Bowlers | All-rounders | Wicket-keepers

Meanwhile KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan tweeted: Feel shy sitting on auction table with all the bigwigs…so waiting outside and enjoying a cuppa coffee brendon return to team…

Jadeja, who had a base price of $100,000, was bagged in a tie-breaker between Super Kings and Deccan Chargers.

The $2 million budget cap for the auction means Super Kings have spent all their money on a single player and cannot participate in the auction any more.

Delhi Daredevils bought all-rounder Andre Russel, who had a base price of $50,000, for $450,000 while Mitchell Johnson was bought at his base price by the Mumbai Indians for $300,000.

Deccan Chargers bought Parthiv Patel, who had a base price of $200,000, for $650,000 after quite a fight with the other franchises.

Rajasthan Royal bought Bradley Hodge for $475,000. Sri Lankan master batsman Mahela Jayawardene has been bought by Delhi Daredevils for $1.4 million.

Mumbai Indians bought Herschelle Gibbs for $50,000 while Dinesh Chandimal bought by Rajasthan Royals for $50,000. Both the players have been bought on their base prices.

Muttiah

Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/ipl-2012/news/IPL-5-auction-Chennai-Super-Kings-buy-Ravindra-Jadeja-for-whopping-2-million-in-tie-breaker/articleshow/11752059.cms

WASHINGTON: Sometime between Thursday, December 29, when the world shuttered down to end 2011, and Tuesday, January 3, when it reopened after heralding in 2012, Lyvita Gomes drifted into a lonely and terrible death in a Chicago area hospital from self-imposed starvation and dehydration. Apparently, no one in 21st century America is particularly shocked by this. Regretful, yes; alarmed or repentant; no.

The 52-year old Mumbai native, a former Pan Am stewardess and Delta Airlines trainer, had been on a hunger strike in jail for nearly three weeks following her December 10 incarceration arising from charges of resisting arrest in a routine jury summons case.

A timetable of events released by Greater Chicago’s Lake County sheriff’s office on Thursday showed she had been taken into custody on December 12, placed on a suicide watch immediately due to her “making suicidal statements during the booking process,” released on December 13 and re-arrested on December 14, at which point she began her hunger strike.

On December 17, county officials moved her to a medical unit “to observe and to validate hunger strike” and determined the next day that she had not eaten for 72 hours. “Hunger strike protocol” was initiated the next day with verbal orders given by doctor to provide her “with additional juices and meal trays and to encourage hydration and nutrition,” even as she was produced twice before a judge over the next two days.

Gomes, who is said

Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/After-Indian-woman-on-fast-in-prison-dies-US-calls-it-a-tragedy/articleshow/11749416.cms

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Article source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/2G-scam-Its-judgement-day-for-home-minister-P-Chidambaram/articleshow/11749018.cms