PoL prices to remain unchanged in March

Updated at: 1904 PST, Saturday, February 28, 2009
ISLAMABAD: The prices of petroleum and oil lubricants (POL) will remain unchanged for the month of March, Geo news reported on Saturday.

According to sources, Finance Ministry had forwarded summary to Prime Minister recommending to keep petroleum products’ prices unchanged by 1st March which, premier has approved today.

This approval will mount Rs.17 billion profit to government excluding taxes, sources added.

Government gained Rs.15 billion profit owing to petroleum development delivery in the month of February but Rs.2 billion additional profit will be added in March, sources maintained.

Venus to face Pennetta in Acapulco final

Updated at: 0958 PST, Saturday, February 28, 2009
ACAPULCO: Top-seeded Venus Williams beat Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic 6-0, 6-3 Friday to reach the Mexican Open final.

Williams, who won her 40th career singles title in Dubai last week, will face defending champion Flavia Pennetta for the title.

Italian Pennetta reached her sixth consecutive final at the Mexican Open with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over 2004 champion Iveta Benesova.

The second-seeded Pennetta has surprisingly won three of her five career matches against Williams, including their only match on clay in the third round of last year's French Open. Benesova beat Pennetta in the 2004 final, but the Italian served better on Friday, and created more chances than Benesova could produce. Pennetta claimed four of eight break points and lost her serve only once to the fourth-seeded Czech. Pennetta, who improved her Acapulco record to 28-4, won the title in 2005 and 2008.

Nicolas Almagro of Spain also will get to defend his title in the men's final. He defeated unseeded Martin Vassallo Arguello of Argentina 6-4, 6-4. Fourth-seeded Almagro will play for his fifth career title against either second-seeded Gael Monfils of France or fifth-seeded Jose Acasuso of Argentina.

Adamek successfully defends cruiserweight title

Updated at: 1146 PST, Saturday, February 28, 2009 NEWARK: Poland's Tomasz Adamek retained his world title with an eighth-round knockout over previously undefeated Johnathon Banks on Friday. Adamek not only posted his 37th win to go with one loss but he also retained his International Boxing Federation cruiserweight belt. Adamek seized control of the fight in the sixth round before flooring Banks twice in the eighth. The referee stopped the bout at one minute, 30 seconds of the final round. It was the first defence of the title for Adamek. Adamek took the title here 11 weeks ago with a split-decision victory over Steve Cunningham, knocking the American to the canvas three times to claim his fifth victory in a row, improving his record to 36-1 with 24 knockouts. Adamek won the World Boxing Council light-heavyweight title in 2005 from Australian Paul Briggs and defended the crown twice before suffering his only career defeat, a 2007 unanimous decision loss to American Chad Dawson.

Test matches should be result-oriented: Younis Khan

Updated at: 1447 PST, Saturday, February 28, 2009
LAHORE: The second and the final Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be beginning tomorrow at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Pakistan team captain Younis Khan said that he has focused all his attention towards keeping the team united rather than winning the match.

In a press conference here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday, Younis Khan said that this wicket is looking better than the wicket at the National Stadium Karachi.

He said that he feels if the matches would be result-oriented then spectators would come to the stadium.

Younis said that one change is expected in the Pakistan team for the Lahore Test.

The Pakistan team captain said that the cricketers had made a silent protest on their central contract but he is grateful to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for hearing his voice.

He said that the PCB suffered most by the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Younis said that he understands that there should be a players’ association.

Meanwhile, captain of the Sri Lankan team Mahela Jayawardene said that though he is not a wicket expert but he feels that the wicket at the Gaddafi Stadium would be helpful to fast bowlers.

Jayawardene said that the second Test would be of much importance for his team.

Arrangements for second Test completed

Arrangements for second Test completed

Updated at: 1516 PST, Saturday, February 28, 2009 LAHORE: The second Test match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will begin from tomorrow here at the Gaddafi Stadium and all arrangements in this regard have been completed. The teams of Pakistan and Sri Lanka participated in practice session this morning. Both teams will face each other tomorrow in the final match of the two-Test series. In view of the present situation in Lahore, security of the players and the stadium has been extended. The wicket prepared for the second Test has gained great importance in the wake of the Karachi Test and this is why Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman himself visited the stadium to have a look at the wicket and expressed his satisfaction over it. The team management is determined to make this match a result-oriented and one change is likely to made in the Pakistan team for the second Test.

Kallis completes 10,000 Test runs

Updated at: 2008 PST, Saturday, February 28, 2009
JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s allrounder Jacques Kallis crossed a milestone of 10,000 runs in Test cricket here on Friday in the first innings of the fourth Test against Australia.

Kallis became the first South African batsman and the eighth in Test history to score 10,000 runs or more in Test career.

Besides, he has become the only cricketer to make 10,000 runs and taking 250 wickets in Test cricket. He also held more than 100 catches as fielder to get perfection.

The highest run-getter in Test cricket is India’s Sachin Tendulkar with 12,429 runs in 156 matches, followed by Brian Lara of the West Indies, Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Rickey Ponting of Australia, and Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar of India.

Kallis is the most prominent batsman among all the eight members of 10,000-club on the basis of average with 54.42.

He is the only batsman after Sir Donald Bradman for hitting hundreds in five consecutive Test matches.

Kallis has recently crossed another milestone of 10,000 runs in One-day International cricket. He has made 10,000 runs and took 200 wickets in this form of cricket, too.

All players of Pakistan team sign central contract

Updated at: 2009 PST, Saturday, February 28, 2009
LAHORE: All players of the Pakistan cricket team has signed central contract.

Captain Younis Khan said that the players had made silent protest on some clauses of the central contract but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) removed the players objections for which he is grateful to the board.

The PCB had offered central contract to 27 players two months ago but nine players had reservations including obtaining the central contract again after playing county cricket and fees for playing Twenty20 cricket.

After the board has now approved thse demands, the players will receive the payment of Rs150,000 to 250,000 for playing Twenty20 cricket on the basis of their categories.

Younis Khan said that sometimes players have to fight for their rights and therefore they made silent protest.

He said that there like Australia, there should be also be a players association in Pakistan.

Yet another tirade

THE trilateral talks in Washington on the war on terror have again seen that unedifying ritual in which Afghan delegates pour venom on Pakistan and, presumably, embarrass their hosts. In the US capital to attend talks with Pakistani and American delegates on developing greater cooperation to thwart terrorism, the Afghan foreign minister had unpalatable things to say about Pakistan.

The “main threat centre” for instability, he said, was neither Iraq nor his own country but Pakistan. This is a rewording of the Indian charge that Pakistan is the “epicentre” of terrorism. Speaking at the Centre for American Progress on Thursday, Rangeen Dadfar Spanta feared that Pakistan could become a failed state and that would not be in the interest of America and the region. This piece of wisdom has come from a man whose own country has been devastated by war and civil conflict, and that has been a victim of terrorism for three decades. In fact, there is no sign yet that the corrupt government he represents is anywhere near giving Afghanistan a semblance of normality.

Winning the war on terror is one thing, setting one’s house in order quite another. America is nowhere near winning the war on terror, nor is Pakistan. While it is true that Pakistan’s domestic scene is not enviable, there is awareness of the immensity of the economic and political challenges the country faces. In fact, Pakistan has had no time to be officious and advise its western neighbour to make greater efforts for peace. But Kabul has missed no opportunity to slander Pakistan. Mr Spanta’s country and the government he represents are in an utter mess. While they support the world’s ‘do more’ advice to Pakistan, Afghanistans leaders haven’t bothered to examine their own gross failures. Why is it Pakistans responsibility alone to check the two-way crossings by terrorists and smugglers across the Durand Line? Why haven’t Afghan forces and Isaf contingents set up an adequate number of check-posts along the border to stop the two-way movement?

The country’s reconstruction has come to a halt because the international donors have no confidence in the Kabul government. The country is the world’s leading drug producer and President Hamid Karzai’s own brother, a provincial governor, is
allegedly among those involved in drug trafficking.

In fact, one could be forgiven for thinking that the Karzai government is virtually
sabotaging the war on terror to advance its own interests and distract Pakistan from pursuing the fight against the Taliban.

Jackie Chan has falling out with Hong Kong govt

HONG KONG: Action hero Jackie Chan said Thursday a museum dedicated to his career would have been built in Hong Kong rather than Singapore if the government had not ignored his repeated requests for land.

The Hong Kong-born ‘Rush Hour’ star said he had decided to donate his costumes, awards and a collection of antique Chinese houses to Singapore after 10 fruitless years trying to convince the Hong Kong government to host the attraction.

‘I finally decided last week to give (the collection) to them,’ he told AFP.

‘I will built everything in Singapore. All my costumes will be moved there. The Jackie Chan Museum will be in Singapore,’ he said.

His collection included seven wooden houses, currently stored in a Hong Kong warehouse, which date back to the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties and are worth more than 67 million US dollars.

He said he would not change his mind unless the Hong Kong government got back to him over the next few days with a concrete offer.

‘But I doubt if they will come back to me, not even if they are given another year,’ he said. ‘I was very disappointed. It was a shame. I feel Hong Kong is now too politicised,’ he said, adding that Chief Executive Donald Tsang and other government officials were often afraid to take actions for fear of being criticised.

Chan said although he had offered to pay for the land and the cost of the project, the government had not responded.

In contrast, he said that the Singapore government replied a week after it learnt about his idea. He was offered land and costs for transporting the exhibits.

‘I was really touched,’ he said.

A government spokeswoman said the Hong Kong Tourism Board was discussing the issue with Chan.

‘We are trying to learn more about his plan before we consider how to take it forward,’ she told AFP.

Simpsons set for record 20 years at primetime

‘The Simpsons,’ television's most famous and longest running animated series.

Los Angeles –‘The Simpsons,’ television's most famous animated dysfunctional family, is poised to become the United States' longest running prime-time show, US media said Friday.

After more than 450 episodes, the program's creators have been asked Fox, the studio behind the show, to do two more series of antics from Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart and Maggie, the Hollywood Reporter said.

That would make the series the longest running prime time program, ahead of the western ‘Gunsmoke’ which ran between 1955 and 1975, it said.

The yellow-tinged cartoon family debuted in 1990 and has long since surpassed ‘The Flintstones’ as the longest running animated series.

Although many other programs have been running for longer, they are largely news and current affairs programs, or show that air outside prime-time.

Fox said actors responsible for the characters' instantly recognizable voices have agreed to stay on for two more years.

The next series is to begin in September, with at least one more to follow in 2010.

Homer and Bart Simpson were the first creations of Matt Groening at the end of the 1980s and were produced by James Brooks.

In 2007 a feature film documented the family's exploits to great box office success.AFP

US informed about Sharifs’ case ruling in advance

Diplomatic sources claim that US was apprehensive about the decision and wanted it to be delayed on the grounds that political instability in the country would divert focus from the war on terror. - File photo.

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad had indicated to Washington about the possibility of a Supreme Court decision to disqualify former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif from holding any elected office.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who is currently in Washington, leading a team of senior officials for participating in the review of US policy for the region, hinted at this during his bilateral talks with some of his interlocutors there, well placed diplomatic sources said.

Although the report was confirmed from multiple sources, but one of them was so categorical that he said that the United States was informed about the decision at least a day before it was announced by the Supreme Court.

The purpose of this exercise was to take the US administration on board about the political developments that were about to unfold in the country.

It is claimed that the US expressed its concerns about the timing of the decision and had wanted it to be delayed on the grounds that the political instability in the country would not be helpful for the war on terror as it could take away the focus from the operation against Al-Qaeda and Taliban.

Washington’s fears were proven true by the subsequent events as the decision threw the country into political chaos.

In a related development Acting US Ambassador Gerald Feierstea called on Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani. The major emphasis of the discussions was on the political situation in the country after the apex court’s decision.

Firms defraud govt but get new US contracts

WASHINGTON DC: Companies that defrauded the United States and jeopardized American lives received new government work despite rulings designed to stop them from receiving federal contracts, government investigators report.

Payments went to a German company whose president tried to sell nuclear bomb parts to North Korea, a company that jeopardized lives on the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy, and a seller of body armor that the Air Force said was defective.

The companies were on a government database of 70,000 individuals and businesses suspended or barred by various U.S. agencies from receiving government contract work.

The Government Accountability Office blamed some of the mistakes on faulty computer searches by officials who left out commas or periods. But it also said the search engine for the database often failed to identify any of the entries on the exclusion list.

A hypothetical suspended company named XYZ Corp., Inc. — with a comma — would escape detection if one searched for XYZ Corp. Inc. — without the comma — the report said.

The investigators found a staggering list of offenses by companies awarded new contracts. They included use of fictitious Social Security numbers, massive tax fraud, delivery of faulty parts for the military, false filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, use of insider information to bid on federal contracts, and health insurance fraud.

Rep. Edolphus Towns of New York, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, asked in a hearing Thursday, ‘What is the point of having suspension and debarment regulations if our own agencies disregard them?’

Most contracts were awarded to excluded companies by mistake. However, the Army deliberately continued a contract with a German company, Optronic GmbH, whose president was convicted in Germany for attempting to illegally ship dual aluminum tubes to North Korea. The equipment can be used in the development of nuclear bombs.

The Army paid the company $31 million under the contract, including $4 million after it was placed on the exclusion list. The firm supplied civilians for training exercises for 7,000 U.S. troops prior to their deployment to Iraq.

In ruling that the company should not receive new contracts, the Army stated in July 2005 that the gravity of the conduct was clear, given that 37,000 U.S. forces were stationed on South Korean soil.

An Army official, in an interview, said the payments continued because the convicted president was removed from the company and the firm did an excellent job in its crucial role in the training exercises.

Edward Harrington, deputy assistant secretary for procurement, said stopping the contract early would have jeopardized the two brigades that needed the civilians in their battlefield exercises.

Other examples cited by the GAO, Congress’ investigative arm:

—The Navy suspended Tecnico Corp. of Chesapeake, Virginia, in April 2006, after discovering the company was using faulty fasteners on steam pipes on the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy. A rupture could have caused lethal burns.

A Tecnico Corp. vice president, Richard Freeman, declined to comment.

—GAO officials, in their own test, purchased body armor worth more than $3,000 from Pinnacle Armor of Fresno, California. The company was placed on the exclusion list in September 2007 by the Air Force, which concluded that the firm represented its body armor was tested and effective, when the equipment actually failed to meet requirements.

Several attempts to reach the company were unsuccessful because the company mailbox was full.

—Steven Industries of Bayonne, New Jersey, was banned in May 2007 after the GAO said it conspired to defraud the government by placing false labels on chemicals.

Bill Rubenstein, president of Steven Industries, said the payments from the government after the company was barred were for contracts that existed at the time.

Gregory Kutz, the GAO official who presented the findings, said the payments were for new orders under existing contracts and should not have been approved under the exclusion.

U.S. President says no 'long-term' Afghan presence

Updated at: 0716 PST, Saturday, February 28, 2009
WASHINGTON: The United States has no desire for a "long-term" military presence in Afghanistan despite plans to send more troops to the war-torn country, President Barack Obama said Friday.

"One of the things that I think we have to communicate in Afghanistan is that we have no interest or aspiration to be there over the long term," Obama said in an interview with PBS public television.

"There's a long history, as you know, in Afghanistan of rebuffing what is seen as an occupying force and we have to be mindful of that history as we think about our strategy," he said.

Obama, who earlier Friday announced an end to US combat operations in Iraq within 18 months, has vowed a new focus on fighting Taliban and Al-Qaeda extremists in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The new president has ordered another 17,000 US troops to Afghanistan and is conducting a review of policy in the region.

Obama, who opposed his predecessor George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq, defended the US involvement in Afghanistan, where Al-Qaeda extremists who carried out the September 11, 2001 attacks were holed up.

Obama said he believed the US commitment to Afghanistan, one of the world's poorest nations, should involve more than military force.

"Our bottom goal in the region is to keep the American people safe," Obama said.

But he declined to set a timeline on when US troops would exit Afghanistan.

"Until we have a clear strategy, we're not going to have a clear exit strategy," he said.

"My goal is to get US troops home as quickly as possible without leaving a situation that allows for potential terrorist attacks against the United States," Obama said.

Some left-wing critics have questioned the extra deployment to Afghanistan, fearing that the United States would get bogged down in an escalating conflict similar to Vietnam.

The Obama administration this week convened a three-way meeting with the Afghan and Pakistani foreign ministers as part of a review on how to move forward in the "war on terror."

Record nominations for 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

OSLO: President Barack Obama and his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy are believed to be among a record 205 nominations for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

The secretive five-member awards committee, which released its final nominations count on Friday, keeps the names of candidates secret for 50 years. But some of the thousands of people with nominating rights do announce their nominees.

‘It is very easy to be nominated for the peace prize, but that is in no way an endorsement by the committee,’ said Geir Lundestad, the Norwegian awards committee’s nonvoting secretary.

The committee said 172 individuals and 33 organisations were on the list by this week’s deadline. The previous record was 199, in 2005.

‘There was a very good geographical spread,’ Lundestad said. The nominations included those postmarked by a Feb 1 deadline, and those added by the committee itself at its first meeting of the year, which was Thursday, he said.

This year, the name of the US president has been put forward by unidentified nominators, although he has been in office only for a few weeks. Lundestad has said in the past that people or groups are sometimes listed simply because nominators like them.

Some might also make a nomination in case their favourites were to accomplish something prize-worthy after the strict deadline. The committee previously confirmed that it had wanted to include president Jimmy Carter in the 1978 Camp David peace award to Egypt’s Anwar Sadat and Israel’s Menachem Begin but could not because he was not nominated in time. Carter won the 2002 prize on his own.

Sarkozy was nominated for peace efforts in the Russia-Georgia conflict and the Middle East. Lundestad refused to comment on specific names, but said thousands of people, ranging from past Nobel peace laureates to many college professors, have nomination rights. Sometimes, dozens might nominate the same candidate, or just one can like a specific person or group.

Bahrain, Iran declare good neighbourly ties

Updated at: 1204 PST, Saturday, February 28, 2009
TEHRAN: Bahrain and Iran said they will maintain good relations, indicating that the diplomatic row that erupted between them last week was over.

Delivering a message of "friendship and brotherhood" from King Hamad to Ahmadinejad the visiting Bahraini official stressed the "importance of expansion of relations with Iran for Bahrain's government and nation."

Sheikh Khaled also met with his Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki, stressing that the kingdom will continue "good neighbourly" relations with Iran.

In a short statement broadcast by Iran's Arabic-language television, the two men indicated that the diplomatic row was over.

"It is a goodwill letter which shows mutual respect between the two countries. This letter responds to all ill-wishers who wanted to hurt the deep relations between the two countries," Sheikh Khaled told reporters of the Bahrain's king message.

Last week, Bahrain strongly protested after Ali Akbar Nateq Nuri, a prominent member of Iran's powerful Expediency Council, was reported to have said the kingdom used to be Iran's 14th province.

That triggered widespread condemnation in Bahrain as well as from neighbouring Gulf monarchies and Arab leaders in general.

More practical steps needed to curb terrorism: Pranab

Updated at: 1132 PST, Saturday, February 28, 2009
NEW DELHI: Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said more practical measures needed to curb terrorism.

Mukherjee said he believes President Asif Ali Zardari is sincere about ending the menace but underlined that his desire should be backed by actions by Islamabad.

"I would like to say that I believe in his sincerity because he himself is a victim of the terror attack. His wife, one of the tall leaders of the subcontinent fell victim to the senseless brutal terror attack," Mukherjee said.

"I believe Zardari has desire to fight against terrorism," he said while talking to media here.

Mukherjee described Pakistan Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi also as gentlemen.

UK plans to inject £25.5 bn in RBS

Updated at: 0547 PST, Saturday, February 28, 2009
LONDON: The UK revealed yesterday it was planning to inject up to £25.5bn ($36.5bn) in additional capital into Royal Bank of Scotland as part of a plan to stabilise the beleaguered lender and prevent it from being fully nationalised.

The injection, under a government scheme to ringfence £325bn of RBS's assets against large future losses, is the first of what is expected to be a series of banking bail-outs designed to kick-start lending to the ailing British economy. Lloyds Banking Group, which includes HBOS, is today expected to reveal details of a similar scheme to ringfence up to £250bn of potentially bad assets.

The long-awaited move came as RBS reported a £24.1bn loss for 2008, the largest in British corporate history, and revealed that businesses with assets of about £240bn - almost a quarter of the bank's balance sheet - would be sold or wound down over the next three to five years.

The losses and insurance scheme are further evidence of the dire state of RBS, which was bailed out by the government last October after suffering heavy losses largely arising from its role in the hostile takeover of ABN Amro, the Dutch lender.

The bank is putting £325bn of its assets into the scheme. RBS will bear initial losses on the insured assets of £19.5bn, after which, for additional losses, the government will absorb 90 per cent and RBS 10 per cent.

Under the deal, RBS will issue up to £25.5bn of non-voting but dividend-paying "B" shares to the government. If all are converted into ordinary shares, this would increase the government's economic ownership to about 95 per cent, though its voting rights will be capped at 75 per cent.

Shares in RBS closed at 29p, up 5.9p, in London.

Central Bank sells Rs10 billion of T-bills

Updated at: 1101 PST, Saturday, February 28, 2009
KARACHI: Pakistan's Central Bank sold 10 billion rupees ($125 million) of Treasury bills on Saturday under five-day repo contracts at 9.00 percent to mop up funds from the money market.

Govt. intends to squeeze interest rate to 12 pc by June 2009

Updated at: 1400 PST, Saturday, February 28, 2009
KARACHI: The government has set a target for bringing down the interest rate to 12 percent by June 2009.

Addressing a seminar on ‘public-private partnership’ under the aegis of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federal State Minister for investment, Salim H. Mandviwala said that the government was making out an industrial package for boosting industries, which would provide support to the industries.

He further said that the government was seriously working on ending power outage by increasing power production, while talks were underway with the Chinese investors for power production from garbage and other refuse, which would soon be given a final shape.

Global stock markets seen mixed this week

NEW YORK: Global stocks this week was seen mixed, following the failing expectations of positive impacts of the US government deal relating to Citi Group.

Dow Jones and Nesdak indexes this week eroded by 304 and 75 points respectively. On the other hand in Asian markets, Japan’s Nikkei-225 index went up by 254 points. Similarly Hong Kong’s Heng Sang index wrapped up in positive zone, but Shanghai index lost 66 points and it closed at 2082 points.

Besides in European markets, France’s index dropped by 103 points and Germany’s index by 214 points, while Britain FTSE-100 index melted down by 59 points during this week.

Stock exchange crisis diluted, on way to recovery: Tarin

KARACHI: Finance Advisor Shaukat Tarin has said that the stock exchange crisis has died down and it was now on its way to recovery.

Addressing a gathering here, Finance Advisor, Shaukat Tarin said that the government was gearing up the process of privatization for boosting foreign investment. He said that further $4.5 billion would be required for the improvement of balance of payments.

Shaukat Tarin said that Pakistan economy being adversely affected in the war against terror.

Agassi/Graf double act to open new centre court

LONDON: Husband-and-wife team Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf will be the star attractions when the new roof on Wimbledon's centre court is officially opened on May 17, the All England Club announced on Tuesday.

Former women's singles champion Kim Clijsters and recently-retired British favourite Tim Henman will also play in the Centre Court Celebration, designed to test the new roof and air management system in front of a 15,000 crowd ahead of this year's championships.

The programme will feature men's and ladies' singles and a mixed doubles match all played to the pro set format -- the first to 8 games, with a tie-break at 8-8.

Ian Ritchie, Chief Executive of the All England Club, said the introduction of the new retractable roof and the consequent end to frustrating rain delays represented a milestone in the tournament's history.

‘Though this project has been a sophisticated engineering feat, we always wanted to capture the essence of Wimbledon's history and tradition in a new, modern Centre Court which itself would still be celebrated as the stage of some of the most memorable moments in tennis.’

Agassi said he was honoured to have been invited.

‘I have great memories of playing at Wimbledon and to be amongst the first to play under the new Centre Court roof is really exciting,’ said the American.

Graf, who won seven singles crowns on the lawns of SW19, added: ‘There is no tennis venue more special to me than Centre Court at Wimbledon. I couldn't be more honoured to play there with my husband Andre and Kim and Tim. It will mean so much to return to Wimbledon and see so many familiar places, relive so many wonderful memories.’

WADA stands firm on out of competition testing

LAUSANNE, Switzerland: Controversial anti-doping rules requiring athletes to state their location for an hour every day will need at least a year to ‘bed in’, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said on Tuesday.

‘We're eight weeks into this and I don't know of anyone who has missed a test yet,’ WADA president John Fahey said of the new rules that came into effect on Jan. 1.

‘Surely it is best to monitor it and if there are shortfalls that emerge than we can look at it again next year. We've read about complaints from various people but nothing has been put to us directly,’ he told a media briefing.

Under the new requirements, athletes have to inform their national anti-doping authorities of where they will be at a chosen hour between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m each day for a three-month period.

If they change their plans they are obliged to inform the authorities of that change.

Athletes who miss three doping tests over an 18 month period due to not being where they said they would be face possible suspensions from their sport.

The new regulations have been criticised by a number of athletes groups for overly intruding into their private lives.

Several top tennis players, including Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Venus Williams, have argued that the rules are harder to stick to in sports where schedules are subject to sudden changes.

‘There seems to be a momentum of opposition gaining over the last few days that is probably a little skewed,’ said WADA director general David Howman.

‘We've had various forms of whereabouts requirements in place for 10 years now even though some sports are just confronting it for the first time.

‘I think some people are just reacting negatively to change.

But it's clear that we need out of competition testing because generally speaking that's when (cheating) athletes are doping up.

‘The new rules have come in after a long consultation process but we will of course continue to talk to the athletes and if there is appropriately founded criticism we will listen,’ he added.

‘But it makes no sense to change things already based on a few complaints in the media.’

Crisis could hit clubs’ shirt sponsorship deals

LONDON: Fifteen top European soccer clubs are under pressure to renew their shirt sponsorships by next season as their contracts expire amid the economic downturn.

Shirt sponsorships, the backbone of clubs' commercial revenues, have commonly been considered immune to the financial crisis because of their long duration and large media exposure.

However, analysts expect tough times ahead for clubs with troubled owners or smaller appeal as companies trim budgets.

‘In times of financial hardship, firms will naturally look for ways to cut costs, and sponsorship of sporting events, including football shirts, seems a natural and easy target,’

Chris Brooks, professor of finance and director of research at ICMA Centre, University of Reading, told Reuters.

Although many experts consider it unlikely that top clubs such as Manchester United will be unable to sign lucrative new deals, smaller clubs may have to accept lower income.

Several companies, including Malaysian budget airline AirAsia and Saudi Telecom, have been linked in the media to Premier League leaders United as potential sponsors, after US insurance giant AIG said it would not extend its deal beyond 2010.

‘Even if football clubs continue to attract some degree of sponsorship it is most likely that future arrangements will be less lucrative for the clubs,’ Joe McLean, a soccer finance expert with accountants Grant Thornton, told Reuters.

West Ham United -- who played for three months without a shirt sponsor after holiday firm XL collapsed last year -- signed an 18-month contract with online betting company SBOBET that has half the value of their previous deal.

Their Premier League rivals West Bromwich Albion have not been able to agree a shirt deal this term, while six Primera Liga clubs started the season with no shirt sponsor.

‘Outside the upper echelons of the game, clubs are in for a bumpy ride over the next 18 months and will have to adjust their expectations if they are to successfully secure shirt sponsorship deals,’ Simon Chadwick, professor of Sports Business Strategy and Marketing at Coventry University, told Reuters.

GLOBAL APPEAL

Shirt sponsorships also highlight the increasing gap between small and large clubs.

Bundesliga leaders Hamburg SV have renewed their deal with Dubai-based Emirates Airlines for three years.

Manchester City, whose 2.3-million-pound ($3.29-million) per year deal with Thomas Cook expires this season, were also in a position to clinch a valuable deal, analysts said.

Despite the slowdown, analysts expect finance and insurance groups to keep a central role in sponsorship, along with the betting industry.

More than 30 financial or insurance companies are on the shirts of clubs across Europe's six top leagues -- only four fewer than last season, according to German sports consultancy group Sport+Markt.

Total shirt sponsorship revenue across the six biggest European leagues has fallen by about three percent to 393.2 million euros this season, according to Sport+Markt.

The reasons for the decline were lower sums generated in Spain and England and the reduced strength of the British pound.

However, the sector should stay afloat, experts said.

‘It is difficult to generalise,’ said Chris Gratton, sports economics professor at Sheffield Hallam University.

‘Once the pound recovers, numbers will look different again,’ said Harmut Zastrow, executive director at Sport+Markt.

Pakistan Volleyball Federation needs cash spike

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Volleyball Federation (PVF) has asked the Federal Sports Ministry to provide the much-needed Rs29 million in funds to enable the federation to carry out its future plans of domestic and international commitments.

The chairman of the PVF Chaudhry Yaqoob, told Dawn on Wednesday: ‘The federation is in dire need of the said amount otherwise there are grim chances for the development of the game.

‘We have already won the first round of the qualifying round of the World Volleyball Championship 2010.’ The PVF has recently won all the league matches of the first qualifying round of the World Volleyball Championship 2010, held at the Liauqat Gymnasium defeating Bangladesh, Maldives and Macau.

The Federal Sports Minister Aftab Shah Jilani, he said, had assured him for the assistance as he correlated the financial support with a good result of the first qualifying round of the World Volleyball Championship.

The national team, he asserted, had performed well in the recent international junior and senior events.

‘The Pakistan volleyball squad has performed superbly,’ he said.

The PVF has requested an amount of Rs17.93 million and Rs11.94 million respectively for fulfilling the international and national commitments.

Australia reach 254-5 at close vs. South Africa

JOHANNESBURG: Half centuries by captain Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke bailed Australia from a shaky start against South Africa to finish at 254-5 on the opening day of the opening cricket test on Thursday.

Ponting and Clarke came together at 38-3 before lunch and lifted the Australians' mood with a stand of 113 at more than four per over.

Ponting made 83 and Clarke 68. Marcus North, on debut, was 47 not out with Brad Haddin on 37 when play was halted early because of poor light at Wanderers.

Umpires Steve Bucknor and Billy Bowden offered the light to the batsmen 17 overs after the tea break. Shortly after the players left the field, it began to drizzle and play was called off for the day.

Dale Steyn, the Proteas' main weapon with 3-82, said Australia held a slight edge but he hoped the new ball will pay dividends on Friday.

``If we had got another wicket, it would definitely have been an even day, and another two wickets would have swung it our way. It was that even a contest,'' Steyn said.

``If we can break through early in the morning we can restrict Australia to a reasonable total. The new ball is just around the corner and a couple of early wickets would allow us to get into their tail.''

Australia, which lost its home series 2-1 to South Africa just last month, could hardly have started any worse.

Phillip Hughes, stepping into the shoes of the retired Matthew Hayden as opening batsman, was back in the pavilion for a duck after facing the first four balls from Steyn. Hughes played an ungainly attempted cut off a ball which he could easily have left alone, and got a bottom edge to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

Fellow opener Simon Katich hung around for 42 minutes in making3, and fell to a superb, diving one-handed catch by Neil McKenzie off Steyn.

When Michael Hussey was well held by Jacques Kallis at second slip on 4 to give Morne Morkel his 50th test wicket, Australia was in a spot of bother on 38-3.

Ponting and Clarke started the recovery under immense pressure from South Africa. Immediately after lunch, though, the experienced pair took advantage of some loose bowling to add 58 runs in the first hour.

Ponting rode some luck. He was struck on the right forearm by fast bowler Morkel before lunch and was fortunate to be dropped on40 by Proteas captain Graeme Smith. After racking his 45th half century, he survived an appeal to the television umpire in his 70swhen the ball was shown to have hit his trouser pocket and not his bat.

But after hitting 11 fours and a six, he was out to a peach of a delivery from Makhaya Ntini on 83 with the total on 151. Ponting did not offer a shot to the swinging delivery which cut back off the pitch and brushed his pads before crashing into the stumps.

Moments before tea, Clarke was out to an extravagant drive off Steyn and caught behind after hitting 10 fours in his 13th half century.

North had hit two half centuries in a warm up game which ended on Sunday, and he looked comfortable on Thursday in hitting six fours in his innings. Haddin, who also shot six boundaries, joined North at 182-5 and the pair cruised to early stumps.

Steyn said the Proteas let Australia off the hook because of alack of first-class cricket for the first-line bowlers since the test series in Australia but remained hopeful.

``Once we got the ball in the right spot it just showed there is something out there for the bowlers,'' Steyn said.

South Africa all rounder Jacques Kallis bowled four overs in the first session, but was sidelined with a back strain. He was cleared to bowl on Friday.

Central contract not signed by 9 senior cricketers

LAHORE: Nine senior cricketers have not signed the central contract despite heavy offers made to them. Captain Younis Khan and vice-captain Misbah-ul-Haq are also among them.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) offered the central contract to 27 cricketers. Those who have not so far signed the new central contract are Shahid Afridi, Danish Kaneria, Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanveer and Rao Iftikhar Anjum besides Younis and Misbah.

According to media reports, the players expressed their reservations because of conditioning their TV contracts with the Board permission and depriving them of their salaries while playing county cricket.

One change likely in team for 2nd Test: Intikhab

LAHORE: National cricket team coach Intikhab Alam said that one change is expected in the team for the second Test starting from Sunday here at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Former captain Intikhab Alam said that positive results have come from the change of captain.

The Pakistan team went through net practice this morning at the Gaddafi Stadium while fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar also took part in the practice session.

While talking with media on the occasion, the Pakistan coach said that the Gaddafi Stadium wicket is looking better than the National Stadium wicket and grass is also there.

He expressed desire to prepare a sporting wicket for the match.

Intikhab Alam said that Pakistan team is determined for winning the second Test.

Slumdog scoops eight of its ten nominations

Oscar host Hugh Jackman is applauded by the audience during the opening of the 81st Academy Awards - AP Photo/Chris Carlson

LOS ANGELES: Hugh Jackman, the versatile performer clearly showed up at the Oscars prepared to put everything he's got into the hosting job. Judging from the broadcast's first hour or so, he was a solid choice to help bring needed new life to what's all-too-routinely billed as 'Hollywood's biggest night.'

As an action star, a song-and-dance man and People magazine's 'Sexiest Man Alive' Jackman would seem to be capable of most anything. Maybe next he'd be willing to try fixing the economy.

At any rate, the sorry state of the economy inspired Jackman's opening performance.
'Due to cutbacks, the Academy said they didn't have enough money for an opening number,' Jackman declared. 'I'm going to do one anyway.'

And he did, with a musical tribute to the nominated films cleverly staged with tatty, bargain-basement props (and help from Anne Hathaway, summoned from her seat).
Charmingly, Jackman greeted, and joked with, many of the nominated stars in the hall.

After saying hello to Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Jackman admitted 'I actually don't have a joke for them, I'm just contractually obligated to mention them at least five times during the show. That's once.'

No knee slappers here, but when it's Hugh Jackman voicing them, who cares? The key word: charm. But he's only human. And he's only one man.

Heath Ledger won the supporting-actor Academy Award on Sunday for his demented reinvention of Batman villain the Joker in 'The Dark Knight,' becoming only the second actor to win an Oscar posthumously.

Ledger's triumph came exactly 13 months after the Australian actor's death from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs on Oscar nominations day last year.
His Oscar for the Warner Bros. blockbuster was accepted by Ledger's parents and sister. They accepted the Oscar on behalf of Ledger's 3-year-old daughter, Matilda.

'I have to say this is ever so humbling, just being amongst such wonderful people in such a wonderful industry,' said his father, Kim Ledger. 'We'd like to thank the Academy for recognizing our son's amazing work, Warner Bros., and Christopher Nolan in particular for allowing Heath the creative license to develop and explore this crazy Joker character.'

Since his death, the 28-year-old Ledger has gained a mythic aura akin to James Dean, another rising star who died well before his time.

The Joker was his final completed role, a casting choice that initially drew scorn from fans who thought Ledger would not be up to the task given Jack Nicholson's gleefully campy rendition of the character in 1989's 'Batman.'

The Harvey Milk film biography 'Milk' won for original screenplay.

The epic love story ''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,'' which led with 13 nominations, had three wins, for visual effects, art direction and makeup.

'The Dark Knight' had a second win, for sound editing.

Cruz triumphed as a woman in a steamy three-way affair with her ex-husband and an American woman in Allen's romance. 'Has anybody ever fainted here? Because I might be the first one,' the Spanish actress said, who went on with warm thanks to Allen. 'Thank you, Woody, for trusting me with this beautiful character. Thank you for having written all these years some of the greatest characters for women.'

It's the fifth time an Allen film has earned a performer a supporting-acting honor. Cruz joins past Allen collaborators Dianne Wiest, a dual Oscar winner for 'Hannah and Her Sisters' and 'Bullets Over Broadway'; Michael Caine for 'Hannah and Her Sisters'; and Mira Sorvino for 'Mighty Aphrodite.'

'Man on Wire,' James Marsh's examination of French tight-rope walker Philippe Petit's dazzling stroll between the towers of the World Trade Center in 1974, was chosen as best documentary.

Japan's 'Departures,' a film about a man who prepares bodies for burial, won the Oscar for best foreign language film in an upset over the favored 'Waltz With Bashir.' 'This is a new departure for me,' director Yojiro Takita said while accepting the award. 'And we'll be back, I hope.'

'Departures' is about a cellist whose orchestra is disbanded and, desperate for work, becomes a funeral professional. The win for the less heralded 'Departures' was likely to further frustrate critics of the foreign-language film category, which in recent years has gone without nominating several much acclaimed films.

Britain's Kate Winslet, meantime, has taken best actress for the Holocaust-themed saga 'The Reader'. ‘I’d be lying if I said I haven't made a version of this speech before. I think I was probably eight years old and staring into the bathroom mirror, and this would have been a shampoo bottle. Well, it's not a shampoo bottle now.'

Sean Penn has his second best-actor Academy Award with his win in the title role of 'Milk.' Penn's first words upon taking the stage to accept his prize for playing the slain gay-rights pioneer were, 'You commie, homo-loving sons of guns.'

A story of hope amid squalor in Mumbai, India, 'Slumdog Millionaire' came in with 10 nominations, its eight wins including adapted screenplay, cinematography, editing and both music Oscars (score and song).

'Just to say to Mumbai, all of you who helped us make the film and all of those of you who didn't, thank you very much. You dwarf even this guy,' Boyle said, holding up his directing Oscar.

The filmmakers accepted the best-picture trophy surrounded by both the adult professional actors who appeared among the cast of relative unknowns and some of the children the British director cast from the slums of Mumbai.

The film follows the travails and triumphs of Jamal, an orphan who artfully dodges a criminal gang that mutilates children to make them more pitiable beggars. Jamal witnesses his mother's violent death, endures police torture and struggles with betrayal by his brother, while single-mindedly hoping to reunite with the lost love of his childhood.

Fate rewards Jamal, whose story unfolds through flashbacks as he recalls how he came to know the answers that made him a champion on India's version of the TV game show 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'

The 81st Academy Awards

All of the glitz and glamour of the 81st Academy Awards. From the red carpet, to Hugh Jackman's role as host, to the presenters, and finally to the winners. 'Slumdog Millionaire' stole the show with 8 wins, Kate Winslet finally got hers after five nominations prerviously, Penelope Cruz won Best Supporting Actress, Sean Penn got the best actor for his role in 'Milk' and the late Heath Ledger's award for Best Supporting Actor was taken on behalf of his family.



All of the glitz and glamour of the 81st Academy Awards. From the red carpet, to Hugh Jackman's role as host, to the presenters, and finally to the winners. 'Slumdog Millionaire' stole the show with 8 wins, Kate Winslet finally got hers after five nominations prerviously, Penelope Cruz won Best Supporting Actress, Sean Penn got the best actor for his role in 'Milk' and the late Heath Ledger's award for Best Supporting Actor was taken on behalf of his family.



All of the glitz and glamour of the 81st Academy Awards. From the red carpet, to Hugh Jackman's role as host, to the presenters, and finally to the winners. 'Slumdog Millionaire' stole the show with 8 wins, Kate Winslet finally got hers after five nominations prerviously, Penelope Cruz won Best Supporting Actress, Sean Penn got the best actor for his role in 'Milk' and the late Heath Ledger's award for Best Supporting Actor was taken on behalf of his family.



All of the glitz and glamour of the 81st Academy Awards. From the red carpet, to Hugh Jackman's role as host, to the presenters, and finally to the winners. 'Slumdog Millionaire' stole the show with 8 wins, Kate Winslet finally got hers after five nominations prerviously, Penelope Cruz won Best Supporting Actress, Sean Penn got the best actor for his role in 'Milk' and the late Heath Ledger's award for Best Supporting Actor was taken on behalf of his family.



All of the glitz and glamour of the 81st Academy Awards. From the red carpet, to Hugh Jackman's role as host, to the presenters, and finally to the winners. 'Slumdog Millionaire' stole the show with 8 wins, Kate Winslet finally got hers after five nominations prerviously, Penelope Cruz won Best Supporting Actress, Sean Penn got the best actor for his role in 'Milk' and the late Heath Ledger's award for Best Supporting Actor was taken on behalf of his family.