UP to tansfer 75 acres of land to Delhi LUCKNOW, June 13 (UNI): The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to hand over over 75 acres of lands of the state Irigation department in the National Capital to the Delhi government to develop roads and bridges for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
A decision to this effect was taken by Uttar Pradesh government in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mayawati here today.
The decision was taken keeping in mind the traffic arrangements to be made for the upcoming Games.
The three lands of 33.38 acres, 5.50 acres and 36.82 acres -- measuring to 75.70 acres -- would be used by the Delhi government to construct an eight-lane bridge on river Yamuna, an approach road and a flyover near ITO bridge.
A portion of the land would also be used to construct a grade separator.
Indian billionare Mittal set to buy Birmingham City LONDON, June 13 (UNI): Indian-born billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, the fifth richest man in the world, has reportedly emerged as a contender to buy the newly promoted English Premiership club Birmingham City.
The steel magnate, who is worth 19.25 billion pounds, has made an inquiry about the possibility of taking over the Midlands club from David Sullivan and David and Ralph Gold though he has so far not followed it up his initial interest, British media reported.
'Daily Telegraph' says the 56-year-old Mittal, who last year bought Arcelor, the world's second biggest steel-maker for 17.8 billion pounds, is maintaining a watching brief.
According to a report in the newspaper, Sullivan and the Golds, who would sell for around 50m pound, would be keen on a quick sale if their time at the club is to end after 14 years, to Mittal who has twice the fortune of the Russian Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
Birmingham City is already the subject of interest from a mystery Far East businessman who is planning to make a formal bid later in the week if auditors are satisfied after going through the club's books.
Karun's aim is to become F1 driver by 2009 CHENNAI, Jun 13 (UNI): India's racing champion and currently competing in the GP2 category in the international arena, today said he was hoping to become india's second F1 driver by 2009, after Narain Karthikeyan.
Answering questions, interacting with newspersons after launching his online diary, www.indiaautomobile.com/karun, here, as the brand ambassador of 'India Automobile', Karun said "it's too early to say whether this could be so in reality, but I am on the right path racing in the GPs series." Karun said the sport was unpredictable.
"You don't know what will happen two years down." However, trying to become an F1 driver by 2009 was a realistic aim, Karun said.
Karun also clarified that contrary to belief, GP2 was not a short cut to make it to F1, but the logical step.
"GP2 is now three years old.
In two years time nine drivers from there have moved on to F1", he pointed out.
Karun said participating in GP2 was the right opportunity for him to graduate to F1 and emulate Narain." Great Britain's Lewis Hamilton, the current young talent, who won his first F1 race in the Canadian Grand Prix last Sunday, was a GP2 series winner", Karun also observed.
Asked about the nuances of racing he has been learning, Karun said pacing a race was the biggest aspect he was learning in the GP2 races.
Matching the other drivers was another key aspect.
Karun , son of India's F3 driver, started his motoracing career at the age of 6 as a Gokarter and shot into limelight winning the 2000 national road racing championship, becoming the youngest ever Asian Formula champion in 2001 winning the 'Most promising Asian driver of the year' award and the first driver to represent India in A1 Grand Prix and also becoming the first ever Asian Formula Renault V6 championship.
Indian pathologist insists Woolmer was murdered KINGSTON, June 13 (Agencies): The Jamaican Police might have closed the Bob Woolmer chapter, concluding the death as natural, but Indian born pathologist Dr Ere Seshaiah, whose autopsy report formed an important part in the police launching a murder probe, stands by his medical examination.
"I am sticking to my findings.
He was murdered," Seshaiah was quoted as saying by the Jamaica Observer.
"I am confident he was murdered.
Woolmer is not a first for me, I have been doing autopsies here since 1995," Seshaiah said.
Declaring Woolmer's death as natural, after pursuing it as murder for almost three months, Jamaican Constabulary Force commissioner Lucius Thomas yesterday said three foreign pathologists and toxicology tests had ruled out any foul play in the death of the Pakistani coach on March 18.
"The JCF accepts these findings and has now closed its investigation into the death of Bob Woolmer," Thomas told a news conference.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Mark Shields, who led the investigation into Woolmer's death refused to step down in the wake of the wrong judgement by the police in treating Woolmer's death as murder.
"I love my job and I love working in this country.
I am looking forward to the next two years of my contract.
We are not pathologists and if we had not sought other opinions we would have also been criticised," Shields said.
Woolmer was found dead in his room of Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on March 18, a day after his team made a premature exit from the World Cup tournament following Pakistan's unexpected loss to Ireland.
Thank god, its over: Pakistan players KARACHI, June 13 (Agencies): The ordeal of being treated as "murder suspects" is finally over, but members of Pakistan's ill-fated World Cup squad say it will not be easy forgetting the traumatic experience they had in West Indies after the death of their coach Bob Woolmer.
Though, the news that Woolmer was not murdered and died a natural death brought relief to the players but, it seems, only time can heal their wounds of humiliation and anger.
The Pakistani players were questioned, finger printed and had to give DNA tests and were only allowed to leave Kingston by authorities 11 days after Woolmer's death.
Inzamam-ul-Haq who stepped down as captain during the World Cup shortly after Woolmer's death said the scars will not go away so easily as the players had been through a lot in Kingston.
Inzamam, who retired from one-day internationals after the World Cup said, he and the other players had always believed it was a natural death.
Inzamam, however, said filing a legal case against the Jamaican Police for messing up the case would not help anyone.
"What has happened has happened.
The trauma we suffered cannot be erased from our memories." "But in future I would definitely ask the board to handle such things more sensitively.
For a while in Kingston we felt we were alone with no one to support us in trying circumstances," Inzamam said.
The Jamaican police, who brought the curtains down on the nearly three-month-old murky investigations yesterday, appreciated the co-operation extended by the Pakistan team and board in helping them in their probe.
"We are relieved that the truth has been admitted by the Jamaican authorities.
But it is not going to be easy forgetting the nightmare period we went though after Woolmer's death in Kingston," Shahid Afridi said.
"We cooperated since we wanted the truth to be known to everyone.
We were convinced Woolmer could not have been murdered as there was no reason for such a terrible thing to happen," Afridi said.
"But it was terrible when we learnt that we were being looked at as prime suspects by the Jamaican authorities after a few days.
We had lost someone with whom we were very close and we had this situation of being treated like murder suspects," he said.
Pakistan captain, Shoaib Malik said he was happy the ordeal was over.
"I am just relieved that is all.
Because at least now the truth is out and those people who pointed fingers at us should be ashamed of their conduct," he said.
Senior batsman, Mohammad Yousuf said he would still press the board to at least seek some compensation and apology from the Jamaican authorities for making such a big mistake.
Pakistan's manager, Talat Ali, the first man called to Woolmer's room where he was found unconscious in his bathroom, said he still felt a void after Woolmer's death.
"I can feel for his family.
You are in and out with a person for so many days and then all of a sudden such a tragedy occurs.
It is not easy to accept,"