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'Shoaib wasn't dropped because of Sania'

14 July, 2010
Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed has dismissed reports that Shoaib Malik was not considered for the first Test against Australia on disciplinary grounds and said the former captain was dropped from the playing eleven because of his poor form.

There were reports in the media that Malik was dropped from the team for the first Test against Australia which started on Tuesday at Lord's after the experienced all-rounder skipped a few practice sessions to be with his wife Sania Mirza.

But Yawar rubbished the reports, saying they were untrue and baseless.

"The team was picked well in advance and the tour selection committee did not pick Malik because he is still trying to find his form," Yawar said from London.

"The spirit of the team is high and all the players have gelled together. There have been no disciplinary issues as yet at all," he said.

Malik married Indian tennis ace Sania earlier this year in a much-hyped ceremony in Hyderabad.

Soon after his publicised wedding, Malik, who was banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for one year over indiscipline, was recalled in the national team for last month's Asia Cup after an appeals tribunal cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Malik himself was surprised by the report since he had not missed a single practice session and said he was ignored only because of his form.

"Even when we go out of the hotel we do it with the knowledge and permission of the team management," he said.

"I have not been selected because the tour selection committee felt that it was better to give a chance to youngsters for this Test and also I am trying to get back to my best form," Malik said.

The PCB has issued strict instructions to the team management not to show leniency to any player during the tour and to deal strongly with incidents of cricketers violating the code of conduct.

Sources, however, said that Malik and enigmatic fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar had been on their best behavior since returning to the Pakistan team last month.

"In fact the board has asked the team management including the captain and coach and also the selection committee to send a report on the behavior, form and fitness of Malik so that he can considered for a central contract," one source said.

Malik was robbed of his central contract this year because of the ban and fine imposed on him by the PCB for indiscipline during Pakistan's disastrous tour of Australia.

103 fall sick due to chlorine gas leak, probe ordered

July 14, 2010
Nearly 103 persons fell sick early today after inhaling chlorine gas leaking from a cylinder stored in Bombay Port Trust (BPT) premises at Sewri prompting BPT, police and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to begin a joint probe into the incident.

All the affected persons were taken to King Edward Memorial hospital, JJ hospital and BPT hospital, police and fire brigade sources said, adding, they included college students, BPT staff and firemen.

The condition of eight persons at JJ hospital was said to be critical. However, there are no casualties so far, Dean of JJ hospital T P Lahane told reporters.

Some of the affected persons were discharged after getting treatment. Currently, 78 persons are recuperating out of which eight are in the Critical Care Unit due to respiratory problems and 14 in Medical Intensive Unit for throat problems, Lahane said.

Infosys tanks 2.6 per cent on fall in its Q1 net profit

13 July, 2010
IT major Infosys technologies today plunged as much as 2.6 per cent on BSE in the morning trade after the company posted a dip in first quarter numbers.,
Shares of the company, which carries maximum weight on Sensex after RIL, fell to Rs 2,820.25, down 2.6 per cent on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

The IT bellwether reported a fall of 2.4 per cent in its June quarter net profit. The company's consolidated net profit declined to Rs 1,488 crore against Rs 1,525 crore in the same quarter last year.

However, the consolidated revenue rose to Rs 6,198 crore against Rs 5,472 crore over the year-ago period.

"The results are marginally down which was expected due to pressure on company's revenues in terms of squeezed margins.

Bollywood Hot Kisses - Riya Sen and Ashmit Patel

Riya knows how to grab attention. Whether it is wearing a bikini in Shaadi No 1 or sharing on-screen kisses with co-stars Ashmit Patel in Silsiilay and Sharman Joshi in Style, she sure knows how to push the envelope. But the actress recoiled in horror when a 90-second video clip -- allegedly showing her then boyfriend Ashmit Patel and her in compromising positions -- made its way around town. The couple split up right after.

Bollywood Hot Kisses - Mallika Sherawat

Mallika Sherawat's passionate clinch with Ashmit Patel in Murder as their hottest scene in Hindi cinema. Murder (2004), inspired by the Richard Gere-starrer Unfaithful, was an unexpected hit and made Ms Sherawat - whose unrestrained performance in the movie's steamy scenes are noteworthy - something of a star.

Bollywood Hot Kisses - Anil Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia

Take Anil Kapoor Add a barely clad and very sensuous Dimple Kapadia toss them onto a haystack. This lip-lock from Har kisi ko... in 1986's Janbaaz is a steamy moment indeed when Anil and Dimple aggressively vent their passions.

Bollywood Hot Kisses - Madhuri Dixit and Vinod Khanna

Madhuri Dixit's kiss with Vinod Khanna in Dayavan, Ms Dixit and Mr Khanna, about 20 years her senior in real life, shared much more than this smooch in the suhag raat (wedding night) scene in the film, one of the most sensual scenes in a Bollywood movie.

Bollywood Hot Kisses - Deepika Padukone

The impetuous kiss from the blazing babe, Deepika Padukone to Saif Ali Khan in 'Love Aaj Kal' will surely blow your heart away.

Bollywood Hot Kisses - Rani Mukherjee and Saif Ali Khan

It might have been a cute romance, but Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukherji had some steamy moments in Hum Tum. The actors went at it with a passion that made us forget all about the lovable cartoon characters Saif sketched, and think only about their intense sexual chemistry.

Bollywood Hot Kisses - Aamir Khan

One of the most erotic scenes in Hindi cinema belongs to Mr. Perfectionist, Aamir Khan. His kiss in 'Raja Hindustani' to Karisma Kapoor just cannot be missed.

Bollywood Hot Kisses - Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore

Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore came together in 1969's Aradhana, and the sensuality between them felt so real. It virtually set the screen afire.

Bollywood Hot Kisses - Emraan Hashmi

The lip-lock champion Emraan Hashmi makes a memorable screen kiss with his girls in almost of the movies. The serial kisser is unforgettable and truly deserves a special mention.

Bollywood Hot Kisses - Aishwarya Rai

Aishwarya Rai's luscious lips are not shy of kissing. She kindly took to the kisses in 'Shabd', 'Josh' and 'Dhoom 2'. One of the most talked-about kisses in Bollywood was between her and Hrithik.

Bollywood Hot Kisses

Bebo
She has had amazing kisses in 'Jab We Met' , 'Dev' and 'Kambakkht Ishq' but the intimate kiss in 'Dev' with Fardeen Khan has been Kareena Kapoor's most cuddly instinct.

Bollywood Hot Kisses

Kissing Queen
Mallika Sherawat is known for her kissing sequences in her first film ‘Khwahish’ where she kissed her co-actor Himanshu 17 times.

PSLV Launch Successful, Satellites Placed in Orbit

12 July, 2010
In a textbook launch, India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) today successfully placed into orbit remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2B and four other satellites after a perfect lift off from the spaceport here.,
At the end of an over 51-hour countdown, the 44.4 metre-tall four-stage PSLV-C-15, costing Rs 260 crore, blasted off from a launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre with ignition of the core first stage and placed the satellites in orbit one after the other.

Visibly relieved scientists, headed by ISRO chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan, cheered as ISRO's workhorse PSLV soared into clear skies at 9.22 AM from the spaceport in the East Coast in Andhra Pradesh, about 100 km north of Chennai.

Spain - The King of Football

12 July, 2010
Andres Iniesta struck deep into the second half extra time to give Spain their maiden World Cup title with a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in a drama-filled summit clash here today.,
Iniesta scored the winner in the 116th minute after both the sides were locked goal-less in the regulation 90 minutes in an ill-tempered grand finale which saw the ejection of Dutch defender John Heitinga in the 110th minute for his second booking and another 12 yellow cards being shown.

Spain, who had never gone beyond quarterfinals before this World Cup, today bagged world football's most coveted trophy after 13 appearances since 1934.

New world champions Spain, the eighth such team in history, now join Brazil (five titles), Italy (four), Germany (three), Argentina (two), Uruguay (two), France (one) and England (one).

John Abraham's next is like sushi

9 July, 2010
Pasta is passe. Abbas Tyrewala compares his new film to sushi. And thinks Hrithik’s pasta parallel for Kites was inapt.

Last week director Abbas Tyrewala was spotted on the sets of Siddharth Anand’s Anjaana Anjaani in earnest discussion with choreographer Ahmed Khan who was shooting a club song with Ranbir and Priyanka.

While Ahmed was pleading his inability to choreograph the song, Abbas was insistent. The director needs to bring an element of identifiable glamour music and masti into his film. Piggyriding Anjaana Anjaani into a romantic mood seems a safe bet.

Apparently Abbas is urgently in need of giving his untitled film a specific marketing spin. But the problem is, the love story in Abbas’ film has no reference point.

Says Abbas, “Forget a reference point. There’s no definite image or idea to create a sense of identification with the protagonists. I don’t have a title as yet. No, my film is not called Call Me...Dil. In my first film Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na there was at least the youthful theme to create a marketing base. In my second film there’re a new leading lady who happens to be my wife and John who goes against his image and doesn’t take off his shirt even once. It’s a love story. But the audiences have no way of relating to it because they haven’t seen anything like it.”

So would Abbas use Hrithik Roshan’s image from Kites of trying to feed pasta to those who are used to biryani?
Protests Abbas, “Not at all. Pasta, like biryani, is filling and sumptuous. How do I market a delicate piece like my film? It’s like trying to convince guests at a dinner joint to have sushi instead of biryani.”

This is where Ahmed Khan’s choreography comes in. Abbas Tyrewala wants to use Khan’s choreographic skills to create a sense of identification for his unconventional love story with the audience.

Ahmed Khan apparently had no dates to spare. Now Abbas has persuaded the choreographer to shoot a song with John and Pakhi from July 14 to 16 July.

Says Abbas, “It took some convincing. But we needed Ahmed’s dancing to generate that right amount of youthful pep and zest in the audiences’ mind.” Abbas is counting on the far more conventional Anjaana Anjaani which releases a fortnight before his film, to generate the right romantic ambience for the John-Pakhi film.

Says Abbas, “Let’s admit it. Any member of the audience would give anything to see Priyanka and Ranbir together. I’m hoping some of that audience would be there waiting to see John and Pakhi. We are counting on Anjaana Anjaani to create a romantic atmosphere for our film. Then maybe they’d accept sushi after biryani.”

Women enjoy best sex at 40

Women have higher sex drives in their thirties and early forties than in their younger years because they fear their "biological clock" is ticking. A study showed that despite the fact their bodies may be in decline, women are more likely to have sexual fantasies and affairs as they approach 40.

Experts said that as women approach the milestone, they may sense that their "window of opportunity" to have children is closing and their fertility is declining.

Their instinctual reaction is an increased appetite for sex, the researchers said, an explanation which could explain the rise of the "cougar" - a woman who seeks out flings with younger partners.

The survey of nearly 900 women divided respondents into three groups: those at their most fertile age (19 to 26 years), those whose fertility was declining (27 to 45 years) and those who were approaching or had reached menopause.

Those in the middle group were significantly more sexually driven, engaging in sex and having sexual fantasies more often than their older and younger counterparts and being more likely to have flings.

"Results indicate women with declining fertility have greater sexual motivations and increased sexual behaviours than do women with relatively high fertility," David Buss, a researcher, said.

"These findings lend further support to the influence of the biological clock on women's mating psychology to facilitate conception before the window of opportunity closes," he added.

Germany to win third place, says 'psychic' octopus

Berlin, July 9, 2010
The oracle has spoken. Germany will beat Uruguay in the third-place play-off tomorrow, according to Paul, the "psychic" octopus with an unblemished record in picking winners.

The eight-legged oracle, who has become a World Cup sensation by correctly predicting all six Germany games, plumped for his country of residence today carried live on national television.

The two-year-old mollusc medium is now taking a brief rest before predicting the result of the final between Spain and the Netherlands.

The art of football predicting has become a dangerous job for the English-born clairvoyant cephalopod with some bitter German fans threatening to turn him into sushi after he predicted a semi-final defeat for the Mannschaft.

Paul's home, an aquarium in western Germany, has received death-threat emails saying"we want Paul for the pan,"said entertainment supervisor Daniel Fey.

"Since yesterday our colleagues have kept a very close eye on Paul,"Fey added.

No less an authority than Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luiz Rodriguez Zapatero has called for octopus bodyguards.

"I am concerned for the octopus . I am thinking of sending him a protective team,"joked Zapatero on Radio Cadena Ser.

Spanish Industry Minister Miguel Sebastian has called for the creature to be given an"immediate"free transfer to Spain to"ensure his protection."

Stung by Paul's"treachery"at picking Spain over Germany in the semi-final, some sections of the 350,000-strong crowd watching the game on giant screens in Berlin sang anti-octopus songs.

The honour of Paul's mother was called into question, according to witnesses.

Today's prediction is expected to be the last for Paul, who in octopus terms is a pensioner, at the grand old age of two-and-a-half. Octopuses generally live three years at the latest.

Suspended IPL Commisioner moves Bombay HC against BCCI decisions

Mumbai, 9 July, 2010
Suspended Indian Premier League Commissioner Lalit Modi yesterday moved the Bombay High Court against BCCI's decision to suspend him and prayed for quashing of the disciplinary proceedings of the Board against him.

In his petition, moved through his constituted attorney Mehmood Abdi, Modi also prayed that the court appoint a mutually acceptable and independent person or panel to consider his replies to the three show-cause notices issued to him by the Board alleging various irregularities in the conduct of the T20 League.

The suspension order was issued to Modi by the BCCI on April 25 following which he was slapped show-cause notices on April 26, May 6 and May 31.

Modi has prayed for recall and withdrawal of the suspension order and further proceedings on the three notices.

Veer puts 'DKD' on hold; all thanks to brother Sohail

Mumbai, 9 July, 2010
While the gossip-mills are still doing overtime on the TV war between Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan, news has it that Big B’s ‘Kaun Banega Crorepatti’ act had no role to play in the delay of Sallu’s show ‘Dus Ka Dum’.

As opposed to earlier reports which stated that it was the channel’s keenness to promote Amitabh’s second innings on TV which caused the delay in Salman’s show, sources now reveal that it was Sallu’s outrageous demands that led to the delay of his show.

Confirming the news, a source said, “Salman himself has put his show on hold till the channel agrees to his demands. And his demand has got nothing to do with himself as usual, it’s for one of his brothers — actor-turned-producer Sohail Khan.”

Strange as it may seem, but Salman wants the channel to take on two shows that his younger brother has produced. While one is a fiction, the other is non-fiction. Reports also reveal that Salman himself might make an appearance in the fiction show titled ‘Raste Ka Zero Ban Gaya Hero’.

And only after the channel agrees to Salman’s demand will he come on the negotiating table for ‘Dus Ka Dum’. “If all goes well between the channel and Salman, then his show will go on air around Diwali just like Big B’s ‘KBC’. And there won’t be any clashes with the timings because ‘KBC’ will be aired from Monday to Thursday between 9 and 10 pm and ‘Dus Ka Dum’ on Friday and Saturday between 10 pm and 11 pm,” adds the source.

Well, looks like it’s Salman’s way or no way.

Pawar says not possible as of now Indo-Pak Cricket

Mumbai, 9 Jul, 2010
Newly-appointed ICC President Sharad Pawar says immediate resumption of cricket ties between India and Pakistan is not possible.

"Immediate ties between both countries is not possible. It is not in the hands of the Cricket Boards.It is a diplomatic issue. This is a decision taken by the Indian government,"Pawar said here yesterday.

Asked about demands for the introduction of day-night Tests to save the longer format of the game, Pawar said the"issue has not reached his ear".

"We are only administrators. If needed, I will let the experts take a call (on the issue),"he said.

To a query whether the ICC was mulling to shift its headquarters back to England, Pawar said,"In England, there are 40 per cent taxes while there are no taxes in Dubai. The moment England thinks similarly about cricket we will consider it."

Pawar said he was confident about BCCI President Shashank Manohar's integrity to handle the controversial Lalit Modi issue.

Sanctions will not alter Iran N-programme: Ahmadinejad

Abuja, July 9,
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today that new sanctions recently slapped on his country by Western nations would not alter Tehran's nuclear programme.

No matter how many sanctions resolutions are approved, "there will be no minor change in our nuclear programme," he said through a translator after attending a summit in Nigeria.

"Those resolutions are only paper. What's going to shape our future is our determination."

Ahmadinejad has been defiant in his dismissal of the new sanctions, but the head of Iran's atomic energy, Ali Akbar Salehi, acknowledged for the first time today that the measures "may slow down" its nuclear drive.

"One can't say sanctions are ineffective," Iran's ISNA news agency quoted Salehi as telling a press conference.

Kashmir violence: Omar Abdullah convenes all party meet on Monday

Srinagar, July 9
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has convened an all party meeting on Monday to discuss the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting, which will take place on July 12 afternoon, will be preceded by another meeting of legislators of coalition partners National Conference and Congress on Sunday.

Indefinite curfew has been imposed in several towns, including Srinagar, in the Kashmir Valley following days of violent protests by people and subsequent firing by security forces which led to the death of several people.

Umpire who called Murali chucker still stands by his decision

London,
Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan does not deserve to retire from Test cricket as the most distinguished wicket-taker of all time, feels former Australian umpire Ross Emerson, who had no-balled him seven times during a Gabba ODI.

"I haven't changed my views in 15 years - he doesn't deserve the record,"said Emerson, who was barred from international cricket after no-balling Muralitharan in a one-day game against England in Adelaide in January 1999.

Emerson, who made his ODI umpiring debut in a Sri Lanka-West Indies match in Brisbane in 1996, had no-balled Muralitharan seven times and continued to do so even when he switched to bowling legbreaks.

"You couldn't compare his record to Shane Warne's - no one ever doubted the legality of Warne's action. Murali was a great competitor and a great bowler but a lot of the time he just didn't bowl within the limits of the law,"Emerson was quoted as saying by'The Daily Telegraph'.

Muralitharan, the world's leading wicket-taker in both formats of the game (792 Tests and 515 ODI wickets), has decided to retire from Test cricket following the first Test against India in Galle, beginning July 18.

Muralitharan's action first came under the scanner when another Australian umpire Darrell Hair called him for throwing during Sri Lanka's tour Down Under in 1995-96.

Hair still stands by his decision.

"I have no angst over him holding the record but the fact that the rules had to be changed to handle bowlers like that vindicated my actions and the actions of other umpires who called him,"Hair said.

"Once they changed the rules and made it legal for bowlers to bend their arm to 15 per cent they gave an advantage to a couple of bowlers [Muralitharan included] who could get something extra from that rule.

"I would rather see the rule as it was where you couldn't bend your arm at all. That would mean everyone was the same,"Hair said.

38-year-old Muralitharan, who made his debut in 1992 against Australia, had the world cricket debating about his unorthodox and weird bowling action.

Three years after his debut, Muralitharan was called for throwing during the 1995-96 Australia tour by Hair and ICC soon recommended a biomechanical analysis, which concluded that his action created the'optical illusion of throwing'.

But still he was charged with suspected action again in the 1998-99 Australia tour by Emerson and was sent for further tests in Perth and England before being cleared once again.

He faced the same charges in 2004 but the Sri Lankan kept on taking wickets and overtook West Indies'Courtney Walsh's 519-wicket mark to become the highest wicket-taker in Test history.

Brisk walking, biking may help you loose weight

If you are a middle-aged person wishing to shed those extra kilos, you don't need to join a fancy gym or get into a rigid dieting habit, as a new study has claimed brisk walking and bicycling can do the trick.

Although it sounds like any other scientific research on obesity, the Harvard University study is a bit different as it goes against earlier reports which have suggested rigorous exercise to stave off obesity.

The researchers found that walking at least two miles or biking as little as five minuets every day helped women gain less weight than non-bikers, LiveScience reported.

It also found that women who ramped up that biking to four hours a week were far more likely to maintain their weight compared to non-bikers.

The analysis, which tapped into the Nurses'Health Study II following more than 18,000 women for 16 years, has been published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The Harvard researchers specifically compared the United States with The Netherlands, where obesity affects only about 8 per cent of the population.

Over a quarter of the Dutch population bikes regularly, usually to work or to school in dedicated biking lanes. In the US, only 05 per cent of commuters use bikes, usually swerving among the landmines of broken glass and opening car doors.

Elsewhere, the common use of bicycles and low rates of obesity throughout Scandinavia and in countries such as Japan and China is no coincidence.

Although not stated in the published report, the Harvard study results have three other significant implications.

Biking and brisk walking are easier on the knees compared with jogging, making this a less painful route to fitness for middle-age and overweight people.

Also, as reported last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, gaining 20 pounds or more after age 50 can triple your risk for diabetes.

There's an upfront cost for a bike, but that quickly could be compensated for from saving on bus fare or gas. Walking is free Diabetes medicine and treatment will run you hundreds to thousands of dollars a year.

Indian Top Stories: Curfew in Kashmir

Indian Top Stories: Curfew in Kashmir

Curfew in Kashmir

Srinagar,
An indefinite curfew, enforced with the army's assistance following violent protests that led to four deaths two days ago, continued on Thursday in Srinagar and other major towns of the Valley. Seventeen columns of army soldiers conducted flag marches on Wednesday to restore order in Srinagar which witnessed one of its worst public outrage and violence on Tuesday when four civilians were killed in clashes between mobs and security forces. "There will be no relaxation in the indefinite curfew that was imposed here on Wednesday. People are advised to remain indoors and come out only in case of an emergency after contacting the police in their areas," a senior police officer said here.

"The curfew was imposed to protect civilian life and property from the designs of anti-social elements and it will not remain in force a minute longer than it is required," he added.

Reports from north Kashmir's Sopore, Baramulla, Kupwara and Handwara, and south Kashmir's Anantnag, Koimoh, Pulwama and Kakpora towns said curfew was being strictly enforced on Thursday.

All scheduled examinations to be held by the Kashmir University as well as various professional exams by the Jammu and Kashmir public service commission have been postponed.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah apprised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on the latest law and order situation in the Valley on Wednesday.

Union Home Secretary Omar Abdullah, director general military operations Lt Gen AM Verma, corps commander of army's Srinagar-based 15th corps Lt Gen GS Marwah and Jammu and Kashmir director general of police Kuldeep Khoda also had a four-hour law and order review meeting with the chief minister.

Food inflation eases to 12.63 pc; fuel prices up 18 pc

New Delhi,
Annual food inflation eased to 12.63 per cent for the week ended June 26, but fuel inflation shot up to 18.02 per cent after the hike in rates of petroleum products.,
The rate of price rise of food items was 12.92 per cent in the previous week ended June 19.

Vegetable prices fell by over 4 per cent year-on-year, led by a massive decline in rates of potato and onion. Potato became cheaper by over 42 per cent, while onion by 8.75 per cent on an annual basis.

Fuel inflation for the week under review, however, rose sharply to 18.02 per cent after the impact of fuel price hike by the government on June 25. Prices of petrol and diesel raised by up to Rs 3.

I will soon follow SRK on Twitter: Aamir

New Delhi,
New to Twitter, Aamir Khan is slowly getting into its groove and following Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan on the microblogging site but is yet to add'good friend'Shah Rukh Khan to the list.,
A lot has been said about the revelry among the three Khans in Bollywood but Aamir, who decided to join twitter at Bachchan's behest, said he was still learning the tricks of the microblogging website.

"It is only 4-5 days since I joined twitter. I am yet to follow many people but I will start doing it slowly...even Shah Rukh,"the 45-year-old star said.

He also congratulated Bachchan for returning as the host of Kaun Banega Crorepati.

He said he was yet to see nephew Imran Khan's film"I Hate Luv Storys", which was panned by critics.

Spain tame Germany 1-0, book WCup final berth

Durban
Spain today scripted history by qualifying for their maiden World Cup final since their first appearance 76 years ago with a 1-0 victory over three-time champions Germany to set up a summit clash against the Netherlands here today.,
Central defender Carles Puyol scored the winner in the 73rd minute, heading home a corner in an absorbing semifinal which though lacked the spark in terms of goals and scoring chances, at the Mabhida Moses Stadium.

Spain's best show in a World Cup before today had been a fourth-place finish in 1950 but at that time the champion team was decided after a final round league format.

Vicente Del Bosque's'La Furia Roja'side will now take on the Netherlands at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on July 11 in the grand finale which will saw a new World Cup winner being crowned.

Queenstown invites Dhoni, Sakshi for honeymoon

Newly-wed Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his wife Sakshi were today invited by the Tourism Board of Queenstown to honeymoon in New Zealand's adventure capital.

"We are thrilled to invite Mr and Mrs Dhoni to Queenstown to spend their honeymoon with us. I'm sure this will be the perfect romantic getaway for them,"Chief Executive of Destination Queenstown Tony Everitt said in a statement.

Destination Queenstown decided to invite Dhoni following his remarks, during the Indian cricket team's tour of New Zealand last year, that the country is perfect for a honeymoon.

"New Zealand is one of the most beautiful places, where people are friendly and very warm. It's definitely a place you want to visit once in a lifetime.If not for cricket, then may be a honeymoon. Whatever it is, take some time off and come to New Zealand,"Dhoni had said.

Taking a cue from this, Destination Queenstown extended this open invitation to Dhoni and Sakshi to visit them.

"M S Dhoni and Sakshi will find that a luxury lodge stay is the ultimate luxury statement in New Zealand. Luxury lodge stays are about experiencing the finest accommodation in the most comfortable, exclusive private surroundings and choosing from a wide range of activities like golf, fishing, sampling exotic wine and lip-smacking cuisines or plain soul searching to snow-capped peaks, jewel-like lakes and lush green forests,"Everitt said.

Dhoni married childhood friend Sakshi on July 4 in a private ceremony at a farmhouse, about 25 km from Dehradun, attended only by family members and close friends, including a few of his team-mates.

Source - PTI