World T20: Harbhajan leads England's rout by 90 runs

Colombo: Harbhajan Singh grabbed 4-12 on his return after a year in the wilderness as India demolished defending champions England by 90 runs in the World Twenty20 on Sunday.

Rohit Sharma hit an unbeaten 55 off 33 balls as the new-look Indians scored 170-4 before England were shot out for their lowest T20 total of 80 in front of 20,000 spectators at the Premadasa stadium.

India rested seamer Zaheer Khan, spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and opener Virender Sehwag for the group A match that held only academic interest since both teams had already qualified for the Super Eights.

But it was a morale-boosting win for the 2007 champions ahead of the next round, as they dominated England from start to finish.

Harbhajan, 32, who had been out of favour with the selectors since August last year before being recalled for the World Twenty20, claimed a wicket off his second delivery when he came on in the sixth over.

When his spell finished in the 12th over, England had slumped to 60-8 and lost their ninth wicket also at the same total.

England were in danger of falling for the lowest ever total in Twenty20 internationals -- 67 by Kenya against Ireland in 2008 -- before the last-wicket pair of Steven Finn and Jade Dernbach prevented the humiliation.

But the total still fell below England's previous lowest score of 88 against the West Indies at the Oval last year.

Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, who was also an unexpected selection for the match, claimed 2-13 as England faltered against both pace and spin.

Seamer Irfan Pathan bowled Alex Hales and trapped Luke Wright leg-before in his first two overs to reduce England to 18-2.

Wickets fell at regular intervals and the innings ended in the 15th over to complete a dominant win for India.

Other notable contributions for India came from Gautam Gambhir, who made 45, and Virat Kohli, who smashed 40 off 32 balls.

Makeshift opener Pathan fell for eight before the in-form Kohli hit six boundaries during a second-wicket stand of 57 with Gambhir.

Sharma and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni took 38 runs in the last three overs to lift India past the 150-run mark.

England made one change from the team that beat Afghanistan, dropping left-arm spinner Samit Patel to play seamer Tim Bresnan.

http://sports.ndtv.com/icc-world-twenty20/news/item/196961-world-t20-harbhajan-leads-englands-rout-by-90-runs

World stocks edge lower as central bank rally pauses

NEW YORK: Stocks in Europe and the United States slipped on Monday as investors took pause from recent gains and turned their focus to the economic outlook and Europe's debt crisis. 

Spanish bond yields crept up above 6 per cent while German Bund prices rose 16 ticks. The move in Bunds follows steep falls on Friday, when markets across the world reacted to the US Federal Reserve saying it would pump $40 billion a month into the economy until the jobs market improves. 

Wall Street closed on Friday at its highest in nearly five years on the news, contributing to the modest losses on Monday.

"We had a couple of days of pretty strong runs," said Peter Jankovskis, co-chief investment officer at OakBrook Investments LLC in Lisle, Illinois. "It looks like a little bit of profit-taking." 

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 21.24 points, or 0.16 per cent, at 13,572.13. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 2.27 points, or 0.15 per cent, at 1,463.50. The NasdaqComposite Index was down 7.82 points, or 0.25 per cent, at 3,176.13. 

The FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading European stocks was down 0.3 per cent at 1,116.69 points, pulling back from a 14-month high hit in the previous session. World stocks fell 0.21 per cent. 

Asian stocks were generally higher overnight, with the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index hitting a 4-1/2 month high. Tokyo markets were closed, although tensions between Japan and China over disputed territory bubbled in the background. 

"There is still good upside potential for stocks as we are re-pricing the 'non-break-up' of the euro zone. We've just started to realize all the downside that came from the debt crisis," said Louis Capital Markets trader Jerome Troin-Lajous. 

"Now, the main signal we need that would fuel this rally won't be coming from the economic outlook, it will come from the investment flows. A lot of foreign investors have been strongly 'underweight' European stocks and should start to switch out of bonds and out of US equities and into European stocks." 

Commodities, including oil, gold and copper - all of which rallied last week - leveled off on Monday. 

Fund flow data from EPFR showed Europe equity funds posted their biggest net inflows since early May in the week to September 12 as the ECB action encouraged more investors to take on equity risk and move out of conservative debt. 

While risk markets should get a boost from the US stimulus plan, organic growth is ultimately needed to sustain a recovery and there are concerns about the economy's ability to generate such growth amid macroeconomic headwinds. 

"The Federal Reserve's decision to engage in an open-ended purchase program reinforces the carry trade in the U.S. dollar and risk assets. It is unlikely to produce meaningful change in economic growth, in our view," Jefferies analysts said in a note. 

Euro flat 

The single currency eased in European trade but traded flat against the dollar after weaker-than-expected US data. 

"We are due some consolidation. We could trade below $1.30 again but will see $1.35 by year-end. It's a combination of improvements in Europe and deteriorating dollar sentiment," said Daragh Maher, currency strategist at HSBC. 

The greenback is expected to remain under pressure in the coming weeks as the effects of the US stimulus plan work their way through the system. 

It remained near a seven-month low against a basket of key currencies on Monday and extended losses versus the yen after the Empire State new orders index hit its lowest since November 2010. 

The dollar's drop in recent weeks has been contrasted by the euro, which has been the strongest-performing major global currency. 

The rise has been supported by the ECB's plan to help lower the borrowing costs of indebted euro zone countries, if and when the countries concerned - chiefly Spain - ask for that help. 

ECB member Luc Coene and French finance minister Pierre Moscovici are both due to speak inLondon starting at 1500 GMT and could provide fresh information following policymaker meetings in Cyprus over the weekend. 

The reversal of Friday's trend in currencies and stocks also fed through into the bond market, with German Bunds, up 16 ticks. 

The benchmark 10-year US Treasury note was up 11/32, the yield at 1.831 per cent. 

"A lot of good news is priced in and now the market is pondering whether or when Spain might require a bailout," said Rabobank rate strategist Richard McGuire. "The realization is dawning it might not be rushing." 

Reflecting the uncertainty, Spanish 10-year bond yields rose back above 6 per cent. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has said he would not accept a rescue that dictated spending cuts. 

"The market has priced in an actual bailout and the longer Spain prevaricates, the greater the risk the market will strong-arm them into accepting a support package," McGuire said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/World-stocks-edge-lower-as-central-bank-rally-pauses/articleshow/16438146.cms

Father of Chandigarh woman booked for Facebook post hopes police will take 'lenient view'

CHANDIGARH: Colonel P Bakshi, father of 22-year-old woman who has been booked for allegedly posting abusive comments on Chandigarh traffic police's Facebook page, on Tuesday hoped the matter will be resolved, maintaining that his daughter was anguished over police not taking concrete action following theft of her vehicle.

Bakshi hoped the matter will be resolved, saying he had talked to senior police officials here and hoped "they will take a lenient view of the matter."

Henna Bakshi, who claims to be winner of Geeta Chopra bravery award over a decade back for nabbing a burglar, was booked on Friday for allegedly using abusive language in her posts on UT traffic police's Facebook page.

The post-graduate student and another person were booked under various sections of the Information Technology Act at industrial area police station on a complaint by a traffic police personnel.

Heena's father said there was no warning or parental guidance advised by the police in her case and penal action was invoked under the IT Act.

He lamented that before registering the case, no one from the police spoke to the family.

"No one spoke to us, not even once, it (the case) came just out of the blue," he said.

Bakshi told reporters his daughter was anguished as she felt police was not taking action after her vehicle was stolen.

"We are hoping they will understand as Henna had not written anything wrong and her comments were not intended for anyone in particular," he said.

Defending the step taken by her daughter, Henna's mother Ranjana Bakshi said, "I don't think she has done anything wrong, I am myself a teacher and don't think she wrote something really out of the way. My daughter was only expressing her anguish."

"I don't think all this (that Henna should have been booked) should have happened," she said.

"We are hoping there is a solution to the problem," Ranjana added.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Father-of-Chandigarh-woman-booked-for-Facebook-post-hopes-police-will-take-lenient-view/articleshow/16448852.cms

Mumbai terror attack convict Ajmal Kasab petitions President for mercy

MUMBAI: Mumbai terror attack convict Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab has moved a mercy petition before the President Pranab Mukherjee, almost a fortnight after the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence in the 26/11 case.

"We have sent a mercy petition to the President filed by Kasab," a senior official at the high-security Arthur Road Jail said.

However, the officer did not reveal as to when he had filed the petition.

Kasab had been given a certified copy of the Supreme Court verdict confirming his death sentence last week.

"Kasab was given certified copy of his death sentence confirmation verdict three days ago. One copy was given to him and the other was sent to the Supreme Court with his signature," an official of the Arthur Road Jail had said.

Asked if the Pakistani gunman, lodged in the bomb-proof "anda cell" (egg-shaped cell), had been explained options before him, including moving a mercy plea, the official said Kasab was told about all procedures and rights he has as a convict, including moving a mercy petition.

On August 29, the Supreme Court had confirmed the death penalty awarded to the LeT operative by the trial court and later upheld by the Bombay high court.

A bench of justices Aftab Alam and C K Prasad had dismissed the 25-year-old's plea challenging his conviction and death sentence in the 26/11 case.

Kasab and nine other Pakistani terrorists had landed in south Mumbai on November 26, 2008 by sea from Karachi and had gone on a shooting spree at various places, killing 166 people, including foreigners.

While Kasab was captured alive, the other terrorists were killed by security forces.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mumbai-terror-attack-convict-Ajmal-Kasab-petitions-President-for-mercy/articleshow/16447481.cms