Most Test Match Centuries Scored in Consecutive Innings by Pakistan Batsmen

First Test Match at Dubai Oct 22-26,2014
Scorecard
Pakistan 454 and 286/2d
 Australia 303 and 216
Pakistan won by 221 runs
Younis Khan scored 106 and 103*

Second Test Match at Abu Dhabi Oct 30-Nov 03,2014
Scorecard

Pakistan 570/6d & 293/3d

Australia 261 & 
Younis Khan scored 213 and 46

Misbah-ul-Haq Creates Record Against Australia in the 2nd Test, Abu Dhabi, 4th day Sunday Nov 02,2014

 

Second Test Match at Abu Dhabi Oct 30-Nov 03,2014
Scorecard

Pakistan 570/6 declared & 293/3 declared

Australia 261 &
 Misbah ul Haq scored 101 and 101*

Misbah-ul-Haq's ton was the fastest in terms of balls and second fastest in terms of minute

Misbah-ul-Haq got his century in 56 Balls- the fastest in terms of deliveries, equaling Viv Richards





Misbah-ul-Haq got his half-century in 21 Balls.The previous fastest fifty in Test cricket was by Jacques Kallis, off 24 balls, against Zimbabwe, in Cape Town in 2005.

TN Congress Senior Leader G K Vasan Quits Congress Monday Nov 03,2014

 

Congress leader G.K. Vasan, on Monday, announced that he is quitting the party and will float a new outfit soon. The name of the political party and the party flag will be unveiled soon, he informed the mediapersons in Chennai on Monday Nov 03,2014

The son of late Congress veteran G.K. Moopanar, had earlier hinted at "a new political course" on Sunday Nov 02,2014 

G K Vasan, on Monday, reiterated that the actions of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) over the last few years had been “against the sentiments” of party workers and the people of Tamil Nadu.

"Congress has not been in power in Tamil Nadu for the last 47 years," said Mr. Vasan, adding that his aim is to bring "an alternative" to dravidian parties in the State.

It may be noted that the late Moopanar founded the Tamil Maanila Congress days before the 1996 general elections. The party merged with the parent organisation after Moopanar's death in 2001. 

2014 Romanian Presidential Election First Round Sunday Nov 02,2014

 

A presidential election will take place in Romania in 2014. The election will be held in two rounds, on Nov 02 and Nov 16,2014 as decided by the Govt in February 2014
 

Romanians are deciding who will replace Traian Basescu, who is stepping down after serving his two-term limit.



14 candidates enrolled in the presidential race, the highest number since 1996 election.

Current Prime Minister Victor Ponta  from PSD and
 
Mayor of Sibiu Klaus Iohannis from ACL have the best chances to confront in the second round


Run - Off Election Sunday Nov 16,2014

Thousands of Romanian immigrants waited for hours in Portsmouth to cast their vote in a run-off pitting the social democrat prime minister against a centre-right candidate.Crowds thronged around polling stations in Portsmouth and London yesterday, waiting for hours to have their say in their country’s presidential election

  

 

 

 A Romanian living abroad casts his ballot during the presidential election run-off at a polling station inside the Romanian Embassy in London

Romanians wait in line to enter a polling station at the Romanian Embassy in Paris

Romanians queue at a polling station at the Romanian Embassy in Berlin

 

Prime Minister Victor Ponta led in the first round with 40%t to 30 % for Klaus Iohannis, an ethnic German mayor.

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta (second right), also the leader of the ruling Social Democrat Party, and his wife Daciana (left) with their children, Irina (second left) and Andrei (right), cast their ballot during the presidential elections run-off at a polling station in Bucharest


Opposition presidential candidate Klaus Iohannis (centre right) and his wife (centre left) arrive at a polling station in Sibiu, Romania

Election results are expected later today, and the winner will replace President Traian Basescu, who is stepping down

Romanian PM Admits defeat

Victor Ponta the Romanian Prime Minister, conceded defeat in Romania's presidential race on Sunday after exit polls showed centre-right candidate Klaus Iohannis had staged a surprising comeback against the frontrunner

Backed by a well-oiled party machine, Ponta had led opinion polls throughout the campaign and comfortably beat Iohannis, an ethnic German, in the first round election on Nov. 2 and observers believed he was poised for victory in the run-off

Prime minister since 2012, the 42-year-old Ponta often feuded with his rival, outgoing President Traian Basescu, which stymied policymaking and caused a constitutional crisis.
Without the check on power hitherto provided by Basescu, Ponta's rise had raised concerns he might tighten political control over the judiciary, prosecutors and media, in a country whose justice system remains under special EU supervision.
But Iohannis as president will, like Basescu, face a hostile parliamentary majority that could cause more policy wrangling.

Opposition candidate Klaus Iohannis has won a surprise victory in Romania's presidential election, defeating PM Victor Ponta after a tight race.

With most results declared, Mr Iohannis, mayor of Sibiu, had 54.5% of the vote to Mr Ponta's 45.5%.
Klaus Iohannis(55)and an ethnic German, vowed to change politics and said "another kind of Romania is beginning".


Ponta phoned Iohannis to congratulate his opponent well before then

But despite the loss, he ruled out quitting as prime minister and said his Social Democrat alliance would remain in power until parliamentary elections due in 2016.

Elections held by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine Sunday Nov 02,2014

 

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine held elections in Lihansk and Donetsk on Sunday Nov 02,2014

In Donetsk, eastern Ukraine's former industrial capital and the separatists' political and military stronghold, Soviet music blared out of speakers in front of a central voting station carrying the separatist's red black and blue flag.
Across the region suffering from years of neglect and months of war between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian rebels, people stood in freezing temperatures to cast their vote



Self-proclaimed election officials say early results suggest Alexander Zakharchenko will become the regional head in Donetsk, while Igor Plotnisky will secure a victory in Luhansk.

The rebels also staged what they called parliamentary elections in the two regions - collectively known as Donbas

Rebel leaders earlier said that as independent states they were not required to observe Ukrainian law, and therefore did not participate in Ukraine's national elections last week.
They said three million ballots had been printed for the polls, which would provide for directly elected presidents and parliaments.
"These elections are important because they will give legitimacy to our power and give us more distance from Kiev," Roman Lyagin, election commission chief of the Donetsk region, told

The central government in Kiev also described as a "farce" the polls in the two self-proclaimed people's republics in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the polls were "a new obstacle on the path towards peace".Mogherini said the vote in the Donetsk and Luhansk self-proclaimed republics "is illegal and illegitimate, and the European Union will not recognise it".

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called Sunday polls "a farce" and "a gross violation" of the Minsk agreement, which was also signed by Russia.
In Moscow, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement that it "respects the will of the people of the south-east".
It also called for a "sustainable dialogue" between the authorities in Kiev and the rebels.

Russia said it "respects the will of the people" in the polls, where the two current rebel leaders are set to win.

Alexander Zakharchenko, the prime minister of the self-declared government in Donetsk, has won more than 70% of the vote and is set to become the region's head

Igor Plotnitsky, the prime minister of the self-declared government in Luhansk, has secured more than 60% of the vote.

2014 India Vs Sri Lanka First ODI Cuttack Sunday Nov 02,2014

 Indian team for first 3 ODIs out of the 5 ODI series of the Micromax Cup.

  Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, W Saha, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhawal Kulkarni (Mohd. Shami ruled out due to injury), Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Murali Vijay, Varun Aaron, Akshar Patel.

First ODI at Barabati Stadium Cuttack,Odisha,India 
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field
Scorecard
India scored 363/5 in 50 Overs
SL scored 194/10 in 39.2 Overs
Match Result - India beats Sri Lanka by 169 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the 5-match ODI Series

Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan were involved in a stand of 231 - India’s second highest for the first wicket against Sri Lanka behind the 252 between Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly at Colombo (RPS) on July 7, 1998.*

* In all, four double century stands have been registered for the first wicket for India in ODIs. The match-winning 231-run partnership is India’s first double century stand in five years. The last partnership of 200 was 201 (unbroken) between Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag vs New Zealand at Hamilton on March 11, 2009.

India’s magnificent 169-run victory is their second biggest in terms of runs against Sri Lanka in ODIs behind the 183-run win at Johannesburg on March 10, 2003

India (363/5) posted their joint-third highest total against Sri Lanka in ODIs. Their highest total is 414 for seven at Rajkot on December 15, 2009

ODI Debutant  - Lahiru Gamage(SL)
Openers Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan scored centuries and put up a record 231 for the opening wicket to propel World Cup champions India to an emphatic 169-run win over World T20 holders Sri Lanka


Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan, who became the first Indian openers in 11 years to smash tons in the same ODI. Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar were last ones to achieve the feat against New Zealand in Hyderabad in 2003
Ajinkya  Rahane struck 111 from 108 balls en route to his second ODI century while Shikhar Dhawan returned to form with a 107-ball 113 as India posted an imposing 363 for five
 
It was Shikhar Dhawan's first hundred since his 119 against West Indies in Kanpur in November last year and sixth overall

 Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan were involved in a stand of 231 - India’s second highest for the first wicket against Sri Lanka behind the 252 between Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly at Colombo (RPS) on July 7, 1998.*

In all, four double century stands have been registered for the first wicket for India in ODIs. The match-winning 231-run partnership is India’s first double century stand in five years. The last partnership of 200 was 201 (unbroken) between Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag vs New Zealand at Hamilton on March 11, 2009.

 
 Suresh Raina, playing his 200th ODI, cracked a 34-ball 52 (4x4s, 3x6s), and was involved in a 52- run partnership with Kohli (22), increasing the scoring rate towards the end.

India totalled 363 for five in 50 overs — the 20th time that India have breached the 350- run mark
Ishant Sharma bagged 4/34(8 Overs)to help bowl the visitors out for 194 in 39.2 overs in the 400th ODI played in India
 
 Before Sunday’s match, the highest successful chase by any team in this country was by India, who had scored 362/1 against Australia in Jaipur last year.
Sri Lanka were set 364 to win.Sri Lanka started the chase in a sedate manner and never really looked in the hunt.

Opener Dilshan(18) got out to speedster Umesh Yadav pretty early. Then Ishant dismissed the experienced Kumar Sangakkara(13) to make it 61 for two and soon R. Ashwin got into action when he had Upul Tharanga caught by Dhawan. 

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel then got rid of Prasanna and top-scorer Mahela Jayawardene (43 off 36 balls) and Sri Lanka were left to pick up the pieces


MOM -Ajinkya Rahane(India)

Dozens killed in suicide blast at India-Pakistan border crossing

 

A suicide bomber has killed at least 55 people and wounded more than 120 during a 'flag-lowering' ceremony at the main Pakistan-India border crossing

 

The explosion happened at the Wagah border gate near the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore after the display of military pageantry that attracts thousands of spectators every day

 

Crowds gather at Wagah each sunset to watch the ceremony that accompanies the formal closing of the border post

Pakistani politician Imran Khan described the blast as an 'act of terror'
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was a 'dastardly act of terrorism'

E.V.K.S. Elangovan appointed as the new Tamil Nadu Congress chief Saturday Nov 01,2014

 

E.V.K.S. Elangovan was on Saturday appointed the new Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president with the party accepting the resignation of B.S. Gnanadesikan, who was upset over his “neglect” by the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has appointed  Elangovan to the post, Congress general secretary and in-charge of Tamil Nadu Mukul Wasnik announced

Gnanadesikan had quit as TNCC president on October 30 as he was upset at his “neglect” by AICC. “The State president does not have respect and powers,” he had said, citing several instances belittling his role in the affairs of the party to buttress his point

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo - Spacecraft for tourists explodes on test flight Friday Oct 31,2014

 

A winged spaceship designed to take tourists on excursions beyond Earth’s atmosphere exploded during a test flight Friday Oct 31,2014 over the Mojave Desert, killing a pilot in the second fiery setback for commercial space travel in less than a week.

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo blew apart after being released from a carrier aircraft at high altitude, according to Ken Brown, a photographer who witnessed the explosion.

One pilot was found dead inside the spacecraft and another parachuted out and was flown by helicopter to a hospital, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said.

The crash area was about 193 km north of downtown Los Angeles and 32 km from the Mojave Air and Space Port, where the flight originated. 

Friday’s flight marked the 55th for SpaceShipTwo, which was intended to be the first of a fleet of craft. This was only the fourth flight to include a brief rocket firing. During other flights, the craft either was not released from its mothership or functioned as a glider after release. 

At 60—feet (18—meters) long, SpaceShipTwo featured two large windows for each of up to six passengers, one on the side and one overhead. 

The accident’s cause was not immediately known, nor was the altitude at which the explosion occurred.

 Note
British billionaire Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic, has been the front-runner in the fledgling race to give large numbers of paying civilians a suborbital ride that would let them experience weightlessness and see the Earth from the edge of space.

Samsung unveils the full metal unibody Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A3

The Galaxy A3 and A5 will be Samsung's first devices to feature fully metallic bodies and its thinnest smartphones to date.

2014 Petrol Price Reduction Friday Oct 31,2014

 

Petrol price was on Friday  Oct 31,2014 cut by Rs 2.41 a litre, the sixth reduction since August, and diesel by Rs 2.25 per litre on back of falling international oil rates.
The reduction in rates of petrol and diesel, which was deregulated for the first time in more than a decade, will be effective from midnight tonight, Indian Oil Corp, the nation's largest fuel retailer, announced.
The Rs 2.41 a litre price cut in petrol and Rs 2.25 in diesel was after accounting for a 10-15 paise increase in commission paid to petrol pump dealers
Since August 2014, petrol price has been cumulatively cut by Rs 9.36 per litre.
Prices vary from state to state because of differential rate of local sales tax or VAT

 

Revised petrol prices in four metros

(Rs. per litre)

City	Current price	Revised price	Decrease
Delhi	66.65	64.24	2.41
Kolkata	74.21	71.68	2.53
Mumbai	74.46	71.91	2.49
Chennai	69.59	67.01	2.58

Revised diesel prices in four metros

(Rs. per litre)

City	Current price	Revised price	Decrease
Delhi	55.60	53.35	2.25
Kolkata	60.30	57.95	2.35
Mumbai	63.54	61.04	2.50
Chennai	59.27	56.84	2.43

ATM Withdrawal in 6 Metro Cities beyond 5 times in a month attract Rs 20 per transaction wef Nov 01,2014

 

Using ATMs to withdraw money or for other purposes like balance enquiry beyond five times in a month will attract a levy of Rs 20 per transaction from Saturday Nov 01,2014

As per the Reserve Bank's new guidelines that comes into force from Saturday Nov 01,2014, bank customers in six metros-- Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore-- are allowed to withdraw money and/or carry out non-financial transactions like mini-statements at ATMs of banks, where they hold saving/current accounts, free of charge only five times a month.

Every transaction beyond this threshold will be charged Rs 20 per use


The RBI, however, clarified that nothing precludes a bank from offering more than three free transactions at other bank ATMs to its account holders if it so desires.
The cap in the number of free ATM transactions will not apply on small/no-frills or basic savings bank deposit account holders who will continue to enjoy five free transactions.
At places other than the six metro centres, the facility of five free transactions for savings bank account customers will remain unchanged upon using other bank ATMs.