Pontings praise for pace spearhead Ishant

Ponting in his Captains diary has written his team could have won the crucial third test at perth but for an awesome spell by Indian pacer Ishant Sharma.The young lad playing his fourth test,had bowled an awesome spell to me:seven overs when he was fast,aggressive and relentless,where I never felt as if I was truly ‘in’.

Clinton accepts Obama’s offer

Hillary Clinton has decided to accept the post of Secretary of State in the incoming Obama administration, a media report said today, raising prospects of former Democratic rivals joining hands to guide the US foreign policy amid steep challenges at home and abroad.

Clinton came to her decision after additional discussions with President-elect Barack Obama about the nature of her role and his plans for foreign policy, one of her confidants was quoted as saying by ‘New York Times’.

The former first lady, who was defeated by Obama for the Democratic Presidential nomination in a neck-and-neck battle, has decided to give up her Senate seat and accept the powerful post of Secretary of State, the report said.

However, her spokesman, Philippe Reines, issued a statement yesterday cautioning that the nomination was not final. “We’re still in discussions, which are very much on track,” Reines said. “Any reports beyond that are premature” Obama’s office also told reporters earlier that the nomination is “on track”, but this is the first word from the Clinton camp that she has decided, the paper noted.

“She’s ready,” the confidant told the paper, adding that Clinton was reassured after talking again with Obama because their first meeting in Chicago last week “was so general.”

The purpose of the follow-up talk, he said, was not to extract particular concessions but “just getting comfortable” with the idea of working together. A second Clinton associate, the Times said, confirmed that her camp believes they have a done deal.

Senior Obama advisers told the paper that the offer had not been formally accepted and no announcement would be made until after the US Thanksgiving Day which is on November 27. But they said they were convinced that the nascent alliance was ready to be sealed.

Obama has stepped up efforts to assemble his future team as he geared up to tackle challenges like the worsening domestic economy and its global impact as well as the ongoing US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The decision to offer the second most powerful job in the administration to the 61-year-old Hillary Clinton followed days of intense vetting and negotiations intended to clear any potential obstacles to her taking the job due to her husband Bill Clinton’s global business and philanthropic activities.

Lawyers for Obama and former President Bill Clinton combed through his finances and drew up a set of guidelines for his future activities intended to avoid any appearances of conflict of interest should she take the job, the Times said.

Citing people close to the vetting, the paper said Bill Clinton turned over the names of 208,000 donors to his foundation and library and agreed to all of the conditions requested by Obama’s transition team, including restrictions on his future paid speeches and role at his international foundation.

Driving Hillary Clinton’s deliberations in part, friends told the paper, was a sense of disenchantment with the Senate, where despite her stature she remained low in the ranks of seniority that governs the body.

She was particularly upset, they said, at the reception she felt she received when she returned from the campaign trail and sought a more significant leadership role in the expanding Democratic majority.

Champions league twenty20 2008 Schedule

FIXTURES

Wed 3
16:00 local, 10:30 GMT Group A – Middlesex v Victoria
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

Wed 3
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT Group B – Dolphins v Rajasthan Royals
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Thu 4
16:00 local, 10:30 GMT Group B – Sialkot Stallions v Western Australia
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Thu 4
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT Group A – Chennai Super Kings v Victoria
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

Fri 5
16:00 local, 10:30 GMT Group A – Middlesex v Titans
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Fri 5
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT Group B – Rajasthan Royals v Sialkot Stallions
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai

Sat 6
12:00 local, 06:30 GMT Group B – Dolphins v Western Australia
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Sat 6
16:00 local, 10:30 GMT Group A – Titans v Victoria
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Sat 6
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT Group A – Chennai Super Kings v Middlesex
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Sun 7
12:00 local, 06:30 GMT Group B – Dolphins v Sialkot Stallions
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

Sun 7
16:00 local, 10:30 GMT Group B – Rajasthan Royals v Western Australia
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Sun 7
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT Group A – Chennai Super Kings v Titans
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Mon 8
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT 1st Semi-Final – TBC v TBC
M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Group B winners v Group A runners-up

Tue 9
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT 2nd Semi-Final – TBC v TBC
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai
Group A winners v Group B runners-up

Wed 10
20:00 local, 14:30 GMT Final – TBC v TBC
MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai

Squad details

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India Inc shifts to selective recruitment

Selective hiring and moderation of unreasonable expectations in the salary is the new mantra among HR professionals. Companies such as Tata Capital and Hinduja Group have reworked their hiring plans.Tata Capital Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, which recently hired Harshawardhan Sabale as Co-head for its PE Growth Fund has restructured its hiring plans and is now hiring currently for critical positions.

Amar Sinhji, head (human resources), Tata Capital Ltd told FE, “Right now we are not doing mass hiring but are looking at filling critical positions only. But will also be hiring about 30-40 graduates at the junior level and post graduates from premier management institutes as well.”

Similarly, Hinduja Group continues to hire for its new initiatives but becomes selective. Also there has been no revision or cut in the compensation however the unreasonable hike of 50%-80% has now been moderated,” said Sudhanshu Tripathi, group president, Hinduja Group.

Experts believe that salaries are now rationalised and justified compared to the extraordinary increase earlier. Salary of a CEO in the financial service sector is the highest and ranges anywhere between Rs 1.5 – 3 crore. A CEO in IT, telecom and insurance draws anywhere is between Rs 1-2 crore. In the media and entertainment the salary is between Rs 1.5 to 2.75 crore and in the pharma sector it is in the range of Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1.5 crore. However, the manufacturing sector is the lowest payer with the CEO’s salary in this sector ranging from Rs 40-80 lakh only. In the retail sector CEO of Indian retail company gets paid in the range of Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1.2 crore and an MNC retail company CEO gets paid up Rs 2 crore, say experts.

Viswanathan Anand in Chennai

Viswanathan Anand’s victorious return to his hometown was almost an exercise in vain for the association that organised his welcome at the airport late on Thursday night.

The chess champion, who emerged from the arrival lounge to a rousing salute stirred up by a local school band, appeared to be caught on ‘Ground Zero’ of a crowd explosion and was soon drowned in hordes of hangers-on wanting to catch a glimpse of him.

“I still have not shaken hands with Anand because there were so many people surrounding him,” said Tamil Nadu State Chess Association general secretary K. Muralimohan.

Massive turnout

Denied access to Vishy by the swarms of media and security personnel that trapped him in an impenetrable cordon seconds after his arrival, Mr. Muralimohan said he had not anticipated such a large turnout considering the late hour of the flight.

“I don’t think there was any mismanagement, but this kind of reception is unprecedented,” he added.

Appearing a shade wary of the persistent jostling and several cameras that were thrust unceremoniously in his face, Anand said he was “more relieved than happy”, before the police managed to whisk him away from the prying gaze of lens and man.

India’s first International Master, Manuel Aaron, who was unable to sight Anand even momentarily, said his airport visit had been “worth nothing”.

“I couldn’t even spot him once and I certainly did not want to make my way into the crowd.

“It would be a better idea to organise a welcome party at a hotel instead of the airport where things can take a messy turn,” Aaron said.

Earlier, the scene, by and large, resembled a quasi-social occasion.

Festive atmosphere

Sweets exchanged hands, as did banners and bottles of beverage, as hundreds of students braved humidity and hunger and waited for their hero to come out.

“We were here by 10 p.m. to rehearse. It’s all right, we don’t mind doing it because Anand deserves all the accolades for his achievement,” said a cymbals-brandishing member of the Velammal High School band.

While sizable numbers indicated a rapidly growing popularity of the sport, the query of an excitable, cheering group of young men to a TV crew engaged in interviewing Aruna Anand imbued the proceedings with an alternative perspective.

“Excuse me,” asked one of the group, “but what is the name of the movie star who is being mobbed.”