No Warne for Royals!

By Hindustan Times

Mumbai, Feb. 29 -- He coached and captained Rajasthan Royals successfully in the first edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. But last year, champion leg spinner Shane Warne announced his retirement from professional cricket. Soon after, the Royals stated that they are "looking forward to him assuming a larger role in the team".

But even as the fifth edition of IPL gets set to kick-off in April, team co-owner Raj Kundra says Shane "has had his innings (with Rajasthan Royals)". "He is doing his own thing and is busy with his girlfriend (Liz Hurley)," says Kundra, adding, "Shane was with us for four years, and he has been great. But we need to move on and give Rahul Dravid (new captain) a chance. He is a great idol, and that's why all the kids look up to him." But isn't Rahul seen as a player who doesn't fit the IPL mould?

"Hence we kept him for a year with Shane. We believe he has the potential to captain the team," says Kundra, adding, "Still we had to persuade Rahul to become the captain. but we feel he will deliver. The main reason being he got a chance to experience how Shane worked in an out-of-the-box manner. Plus, he comes with his own mindset. He is a focused cricketer, very disciplined and his training is better than anyone I know in the cricketing world."

At the same time, Kundra accepts that the absence of Pakistani players has hit his team. "It definitely hit us but it's 20-20 cricket and that's entertainment and not pure cricket. So, the team that comes first one year can end up at the last position in the next and vice versa. This year, we have picked up a couple of good Sri Lankan players, and Brad Hodge and S Sreesanth. So, we've got a nice mix," he says.

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Riteish-Genelia dance at brother’s wedding

Kareena-Arjun on Heroine sets!

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Madonna in bare essentials on new cover!

By Hindustan Times

Pop queen Madonna looks her seductive best on the cover of her new single, as she poses in a black, barely-there brassiere. The lady like the name of her latest single from her forthcoming studio album MDNA, has gone wild on the cover flaunting her toned stomach. "The barely-there outfit is to be expected of a woman who repeatedly sings about sex in songs like Like A Virgin, Justify My Love and Erotica. The black, triangle-shaped lace bra doesn't hide much, and very nearly leaves the superstar exposed," reports Daily Mail.

"She doesn't cover up in other articles of clothing, either, flaunting most of trim and toned stomach. Her mouth is open in a suggestive pose, and her blonde locks are artfully tousled. Everything about the cover is suggestive, including the title," says the tabloid.

Girls Gone Wild is a video series created by Joe Francis where college-age girls perform various sexual acts on camera.

"Girl Gone Wild is all about the heat of letting loose and dancing, certainly themes that Madge fans will find familiar. Produced by Benny Benassi, the track, though fun and funky, is a bit darker than her first single, which seemed to pay homage to the '80s version of the pop icon in its bright nature," reports MTV.

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Tibetans hold protests in Delhi against India-China border talks

Delhi:  About a dozen Tibetans, including women, today staged a protest outside the Hyderabad House objecting to the border talks between India and China claiming that Beijing cannot discuss the issue before giving freedom to Tibet.

Draped in Tibetan flags and carrying anti-China placards, the protesters assembled in front of the Hyderabad House near India Gate in the morning where External Affairs Minister S M Krishna was holding bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi.

Anticipating protests, a number of police personnel were deployed in the area and they immediately detained the demonstrators who were shouting slogans demanding freedom for Tibet.

"We have detained the protesters, including women. We have taken them to a nearby police station," a senior police official said.

One of the protesters said China cannot discuss the issue before giving freedom to Tibet. "It is ridiculous for China to have talks with India before giving us freedom," he said.

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Rats eat through Rs 6.5-crore machine in hospital

Mumbai:  The digital subtraction angiography (DSA) catheterisation laboratory machine, commonly called the cath lab machine, is a sophisticated piece of equipment worth Rs 6.5 crore. It can perform angioplasty and angiography procedures, and is a specimen of how much medical science has advanced.

At Jagjivan Ram hospital in Mumbai Central, this high-tech scientific innovation -- reportedly the first such machine in the western region and the second in the country -- has been allowed to become rat food.

Lying at the facility since July 2011, the machine, which hasn't been used even once, has fallen prey to rodents that have nibbled its wiring, hospital sources said. Staffers have completed the fitting of the machine, but civil work required to set it up is still pending. According to reliable sources, a few internal modifications are yet to be done, after which it could be easily installed.

But the disuse has the machine caked with dust. It was recently that the staffers noticed that the wires had been snacked on. "The civil work started in January 2011, and according to the tender, was to be completed by April, but is still going on. It is deplorable. We recently saw that wires of the machine have been nibbled off. We have asked the manufacturing company to replace them immediately to save the machine from further damage," said a hospital official, requesting anonymity. 

Patients suffer
The hospital doctors have been using a mini cath lab equipment to perform angiography procedures for organs other than heart. For heart angiographies, thousands of railway employees have been put on a waiting list for treatment at private hospitals.

"For performing heart angiography procedures, we refer patients to private hospitals affiliated to the railway board. Once this machine is installed, all these procedures can be easily done here. The railway board sanctioned the DSA cath lab in 2006, and we received the machine in July 2011. Had the civil work been done on time, the railways would not have had to spend lakhs treating their employees at private hospitals," said a doctor, requesting anonymity.

The hospital performs over 250-300 procedures using the mini cath lab machine. Once the machine is installed, the number will be doubled. Over 3 lakh employees of Western and Central Railway and their dependents will be benefited by this facility. "The entire load of heart angiographies goes to private hospitals and the employees have to wait for more days to get the angiography performed," said a railway employee.

The other side
Sharat Chandrayan, chief PRO, Western Railway, said, "The project is going on and will be completed soon. The machine is completely fine. It is nothing like what you are saying." Dr Gita Chaturvedi, medical director, Jagjivan Ram hospital, did not respond to MiD DAY's calls and messages.

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