India to play extra Test and Twenty20 in NZ

India's tour of New Zealand has been extended to include a third Test and a second Twenty20 international. The extra fixtures have been included at the expense of the tour match which means India will have no practice games during their visit that includes two Twenty20 matches, five ODIs and three Tests.

India will arrive in New Zealand on February 20, eight days earlier than originally scheduled, and will begin the tour with a Twenty20 match in Christchurch on February 25. Napier will host the additional Test, the second of the three-match series, from March 26 to 30. The reworked schedule resulted in the dates for the second Twenty20 game and the first three ODIs being brought forward. The three-day warm-up match against a New Zealand XI in Lincoln between the ODIs and Tests has also been scrapped.

BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said he was delighted that both the boards were able to agree on an extended tour. "My thanks go to New Zealand Cricket for responding positively to our request for an extended Test series," he said. "There have been a number of issues for both boards to resolve to accommodate the new schedule and I am pleased we have been able to work together to achieve a high quality programme. To have such a strong mix of Tests, one-day internationals and Twenty20s will be good for both teams, and for cricket followers in India and New Zealand."

NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said the opportunity for an extended tour by India was great for the game in New Zealand. "India are probably the most exciting side in the world at present - packed with superstar players, and the chance to see six more days of high quality international competition will be welcomed by all New Zealand cricket fans, and give our team a great chance to prove themselves against the world's best," he said.

"We have worked hard to keep as much of the schedule as possible intact - the result is a tour where more fans will be able to see more games in more places."

Steve Jobs signing off from Apple for five months

Admitting to having serious health problems, Steve Jobs, the iconic chief of IT major Apple will be on "medical leave" for five months.

Rumours have been rife in recent months that bad health might even force the retirement of 53-year-old Jobs.

"In order to take myself out of limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June," Jobs wrote in a letter to Apple's employees on Wednesday.

Further, the chief noted that his "health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought".

In Jobs absence, the company's Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook would be taking care of the day to day operations.

The latest letter from Jobs might come as a surprise for investors as the Apple chief earlier this month said that he would continue to work despite suffering from hormonal imbalance.

"As many of you know, I have been losing weight throughout 2008. The reason has been a mystery to my doctors and me. A few weeks ago, I decided that getting to the root cause of this and reversing it needed to become my first (number one) priority," the Apple chief had revealed in an open letter on January 5.

Meanwhile, in Wednesday's communication, Jobs noted that as chief executive he would remain involved in major strategic decisions.

"As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan," he pointed out.

Satyam's next board meeting on Saturday-member

Satyam Computer Services Ltd (SATY.BO: Quote, Profile, Research) will hold its next board meeting on Saturday and the company had receivables of 17 billion rupees ($347 million), a new board member said on Thursday.

"Satyam has receivables of 1700 crore rupees (17 billion rupees)," Deepak Parekh, who was appointed to the firm's board by the government on Sunday, told reporters.

He spoke before a meeting with federal Corporate Affairs Minister Prem Chand Gupta.

Asked when the next board meeting would be held, Parekh said "Saturday".

Israeli official arrives in Egypt for ceasefire talks

A senior Israeli official arrived here on Thursday for talks with Egyptian mediators on a ceasefire in the warring Palestinian territory of Gaza Strip.

Amos Gilad, head of the Israeli Defense Ministry's Diplomatic-Security Bureau, arrived here on Thursday morning, the Egyptian MENA news agency reported.

The Israeli representative will have talks with Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman, who is in charge of the mediation talks between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement.

Gilad is expected to submit Israel's vision to an Egyptian ceasefire initiative presented by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarakon Jan. 6 calling for an immediate ceasefire.

On Wednesday, a Hamas delegation presented a detailed vision on the Egyptian-proposed ceasefire initiative following talks with Suleiman in the past days.

Hamas leader Salah al-Bardawil, a member of the Hamas delegation, said at a press conference here on Wednesday evening "We have no difference with Egyptian leadership (on a ceasefire)."

Al-Bardawil said the Egyptian side is waiting for Israel to submit its reaction on the Egyptian initiative, ruling out the possibility of any direct talks between Hamas and Israel.

On Thursday, the Israeli offensive on Gaza has been going on for 20 days, killing some 1,060 Palestinians and wounding more than 4,600 others.

World Bank blacklists Wipro

After Satyam’s fall from grace follow revelations of the World Bank banning India’s third largest software services firm, Wipro, for following corrupt practices to bag deals.

Wipro had not disclosed the four-year ban imposed on it in July 2007 to investors. Its statement on Monday tailed the World Bank’s decision on Sunday to make public the names of all companies and individuals barred from being awarded contracts financed by it for various periods.

The bank said Wipro was one of the six companies and individuals “debarred along with their affiliates under the Bank Group’s corporate procurement programme”.

It said Wipro had “provided improper benefits to Bank staff” — which was one of the reasons cited for imposing a similar ban on Satyam Computer Services for eight years. The other reason given for banning Satyam was that it had failed to maintain documentation to support fees charged for its sub-contractors.

It said Wipro had “provided improper benefits to Bank staff” — which was one of the reasons cited for imposing a similar ban on Satyam for eight years. The other reason given for banning Satyam was that it had failed to maintain documentation to support fees charged for its sub-contractors.

Chandrayaan Beams 40,000 Images of Moon Surface

The comprehensive mapping, with resolutions of up to five meters, will help the country plan future missions to the moon

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ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair announced that the Chandrayaan has sent more than 40,000 images to the base station in the last two months.

These images are currently being analyzed and will undoubtedly prove invaluable to the scientific community. The ISRO chief said that while there were many lunar missions in the past, none of them has been able to provide comprehensive data in the form of images so detailed.

The Chandrayaan has been able to capture images of the lunar surface and get a complete picture of the moon with resolutions of up to five meters. Compare this with earlier missions, which capture images with a 100-meter resolution and that too of a very limited area.

The images from the mission will be used to study the composition of the lunar surface and to learn in detail the mineral composition of the moon. The comprehensive mapping will also help the country plan future missions to the moon, he said.

The chairman, speaking during an event, added that ISRO is blazing all guns and expects the country to execute its first manned moon mission by 2015!

Big B appreciates Akshay's performance in Chandini Chowk...

Superstar Amitabh Bachchan's surprise visit to the premiere of film Chandni Chowk to China literally floored the action hero Akshay Kumar who was overwhelmed by the presence of the 'Shahanshah' of Bollywood.

Welcoming the "Big B", Akshay Kumar said "I would like to invite Amitabh Bachchan whom I adore."

Admiring the rapid progress made by Akshay as a leading Bollywood star, Bachchan said on Monday evening, "I am extremely proud of this young man. I have seen his growth from early days when he used to remain in the background to now when he is in the forefront of the Indian Cinema. It is a remarkable journey and we are proud of you."

Bachchan said he was on a private visit to the city. "It is always a pleasure to watch films in London."

Thanking the NRIs for their support to the Indian cinema, Bachchan said "Indian cinema is becoming more and more a part of your life."

Akshay virtually was in great pain while doing some of the rare stunts and lifting leading heroine Deepika Padukone in mid-air in the Warner Bros Pictures maiden Bollywood film Chandni Chowk to China.

This was revealed here by Akshay Kumar himself at the grand European Premiere of the USD 9 million film at the 1300-seater Empire theatre at the Leicester Square, in the heart of the city, on Monday night.

Prominent among those present at the near packed theatre were leading NRI industrialists, Lord Swraj Paul, Rami Ranger and Kartar Lalvani. Lalvani is the founder chairman of the Vitabiotics, Britain's largest vitamin producing company. President of the Hinduja Group, G P Hinduja was also present in the function.

Describing Chandni Chowk to China as an "absolutely senseless film" Akshay Kumar said "I did break my back while doing some of the stunts and lifting Deepika Padukone in the mid-air."

The film which chronicles the lunatic adventures of a hapless simpleton cook from Delhi (Akshay Kumar) who is mistaken for the reincarnation of an ancient Chinese warrior.

As he goes to seek his destiny, he finds himself thrown into a crazy world of megalomaniac villains, crazy inventors, Chinese mysticism and outlandish Kung-fu assassins.

As Akshay Kumar and Director Nikhil Advani admitted it was really an "illogical, mad film" but quite gripping and most of the time hilarious. Deepika plays a double role in the film.