Vettel wins first Monaco GP

World champion Sebastian Vettel won his first Monaco Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday when he was awarded for a Red Bull tyre gamble and got some late help from a 20—minute suspension.

The runaway season leader Vettel managed to keep Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button at bay with 56 laps on one set of tyres before the suspension after a crash from Vitali Petrov allowed him to change rubbers for the final six of 78 laps.

Alonso got Ferrari’s best season result in second place with two stops and Button salvaged pride for McLaren in third place with three stops as team—mate Lewis Hamilton completed a weekend to forget in sixth place.

Vettel further increased his championship lead with 143 points from five victories and a second place as he received the trophy from Prince Albert. Hamilton has 85 points, Webber 79, Button 76 and Alonso 69.

Vettel handily won the start from Button while Alonso stole third place from Webber and Michael Schumacher dropped from fifth to ninth after brief contact with a wall.

Vettel pulled away quickly while his main title rival Lewis Hamilton was stranded in 10th place and held up badly by Schumacher’s inferior Mercedes whose rear tyres started graining early on.

Hamilton finally managed to get past the record champion in the 10th lap on the inside but by then was already 24 seconds behind the flying Vettel.

Button opened the pit stop frenzy and found himself in the lead as Vettel’s stop was marred by a sticky tyre blanket. Webber’s stop was even worse for similar reasons and Hamilton’s frustration grew when the McLaren crew were also not at their best.

In the 34th, Hamilton and Massa touched in the Loews hairpin as the Briton squeezed past the Brazlian on the inside. They then raced through the tunnel side by side, but Massa lost control on the dirty side, slid into the barriers which damaged the car beyond repair and brought out the safety car.

A few meters ahead of Massa, Schumacher’s Mercedes stalled which ended the Germans’s race, and Hamilton’s hopes were over for good when race stewards deemed he had caused the collision with Massa and imposed a drive—through penalty after the safety car phase ended in the 38th lap.

Button and Alonso, meanwhile, quickly pitted for the second time when the safety car came out, while Red Bull decided to stay out in order not to relinquish the lead.

Vettel won the restart but was soon under pressure from Alonso with Button also closing in after a third tyre change in the 48th.

Ferrari and Mclaren were left wondering whether Vettel would attempt to finish the race with the hard tyres applied in the 16th lap, but the German and his team seemed to have exactly that in mind in search of victory.

But just as the leaders were about to lap a whole bunch of cars, things went wrong ahead of them in an accident involving several drivers including Jaime Alguersari, Adrian Sutil and Petrov.

Petrov had to be rescued by medical staff and was taken to hospital for which the race was halted.

“Vitaly is OK. He’s just complaining about leg injuries, but the doctors say nothing is broken. They are taking him to hospital for observation, but it seems to be just bruising to the legs,” Renault team principal Eric Boullier said.

The suspension allowed teams to change tyres and while that allowed Vettel to cruise home from Alonso and Button in 2 hours 9 minutes 38.373 seconds for 260.520 kilometres.

But the drama was not quite over as Hamilton smacked into the Williams of Pastor Maldonado which ended Maldonado’s race and placed Hamilton under a second investigation.

Gayle left out of T20, first two ODIs against India

At odds with the West Indies Cricket Board, explosive batsman Chris Gayle was on Monday left out of the squads announced for the lone Twenty20 and the first two one-dayers against India starting June 4.

“Chris Gayle will not be considered for selection to the West Indies team before an intended meeting with himself, the Selection Committee, the WICB Management and the West Indies Team Management,” the WICB said in a statement.

“The Selection Committee views this meeting as necessary as a result of Gayle’s comments in a widely publicised radio interview in Jamaica,” it added.

Gayle, who was recently ignored for the series against Pakistan, has had a massive war of words with the WICB after claiming that he was left to fend for himself during recent injury problems.

An angry WICB retorted by saying that the batsman was well looked after and it was he who kept the Board uninformed while flying out to India to play in the IPL for eventual runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The 31-year-old Gayle was the star of the recently-concluded Twenty20 league finishing as the top-scorer with 608 runs, including a couple of hundreds, but even this destructive form could not fetch him a place in the two national sides to be captained by Darren Sammy.

Pacer Kemar Roach has been rested for the lone Twenty20 and the first two ODIs in Trinidad. Roach will, however, be available for selection for the third ODI of the five—match series.

“It is expected that other players with heavy workloads will also be rested and rotated from time to time throughout the West Indies v India Series 2011 and moving forward,” the WICB said.

The explosive batting duo of Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard were declared “not eligible to represent the West Indies in Twenty20 format as they did not take part in the last edition of the Caribbean Twenty20“.

But both of them have made the squad for the first two ODIs.

“The WICB Selection Criteria outline that for a player to be eligible for selection to the West Indies team he must participate in the corresponding format of the game at the regional level,” the Board explained.

Although he has been allowed to return to “low intensity cricket in Trinidad”, young batsman Adrian Barath has been left out of the two squads as he is still undergoing rehabilitation.

“A decision on his return to international cricket will be taken following the assessment and it is hoped he will be available for the Digicel Test Series — West Indies v India,” the WICB said.

Pacer Jerome Taylor, who like Gayle accused WICB of leaving him in a lurch during injury problems, has also been left out of the squad.

“Jerome Taylor is required to play a full season of regional cricket in order to prove his fitness to compete adequately at the international level before being considered for selection,” the WICB stated.

The 12—man Twenty20 group has uncapped left—arm seamer Krishmar Santokie as the lone new face. But apart from the 26—year—old Santokie, there is no other change in the side that beat Pakistan in St Lucia in April.

Twenty20 squad: Darren Sammy (capt), Lendl Simmons, Andre Fletcher (wk), Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Danza Hyatt, Christopher Barnwell, Andre Russell, Ashley Nurse, Devendra Bishoo, Ravi Rampaul, Krishmar Santokie.

Squad for first two ODIs: Darren Sammy (capt), Lendl Simmons, Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Carlton Baugh (wk), Andre Russell, Anthony Martin, Devendra Bishoo, Ravi Rampaul.

Chennai Super Kings won Indian Premier Leauge T20 [season 4]

Chennai Super Kings defended its IPL title, overpowering Royal Challengers Bangalore in Saturday's final in front of an adoring home crowd at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here.

After scoring 205 for five in 20 overs thanks to a marvellous partnership of 159 between M. Vijay (95, 52b, 4x4, 6x6) and Michael Hussey (63) – an IPL record for the first wicket – Chennai restricted Bangalore to 147 for eight.

Bangalore's chase was impaired by off-spinner R. Ashwin. Much depended on Chris Gayle, who had had an incredible IPL-4, but the left-hander from West Indies couldn't fire in the final. Ashwin, who took the new ball, had Gayle caught behind for a ‘duck' in the first over.

Bangalore never recovered from that early strike and lost wickets at regular intervals. Ashwin, who was again Chennai's best bowler, ended with figures of three for 16, ensuring that his side finished the edition unbeaten at home.

Earlier, Hussey and Vijay punished Bangalore after M.S. Dhoni had elected to bat.

Both batsmen put on a phenomenal display of ball-striking hitting seven fours and nine sixes between them during their record opening partnership. They also ran well between wickets, exerting pressure on Bangalore's fielders, who were playing their second match in as many days.

Vijay saved his best for the tournament's biggest occasion. He made light of the anxiety associated with grand finals and batted brilliantly. He cleared the ground with ease, depositing the ball in the stands with effortless, attractive strokes off both the seamers and the spinners.

The experienced Hussey complemented his younger partner, picking up the pace to give Vijay the time he needed to recover in humid conditions. The left-handed Hussey eventually fell, caught at long-on off left-arm spinner Syed Mohammed's bowling.

Vijay fell five short of a well-deserved century, dismissed by left-arm seamer S. Aravind, and left the ground to a standing ovation. Aravind struck with his next ball to remove Dhoni for a quick-fire 22.

Gayle bowled five extraordinary deliveries in the 20{+t}{+h} over, getting rid of both Albie Morkel and Suresh Raina and conceding just one run before Dwayne Bravo smashed the last ball for six to take Chennai past 200.

Yahoo ready to upgrade email

Yahoo Inc. is giving its popular email service a long-promised facelift in an attempt to make it more appealing to people who are increasingly using Facebook, Twitter, Google and other online alternatives to communicate.

The changes announced on Tuesday build upon a redesigned email format that Yahoo began testing seven months ago. The estimated 277 million users of Yahoo’s free email service will be switched to the new version during the next few weeks.

The overhaul will enable updates to Facebook and Twitter accounts to be posted from within Yahoo’s email boxes. The revamped service is supposed to be two times faster and capable of sending attachments of up to 100 megabytes. Other tools include better junk-mail controls and the ability to chat with friends and family logged into Facebook.

Yahoo is counting on the changes to help attract and retain email users at a time when more people are flocking to the rival Gmail service run by Internet search leader Google Inc.

Although Yahoo’s service remains larger than Gmail, it has been losing ground in the past year. Through April, Yahoo boasted 277 million email users worldwide, a drop of about 3 million, or 1 percent, from the same time last year, according to the research firm comScore Inc. Meanwhile, Gmail had grown to 220 million wordwide users, up 43 million, or 24 percent during the past year.

Most of Gmail’s gains appear to be coming at the expense of Microsoft Corp.’s Hotmail service, which remained the global leader with 327 million users, according to comScore. But that figure was down 27 million, or 8 percent, from last year.

Cultivating loyal email users is important because they tend to be frequent visitors and they often remain logged in when using other online services run by the email providers. The return trips and logged-in activity creates more opportunities to show Internet ads, the main way that both Yahoo and Google make money.

Yahoo, though, hasn’t been luring as many advertisers as Google for years, a problem that has weighed on Yahoo’s stock.

The email upgrade is expected to be among the signs of progress that Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz emphasizes Wednesday when she and other top company executives are scheduled to update analysts on their turnaround plan.

Angry Birds, the next Mickey Mouse?

PARIS (Reuters) - Mikael Hed is unrepentant about the 200 million minutes per day that people around the world fritter away playing Angry Birds, the iPhone game created by the company he heads.

"It's great. Think of all the other stuff they could be doing that's so much more boring," said the chief executive of Rovio Mobile, a Finnish start-up almost unheard of before it unleashed the addictive game on an unsuspecting world in 2009.

Angry Birds, the most popular paid-for game in the Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL ) App Store's four-year history, has just passed 200 million downloads.

The deceptively simple puzzle game in which players use a slingshot to fire birds at green pigs hiding in buildings has hooked a whole new audience, many of whom were never interested in video games before.

"These new touchscreen portable devices have changed the way that people behave. Nowadays, people have to be entertained all the time, whenever you have just a few moments spare," Hed told the Reuters Global Technology Summit in Paris this week.

"Much of those 200 million minutes comes from this type of micro spare time, filling the little gaps."

Rovio plans to use its hold over of those millions of spare moments as a wedge to expand into Hollywood and possibly even Disney-style (NYSE: DIS ) theme parks.

"Believe it or not, we have had such suggestions, and I believe Angry Birds Land was actually the name they used."

"Whether there will be a theme park dedicated to Angry Birds or not, I don't know, but I would be surprised if within 10 years there wouldn't be at least a theme park with something related to Angry Birds in it," said Hed.

MICKEY MOUSE

For now, the next step is to build the birds' characters and flesh out the rather thin Angry Birds story, which is that the birds are attacking the pigs because the pigs stole their eggs.

Hed says there would be news in the next days relating to Rovio's media ambitions, but declined to elaborate.

Already, Rovio has teamed up with News Corp's (NasdaqGS: NWSA ) 20th Century Fox to hitch a new game to the animated 3-D movie Rio, which has taken hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office around the world.

A clue to Angry Birds Rio even featured in 20th Century Fox's (NasdaqGS: NWSA ) ad at this year's SuperBowl -- the year's highest-profile advertising spot in the United States.

Hed has held talks with Hollywood studios about an Angry Birds feature film but so far has not found the right partner or deal. He said he wants to proceed with caution to protect the brand, and sees Mickey Mouse as a brand to aspire to.

These may seem grand ambitions for a company with just one megahit to its name, and Rovio is under pressure to show it is not a one-hit wonder. Angry Birds was its 52nd game.

Rovio plans to cement the popularity of Angry Birds with a version for Facebook this summer -- which will add social aspects to the essentially solitary game by building in features for players to help one another.

Hed also says a new Angry Birds game and another, different type of game are in the works. But he seems relaxed about their likely success.

"At some point you get to a point where you no longer associate a brand with just one product," he says.

"While games will always be our strong area, I also believe that Angry Birds is already beyond that point. It has the critical mass where it doesn't really need the game in order to be very known."

Rovio has just raised $42 million in venture capital funding but is already thinking about going public in two to three years' time.

Hed says the company has had takeover approaches but has so far resisted. "We're having too much fun to be a part of something bigger. That said, people do crazy things when presented with obscene amounts of money."

Asked whether he has been offered such sums, he answers: "Well, we're still independent, so not obscene enough."

(Additional reporting by Joachim Dagenborg, Roberta Cowan and Matt Cowan. Editing by Jane Merriman)

Images of : Bride-to-be attempts suicide

Barcelona begins title Celebration

MADRID: Barcelona was crowned Spanish champion for the third successive season with a 1-1 draw at Levante on Wednesday, thus clinching a 21st domestic title with two games to spare.

Barcelona needed just a point to retain the title and it duly obliged to become the first side to win three consecutive league titles since 1993 when Johan Cruyff's ‘Dream Team' won the third of its four straight league crowns.

Mali midfielder Seydou Keita headed in a 27th minute opener for Barcelona only for the Ecuadorian striker Felipe Caicedo to equalise on 40 minutes, but it didn't matter as a draw gave the Catalan side the title.

“It's always a nice feeling to win the title and the fans really deserve this,” said midfielder Xavi. “I imagine we're going to celebrate this title win with them tonight in the streets of Barcelona.”

Barcelona stands six points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid and it lifted the title courtesy of its superior head-to-head record over its rivals.

Coach Pep Guardiola has won the league title in each of his three seasons in charge and can now concentrate on going for the double with the Champions League final against Manchester United at Wembley on May 28.

“Winning the title is always difficult and this one was tough just like the others were before,” said Guardiola. “Now, we can enjoy this win.”

Real Madrid's 4-0 win over Getafe at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday meant Barcelona had to finish the title job by itself.

Guardiola vowed not to rest his stars and was true to his word as the likes of Lionel Messi, David Villa and Xavi started, although Andres Iniesta began on the bench.

French international Eric Abidal also started at left back in his first league start since mid-March, having successfully undergone surgery on a liver tumour.

Levante sounded an early warning with Valdo firing just wide, but the visitor drew first blood through Keita on 27 minutes. Xavi picked out Keita as he made a late run into the box and produced a terrific header.

Barcelona had one hand on the trophy, but got complacent with Spanish international Gerard Pique making a schoolboy defensive mistake to confuse goalkeeper Victor Valdes and Caicedo was on hand to equalise.

Messi went close with a free-kick before the interval, but at the break the title was in its hands despite a below-par display.

The champion came out with more urgency in the second half and Messi took centre stage on 57 minutes with a neat turn and dribble past three men with his quick feet, but his shot crashed against the left hand post to safety.

The Ballon D'Or holder then went on another mazy run, but his shot crept wide as Barcelona waited for a goal to ease its nerves.

Both teams appeared happy with the draw, with Levante moving four points above the relegation zone, as the game petered out and Barcelona popped the champagne corks.

Valencia held

In other matches, Valencia missed the chance to seal third spot in the league following a 2-2 draw at Espanyol.

Ernesto Galan scored a 76th minute equaliser for Espanyol to salvage a point and leave Valencia, five points ahead of fourth-placed Villarreal, needing a point from their remaining two games to clinch third and the automatic Champions League berth.

The results: La Liga: Almeria 0 drew with Villarreal 0; Real Sociedad 2 (Tamudo 24, Aranburu 89) bt Real Zaragoza 1 (Gabi 53); Levante 1 (Caicedo 40) drew with Barcelona 1 (Keita 27); Hercules 2 (Sendoa 12, 41) drew with Real Mallorca 2 (Victor 76, Webo 80); Espanyol 2 (Osvaldo 19, Galan 76) drew with Valencia 2 (Soldado 9, Mata 25); Osasuna 3 (Sola 46, 86, Lekic 89) bt Sevilla 2 (Negredo 25, 27) .

AC Milan wins Serie A title

JOY OF SUCCESS:AC Milan players celebrate after winning their 18th Serie A title,

following a goalless draw at Roma on Saturday.

ROME: AC Milan claimed its 18th Serie A title following a 0-0 draw at Roma on Saturday that gave it an unassailable lead at the top of the table with two games to go.

Milan came into the game knowing it needed only a draw to be sure of winning the Scudetto crown and it never looked in danger of failing to do so.

The draw pushed its lead over second-placed Inter Milan, which still has three to play, to nine points but with a better head-to-head record, the Rossoneri cannot now be overtaken.

Ronaldo sizzles

Ronaldo grabbed four goals to take his season's tally to 34 as Real Madrid crushed Sevilla 6-2 on Saturday to keep its slim hopes of beating Barcelona to the La Liga title alive.

The results: Italian league: On Saturday: Palermo 2 (Miccoli 40, Bovo 52) bt Bari 1 (Bentivoglio 2); Roma 0 drew with AC Milan 0.

Spanish league: On Sunday: Real Mallorca 0 Villarreal 0.

On Saturday: Athletic Bilbao 3 (Toquero 30, David Lopez 47-pen, Llorente 64) bt Levante 2 (Stuani 78, Nano 85); Valencia 3 (Soldado 16, 37, Jonas 25) bt Real Sociedad 0; Getafe 2 (Colunga 5, Rios 53) bt Almeria 0; Sporting Gijon 2 (Ayoze 35-pen, Barral 90+6-pen) drew with Deportivo La Coruna 2 (Lopez 9, 41).

Hercules 2 (Sendoa 40, Gomes 43) lost to Racing Santander 3 (Dos Santos 14, 41, Henrique 45+1); Atletico Madrid 0 lost to Malaga 3 (Rondon 29, Baptista 35, Maresca 84); Sevilla 2 (Negredo 61, 84) lost to Real Madrid 6 (Sergio Ramos 21, Cristiano Ronaldo 31, 65, 70, 75, Kaka 42).

5 things you should never share on Facebook

Washington, May 18 (ANI): Almost every user likes to share everything on their Facebook page but certain updates can lead to criticism, embarrassment and even job termination.

So here's a shortlist of what you shouldn't share on the social networking site, reports CBS news.

1.That your job sucks.

If you say this, you could be fired.

2.That you hate your ex.

In the event that you and your boyfriend get back together, or you and that friend you had a falling out with start talking again, you'll look like a total sucker. It's okay to let your emotions govern your thoughts but keep your feelings off your Facebook until you've started to think clearly about said ex.

The important thing to remember about social networks is that although you have the option to delete your comments, sometimes it can be too late. It's immediate and someone might've laid eyes on it before your retraction.

3.That you're going on vacation and then give the dates you're away.

You could be robbed. A recent study found that thieves scan social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter for folks in targeted neighbourhoods before they strike.

4.That you love yourself.

In fact, don't give any indication that you're your biggest fan. Your followers will only think the opposite. It's the biggest barometer of insecurity. Researchers at the University at Buffalo also found that women who base their self-worth on appearance and what people think of them tend to upload pictures very frequently.

5.That you're mean.

Saying mean things about people can only make you undesirable-for potential employers, dates, friends and strangers. (ANI)

Diego Maradona to coach U.A.E. club Al Wasl

Diego Maradona was hired Monday to coach United Arab Emirates club Al Wasl on a two-year contract.

Maradona, who has been out of coaching since leading Argentina to the World Cup quarterfinals last year, will be in charge when the next season opens in September.

“Al Wasl Sports Club has become synonymous with achievements of this caliber, and we are very pleased to be welcoming Maradona to a long line of accolades in the club’s history,” Al Wasl chairman Marwan Bin Bayat said in a statement. “This partnership embodies the vision of the club as it embraces forward thinking developments in the region to establish unprecedented standards for the sport.”

Maradona visited the club’s training facility Saturday and had been in talks for several days. Al Wasl officials would not disclose details of the contract, saying only that it was for two years and that he would be responsible for leading the club “to new heights.”

Al Wasl is currently fourth in the domestic league, which ends next month, and has been looking for a coach since firing Sergio Farias in March. The club is chaired by Sheik Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who is a brother of the Dubai ruler.

Al Wasl said that Maradona has left the country and could not be reached for comment. He is expected back next month.

The signing of the Maradona is one of the biggest for the fledging United Arab Emirates professional league, which is only in its third season. Last year, Dubai club Al Ahli signed and subsequently fired former Leeds and Aston Villa manager David O’Leary. It also signed former Juventus captain Fabio Cannavaro, who remains with the club though he is out injured.

Maradona was captain when Argentina won the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, but a ballooning waistline later slowed his explosive speed and he retired in 1997.

Before taking over as coach of Argentina in 2008, he had only coached Deportivo Mandiyu in 1994 and Racing Club in 1995, and in both cases left before his contract was up.

Under Maradona, Argentina’s results were mixed and the team slumped to two of its worst losses {hbox}” a 6-1 hammering by Bolivia in World Cup qualifying and a 4-0 quarterfinal loss to Germany at the final tournament in South Africa.

Since losing the Argentina job last year, Maradona has been linked to several coaching vacancies, including Iran’s national team and English clubs Blackburn and Fulham.

Djokovic wins Rome Masters

Novak Djokovic staked a further claim on the world number one ranking as the superlative Serb extended his massive 2011 win streak to 37 matches with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Rafael Nadal to claim the Rome Masters trophy.

Number two Djokovic has now beaten five-time Rome winner Nadal in four elite finals this season at the Masters 1000 level, following Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid last weekend on the Spaniard’s home ground.

2008 Rome champion Djokovic cannot take over the top spot immediately but heads to Roland Garros starting May 22 with huge momentum. His seventh title of a perfect season came 24 hours after he held off Andy Murray in a dramatic semi in which the Scot served for the match.

Djokovic showed little sign of his previous efforts and played another two hours, 12 minutes to subdue Nadal.

“It was a real pleasure to play again against a great champion like Rafa,” said Djokovic as both winner and loser spoke to the crowd in Italian, “This stadium is special for me. It’s a colosseum of tennis.” Nadal lost serve an unprecedented three times in succession from late in the first set and into the second. The top seed who was beaten for only the second time on Roman clay — where he still stands 31-2 — saved three match points in the final game on his own serve.

But Djokovic found a fourth and drilled a volley at Nadal’s feet after another of the pair’s power-hitting duels. The winner broke four times, notched 26 winners and 32 unforced errors and will carry his run of wins to Roland Garros.

“Novak played fantastic,” Nadal said. “I salute the public, which has always supported me.”

Ronaldo equals Spanish league record

Portuguese goal-machine Cristiano Ronaldo equalled the all-time league record of 38 goals with a brace in Real Madrid's 3-1 victory at Villarreal in the Spanish La Liga football on Sunday.

Ronaldo made it nine goals in his last three games with a 22nd-minute free-kick and a last minute strike to stay on course to pick up the Pichichi Trophy for the league's top-scorer. Barcelona's Lionel Messi, his nearest rival, has 31 La Liga goals.

Ronaldo's 38-goal tally equals the all-time best record set by Athletic Bilbao's Telmo Zarra in 1951 and matched by Real's iconic Mexican striker Hugo Sanchez in 1990 and he has the final game of the season to set a new record.

The newly-crowned champion, Barcelona, had its eye on the Champions League final against Manchester United on May 28 as it rested stars in a dull 0-0 draw against Deportivo de La Coruna at Camp Nou.

The visitor performed the traditional guard of honour to salute the league champion, which secured the title on Wednesday with a 1-1 draw against Levante, although most of the Barcelona stars were on the bench.

Deportivo was fighting relegation and undoubtedly happy to see Messi and company watching from the sidelines and it claimed a valuable point in its bid to beat the drop. Deportivo, the league champion in 2000, is one point above the bottom three heading into the final game next weekend.

“It is a good point and we know that if we win next weekend we will have 46 points and that is enough,” said the Deportivo coach, Miguel Angel Lotina. “If we win at home we stay up and the important thing is we don't depend on anyone else.”

Valencia third

Elsewhere, Valencia clinched third place for the second successive season with a 0-0 draw against derby rival Levante. Valencia earns direct qualification for the Champions League, while the fourth-placed Villarreal must negotiate a two-legged qualifier.

Sunday's results:

Spanish La Liga: Almeria 3 (Uche 5, Ortiz 14, Piatti 31) bt Real Mallorca 1 (Webo 41); Villarreal 1 (Cani 51) lost to Real Madrid 3 (Marcelo 17, Ronaldo 22, 90); Getafe 2 (Flano 64-og, Rios 90) bt Osasuna 0; Sevilla 3 (Kanoute 53, 60, Negredo 85) bt Real Sociedad 1 (Agirretxe 72); Real Zaragoza 1 (Ponzio 54) bt Espanyol 0; Valencia 0 drew with Levante 0; Barcelona 0 drew with Deportivo La Coruna 0; Athletic Bilbao 1 (Lopez 55-pen) drew with Malaga 1 (Recio 41); Sporting Gijon 2 (de las Cuevas 44, Novo 51) bt Racing Santander 1 (Christian 31); Atletico Madrid 2 (Dominguez 1, Reyes 71) bt Hercules 1 (Trezeguet 66).

Italian Serie ‘A': Fiorentina 1 (Cerci 20) drew with Bologna 1 (Ramirez 50); Bari 0 lost to Lecce 2 (Jeda 52, Masiello 79-og); Catania 2 (Bergessio 78, Gomez 95) bt AS Roma 1 (Loria 14); Cesena 1 (Giaccherini 60) bt Brescia 0; Chievo 0 lost to Udinese 2 (Isla 28, Asamoah 75); Parma 1 (Giovinco 64) bt Juventus 0; Sampdoria 1 (Biabiany 50) lost to Palermo 2 (Miccoli 45, Pinilla 86); Napoli 1 (Zuniga 45) drew with Inter Milan 1 (Eto'o 15).

Australia regains Azlan Shah Cup

A golden goal by Chris Ciriello in the second half of the extra-time gave Australia its sixth triumph in the Sulan Azlan Cup Hockey tournament before a splendid crowd here on Sunday.

The teams were deadlocked 2-2 at the end of the regulation time. The Aussies had last won the trophy in 2007.

What appeared to be a prosaic final developed into an absorbing duel as Pakistan injected a rare element of verve, recovering twice from arrears, to get the equaliser seven minutes before the time.

The Pakistani fight-back was led by the indefatigable Shakeel Abbasi who tormented the rival defenders with his delightful sallies. Rizwan and Zubair contributed their share and were supported well in the mid-field by Waseem Ahmed.

Strangely, the Aussies were unable to exert continued pressure. There were phases when they tended to be tentative, despite the good work by Matthew Swann and Glenn Turner.

Ciriello converted a penalty corner early on and the Pakistanis hit the equaliser from Sohail Abbas following a penalty corner. Earlier, Zubair and Haseem Khan had nearly hit the target.

Minutes after the break, Australia surged ahead from a brilliant move initiated Liem de Young which Glenn Turner completed with a fluent shot from the top of the circle. Even as Australia was mounting pressure, came the equaliser for Pakistan from Rehan Butt, who hooked on to an astute forward pass by Abbasi.

There were several pulsating moments in the extra-time with the goalkeepers Imran Khan and George Bezeley effecting exciting stops from penalty corners.

Smothering persistent pressure with utmost equanimity, notwithstanding an early reverse, Great Britain pounded the Kiwis for a 4-2 defeat to pick the bronze medal.

It was lively encounter in which the Kiwis matched their opponents move for move in the first half.

Stephen Jenness put New Zealand ahead, but progressively Britain took control of the proceedings. A brilliant leveller from a thundering penalty corner by Richard Mantell sent the team on an equal score 1-1 for the break.

In the second half, Britain held the whip-hand and netted three goals. The best among them came from Matt Daly who tapped in a cross from Ian Mackay. In the closing minutes, Hilton Blair restricted the margin, making capital off a pass from Nicolas Wilson.

Palpably sluggish and sombre in mood, reflecting perhaps the overcast weather conditions here, India slumped to the sixth place against Korea.

Ironically, Sunday's contestants had fought for the trophy last year and emerged as joint champions after heavy rain prevented the final being played.

There was precious little to relate anything about India's showing with a veneer of eloquence. It looked as though the team was going through a routine in a monotonous manner, caving against even feeble moves.

Goal-keeper Adrian D'Souza was unequal to the task of saving the two penalty corners that Korea slotted in the first half. Nam Woo and Jang Jong are too well known in the area of converting penalty corners.

The only sparkle the team had was in the early minutes in the second half when Mandeep Antil strove manfully to inject an element of verve. But that too was brief as none in the team displayed ever an iota of fervour.

The moment to cherish surfaced immediately on resumption when Vikram Pillay scored off a cross from Vikas Sharma. Thereafter everything slipped into the rut again.

Rupinderpal makes it

Rupinderpal Singh was the only Indian selected by the team of coaches from among the players who took part in the tournament for the Sultan Azlan Shah's XI.

The team: Goalkeeper: Kumar Subramaniam (Malaysi): Defenders: Rupinderpal Singh (India), Dean Couzins (New Zealand), Glenn Kirkham ( GB), Fergus Kavanagh (Australia); Mid-fielders: Shakeel Abbasi (Pakistan), Steven Edwards (New Zealand), Simon Orchard (Australia). Forwards: You Hyo Sik (Korea), Glenn Tuner (Australia) and Tengku Ahmad Tajuddin (Malaysia).

The results: 5-6: Korea 2 (Nam Hyun Woo, Jang Jong Hyun) bt India 1 (Vikram Pillay); 3-4: Great Britain 4 (Richard Mantell, Robert Moore, Richard Smith, Matt Daly) bt New Zealand 2 (Stephen Jenness, Hilton Blair). Final: Australia 3 (Christopher Ciriello 2 (with golden goal), Glenn Tuner) bt Pakistan (Sohail Abbas, Rehan Butt).

Final positions: 1.Australia, 2. Pakistan 3. Great Britain 4. New Zealand, 5. Korea, 6. India, 7. Malaysia

Player of the tournament: Shakeel Abbasi (Pakistan); Player of the final: Christopher Ciriello.

Top scorers: 6-Sohail Abbas (Pakistan) and Rupinder Pal Singh (India).

Nokia India Production Touches 500 Million Handsets

Nokia India has announced that its manufacturing facility at Sriperumbudur, Chennai has crossed production of 500 million handsets, marking a significant milestone for the company's manufacturing operations in India and globally. The milestone was achieved in five years of its operations, marking Chennai's ramp-up among the fastest globally.

"This is a very special milestone for Nokia's Chennai manufacturing facility and we thank our employees for all their hard work and dedication. We have created a unique record across the world "“ this is not only a proud moment for us at Nokia, but a major highlight in India's young and rising electronics manufacturing industry. This achievement only proves that with the right kind of organisation focus, employee contribution and government support, India can deliver world-class manufacturing standards and set new benchmarks", said Prakash Katama, director , Chennai Factory Operations, Nokia India.

"With this milestone, our India facility's proven record of quality and fast time-to-market abilities will be strengths for Nokia to leverage in future as well. The handsets manufactured here go to over 100 countries covering six continents", Katama added.

As part of its celebrations, Nokia today announced that the 500th million phone a Nokia C3-00 will be specially autographed by Nokia's brand ambassador Shahrukh Khan, and be available for auction to consumers through Nokia

Nokia will match the amount raised through the auction, and the total proceeds will be donated by Nokia to a charity. The auction will begin today and end on 15th May 2011. Besides becoming the proud owner of the specially endorsed milestone phone, Nokia will also host the highest bidder to watch the IPL 4 cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians in Kolkata on May 22, 2011. The winner will personally receive the 500th million device from Shahrukh Khan.

Nokia also announced today that all the employees at its Chennai manufacturing facility will be gifted with a Nokia C3-00 as a gesture of appreciation for contributing towards achieving this milestone.

Nokia's Chennai manufacturing facility is recognised as a catalyst to the development of electronics manufacturing in the Chennai region, and a key catalyst to mobile handsets manufacturing in India. Nokia was the first global telecom company to setup a plant in India to produce mobile phones, by starting the Chennai facility in January, 2006.

Nokia's Chennai plant crossed 1 million handsets production in March, 2006. Initially aimed to serve the needs of the rapidly growing Indian market, approximately 50 percent of the current production today is consumed domestically and the rest is exported to 100 countries including the Middle East and Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, North America and Europe.

Cook and Broad appointed captains For Englang Cricket Team

THREE WISE MEN: The skippers of the England cricket team for ODIs
(Alastair Cook), Andrew Strauss (Tests) and Stuart Broad (T20) pose
for a picture in the Long Room at Lord's.

LONDON: Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad were appointed as the new captains of England's one-day international and Twenty20 teams respectively, it was announced here on Thursday.

Andrew Strauss, who has retired from one-day internationals, remains Test skipper meaning England now has separate captains for all three international formats.

Cook, Strauss's opening partner in Tests, was not even a member of the England side at the recent one-day World Cup in the subcontinent. Broad replaced all-rounder Paul Collingwood as Twenty20 captain.

Strauss, who led England to the World Cup quarterfinals where they were beaten by Sri Lanka in Colombo in March, said: “I've enjoyed my time as England one-day captain immensely and I'm extremely proud of the strides we've made in limited overs cricket over the past two years.

Long way to go

“We still have a long way to go if we're to achieve our goal of winning ICC global events and I feel now is the right time for me to step aside and ensure someone else takes up that challenge.

“Retiring from one-day cricket will also enable me to focus solely on the Test captaincy and our ongoing development in the Test arena as we also strive to be the top ranked team in world cricket.

“I look forward to working closely with both Alastair and Stuart as we work together to progress England's development across all forms of the game.”

Strauss, 34, had been widely expected to stand down from one-dayers after the World Cup.

Cook was the star England batsman during the 3-1 Ashes series triumph, making 766 runs.

But he was not included in the subsequent one-day series or World Cup squads. There has long been the belief the 26-year-old Cook, who had made just three ODI appearances in the past two-and-a-half years, all during last year's tour of Bangladesh when Strauss was rested, is too staid a batsman for the one-day game.

However, much the same was long said about fellow left-hander Strauss and he was arguably England's best batsman at the World Cup, scoring a superb century in the thrilling tie with co-host and eventual champion India.

Cook said: “Andrew Strauss has led the one-day team to continued success over the past two years and I'll be looking to continue that progress as captain.”

Fast-bowling all-rounder Broad, will make his debut as T20 captain when he leads the world champion against Sri Lanka in Bristol on June 25.

He said: “It's a huge privilege to be named England Twenty20 captain.

Collingwood added: “It's been a privilege to captain my country.” — AFP

Vettel leads home Red-Bull 1-2 in Turkey

World champion Sebastian Vettel in a Red Bull on Sunday led from start to finish to win the Turkish Grand Prix.

Mark Webber gave Red Bull a one-two when he finished in second place ahead of Fernando Alonso in a Ferrari.

Vettel’s third victory from four season races so far, sees him extend his lead at the top of the standings to 34 points. The German is on 93, while McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, who finished fourth on the day, is on 59.

Pak PM-Geelani calls for funeral prayers for Osama

Srinagar, May 5 (PTI) Hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has asked people to hold funeral prayers tomorrow for Osama bin Laden, the founder of al-Qaeda who was shot dead in Pakistan on May 2 by a US Navy team.

Geelani has appealed to Imams and people to hold funeral prayers in absentia for bin Laden after Friday prayers tomorrow afternoon, a Hurriyat spokesman said in a statement.

Terming him a ''martyr'', Geelani said bin Laden was not just one person but "he represented a thinking which opposed foreign occupational forces".

"His heart bore the pain of the entire Muslim Ummah (community). He gave up his life of comfort to fight for their cause," the statement said.

The separatist leader said he wanted to participate in the funeral prayers but he has been placed under house arrest by the police since early this morning.

Geelani appealed to people to pray for the liberation of Kashmir, Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan from the occupation of forces.

Al Qaeda confirms bin Laden is dead, vows revenge

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Al Qaeda confirmed on Friday that Osama bin Laden is dead, dispelling doubts by some Muslims that the group's leader had really been killed by U.S. forces, and vowed to mount more attacks on the West.

The announcement by the Islamist network, which promised to publish a taped message from bin Laden soon, appeared intended to show its adherents around the globe that the group has survived as a functioning network.

In a statement online, it said the blood of bin Laden, shot dead by a U.S. commando team in a raid on Monday on his hideout in a Pakistani town, "is more precious to us and to every Muslim than to be wasted in vain."

"It will remain, with permission from Allah the Almighty, a curse that hunts the Americans and their collaborators and chases them inside and outside their country."

Al Qaeda urged Pakistanis to rise up against their government to "cleanse" the country of what it called the shame brought on it by bin Laden's shooting and of the "filth of the Americans who spread corruption in it."

"Before the sheikh passed from this world and before he could share with the Islamic nation in its joys over its revolutions in the face of the oppressors, he recorded a voice recording of congratulations and advice which we will publish soon, God willing," the militant group said.

The statement also warned Americans not to harm bin Laden's corpse and to hand it and those of others killed to their families, although U.S. officials say bin Laden's body has been buried at sea and no other bodies were taken from the compound.

Some in the Muslim world have been skeptical of bin Laden's death. One survey conducted in Pakistan this week by the British-based YouGov polling organization found that 66 percent of over 1,000 respondents did not think the person killed by U.S. Navy SEALs was bin Laden.

Anger and suspicion between Washington and Islamabad over the raid in Abbottabad, 30 miles (50 km) from the Pakistani capital, showed no sign of abating.

A U.S. drone killed 17 suspected militants in northwest Pakistan, despite warnings from the Pakistani military against the mounting of attacks within its borders. About 1,500 Islamists rallied in the southwestern city of Quetta to vow revenge for bin Laden's death and there were small protests elsewhere. Afghan Taliban and Islamist Indonesian youths made similar threats.

"FIVE YEARS" IN COMPOUND

One of bin Laden's wives, Amal Ahmed Abdulfattah, told Pakistani interrogators the al Qaeda leader had been living for five years in the compound where he was killed, a Pakistani security official told Reuters.

The revelation appeared sure to heighten U.S. suspicions that Pakistani authorities have been either grossly incompetent or playing a double game in the hunt for bin Laden and the two countries' supposed partnership against violent Islamists.

Pakistani security forces took 15 or 16 people into custody from the Abbottabad compound after U.S. forces removed bin Laden's body, said the security official. They included bin Laden's three wives and several children.

In Washington, a U.S. official said U.S. intelligence had established on-the-ground surveillance in Abbottabad in advance of the raid.

U.S. officials also said among materials found at bin Laden's hideout was some evidence indicating al Qaeda had at one point considered attacking the U.S. rail system on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks later this year.

The fact that bin Laden was found in a garrison town -- his compound was not far from a military academy -- has embarrassed Pakistan and the covert raid has angered its military.

Pressure is building in the U.S. Congress to suspend or at least review U.S. aid to Pakistan. Republican Representative Ted Poe has introduced a bill to ban more aid until Secretary of State Hillary Clinton can certify Pakistan did not know bin Laden's whereabouts, or if it did, told the U.S. government.

The Pakistan army, for its part, threatened on Thursday to halt counterterrorism cooperation with the United States if it conducted any more similar raids.

It was unclear if such attacks included drone strikes which the U.S. military regularly conducts against militants along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan.

Pakistani security officials have charged that U.S. troops, after landing by helicopter, shot the unarmed al Qaeda leader in cold blood rather than in a firefight, as U.S. officials first suggested.

Amid differing accounts this week of how much hostile fire the SEALS encountered in the compound, one Pakistani security official said on Friday that U.S. forces should release video footage he said they "must have" of the operation.

U.N. human rights investigators called on the United States to disclose the full facts "to allow an assessment in terms of international human rights law standards."

"It will be particularly important to know if the planning of the mission allowed an effort to capture bin Laden," Christof Heyns and Martin Scheinin said in a joint statement.

FEW QUALMS AMONG AMERICANS

The Pakistani military also said on Thursday it had decided to reduce the U.S. military presence in the country.

In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Colonel David Lapan said the Defense Department had not received notice from Islamabad about any decision to change the size of the U.S. military contingent in Pakistan. He said there are a little under 300 U.S. military personnel in Pakistan, many of them trainers.

Few Americans appear to have qualms about how bin Laden was killed, and on Thursday people cheered President Barack Obama when he visited the site of New York's Twin Towers, leveled by al Qaeda on Sept. 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.

Seeking to repair ties, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in Rome on Thursday that Washington was still anxious to maintain its alliance with Islamabad.

(Additional reporting by Erika Solomon in Dubai, Michael Georgy in Islamabad and David Alexander, Susan Cornwell and Mark Hosenball in Washington; writing by Andrew Roche and Patrick Worsnip; editing by Eric Beech)

Concerns raised over shooting of unarmed Osama, burial Reuters

BERLIN/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The killing of Osama bin Laden when he was unarmed has raised concerns the United States may have gone too far in acting as policeman, judge and executioner of the world's most wanted man.

But for several Muslim leaders, the more unsettling issue is whether the al Qaeda leader's burial at sea was contrary to Islamic practice.

The White House said on Tuesday that bin Laden had resisted the U.S. team which stormed his Pakistan hideout and that there had been concerns he would "oppose the capture operation".

Spokesman Jay Carney declined to specify what sort of resistance bin Laden offered but added: "We expected a great deal of resistance and were met with a great deal of resistance. There were many other people who were armed ... in the compound."

Former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt told German TV the operation could have incalculable consequences in the Arab world at a time of unrest there.

"It was quite clearly a violation of international law."

It was a view echoed by high-profile Australian human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson.

"It's not justice. It's a perversion of the term. Justice means taking someone to court, finding them guilty upon evidence and sentencing them," Robertson told Australian Broadcasting Corp television from London.

"This man has been subject to summary execution, and what is now appearing after a good deal of disinformation from the White House is it may well have been a cold-blooded assassination."

Robertson said bin Laden should have stood trial, just as World War Two Nazis were tried at Nuremburg or former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was put on trial at the war crimes tribunal in The Hague after his arrest in 2001.

"The last thing he wanted was to be put on trial, to be convicted and to end his life in a prison farm in upstate New York. What he wanted was exactly what he got - to be shot in mid-jihad and get a fast track to paradise and the Americans have given him that."

Gert-Jan Knoops, a Dutch-based international law specialist, said bin Laden should have been arrested and extradited to the United States.

"The Americans say they are at war with terrorism and can take out their opponents on the battlefield," Knoops said. "But in a strictly formal sense, this argument does not stand up."

A senior Muslim cleric in New Delhi, Syed Ahmed Bukhari, said U.S. troops could have easily captured bin Laden.

"America is promoting jungle rule everywhere, whether in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan or Libya. People have remained silent for long but now it has crossed all limits."

BURIAL AT SEA CONCERN

Son Had, spokesman for Jema'ah Ansharut Tauhid, the Islamic group founded by Indonesian firebrand Abu Bakar Bashir, said it was clear that bin Laden had become a martyr.

"In Islam, a man who died....in fighting for sharia will earn the highest title for mankind other than a prophet, that is

a martyr. Osama is a fighter for Islam, for sharia."

But for many Muslim leaders the greater concern was bin Laden's burial at sea, not land. His body was taken to an aircraft carrier where U.S. officials said it was buried at sea, according to Islamic rites.

I.A. Rehman, an official with the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said it was more important than the issue of how bin Laden was killed.

"The fact that he was not armed is a smaller thing...There will be more focus on whether he was buried in an Islamic way. There has been reaction from Islamic clerics that he was not properly buried and this will be discussed for some time."

Saudi Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al-Obaikan, an adviser to the Saudi Royal Court, was more direct.

"That is not the Islamic way. The Islamic way is to bury the person in land (if he has died on land) like all other people."

Amidhan, a member of Indonesia's Ulema Council (MUI), the highest Islamic authority in the world's biggest Muslim society, said he was more concerned about the burial that the killing.

"Burying someone in the ocean needs extraordinary situation. Is there one?," he told Reuters.

"If the U.S. can't explain that, then it appears just like dumping an animal and that means there is no respect for the man ... and what they did can incite more resentment among Osama's supporters."

Osama was planning attacks on US railways, big cities

Washington, May 6 (IANS) A treasure trove of materials taken from Osama bin Laden's hideout in Pakistan indicates that Al Qaeda was mulling attacks on key US cities and railways timed to significant dates, according to US officials.

Material recovered from the raid on bin Laden's Abbottabad hideout indicated that in February 2010, Al Qaeda members discussed a plan to derail trains in the US on the 10th anniversary of the Sep 11, 2001 attacks by placing obstructions on tracks, multiple media reports said.

Other material gathered from the site also suggests that Al Qaeda was particularly interested in striking Washington, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, the CNN said.

US authorities have found that Al Qaeda appears especially interested in striking on significant dates like America's July 4 Independence Day, Christmas and the opening day of the United Nations.

As a precaution, the Department of Homeland Security Thursday sent out an alert advising federal, state and local agencies about the new evidence of a possible rail plot.

'As one option, Al Qaeda was looking into trying to tip a train by tampering with the rails so that the train would fall off the track at either a valley or a bridge,' said the DHS advisory.

After reviewing computer files and seized documents, American intelligence analysts have concluded that bin Laden played a direct role for years in plotting terror attacks from his Abbottabad hide-out, The New York Times said citing US officials.

The materials, along with others reviewed in the intelligence cache, have given intelligence officials a much richer picture of the Qaeda founder's leadership of the network as he tried to elude a global dragnet, it said.

'He wasn't just a figurehead,' the Times cited one American official as saying. 'He continued to plot and plan, to come up with ideas about targets, and to communicate those ideas to other senior Qaeda leaders.'

The fact that Bin Laden was found not in Pakistan's rugged tribal areas but on the outskirts of an affluent town less than an hour's drive from the capital, Islamabad, has prompted a rethinking of the widespread notion that he had little control over the rest of Al Qaeda, the daily said.

Other gleanings from the roughly 100 pieces of computer gear seized Sunday included possible leads on the whereabouts of other senior Al Qaeda leaders, the Washington Post reported.

While intelligence officials declined to comment on specific tips, a key congressional leader briefed on the findings suggested that the search for Al Qaeda's No. 2 leader was in a newly active phase, it said.

The task of identifying and exploiting intelligence tips has been assigned extraordinary urgency, since the raid likely alerted top Al Qaeda figures that their safe houses and plans may have been compromised, the Post said citing a US official.

Pope John Paul II ,a step closer to sainthood

A JOYOUS CEREMONY: Cardinals wait to pay their homage

in front of the casket of Pope John Paul II at

St. Peter's Basilica after he was beatified

by Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday.

1.5 million faithful throng Vatican to watch beatification ceremony of Pope John Paul II

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI beatified the late Pope John Paul II before 1.5 million faithful at St. Peter's Square and surrounding streets on Sunday, moving the beloved former pontiff one step closer to possible sainthood in one of the largest turnouts ever for a Vatican Mass.

The crowd in Rome and in capitals around the world erupted in cheers, tears and applause as an enormous photo of a young, smiling Pope John Paul II was unveiled over the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica and a choir launched into hymn long associated with the Polish-born Pope.

“He restored to Christianity its true face as a religion of hope,” Pope Benedict XVI said in his homily, referring to Pope John Paul II's decisive role in helping bring down communism. Pope Benedict XVI dotted his remarks with personal recollections of a man he came to “revere” during their near-quarter century working together.

Beatification is the first major milestone on the path to possible sainthood, one of the Catholic Church's highest honours. A second miracle attributed to Pope John Paul II's intercession is needed for him to be canonized.

The beatification, the fastest in modern times, is a morale booster for a church scarred by the sex abuse crisis, but it has also triggered a new wave of anger from victims because the scandal occurred under Pope John Paul II's 27-year watch.

There was heavy security as 16 heads of state, eight Prime Ministers and five members of European royal houses attended the event.

Helicopters flew overhead, police boats patrolled the nearby Tiber River and some 5,000 uniformed troops manned police barricades to ensure priests, official delegations and those with coveted VIP passes could get to their places amid the throngs of pilgrims.

“He went all over the world,” said Bishop Jean Zerbo of Bamako, Mali, who came to Rome for the ceremony. “Today, we're coming to him.”

Vendors hawked Pope John Paul II trinkets, bottle openers, key chains, cushions, calendars and T-shirts.

Pope Benedict XVI put Pope John Paul II on the fast-track for possible sainthood when he dispensed with the traditional five-year waiting period and allowed the beatification process to begin weeks after his April 2, 2005, death. He was responding to chants of “Santo Subito!” or “Sainthood Immediately” which erupted during Pope John Paul's funeral.

On Sunday, a group of pilgrims from Krakow affixed a banner to a fence outside the square that said “Santo Subito,” evidence that for many of the faithful, Pope John Paul II already is a saint.

Around the world, Catholics celebrated the beatification, jamming churches from Mexico to Australia to pray and watch broadcasts of the Rome Mass on television.

In Pope John Paul II's native Poland, tens of thousands of people gathered in rain in a major sanctuary in Krakow and in Wadowice, where the pontiff was born in 1920 as Karol Wojtyla.

Speaking in Latin, Pope Benedict XVI pronounced Pope John Paul II “Blessed” shortly after the start of the mass, held under bright blue skies and amid a sea of Poland's red and white flags, a scene reminiscent of Pope John Paul II's 2005 funeral, when some 3 million people paid homage to him.

Pope Benedict XVI recalled that day six years ago, saying the grief the world felt then was tempered by immense gratitude for his life and pontificate.

“Even then, we perceived the fragrance of his sanctity,” Pope Benedict XVI said, explaining the “reasonable haste” with which Pope John Paul II was being honoured.

After the nearly three-hour Mass, Pope Benedict XVI prayed before Pope John Paul II's coffin inside St. Peter's Basilica. — AP

Obama vs. Osama: what's in a name?

NEW DELHI: In the rush to cover the biggest “breaking news” story of the day, countless media outlets also made the biggest typo of the day, and blithely announced that “Obama bin Laden is dead.”

And there's no language bar on the confusion. According to video grabs posted online, an Indian TV channel ran graphics — in Hindi script — announcing that “Obama ke sir par goli lagi,” which translated, reads “Obama was shot in the head.”

Fox anchor faux pas

After U.S. President Barack Obama made the televised announcement that al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was dead, an anchor of American news channel Fox made the ultimate gaffe on air. In 16 seconds of infamy that has been seen across the world thanks to YouTube, he told viewers, “President Obama is in fact dead.”

Another Fox News affiliate channel carried a breaking news graphic with the same message: “Reports: Obama bin Laden dead.” Given that Fox is a conservative news outlet well known for its criticism of the American President, the blogosphere reverberated with conspiracy theories and accusations of bias.

However, it seemed to be a common mistake, with screenshots showing that ABC News and a CBS Radio journalist had also goofed up.

Perhaps highlighting that those who live in glass houses should not be too eager to throw stones, liberal commentator Keith Olbermann called out the Fox gaffe on his website — just one sentence after he made the same typo himself, writing that “Mr. Bush personally de-prioritised the hunt for Obama.”

In fact, it is an old error dating from Mr. Obama's emergence on the American political stage. Both senior Democratic leader Ted Kennedy and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney have flubbed his name on an occasion, and in a 2007 show on the whereabouts of the terrorist, CNN carried the caption, “Where's Obama?”

With Osama being buried at sea, perhaps Obama's name will be left alone in the media headlines of the future.

-Priscilla Jebaraj

Who was Osama bin Laden's enemy?

That Osama bin Laden was a man capable of bitter hatred and that he could act on his hatreds with meticulous calculation is not in doubt. There is, nevertheless, evidence that many of his sworn enemies, despite their expressed repugnance at his and his followers' most violent acts, may have concurred with him on some of the things he craved most, even to the point of doing what he wanted.

It is well enough known that Osama could be persuasive. Ziauddin Sardar, an authority on the history of the sciences in Islamic cultures and a writer always sensitive to the idea of adab, the etiquette of being human, writes in his collection Breaking the Monolith (imprintOne, 2008) about the time he heard Osama speaking in Pakistan and was captivated by the latter's eloquence and knowledge, particularly on the double standards in United States foreign policy. Yet Sardar recognises that when Osama detailed what he thought should be done he revealed himself to be a man of violence and an unthinking adherent of a narrow, rigid version of Islam, a version which Sardar says is filled with ‘obnoxious' tribal customs and practices.

The distinguished British journalist Robert Fisk, who met Osama in 1993 when the latter was building roads in Sudan and then in Afghanistan in 1996, makes similar inferences. He wrote in the Independent in March 2007 that Osama's post-9/11 videotapes had an increasing amount of historical content about West Asia, about, for example, the Balfour Declaration, the Sykes-Picot agreement, and the Ottoman Caliphate; in the 1996 meeting, the demagogue was also “raging” about what he called the corruption of the Saudi royal family and was “contemptuous” of the West – but showed no contrition or regret for anything he had done or had inspired others to do.

In that regard, the terrorist was less disingenuous than he might have been expected to be. In 1993 he was doing more than build roads. He wanted, as Greg Palast points out in his book Armed Madhouse (Dutton, 2006), to develop Sudan's oil industry, as a counter not to the U.S. or any other Western country but to Iran, whose clerics' increasing influence in Afghanistan was obstructing his own plans to join forces with Central Asian fundamentalists and take control of oil fields around the Caspian Sea.

He was as vituperative about Shia Islam and its adherents as he was about the United States, but he was also after oil; he hated Saddam Hussein for ruling a country with some of the world's largest oil reserves, and, Palast concludes, his aim was the creation of a new Caliphate, a “Petroleum Kingdom of God” which would cover the area from Sudan to Kazakhstan. His family own a range of successful businesses in oil and construction among other things.

If Osama's loathing for Iran was something he shared with his enemies in the United States, he found the U.S. military presence in Saudi Arabia, which dated from the first Gulf war in 1990-91, nothing less than an obscenity.

In 1996, he declared war against the American “infidels,” adding an injunction that they be driven from the territory. In April 2003, a few days before the then U.S. President George W. Bush made his notorious “mission accomplished” speech on the deck of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, Washington stated that it would remove its troops from Saudi Arabia. As Palast says, it was Osama's mission that had been accomplished.

-Arvind Sivaramakrishnan