The Mumbai Cricket Association has decided to slash ticket prices for the third Test between India and West Indies to try and draw larger crowds to the Wankhede Stadium.

The decision comes after the low attendances during the recent India-England ODI series - 13,000 tickets were sold at the Wankhede Stadium, which seats 33,000. On Cricinfo.com

A story that illustrates, yet again, how important an RTI application is. No government department seems to have any information about the tours and travels undertaken by the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi as an RTI  application kept moving to different ministries without any substantial response.

The case relates to an RTI application filed by one Kailash Kanwar of Bhilwara in Rajasthan who sought to know about the foreign visits undertaken by the UPA and National Advisory Council Chairperson during the last two years.

Recently, Pranab Mukherjee had said that the Finance Ministry letter to the Prime Minister's Secretariat on P Chidambaram's 'involvement' in the 2G scam is out in the open only due to the Right to Information Act.

Sachin Tendulkar today achieved another milestone as he became the first cricketer in the history of the game to cross 15,000-run mark in Test cricket.

Playing in his 182nd match, Tendulkar reached the mark on the third day of the first cricket Test against the West Indies when he scored his 28th run in India's second innings with a single off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.

After crossing the coveted milestone, the batting maestro looked up at the heavens and acknowledged the standing ovation given by his teammates from the dressing room as his partner Rahul Dravid congratulated him.

President Hugo Chavez described leftist Venezuelan militant Carlos the Jackal, on trial for deadly attacks in 1980s France, a "worthy heir of the greatest
(leftist) struggles." 

"Independently of what he has been accused of, 'Carlos' during that era was a worthy heir of the greatest struggles that emerged from here on behalf of the people, and popular justice," Chavez, a socialist ex-paratrooper, alluding to
Venezuelan support for the Palestinian cause said yesterday.

While on films, read the Open magazine on Ra.One: SRK's big Diwali release is a damp cracker, and an offensive one at that...

Former Libyan dictator Col Muammar Gaddafi scavenged for food and fled from one abandoned house to another during his desperate final days in his hometown of Sirte, one of his top security officials has revealed. 

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Mansour Dao, Gaddafi's security chief, has said that the Libyan dictator, who had enjoyed great riches and luxurious palaces during his reign, lived without electricity or TV as the rebels advanced.

The White House has said it has no evidence that extraterrestrial creatures exist. Barack Obama's administration made the declaration on Monday in response to feedback on its website, which allows people to submit petitions to which officials must respond if enough people sign.

Imagine our President Pratibha Patil issuing a similar statement. Obsession with UFOs is an US phenomena, it seems.

Read

Their soured relationship was no secret but the attack launched by former India cricket coach Greg Chappell on Sourav Ganguly in his just-published
autobiography reveals the Australian's much deeper bitterness towards the ex-Indian skipper.

There was "no bigger panicker" than Ganguly, writes Chappell about the elegant left-hander who is till now India's most successful captain. 

Chappell acknowledges that Ganguly's support was one of the reasons he got the coach's job in 2005. But states that the Indian's idea probably was 'you scratch my back, I scratch yours'.

Full story on rediff.com shortly.

The issue of whether he was still in the race for BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate figured today at the 85th birthday celebrations of L K Advani who
turned emotional as party colleagues praised him for his leadership.

"He is a natural choice for the PM post...," said former party president Rajnath Singh, who along with a hoard of BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley and Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, wished Advani at his residence here on his birthday.

As the senior leaders heaped praise on Advani, the octogenarian leader appeared emotional several times during the programme. He was seen wiping tears and even left the dais for a few minutes to regain his composure.

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee today declined to comment if a rollback of the petrol price hike was possible, saying that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
was meeting Trinamool Congress MPs on the issue.

"I am not making any comment, particularly when the PM is meeting representatives of Trinamool Congress. Whatever decision PM will take, will be implemented," Mukherjee told reporters when asked if a rollback was possible.
All Trinamool Congress members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are scheduled to meet the Prime Minister on the issue. 

The party had earlier threatened to withdraw support to the UPA government for the increase in petrol price while keeping its largest ally Trinamool Congress in the dark.

In the backdrop of the growing threat of Iran's nuclear programmes, US President Barack Obama has extended by one year the financial sanctions on Iran imposed in 1979 in view of the strained relations between the two
countries. 

"Because our relations with Iran have not yet returned to normal and the process of implementing the agreements with Iran, dated January 19, 1981, is still under way, the national emergency declared on November 14, 1979, must continue in effect beyond November 14, 2011," Obama said in a notice.

Internet giant Google Inc has decided to extend its social networking service, Google Plus, for businesses and brands also, in addition to the individual
users being tapped till now.

With its latest initiative, the US-based firm is looking to bring large global brands, as also local businesses, on its Google Plus platform to promoter their products. 

To start with, about 20 businesses such as Pepsi, Toyota and Barcelona Football club have already set up special pages on the Google Plus social network, the company said.

Some more features on 'Smoking Joe' Frazier, whose death we mourn today.

On Sports Illustrated: Frazier gets his time to shine.

On the New York Times: Fire still burns inside 'Smoking Joe' Frazier

On Life magazine: The great fights: Ali vs Frazier I  

On the Guardian: Still smokin' over Ali but there's no time for hatred now

Accusing India of trying to create an "anti-Pakistan Afghanistan", ex-Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has said India is seeking to increase its influence
in the war-torn country with the sole purpose of "troubling" Islamabad.

"India-Afghan relations are bothering Pakistan. I personally feel India is trying to create an anti-Pakistan Afghanistan and I have tremendous intelligence from my own time to prove this. I know it," Musharraf said during a talk at American think tank 'Council on Foreign Relations' here. 

"If this is happening in our backyard, if somebody is stabbing us in the back, then we have to make some arrangements," he said.

Bhupen Hazarika's son Tez Bhupen today said he was moved by the outpour of affection from the people for his father. "I am moved by the tremendous outpour of love for my father by the people of Assam, the country and the world,"
Hazarika junior said.

"Thank you very much for the love and support shown to my father and the family during our hour of grief. I am very touched," Hazarika, who will be performing the last rites of his father, said.  He said that his son Akash Tez would also be arriving in a few days.

Over a month since his death on October 5, Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs still makes news.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg says he received some words of wisdom from Jobs who told the young Silicon Valley billionaire to focus on building the right team for a "high quality" company.

Zuckerberg said Jobs advised him on how to improve his company's focus and also discussed with him about "the aesthetics and kind of mission orientation of companies."

"I had a lot of questions for him," including on "how to build a team around you that's focused on building as high-quality and good things as you are," Zuckerberg said.

On the Telegraph, UK, read how the boxing world has reacted to Frazier's death. Read

Here's the one from Mohd Ali: The world has lost a great champion. I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration.

Convicted for the spot-fixing scandal, Pakistan's tainted pacer Mohammad Amir has been moved from a notorious young offenders detention centre to a more secure and safer rehabilitation centre in the United Kingdom.

Amir, who has been sentenced to six months jail term by the crown court last week for his role in the spot-fixing scandal, has been moved from the Feltham Young Offenders Institution to a Her Majesty's Prison Portland known as
Weymouth in Dorset, England, Geo News channel reported.

Also see our 11:05 am and 11:07 posts.

Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, facing prosecution for his alleged role in the 2008 cash-for-vote scam, today claimed he has "full information" about the
episode, but refused to comment as his case is sub-judice. 

Singh, who was undergoing treatment under judicial custody at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, was granted bail by the Delhi High Court on October 24 on "humanitarian grounds" in view of his medical condition. 

The former Samajwadi Party leader said he has full faith in judiciary and would not comment on the scam although a section in SP was trying to "defame" him.

The Supreme Court today rebuked Swami Agnivesh for his comments on Amarnath, saying, "You cannot take sentiments of people for granted. People in public life should weigh their words 10 times before speaking."

Here's the background: Swami Agnivesh had called the annual Amarnath Yatra, a "religious deception". A Haryana court has issued a non-bailable warrant against Agnivesh for his reported comments. He allegedly made the statement during his trip to Jammu in May. He had said: "I do not understand those who go for the Yatra. It is a religious deception. I do not believe in this type of religion. Religion is when you seek justice for the poor, for the oppressed."

Britain's Prince Harry has been warned to curb his party-loving ways while on a 12-week helicopter training course in the US, a media report said. The 27-year-old third-in-line to the British throne is training to fly combat Apaches in sleepy Gila Bend, Arizona -- with a population of just 1,700.

But the town's mayor Ron Henry, 64, warned Harry: "We have some very pretty girls here. Some of the dads won't take too kindly to a prince fornicating the night away and drinking into the small hours."

Read Brahma Chellaney's report in the Japan Times. Chellaney is the author of Asian Juggernaut and Water: Asia's New Battleground.

Minutes before the operation to hunt down Osama bin Laden in Pakistan began, US President Barack Obama was playing golf so that he could "distance
himself" in case the raid went wrong, claims a new book. 

Chuck Pfarrer, a former SEAL, in his latest book "Seal Target Geronimo" that hit the stands today, claims. 

Only then did he down his clubs and return to the White House to watch what he later trumpeted as a great success of his presidency, the Daily Mail reported quoting the book. The book claims that the official account was riddled with errors and that bin Laden was referred to as 'Bert' and not just 'Geronimo'.

Incidentally, Swami Agnivesh, is the latest entrant in the reality show 'Bigg Boss'. The former Anna Hazare aide says he will use this opportunity to promote and create awareness on social issues including corruption.

"Ido feel the show can provide me a platform to talk discuss and create awareness on several social issues like corruption, casteism, gender inequality, women development and others. I feel the urban youth of this country can make a difference..and they must be tapped. Hence I want to spread mymessage to them...so I am on this show," Agnivesh said.

Coming up, a rush of stories from the Daily Mail.  

Read: The anorexic mother who weighs less than her daughter, 7.

The Centre and the Tamil Nadu government have appointed a 15-member expert committee to allay fears of locals about the Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. The committee will meet today to discuss the ways of carrying out their mandate, reports rediff.com's Ganesh Nadar.

The members of the two committees will be meeting for the first time. The central government has formed a 15-member committee and the Tamil Nadu government has formed a six-member committee.

Also read: What Kalam suggests for Kudankulam. On rediff.com

The LA Times has this: Dr Conrad Murray was placed on suicide watch at the L.A. County Jail on Monday, hours after he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death and being taken into custody. Immediately after the verdict, Murray was placed in handcuffs at the direction of the judge, to remain behind bars pending his Nov. 29 sentencing. Read

And this: Much of the evidence that convicted him was left behind by Dr. Conrad Murray himself. On the Daily Beast.

Singer Usha Uthup turns 64 today.

Derek O'Brien on Twitter: Happy Birthday to the youngest 64 year-old in India. Love you...Usha Uthup 

Singer, composer and legend Bhupen Hazarika will be cremated at 7 am tomorrow.

Bollywood pays tribute: Read on rediff.com.

Update on Michael Jackson's former doctor Dr Conrad Murray.

The man has spent his first night behind bars after a jury found him guilty of involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death in 2009.  

Murray was handcuffed and taken into custody after being remanded without bail to await his sentencing on November 29.

The 58-year-old cardiologist faces up to four years behind bars after the jury's conviction. 

Shane Warne's return from retirement has been confirmed after the Melbourne Stars announced the legendary leg-spinner will play for them in the inaugural Big Bash League. On the Telegraph.co.uk. Read

Also see: Warne returns to cricket with a big bash! On rediff.com.