(by Roberta Rampton, Reuters) – RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday to meet Saudi Arabia's King Salman ahead of a summit with other Gulf Arab leaders on Thursday and with regional tensions with Iran likely to be high on the agenda. Obama comes to the world's top oil exporter for a fourth and likely last time as president hoping to reassure it and other Gulf allies of Washington's commitment to their security, and to seek ways to reduce sectarian tensions in the region. However, his meetings come in the shadow of disagreements that have further cooled an already strained atmosphere between the old allies ahead of the talks. Unlike in previous visits, Obama's arrival in Riyadh was not aired on live television. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) groups Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman which are ruled mostly by Sunni Muslim monarchies, with the exception of Oman (where they are Ibadi Muslims).
Friday 22 April 2016
Obama meets Saudi king with Iran on agenda
(by Roberta Rampton, Reuters) – RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Riyadh on Wednesday to meet Saudi Arabia's King Salman ahead of a summit with other Gulf Arab leaders on Thursday and with regional tensions with Iran likely to be high on the agenda. Obama comes to the world's top oil exporter for a fourth and likely last time as president hoping to reassure it and other Gulf allies of Washington's commitment to their security, and to seek ways to reduce sectarian tensions in the region. However, his meetings come in the shadow of disagreements that have further cooled an already strained atmosphere between the old allies ahead of the talks. Unlike in previous visits, Obama's arrival in Riyadh was not aired on live television. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) groups Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Oman which are ruled mostly by Sunni Muslim monarchies, with the exception of Oman (where they are Ibadi Muslims).
Wednesday 20 April 2016
Irishman threatens to retire as he is withdrawn from rematch by UFC chief for refusing to return to US
Team Delhi Daredevils were chasing 192 on a beautiful batting track and the wicketkeeper batsman was reminding the crowd about what he can do with the bat in hand. His innings ensured there was no wobble as such throughout the innings as the visitors cantered to an easy seven-wicket of the match
Wicket got better during the chase: Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa, the Kolkata Knight Riders opener, felt that the wicket at the PCA Stadium in Mohali played comparatively better during the chase as he hammered a quick-fire half-century to help his team to their third victory in the ninth edition of the Indian Premier League on Tuesday (April 19).While the batsmen of Kings XI Punjab seemed to struggle to cope up with the turn in the pitch, Kolkata's openers smashed 65 runs in the powerplay overs to lay the platform for an easy chase of 139 to hand the home side their third defeat in four games.
"I thought the wicket got better to bat on in the second innings," Uthappa, who hit a 28-ball 53, said. "I think once they rolled the wicket after the first innings it got better to bat on.
"It's one of those scores where the other team has got an outside chance and depends on how you start the game. I knew it was important to get a good start. As soon as I started to hit the ball well, I said 'let me try and take advantage of this' and the plan worked. It was important for us to get that kind of a start to keep the momentum with us and not give it away to the opponents." said the KKR opener who was named the Man of the Match.
Monday 18 April 2016
Keeping things simple makes Quinton de Kock click
When Quinton de Kock started carting the Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers in front of a partisan crowd, the giant screen at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore flashed 'From de Kock, with love.' The love for taking attacks apart was quite apparent.
Delhi Daredevils were chasing 192 on a beautiful batting track and the wicketkeeper batsman was reminding the crowd about what he can do with the bat in hand. His innings ensured there was no wobble as such throughout the innings as the visitors cantered to an easy seven-wicket win.
The Daredevils lost Shreyas Iyer in the first over and then Sanju Samson for nine. Unfazed by all this, de Kock kept peppering the boundary to keep his side's chase alive. The last year or so have been far from perfect for de Kock. He was dropped from the Test squad for the series in India last year - a move that he feels saved his Test career. The batsman scored 318 runs at an average of 63.60 in the preceding five-match One-Day International series that South Africa won 3-2.
Subsequently, he made his way back into the team. He then picked up a knee injury and was forced to miss a number of matches. He finally got a consistent run in the South African Twenty20 International team in the three-match series against Australia at home just before the ICC World T20.
De Kock came into his own in the World T20 - giving the team brisk starts in three of the four matches he played. He followed it up with an unbeaten 59 against Kings XI Punjab to help Delhi Daredevils seal their first win of the season just when it looked like it was going to be the same old story for the franchise this season as well.
Arguably the best chaser in cricket at the moment, Virat Kohli, too was impressed by the way de Kock paced his innings. "It was wonderful. Especially the way he handled the spinners. He waited for the ball nicely and it also helps as a wicketkeeper when you see the pace of the wicket. That also shows game awareness," the Bangalore captain said.
Delhi Daredevils were chasing 192 on a beautiful batting track and the wicketkeeper batsman was reminding the crowd about what he can do with the bat in hand. His innings ensured there was no wobble as such throughout the innings as the visitors cantered to an easy seven-wicket win.
The Daredevils lost Shreyas Iyer in the first over and then Sanju Samson for nine. Unfazed by all this, de Kock kept peppering the boundary to keep his side's chase alive. The last year or so have been far from perfect for de Kock. He was dropped from the Test squad for the series in India last year - a move that he feels saved his Test career. The batsman scored 318 runs at an average of 63.60 in the preceding five-match One-Day International series that South Africa won 3-2.
Subsequently, he made his way back into the team. He then picked up a knee injury and was forced to miss a number of matches. He finally got a consistent run in the South African Twenty20 International team in the three-match series against Australia at home just before the ICC World T20.
De Kock came into his own in the World T20 - giving the team brisk starts in three of the four matches he played. He followed it up with an unbeaten 59 against Kings XI Punjab to help Delhi Daredevils seal their first win of the season just when it looked like it was going to be the same old story for the franchise this season as well.
Arguably the best chaser in cricket at the moment, Virat Kohli, too was impressed by the way de Kock paced his innings. "It was wonderful. Especially the way he handled the spinners. He waited for the ball nicely and it also helps as a wicketkeeper when you see the pace of the wicket. That also shows game awareness," the Bangalore captain said.
Shane Watson fits perfectly in the RCB jigsaw
'Shane Wat...Son! Shane Wat...Son!' doesn't quite have the ring to it as 'ABD...ABD' does. However, the crowd that gathered at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Sunday (April 17) for the clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils were more than happy to clear their throat despite an obvious lack of synchronisation.
Watson is at ease with his surroundings. He walks into press conferences with a smile, isn't shy of greeting the crowd while fielding at the boundary and more importantly plays, with a smile on his face -demeanourthat is more commonly associated with West Indians and not with an Aussie.
When Watson was bought by Bangalore for INR 9.5 Crore in the auction in February earlier this year, it was considered a good move. With his all-round capabilities, he adds more strength to an already power-packed batting line-up and boosts the bowling unit as well.
Watson hasn't set the stage on fire as yet but there have been enough glimpses on how he has fitted perfectly in the Bangalore jigsaw. In his first game for the franchise, Watson walked in at No. 4 with only 16 balls left. The right-hander hammered 19 off eight before he was dismissed. He then followed it up with 2 for 30 to help the hosts canter to a 45-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
On Sunday, Watson got his first proper hit in the middle for Bangalore. He walked in in the 12th over and raced to 19-ball 33 before he was undone by a Mohammed Shami bouncer. On the night, when bowlers leaked runs at more than ten overs in Bangalore's seven-wicket loss, the medium pacer bowled four overs for 25 runs and bagged two sticks.
With Chris Gayle not at his belligerent best, Watson's presence in the middle-order gives Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers much-needed freedom to bat naturally. To add to that, his bowling abilities make things easier for Kohli, the captain.
Kohli too, acknowledged that the inclusion of the former Australian had been a big boost for the squad. "See this is one advantage of having someone like Shane in the middle-order along with AB and myself," he said. "Four international players coming in one after the another, it always helps.
Watson is at ease with his surroundings. He walks into press conferences with a smile, isn't shy of greeting the crowd while fielding at the boundary and more importantly plays, with a smile on his face -demeanourthat is more commonly associated with West Indians and not with an Aussie.
When Watson was bought by Bangalore for INR 9.5 Crore in the auction in February earlier this year, it was considered a good move. With his all-round capabilities, he adds more strength to an already power-packed batting line-up and boosts the bowling unit as well.
Watson hasn't set the stage on fire as yet but there have been enough glimpses on how he has fitted perfectly in the Bangalore jigsaw. In his first game for the franchise, Watson walked in at No. 4 with only 16 balls left. The right-hander hammered 19 off eight before he was dismissed. He then followed it up with 2 for 30 to help the hosts canter to a 45-run win against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
On Sunday, Watson got his first proper hit in the middle for Bangalore. He walked in in the 12th over and raced to 19-ball 33 before he was undone by a Mohammed Shami bouncer. On the night, when bowlers leaked runs at more than ten overs in Bangalore's seven-wicket loss, the medium pacer bowled four overs for 25 runs and bagged two sticks.
With Chris Gayle not at his belligerent best, Watson's presence in the middle-order gives Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers much-needed freedom to bat naturally. To add to that, his bowling abilities make things easier for Kohli, the captain.
Kohli too, acknowledged that the inclusion of the former Australian had been a big boost for the squad. "See this is one advantage of having someone like Shane in the middle-order along with AB and myself," he said. "Four international players coming in one after the another, it always helps.
RCB's batting might masking Chris Gayle's poor form
Soon after the clock ticked 6.40 PM, the Royal Challengers Bangalore bus entered the M Chinnaswamy - much to the delight of the crowd, that had queued up to get into the venue. Twenty minutes after that, the players were out there warming up for the clash against Delhi Daredevils.
The biggest cheers were reserved for Virat Kohli but when Chris Gayle walked out to take throw downs just in front of the pavilion, the noise, even with the stadium half packed, was deafening. The burly left-hander, unfazed by all this, started taking the throw downs from Mandeep Singh. He meant business. The usual smile was missing and it seemed as if Gayle was trying to channel the inner 'beast mode'.
The belligerent batsman has been dismissed for single digit scores in each of his last five innings. On Sunday (April 17), he was undone by some really good swing bowling from Zaheer Khan.
Zaheer, with some appreciable movement in the air and off the deck, teased Gayle by keeping it just outside off and kept moving it away. The left-hander edged the third ball to JP Duminy at first slip, who dived to his left to complete a tough catch.
Gayle walked off with a dejected look on his face and the crowd were soon focusing on the show AB de Villiers and Kohli were putting up. However, while Gayle's innings lasted just a few minutes it left a puzzling question that has been lingering for quite some time now.
After his mesmerising century against England in the World T20 game in Mumbai, Gayle hasn't been at his best. Things were made worse when he picked up an injury in Bangalore in the game against Sri Lanka and was forced to miss the subsequent game.
Shane Watson's inclusion into the squad gives Kohli and de Villiers the freedom to play audacious strokes, but with Gayle firing, there is a very good chance that Bangalore will start batting their opponents out of contests.
When Kohli was asked about Gayle's form in the post-match press conference, instead of getting miffed, he offered a smile as if he was expecting the question. "Well we got to 230 without him firing and then we almost got 200 without him firing today, so I don't know what's going to happen when he fires," he gushed. "We obviously want everyone to score runs but that does not happen all the time.
"Chris takes a lot of pride in playing for RCB and performing for us. He has been a standout performer for us. People expect a lot from him in every game in T20 cricket because he's so good at it. He's got so many centuries and that's no joke. Expectations are high and he wants to live upto them.
"I'm sure he'll come good at some stage in the tournament. Maybe in the most important stage if not the first few games, when we need him the most and he'll go out and get a hundred for us. I'm not too worried about his form. The other guys are stepping up nicely and that's what this game is all about. When someone doesn't do well, others have to go out there and grab the opportunity."
The biggest cheers were reserved for Virat Kohli but when Chris Gayle walked out to take throw downs just in front of the pavilion, the noise, even with the stadium half packed, was deafening. The burly left-hander, unfazed by all this, started taking the throw downs from Mandeep Singh. He meant business. The usual smile was missing and it seemed as if Gayle was trying to channel the inner 'beast mode'.
The belligerent batsman has been dismissed for single digit scores in each of his last five innings. On Sunday (April 17), he was undone by some really good swing bowling from Zaheer Khan.
Zaheer, with some appreciable movement in the air and off the deck, teased Gayle by keeping it just outside off and kept moving it away. The left-hander edged the third ball to JP Duminy at first slip, who dived to his left to complete a tough catch.
Gayle walked off with a dejected look on his face and the crowd were soon focusing on the show AB de Villiers and Kohli were putting up. However, while Gayle's innings lasted just a few minutes it left a puzzling question that has been lingering for quite some time now.
After his mesmerising century against England in the World T20 game in Mumbai, Gayle hasn't been at his best. Things were made worse when he picked up an injury in Bangalore in the game against Sri Lanka and was forced to miss the subsequent game.
Shane Watson's inclusion into the squad gives Kohli and de Villiers the freedom to play audacious strokes, but with Gayle firing, there is a very good chance that Bangalore will start batting their opponents out of contests.
When Kohli was asked about Gayle's form in the post-match press conference, instead of getting miffed, he offered a smile as if he was expecting the question. "Well we got to 230 without him firing and then we almost got 200 without him firing today, so I don't know what's going to happen when he fires," he gushed. "We obviously want everyone to score runs but that does not happen all the time.
"Chris takes a lot of pride in playing for RCB and performing for us. He has been a standout performer for us. People expect a lot from him in every game in T20 cricket because he's so good at it. He's got so many centuries and that's no joke. Expectations are high and he wants to live upto them.
"I'm sure he'll come good at some stage in the tournament. Maybe in the most important stage if not the first few games, when we need him the most and he'll go out and get a hundred for us. I'm not too worried about his form. The other guys are stepping up nicely and that's what this game is all about. When someone doesn't do well, others have to go out there and grab the opportunity."
Friday 15 April 2016
Motorcycle revenue outside the U.S. has been stuck at about 32% of the company's total for the past six years but is up from 18% in 2004. Harley aims to grow foreign sales faster than U.S. ones as it adds dealers in China, India and Latin America.
In Brazil, Harley dealers serve espresso and pastries to customers on Saturday mornings. That builds a sense of community among Harley customers, Mr. Levatich said: “They talk to one another, and they go for a ride-and, oh, by the way, they buy stuff.”
Thursday 14 April 2016
Human health effects of air pollution
The effect of air pollutants on human health and underlying mechanisms of cellular action are discussed.
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