Pietersen changes sides in India’s IPL

England’s batting star Kevin Pietersen has left Deccan Chargers to play for Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League this year, his new franchise said yesterday.

Pietersen, who turned out for Bangalore Royal Challengers in 2009 and 2010, had signed up with the Hyderabad-based Chargers last year, but could not play for them following a hernia surgery.

The exciting right-hander was picked up by the Virender Sehwag-captained Delhi Daredevils during the transfer window for the fifth edition to be played from April 4 to May 27.

“We are pleased to add Kevin to our line-up,” said T.A. Sekhar, the cricket head of GMR Sports, owners of the Delhi Daredevils franchise.

“He brings rich experience and an explosive quality to our batting and can be a more than handy off-spinner as well.

“We are sure that Kevin will help us to be very competitive this season and the Delhi Daredevils fans will enjoy this addition.”

Pietersen, preparing for England’s Test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates later this month, said he was relishing the opportunity of playing in the same team as Sehwag.

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Jagger honorary "ambassador" in Peru`s Amazon

Lima - Rock legend Mick Jagger was named an honorary ambassador for tourism in the Madre de Dios region of the Amazon rainforest, tasked with helping promote and preserve the Peruvian region`s fragile ecosystem.

"You are our ally. Your presence is a great support in our fight to protect our ecology, to the effort to draw world attention to the Madre de Dios area," said the regional tourism director Juan Carlos Arzola.

The remote region of Madre de Dios -- a name which means "mother of God," in Spanish -- borders Brazil, Bolivia and the southeastern Peruvian regions of Puno, Cusco and Ucayali.

The Rolling Stones frontman, 68, is accompanied on his Peruvian travels by his girlfriend, the former model L`Wren Scott and their toddler son.

Jagger was also given various gifts by indigenous people of the region including what they said was a "sacred mantlw" used only by the greatest of chiefs as well as bows, arrows, necklaces and a feather headdress.

Jagger was originally cast to play a bit role in the 1982 movie

"Fitzcarraldo" which is set in Peru`s Amazon rainforest, but he was forced to pull out of the project due to scheduling conflicts.

The singer and his family have been housed since Sunday at a hotel in the Tambopata national forest, a vast ecological preserve southeast of Lima.

Over the weekend, Jagger met with Peru`s president Ollanta Humala and First Lady Nadine Heredia in the capital city Lima.

He was planning to travel later this week to Cusco to view the ancient Incan ruins at Machu Picchu. (U.S008/B002)

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Zsa Zsa Gabor returns home from hospital

Los Angeles - Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor returned home from a hospital on Friday after recovering from two stomach surgeries and suffering a bout of pneumonia.

The 94 year-old actress, who has suffered numerous health issues in recent years, was "happy and smiling," her husband, Frederic Prinz von Anhalt, told Reuters on Friday.

"She`s alert and she looks good," said von Anhalt, adding that Gabor was in much better health after nearly two weeks at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The actress, whose right leg was amputated above the knee early this year, was hospitalized on Oct. 8 for surgery when complications arose with a feeding tube attached to her stomach. Gabor then caught pneumonia but recovered quickly.

Von Anhalt said he plans to celebrate with his wife at home this weekend. (U.C003)

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"Batman" star roughed up in bid to visit Chinese blind activist

Beijing - Hollywood actor Christian Bale was roughed up by Chinese security guards as he attempted to visit a blind legal activist whose detention has sparked a domestic and international outcry, CNN reported on Friday.

Bale, who plays crime-fighting superhero Batman, and the camera crew from CNN were jostled by men in plainclothes from Dongshigu village in eastern Shandong province, where activist Chen Guangcheng has been under house arrest for 15 months, according to a video released by CNN on its website.

"Why can I not visit this man?" Bale asked several security officers, while they were pushing him.

"You know, I`m not being brave doing this," Bale told CNN.

"The local people who are standing up to the authorities and insisting on going to visit Chen and his family and getting beaten up for it, and my understanding, getting detained for it and everything. I want to support what they are doing."

CNN said the guards followed the network`s van for more than half an hour.

The fate of Chen, a charismatic, self-schooled advocate who has campaigned against forced abortions, has become a test of wills, pitting the ruling Communist Party`s crackdown on dissent against rights activists who have rallied around his cause and that of artist Ai Weiwei.

In recent months, dozens of supporters have been blocked from visiting Chen. Many of them were beaten by men in plain clothes.

CNN said that Bale, who is in China for the premiere of his latest film "The Flowers of War," approached the news network to try to meet Chen. They took an eight-hour car journey to Chen`s village from Beijing.

"This doesn`t come naturally to me," Bale said to CNN. "But this was just a situation, I said, I can`t look the other way."

Chen angered Shandong officials in 2005 by exposing a programme of forced abortions as part of China`s one-child policy. He was formally released in September 2010 after four years in jail on a charge of "blocking traffic".

"What I really wanted to do is to shake the man`s hand and say: `Thank you,` and tell him what an inspiration he is," Bale told CNN.

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Sinead O`Connor ends 4th marriage after 16 days

New York - Irish singer Sinead O`Connor has ended her fourth marriage after just 16 days, blaming pressure and disapproval from the family and friends of her new husband Barry Herridge.

O`Connor, 46, said on her blog that the marriage went wrong three hours after the Dec 8. ceremony in Las Vegas and that the pair had lived together for only seven days before splitting on Christmas Eve.

"Within 3 hours of the ceremony being over the marriage was kyboshed (ruined) by the behaviour of certain people in my husband`s life. And also by a bit of a wild ride I took us on looking for a bit of a smoke of weed for me wedding night as I don`t drink," the controversial singer wrote.

O`Connor, who found fame in the late 1980s with her shaved head and original voice on songs like "Nothing Compares 2 U", said that Herridge was "enormously wounded and very badly affected by that experience and also by the attitude of those close to him toward our marriage. It became apparent to me that if he were to stay with me he would be losing too much to bear."

She added that she had decided to end the marriage, and said the couple had made a mistake "rushing into getting married" without being prepared for the consequences on his life.

"The marriage was 16 days. We lived together for 7 days only. Until Xmas eve. And we haven`t been awful to each other," she wrote.

O`Connor has been married three times previously. Her most recent union to musician Steve Cooney ended earlier this year after about one year.

She courted controversy in the 1990s by tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II on live television in a protest over priestly sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, by declaring herself to be a lesbian and then retracting her assertion, and by being ordained as a priest in a breakaway Catholic Church sect.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant, editing by Christine Kearney) (Uu.G003/H-AK) 

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ASEAN Paralympic Games partcipants arrive in Solo

Solo - Contingents from countries to participate in the 6th ASEAN Paralympic Games (APG) to be held here December 15-20 have already arrived at Wisma Atlet in Donohudan, Boyolali, Central Java.

The last APG contingents to arrive at the Athletes` Guest House here on Tuesday were from Thailand and Singapore. Their planes landed at Solo`s Adi Soemarmo airport at 1.30 pm and 11.50 am respectively.

The guest house coordinator, Tur Marganingsih, said the 11 APG contingents that had arrived at Wisma Atlet were from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, East Timor and host Indonesia.

She said some members of the contingent from Brunei Darussalam stayed at Arini Syariah Hotel in Solo which is located close to the arena.

She said the Thai contingent had 285 members who had come in groups with the last batch of 100 athletes arriving on Tuesday.

The Philippine contingent totals 65 consisting of athletes and officials, the Malaysian 163, the Cambodian 26, the Laotian 11, the Myanmarese 57, the Singaporean 65, the Vietnamese 179, the Timor Lestese 21 and the Indonesian 368.

"The total number of athletes and officials who have arrived at Donohudan is 1,262," she said.

Buses meanwhile have been made available to meet the transportation needs of the athletes and officials. As of Tuesday athletes and officials started testing the arena to be used for the multi-event for the physically disabled.

"The committee has provided 40 buses for the opening of the games on December 10," she said. (Uu.H-YH/HAJM/S012)

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Country Manager Job Vacancy in Kenya (KShs 300K - 400K)

Country Manager

Experience and Qualifications
Undergraduate degree or able to demonstrate the level of key skills required at degree level – essential.

Postgraduate degree would be desirable as would having gained part of their educational qualifications internationally
Considerable experience of coordinating operations within an organisation – essential
Significant experience of staff management - essential
Experience of financial management and processes – essential
Marketing experience – essential
Experience of strategic planning – desirable
Experience in a customer facing role – desirable
Skills and Knowledge
Excellent organisational skills – essential
Good report writing and analytical skills – essential
Proficient in use of Microsoft Office suite - essential
Knowledge of international higher education – essential
Knowledge of HR practices - essential
Excellent verbal and written communication skills – essential
Knowledge of basic finance management and budgeting processes - essential
Good supervisory skills – essential
Working knowledge of marketing principles – essential
Personal Qualities
Confident and professional demeanor
Proactive
Motivational management style
Approachable and confidential manner
Excellent interpersonal skills
Deadline: 20th January 2012

Salary gross of 300,000/- TO 400,000/-

Applications:
Please send an up to date CV, stating your current salary, accompanied by at least 3 referee telephone numbers/email addresses to cathie@summitrecruitment-kenya.com

Summit recruitment & Training, Rhino House, Karen Road, Karen

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

Please indicate in your email which position you are interested in.

Only applicants who are successful will be contacted.

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