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/ 22 January 2008

India risks bird-flu ‘disaster’

India’s worst-ever outbreak of bird flu could turn into a disaster, an official warned on Tuesday, as five people were reportedly quarantined with symptoms of the virus. Eight districts in the eastern state of West Bengal have been hit by the virus, and dead birds are being sold and locals said to be ”feasting” on cheap chicken.

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/ 15 January 2008

India reports fresh bird-flu outbreak

India on Tuesday confirmed a bird-flu outbreak among poultry following the deaths of thousands of chickens in the past week in the state of West Bengal. It is the country’s third outbreak since 2006 and the first since India, home to 1,1-billion people, declared itself free of the disease last November.

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/ 4 December 2007

Gutsy Younis saves Pakistan with century

Stand-in captain Younis Khan staved off a spin threat with a responsible century to help Pakistan draw the second Test against India on Tuesday. Younis scored an unbeaten 107 under pressure as Pakistan recovered from 78-4 to finish at 214-4 in their second innings chasing a stiff 345-run target off 81 overs on the fifth and final day.

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/ 3 December 2007

India keep victory hopes alive

Wasim Jaffer hit a brisk half-century as India kept alive their hopes of forcing a win in the second Test against Pakistan on Monday. The opener followed his first-innings 202 with 56 to help the hosts reach 141-2 in their second innings for an overall lead of 301 at stumps on the penultimate day.

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/ 2 December 2007

Misbah, Akmal lead Pakistan fightback

Misbah-ul-Haq and Kamran Akmal scored battling hundreds to steer Pakistan to 358-6 against India on the third day of the second Test on Sunday. In-form Misbah, who struck 108 not out, and keeper-batsman Akmal, with 119, shared in a 207-run sixth-wicket stand after the visitors had lost four wickets in the morning session at Eden Gardens.

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/ 1 December 2007

Laxman, Ganguly take India to huge score

Venkatsai Laxman and Sourav Ganguly hammered robust centuries to take India to a formidable total against Pakistan in the second Test on Saturday. Laxman scored an unbeaten 112 for his 11th Test hundred and left-handed Ganguly a solid 102 for his 14th, as India posted a mammoth 616-5 declared in their first innings after resuming at 352-3.

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/ 30 November 2007

Imperious Jaffer puts India in control

Wasim Jaffer’s unbeaten 192 steered India to a commanding 352-3 at stumps on the first day of the second Test against Pakistan on Friday. Opener Jaffer shared in two century partnerships to lay the foundations for an imposing total after the hosts chose to bat on a benign Eden Gardens pitch.

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/ 28 November 2007

Pakistan grapple with fitness problems

Pakistan’s hopes of avoiding their first series loss in India in more than two decades suffered a setback following injuries and illness to key players ahead of Friday’s second Test in Kolkata. Pakistan were sweating over the fitness of paceman Shoaib Akhtar who was hospitalised on Tuesday due to a chest infection.

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/ 28 September 2007

‘Indian Idol’ final sparks violence

India’s version of American Idol sparked violence on Friday when police clashed with supporters of the winner, leaving at least 30 people injured. Prashant Tamang, an ethnic Nepali youth from the eastern state of West Bengal, beat Amit Paul from Meghalaya state, inflaming regional rivalries.

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/ 5 September 2007

Mother Teresa’s letters surprised, inspired order

Letters written by Mother Teresa which reveal she sometimes doubted God surprised and then inspired many among her order, her successor said ahead of Wednesday’s 10th anniversary of the ethnic Albanian nun’s death. ”The sisters were surprised, I was surprised to learn how she suffered in her thirst for God,” said Sister Nirmala, the diminutive superior general.

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/ 15 June 2007

Missing Indian prisoner found snoring on jail roof

A prisoner who went missing from a jail in eastern India for almost 24 hours was found by prison guards snoring on the roof of the jail, officials said on Friday. Raju Gaji (19), arrested for banditry and theft and sent to a jail in Kolkata earlier this month, told police he was bored with the prison routine and wanted to catch up on some sleep.

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/ 20 November 2006

Blast on train causes death in eastern India

A powerful explosion ripped through a train in eastern India on Monday, killing five people and wounding 25 seriously, police said. The explosion hit two crowded coaches near a remote railway station in West Bengal state, about 665km north of state capital Kolkata, Raj Kanojia, a top police officer, told the media.

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/ 10 November 2006

Eunuchs taxing red-faced Indian shopkeepers

Dancing and singing eunuchs are knocking on doors in the Indian city of Patna in a bid to embarrass shopkeepers into paying their taxes. The new shock strategy, in which sari-clad and heavily made up eunuchs accompany officials on their rounds of crowded shopping areas in a country notorious for tax evasion and non-payment, has been declared a success.

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/ 25 November 2005

South Africa wallop India by 10 wickets

South Africa trounced India by 10 wickets on Friday in their fourth limited-overs international in Kolkota on Friday. Proteas captain Graeme Smith led the charge with a smashing 134 not out at the jam-packed Eden Gardens. South Africa now leads 2-1 in the five-match series with the final match to be played Monday.

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/ 25 November 2005

Pollock, Hall help SA bowl out India

Shaun Pollock and Andrew Hall grabbed three wickets each to help South Africa bowl out India for 188 in the fourth one-dayer at the jam-packed Eden Gardens in Kolkota on Friday. Pollock struck thrice in his first four overs as India, sent in to bat on a seamer-friendly wicket, collapsed to 23-3 and later 71-5.