London: Construction of Olympic stadium for 2012 complete

Construction work at the London 2012 Olympic Stadium came to an end on Tuesday as the last piece of turf was laid in the pitch. The venue, which seats 80,000 spectators, took just under three years to build from start to finish at a cost of £486 million. More than 5,250 people have worked on the project.

The final touch will be applied later this year when the running track s top surface will be put on. London 2012 chief Sebastian Coe laid the final piece of turf along with Namibian sprinting great Frankie Fredericks. Some 360 rolls of turf were needed to cover the 9,000-square meter infield area. The two-tier bowl in Stratford, east London, will host the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the athletics track and field events. After the Games have finished, English Premier League football side West Ham United will take it over, moving from their Upton Park home.

Australia face tricky match against emotional Kiwis

NAGPUR: Champions Australia will look to stave off a stiff challenge from an emotional New Zealand side, who will aim to bring a little cheer back home with a World Cup win in Nagpur on Friday over their old rivals.

The build-up to the match between the trans-Tasman rivals has been incredibly tough for the Kiwis following Tuesday’s earthquake in Christchurch, which killed at least 95 people, with more than 200 people still missing.

“The greatest thing we can do for a lot of people is win the game against Australia. That would bring a little bit of relief to some people going through a tough time,” New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori said after the natural calamity.

New Zealand have left out batsman Kane Williamson and bowlers Kyle Mills and Luke Woodcock from their 12 on the eve of the match with their traditional rivals, who are on a 30-match unbeaten streak in the showpiece event stretching to 1999.

Australia were slow to get out of the blocks in their opening win over Zimbabwe and will want to see better application from their batsmen against the Kiwi spin duo of Vettori and Nathan McCullum, who is tipped to open the bowling.

The New Zealand batsman would expect to have a tough time, though, against the hostile Australia pace attack of Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Tait.

The organisers have a different battle on their hands and have resorted to bringing in school children to ensure some crowd presence at the 45,900 capacity Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, situated 20 kilometres from the city centre.

“We have talked to 62 schools and have arranged for about 20,000 children to come for tomorrow’s match. At the lowest we are expecting some 13,000 children to be present,” a local organiser told Reuters.

In Dhaka, co-hosts Bangladesh take on Ireland in an important Group B match for both sides, who are aspiring to make it to the quarter, final stages.

Bangladesh, who lost their opening match against neighbours India by 87 runs, will start slight favourites, owing to their abundance of spinners on the slow and low subcontinent track.

Bangladesh security force told to keep eyes off the ball

DHAKA: Police and elite security forces in Bangladesh have been warned against “loitering” and watching the cricket rather than doing their job at the World Cup.

The country’s home office issued a statement warning of a crackdown on the “rogue” security officials after members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and police were spotted lazing in media seats at a match in Dhaka on Saturday.

“The security people deployed at the stadium should be on their toes or inside their camps and must not loiter around or occupy others’ chairs in the gallery during World Cup matches,” a Home Ministry official said, reading out excerpts from an order sheet for Reuters.

The order was issued before Bangladesh meet Ireland in Dhaka on Friday in Group B.

Bangladesh are jointly hosting the World Cup with subcontinent neighbours India and Sri Lanka.

They staged the opening game last Saturday with a defeat by India.

Security at the Cricket World Cup in the sometimes volatile region is a particularly big issue in the sport after a gun attack on the Sri Lanka team in Lahore in March 2009 leading to the deaths of eight people.

Pakistan has not staged an international match since.

On the opening match in the country, officials of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) saw that a number of seats were occupied by a section of security officials and their families at the media overflow area.

“Some of them were on duty and the rest managed their entry through their colleagues having authority to issue an on-duty pass,” the Home Ministry official said.

He asked not to be named as the matter was so sensitive.

“The order is likely to prevent the rogue officials from becoming spectators at the stadium instead of doing their duty on match days,” an official of the RAB said.

Several hundred security officials drawn from police, RAB and intelligence agencies from different forces including the army will remain deployed in and around the stadium to give security to the players, officials and fans during match days.

“If the order is flouted or any personnel found repeating such an offence in the coming World Cup matches, they will be demoted or suspended from the service,” said a police spokesman.

“We must stop this attitude of some people enjoying matches at the expense of others or without making any payment.

“We will not allow any official irrespective of rank and file to lower the image of the nation in this illegal way.”

Dhaka is hosting five more matches including a quarter-final on March 25. TrendPK

School Closings Michigan By Monday

School Closings Michigan. Worse weather conditions are threatening the opening of schools on Monday in the Michigan area. Temperatures are expected to drop by Sunday evening when wind speeds pick up. Later Sunday, bitter cold winds will howl into Michigan and change the weather into early next week.

By Monday, December 13, high temps will be stuck in the teens and wind chill factors will plunge to sub-zero readings. Winds will gust to near 35 mph late Sunday into Monday.

A list of school closings in Michigan can be obtained at the ABC News 12 website. Follow on Twitter, for continued updates on the winter storm and school closings in Michigan.

Amir Khan victorious in fight of the year

Khan successfully defended his WBA light welterweight title for the third time. Tonight in Las Vegas Khan was fighting on the soil of West coast of the United States after making his stateside debut at Madison Square Garden, New York on the East coast last May when he outclassed Paulie Malignaggi.

The 24-year-olds Argentinean opponent had a fearsome record with 27 of his 29 wins coming inside the distance, 20 within three rounds, 10 in the opening round. Marcos Rene Maidana was regarded by most as being one of the top four fighters in the 140 pound division boxing rankings.

From the opening bell Khan offered his hand for the customary touch em up; Maidana ignored the gesture and swung a haymaker that missed. Khans tactics were evident from the opening bell, jab and move. Maidana landed two flush shots to silence the critics regarding the Bolton fighters chin. Khan regrouped and re-established the jab before targeting the body of Maidana, a left to the body nearing the end of the round sent Maidana to the canvas and doubled over in pain. In the second Khan was accurate with combinations he unloaded with blistering speed. Maidana found success in the third were he clipped Khan with several shots to the chin. The Argentinean challenger had a good forth after landing several uppercuts through the high held guard of the champion. Khan was clearly winning the fight when he opted to move and utilise his speed and movement, but like a man with something to prove Khan continued taking risks in a display of machismo. Referee Joe Cortez deducted a point from Maidana in the fifth after he led with the elbow.

Khan survived a mini crisis in the sixth after Maidana drove him toward the ropes and penetrated the guard with several crisp uppercuts. Maidana bossed Khan in the seventh as both traded savage exchanges in a fast paced encounter that was beginning to take its toll. Khan took the eighth in a round where Marcos Rene appeared flat footed as a result of his efforts in the previous round.

Just when Maidanas punches looked like pushing shots with no snap; he detonated a shot on Khans chin that rocked him to the core, Khan looked out on his feet but survived almost two minutes badly hurt. As he went back to his corner at the end of the tenth his legs where jellied .Khan remained on his feet throughout the tenth where he absorbed punishment to silence any doubters on his metal and chin.

The bombs landed would have floored a horse. Khan certainly won over the crowd in Vegas who were on their feet with a fight that has to be up there for fight of the year. Khan won a unanimous decision but Maidana must also be praised for giving the fans a great fight that had fans on the edge of their seat for the entire fight.

Khan has expressed his desire to showcase a fight on home soil for his many British fans. 2011 will most likely witness Khan make a voluntary defence back in the United Kingdom before he embarks upon a fight with the winner of other titleholders in the division; Devon Alexander (WBC/IBF) and Timothy Bradley (WBO), both meet on January 29 in a bizarre bout with politics dictating that only Alexanders WBC title will be on the line, and if Bradley wins the WBC gold will not be strapped around his waist but will become vacant; consequence of a previous dispute with the world boxing council. Im sure team Khan will be rooting for Alexander and an opportunity to secure the four major titles, a feat no one has managed since the formation of the historical division in 1926.

NZ’s McCullum defies India with ton in second Test

NEWDEHLI: New Zealand opener Brendon McCullum struck a superb 124 not out to defy India on the fourth day of the second Test on Monday.

McCullum, 29, hit 11 fours and three sixes in his 177-ball knock as the visitors reached 237-4 at close in reply to India’s first-innings 472, built around a record century by tailender Harbhajan Singh.

New Zealand, who made 350 in their first innings, lead by 115 runs with six wickets in hand.

Kane Williamson (12) was the other not out batsman at the crease when stumps were called for the day.

McCullum dominated India’s bowlers, hitting paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth for a six over long-off and a four off the next ball before racing to his sixth Test century with another boundary.

He added 125 runs with Tim McIntosh to register New Zealand’s first century-stand for the opening wicket in six

Harbhajan’s ton extends India’s lead to 122 runs

HYDERABAD: Spinner Harbhajan Singh hit a second consecutive test hundred to extend India’s first innings lead to 122 runs over New Zealand before the hosts were dismissed on the fourth morning of the second test on Monday.

The off-spinner continued tormenting the visitors with an unbeaten 111, following up scores of 69 and 115 in the first test, and bludgeoned the New Zealand attack with seven boundaries and seven sixes to bring up his second test century.

Harbhajan added 105 runs for the last final with Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, who provided able support with 24 off 71 deliveries, before the hosts were all out for 472 in response to New Zealand’s 350.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori got Sreesanth out leg before to complete his 19th five-wicket haul in a test innings.

The three-match series is tied at 0-0 after the opening test at Ahmedabad was

West Indies openers make good start v Sri Lanka

GALLE: Chris Gayle and Adrian Barath posted only the second century opening partnership for West Indies in the last four years to give the visitors a solid start in the first cricket test against Sri Lanka on Monday.

The pair put on 110 runs after Darren Sammy had won the toss on his debut as test captain and decided to bat first on a flat track.

Despite being beaten occasionally by new ball bowlers Thilan Thushara and Dammika Prasad, the opening pair mixed caution with bouts of aggression to run up the century stand in the 23rd over.

Gayle, playing rather circumspectly, reached his half-century off 61 balls by slog-sweeping spinner Suraj Randiv for his eighth four. He also had two sixes in his knock.

Barath, who was dropped at 35 by Randiv off a head-high return catch, followed his senior partner by bringing up his half-century off 82 balls, also

Cautious India make slow progress after Tendulkar falls

HYDERABAD: The early loss of Sachin Tendulkar on day three compelled India to take a cautious approach as the hosts made slow progress in their first innings in the second test against New Zealand on Sunday.

Rahul Dravid (33) and Vangipurappu Laxman (31) took India to 237 for three wickets at lunch, as the hosts trailed by 113 runs in reply to the visitors’ first innings total of 350.

India managed only 59 runs from 30 overs in the opening session at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium against some disciplined bowling and inspired fielding from New Zealand.

Dravid and Laxman added 53 runs in an unbroken fourth wicket partnership after Tendulkar fell in the fifth over of the day to New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori. Tendulkar tried to break the shackles, imposed on him by some fine swing bowling by paceman Chris Martin, by dancing down the wicket to

Guptill, McIntosh give New Zealand solid start

HYDERABAD: Martin Guptill and Tim McIntosh added 147 runs for the second wicket to build a solid platform for New Zealand in their first innings on the opening day of the second test against India on Friday.

At tea, the visitors reached 159 for two wickets with opener McIntosh (55) and Ross Taylor (four) at the crease.

Guptill (85) fell leg before to left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha after a shaky start, during which he survived a caught behind off a no ball and a dropped catch.

The right-handed batsman, who replaced BJ Watling from the first test, used his feet well against the spinners as he grew in confidence and hit nine boundaries and a six.

Left-hander McIntosh, who was under tremendous pressure after a golden duck in the last match, brought up his fifth test half-century, with a fine leg glance off Harbhajan Singh.

Shanthakumaran

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