Kevin Pietersen, who has been valued at more than £1million, will be one of 20 English cricketers involved in the Indian Premier League's player auction on February 6.

Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff were confirmed as 'category A' players on Thursday and will fetch at least $1.35 million (£950,000) and $950,000 (£665,000) respectively when sold at a hotel in Goa on Feb 6.

Flintoff has a minimum price of £950,000, with Harmison and Collingwood priced at £250,000, Bell at £200,000 and Prior at £150,000.

"This [the price] is based upon the 14 league games and not including the semi-final or final," said Modi. "If they play 10 of the 14 games they get paid according to ratio. If they play seven they get half. Everybody is very much looking forward to having England players coming out here. The players are happy they are all able to participate. They are all very good players and I think it will be very good for the second edition of the IPL."

Modi added: "Everybody is very much looking forward to having England players coming out here. The players are happy they are all able to participate. They are all very good players and I think it will be very good for the second edition of the IPL."

Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction to see 112 Overseas Players

Australia
Brad Haddin, Michael Clarke, Nathan Hauritz, Stuart Clark, Brad Hogg, Beau Casson, Mark Cameron, Peter Forrest, Lee Carseldine, Doug Bollinger, Michael Dighton, Jason Krejza, Nathan Reardon, Chris Hartley, Shaun Tait, Ashley Noffke, Bryce McGain, George Bailey, Michael Hill, Travis Birt, Chris Swan, Michael Klinger, Ben Edmondson, Aiden Blizzard, Mark Cosgrove, Adam Voges, Shane Harwood.

Bangladesh
Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Rajin Saleh, Mehrab Hossain Jr, Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Ashraful, Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal Khan, Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Junaid Siddique, Ziaur Rahman, Mahumudullah Riyad, Nadif Chowdhury, Mohammad Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Raqibul Hasan.

England
Ravi Bopara, Monty Panesar, Robert Key, James Foster, Tyron Henderson, Sajid Mahmood, Matt Prior, Ian Bell, Paul Collingwood, Owais Shah, Shaun Udal, Darren Gough, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swan, Luke Wright, Kevin Peterson, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Ed Joyce, Dominic Cork.

New Zealand
Mark Gillespie, Tim Southee, Jesse Ryder, Jeetan Patel, Kyle Mills, Chris Martin, Jamie How, Peter Fulton, James Franklin.

Pakistan
Asim Kamal, Yasir Hameed, Danish Kaneria, Mohd. Hafeez, Yasir Arafat.

South Africa
Gulam Bodi, Rory Kleinveld, Charles Langeveldt, Ashwell Prince, J P Duminy, Martin Van Jaarsveld, Roelof Van der Merwe, Andre Nel, Neil Mckanzee, Yusuf Abdullah, Paul Harris, Johan Botha, Morne Van Wyk.

Sri Lanka
Thilina Thushara, Nuwan Kulasekera, Mahela Udawatte, Dammika Prasad, Thilina Kandamby, Kaushalya Weereratne, Jehan Mubarak, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Malinga Bandara, Malinda Warnapura, Michael Vandort, Prassanna Jayawardane, Upal Tharanga, Jeevantha Kulatunga, Kaushal Lokuarachchi

West Indies
Sylvester Joseph, Darren Sammy, Kieron Pollard, Andre Fletcher, Kieron Powell, Fidel Edwards, Dwayne Smith, Kemar Roach.

Zimbabwe
Vusi Sibanda

A woman gave birth to eight babies in Southern California, the world’s second live-born set of octuplets. The mother, who was not identified, gave birth to six boys and two girls weighing 1 pound 8 ounces to 3 pounds 4 ounces, doctors at Kaiser Permanente hospital told KCAL-TV. “Eight newborns are in stable condition, and they’re doing quite well,” Dr. Karen Maples said. Myra Suarez, a Kaiser spokeswoman, said she could not release any information about the mother, including whether she used fertility drugs. The first live-born octuplets were born in Houston in 1998, and one baby died about a week later.



After she gave birth to seven babies, a California woman -- and the massive 46-person team of doctors that was assisting the birth -- thought she was done.

But one last baby, perhaps hiding behind the others, had other ideas.

When the baby popped out Monday at 10:48 a.m., the woman, whose name the hospital did not release, became the second ever to give birth to surviving octuplets -- six boys and two girls. The last baby came five minutes after the first was born, the LA Times reported.

"It was a shock, especially finding the eighth baby," Dr. Karen Maples of California's Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center said. "My eyes were wide."

The babies were born by Caesarean section nine weeks premature and ranged from 1 pound, 8 ounces to 3 pounds, 4 ounces. The woman was carrying 24 pounds of baby.

The hospital's delivery team, which was spread out in four delivery rooms, ran each baby from the mother into another room and then ran back for the next in a bizarre relay race that successfully brought eight new lives into the world.

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During her routine with partner Ivan Shefer, Rubleva's dress was inadvertently lowered, revealing her right breast and making life difficult for the rest of their performance.

Consummate professionals, the pair continued with their dance with 23-year-old Rubleva even managing to keep smiling throughout.

The extent to which it helped, or impaired, their score with the judges can't be known but with a score of 29.04 they skated away with 12th place.

Barack Hussein Obama became the 44th President of the US on Tuesday, but not before two stumbles on the way.

As Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. asked Obama if he was ready to take the oath, the president-elect replied in the affirmative.

But then he stumbled twice – beginning with the very first part of the oath, "I, Barak Hussein Obama, do swear…"

There was then a slightly longer pause, as Obama waited for Roberts to repeat the words, “I will faithfully executive the office of President of the United States….”

“Faithfully,” repeated Roberts helpfully.

And Obama then reeled off the line with the ease of the speaker that he is known to be.

Forty-six years after the late iconic civil rights leader Rev. Martin Luther King--who was inspired by Mohandas Gandhi-- delivered his 'I have a dream' speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Barack Hussain Obama, whose campaign theme was 'Yes, we can," was sworn in at 11.56 am on January 20 as the nation's 44th president.

Obama thus became the first-ever African-American chief executive on the steps of the west front of the Capitol in the presence of over an unprecedented crowd of over two million.

Placing his right hand on President Lincoln's Bible, Obama,47, was administered the oath of office by Chief Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, 53, who was administering his first presidential oath of office after being appointed to the bench three years ago by outgoing President George W Bush [Images].

Interestingly, both Obama and Vice-President Joseph Biden, who was administered the oath of office at 11.46 arm by Justice John Paul Stevens, 88, had both voted against the confirmnation of Roberts while they were both US Senators.

Immediately, preceding the presidential swearing-in were performances by Yo Yo Ma, Anthony McGill, and Itzhak Perlman, and just before Obama began his inuaugural address, the US Marine Corps Ban played 'Hail to the Chief,' amidst a 21-gun salute.

By some stroke of luck this correspondent was assigned a great seat with the periodical press in the green section on the West Front on the Capitol, just at the base of the Capitol Hill steps where the oath was administered.

Looking down at the almost mile and a half down the National Mall were a sea of people the likes of which I had never since ever in my life in Washington,DC in my more than two decades of covering Washington and only three years ago during a pilgrimage of Hajj at Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia where the crowd was in excess of three million people.

Security was unprecedented and each person was methodically checked by going through the magnetometers but we journalists were permitted to carry our laptops, two bottles of water, a couple of energy bars, a note-book and a small camera if we needed to bring one. Also, our cell phones, but with the traffic being so happy with the throngs of people, talking to each other, taking pictures,etc. most often the signal would fade away or die altogether.

But save for the photographers of the major mainstream newspapers and agencies and the leading networks, who were assigned vantage spots, most photographers were assigned National Mall credentials and were amidst the sea of people and obviously constrained to shoot the West Front of the Capitol. And, among them were my two colleagues Paresh Gandhi and Jay Mandal and Paresh had called me to say that my request to him to also snap as many pictures of Indian Americans and South Asian who may be among the throngs were difficult, because everyone was covered from head to toe in layers of clothing to brave the freezing temperatures brought on by the wind chills.

All of us had to leave at about 4 am by the metro trains to make it to the National Mall and the Capitol by 8 a.m when the gates opened. And getting down to DC took more than three hours as the metro as well as the stations were packed and the lines several miles long and then the same story was repeated at the gates were security was stringent though surprisingly brisk.

But the euphoria was palpable and permeating and many of the people I spoke to while waiting in line both at the metro station and downtown clearly acknowledged that they may not even get a glimpse of Obama being sworn in but didn't care because they wanted to just place their feet on the grounds and be 'a part of living history.' Many of them even had their young kids in tow, even though they were aware they would have to be standing for hours and after the ceremony would probably have to walk back miles to a station and a train that could take them back home.

There was clearly a unprecedented number of African Americans and the numbers clearly outnumbered the Million Man March organized nearly a decade ago by Black Muslim leader Louis Farrakhan.

Many of them sported T-shirts that read 'The Dream Realized,' while there were also some unique one with the faces of 43 white men and the final face, an African American.

History is made, Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States of America.

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the

People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents. So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.

Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

The tricks skiers can do on the snow these days are amazing, but one who ended up upside down and pantless on a ski-lift had no intention of ending up that way.

The skier and a child tried to get on a high-speed lift at Vail's Blue Sky Basin in Colorado. But since the chairlift's seat wasn't in the right position, the man partially fell through the seat, and was left dangling upside down. Somehow his pants fell down. The lift was stopped, and the man was not hurt.

Vail Resorts says the guy was "suspended for approximately seven minutes," according to The Smoking Gun.

The guy's pride pride might be damaged a bit. Fellow skiers snapped shots of his bare butt.

"We all know what that means," Odom told the Vail Daily News. "I guess it embarrassed Vail Resorts, and they called (my) shop."

The incident happened about 10:30 a.m. on January 1, the man was suspended for seven minutes, then was rescued, said a statement from Vail Resorts. He suffered no injuries.

The FBI wants you. It's looking to hire agents, language specialists, computer experts, intelligence analysts and finance experts.

FBI Special Agent Scott Wilson of the Cleveland field office says the FBI needs to fill 2,100 professional staff vacancies and hire 850 additional special agents. The FBI said on Monday it had launched one of the largest hiring blitzes in its 100-year history involving 2,100 professional staff vacancies and 850 special agents aimed at filling its most critical vacancies.

Wanted by the FBI: agents, language specialists, computer experts, intelligence analysts and finance experts.

Wilson said the two FBI sites can tell you which jobs are available where. He noted that job requirements are listed for the specific jobs.

Special agents have a mandatory retirement age of 57 but there is no age limit for other job classifications. Wilson said special agents are hired between the ages of 23 and 36.

Wilson said the FBI hirings apply not only to the headquarters in Washington D.C. but to nearly all of the 56 field offices, like the one in Cleveland.

"We're also looking for professionals in a wide variety of fields who have a deep desire to help protect our nation from terrorists, spies, and others who wish us harm," Raucci said.

He said the FBI, which has been investigating corporate wrongdoing in connection with the current financial crisis, also needs finance and accounting experts, along with those skilled in physical surveillance and various other employees.

The hiring initiative for FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., and for its field offices would replace departed staff and add some employees, officials said. (Reporting by James Vicini, Editing by Jackie Frank)

John Travolta's teenage son, Jett, died in the Bahamas after falling ill and hitting his head at his family's vacation home, police said Friday. A house caretaker found Jett, 16, unconscious in a bathroom late Friday morning. He was taken by ambulance to a Freeport hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to a statement from chief police superintendent Basil Rahming. The family of Oscar-nominated Hollywood superstar John Travolta took a devastating emotional blow when his teenage son died after a seizure while on a family vacation in the Bahamas, US media reported.

Jett Travolta, 16, had a history of seizures and suffered one on Friday "at around 10 am this morning," John Travolta's attorney, Michael Ossi, told CNN. "All attempts to revive him were unsuccessful." The teenager had last been seen going into the bathroom on Thursday and had a history of seizures, according to the statement. Police said they are planning an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Young Jett Travolta was the only son of the 54-year-old Hollywood star -- also a trained jet pilot -- and actress Kelly Preston, 46. They have a daughter, Ella, aged eight.

Jett's death "was completely out of the blue," Ossi said on the news network's website. "This is the worst day of John's life."

The precise cause of death was not known, Ossi said. After an autopsy the body will be buried in Ocala, Florida, he said. The family has a home in Ocala as well as in California.

According to past reports, Jett was autistic, a claim his actor father has denied, saying he suffered from Kawasaki Syndrome, a condition that can lead to heart disease, show business news site TMZ.com reported.

Kawasaki Syndrome, also known as lymph node syndrome, affects many organs, including the skin and mucous membranes, lymph nodes, blood vessel walls, and the heart. It was first described in 1967 by Dr. Tomisaku Kawasaki in Japan. The condition mostly affects children under the age of five.

A Bahamian police report cited by TMZ said Jett Travolta was last seen on Monday going into the family's residence. He was found lying unconscious on the bathroom floor by the caretaker around 10:00 am on Tuesday.

The report said an autopsy would be performed to determine the cause of death.

The teen had a life complicated by health woes from a very young age.

"Preston, who also said Jett suffered from asthma, blamed household cleaners, fertilizers and pesticides for sparking (his health) condition and lobbied for more detailed labeling on chemical products," People magazine said in its online edition.

"She credited a detoxification program based on the writings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard with helping to improve Jett's health," People reported.

Travolta, famous for roles on television and in films such as "Grease," "Pulp Fiction" (1994) and "True Colors" (1991), received Academy Award nominations for the gritty disco epic "Saturday Night Fever" (1977) and grittier "Pulp Fiction."

"The Travolta family has become like family to us at Old Bahama Bay and we extend our deepest sympathies to them," said Robert Gidel, president of Ginn Resorts, the property's owner.

Actor, socialite, and scandal prone Kim Kardashian is the most googled celebrity of year 2008. The bombshell knocked off pop diva Britney Spears from the top slot of the most searched celebrities on Internet.

Petite beauty Lindsay Lohan has grabbed the second position. Lindsay was in news in 2008 more for her lesbian affair with DJ Samantha Ronson.

Kim became famous after the amteur sex tape scandel. She has also posed nude for several magazines has also participated in a reality show.

Other celebs in the top ten include Britney Spears, Arianna Huffington, Angelina Jolie, Jessica Alba, Tila Tequila, Megan Fox and Miley Cyrus.