Chennai, Dec 10 : The England cricket teams will donate half of their match fees from the first Test against India starting on Thursday to victims of last month''s attacks in Mumbai, opening batsman Alastair Cook said.

"To extend our sympathies to the families of those who have lost their loved ones in the Mumbai attacks and as a cricketer, we are here to win a Test match series in India. The England players will pay half their match fees from the first Test match to the families of the victims of the Mumbai attacks," said Cook.

The England cricket team, led by skipper Kevin Pietersen, arrived in Chennai on Monday evening.

The entire team arrived in two batches from Abu Dhabi to play two test matches against India.

England are scheduled to play two Tests - in Chennai (Dec 11-15) and Mohali (Dec 19-23).

The first test is scheduled to begin on Thursday at Chennai.

Chennai, Dec 9 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi strongly condemned the alleged statement made by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) Chief about the political leaders of Tamil Nadu.

While addressing a news conference, Karunanidhi said, "If an army Chief of some other country has spoken anything about our leaders, I condemn it. Talking about each other within the country is different from a person of other country talking about the leaders in Tamil Nadu."

On Sunday, SLA Chief Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka allegedly called Tamil Nadu politicians like Nadumaran and Vaiko "jokers'''' and said the Indian Government should not listen to their demands for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka.

Chennai, Dec 8 : For the first time, instead of raising voices for their own issues, hoards of transgender gathered here today to served a hunger strike to show solidarity with the ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Almost all transgender associations in Tamil Nadu participated in the protest to voice their concern over the alleged atrocities on ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Chennai, Dec 6 : Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag met school children at a function organised on Saturday to felicitate student sportspersons in Chennai.

The lone Indian to make triple century in test cricket Sehwag, bedecked in a traditional Indian dress which was as flamboyant as his strokes on the fields arrived in the school on a horse driven cart.

Scores of school children greeted him, breaking into long rapturous applause.

Recounting his own schooldays, the maverick batsman expressed happiness on meeting them.

Chennai, Dec 5 : The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) jointly announced on Friday that they have decided to form a coalition for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

AIADMK General Secretary Jayalalitha and CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat announced this during a joint press conference in Chennai this afternoon.

While speaking to reporters after an hour-long meeting, Jayalalitha described the meeting with Karat as “cordial”.