Melbourne, Dec. 30 : Australian cricket''s chief selector Andrew Hilditch has said that following the team''s series defeat against South Africa, the sport in the country faces challenging times.

"It''s a challenging time for Australian cricket, we have seen lots of positive signs from our young players and we are looking forward to the process of rebuilding Australian cricket," Fox Sports quoted Hilditch, as saying.

Hilditch''s statement came after the selectors named three uncapped players in their squad of twelve for the third Test against South Africa in Sydney, which starts on Saturday.

Melbourne, Dec. 30 : This week's third Test between Australia and South Africa will not be a testimonial for out-of-form opener Matthew Hayden, said team skipper Ricky Ponting and Australia's chief selector Andrew Hilditch.

The 37-year-old Hayden has scored 313 runs at 22.35 in eight matches, leading to comments that he is now a mere passenger with the squad and should make way for better performing openers.

Ponting and Hilditch both denied the Sydney match would be a testimonial for the 102-Test veteran before his retirement.

Melbourne, Dec. 30 : With five wins, five losses and four draws in 2008, Australia will have to strive to be recognized as the number one team in world cricket again, and that objective could take a couple of years to reach, belives captain Ricky Ponting.

Ponting said that having lost a home series after 16 years should not be reason to chop and change a squad that has been used to winning against all opposition.

Referring to the two-nil loss to South Africa, Fox Sports quoted Ponting as saying: "We''ve all got to remain upbeat. There''s no time for panic or as Andrew Hilditch said, chop and change."

Melbourne, Dec. 30 : Indian IT services provider Satyam Computer Services has demanded a public apology from the World Bank over claims of "providing improper benefits to bank staff and for failing to maintain documentation to support fees charged for its subcontractors".

The World Bank had barred Satyam last February from all contract work at the bank for a period of eight years, effective September 2008, as a result

Denying the World Bank's claims, Satyam has sought a public apology and added that it was now evaluating 'all possible options' to deal with the bank in the wake of its recent negative statements.

Melbourne, December 30 : A man allegedly looted a Chicago bank, using his own pay slip, bearing his name and address, to write a threatening note.

Thomas Infante of Cary, Illinois, had passed a note to a teller in Fifth Third Bank that read "Be Quick Be Quit (sic). Give your cash or I''ll shoot," according to an FBI affidavit.

The 40-year-old, after being handed around 400 dollars, had left behind the note penned on a torn pay slip, reports the Age.

Officers had discovered the other half of the paper, printed with Infante''s name and home address, outside the bank''s front doors.

Melbourne, Dec 30 : When film actor/comedian Jim Carrey was shooting for his new movie `Yes Man', he left the producers and Warner Bros worried after opting to do a
bungee jumping scene by himself.

In the movie, Carrey plays a character by the name of Carl Allen, a man who took a vow to never say the word no, and who on the saying of his girlfriend "to jump off a
bridge" takes her word literally.

The actor was eager to do the jump himself.

While Warner Bros suits were against it and preferred a stunt man to take his place, the producers wanted to keep their star and studio happy.