Sydney - Giant miner Rio Tinto Ltd said Wednesday it would cut 14,000 jobs and sell some assets to reduce its debt and bring production capacity into line with flagging demand for commodities.

"By taking these tough decisions now, we will be well positioned when the recovery comes," Rio chief executive Tom Albanese said in a statement.

Rio, which is listed on stock exchanges in Sydney and London, said next year it would cut its debt burden of 38 billion Australian dollars (24 billion US dollars) by 10 billion Australian dollars.

London, Dec 10 : Troubled popstar Amy Winehouse’s label Island Record is so desperate to make her latest album a hit that they have booked three studios at the same time.

The label has blown a whopping 150,000 pounds in hiring the studios at north, east and west London.

"Amy''s next record is one of the most eagerly anticipated in pop music so the record label isn''t taking any chances,” the Mirror quoted a source, as saying.

London, Dec 10 : After Brazilian football coach Phil Scolari slammed WAGs saying that the beauties can put footie players in trouble, the babes’ union representative has claimed that the ‘hard-working’ stars are the best part of the game.

WAGs Union representative Lizzie Cundy, 37, said WAGs were a vital part of football.

“Football would be really boring without us,” The Daily Star quoted the WAGs, as saying.

Contrary to Phil’s comments, Lizzie stated that the WAGs don’t just live on their beau’s money, instead they are well-established women.

“Being a Wag is not a negative thing. They are very career-driven, like their husbands and boyfriends,” Lizzie said.

Melbourne, Dec 10 : A backlog of postponed tours and tournaments has made Australia’s cricket team embark on their busiest year on record in 2009, and skipper Ricky Ponting will struggle to spare a weekend for a barbecue. For about a year.

Ponting’s Test, one-day and Twenty20 sides will play up to 140 days of cricket across six countries and be on the road for a whopping 318 days in a gruelling itinerary.

The year includes a four-month tour of the United Kingdom from June to September, in which the ICC Twenty20 World Championship precedes an anticipated Ashes series.

Singapore - Private sector economists drastically cut their forecasts for Singapore's 2008 economic growth to 2.2 per cent, from 4.2 per cent in a September survey, Channel News Asia reported Wednesday.

The new projection is also below the government's forecast of about 3 per cent for this year.

Economists consulted in the survey by the Monetary Authority of Singapore also adjusted the fourth-quarter gross domestic product to 0.4 per cent growth, down from earlier forecasts of 4.8 per cent.

Wellington, Dec. 10 : Umpiring controversies should be kept at a minimum when the first cricket test between New Zealand and West Indies begins Thursday, says New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori.

The countries'' two-match series is the second on the international calendar to be part of a trial enabling players to appeal decisions.

Rival captains Daniel Vettori and Chris Gayle have the power to refer rejected appeals to the third umpire for his assessment. Batsmen can also ask for a second opinion when they are given out.