Karachi, Nov 8 : Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has reportedly expressed surprise at batsman Mohammad Yousuf’s statement in which he said that because of captain’s attitude he was forced to join the Indian Cricket League (ICL), considered as “rebel” to BCCI-promoted Indian Premier League (IPL).

Malik said that he had a perfectly normal relationship with Yousuf, and added that he didn’t agree with his (Yousuf’s) criticism.

Islamabad, Nov 8: A Polish engineer kidnapped in Pakistan by suspected Taliban militants is still alive, a Polish foreign ministry spokesperson has said citing a latest video.

“We have new information that confirms nearly 100 percent that the Polish engineer kidnapped in Pakistan is alive,” The News quoted spokesman Piotr Paszkowski as saying on Friday in Warsaw.

He declined to provide further details citing security concerns.

The Kidnapped Polish engineer, Piotr Stanczak last appeared in a video address released by his captors on October 14 in which he urged the release of jailed Taliban fighters. He was kidnapped on September 28.

New Delhi, Nov 8 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Krishna Advani on Saturday celebrated his 81st birthday.

In an attempt to bring Advani closer to the people ahead of the assembly and general elections, BJP activists are launching a 700 page and 350 images interactive website-''lkadvani. in'' to mark his birthday.

The BJP party members thronged his house with bouquets and sweets to wish him on his birthday.

Advani, who spent the day with his family, said that he was overwhelmed by the goodwishes of the people.

Wellington - New Zealand's conservative National Party appeared set to oust the Labour-led coalition that has ruled for the last nine years after Saturday's general election.

With 88 per cent of the party vote counted, Television New Zealand predicted the Nationals and their allies would have 69 seats in the new parliament against 53 for Labour and their Green coalition partners.

But Mike Williams, president of the Labour Party, refused to concede defeat as counting in the main cities continued.

New Zealanders have two votes - one for their local constituency member of parliament and the other for a party. The party vote is the most important in deciding the government.

Nairobi - US president-elect Barack Obama's grandmother, Sarah Obama, 86, is to become an ambassador in the fight against malnutrition in her native Kenya, The Standard newspaper reported Saturday.

Sarah Obama would work on an anti-malnutrition campaign by the Kisumu Kids' Empowerment Organization, the report said.

Kisumu, which is located on the shores of Lake Victoria, is Kenya's third largest city and some 70 kilometres from Sarah Obama's native village of Kogelo in the west of the country.

Washington, Nov. 8: Confronted with the United States’ worst financial crisis since the 1929-30 Depression, President-elect Barack Obama is expected to assemble a broad based team of economic advisers, with an emphasis on Clinton-era veterans.