Former Spice Girls singer Victoria Beckham was persuaded by her three sons - Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz - to appear as a judge on the music reality show "American Idol".

High drama continued in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly Wednesday with PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti shredding a CBI letter clearing Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a sex scandal, while the ruling National Conference decided to move a breach of privilege motion against her party's Muzaffar Hussain Baig.

Celebrations to mark the end of Sri Lanka's civil war were planned on a national holiday Wednesday as the international community welcomed the end to fighting. But some countries expressed concerns about the human cost of the conflict's end phase. Most of the events planned Wednesday were to praise the security forces involved in the military operations against the Tamil rebels, which drew to an end Monday. Television and radio programmes were being broadcast to pay tribute to the military personnel.

India Inc believes the move by the Barack Obama administration to reduce tax breaks for US firms that ship jobs overseas will hit American companies more than impact on the Indian outsourcing industry. "It's a more US-US issue rather than one aimed at stopping outsourcing, or off-shoring, or anything to do with India," said Som Mittal, president of the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom), a representative boddy for the industry.

cricket's biggest icon, Sachin Tendulkar turned 36 today and said he still feels like a boy of 16. The right-hander, bracketed in the same league with the legendary Don Bradman, is currently leading the Mumbai Indians in the ongoing Indian Premier League in South Africa. "I feel like 16. I think it's the good wishes and blessings that count," he said.

Mumbai will house the 2011 World Cup secretariat and India will host 29 matches of the quadrennial extravaganza, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said here on Tuesday. The secretariat was earlier based in the Pakistani city of Lahore.

Mumbai will house the 2011 World Cup secretariat and India will host 29 matches of the quadrennial extravaganza, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said here on Tuesday. The secretariat was earlier based in the Pakistani city of Lahore.

A new national poll suggests that President Barack Obama is personally more popular than his policies. The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Monday, two days before Obama marks 100 days in the White House, indicates that three in four Americans feel Obama has the personal qualities a president should have. But when asked if Obama agrees with the respondent on the issues, that number drops to 57 percent. The survey also indicates that 63 percent of Americans approve of how Obama is handling his duties as president. One in three questioned in the poll disapprove.