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Sydney, Oct.24 : In his new book, Captain's Diary 2007, which hits bookshelves across Australia today, Ponting reveals how his team's World Cup-winning celebrations almost ended in disaster — with the possibility of even a night in jail — in the West Indies earlier this year after the team ventured back onto the Bridgetown pitch to sing its celebratory song Under the Southern Cross following its win over Sri Lanka in the final.

According to stuff.nz.com, Ponting noticed a group of policemen coming up behind them, with one of them saying: "Righto boys, time to go, you've got to get off the ground."

Washington, Oct 24 : An international team of scientists from the US, Germany, Spain and Sweden have successfully launched a solar telescope to an altitude of 120,000 feet on board a balloon.

The test clears the way for long duration polar balloon flights beginning 2009 that aims to capture unprecedented details of the Sun’s surface.

“This unique research project will enable us to view features of the Sun that we've never seen before. We hope to unlock important mysteries about the Sun's magnetic field structures, which at times can cause electromagnetic storms in our upper atmosphere and may have an impact on Earth's climate,” said Michael Knölker, director of NCAR's High Altitude Observatory and a principal investigator on the project.

Washington, October 24 : Surgeons at the Ohio State University Medical Center have preformed the first incisionless surgery in the US by using a device known as EsophyX, approved by the Food and Drug Administration, to cure gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as heartburn.

The surgeons have treated the first two patients in the country by using the device.

The mechanism, which is new in the US, has been proven safe and effective in patients treated throughout Europe for GERD.

According to the surgeons, the new procedure does not leave any scars and results in minimal post-operative pain. It also reduces patients’ recovery time significantly, they say.

Edinburgh, Oct.24 : Muslims attending prayers at Edinburgh's central mosque last night criticised the eight-year jail sentence handed to Mohammed Atif Siddique as too severe.

Karim Adam Zarhara, 31, said: "I think he is the victim of political interference. Whatever happened to freedom of speech?"

Rohan Haksar said he believed the sentence was "very unjust".

Sana Ashraf, 21, said she had not followed the case, but believed Siddique was "disadvantaged" by being a devout Muslim.

"If you're Asian, you have a beard and are religious, it's going to work against you from the start," the law student was quoted by Scotsman, as saying.

Mohammed Ali, a 21-year-old student, said: "I don't think it's good for young people to be made a criminal for motives alone.

Wellington, Oct. 24 : International students will be able to stay in New Zealand longer to seek work under changes announced today.

Immigration Minister David Cunliffe was quoted by stuff.nz.com as saying the changes would allow many international students to stay in New Zealand on a job search permit for up to a year, instead of six months, while they looked for skilled work.

"There is increasing competition for skilled graduates and we need to allow them enough time to find a job in their area of expertise here in New Zealand and not run the risk that they will go elsewhere," he said.

"In many cases, these are precisely the type of skilled workers we need in New Zealand."

Edinburgh, Oct.24 : An Indian-born supermarket worker in a Scottish town was told to start speaking in English or he would have his throat cut.

The 22-year-old, who was chatting in his native language on his mobile phone, was threatened with an eight-centimetre blade as he walked home at 2:30 a.m. from his shift.

At Selkirk Sheriff Court yesterday, Brian McCrindle, 38, was tagged for three months after he admitted making a racially aggravated threat and also being in possession of an offensive weapon. The incident happened in Melrose Road, Galashiels, on June 26.

Graham Fraser, prosecuting told the court: "It was a very frightening incident against someone who was just minding his own business."