OUR EARTH BEAUTIFUL

1. Sri Lankan coast, 26th December 2004

(above) the ocean rapidly retreats 400 metres on the south-western coast of sri lanka, just 5 minutes prior to the arrival of a devastating tsunami.

(above) the swirling waters continue to batter the coast just moments after the main wall of water has hit.

2. An alluvial fan, Xinjiang province, china

(above) covering an area 56.6 x 61.3 km and taken on may 2nd, 2002, this photo shows an alluvial fan that formed on the southern border of the taklimakan desert in china. an alluvial fan usually forms as water leaves a canyon, each new stream eventually closing up due to sediment - the result being a triangle of active and inactive channels. the blue ones on the left are currently active.

3. Retreating glaciers in the Bhutan-Himalaya

(above) a beautiful but clear sign that glaciers are slowly melting due to global warming. easily visible are the ends of most of these glacial valleys’ surfaces turning to water to form lakes, a trend which has been noticed only in the last few decades.

4. Hurricane Isabel, 2003

(above) this terrifying photo of hurricane isabel was taken on the international space station in 2003 and illustrates the immense size of the hurricane’s eye. this particular hurricane was the deadliest of 2003 and winds reached 165 mph at its peak.

5. Greenland’s eastern coast, August 21st, 2003

(above) the fractal coastline of greenland and its numerous fjords as seen from space.

‘little spots of white in the water seem to be ice originating from the deeper fjords that reach all the way to the icecap covering most of the island.’ link

6. Aurora Borealis

(above) an astounding and spooky photo of the natural phenomenon known as aurora borealis, taken on-board space shuttle atlantis during the sts-117 mission.

7. A total solar eclipse from space, 1999

(above) the shadow of the moon covers part of earth on august 11th, 1999 in this photo taken from mir space station. this shadow raced across earth at 2000 km/h, all areas under the centre of it plunged into darkness during a total solar eclipse. this was apparently one the final photos taken from mir.

8. Egmont National Park, New Zealand

(above) mt. egmont volcano last erupted in 1755 and is now situated at the centre of egmont national park. park regulations have ensured the survival of a forest which extends at a 9.5 km radius from the summit of the volcano, the result of which can be seen from space in the form of huge dark green disc. this photo was taken during the sts-110 mission, april 2002.

9. Mt. Etna eruption, October 2001

(above) taken from the international space station in 2001, this is a photo of a particularly violent eruption on the island of sicily which produced a cloud of ash that travelled as far as libya. on the humongous version of the photo lighter coloured smoke can be seen near the volcano - this was caused by lava igniting nearby forests.

10. Richat structure, Mauritania

(above) the cause of the richat structure in the sahara desert of mauritania has been debated for many years. at first it was thought to be a meteor impact crater due to its circularity but this has since been disproven due to the lack of shock-altered rock in its vicinity. this massive (30 mile diameter) oddity is now believed to have been a rock dome sculpted over time by erosion. this incredible image was taken by the advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer (aster) on october 7th, 2000.

Gatorade Inventor Dies

Dr. Robert Cade, who invented Gatorade and sparked the multimillion dollar sports drink industry, died Tuesday of kidney failure. He was 80.

His death was announced by the University of Florida, where he and other researchers created Gatorade in 1965 to help the school's football players replace carbohydrates and electrolytes lost through sweat while playing in swamp-like heat.

A question from former Gator Coach Dwayne Douglas sparked their research, Cade said in a 2005 interview with The Associated Press. He asked, "Doctor, why don't football players wee-wee after a game."

"That question changed our lives," Cade said.

Cade's researchers determined a football player could lose up to 18 pounds during the three hours it takes to play a game. They also determined 90 to 95 percent of the weight loss was water. Plasma volume decreased by 7 percent and blood volume about 5 percent. Sodium and chloride were excreted in the sweat.

Using their research, and about $43 in supplies, they concocted a brew for players to drink while playing football.

"It sort of tasted like toilet bowl cleaner," said Dana Shires, one of the researchers who sampled the first batch.

"I guzzled it and I vomited," Cade said.

The researchers added some sugar and some lemon juice to improve the taste. It was first tested on freshmen because Coach Ray Graves didn't want to hurt the varsity team. Eventually, however, the use of the sports beverage spread to the Gators, who enjoyed a winning record and were known as a "second-half team" by outlasting opponents.

After the Gators beat Georgia Tech 27-12 in the Orange Bowl, Tech coach Bobby Dodd told reporters his team lost because, "We didn't have Gatorade ... that made the difference."

Gatorade sparked a $5.5 billion a year sports drink market and held 80 percent of the market in 2005, according to Beverage Digest. Current figures were not immediately available.

Cade said he was proud that Gatorade was based on research into what the body loses in exercise.

"The other sports drinks were created by marketing companies," he said.

Since its introduction, Cade said the formula changed very little. Sugar has replaced an artificial sweetener.

Instead of the original four flavors, there are now more than 30 available in the United States and more than 50 flavors available internationally. Gatorade is now sold in 80 countries. Since 1973, UF has received more than $110 million in royalties from Gatorade.

Stokely-Van Camp initially obtained the licensing rights for Gatorade and began marketing it as the "beverage of champions."

Cade said Stokely-Van Camp hated the name "Gatorade," believing it would was too parochial, but stuck with it after tests showed consumers liked the name.

The researcher thought the use of Gatorade would be limited to sports teams and never dreamed it would be purchased by regular consumers. Gatorade is now owned by PepsiCo Inc.

I guzzled it and I vomited.

Dr. Robert Cade's reaction to the first batch of Gatorade

"I never thought about the commercial market," Cade said. "The financial success of this stuff really surprised us."

Cade worked until he was 76, retiring in November 2004 from the university, where he taught medicine, saw patients and conducted research.

"It's harder to get up every morning," he said in a 2003 interview.

In addition to medicine, Cade's other passions are Studebaker automobiles, the violin and his church.

Cade has restored more than 50 Studebakers, often entering them in restoration contests.

An accomplished violinist, he has played with the University of Florida orchestra and still plays at church and home.

In 1991, Cade was awarded the Lutheran Church's highest honor, the Wittenburg Award for his service to the church and community.

Born James Robert Cade in San Antonio on Sept. 26, 1927, Cade, a Navy veteran, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He performed his internship at St. Louis City Hospital in Missouri and his residency at Parkland Medical Hospital in Dallas.

He served fellowships at Southwestern Medical School in Dallas and Cornell University Medical College in New York.

In 1961, Cade was appointed an assistant professor in internal medicine at UF.

His research included kidney disease, hypertension, exercise physiology, autism and schizophrenia.

Cade and his wife, Mary, had six children, Michael, Martha, Celia, Stephen, Emily and Phoebe.

The Impending Urban Millenium

In 2008, the world reaches an invisible but momentous milestone: For the first time in history, more than half its human population, 3.3 billion people, will be living in urban areas. By 2030, this is expected to swell to almost 5 billion. Many of the new urbanites will be poor. Their future, the future of cities in developing countries, the future of humanity itself, all depend very much on decisions made now in preparation for this growth.

While the world’s urban population grew very rapidly (from 220 million to 2.8 billion) over the 20th century, the next few decades will see an unprecedented scale of urban growth in the developing world. This will be particularly notable in Africa and Asia where the urban population will double between 2000 and 2030: That is, the accumulated urban growth of these two regions during the whole span of history will be duplicated in a single generation. By 2030, the towns and cities of the developing world will make up 81 per cent of urban humanity.

Urbanization—the increase in the urban share of total population—is inevitable, but it can also be positive. The current concentration of poverty, slum growth and social disruption in cities does paint a threatening picture: Yet no country in the industrial age has ever achieved significant economic growth without urbanization. Cities concentrate poverty, but they also represent the best hope of escaping it.

Cities also embody the environmental damage done by modern civilization; yet experts and policymakers increasingly recognize the potential value of cities to long-term sustainability. If cities create environmental problems, they also contain the solutions. The potential benefits of urbanization far outweigh the disadvantages: The challenge is in learning how to exploit its possibilities.

In 1994, the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development called on governments to “respond to the need of all citizens, including urban squatters, for personal safety, basic infrastructure and services, to eliminate health and social problems . . . .”(1) More recently, the United Nations Millennium Declaration drew attention to the growing significance of urban poverty, specifying, in Target 11, the modest ambition of achieving by 2020 “a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers”.(2)

UN-Habitat’s Third World Urban Forum, as well as its State of the World’s Cities 2006/7, successfully focused world interest on the deteriorating social and environmental conditions of urban localities.(3) The process of globalization has also drawn attention to the productive potential of cities and to the human cost. Yet the enormous scale and impact of future urbanization have not penetrated the public’s mind.

So far, attention has centred mostly on immediate concerns, problems such as how to accommodate the poor and improve living conditions; how to generate employment; how to reduce cities’ ecological footprint; how to improve governance; and how to administer increasingly complex urban systems.

These are all obviously important questions, but they shrink in comparison with the problems raised by the impending future growth of the urban population. Up to now, policymakers and civil society organizations have reacted to challenges as they arise. This is no longer enough. A pre-emptive approach is needed if urbanization in developing countries is to help solve social and environmental problems, rather than make them catastrophically worse.

The present Report thus attempts to look beyond current problems, real, urgent and poignant though they are. Yet, it is also a call to action. The Report tries to grasp the implications of the imminent doubling of the developing world’s urban population and discusses what needs to be done to prepare for this massive increase. It looks more closely at the demographic processes underlying urban growth in developing areas and their policy implications. It specifically examines the consequences of the urban transition for poverty reduction and sustainability.

It surveys the differing conditions and needs of poor urban women and men, and the obstacles they face as they strive to claim their rights and realize their potential as productive members of the new urban world.

Although mega-cities have received most of the attention, conditions in smaller urban areas call for even greater consideration. Contrary to general belief, the bulk of urban population growth is likely to be in smaller cities and towns, whose capabilities for planning and implementation can be exceedingly weak. Yet the worldwide process of decentralizing governmental powers is heaping greater responsibility on them. As the population of smaller cities increases, their thin managerial and planning capacities come under mounting stress. New ways will have to be found to equip them to plan ahead for expansion, to use their resources sustainably and to deliver essential services.

One of the Report’s key observations is that poor people will make up a large part of future urban growth. This simple fact has generally been overlooked, at great cost. Most urban growth now stems from natural increase (more births than deaths) rather than migration. But wherever it comes from, the growth of urban areas includes huge numbers of poor people. Ignoring this basic reality will make it impossible either to plan for inevitable and massive city growth or to use urban dynamics to help relieve poverty.

Once policymakers and civil society understand and accept the demographic and social composition of urban growth, some basic approaches and initiatives suggest themselves. These could have a huge impact on the fate of poor people and on the viability of the cities themselves. Throughout this Report the message is clear: Urban and national governments, together with civil society, and supported by international organizations, can take steps now that will make a huge difference for the social, economic and environmental living conditions of a majority of the world’s population.

Three policy initiatives stand out in this connection. First, preparing for an urban future requires, at a minimum, respecting the rights of the poor to the city. As Chapter 3 shows, many policymakers continue to try to prevent urban growth by discouraging rural-urban migration, with tactics such as evicting squatters and denying them services. These attempts to prevent migration are futile, counter-productive and, above all, wrong, a violation of people’s rights. If policymakers find urban growth rates too high, they have effective options which also respect human rights. Advances in social development, such as promoting gender equity and equality, making education universally available and meeting reproductive health needs, are important for their own sake. But they will also enable women to avoid unwanted fertility and reduce the main factor in the growth of urban populations—natural increase.

Secondly, cities need a longer-term and broader vision of the use of urban space to reduce poverty and promote sustainability. This includes an explicit concern with the land needs of the poor. For poor families, having an adequate piece of land—with access to water, sewage, power and transport—on which they can construct their homes and improve their lives is essential: Providing it requires a new and proactive approach. Planning for such spatial and infrastructure requirements, keeping in mind poor women’s multiple roles and needs, will greatly improve the welfare of poor families. This kind of people-centred development knits together the social fabric and encourages economic growth that includes the poor.

Similarly, protecting the environment and managing ecosystem services in future urban expansion requires purposeful management of space in advance of needs.

The “urban footprint” stretches far beyond city boundaries. Cities influence, and are affected by, broader environmental considerations. Proactive policies for sustainability will also be important in view of climate change and the considerable proportion of urban concentrations at or near sea level.

Thirdly, population institutions and specialists can and should play a key role in supporting community organizations, social movements, governments and the international community in improving the nature and form of future urban expansion, and thus enhancing its power to reduce poverty and promote environmental sustainability. A concerted international effort at this critical time is crucial to clarify policy options and provide information and analyses that will support strategies to improve our urban future.

A NEW DAY, A NEW CAUSE!!!!!

January 04 » » Oil Conservation Week
January 04 » » World braille day
January 10 » » Road Safety Week
January 12 » » National Youth Day
January 15 » » Army Day
January 15 » » Pin Code Week
January 23 » » National Day of Patriotism
January 25 » » India Tourism Day
January 26 » » Indian Republic day
January 26 » » International Customs Day
January 27 » » World Leprosy Day
January 30 » » Martyrs Day
January 30 » » National Cleanliness Day
February 01 » » International Development Week
February 02 » » World Wetlands Day
February 02 » » Cancer Survivors Day
February 11 » » World Day of the Sick
February 18 » » Festival of Women as Cultirators
February 21 » » International Mother Language Day
February 24 » » Central Excise Day
February 28 » » National Science Day
March 01 » » Universal Humanbeings Week
March 04 » » National Safety Week
March 04 » » International Women's Week
March 07 » » World Sustainable Energy Day
March 08 » » International Women's Day
March 08 » » U.N. Day for Women's Right & International Peace
March 10 » » Commonwealth Day
March 12 » » Dandi March Day
March 15 » » World Disabled Day
March 15 » » World Consumer Rights Day
March 21 » » World Forestry Day
March 21 » » World Poetry Day
March 21 » » International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
March 22 » » World Water Day
March 23 » » World Meteorological Day
March 24 » » World TB Day
March 27 » » World Theatre Day
April 01 » » Prevention of Blindness Week
April 02 » » International Children's Book Day
April 07 » » World Health Day
April 07 » » Handloom Week
April 13 » » Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
April 14 » » Customs Day
April 14 » » Fire Service Week
April 18 » » World Haritage Day
April 18 » » World Amatuer Radio Awarness Day
April 22 » » World Earth Day
April 23 » » World Book and Copyright Day
April 29 » » International Dance Day
April 30 » » Anti-Child Labour Day
May 01 » » International Labour Day
May 01 » » May Day
May 03 » » World Press Freedom Day
May 05 » » National Labour Day
May 07 » » World Asthma Day
May 08 » » World Red Cross Day
May 09 » » Universal Family Week
May 11 » » National Technology Day
May 11 » » International Migratory Bird Day
May 11 » » Mother's Day
May I5 » » International Family Day
May 17 » » World Telecommunication Day
May 18 » » International Museum Day
May 21 » » World Day for Cultural Development
May 25 » » Week of Solidarity with the People of All Colonial Territories Fighting for Freedom, Independence & Human Rights
May 31 » » World No Tobacco Day
June 04 » » International Day Of Innocent
June 04 » » Children Victims of Aggression
June 05 » » World Enviroment Day
June 08 » » World Oceans Day
June 08 » » Fathers Day
June 17 » » World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
June 20 » » World Refugee Day
June 26 » » United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
June 26 » » Anti Drug Day
June 27 » » World Diabetes Day
July 11 » » World Population Day
August 06 » » Hiroshima Day
August 09 » » Nagasaki Day
August 09 » » International Day of Indigenous People
August 12 » » International Youth Day
August 15 » » Indian Independence Day
August 20 » » Sadbhavana Diwas
August 26 » » Women's Equality Day
September 01 » » National Nutrition Week
September 05 » » Teacher's Day
September 08 » » International Literacy Day
September 14 » » Sanchayika Day
September 14 » » International Cross-Cultural Day
September 14 » » Hindi Divas
September 16 » » Ozone Day
September 17 » » International Day For Peace
September 22 » » Rose Day
September 23 » » World Deaf Day
September 24 » » Girl Child Day
September 27 » » World Tourism Day
September 28 » » World Heart Day
September 28 » » Green Consumer Day
October 01 » » World Elders Day
October 01 » » Wildlife Week
October 01 » » Universal Children's Week
October 03 » » World Habital Day
October 16 » » World Food Day
October 17 » » Anti Poverty Day
October 29 » » UNO Day
November 08 » » World Quality Day
November 09 » » Legal Services Day
November 13 » » World Kindness Day
November 14 » » Children's Day
November 14 » » World Heritage Week
November 15 » » National Cooperative Week
November 16 » » International Day for Tolerance and Peace
November 19 » » National Integration Day
November 20 » » Child Rights Day
November 20 » » Universal Children's Day
November 23 » » World Mother-in-Law's Day
November 25 » » International Day onViolence against Women
November 30 » » International Computer Security Day
December 01 » » World AIDS Day
December 02 » » World Pollution Prevention Day
December 10 » » World Human Rights Day

PREVENTING AIDS

India has among the highest number of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the world today, although the overall prevalence remains low. Some states experience a generalized epidemic with the virus transmitted from high-risk groups into the general population. A major challenge is to strengthen and decentralize the program to the state and district levels to enhance commitment, coverage and effectiveness.

STATE OF THE EPIDEMIC

There are more than 5.1 million individuals infected with HIV in this country of over 1 billion people (UNAIDS 2003). The total number of AIDS cases in 2002 was estimated to be about 550,000. Seven states — Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland — already have generalized epidemics, as indicated by a 1 percent or higher prevalence rate among pregnant women in prenatal clinics. These seven states represent 22 percent of the population.

RISK AND VULNERABILITY

Several factors put India in danger of experiencing a rapid spread if effective prevention and control measures are not scaled up and expanded throughout the country. These risk factors include:

Unsafe Sex and Low Condom Use: In India, sexual transmission is responsible for 84 percent of reported AIDS cases. HIV-prevalence rates are highest among sex workers and their clients, injecting drug users, and men who have sex with men (many of whom are married). When surveyed, 70 percent of commercial sex workers in India reported that their main reason for not using of condoms was because their customers objected.

Migration and Mobility: Migration for work for extended periods of time takes migrants away from the social environment provided by their families and community. This can place them outside the usual normative constraints and thus more likely to engage in risky behavior. Concerted efforts are needed to address the vulnerabilities of the large migrant population.

Injecting Drug Use (IDU): Studies indicate that many drug users are switching from inhaling to injecting drugs. This phenomenon is more localized in the Northeastern states of India, and injecting drug users show sharp increases in HIV prevalence. Forty-one percent of IDUs in a national survey reported injecting with used needles or syringes. Of those who cleaned their needles and syringes, only three percent used an effective method such as alcohol, bleach, or boiling water. Appropriate strategies are also needed to address the double impact of drug use and unsafe sexual practices.

Low Status of Women: Infection rates have been on the increase among women and infants in some states. As in many other countries, unequal power relations and the low status of women, as expressed by limited access to human, financial, and economic assets, weakens the ability of women to protect themselves and negotiate safer sex, thereby increasing vulnerability.

Widespread Stigma: Stigma towards people infected with HIV/AIDS is widespread. The misconception that AIDS only affects men who have sex with men, sex workers, and injecting drug users strengthens and perpetuates existing discrimination. The most affected groups, often marginalized, have little or no access to legal protection of their basic human rights. Addressing the issue of human rights violations and creating an enabling environment that increases knowledge and encourages behavior change are thus extremely important to the fight against AIDS.

NATIONAL RESPONSE TO HIV/AIDS

Government:Shortly after reporting the first AIDS case in 1986, the Government of India established a National AIDS Control Program (NACP) which was managed by a small unit within the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The program’s principal activity was then limited to monitoring HIV infection rates among risk populations in select urban areas.

In 1991, the strategy was revised to focus on blood safety, prevention among high-risk populations, raising awareness in the general population, and improving surveillance. A semi-autonomous body, the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), was established under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to implement this program. This “first phase” of the National AIDS Control Program lasted from 1992 -1999. It focused on initiating a national commitment, increasing awareness and addressing blood safety. It achieved some of its objectives, notably an increased awareness. Professional blood donations were banned by law. Screening of donated blood became almost universal by the end of this phase. However, performance across states remained variable. By 1999, the program had also established a decentralized mechanism to facilitate effective state-level responses, although substantial variation continued to exist in the level of commitment and capacity among states. Whereas states such as Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Manipur demonstrated a strong response and high level of political commitment, many other states, such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, have yet to reach these levels.

The second phase of the NACP began in 1999 and will run until March 2006. Under this phase, India continues to expand the program at the state level. Greater emphasis has been placed on targeted interventions for high-risk groups, preventive interventions among the general population, and involvement of NGOs and other sectors and line departments, such as education, transport and police. Capacity and accountability at the state level continues to be a major issue and has required sustained support. Interventions need to be scaled up to cover a higher percentage of the population, and monitoring and evaluation need further strengthening. The Government has done away with the classification of states based on prevalence to avoid inducing complacency among states categorized as low prevalence, and has since focused on the vulnerability of states, hence creating a sense of urgency.

In brief, while the government’s response has scaled up markedly over the last decade, major challenges remain in raising the overall effectiveness of state-level programs, expanding the participation of other sectors, and increasing safe behavior and reducing stigma associated with HIV-positive people among the population.

The Government of India is currently in the early stages of preparing for the third phase of the National AIDS Control Program (NACP 3), for which a multi-disciplinary design team has been constituted to lead the preparation. The design of NACP 3 envisages a complex consultative process including nationwide consultations with various national stakeholders, as well as international development partners.

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): There are numerous NGOs working on HIV/AIDS issues in India at the local, state, and national levels. Projects include targeted interventions with high risk groups; direct care of people living with HIV/AIDS; general awareness campaigns; and care for AIDS orphans. Funding for NGOs comes from a variety of sources: the federal or state governments of India, international donors, and local contributions.

Donors: India receives technical assistance and funding from a variety of UN partners and bilateral donors. Bilateral donors such as USAID, CIDA, and DFID have been involved since the early 1990s at the state level in a number of states. USAID has committed more than US$70 million since 1992, CIDA US$11 million, and DFID close to US$200 million. The number of major financers and the amount of funding available has increased significantly in the last year. Since 2004, the Gates Foundation has pledged US$200 million for the next five years, the Global Fund has approved US$26 million for Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) and about US$7 million for TB/HIV co-infection, and is considering another round of proposals, and USAID is considering the inclusion of India as its 15th priority country. DFID has also increased its financing and is considering the inclusion of additional states. Other more recent donors include DANIDA, SIDA, the Clinton Foundation and the European Union.

ISSUES AND CHALLENGES: PRIORITY AREAS

Limited Overall Capacity: There are severe institutional capacity constraints, including managerial, at the national and state levels. These are critical factors to address as the program attempts to scale-up the national response. NACO will require a change in its role and responsibilities to provide the necessary leadership and steering role for a stronger multisector response for the next phase in India’s fight against HIV/AIDS.

Variable Ability to Implement Responses Across States: The capacity to mount a strong program is weakest in some of the poorest and most populated states with significant vulnerability to the epidemic. There is a need for tailored capacity-building activities and the introduction of some performance-based financing approaches.

Institutional arrangements and personnel turnover: There is a high turnover of state level project directors, resulting in limited continuity and variability in performance across states. This puts program growth at risk.

Donor Coordination: At present there are over 32 donor agencies working with NACO in different states and on different programs. Each donor comes with its own mandate and requirements, as well as areas of focus. The transaction cost to the government as a result of attending to the various demands of the donors is huge. There is a need for better coordinating mechanisms among the donors and clear leadership by the Government to reduce the transaction costs.

Use of Data for Decision Making: There remains a need for greater use of data for decision making, including program data and epidemiological data. A lot of data that is being generated is not adequately used for managing the program or inform policies and priorities. Results-based management and linking incentives to the use of data should be explored.

Stigma and Discrimination: Stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS and those considered to be at high risk remain entrenched. A lot of this is a result of inadequate knowledge. For instance, more than 75 percent of Indians mistakenly believed they could contract HIV from sharing a meal with a person who has the disease, according to a recent study. Stigma and denial undermine efforts to increase the coverage of effective interventions among high risk groups such as men having sex with men, commercial sex workers and injecting drug users. Harassment by police and ostracism by family and community drives the epidemic underground and decreases the reach and effectiveness of prevention efforts. Though there is significant increase in awareness, due to efforts by the government, there is much room for improvement.

Low Awareness in Rural Areas: Sentinel site behavioral surveillance, completed in 2001, showed high HIV/AIDS basic awareness levels (82.4 percent in males and 70 percent in females). However, rural women demonstrated very low rates of awareness in Bihar (21.5 percent), Gujarat (25 percent), and Uttar Pradesh (27.6 percent). New approaches need to be tried to reach rural communities with information about HIV/AIDS, safe sex and how to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS.

WORLD BANK RESPONSE

In 1991, the Government of India and the World Bank expanded their collaboration on infectious disease control programs and by 1992 the first National AIDS Control Project was launched with a World Bank credit of US$84 million. The project helped the government to broaden prevention efforts and to establish institutions and procedures necessary to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS. Building upon lessons learned from the first project, India requested World Bank financing for a follow-on project. With a World Bank credit of US$191 million, the Second National HIV/AIDS Control Project was started and this is increasing the pace of implementation through the use of State AIDS Societies to speed the distribution of funds at the state level.

The Bank has also undertaken analytical work to strengthen the national response, including an analysis of the full array of costs and consequences likely to result from several plausible government policy options regarding funding for anti-retroviral therapy (ART). Currently, the Bank is carrying out sector work on the economic consequences of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on India and is actively supporting the design of the third National AIDS Control Program.

Understanding the Game of Cricket

A Bat-and-ball Sport Contested by Two Teams

(The game of cricket is a favorite sport in England as well as in many Commonwealth countries, including India, Pakistan, South Africa, Australia, the West Indies etc.. A formal game can last anything from an afternoon to several days.) When I visited England last summer I was invited by my host to attend a cricket match at Lord's Cricket Ground in St. Johns Wood in London. For a person who likes baseball and American football, the game of cricket was quite strange to me. Fortunately my British friend was quite articulate and through his clear explanation I was able to understand the play. I was told that basic concept of cricket is similar to that of baseball, even though the game play and rules are different. Teams bat in successive innings and attempt and to score runs, while the opposing team fields and attempts to bring an end to the batting teams innings, which is usually one or two agreed upon before the game. The game is also presided over by a match referee, who watches from outside the field. Off course, the team with the most runs wins the game. My host then explained that in cricket-speak, the word ``innings'' is used for both the plural and the singular. "Inning'' is a term used only in American baseball. My friend continued and told me that cricket ball used in the play is a hard, cork and string ball, covered with leather. It is similar to a baseball, but weighs a fraction less about an ounce or two. Yet the wooden bat is quite different that is used in baseball, as it is broad and flat, like a paddle, unlike the long rounded bat used in the game played in the States. A cricket match is played on a grass field, (roughly oval in shape), in the centre of which is a flat strip of ground 22 yards long, called a pitch. At each end of the pitch is a construction of three parallel wooden stakes (known as stumps) driven vertically into the ground, with two small crosspieces (known as bails) laid across the top of them. This wooden structure is called a wicket.

Mourinho right for England says Ericsson

Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson admitted Friday that he could "understand the clamour" for Jose Mourinho to become England's next manager.

Former Chelsea boss Mourinho has emerged as the favourite to replace Steve McClaren after refusing to rule himself out of the running.

And Manchester City manager Eriksson, who led England for five years before stepping down after the 2006 World Cup, believes the Portuguese coach could be in line for "the biggest job in world football".

"I can understand the clamour for Mourinho. He is colourful and the media love him, so of course I can understand it," said Eriksson.

"He has also been very successful, but to be the England manager you must win every game, not do anything in your private life and hopefully not earn too much money! They are the only qualities you need and if you have those, you are perfect.

"I don't want to say that I am supporting Mourinho because I support everyone and it is not my job. But the biggest football job in Europe and in the world is to be the England manager. That is it.

"The Champions League is big and it is fantastic, but to compare it to the World Cup? No chance. The World Cup is, and will be forever, the number one, so to play in the World Cup or be involved as a manager is the biggest by far."

Eriksson became the first foreigner to take charge of England when he replaced Kevin Keegan in 2001 and he believes Mourinho's success at Porto and Chelsea will ensure him the respect of England's player.

"Mourinho has already shown that he is big with Porto and with Chelsea, so if he has been winning trophies for them, he can do it with England as well," Eriksson said.

"The job is not that different. Once you have the players on the pitch, it is the same as being a manager at a club. Knowing the players as he does would be an advantage, of course.

"He knows all the Chelsea players and he worked with them for three years in the Premier League, so that would help him, especially in the beginning.

"Is he too young to be an international manager? Well that is completely up to him."

The Football Association (FA) are canvassing opinion from top names in football over the vacancy and Eriksson is prepared to aid their search.

He said: "The FA have not asked me, but if they phone and ask me, then yes of course I will tell them."

All eyes turn to India as rebel league pads up

CRICKET officials across the globe will turn their attention to India this weekend when the rebel Twenty20 domestic league starts.

The momentum generated by cricket's newest format will continue with unprecedented prizemoney of more than $4 million, Bollywood hype and entertainment and enhanced television coverage.

The Indian Cricket League will feature six teams and includes former Australian all-rounders Ian Harvey and Stuart Law, who will play for the Chennai Superstars, and West Indian legend Brian Lara, who will represent the Mumbai Champs.

Officials will be keenly interested in the success of the tournament as it will provide an indication of how the official International Cricket Council-sanctioned Indian Premier League will go when it is held in April.

The ICL set the pace in the development of a domestic Indian Twenty20 league, prompting a stunned Board of Cricket Control in India to hastily establish the IPL.

As the IPL is officially sanctioned and is linked with the likes of Cricket Australia, it has been able to sign up current superstars such as Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist.

The ICL has not been able to lure any current top-class players and has had to rely on former international stars.

It's understood contracts begin from $120,000.

A major deterrent has been that any player who joins the ICL has been banned from representing their country.

Former Australian batsman Dean Jones played a key role in the ICL signings, while Indian legend Kapil Dev has been instrumental in the competition's overall development.

"ICL is our baby and we are hoping everything goes off well," Kapil said yesterday.

"It's not the black sheep of cricket.

"Was Kerry Packer the black sheep of cricket? That was a good thing that happened and this is also a good thing."

The tournament will feature some new rules, including no runs from overthrows if a fielder throws down the stumps.

Shane Warne says Twenty20 will hit cricket's biggest market - India - in a "big way" in the next year but says the rebel series cannot be compared to Kerry Packer's World Series revolution.

Warne, who eventually chose to play for the IPL, has urged the International Cricket Council not to ban players who join the ICL.

"Both leagues give wonderful opportunities to professional cricketers and I think it is right that players should have the freedom to play in whichever of them they wish to," Warne said

International Cricket Calendar

International Cricket Calendar

The schedule given here only contains confirmed international cricket matches. As soon as we get more information, this page will be updated. Dates and venues are subject to change.

November 2007

Tue Nov 27

Wed Nov 28

Thu Nov 29

Fri Nov 30 India v Pakistan at Kolkata, 2nd Test - day 1

South Africa v New Zealand at Port Elizabeth, 2nd ODI

Zimbabwe v West Indies at Harare, 1st ODI

December 2007

Sat Dec 1 India v Pakistan at Kolkata, 2nd Test - day 2

Sri Lanka v England at Kandy, 1st Test - day 1

Sun Dec 2 India v Pakistan at Kolkata, 2nd Test - day 3

Sri Lanka v England at Kandy, 1st Test - day 2

South Africa v New Zealand at Cape Town, 3rd ODI

Zimbabwe v West Indies at Harare, 2nd ODI

Mon Dec 3 India v Pakistan at Kolkata, 2nd Test - day 4

Sri Lanka v England at Kandy, 1st Test - day 3

Tue Dec 4 India v Pakistan at Kolkata, 2nd Test - day 5

Sri Lanka v England at Kandy, 1st Test - day 4

Zimbabwe v West Indies at Harare, 3rd ODI

Wed Dec 5 Sri Lanka v England at Kandy, 1st Test - day 5

Thu Dec 6

Fri Dec 7 Zimbabwe v West Indies at Bulawayo, 4th ODI

Sat Dec 8 India v Pakistan at Bangalore, 3rd Test - day 1

Sun Dec 9 India v Pakistan at Bangalore, 3rd Test - day 2

Sri Lanka v England at Colombo (SSC), 2nd Test - day 1

Zimbabwe v West Indies at Bulawayo, 5th ODI

Mon Dec 10 India v Pakistan at Bangalore, 3rd Test - day 3

Sri Lanka v England at Colombo (SSC), 2nd Test - day 2

Tue Dec 11 India v Pakistan at Bangalore, 3rd Test - day 4

Sri Lanka v England at Colombo (SSC), 2nd Test - day 3

Australia v New Zealand at Perth, Only Twenty20 International

Wed Dec 12 India v Pakistan at Bangalore, 3rd Test - day 5

Sri Lanka v England at Colombo (SSC), 2nd Test - day 4

Thu Dec 13 Sri Lanka v England at Colombo (SSC), 2nd Test - day 5

Fri Dec 14 Australia v New Zealand at Adelaide, 1st ODI

Sat Dec 15

Sun Dec 16 Australia v New Zealand at Sydney, 2nd ODI

South Africa v West Indies at Port Elizabeth, 1st T20I

Mon Dec 17

Tue Dec 18 Sri Lanka v England at Galle, 3rd Test - day 1

Wed Dec 19 Sri Lanka v England at Galle, 3rd Test - day 2

Thu Dec 20 Sri Lanka v England at Galle, 3rd Test - day 3

Australia v New Zealand at Hobart, 3rd ODI

Fri Dec 21 Sri Lanka v England at Galle, 3rd Test - day 4

Sat Dec 22 Sri Lanka v England at Galle, 3rd Test - day 5

Wed Dec 26 Australia v India at Melbourne, 1st Test - day 1

South Africa v West Indies at Port Elizabeth, 1st Test - day 1

New Zealand v Bangladesh at Auckland, 1st ODI

Thu Dec 27 Australia v India at Melbourne, 1st Test - day 2

South Africa v West Indies at Port Elizabeth, 1st Test - day 2

Fri Dec 28 Australia v India at Melbourne, 1st Test - day 3

South Africa v West Indies at Port Elizabeth, 1st Test - day 3

New Zealand v Bangladesh at Napier, 2nd ODI

Sat Dec 29 Australia v India at Melbourne, 1st Test - day 4

South Africa v West Indies at Port Elizabeth, 1st Test - day 4

Sun Dec 30 Australia v India at Melbourne, 1st Test - day 5

South Africa v West Indies at Port Elizabeth, 1st Test - day 5

Mon Dec 31 New Zealand v Bangladesh at Queenstown, 3rd ODI

January 2008

Tue Jan 1

Wed Jan 2 Australia v India at Sydney, 2nd Test - day 1

South Africa v West Indies at Cape Town, 2nd Test - day 1

Thu Jan 3 Australia v India at Sydney, 2nd Test - day 2

South Africa v West Indies at Cape Town, 2nd Test - day 2

Fri Jan 4 Australia v India at Sydney, 2nd Test - day 3

New Zealand v Bangladesh at Dunedin, 1st Test - day 1

South Africa v West Indies at Cape Town, 2nd Test - day 3

Sat Jan 5 Australia v India at Sydney, 2nd Test - day 4

New Zealand v Bangladesh at Dunedin, 1st Test - day 2

South Africa v West Indies at Cape Town, 2nd Test - day 4

Sun Jan 6 Australia v India at Sydney, 2nd Test - day 5

New Zealand v Bangladesh at Dunedin, 1st Test - day 3

South Africa v West Indies at Cape Town, 2nd Test - day 5

Mon Jan 7 New Zealand v Bangladesh at Dunedin, 1st Test - day 4

Tue Jan 8 New Zealand v Bangladesh at Dunedin, 1st Test - day 5

Wed Jan 9

Thu Jan 10 South Africa v West Indies at Durban, 3rd Test - day 1

Fri Jan 11 South Africa v West Indies at Durban, 3rd Test - day 2

Sat Jan 12 New Zealand v Bangladesh at Wellington, 2nd Test - day 1

South Africa v West Indies at Durban, 3rd Test - day 3

Sun Jan 13 New Zealand v Bangladesh at Wellington, 2nd Test - day 2

South Africa v West Indies at Durban, 3rd Test - day 4

Mon Jan 14 New Zealand v Bangladesh at Wellington, 2nd Test - day 3

South Africa v West Indies at Durban, 3rd Test - day 5

Tue Jan 15 New Zealand v Bangladesh at Wellington, 2nd Test - day 4

Wed Jan 16 Australia v India at Perth, 3rd Test - day 1

New Zealand v Bangladesh at Wellington, 2nd Test - day 5

Thu Jan 17 Australia v India at Perth, 3rd Test - day 2

Fri Jan 18 Australia v India at Perth, 3rd Test - day 3

South Africa v West Indies at Johannesburg, 2nd T20I

Sat Jan 19 Australia v India at Perth, 3rd Test - day 4

Sun Jan 20 Australia v India at Perth, 3rd Test - day 5

South Africa v West Indies at Centurion, 1st ODI

Mon Jan 21

Tue Jan 22

Wed Jan 23

Thu Jan 24 Australia v India at Adelaide, 4th Test - day 1

Fri Jan 25 Australia v India at Adelaide, 4th Test - day 2

South Africa v West Indies at Cape Town, 2nd ODI

Sat Jan 26 Australia v India at Adelaide, 4th Test - day 3

Sun Jan 27 Australia v India at Adelaide, 4th Test - day 4

South Africa v West Indies at Port Elizabeth, 3rd ODI

Mon Jan 28 Australia v India at Adelaide, 4th Test - day 5

Tue Jan 29

Wed Jan 30

Thu Jan 31

February 2008

Fri Feb 1 South Africa v West Indies at Durban, 4th ODI

Australia v India at Melbourne, Only Twenty20 International

Australia Women v England Women at TBC, Only Twenty20 International

Sat Feb 2

Sun Feb 3 Australia v India at Brisbane, Commonwealth Bank Series

South Africa v West Indies at Johannesburg, 5th ODI

Australia Women v England Women at Melbourne, 1st ODI

Mon Feb 4 Australia Women v England Women at Melbourne, 2nd ODI

Tue Feb 5 India v Sri Lanka at Brisbane, Commonwealth Bank Series

New Zealand v England at Auckland, 1st T20I

Wed Feb 6

Thu Feb 7 New Zealand v England at Christchurch, 2nd T20I

Australia Women v England Women at Sydney, 3rd ODI

Fri Feb 8 Australia v Sri Lanka at Sydney, Commonwealth Bank Series

Sat Feb 9 New Zealand v England at Wellington, 1st ODI

Sun Feb 10 Australia v India at Melbourne, Commonwealth Bank Series

Australia Women v England Women at Sydney, 4th ODI

Mon Feb 11 Australia Women v England Women at Sydney, 5th ODI

Tue Feb 12 India v Sri Lanka at Canberra, Commonwealth Bank Series

New Zealand v England at Hamilton, 2nd ODI

Wed Feb 13

Thu Feb 14

Fri Feb 15 Australia v Sri Lanka at Perth, Commonwealth Bank Series

New Zealand v England at Auckland, 3rd ODI

Australia Women v England Women at Bowral, Only Test - day 1

Sat Feb 16 Australia Women v England Women at Bowral, Only Test - day 2

Sun Feb 17 Australia v India at Adelaide, Commonwealth Bank Series

Australia Women v England Women at Bowral, Only Test - day 3

Mon Feb 18 Australia Women v England Women at Bowral, Only Test - day 4

Tue Feb 19 India v Sri Lanka at Adelaide, Commonwealth Bank Series

Wed Feb 20 New Zealand v England at Napier, 4th ODI

Thu Feb 21

Fri Feb 22 Australia v Sri Lanka at Melbourne, Commonwealth Bank Series

Sat Feb 23 New Zealand v England at Christchurch, 5th ODI

Sun Feb 24 Australia v India at Sydney, Commonwealth Bank Series

New Zealand Women v England Women at Lincoln, 1st ODI

Mon Feb 25 New Zealand Women v England Women at Lincoln, 2nd ODI

Tue Feb 26 India v Sri Lanka at Hobart, Commonwealth Bank Series

Wed Feb 27

Thu Feb 28 New Zealand Women v England Women at Lincoln, 3rd ODI

Fri Feb 29 Australia v Sri Lanka at Melbourne, Commonwealth Bank Series

March 2008

Sat Mar 1

Sun Mar 2 TBC v TBC at Sydney, Commonwealth Bank Series, 1st Final

New Zealand Women v England Women at Lincoln, 4th ODI

Mon Mar 3 New Zealand Women v England Women at Lincoln, 5th ODI

Tue Mar 4 TBC v TBC at Brisbane, Commonwealth Bank Series, 2nd Final

Wed Mar 5 New Zealand v England at Hamilton, 1st Test - day 1

Thu Mar 6 New Zealand v England at Hamilton, 1st Test - day 2

New Zealand Women v Australia Women at Lincoln, Only Twenty20 International

Fri Mar 7 New Zealand v England at Hamilton, 1st Test - day 3

TBC v TBC at Adelaide, Commonwealth Bank Series, 3rd Final

Sat Mar 8 New Zealand v England at Hamilton, 1st Test - day 4

New Zealand Women v Australia Women at Lincoln, 1st Match

Sun Mar 9 New Zealand v England at Hamilton, 1st Test - day 5

New Zealand Women v Australia Women at Lincoln, 2nd Match

Mon Mar 10

Tue Mar 11

Wed Mar 12 New Zealand Women v Australia Women at Lincoln, 3rd Match

Thu Mar 13 New Zealand v England at Wellington, 2nd Test - day 1

Fri Mar 14 New Zealand v England at Wellington, 2nd Test - day 2

Sat Mar 15 New Zealand v England at Wellington, 2nd Test - day 3

New Zealand Women v Australia Women at Lincoln, 4th Match

Sun Mar 16 New Zealand v England at Wellington, 2nd Test - day 4

New Zealand Women v Australia Women at Lincoln, 5th Match

Mon Mar 17 New Zealand v England at Wellington, 2nd Test - day 5

Sat Mar 22 New Zealand v England at Napier, 3rd Test - day 1

West Indies v Sri Lanka at Providence, 1st Test - day 1

Sun Mar 23 New Zealand v England at Napier, 3rd Test - day 2

West Indies v Sri Lanka at Providence, 1st Test - day 2

Mon Mar 24 New Zealand v England at Napier, 3rd Test - day 3

West Indies v Sri Lanka at Providence, 1st Test - day 3

Tue Mar 25 New Zealand v England at Napier, 3rd Test - day 4

West Indies v Sri Lanka at Providence, 1st Test - day 4

Wed Mar 26 New Zealand v England at Napier, 3rd Test - day 5

West Indies v Sri Lanka at Providence, 1st Test - day 5

Thu Apr 3 West Indies v Sri Lanka at Port of Spain, 2nd Test - day 1

Fri Apr 4 West Indies v Sri Lanka at Port of Spain, 2nd Test - day 2

Sat Apr 5 West Indies v Sri Lanka at Port of Spain, 2nd Test - day 3

Sun Apr 6 West Indies v Sri Lanka at Port of Spain, 2nd Test - day 4

Mon Apr 7 West Indies v Sri Lanka at Port of Spain, 2nd Test - day 5

Wed Apr 9

Thu Apr 10 West Indies v Sri Lanka at Port of Spain, 1st ODI

Sat Apr 12 West Indies v Sri Lanka at Port of Spain, 2nd ODI

Wed Apr 16 West Indies v Sri Lanka at Gros Islet, 3rd ODI

Thu May 15 England v New Zealand at Lord's, 1st Test - day 1

Fri May 16 England v New Zealand at Lord's, 1st Test - day 2

Sat May 17 England v New Zealand at Lord's, 1st Test - day 3

Sun May 18 England v New Zealand at Lord's, 1st Test - day 4

Mon May 19 England v New Zealand at Lord's, 1st Test - day 5

Tue May 20

Wed May 21

Thu May 22 West Indies v Australia at Kingston, 1st Test - day 1

Fri May 23 England v New Zealand at Manchester, 2nd Test - day 1

West Indies v Australia at Kingston, 1st Test - day 2

Sat May 24 England v New Zealand at Manchester, 2nd Test - day 2

West Indies v Australia at Kingston, 1st Test - day 3

Sun May 25 England v New Zealand at Manchester, 2nd Test - day 3

West Indies v Australia at Kingston, 1st Test - day 4

Mon May 26 England v New Zealand at Manchester, 2nd Test - day 4

West Indies v Australia at Kingston, 1st Test - day 5

Tue May 27 England v New Zealand at Manchester, 2nd Test - day 5

Wed May 28

Thu May 29

Fri May 30 West Indies v Australia at North Sound, 2nd Test - day 1

Sat May 31 West Indies v Australia at North Sound, 2nd Test - day 2

June 2008

Sun Jun 1 West Indies v Australia at North Sound, 2nd Test - day 3

Mon Jun 2 West Indies v Australia at North Sound, 2nd Test - day 4

Tue Jun 3 West Indies v Australia at North Sound, 2nd Test - day 5

Wed Jun 4

Thu Jun 5 England v New Zealand at Nottingham, 3rd Test - day 1

Fri Jun 6 England v New Zealand at Nottingham, 3rd Test - day 2

Sat Jun 7 England v New Zealand at Nottingham, 3rd Test - day 3

Sun Jun 8 England v New Zealand at Nottingham, 3rd Test - day 4

Mon Jun 9 England v New Zealand at Nottingham, 3rd Test - day 5

Tue Jun 10

Wed Jun 11

Thu Jun 12 West Indies v Australia at Bridgetown, 3rd Test - day 1

Fri Jun 13 West Indies v Australia at Bridgetown, 3rd Test - day 2

England v New Zealand at Manchester, Only Twenty20 International

Sat Jun 14 West Indies v Australia at Bridgetown, 3rd Test - day 3

Sun Jun 15 West Indies v Australia at Bridgetown, 3rd Test - day 4

England v New Zealand at Chester-le-Street, 1st ODI

Mon Jun 16 West Indies v Australia at Bridgetown, 3rd Test - day 5

Tue Jun 17

Wed Jun 18 England v New Zealand at Birmingham, 2nd ODI

Thu Jun 19

Fri Jun 20

Sat Jun 21 England v New Zealand at Bristol, 3rd ODI

West Indies v Australia at Bridgetown, Only Twenty20 International

Sun Jun 22

Mon Jun 23

Tue Jun 24 West Indies v Australia at Kingstown, 1st ODI

Wed Jun 25 England v New Zealand at The Oval, 4th ODI

Thu Jun 26

Fri Jun 27 West Indies v Australia at St George's, 2nd ODI

Sat Jun 28 England v New Zealand at Lord's, 5th ODI

Sun Jun 29 West Indies v Australia at St George's, 3rd ODI

Fri Jul 4 West Indies v Australia at Basseterre, 4th ODI

Sat Jul 5

Sun Jul 6 West Indies v Australia at Basseterre, 5th ODI

Mon Jul 7

Tue Jul 8

Wed Jul 9

Thu Jul 10 England v South Africa at Lord's, 1st Test - day 1

Fri Jul 11 England v South Africa at Lord's, 1st Test - day 2

Sat Jul 12 England v South Africa at Lord's, 1st Test - day 3

Sun Jul 13 England v South Africa at Lord's, 1st Test - day 4

Mon Jul 14 England v South Africa at Lord's, 1st Test - day 5

Tue Jul 15

Wed Jul 16

Thu Jul 17

Fri Jul 18 England v South Africa at Leeds, 2nd Test - day 1

Sat Jul 19 England v South Africa at Leeds, 2nd Test - day 2

Sun Jul 20 England v South Africa at Leeds, 2nd Test - day 3

Mon Jul 21 England v South Africa at Leeds, 2nd Test - day 4

Tue Jul 22 England v South Africa at Leeds, 2nd Test - day 5

Wed Jul 30 England v South Africa at Birmingham, 3rd Test - day 1

Thu Jul 31 England v South Africa at Birmingham, 3rd Test - day 2

August 2008

Fri Aug 1 England v South Africa at Birmingham, 3rd Test - day 3

Sat Aug 2 England v South Africa at Birmingham, 3rd Test - day 4

Sun Aug 3 England v South Africa at Birmingham, 3rd Test - day 5

Mon Aug 4

Tue Aug 5

Wed Aug 6 England Women v South Africa Women at Canterbury, 1st ODI

Thu Aug 7 England v South Africa at The Oval, 4th Test - day 1

Fri Aug 8 England v South Africa at The Oval, 4th Test - day 2

England Women v South Africa Women at Lord's, 2nd ODI

Sat Aug 9 England v South Africa at The Oval, 4th Test - day 3

Sun Aug 10 England v South Africa at The Oval, 4th Test - day 4

Mon Aug 11 England v South Africa at The Oval, 4th Test - day 5

England Women v South Africa Women at TBC, Only Test - day 1

Tue Aug 12 England Women v South Africa Women at TBC, Only Test - day 2

Wed Aug 13 England Women v South Africa Women at TBC, Only Test - day 3

Thu Aug 14 England Women v South Africa Women at TBC, Only Test - day 4

Fri Aug 15

Sat Aug 16

Sun Aug 17

Mon Aug 18 Scotland v England at Edinburgh, Only ODI

England Women v South Africa Women at Chesterfield, 3rd ODI

Tue Aug 19

Wed Aug 20 England v South Africa at Chester-le-Street, Only Twenty20 International

England Women v South Africa Women at TBC, 1st T20I

Thu Aug 21

Fri Aug 22 England v South Africa at Leeds, 1st ODI

England Women v South Africa Women at TBC, 2nd T20I

Sat Aug 23 England Women v South Africa Women at TBC, 3rd T20I

Sun Aug 24

Mon Aug 25

Tue Aug 26 England v South Africa at Nottingham, 2nd ODI

Wed Aug 27

Thu Aug 28

Fri Aug 29 England v South Africa at The Oval, 3rd ODI

Sat Aug 30 England Women v India Women at TBC, 1st ODI

Sun Aug 31 England v South Africa at Lord's, 4th ODI

September 2008

Mon Sep 1 England Women v India Women at Shenley, 2nd ODI

Tue Sep 2

Wed Sep 3 England v South Africa at Cardiff, 5th ODI

Thu Sep 4 England Women v India Women at Taunton, 3rd ODI

Fri Sep 5 England Women v India Women at Taunton, Only Twenty20 International

Sat Sep 6

Sun Sep 7 England Women v India Women at Arundel, 4th ODI

Mon Sep 8

Tue Sep 9 England Women v India Women at Hove, 5th ODI