Shimla, May 19 (IANS) The Himachal Pradesh government would launch an integrated crop diversification programme to bring additional 3,000 hectares under cultivation of vegetables, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said Sunday. Laying the foundation stone of a lift irrigation scheme from Parlog Khad to Ogli and to Baghi in Shimla district, he said it would be constructed at a cost of Rs.1.40 crore, and provide irrigation facility to 75.75 hectares

Shimla, May 19 (IANS) The hills of Himachal Pradesh were warm Sunday with Una recording a maximum temperature of 43.2 degrees Celsius and state capital Shimla a high of 29.1 degrees Celsius, the weatherman said. "The maximum temperatures across the state increased by one to two degrees since Saturday mainly due to dry weather," the meteorological office here said in a statement. It said Shimla's maximum temperature was 6.5 notches above what is the average for this time of the season.

Shimla, May 19 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Sunday inaugurated a hilltop temple in upper Shimla, reconstructed and restored at a cost of Rs.1.25 crore. Opening the Hatu Devi temple, rebuilt in traditional hill architectural style in four years, the chief minister said this would be a new attraction for those visiting Narkanda area. He said he himself has been visiting this temple regularly for over 30 years

Dharamsala, May 19 (IANS) There were no protests Sunday in this seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang began his India visit. Official sources said activists of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), Tibetan Women Association, Students for Free Tibet and the National Democratic Party of India were camping in Mumbai and Delhi

Shimla, May 19 (IANS) Four people were killed and five were critically injured after an electric current seeped into some houses in a Himachal Pradesh village, police said Sunday. Officials said that a technical snag in a transformer in Paleur village near Chamba town, some 345 km from here, led to electricity seeping into around 40 houses Saturday night, resulting in the tragic incident. The injured have been admitted to a government hospital in Chamba

Shimla, May 18 (IANS) Ending over five months of speculation after the recovery of a wireless transmitter close to India-China border in Himachal Pradesh, the state police Saturday said it was used by trekkers for communication and posed no security threat. "The equipment found Dec 4 near Jangi vilage in Kinnaur district by forest officials of Moorang were examined by communication experts and it was revealed that the equipments doesn't pose any security threat," a statement said here. "No inbuilt secrecy has been found involved.

Dharamsala, May 18 (IANS) Scoreboard of the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium here Saturday. Kings XI Punjab: Adam Gilchrist b Coulter-Nile 5 Mandeep Singh c Pollard b Dhawan 1 Azhar Mahmood lbw Malinga 80 Shaun Marsh b Harbhajan 63 David Miller c Coulter-Nile b Pollard 6 Manan Vohra not out 20 Gurkeerat Singh lbw Malinga 0 Piyush Chawla run out (Maxwell/Karthik) 1 Praveen Kumar b Malinga 0 Extras (lb 3, w 4) 7 Total (for eight wickets in 20 overs) 183 Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Mandeep Singh, 1.4 overs), 2-6 (Gilchrist, 2.2), 3-154 (Marsh, 16.4), 4-156 (Azhar Mahmood, 17.2), 5-174 (Miller, 18.6), 6-174 (Gurkeerat Singh, 19.1), 7-183 (Chawla, 19.5), 8-183 (Kumar, 19.6) Bowling: Nathan Coulter-Nile 4-0-29-1 Rishi Dhawan 4-1-26-1 Dhawal Kulkarni 0.4-0-12-0 Rohit Sharma 0.2-0-1-0 Harbhajan Singh 4-0-33-1 Lasith Malinga 4-0-39-3 Kieron Pollard 2-0-22-1 Glenn Maxwell 1-0-18-0 Mumbai Indians: Glenn Maxwel c Vohra b Kumar 0 Aditya Tare b Sandeep Sharma 22 Ambati Rayudu c Gilchrist b Awana 26 Rohit Sharma b Chawla 25 Dinesh Karthik c and b Chawla 0 Kieron Pollard c Miller b Sandeep Sharma 22 Rishi Dhawan lbw b Azhar Mahmood 14 Harbhajan Singh c Gurkeerat Singh b Gilchrist 5 Nathan Coulter-Nile b Azhar Mahmood 9 Lasith Malinga not out 1 Dhawal Kulkarni absent hurt Extras (lb 6, w 2, nb 1) 9 Total (all out in 19.1 overs) 133 Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Maxwell, 0.3 overs), 2-27 (Tare, 3.5), 3-62 (Rayudu, 8.4), 4-69 (Karthik, 9.3), 5-78 (Sharma, 11.6), 6-117 (Pollard, 15.6), 7-119 (Dhawan, 16.5), 8-131 (Coulter-Nile, 18.2), 9-133 (Harbhajan Singh, 19.1) Bowling: Praveen Kumar 3-0-15-1 Azhar Mahmood 4-0-24-2 Sandeep Sharma 4-0-39-2 Parvinder Awana 4-0-29-1 Piyush Chawla 4-0-20-2 Adam Gilchrist 0.1-0-0-1 Match details: Toss: Mumbai Indians chose to field Points: Kings XI Punjab 2, Mumbai Indians 0 Umpires: Kumara Dharmasena (Sri Lanka) and CK Nandan TV umpire: S Ravi Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (Sri Lanka)

Dharamsala, May 18 (IANS) Kings XI beat Mumbai Indians by 50 runs in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium here Saturday. Azhar Mahmood (80) and Shaun Marsh (63) were the catalyst in Punjab's big score 183 for eight. A brilliant spell of spin bowling by Piyush Chawla helped his team restrict the table toppers to 133 for 10 in 19.1 overs with last batsman Dhawal Kulkarni not coming out to bat due to injury

Dharamsala, May 18 (IANS) Playing their final league match, Kings XI Punjab finished on a winning note by beating table-toppers Mumbai Indians by 50 runs in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash here at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium Saturday. It was also the last match of their captain, Adam Gilchrist, who has announced his retirement from the format. Put into bat, the home team posted a challenging total of 183/8 with the help of two fantastic knocks from Azhar Mahmood (80) and Shaun Marsh (63).

Dharamsala, May 18 (IANS) Kings XI Punjab made 183/8 against the Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League tie at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium here Saturday. Azhar Mahmood (80) and Shaun Marsh (63) struck a 148-run partnership for the third wicket while pacer Lasith Malinga was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets.