Gandhi Items Are Sold for $1.8 Million

Items that belonged to revered Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi were sold at a auction to UB group chairman Mr. Vijay Mallya for $1.8 million on Thursday.

The seller James Otis had tried at the last minute to withdraw the items -- Gandhi's trademark wire-rimmed glasses, worn leather sandals, a pocket watch(given to him by Indira Gandhi) and a metal bowl and plate -- after the planned sale caused uproar in India.But the auction in New York at Antiquorum Auctioneer went ahead despite protests by the Indian government.

Mallya himself was not present at the auction, his representative Tony Bedi did the bidding for him."I am sure all Indians will be pleased that these Gandhi items will be coming home," Bedi told reporters.He also said that Mr. Mallya will donate them to India for public display.

Beckham wins battle to stay at AC Milan

David Beckham has won his battle to stay at AC Milan until the end of the campaign and he will return to play for the Italian giants next season.

Under a unique 'timeshare' agreement, the England midfielder will feature for LA Galaxy between July and October before rejoining Milan in November for the rest of the season.The deal follows weeks of negotiations between the two clubs during which Milan bulked at the size of the transfer fee Galaxy were demanding - thought to be around £12m.

It is understood that Beckham is so determined to stay at Milan that he will pay £2million towards the loan fee to Galaxy.the deal is expected to be officially confirmed by the clubs later today or over the weekend.

The move means he will be able to stay at peak physical fitness as he attempts to win a place in the England squad for next summer's World Cup. Fabio Capello has made Beckham a key player in his revamped Three Lions squad and he recently equaled Bobby Moore's record of 108 caps as an outfield player.