Sexed-up fifties put sexual health at risk

London: Many sexually active middle-aged lovers who believe '50 is frisky' are inviting the risks of sexual disease, a new survey has revealed.
The study found that one in 10 sexually active over-fifties did not use any form of contraception which would stop them catching sexually transmitted infections, and knew next to nothing about their partner's sexual history.
While, two-thirds of those over 50 claimed to enjoy active sex lives, they viewed diseases such as AIDS and Chlamydia as problems for younger generation only.
"It will surprise older people that they are vulnerable to sexually-transmitted diseases and should be having protected sex," Saga magazine editor Emma Soames said.
The findings shatter the myth that once you hit 50, your sex life is over.
Rather, there is less pressure than when people were younger and it is likely that you feel more comfortable about your body, she said.
"Forget about the dirty 30s or the naughty 40s. The frisky 50s are having the most fun by swapping the boardroom for the bedroom," the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.
The statistics reveal 85 per cent found sex less pressured and 76 per cent said it was a more fulfilling experience than in their youth.
Nearly 16 per cent admitted using drugs such as Viagra to improve their performance in the bedroom.
Two years ago, Health Protection Scotland warned that the popularity of swapping partners and of women going on foreign holidays to pick up men had led to a rise in sexual diseases among the over-50s.

Internet failure hits two continents

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Large swathes of Asia, the Middle East and north Africa had their high-technology services crippled Thursday following a widespread Internet failure which brought many businesses to a standstill and left others struggling to cope.
One major telecommunications provider blamed the outage, which started Wednesday, on a major undersea cable failure in the Mediterranean.
India's Internet bandwidth has been sliced in half, The Associated Press reported, leaving its lucrative outsourcing industry trying to reroute traffic to satellites and other cables through Asia.
Reports say that Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain are also experiencing severe problems.
Nations that have been spared the chaos include Israel -- whose traffic uses a different route -- and Lebanon and Iraq. Many Middle East governments have backup satellite systems in case of cable failure.
There were contradictory reports on the real cause behind the disruption, but Du, a state-owned Dubai telecom provider, attributed it to an undersea cable cut between Alexandria, Egypt and Palermo, Italy.
An official at Egypt's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was believed that a boat's anchor may have caused the problems, although this was unconfirmed, AP reported. He added that it might take up to a week to repair the fault.
Kuwait's Ministry of Communications said the problem could take two weeks to solve, according to a statement carried by the state news agency, KUNA.
There were concerns in India that an Internet slowdown could affect trading patterns at the country's two major exchanges, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) in Delhi and the SENSEX exchange in Bombay.
Rajesh Chharia, president of India's Internet Service Providers' Association, explained that some firms were trying to reroute via Pacific cables and that companies serving the eastern US and the UK were worst affected, AP added.
Besides the Internet, the outage caused major disruption to television and phone services, creating chaos for the UAE's public and private sectors.
The Du internal memo, obtained by CNN, called the situation in Dubai "critical" and stated that the cable's operators did not know when services would be restored.

Aruba authorities examine new clues in case of missing U.S. teen

ORANJESTAD, Aruba (AP) -- Aruban prosecutors said Thursday that authorities are investigating new evidence in the disappearance of Natalee Holloway provided by a Dutch crime reporter.
Information from reporter Peter R. de Vries may help resolve what happened to the American teenager, who vanished during a May 2005 school vacation to the Dutch Caribbean island, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
The statement did not say specifically what the new evidence was.
"This information may shed a new light on the mode of which Natalee Holloway has died and the method by which her body disappeared," the prosecutor's office said.
De Vries had a testy exchange earlier this month during a televised interview in the Netherlands with Joran van der Sloot, a Dutch man who was a suspect in the case.
Van der Sloot, who was among the last people seen with Holloway, threw wine at De Vries after the reporter challenged his credibility.
Prosecutors dismissed their case against Van der Sloot and two other suspects last month, saying they lacked evidence to charge them or even prove a crime was committed. Authorities have said the case could be reopened if new evidence surfaces.
Holloway, of Alabama, disappeared the final night of her high school graduation trip. She was 18 at the time.
She was last seen leaving a bar with Van der Sloot and two Surinamese brothers, Deepak and Satish Kalpoe, hours before she was due to board a flight home. The three men have been repeatedly detained as suspects but have denied any wrongdoing.

Will Delhi hit zero degrees on Friday? Met Dept unsure

New Delhi: The big question that everyone seems to be asking is — will Delhi hit the 0 degree mark on Friday?
While the BBC had predicted that the minimum temperature in the national Capital on Friday will be as low as the freezing point, the forecast from the website Weather Underground is one notch higher - one degree celsius.
However, the Met Department says Delhi won't hit zero.
"It is unlikely that the temperatures in Delhi will touch zero," said IMD Director B P Yadav.
Met officials say the expected minimum temperature is around 2 degrees Celsius. Temperatures however, are expected to remain between 3 - 4 degrees below normal for the next two days.
The Met Department has also forecast light showers over the Northern plains over the weekend which should help abate the cold wave.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s school-goers are rejoicing because the Delhi government has given them unexpected second winter break.
The government’s ruling is, however, applicable only to primary school children, which has seen junior school-kids pulling many a long face as they brave the winter chill in the mornings.

Britney taken from home in ambulance

LOS ANGELES: Britney Spears was taken from her house by ambulance early on Thursday. A Los Angeles police officer, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the 26-year-old pop star was being taken to "get help" but did not say where the ambulance was going. On January 3, police were called to her Studio City home when she refused to return her two young sons, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, to ex-husband Kevin Federline, who has custody. Officers had paramedics haul Spears to a hospital for undisclosed reasons. She was released after a day and a half in Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre. Police also went to her house on Monday night after someone reported a swarm of paparazzi trespassing in the singer's gated community. When officers arrived, they didn't see anyone trespassing, police said, but citations were issued for several illegally parked cars. Spears has been in a highly public downward spiral since filing for divorce from Federline in November 2006. Her bizarre antics include shaving her head bald, attacking a car with an umbrella and bringing along a paparazzo pal on trips to a courthouse in her child custody case.

SC finds HP CEO guilty in BPO rape-murder case

Bangalore: Two-and-a-half years ago, Pratibha Murthy, an employee of a BPO company was killed in Bangalore. Now the Supreme Court has said that the then-CEO of the company, Hewlett Packard Som Mittal should be prosecuted.
Pratibha’s parents, who spent the past two years in and out of courts seeking justice, are taking some comfort from the Supreme Court order on Wednesday, which found that Mittal should be held responsible for negligence.
“A man who heads any institution is always responsible, whether he's in the institution or outside the institution, negligence is negligence. It's associated with them, it's caused by them,” said Pratibha's uncle, S Srinivasa.
The former CEO, who is now president of Nasscom, is accused of violating a Karnataka government order that directed companies employing women in night shifts to provide security for them during their travel home.
For the thousands of women working in BPOs across India, the Supreme Court order would mean safer night shifts.
“Companies will be more alert now. They know they have to take action or they'll be convicted,” stated National Commission for Women’s spokesperson, Nirmala Venkatesh.
Prathiba’s case has set a precedent like none other for the BPO industry. Other women in the BPO industry can at least take heart now that their security is not at stake when they work.

Delhi boy to fight Oxford lifetime ban ‘till very end’

LONDON: Krishna Omkar, the Delhi boy uniquely barred for life from ever contesting elections to lead the Oxford Union, one of the world's oldest and arguably most prestigious university nurseries for world leaders, has questioned his punishment "with the harshest sentence in the Union's 185-year history". In robust remarks to TOI Omkar - who would have been only the second Indian after Montek Singh Ahluwalia to win the Union's presidency had he been allowed to take up his post on March 1 - said out he was elected with the "biggest mandate of any candidate in 185 years". He vowed on Thursday to "keep fighting until the very end", reiterating that it was rank "prejudice" by the Union's Election Tribunal "to inflict a lifetime bar from candidature ... based not on the nature of the 'malpractice' as found, but...because they thought me 'arrogant'." Omkar's comments are seen by some observers as deeply damaging to a university debating society that has long welcomed speakers from around the world and been led from time to time by people of different races and ethnicity, not least the late Benazir Bhutto. Some believe that at least some of the ongoing kerfuffle over the Union's election is a result of bitter in-fighting in a bid to allow the current treasurer to walk into the president's post uncontested with Omkar safely removed from the reckoning. But Omkar, who says he places immense value on his dearest wish – to lead the Union – because "seven British prime ministers were there and so was Bhutto and (the distinguished late Sri Lankan foreign minister) Lakshman Kadirgamar", insists the Union's troubles are relevant to the wider world because "it is supposed to be about free speech, fair play and democracy". Omkar firmly rejected any suggestion that he or his supporters ever sent or sanctioned sexually explicit text messages to his rival for the post of president, Charlotte Fischer. Omkar agreed that the Union's history was littered with examples of racial and cultural inclusiveness but said he was hard put to understand why he faces a lifetime ban for "doing something (holding a meeting of 25 friends and supporters) that every Union president in history has done - including the sitting president and her predecessor, as well as my opponent who brought the charges against me - all of whom testified to having done so". Omkar said in this, his seventh term at Oxford, he had seen repeated instances of the same sort of campaigning he legitimately pursued. Omkar's eight-week ban is the harshest in the Union's history with the most severe imposed for only three terms on candidate-for-president Matt Richardson in 2004-2005. But Omkar says he may be down but not out and is determined to move a remarkable motion at the Union on February 7 to create the society's first-ever scale of sentencing, a procedure for lodging an appeal against an unfair decision and seek to nullify a lifetime ban. Sources close to Omkar say he has urgently to fly to Delhi because his mother "is unwell and on her own" and has found it frustrating that the Union's current crop of office-bearers are trying to stymie his fightback by insisting his motion be debated on February 14 when Omkar will be far away in Delhi.

Girl who'll get sexy with Hrithik

The thrills behind the thriller that Anurag Basu is making for Rakesh Roshan with Hrithik in the lead, are getting more thrilling than the film itself.The hunt for the leading lady for Hrithik is getting more itense. Several names have been put forward. Apparently Rakesh Roshan who's very close to Anil Kapoor and very fond of Sonam wanted to cast her. But Sonam, frightfully conscious of her conservative image begged off.The role requires the girl to get seriously sexy with Hrithik.Says Hrithik, "I'd love to work with Sonam. But not on this project. The role doesn't do justice to her. We're looking at someone from abroad, someone Latin American or Brazilian. So yeah, in that sense this would be my first international project."Director Anurag Basu says Sonam doesn't suit the role. "We've looked at many names, known and and new in Bollywood. But that 'it' factor eludes us. I'm getting quite jittery.The girl's role is extremely bold. Actually we've decided to cast someone international, preferably Brazilian, because that's the personality and profile of the leading lady in my film." According to reliable reports, the girl chosen for the part is the Channel V model Bruna Abdullah. Child of an Arabian mother and Brazilian father Bruna has been stationed in Mumbai waiting for Bollywood to happen. She performed an extremely bold item song for Anubhav Sinha's Cash recently.
Says a close friend of the Arabian-Brazilian veejay-dancer, "Bruna is extremely uninhibited before the camera. That's why she was brought into Channel V who needed a girl to rival the international looks, personality and body language of MTV's veejay Mia. Bruna has her eyes set on Bollywood. Anubhav's item song was her stepping stone. Anurag's film with Hrithik is her next big move."However the director denies Bruna has been penciled in for the Hrithik project. "I don't deny meeting her, like we've met so many other girls for the part. But Bruna hasn't been finalized.But it'll surely be an international face."Adds Rakesh Roshan, "It'll be a Spanish –speaking girl.We want to show love has no barriers."

Having a Jolie good time?

Angelina Jolie fuelled pregnancy rumours when she showed up at the 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in a flowy strapless dress. The star sashayed along the red carpet with partner Brad Pitt in tow, and once inside, the pair were inseparable, stealing kisses and holding hands through out the ceremony. It has been reported that the Tomb Raider star is expecting twins with Pitt, who accompanied her to the awards ceremony in Los Angeles. The speculation was further heightened by the loose and billowy vintage designer dress Ange wore to the do. "She is glowing, in great spirits and totally beaming," a website quoted a witness as saying. Jolie was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for her role as

Hillary or Obama? Indian voters divided in United States

New York: The focus in the Democratic primaries so far has been on race and gender. But for Indians in America, in this primary season, the major trend emerging is one of a generation gap.
That gap exists even within families, even in a state like Michigan where the Democratic race was a non-contest.
Says Michigan voter, Radhika Upadhyaya, “I would vote for Barack Obama.”
But opinions seem to be divided in the family itself. Says Radhik’as mother Rashmi, “The candidate? I think, Hillary would be the right one.”
Older Indians appear to lean towards Hillary Clinton partly due to nostalgia for her husband.
“I will support Hillary Clinton. I'm a big fan of Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton is bigger than life, like Amitabh Bachchan,” says Iowa voter Arun Kalra.
For many youth, it's about the future and seeking change.
Says New York voter Theresa Thanjan, “This is a man who three years ago, people didn't even know about versus a Senator, Senator Hillary Clinton, who has a long history in American politics. So this just goes to show that Obama's campaign is one that's really making a difference.”
This difference in views between age brackets has not gone unnoticed among political scientists.
“There is definitely a generational identity. And that is quite different from the older generation, the first generation, which was mainly the immigrants. And this is a population, the younger ones, who are more aware of the fact they are people of colour, they are more progressive in terms of their values and they are more aware of American politics,” says Director, Asian/American Center, Queens College, Madhulika Khandelwal.
That's changing the face of politics within the Indian-American community.
Obviously, not every young voter is for Obama nor is every establishment figure for Hillary Clinton but a real trend has emerged in these elections, that of a generation gap within the Indian American community.

What's keeping SRK busy?

We have news that Shah Rukh Khan is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that his IPL team has the best of everything. King Khan hasn’t yet got his players in place (bidding is yet to take place and we expect SRK to go all out when it does), but he is busy getting a theme song ready to represent his team and taking a personal interest in designing the team’s uniform. Music composers Vishal-Shekhar, who composed the chartbuster music of SRK’s latest production Om Shanti Om, have been roped in to compose the song’s tune. Reportedly SRK’s favourite, Anahita Shroff, will design the uniform. Our well-placed source from the industry tells us, “On Monday, Vishal-Shekhar met SRK at his office in Bandra. They had a long meeting and SRK briefed them about the kind of tune he wanted. The brief is that it should set the adrenaline flowing.” Vishal confirms the news, saying, “Yes, Shekhar and I met Mr Khan on Monday. We have been given about a month’s time to get a tune ready for his IPL team. We’ve been told that the tune should be one that represents a winner. We all know that Mr Khan plays to win.” So, which colour will SRK’s team sport? Our source says, “SRK’s favourite colour is black, but then cricket uniforms can’t be black. So, he’ll have to settle for a colour other than black.” SRK’s favourite designers are Anahita Shroff and Karan Johar. But currently, Karan is very busy with his show Shava Shava. So, Anahita it is. (Anahita is known for her work in Bluffmaster, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna and Dhoom. Anahita has also designed the look for John Abraham and Vivek Oberoi in Kaal, Sushmita Sen in Zindaggi Rocks.) When asked whether SRK has asked her to start work on his IPL team’s uniforms, Ananhita simply said, “Please ask Shah Rukh Khan about this. I don’t want to say anything. Yes, I am sure that he is taking a personal interest in the uniforms. He is, after all, a perfectionist.”

Aishwarya, Angelina may have common ancestors

London: Top actors Aishwarya Rai and Angelina Jolie may have common ancestors. If a research is to be believed all people with blue eyes can trace their ancestry back to one person who probably lived about 10,000 years ago in the Black Sea region.
Scientists studying the genetics of eye colour at the University of Copenhagen found that more than 99.5 per cent of blue-eyed people who volunteered to have their DNA analysed have the same tiny mutation in the gene that determines the colour of the iris.
Professor Hans Eiberg of the university said he has analysed the DNA of about 800 people with blue eyes, ranging from fair-skinned, blond-haired Scandinavians to dark-skinned, blue-eyed people living in Turkey and Jordan.
"All of them, apart from possibly one exception, had exactly the same DNA sequence in the region of the OCA2 gene. This to me indicates very strongly that there must have been a single, common ancestor of all these people," he said.
The study reported in the journal Human Genetics indicates that the mutation originated in just one person who became the ancestor of all subsequent people in the world with blue eyes.
"From this we can conclude that all blue-eyed individuals are linked to the same ancestor. They have all inherited the same switch at exactly the same spot in their DNA," Professor Eiberg was quoted as saying by The Independent a Britain daily.
Even though the scientists are unable to pinpoint the exact date when the mutation occurred, evidences suggested it probably arose about 10,000 years ago when there was a rapid expansion of the human population in Europe as a result of the spread of agriculture from the Middle East.

Katie Holmes fuels pregnancy rumours

Katie Holmes has fuelled rumours she is pregnant by buying a ‘Big Sister’ t-shirt for daughter Suri. The Batman Begins star visited a LA baby boutique with Suri — her 21-month-old daughter with husband Tom Cruise — where she spent over $2,000 on baby clothes. A source said, “Katie ordered loads of cute girlie spring dresses for Suri. But she also bought a pink t-shirt which said ‘Big Sister’ and two matching romper suits, one which said ‘Little Sister’ and one which said ‘Little Brother’.” Last December, Katie, 29, revealed she is desperate to have more children with Tom, 45. She said, “I’d love to have more children. But I’m in no particular rush. We’re enjoying our time right now.” It was recently reported the former Dawson’s Creek actress wants to give birth to her next child before turning 30 in December. A source said, “She had it all figured out. She would shoot her new movie and then get pregnant. She was hoping to have the baby by the end of the year, go back to work next spring and have another film out by the end of 2009.”

Akshay on a roll!

The year 2007 clearly belonged to Akshay Kumar and 2008 promises to be no different. But while last year witnessed Akki at his funniest best in comical avatars, this year will see the superstar reclaim his Action King status. It’s a homecoming of sorts for the Khiladi who’s back to his forte of beating up baddies and performing his signature death-defying stunts after a hiatus of almost four years. And the actor’s fans have more reasons to rejoice as Akki has not one, but almost four action films under his belt, including Kambaqth Ishq, Rohan Sippy’s Chandni Chowk to China, Vipul Shah’s Singh is Kingg and Yash Chopra’s Tashan. Talking about the break from his action image, Akshay says, "I just wanted to explore all aspects of the spectrum, right from comedy to emotions and not be slotted in a particular image. What I want to do is entertain. But action is always closer to heart. After all, action does speak louder than words, doesn’t it?" So, did he miss doing action in all the years? "No, my son made sure I get enough of it," laughs Akki referring to son Aarav who keeps his ‘daadaa’ on toes. On a serious note he adds, "I keep myself fit as action needs a very high standard of concentration and strength, so I have not really been away from it. But, of course, sometimes you miss being the tough guy who can dishum dishum the world." And though the actor confesses that being a family man does make him think twice before performing any stunt, he’s not wary of going in for any daredevilry. "It’s action that has made me what I am today and the show must go on. We are entertainers after all, right?" he quips. Was it difficult getting back to action? "Nah, not really! Don’t forget my middle name, before King was Khiladi. Action is in my blood," says the actor. "Action may have evolved manifold, but at the core it still remains the same!" Talking about the sea change he’s witnessed in the past few years, Akki says, "The boys are men now and this is where the tough get going. So you need to be really fit to pull of daredevil stunts. We are being watched and compared to the best, so we better be up to it." And what does he find more difficult making people laugh or doing scary stunts? "A stunt is when you compete with yourself. You are in control, but in comedy, your performance depends on your audience, so I would say comedy is more difficult." Are there any actors he looks up to? "Tom and Jerry! They’re good at both action and comedy. I don’t think anyone can beat them," pat comes the reply.

'Ash and Hrithik were very professional'

We enter his office in Khar, and are treated to a series of hardbound books that have a plethora of movie information and experiences between their impressive covers. “I like collecting books on films. They make for interesting reading. But that’s about it,” he tells us, picking up the telephone and ordering his regular chai, in shuddh Marathi. The man is intrigued by India, or so it seems, what with films like Lagaan , Swades and now the much celebrated romance of Jodhaa Akbar forming his spectrum of victories. Is he consciously that Indian by heart. “I think the patriotism comes to each of us naturally. I find Lagaan patriotic, while Swades was nationalistic. And now Jodhaa Akbar belongs to another genre of Indianness altogether.” Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai were the most obvious choices to play the title roles, we are informed. “The lead actors were chosen largely because of their physical persona combined by acting talent. Akbar was a warrior. I needed someone with the physique; also I needed an actor who would look regal without trying hard. Hrithik is a tremendous actor and can adapt himself physically to a character very well. This I noticed in Koi Mil Gaya , while I was impressed with Aishwarya in Chokher Bali , where she was bereft of any external embellishments,” explains Ashutosh. What about problems between his the lead pair? “There was no problem between Ash and Hrithik. Once Ash returned to shoot, it was as normal as it had always been. Both my actors were very professional.” So what next after Jodhaa Akbar ? “There’s nothing so far. I haven’t had the chance to think beyond Jodhaa Akbar," said Ashutosh, sipping his last sip of chai, and setting the cup back where it belonged.

'Hrithik and Aishwarya are the reincarnation of Akbar and Jodhaa'

Early on during the shooting of Jodhaa Akbar, I told Hrithik (Roshan) and Aishwarya (Rai Bachchan) that they don't have to do anything in the film," says Ashutosh Gowarikar with a chuckle. "I told them: You are the reincarnation of Akbar and Jodha."
Though the director signed Hrithik and Aishwarya over two years ago for his historical opus Jodhaa Akbar, the filmmaker says they appeared in his mind the moment actor Haidar Ali narrated the story to him over five years ago.
"And they accepted the film spontaneously," he continues. "To Aishwarya, I just had to say Jodhaa and she was ready to come aboard."
And it didn't take the filmmaker too long to convince Hrithik either.
"He, too, was ready for this film in no time," Gowariker says with a gentle laugh. "I told him: 16th century, the Mughals and Akbar."

Was Katie pregnant when she met Tom?

Talk about a blast from the past coming to haunt someone in the present. A US tabloid is quoting a source who claims that Katie Holmes may have been pregnant when she split from ex-boyfriend Chris Klein before she embarked on a relationship with husband Tom Cruise. Katie and Chris split in March 2005 after five years together. A month after the break-up, the actress flew to Los Angeles from New York to meet Tom. After a whirlwind (and very public) romance, Tom revealed in June that Katie had accepted his marriage proposal and in October the same year the couple announced that Katie was expecting. The tabloid’s source claimed to have met with Chris whose film career took a dive following his role in the hit American Pie movies before the engagement was made public. Said the source, "We were having dinner at Cafeteria, a restaurant in NY’s Chelsea district, when Chris blurted out ‘Dude, you know I got Katie preggers?’ There was a long silence. I realised Chris had said more than he intended. My next question was, ‘What happened to the baby?’" Chris apparently didn’t reply. "From the look in Chris’ eyes, I realised this was highly personal. I didn’t want to probe any further. We quickly went on to another topic," the source revealed. "Chris never brought it up again, but I know he must be reminded of Katie’s pregnancy every time he sees her daughter Suri." The fact that Suri’s birth certificate wasn’t signed until 20 days after her birth date (April 18, 2006) and then it was a full five months before anyone glimpsed the tot in public, prompted speculation that Katie’s daughter may have been born earlier than claimed. None of which detracts from the fact that little Suri is the spitting image of Tom.

Karishma on a new high!

Karisma Kapur’s hubby Sunjay is a polo player, but Karisma herself finds the game a little "scary". Looking as svelte and natty as ever, the lady was at a polo match in the city named after her daughter, Samaira. Was she there to add the glam quotient to the event? "No, I’m not here to add glam," she replied quickly. "I’m here because it’s a family event." But her already-famous little girl wasn’t accompanying her. "I’m flying back to Mumbai this evening," she said. "My daughter’s there, so I have to get back. She’s almost three now," she added. She calls her daughter her greatest gift. "I think motherhood is something that changes every woman. It is a very good feeling. I enjoy every little moment with my daughter. Samaira is too young to follow either films or sports, but she loves to be around horses." Karisma laughed, "And she is an avid artist. Just give her a paper and colours and she goes on and on." Usually reticent in public, Karisma was in a different mood there, making sure that every question was answered and every shot perfect. "I like polo, and I’ve seen so many matches now," she said with a smile. "But I also find it very scary. It’s a dangerous game, with the players riding very fast on horses that are also getting tired during the game," she explained. Someone asked her if she would be interested in playing the game herself joining a ladies’ team, perhaps? "Oh no!" she laughed. And what’s her sport of choice? "Well I used to swim a lot," she answered after a pause. "I never competed, but I used to do it quite a lot, so I guess that was my sporting activity." She steadfastly refused to answer questions about Saif and sis Kareena, moving away with a polite ‘thank you’ every time one came her way. "It is an intensely private matter for both of them and I don’t think I should say anything," she explained. And what about a comeback to movies? "I do receive a lot of offers, but I can’t just do any film. It has to be a good story, a good script something that really touches my heart," she said.

What's Mallika hiding?

Once quotable queen, Miss Sherawat has suddenly turned media shy. And madam MS refused to come out of her high pedestal and interact with the lesser mortal types (read media). Request for any quotes, bytes and interviews are turned down and the standard reply is, “She won’t talk or comment on this.” We wonder what she is trying to hide. Her declining films... or her fading sex symbol? Maybe both

Ranbir and Katrina are good friends

We are not trying to link the two, but Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif are good friends and their camaraderie was visible at a party held at a newly-opened hotspot on Sunday night. Ranbir and Katrina (sans boyfriend Salman Khan) walked in with designer Rocky S and Katrina’s sister, Isabelle. They were seen having long chats. An eyewitness informs, “They sat together at the party and left together at 2.30 am. It is probably for the first time that Katrina attended a party without Salman.Wonder what Sallu has to say to about Kat’s growing friendship with co-star Ranbir .

Office romances: From boardroom to bedroom

New Delhi: They are young, energetic and tend to put in long hours at work. But all this comes at a price for Gen X. Married or not, some of them tend to fall prey to the cupid at the workplace.
A survey by India's largest staffing company Teamlease Services titled, ‘Romance at Workplace’ says about 16 per cent of those polled have been romantically involved with a colleague at one point or another.
And just because a colleague is married, it does not mean that they are off limits. In fact, a third of the respondents felt that there was no harm in romancing married colleagues.
And married and ready to mingle was not only inethical revealation in the survey. The poll revealed that 44 per cent of executives used office romances as a way to climb up the corporate ladder.
From the boardroom to the bedroom is not something unusual for those who nurse greater ambitions. These people feel that romantic link-ups with the boss are the quickest way to get promotions and salary hikes.
And men and women were equal partners in office romances, with 59 per cent of those polled saying that women initiated affairs.
Long work schedules and proximity to colleagues may lead to romantic involvements, but the survey says at least 56 per cent of the respondents feel that such romances lead to a negative impact on the quality ad speed of work.
However, 56 per cent of the respondents said that despite all the negativity surrounding the survey, the office administration should not interfere in a romantic link up.
The survey comprised respondents belonging to top 500 companies in India. The questionnaires were administered to employees in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune, Chandigarh and Hyderabad.
Among cities, Delhi scored the highest in office romances with 28%.
The survey was conducted by global research firm Synovate for TeamLease Services.

Rajputs threaten to boycott Jodhaa Akbar

JAIPUR: Ashutosh Gowariker's historical epic Jodhaa Akbar is facing trouble, with the Rajput community of Rajasthan threatening to stall the release of the movie in the state. The community says Gowariker has distorted facts in his magnum opus which is to be released on Feb 15. Narendra Singh Rajawat, head of the Rajput Sabha, said Gowariker is presenting Jodhabai as Mughal emperor Jalaluddin Akbar's wife, which is factually incorrect. He also said that Jodhabai was not the daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amber near Jaipur as shown in the film. Jodhabai was the daughter of Motaraja Udai Singh of Marwar and was married to Akbar's son Salim alias Jehangir. And Mughal king Shahjahan was her son, he added. Rajawat said such distortion of historical facts had hurt the feelings of the Rajput community. He urged the courts to restrain Gowariker from showing Jodhabai as the daughter of Raja Bharmal of Amber. He said the name of Raja Bharmal's daughter was Harkabai alias Heera Kunwar. "You cannot make your own history and Ashutosh Gowariker is making his own history. He is projecting Jodhabai, who is Akbar's daughter-in-law, as his beloved and making a love story out of that. He is totally distorting historical facts," Rajawat said. He said that the community would boycott the film. "We are also approaching the high court against this," informed Rajawat. The president of the Rajput Karni Sena, Lokendra Singh Kalvi, is also up in arms against the director. He said the Sena had apprehended the distortion of Rajasthan's historical facts in Jodhaa Akbar , which is based on the Jodhpur royal family. "The Karni Sena would watch the movie when released and, if required, it would not allow the screening in the state," said Kalvi. Mahaveer Singh Sarwadi, a leader of the Shatriya Yuvak Singh, said: "We would oppose the release of the film if it shows the community in bad taste." A number of scenes for the film, which features Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai in the lead roles, were shot in and around Jaipur. Gowariker has consulted several eminent Mughal historians for his movie.

Britney 'has seen psychiatrist'

Britney Spears has seen a psychiatrist for "mental issues", according to US talk show host Barbara Walters.
Walters said that the 26-year-old's manager, Sam Lutfi, had contacted her.
Mr Lutfi told her the pop star was suffering from "mental issues which are treatable", Walters said on her show, The View.
Spears lost custody of her two sons earlier this month after refusing to hand them over to her ex-husband at a scheduled pick-up time.
Mr Lutfi had been staying with Spears constantly, "and he got in touch with us", Walters said.
'Trouble sleeping'
"He said that she has been to a psychiatrist and that she, I assume, is starting some kind of treatment."
"She has been having mood swings. She's been having trouble sleeping, and also she is in touch with her mother - and her mother has been very supportive of whatever it is that Britney is going to do," she said.
Troubled Spears filed for divorce from ex-husband Kevin Federline in November 2006.

Kidney racket: Doctor to be taken for narco tests

Lucknow: Upendra Kumar, the doctor arrested for his alleged involvement in the Gurgaon kidney racket, is to be sent to Bangalore for narco tests, Uttar Pradesh Police said here Tuesday.
Upendra, who was ordered a five-day police remand by a local court in Moradabad, is allegedly among the four doctors involved in the multi-million rupee human organ racket that was busted in Gurgaon, bordering the national capital, last week.
"We are going to take him into custody in order to get more leads into the whole racket which has larger ramifications that what has been exposed so far," Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General of Police Brij Lal told IANS Tuesday.
"Upendra will be sent to Bangalore for narco tests later," he said.
According to Lal, "Initial interrogation of Upendra has already revealed the modus operandi of the racket that had its links not only with several parts of the country but also abroad."
Kidney recipients were stated to have been from USA, Canada, Greece, Dubai and even as far as Australia, while the donors duped were usually brought from Uttar Pradesh or Bihar, he disclosed.

Offshoring boom: BPO set to be $50b industry

NEW DELHI: The Indian BPO industry has the potential to grow five-fold in the next five years to become worth $50 billion. What's more, the sector can add 2.5% to India's GDP from exports and provide direct employment to nearly two million people. It will also boost growth in Tier-II and III cities to support the six-fold growth in the number of delivery centres. These are some of the latest findings of the Nasscom-Everest Group study. The study, 'Roadmap 2012 - capitalising on the expanding BPO landscape', predicts a five-fold growth in the Indian BPO sector will bring about huge payoffs to India's economy, employment and development as a whole. ''There is a lot of opportunities out there but it will depend on the BPO player on how they want to play it out,'' says Gaurav Gupta, Country Head, Everest Group. The study shows, the cost-base offshoreable to India and addressable by the Indian BPO industry is worth $220-280 billion. Interestingly, while the Indian BPO sector has been focused more on exports, the domestic opportunity too has been evolving and growing fast. The report reveals the domestic BPO market which had a growth rate of 50% over the last five years has grown faster than the overall Indian BPO market to reach nearly $1.6 billion by 2008. And there are opportunities galore from sectors as varied as banking, retail, insurance, media, telecom and government etc. These together could generate an additional $15-20 billion worth of business. Inspite of the so called US recession and the dollar meltdown, US will continue to be the biggest BPO market for India with 70% of the opportunities coming from there, however, other geographies too will grow fast. ''With business worth $6 to $7 billion coming from other geographies, it should be well worth tapping,'' says Sumit Sarawgi, Engagement Director, Everest Group. While back-office processes are expected to continue being a large part of the service portfolio, middle-office and front-office services too will account for 50% of the future opportunity. However, to reach out to the next level, stakeholders will need to take some initiatives. These include protecting India's cost arbitrage to ensure buyers interest, adoption and growth are sustained. Increasing the employability of talent ''For this, companies will have to facilitate the development of business process outsourcing -specific education models in colleges,'' says Nikhil Rajpal, Global Services

'I'm not getting married for the next five years' : Kareena

Known for his Casanova image Saif has been completely bowled over by his ladylove Kareena and has decided to become one-woman man. The duo is so much in love that they aren't too conscious of even their public display of emotion. Last night when Kareena was invited for the Filmfare cover launch at Vie Lounge, Juhu, she was accompanied by boyfriend Saif Ali Khan, who dropped her and came to fetch her once the event was over. The couple pulled over in Saif's black BMW, and post the event headed to a suburbian 5-star hotel. As usual, Kareena was comfortable dealing with personal questions posed to her by the media. When asked about her marriage plans, she said, "I am not getting married for the next five years." An industry insider informs us that Saif is very possessive about Kareena. "He is madly in love with her and can go to any extend to prove his love. He also wants to express his commitment and marriage plans later on this year. But Kareena is on career high, and wants to enjoy her career and success." Bebo chose to keep silent about her back stage meet with Shahid at the Star Screen Awards. She was also not comfortable talking about Saif's son, Ibrahim, whom she has been spotted with very often these days. After the launch and speaking with media she waited for Saif to fetch her. Exactly after twenty minutes, Saif arrived like a prince from a fairy tale book to take back his princess in waiting.

Offer Malaika couldn't resist!

Malaika Arora is kicked about doing television again.She's doing a reality show for Imagine NDTV. "I'm anchoring a music show called Dhoom Machale which starts in February and goes right up to April. It's a weekly and doesn't require me to take too much of time off from my domestic duties."Malaika says she'd never do anything that would neglect her son or make her feel less than comfortable."I was a judge on Nach Baliye 2. Why not Nach Part 3? Ah, NDTV made me an offer I couldn't resist. And besides all my friends from Nach moved on to NDTV. I had a whale of a time working with them. I believe not in working relationships but working with people whom I share a lasting relationship with. That rapport shows in my work."So what's the new show about? "It's a music contest where the contestants are all professional singers like Sunita Rao and Kamal Khan.I agree I'm no singer. I'm a dancer and therefore more qualified to judge Nach baliye. See, here we'll be judging the overall package and not the nuances in the singing. All the contestants are people I've known earlier on television or personally. So it's more in the spirit of fun and leisure." Says Malaika who was one of the first veejays on television."The last tv show where I judged a music contest was Cine Stars Ki Khoj about 4-5 years ago.I'm very comfortable with the home medium. I don't think about a big or small medium. For me the important thing is to do things that don't interfere with my son's upbringing. To catch him smiling and playing when we go to our farm in Panvel is far more important than anything I do professionally."

My attitude to my career is unchanged: Aishwarya

Aishwarya Rai is flooded with offers for films. But her priorities right now are slightly different. She wants to focus on her family duties and wants to do very selective work. Says a source very close to her: "She wasn’t sure about Pink Panther, too, because Mrs Teji Bachchan was so critically ill. Aishwarya didn't want any distractions from her family duties. It was Abhishek who urged her to take up the offer. Now she's ready to sign a couple of films. But she will choose very carefully."

Kidney racket accused was not a surgeon

New Delhi: Police now say the prime accused in the racket were not allopathic doctors. Amit Kumar's (the key accused) brother's wife told the police this. Kumar's brother, Jeevan Kumar is a co-accused in the scam.
Police had raided her residence in Gurgaon on Monday night. She told police that both Jeevan and his brother Amit were only bachelor degree holders in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery.
Haryana Police raided two more houses belonging to Amit Kumar in Sector- 56 and Sector-17, Gurgaon. They also raided the home of Jeevan Kumar's in-laws', from where they recovered foreign currency.
They have also raided a luxury guest house in Gurgaon owned by Amit Kumar as a hospital and seized more incriminating documents. Another shady hospital in Ballabhgarh was also raided.
He owns two hospitals in Gurgaon under the banner of Liberty Health Care Pvt Ltd, located about five km apart, both of which were raided on Sunday.
The Haryana police on Sunday also said Amit Kumar may have fled the country. Gurgaon Police Commissioner, Mohinder Lal says Kumar may have used his foreign contacts to escape.
SSP Moradabad, Prem Prakash added that Dr Amit could be in Canada.
"It is not confirmed yet whether he is in Canada. We are investigating the matter. CBI is nodal agency for interacting with Interpol. Once we will get the police custody we will go in for a narco-analysis request," he said.
The Moradabad Police say that they will be looking into passenger records at the International Airport Delhi from January 24 to January 26 to try and trace Kumar's whereabouts.
"We are not ruling out the possibility that he may have escaped abroad by using his contacts. However, he will not be able to escape the legal channels," Mohinder Lal said.
He said the police was coordinating with various agencies to catch Kumar.
"We are not going to let him have an easy run for long. A man accused of being involved in 500 illegal transplants will not be allowed to go scotfree and we will track him down soon," he added.
Police have circulated photographs of Kumar and his accomplices, and airports across the country have been alerted. According to police sources, Kumar used six luxury cars including a Mercedez Benz, and two fake names for executing the racket.
Five foreign tourists, who had allegedly come for kidney transplants were found in Amit Kumar's "luxury guest house" on Saturday.
Mohinder Lal said the Gurgaon Police are preparing a database about the previous record of Dr Amit Kumar that will throw light about his alleged illegal activities.
Meanwhile, the Moradabad Police have sought seven-day custody of the another key accused Dr Upendra. They have also asked for permission to conduct a narco-analysis test on Dr Upendra.

Indian B-school ranks 20 in list of global top 100

Mumbai: One of India's premier business schools – ISB in Hyderabad - has made it to number 20 in the top 100 global B-schools in London’s Financial Times list.
The 6-year old institute’s ranking has made it pip the likes of IIMs and even it's parent school – US-based Kellogg School of Management.
“This is an Indian story. This is recognition of India as much as ISB. So, more and more people who are keen on India’s success will look at ISB,” said the elated Deputy Dean, Ajit Rangnekar.
The Financial Times’s rankings assessed schools on parameters such as alumni performance and faculty research output. Students of ISB were thrilled at the ranking.
“We have lot of faith in school. There are a lot of things we know are good. There is lot of growth potential because ISB is only in its 6th year. Nevertheless, the official ranking is a stamp of approval. It's something like a common platform for people across the world to see ISB and recognise ISB’s name in a particular renowned list,” felt a student, Mayank Bajpai.
ISB has created a record of sorts by attracting 200 companies, which includes several fortune-500 ones.
Last year, the average annual domestic salary offered was over Rs 15 lakhs with the highest being almost Rs 44 lakhs. The average International salary was Rs 59.5 lakhs, while the highest international salary was over Rs 1 crore. ISB is hoping that the ranking will help it attract companies offering fatter paychecks.

Tamil actors want heroines half their age: Khushboo

Chennai: In a male-dominated Tamil film industry, making a comeback after marriage is a tough task for Tamil heroines.
However, in Bollywood, the top female actors, such as Kajol, Madhuri Dixit or even Aishwarya Rai Bachchan still have a very prominent place in Bollywood.
Simran was the first choice for Jothica's role in the Rajinikanth starrer, Chandramukhi and her fans had even built a temple for her. However, after marriage and motherhood, Simran is no longer the sought-after star like she was. While her male co-stars who are pushing 40 still rule the silver screen, Simran's comeback vehicle is the next Rajinikanth film called Kushelan in which she plays the second female lead.
"It's not the people who are thinking this way. It is the people who are making films who think this way. If they stop thinking like that, we can change the trend down south also,” says Simran.
However, this isn't a new phenomenon for Tamil heroines. While former popular actresses like Rambha and Nagma have now settled for Bhojpuri films, other heroines like Devayani, Meena and Khushboo and Simran are now gracing the small screen.
"Once a heroine is married and she has a family and kids, it always makes a difference. She's seen in a senior category. However, for the heroes they always want to look young-like youth. So you look at all heroes and they always want their heroines who are less than half their age. That boosts up their 'youth' image," says actress, Khushboo.
However, for the actress this means settling for the role of a mother, sister or an older relative. Those unwilling to take this path have even quit acting altogether.
The heroes always seem to have a longer innings compared to the heroines in the Tamil film industry. All it needs for the trend to change is to give the female actor a second chance and a graceful comeback.

$60-million catch made Aussies dilute Bhajji case

Sydney: A fear of losing $60 million if India terminated the tour midway made the Australian cricket board force the reluctant Australian players to dilute the charge of racial abuse against Harbhajan Singh, local media reported on Tuesday.
Cricket Australia (CA), which took legal advice, told its players that if the television rights holder and sponsors sued CA successfully, it could take 10 years to recoup the losses, the daily Sydney Morning Herald said.
The newspaper quoted an unnamed Australian player involved in Tuesday's re-hearing as saying that the CA backtracked because of the money power enjoyed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
"The thing that pisses us off is that it shows how much power India has. The Aussie guys aren't going to make it up. The players are frustrated because this shows how much influence India has, because of the wealth they generate. Money talks," said the paper in its Wednesday's edition posted on its website.
At Tuesday's hearing by a New Zealand High Court judge, Justice John Hansen, Harbhajan was slapped with 50 percent fine of his match fee, replacing his three-Test ban handed by International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Mike Procter after the second Test in Sydney this month.
Andrew Symonds had alleged that Harbhajan had called him 'money', following which his captain Ricky Ponting had complained to the on-field umpires, leading to Procter handing the punishment.
Harbhajan was, however, allowed to play on after he appealed to the ICC against the ban. The ICC then appointed Hansen to have a re-hearing after the four-Test series ended in Adelaide Monday. Australia won the Test series 2-1.
The paper claimed Tuesday that the BCCI had threatened to fly its players home without playing Friday's Twenty20 International in Melbourne and the subsequent One-Day International (ODI) triangular series if the racial charge against Harbhajan was not dropped.
"The BCCI had even chartered a plane to take its players home tomorrow if the Indian player's three-Test suspension - for calling Australia's Andrew Symonds a monkey during the Sydney Test - had not been overturned at yesterday's [Tuesday] appeal in the Federal Court in Adelaide," it wrote

RK Laxman conferred CNN-IBN Lifetime Achievement Award

New Delhi: India's most famous cartoonist and humorist RK Laxman was conferred the CNN-IBN Lifetime Achievement Award at the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2007 function in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2007 award recognises the Indian(s) whose contribution to the country in a calendar year has strengthened the foundation of our society and has helped build Brand India in the process.
RK Laxman was conferred the prestigious honour for bringing a smile to the faces of thousands of Indians every morning and for creating the 'Common Man' who represents the mute millions.
Laxman, whose creation 'The Common Man' is arguably the most well recognised Indian fictional character, started his career as a cartoonist in the 1940s.
He was behind the distinctive illustrations in the Malgudi stories written by his brother RK Narayan, and the daily cartoons in various newspapers right from the time of Independence.
Laxman's cartoons lay bare political hypocrisy and doublespeak with wit, insight and irony. His 'Common Man', who never speaks in the cartoons, manages to this day to raise important issues affecting the country, all with a generous dose of humour.

Sreedharan is CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2007

The verdict is out and the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year for 2007 is E Sreedharan. Metro Man Sreedharan, who was also the winner in the Public Service category, was chosen for achieving the near-impossible, for breaking through bureaucratic red tape and defying the naysayers of modern infrastructure-building to build the Delhi Metro. The 76-year-old Managing Director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is also its builder and executo.

Coen brothers are the best directors of 2007

The Directors Guild of America on Saturday chose Ethan and Joel Coen as best feature film directors for 2007 for their gritty crime drama, No Country for Old Men, an award known for signaling which filmmakers will win the top Oscars. Under the spectre of a screenwriters strike that has brought Hollywood to a standstill for nearly three months, the Coen brothers beat four other candidates, including Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood about the rise to wealth of a California oil prospector, and Sean Penn with his wilderness adventure Into the Wild . The field was rounded out by Tony Gilroy for his directorial debut with legal thriller Michael Clayton and painter-turned-director Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly , who won the Golden Globe for best director a few weeks ago. “It’s nice to get the acknowledgment of critics and even audiences, but there is something about being acknowledged by people who do the same thing you do,” said Joel Coen, who has made signature films like Fargo and Blood Simple with his brother over the last two decades. No Country for Old Men has been nominated for eight Oscars, including best picture, best director and best supporting actor for Javier Bardem’s role as a sinister killer. The DGA represents the directors of movies and television programs and since it began giving awards for film director in 1949, only six winners have failed to claim the Oscar in the same year. The Academy also has a history of giving their top honour, best picture, to the winner of the best director Oscar.

Coen brothers are the best directors of 2007

The Directors Guild of America on Saturday chose Ethan and Joel Coen as best feature film directors for 2007 for their gritty crime drama, No Country for Old Men, an award known for signaling which filmmakers will win the top Oscars. Under the spectre of a screenwriters strike that has brought Hollywood to a standstill for nearly three months, the Coen brothers beat four other candidates, including Paul Thomas Anderson for There Will Be Blood about the rise to wealth of a California oil prospector, and Sean Penn with his wilderness adventure Into the Wild . The field was rounded out by Tony Gilroy for his directorial debut with legal thriller Michael Clayton and painter-turned-director Julian Schnabel for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly , who won the Golden Globe for best director a few weeks ago. “It’s nice to get the acknowledgment of critics and even audiences, but there is something about being acknowledged by people who do the same thing you do,” said Joel Coen, who has made signature films like Fargo and Blood Simple with his brother over the last two decades. No Country for Old Men has been nominated for eight Oscars, including best picture, best director and best supporting actor for Javier Bardem’s role as a sinister killer. The DGA represents the directors of movies and television programs and since it began giving awards for film director in 1949, only six winners have failed to claim the Oscar in the same year. The Academy also has a history of giving their top honour, best picture, to the winner of the best director Oscar.

Bhutto probe: Teen suspect identifies suicide bomber

ISLAMABAD: A teenaged boy arrested for alleged involvement in the assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto has identified the suicide bomber who blew himself up near her armoured car in Rawalpindi last month, a Pakistani official said. Fifteen-year-old Aitezaz Shah, who was arrested from Dera Ismail Khan town of the North West Frontier Province, identified the bomber as a man named Bilal who belonged to the South Waziristan tribal region, Interior Secretary Syed Kamal Shah said. Bhutto died in a gun and bomb attack after she had addressed an election rally in Rawalpindi on December 27. Shah has told police he was part of a five-member suicide squad sent by Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud to kill Bhutto. Aitezaz Shah and his accomplice Sher Zaman, who was also arrested in Dera Ismail Khan, were brought to Rawalpindi and a court remanded them to police custody till February 1. Police also found materials used to make suicide jackets at Zaman's residence. Interior Secretary Shah told the Daily Times that the teenaged boy had identified the suicide bomber during his interrogation by the Joint Investigation Team that is probing Bhutto's assassination. Investigators are verifying the information with Bilal's family and official records in South Waziristan, Shah said. Shah also said the teenager had told his interrogators that he had been meeting Baitullah Mehsud but this "claim was yet to be verified". Zaman has not revealed anything so far, Shah said.

Man arrested outside White House for threatening Bush

WASHINGTON: The Secret Service said that a man who made verbal threats against President George W Bush and had a suspicious package was arrested on Monday outside the north fence of the White House. Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said 28-year-old Aleksandar Aleksov, of New Jersey, was taken into custody just before 2 pm (1900 GMT) on Pennsylvania Avenue and was charged with making threats against the president. Donovan said Secret Service officers overheard the threats. Donovan says the package was later found not to be dangerous. He did not release any further details.

Eva lands ‘faking’ hubby in trouble

Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria Parker has landed her basketball player husband Tony Parker in trouble after revealing the sportsman often fakes his on-court injuries. The actress admitted it’s tough watching her husband play for the San Antonio Spurs, because she never knows when he’s really hurt, and when he’s acting. She said, “Sometimes he acts to get the flagrant foul or, to sell the foul more, he’ll throw himself on the floor and really play it up more than what it is. I really don’t know what the difference is, so I’m like, ‘Stop laying on the ground if you’re not hurt. Just get up!’ He’s like, ‘Honey, I have to stay on the ground sometimes’. But I get really nervous, it’s nail biting.”

It’s the season of one-shoulder!

Hollywood’s hottest stars have been showing some serious scaps in one-shoulder gowns with goddess appeal. In late October Jennifer Lopez performed at the Staples Center in Los Angeles wearing a silver one-shouldered sheath gown. Keira Knightley too was recently spotted at a gala wearing a burgundy fishtail gown accentuated with a choker. Drew Barrymore stepped out in style in a one-shoulder Diane von Furstenberg creation which took ones breath away.

Taslima admitted to AIIMS for 'drug effect'

New Delhi/Kolkata: Controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen has been admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences for 'suspected drug effect', doctors attending to her said on Tuesday.
"Taslima Nasreen was brought to our hospital on the night of January 26. She was admitted after initial investigation found that she was suffering from suspected drug effect," YK Gupta, chief spokesperson of AIIMS, said.
"We are carrying out a number of tests on her. At this stage, we cannot reveal anything more on the drug effect angle. It could be the side-effect of some drug as well," Gupta added.
He said, the 45-year-old author was also "complaining of uneasiness and hyper tension".
"A group of doctors is taking care of her, and her condition has improved. She may be discharged from the hospital in a couple of days," Gupta added.
The writer, who had angered some Muslims through her writings, was forced to leave Kolkata after a protest by a Muslim organisation against her continuing stay in India turned violent Nov 21 last year.
She was taken first to Jaipur and then to New Delhi by the central government and has since then been kept in confinement at a safe house.
Her friends in Kolkata said they were worried about her well being after they failed to reach her by phone or email.
"We are extremely worried over state of her health. Since Jan 26, we could not get in touch with her. Today, we read a small news item that she has been taken to AIIMS for a health check-up," Sumitavo Ghoshal, a close friend of the writer, said in Kolkata.
Nasreen said recently that she is feeling "very depressed" as she is "forced to live out of Kolkata after being thrown out from the city I had been living in".
"I don't want to lose my faith in Indian secularism. I hope that I will be allowed to go back home," she said in response to a web-chat question.
"I want to go to my home Kolkata where my entire world awaits me," Nasreen had said.

Time for Devgan to say HALLA BOL again!

The double National Award winner of the coveted best actor, Ajay Devgan, seems to be going through a rough patch. Post GOLMAAL (2006), most of his projects have failed at the box-office. Even Anubhav Sinha's CASH, which took a good initial, sank without a trace. After that RGV KI AAG and super director, Rajkumar Santoshi's HALLA BOL, failed to get even a reasonable start at the ticket window, before fading out into the oblivion. While it was generally believed by all and sundry that his latest, Rohit 'Golmaal' Shetty directed, SUNDAY, would set the record straight and also give Bollywood its first hit of 2008, the movie has disappointed, barring Bombay. Though it's too early to dismiss SUNDAY, the fact remains that the opening has been far from encouraging and the reports coming in are poor. Meanwhile in the UK, SUNDAY has fared much better than Devgan's last venture, HALLA BOL, grossing $161,059 during the first weekend itself, as compared to HALLA BOL, which has a total gross of just $156,525. However, knowing Ajay Devgan's tenacity over the last one and a half decades, one feels that he can say HALLA BOL anytime! If not with SUNDAY, quite likely with his directorial debut venture, U ME & HUM, like on many previous occasions.

Emraan Hashmi's marriage in trouble?

If reports are to be believed, Emraan’s marriage is on the rocks because of his secret affair with Pakistani actress Sanaa, with whom he allegedly spent some intimate moments in Cape Town.As it happened, Emraan’s wife Parveen came to know about this dalliance and asked for an explanation from Emraan.On the other hand, Sanaa’s parents reportedly called Emraan’s uncle Mahesh Bhatt and told him about the secret affair.A disturbed Bhatt recently met Emraan and tried to get to the heart of the matter. But Emraan saw it as an intrusion into his private life and squabbled with his uncle.A tabloid quotes Mahesh Bhatt as saying that he told Emraan to deal with the affair sanely or face the consequences.

Hollywood’s epic fascination

It was his love for mythology that led Ashok Banker to dabble in Ramayana, the series which is now being adapted on celluloid by Hollywood. Says the normally reticent writer, “The talks actually started way back in 2006. Before that too, there had been some tentative enquiries. A studio wanted to make three films on the Ramayana both in English and Hindi, to be shot in India.” But, Ashok decided to sell an offer to Ben Kingsley. “Being of Indian origin, he had the most exciting vision. Ben had initially wanted to fly down with Nicole Kidman to speak to me about it, and that sure got me a bit flustered,” he laughs. Now, of course, with the film being planned to go on the floors by the middle of this year, the cast and crew are being decided. “Some major names — both from Hollywood and Bollywood — are expected to be part of it. I’ve no idea if Nicole would be in it, though personally, I think she’ll make a great Surpanakha. Even Daniel Craig’s agent has called up to say that he’d be interested. And, if I had my way, I’d like him to do Ravana, since he has a very brutish and a very powerful presence. Actually, I’d want the baddies to be played by Westerners and Indians to play the ‘human’ ones,” he says. However, the latest is that Ben Kingsley is no longer producing the films, “though a major Hollywood production studio is backing it. But, Sir Ben has evinced interest in playing either Vishwamitra or Ravana. Though I’d want him to play Vibhishana who’s like a Gandhi in the midst of war,” adds Ashok. News also has it that Michael Radford of Il Postino fame is directing the films. Clarifies Ashok, “Well, he did visit me twice recently. But, in the end, I believe another director is being engaged for the project.” As the writer of the series, one would expect Ashok to have done the screenplay for the film, but he preferred opting out. “I did do the first one. But soon realised, that I couldn’t devote the next two to three years parked out there, working on the rest. My other projects would suffer. And, with Ramayana already with them, I know they can’t go too far from it,” he adds. Ask him what sets his version of the famed epic apart, and he says, “Its tone and identifiability. My retelling is for the people who have a modern sensibility, who speak in the idiom of today and have a fascination for past history. I’ve avoided a dry, academic tone and thrown in words used in our normal language that people can relate to.” But, will a Western audience relate to the Ramayana? “I have my doubts about that. Despite my retelling in the modern idiom, it is entirely Indian, about dharma. My Ramayana will be more realistic and heavy on special effects, on the lines of LOTR. The filmmakers are keen to catch the fantasy of the film audiences,” says Ashok.

Patels hope Amisha will return

The Patel home in Peddar Road is still in sadness. Three years ago, actress Amisha Patel walked out on her parents Asha and Amit Patel after accusing them of mismanaging her funds. The Patels, however, blamed the man in Amisha’s life, filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, for turning her against them. Much dirty linen was laundered in public. And the Patel family crumbled and separated. Today, with Amisha and Vikram having parted ways, there is talk that the Patels may welcome back their estranged daughter. Is there hope for reconciliation? Her distraught mother reports that or the first time in years, Amisha texted her brother Ashmit on his birthday last Sunday. "It must have been gnawing her and she is making a silent effort. The absence of Vikram in her life is a positive sign for us. I believe he wasn’t ready to commit to Amisha because his daughter disapproves of their relationship. Didn’t he think of this when he got involved," asks Asha. The family has heard of the new man, Delhi-based businessman Kanaav Puri, in Amisha’s life, and is happy for her. The parents, naturally, have forgiven her the past, but are unwilling to comment what road their relationship will now take. "Will our bond be the same again? I can’t say. It will take some time to forget. We waited so long, let us wait for a little more time for everything to settle down," says Asha. However, when BT contacted Amisha, the actress lashed out, saying, "I have nothing to do with them. I don’t want a reconciliation. The rift with my parents was not caused by Vikram. He’s my best friend. My parents stole my money and let me down. Ask them not to blame Vikram."

How does Hrithik choose films?

Hrithik Roshan’s career graph shows that the actor has chosen his films wisely but he says he has no calculated plan as to how to climb the ladder of success. “I don’t plan that I will do a certain kind of film after the other. I instinctly jump at films my heart says yes to. So I did Koi Mil Gaya which was completely different from Krishh which was completely different from Dhoom 2 and now Jodhaa Akbar. Each film helps me bounce out into another and I like doing that. It’s fun!”

Mittal, Ambanis among world's wealthiest CEOs: Forbes

New York: Steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal along with Ambani brothers – Mukesh and Anil, are among the 10 wealthiest CEOs in the world, according to American magazine Forbes.
Out of the world's 10 wealthiest CEOs, four positions have been taken by Indians – Lakshmi Mittal is ranked at the second place followed by Mukesh Ambani (6th place), Anil Ambani (7th) and Wipro chief Azim Premji (9th).
The list has been topped by Warren Buffet, the Chief Executive of Berkshire Hathaway with a fortune of $52 billion.
Arcelor Mittal chief Lakshmi Mittal has a net worth of $32 billion while Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani have fortunes worth $20.1 billion and $18.2 billion, respectively.
Chief of IT bellwether Wipro Azim Premji has a net worth of $17.1 billion.
However, these net worth figures are not current and have been taken from a list prepared almost a year back for Indian businessmen and from a September list for those from the US.
Forbes said that the list of wealthiest CEOs was prepared after perusing the ranks of the Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans from September and its annual billionaires' list from last March.
"We found the 10 richest CEOs around, some of whom founded their own companies, others who benefited from large inheritances and still others who built their fortunes through other means," the magazine said.

Kidney racket accused was not a surgeon

New Delhi: Police now say the prime accused in the racket were not allopathic doctors. Amit Kumar's (the key accused) brother's wife told the police this. Kumar's brother, Jeevan Kumar is a co-accused in the scam.
Police had raided her residence in Gurgaon on Monday night. She told police that both Jeevan and his brother Amit were only bachelor degree holders in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery.
Haryana Police raided two more houses belonging to Amit Kumar in Sector- 56 and Sector-17, Gurgaon. They also raided the home of Jeevan Kumar's in-laws', from where they recovered foreign currency.
They have also raided a luxury guest house in Gurgaon owned by Amit Kumar as a hospital and seized more incriminating documents. Another shady hospital in Ballabhgarh was also raided.
He owns two hospitals in Gurgaon under the banner of Liberty Health Care Pvt Ltd, located about five km apart, both of which were raided on Sunday.
The Haryana police on Sunday also said Amit Kumar may have fled the country. Gurgaon Police Commissioner, Mohinder Lal says Kumar may have used his foreign contacts to escape.
SSP Moradabad, Prem Prakash added that Dr Amit could be in Canada.
"It is not confirmed yet whether he is in Canada. We are investigating the matter. CBI is nodal agency for interacting with Interpol. Once we will get the police custody we will go in for a narco-analysis request," he said.
The Moradabad Police say that they will be looking into passenger records at the International Airport Delhi from January 24 to January 26 to try and trace Kumar's whereabouts.
"We are not ruling out the possibility that he may have escaped abroad by using his contacts. However, he will not be able to escape the legal channels," Mohinder Lal said.
He said the police was coordinating with various agencies to catch Kumar.
"We are not going to let him have an easy run for long. A man accused of being involved in 500 illegal transplants will not be allowed to go scotfree and we will track him down soon," he added.
Police have circulated photographs of Kumar and his accomplices, and airports across the country have been alerted. According to police sources, Kumar used six luxury cars including a Mercedez Benz, and two fake names for executing the racket.
Five foreign tourists, who had allegedly come for kidney transplants were found in Amit Kumar's "luxury guest house" on Saturday.
Mohinder Lal said the Gurgaon Police are preparing a database about the previous record of Dr Amit Kumar that will throw light about his alleged illegal activities.
Meanwhile, the Moradabad Police have sought seven-day custody of the another key accused Dr Upendra. They have also asked for permission to conduct a narco-analysis test on Dr Upendra.

Himesh Reshammiya on the Top Floor

He is already at the peak of his career leaving others behind and now Himesh Reshammiya who is also labeled as India's first rock star has scaled another peak. He has moved into new apartment this week and his new address can make anyone jealous. He has shifted to one of the tallest buildings in Mumbai and has bought four bedrooms flat at the topmost 35th floor of Oberoi Sky Tower in Lokhandwala.Meanwhile, he is leaving for South Africa on the 10th of this month for the shooting of Karzzz his second film as a hero.

Angry Mallika Sherawat storms out of movie sets

There have been trivial disagreements between them from the start, but their camaraderie hit an all-time low when Ranvir failed to turn up on the sets on a crucial day of shooting.Mallika, punctual as usual, arrived on the sets on time and kept waiting for Ranvir, who got delayed because he was unwell.The actress waited for as long as three hours, and by the time Ranvir arrived (after taking his medication) she was in no mood to shoot. She walked out of the sets and poor Ranvir had to shoot his solo scenes that day.Ranvir maintains that though Mallika is very co-operative and friendly actress, that was the first time he saw the temperamental side of hers.In the film, Mallika plays a wacky, outspoken, outlandish girl called Pagli while Ranvir plays an under-confident loser, Ugly.

Star cast: Will Saif-Kareena or Shahid-Vidya last longer?

Mumbai: It was a thing of the past when Kareena and Shahid were caught kissing when a paparozzo dude shot their video. However the kissing is now replaced by the tattoo love, seen on Saif’s hands.
Kareena dumped Shahid, and much before the new love story caught people’s attention, it made rockstar Saif etch this love story forever on his own left hand.
However the question, which couple is in for celebration and which for a heart brake?
Bejan Daruwala, the famous astrologer has all the answers. "Saif is very handsome and he's conscious of his long nose,’ says he. However, while most of us would think that Saif’s dashing looks are likely to prompt Kareena to do something stupid while she is madly in love, the astrologer has a different story to tell. "The problem is that people who are born in September are highly intelligent,” says Bejan Daruwala.
So it is up to Saif to do all those silly things people do, when they're in love. If the tattoo wasn’t getting enough attention, Saif may do something more to prove his love.
Amidst all these antics the one question for Mr Daruwala is whether this relationship will last?
"I don’t know about this relationship lasting. But while it does, it will be a lot of fun." 2009 is the deciding factor and if they can get through, they will make it,” says Bejan Daruwala.
While Saif and Kareena seem to be having a ball, Shahid seems to be drowned in gloom. However, it seems that love soon blew him over in the form of Vidya Balan.
While speculation continues about Shahid-Vidya relationship, Bejan Daruwala has the final word and says, “Shahid and Vidya have a better chance".

Is Salman marrying this year?

That’s the strong buzz doing the rounds. Apparently before the year ends, Sallu miyan will get married to his sweetheart Katrina Kaif.
Finally, he has complied to the pleas and demands and made an earnest promise to his family, especially his mother Salma and dad Salim, that he is willing to sacrifice his bachelorhood at the alter this year.
If the insider informed us right, Salman’s parents have made a final peremptory plea to the actor saying they want to see him happily married with kids. And man! Sallu acceded without much fuss. Marriage and Salman have always seemed poles apart so it won’t be a surprise if he changes his mind again, some say. “He promised his parents that he will marry this year. Hope he doesn’t change his mind. Knowing him, anything is possible,” says the source. Even if it is a good news for his well-wishers, it certainly isn’t going to go down well with his female admirers. And why not? With one of the good-looking bachelors in Bollywood giving up his bachelorhood, it’s certainly going to be a disappointment for the girls!

Dutt sisters miffed with Manyata ‘Sanjay’ Dutt?

Mumbai, Jan 28: After reports about Sanjay Dutt’s supposed marriage to item girl Manyata hit the headlines last week, there is another addition to their roller coaster love story. Sanjay’s sister Namrata in an interview to Zee News has fuelled speculations by indicating that all is not well between her and Sanjay because of his growing proximity to his ladylove Manyata. When asked about whether Sanjay was still relying on family for suggestions, pat came Namrata’s reply: “No, not at all…” She was also asked if she would be called for Sanjay’s wedding, to which she said- “I might be or might not be”.According to the buzz, Sanjay has apparently drifted away from his family and friends after his alliance with Manyata, which is obviously not going too well with his sisters. Some have even suggested that she was the reason for his split with his long-time associate and friend Sanjay Gupta.Manyata has been his constant companion since over a year, supporting him through thick and thin. She has also been seen accompanying him at most of the public functions and personal visits that Dutt undertakes.The reports suggest that Sanjay is reportedly moving out of his Imperial Heights residence with Manyata after living there for long which in itself implies to a tension. It seems that Dutt’s turbulent life has more ups and downs on cards. Wishing him all the luck!

Mahesh Yogi quits as head of meditation empire

Amsterdam: Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who became a guru to the Beatles, stepped down this month as the head of the organisation that brought transcendental meditation to the West, an aide said on Monday.
"His work is done and now he'll be concentrating on the field of silence and dedicating himself more to pure knowledge rather than administrative matters," Benjamin Feldman, finance minister for the Global Country of World Peace, said.
After teaching the Beatles and other 1960s and 70s icons to meditate, the Indian mystic gained a worldwide following with six million people taking his courses. He moved his headquarters to the small southern Dutch village of Vlodrop in 1990.
Transcendental meditation, known as TM by its followers, involves reciting a mantra that practitioners say helps the mind stay calm even under pressure.
The reclusive guru with a flowing white beard has periodically reemerged to appeal for funds to promote world peace, building a business empire ranging from real estate dealing to a company selling ayurvedic medicine and cosmetics.

India eyes $2b defence deal with US

NEW DELHI: After joint combat exercises to develop "interoperability", the Indo-US military tango is now firmly waltzing into the arms purchase arena as well. With the over $1-billion deal for six C-130J 'Super Hercules' aircraft in the bag, an even bigger defence contract is now headed the US way. Sources on Monday said the defence ministry and Boeing have begun the "commercial price negotiations" for the purchase of eight P-8i long-range maritime reconnaissance (LRMR) patrol aircraft, with anti-submarine warfare capabilities, for the Indian Navy. Unlike the Super Hercules deal, which as reported by TOI earlier is a direct 'foreign military sale' contract under a government-to-government arrangement, the P-8i has emerged the victor in the global LRMR sweepstakes held by India to plug operational gaps in its maritime snooping abilities. The P-8i, based on the Boeing-737 commercial airliner, has out-performed the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company's A-319 maritime patrol aircraft and other contenders in meeting 'qualitative requirements' in the technical trials held by the Navy. "The contract will be signed soon. The first P-8i will be delivered within 48 months, that is in mid-2012 and all the eight by mid-2015. They will replace the Navy's eight aging Tupolev-142Ms," said a source. India, incidentally, had earlier rejected the US offer to lease two P-3C Orion reconnaissance aircraft under a $133-million contract. India, of course, remains unhappy over the American decision to sell eight more P-3C Orion aircraft to Pakistan, which already has two such planes in its inventory. Once it's inked, the P-8i deal worth around $2 billion will be the biggest-ever defence contract with the US, a minor player in the lucrative Indian arms market so far. While Russia notches up sales worth about $1.5 billion to India every year, Israel chalks up an annual tally of around $1 billion. America's only big-ticket deal with India in recent years has been the $190 million contract in 2002 to supply 12 AN/TPQ-37 firefinder weapon-locating radars. Then, of course, India last year acquired amphibious transport vessel USS Trenton for $48.23 million, with the six UH-3H helicopters to operate from it costing another $39 million. With India spending a whopping $25 billion on arms imports since the 1999 Kargil conflict, and planning another $30 billion worth in 2007-2012, the US is obviously desperate to grab a big piece of action. It has been particularly aggressive in marketing its F/A-18 "Super Hornets" (Boeing) and F-16 "Falcons" (Lockheed Martin) for the gigantic $10.4-billion project to supply 126 multi-role combat fighters to IAF. Apart from the defence deals, with US secretary of defence Robert Gates slated to arrive in India on February 25-26, the two countries are getting ready to sign agreements like the Communication Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA), Container Security Initiative (CSI) and the end-use verification agreement of US defence equipment. The Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) — under which Indian and American militaries propose to provide each other with logistic support, refuelling and berthing facilities for each other's warships and aircraft — has, however, been put on the backburner due to opposition of the Left. CPM leader Prakash Karat has termed LSA "far more dangerous than the nuclear deal" in its implications. But despite Left opposition to military ties with the US, the two nations have already scheduled at least five joint combat exercises in 2008. "Procurements is just one facet in the overall robust defence engagement with the US. The American forces, for instance, now want to further scale up the level and complexity of exercises with Indian forces. Brigade-level exercises will be in place in four-five years," said a source.

Rigging, sex jibes turn Oxford Union poll nasty

Controversies continue to dog the 185-year-old Oxford Union. First, the newly elected Indian president was stripped off the post for alleged electoral malpractices, and then, the next potential candidate for the post, Charlotte Fischer, walked out of the race, alleging sex jibes from union officers. 23-year-old Krishna Omkar from New Delhi had won the election in November to be president of the union for the summer term. The union is famous as the launchpad for many political careers, including five British PMs and former Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto.

After school, Amar names his new house 'Aishwarya'

Lucknow: Besides a proposed girls college in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh's new Lucknow residence too has been named after Bollywood actress and his friend Amitabh Bachchan's daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai.
This came to light when Singh took the Bachchan family to his recently built plush bungalow in the Uttar Pradesh capital's upmarket Vipul Khand of Gomati Nagar on Saturday night.
Amitabh Bachchan and his entire family were driven from the Lucknow airport straight to 'Aishwarya', where they had dinner and spent the night.
When a reporter confronted Singh with a query about the name of the house, he shot back, “Abhishek is like a son to me and Aishwarya my daughter-in-law, so what if I have named my house after her and what if I decide to even gift this house to her?”
”You should know that Aishwarya is also another name for Goddess Lakshmi,” he added.
Amitabh gifted a higher secondary girl's school called Aishwarya Bachchan Girls Inter-College in Barabanki to Amar Singh on Sunday.
Following the announcement, the actress delivered a perfect speech on the occasion.
"I was a little hesitant when the family decided to name the school after me since there are so many other seniors in the family already. I think it would have been more appropriate to name it after them. But now that they have convinced me, I want to ensure that I live up to their expectations," Aishwarya said

Delhi women get condom vending machines

New Delhi: In an attempt to popularise female condoms, vending machines have now been installed in some places in Delhi.
The first of its kind, the machines have been have been installed at four of the capital’s hotspots, and made it all the more easier for women to buy cost effective female condoms.
And the procedure to use it may not be complicated at all.
“All you have to do is insert a Rs 100 note in the machine and the pack automatically comes out,” says a customer, Poonam.
One pack of Velvet costs Rs 100 and contains three pieces. Though HLL has made female condoms cost effective, the big question is who is their target consumer and have they really been able to make it popular among women?
Says General Manager, HLL, S G Sridhar, “Now women are more independent and progressive, and they can make their choices.”
The female condom like the male condom has its advantages and disadvantages. But it certainly lets the woman take her own call if her partner refuses to use a condom.
“A lot still needs to be done as far as awareness and acceptance of the product amongst women is concerned,” says gynaecologist, Dr Nirmala Vijaykumar.
And what do the women have to say about it?
“It’s a great idea and I don't mind my partner using it,” says a customer.
“It will take some time but now women are becoming more and more aware,” adds another.
While another says, “It depends on how user friendly it is.”
Where the male condom had failed, the female condom is seen by social workers as a reliable substitute, not only from the health perspective but also as an empowerment tool for women to avoid unplanned pregnancies.

I know about fours and sixes: Preity

As a present for her birthday on January 31, beau and businessman Ness Wadia could not have given the lovely Preity Zinta anything as exciting as a partnership in the Indian Premier League deal he cut with her and partners Karan Paul and Mohit Puri last week. They bid Rs 300 crore and got the Mohali team in the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) thrilling new T20 format starting this April. Preity is happy to be part of the IPL especially since Shah Rukh Khan, with whom she started her career in Dil Se, has bid for and won the Kolkata team. “Today we’re both making our debuts in cricket,” said Preity. This is not the first time she is doing business with Ness. She’s also reportedly a part of (and endorses) the Wadia family airline. “But this is my first bona fide business venture. I’ve never before submitted a tender and felt the thrill of watching it materialise. I can’t be a sleeping partner in any business. I’d give everyone nightmares! Can you imagine me keeping quiet? Not when the entertainment industry is rocking. Cricket and Bollywood coming together is huge,” laughed Preity. Do their professional alliances indicate a life together? “I don’t know,” replied Preity, “but Ness and I work well together. We hope to make the IPL deal a success. It’s the first time I’m sitting in a boardroom. So many firsts for me! I’m excited. It’s very different from working on a film where you’re on your own when ‘action’ is called on camera.” The perky Bollywood actress happens to be the only woman in the IPL. “I know,” said Preity, “why do boys have to have all the fun? It’s 2008, women should get more active in business. I won’t pretend to be a huge cricket buff, but now I’ve no choice, I’m learning about the game. I’m reading books, watching old matches. I think cricket is a gentleman’s sport, regardless of winning and losing. And I know how to hold a bat and I know what sixers and fours are all about!”

Tara: Lohan and Hilton deserved jail

Tara Reid has slammed fellow stars Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan - stating they deserved the punishment they received for breaking the law.

The American Pie star feels she is unfairly portrayed as a party animal, insisting she has never done anything to deserve the bad press, unlike Lohan and Hilton. The 32-year-old actress, who has become more famous for her alleged wild antics than her film roles in recent years, believes she is often punished for simply enjoying herself. She says, “What have I ever really done? Dance on a table?

When Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton got their Duis (drinking under the influence arrests) they got punished, they deserved it. But my punishment, I don’t feel like it fits the crime. I don’t understand why people punish others for being happy.”

Bloody love!

We've seen Saif Ali Khan nursing an injured hand ever since he returned from the shooting schedule of Tashan in Greece. When asked, he has been saying that he hurt himself with a piece of glass. But now we've unearthed the real story of Saif's injured hand! Our sources tell us that while in Greece, Saif decided to get truly filmi in his declaration of love for Bebo. The story goes that one day after pack-up, the conversation turned to Saif and Bebo's relationship and the couple's friends suddenly asked Saif to prove his love for Bebo.They asked him, 'What is the craziest thing you can do for her?' while a much-amused Kareena looked on. What followed, left everyone dumb-struck. Says our source, "Saif, impulsively picked up a knife lying nearby and slit his palm. Kareena and his friends were shocked to see his bleeding palm." Later, Saif couldn't hide the wound or tell the world how he had injured his hand. "The next day Saif came to the sets with a bandana tied on his palm and said that he had hurt his hand with a piece of broken glass the previous day," adds the source. What Saif did left no one in doubt that he is crazy (about Kareena?) According to our source, "Getting Saif and Kareena out of their vanity van was a task! The two refused to come out, even as the crew waited for them." Later, however, all the bloody romance fizzled out as the couple had a huge fight on the last day of the schedule. Says the source, " Bebo and Saif had a tiff, after which Saif repeatedly tried calling Bebo, but she didn't answer his calls. Kabhie khushi, kabhi gham?

Sensex down 650 points; HDFC lone index gainer

MUMBAI: Frontline indices came off the lows of the day, but further downside cannot be ruled out as global signs remain negative. Several mid-cap counters continued to languish amid major unwinding in stock futures. At 1:30 pm, the Sensex was down 652 points or 3.55 per cent at 17,709.27. Earlier, the index touched a low of 17,443.29 after opening at 18,011.89. State Bank of India (down 6.75%), Reliance Communications (6%), DLF (5.53%), Infosys Technologies (5.33%) and HDFC Bank (5.02%) were the biggest losers. HDFC, up 1.34 per cent, was the only gainer on the 30-share index. The National Stock Exchange’s Nifty was down 238 points or 4.42 per cent at 5145.60. The index touched a low of 5071. CNX Mid-cap Index was down 2.03 per cent and the BSE Mid-cap Index lost 2.43 per cent. Bharat Electronics (down 13.43%), HDIL (10.39%), SAIL (8.53%), Reliance Capital (8.02%), SUN TV (7.64%), Orchid Chemicals (7.57%) were the worst hit. Selling continued across Asia, pulling the Nikkei 225 down 3.97 per cent, the Hang Seng down 5.06 per cent and the Straits Times down 4.14 per cent.

SRK to Ramadoss: Don't pick on little things

NEW DELHI: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan cited creative freedom as he hit back at Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss for criticising him and Amitabh Bachchan for portraying smoking on screen. "I think there is a huge amount of creative freedom that should be allowed in cinema and arts, and one should not go around picking on little things - because that's just cinema, it's make believe and we should not have huge censorship on that," said Shah Rukh Khan at a ceremony where he was awarded the French title of 'Officer in the Order of Arts and Letters'. Reacting to the news, the actor said: "I saw it in the news that Mr Ramadoss feels that Mr Bachchan and I should not be smoking on screen. I truly agree with that, I think it's a great thought. More than that, I wish Mr Ramadoss prays that I stop smoking in real life. That's worse - in movies we just do it for make believe." "Every time I am in front of a television channel I always say children don't smoke, it kills you. It is the worst habit and I want to give it up as soon as possible," he added. In an interview, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss had urged Bollywood mega stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan to desist from smoking in their films. "..I have already made appeals to Shah Rukh Khan...I would like to make an appeal to him and Amitabh Bachchan and all other personalities," Ramadoss had told a private news channel. He was also critical of Khan for smoking at a cricket match.

Sania becomes Asia's number one tennis player

NEW DELHI, January 28: Controversies, injuries and inconsistent form have threatened to derail Sania Mirza's career time and again but the Indian star continues to rise nevertheless, touching a new high on Monday by becoming Asia's number one woman tennis player. After her third-round appearance at the Australian Open, Sania gained three spots to rise to the 29th position with 931 points to become Asia's new numero uno player in the latest WTA rankings overtaking Chinese ace Na Li, who dropped to the 32nd position. Sania, who lost to Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in the third round, however, slipped in the doubles rankings, losing five places to drop out of top-20 and be placed 23rd in the latest list. She had teamed up with Australian Alicia Molik in the Australian Open and the duo had been knocked out in the third round. Becoming the Asian number one is yet another remarkable achievement for the 21-year-old Hyderabadi, who has been India's lone flag-bearer in women's tennis after a breakthrough season in 2005.
Sania : The controversial star
"I am very happy, I think this is the first time I have become Asian number one, so it's an honour," Sania said. She became the first Indian to break into the top-50 of WTA rankings and has notched up some memorable wins over Grand Slam champions like Martina Hingis and top-20 players like Patty Schnyder and Dinara Safina. However, the glamorous star has had to deal with heightened expectations and one controversy after another ever since her rise to prominence. Her on-court attire, her views on pre-marital sex and numerous other petty issues have raised the heckles of Islamic fundamentalists who have never wasted time in issuing one fatwa after another against her. Injuries have also hampered her and she continues to play with minor niggles but all this has not affected her performance. A WTA title eludes her and the best she has done at a Grand Slam is reaching the fourth round of US Open, but her fighting spirit and determination have won hearts wherever she has played. "I'm 21 and I'm trying to be the best I can be," a bit upset but resolute Sania had said after off-court furors forced her to think of quitting the game altogether a few weeks ago.