Celina get angry

Three Marathi actors recently denied entry into a restaurant in a suburban Mumbai 7-star hotel isn't an isolated case. Celina Jaitley had a nightmarish experience at the same establishment. Recalling the incident, Celina told IANS: "I went into the sports lounge of this hotel with a gay foreigner friend of mine for just 10 minutes. I saw a tall imposing middle-aged German guy making obscene gestures at me. At first I ignored him out of embarrassment.

Then he got bolder and came up to me to tell me in German in picturesque detail what he'd like to do to me. "He didn't know I speak German fluently. That was it. I asked the hotel's authorities to deal with the situation, since they hadn't allowed my bodyguard in. Forget about challenging the German lecher, they said they didn't know who he was! Luckily I had seen him sign his room number on his bill." When the posh hotel's cowardly personnel did nothing to help Celina, she left but returned the next day with three vans of cops, got the man out of his room and confronted him. "He fell to his knees and cried and begged saying he has a wife and children back home. He should've thought of them when he treated me to such vulgar intentions.

I made him write an apology and then for his family's sake decided not to press charges," Celina told IANS. "The worst thing was, nobody in the hotel wanted to co-operate with me in dealing with this situation. Even some of my well-wishers advised me to forget about it. "What I want to know is, whom do these hotels cater to? Are they for us Indians? Or are all the amenities and facilities only for foreigners? Why are foreigners given such blatantly preferential treatment in these posh hotels?" The actress decided to speak up on the matter after she heard about the humiliation of the Marathi actors who weren't allowed in because of their Kolhapuri slippers. "This isn't the first time that such an incident has happened.

Some time ago, a dress designer friend of mine requested the same hotel's security to inspect his car in the portico, as he didn't want the clothes in the car to get wet in the rain. There was an argument. They slammed the car bonnet on his hand and fractured it... "Don't they care about people who are not foreigners? Are these high-flying places so busy making big bucks that they've forgotten basic sense of decency?"

Christmas row over the newly-crowned Miss France amply shows

SAINT-DENIS DE LA REUNION, France (AFP) - When the bitching begins there are surely few sights uglier than a beauty pageant, as the Christmas row over the newly-crowned Miss France amply shows. ADVERTISEMENT Like a chaotic scene from the film "Miss Congeniality", this year's contest has rapidly descended into a complete French farce with bikinis, crucifixion imagery, an outraged bishop defending the girl, a post-colonial racism row and legal action set to follow. It all seemed so innocent when Valerie Begue, a 22-year-old business studies student, brought the coveted Miss France title back to the Indian Ocean island for the first time in 31 years.

She was given a heroine's welcome at Saint-Denis airport five days before Christmas, only for the publication of suggestive photos the next morning, in a French scandal magazine, to unleash a wave of controversy and potential legal action. Pictures of a scantily-clad Valerie in crucifixion pose in a swimming-pool, and lying on her stomach licking yoghurt, might seem increasingly blase in this day and age. But the rules for Miss France, and for Genevieve de Fontenay who has presided over most of the title's 61 years, strictly forbid posing for photographs in "ambiguous" fashion, past or present, with the girls having to sign formal declarations to that effect. The result? De Fontenay says she refuses to sanction "Miss France on a cross" and demands that Begue resign "immediately," which Valerie refuses to do. Instead, she is to mull over her position, perhaps sinking into some Christmas comfort food in the process.

The outcome has been an enraged Reunion Island uniting in protest at what the province's communist party deemed "a return to the (colonial) days of discrimination and racism." It has demanded an apology from de Fontenay, following a church demonstration on Sunday where some 300 leading figures offered their support to the 5 foot 10 inch (1 metre 74) brunette. None more so than the Bishop of Reunion himself, Monsignor Gilbert Aubry, who said: "Valerie is a victim in need of support. I have nothing to forgive her for, she has not offended me." Even if he found the religious metaphor used by the photographer "shocking" and an "insult" to Christians, he observed that bikinis and angels' wings were also used in the TV spectacular that saw Valerie win over celebrity judges and a popular vote. The offending pictures are said by the girl to have been taken three years ago in a try-out for lingerie brand, Pardon, and were not for publication.

The bishop had previously complained about the firm selling Virgin Mary thongs. Its director, Peter Mertes, has said he will file legal papers following the "theft" of the pictures, while Valerie's parents have stated that she will sue the magazine. Valerie will return to Paris to face de Fontenay's Miss France grand committee after the festive break, with Vahinerii Requillart, the reigning Miss New Caledonia, France's south Pacific territory, the favourite to take over the title if need be. Winners have been stripped of their crown before, with semi-nude images in Playboy putting paid to Laetitia Bleger's 2004 reign midway through, and a Mister France the following year also falling foul of his "contractual obligations."

TRUE News Story

A lawyer in Charlotte, NC purchased a box of very rare and expensive cigars, then insured them against fire among other things. Within a month, having smoked his entire stockpile of these great cigars and without yet having made even his first premium payment on the policy, the lawyer filed a claim with the insurance company.

In his claim, the lawyer stated the cigars were lost "in a series of small fires." The insurance company refused to pay, citing the obvious reason: that the man had consumed the cigars in the normal fashion. The lawyer sued....and won! In delivering the ruling the judge agreed with the insurance company that the claim was frivolous. The judge stated nevertheless, that the lawyer held a policy from the company in which it had warranted that the cigars were insurable and also guaranteed that it would insure them against fire, without defining what is considered to be "unacceptable fire," and was obligated to pay the claim. Rather than endure lengthy and costly appeal process, the insurance company accepted the ruling and paid $15,000.00 to the lawyer for his loss of the rare cigars lost in the "fires."

But... After the lawyer cashed the check, the insurance company had him arrested on 24 counts of ARSON! With his own insurance claim and testimony from the previous case used against him, the lawyer was convicted of intentionally burning his insured property and was sentenced to 24 months in jail and a $24,000.00 fine.

Aussie girls selling themselves for beer

Melbourne: Alcoholism is so rampant among Australian youngsters that girls as young as 11 get into prostitution just for a couple of cans of beer, a report by Sydney's Odyssey House revealed.

The annual report said children as young as 10 were being admitted to Odyssey's treatment program for alcohol abuse.

According to Sydney youth campaigner and head of Youth Off the Streets, Father Chris Riley, it was not surprising that the report showed that kids as young as 10 were abusing alcohol. Father Riley said that his personal experiences helping troubled kids were echoed in the report.

"In some of the communities we're working in at 9.30 in the morning, 12- (and) 13-year-olds have bottles of Jack Daniels in their hands, and it is just shocking the way these things are available to kids," news.com.au quoted Father Riley, as saying.

He added: "In one of our communities we work in, a group of girls aged between 11 and 16 go down to the bars and clubs at 1am, because that is when they will close, and will prostitute themselves simply for a can or two of beer. This is common throughout the communities we're working in."

"We're opening more and more liquor outlets, more and more access to alcohol... and we just don't get it, we just keep making it more available," said Father Riley.

"These kids can get access to alcohol whenever they want, and that is just not good enough,” he added.

He supported product labelling that warn kids about the dangers of drinking and called for alco-pops to be banned.

"I keep saying: 'Let's put labels on alcohol products saying that alcohol does brain damage to adolescents'," he said.

He added, "Let's take away those alco-pops which are targeting teens. Kids don't like the taste of alcohol, they like the effects that alcohol has on them, but they can get an alcoholic drink that tastes like a soft drink."

News by: ibnlive

Tricia Helfer: Naked, Fetching in Maxim

Battlestar Galactica is an underrated program, starring an underrated hottie: Tricia Helfer. The blonde bombshell bared it all in Playboy last year - and comes close to doing it again in a recent issue of Maxim. Let’s get right to the photos…

बिकनी बालाओं से सजा ‘किंगफिशर कैलेंडर’

मुम्बई। साल को खत्म होने में अभी भी कुछ सप्ताह बाकी हैं, पर कुछ लोग ऐसे भी हैं जो अभी से नए साल का जश्न मना रहे हैं। जैसे वे लोग जो ‘किंगफिशर’ के नए कैलेंडर के लॉंन्च पर पहुंचे।

कुछ ‘फ्लाइंग किस’, फिर डांस और कई सारी ‘हॉट’ मॉडलों की मौजूदगी से स्विम सूट पहनी मॉडलों की तस्वीरों वाले इस कैंलेंडर के लॉंन्च के लिए यह एकदम उपयुक्त माहौल बन गया था।

देखिए- बिकनी बालाओं का विश्व कीर्तिमान

इस मौके पर विज्ञापन फिल्मकार प्रह्लाद कक्कड़ ने कहा, “अगर ‘हॉट’ कार हो तो काफी अच्छा है, अगर ‘हॉट’ बाइक हो तो कहीं बेहतर है। पर अगर ‘हॉट’ कारों और बाइकों पर ‘हॉट’ लड़कियां हो...तो क्या कहने!”

इस साल के किंगफिशर कैलेंडर की फोटोग्राफी भारत के सबसे उम्दा पर्यटन स्थलों पर की गई है। मॉडलों के चयन के समय ‘किंग’ यानि विजय माल्या ने खुद हरेक बारीकी पर ध्यान दिया है।

इस मौके पर उद्योग हस्ती विजय माल्या ने कहा, “मैं शारीरिक पहलुओं पर ध्यान देता हूं...शायद मुझे यह जोड़ देना चाहिए कि केवल फोटोग्राफी के नजरिए से”।

इस मौके पर मौजूद बॉलीवुड अभिनेता जॉन अब्राहम ने कहा, “विजय (माल्या) ने एक कैलेंडर पर अपना हस्ताक्षर करके मुझे दिया है। आमतौर पर मैं इसे महत्व नहीं देता हूं, पर ‘किंगफिशर’ की खातिर मैं इसे अहमियत दूंगा”।

जहां तक बाकी लोगों की बात है तो उनके पास इस कैलेंडर को पसंद करने की वजह बिल्कुल साफ है!! अधिकांश मर्द इस बात से सहमत होंगे कि खूबसूरत लड़कियों को देखना सबसे सुखद बात है और अगर वे स्विम सूट में हों...तो कहना ही क्या!!!

हालांकि इन खूबसूरत लड़कियों की तस्वीर खींचने वाले फोटोग्राफर अतुल कस्बेकर का कहना कुछ और है! वे कहते हैं, “स्विम सूट में किसी लड़की को मैं पूरे साल तक नहीं देखना चाहता”।

Working nights can cause cancer

Twenty-three-year-old PR Executive Varun Mittal is an ex-call centre employee. He says he quit because working through the night threw his body clock completely out of gear.

"I felt tired all the time, had frequent headaches, digestive disorders, loss of appetite. You name it and I had it," says he.

But that's not all. According to a recent study conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the cancer arm of the World Health Organisation, (WHO) working the graveyard shift could increase a person's susceptibility to cancer.

This is because working through the night disrupts the circadian rhythm or the body's biological clock.

Working overnight also leads to a drop in production of Melatonin, which is a hormone that suppresses tumour development.

WHO is now considering listing graveyard shift work as a probable carcinogen.

Consultant Oncologist, Jaslok Hospital Mumbai, Dr Suresh H Advani says, "In the night shift people tend to have junk food and there is lack of exercise."

Oncologists believe cancer is a lifestyle disease, so here are a few tips to help you lead a healthier life.

Dr Advani says, "Eating fish, lots of vegetables and fresh fruit, salads, and exercising regularly and having a tension free positive frame of mind will go a long way in keeping cancer at bay."

And that's not all. The best way to remain cancer free is to remain stress free and to take time out of your busy schedules and learn to relax outside your office space.

news by: ibnlive

Lingerie giant Victoria's Secret in sweatshop row

North Dakota (US): After fashion label Gap, it's now the turn of American fashion house Victoria's Secret. The company has been accused of profiting from sweatshop labour in Jordan. The National Labor Committee provided CNN with photos of D K Garment factory in Jordan where workers claim they are pushed to put in 100 hours a week, cranking out Victoria's secret lingerie for just 75 cents an hour and no overtime. "I think American people would be shocked,” said NLC Director Charles Kernaghan. According Kernaghan, employees who tried to protest their conditions lost more than just their jobs. "Management's response was to have six of the workers who had organised the protests imprisoned,” said Kernaghan. Victoria's Secret declined CNN’s request for an interview and released this statement saying the company is investigating the allegation: We are taking this issue very seriously and since the moment we learned of the report have had a team investigating the concerns. The Jordanian government has also started its own inquiry. "The Ministry of Labor has commissioned an independent third party to look into the case,” said Jordanian government spokeswoman Merissa Khurma. But this is not the first allegation of sweatshop labor to surface in Jordan. Earlier this year, the MLC obtained a video of another factory in Jordan where workers made similar claims of abuse. Some in US Congress say it may be time to begin imposing fines on American companies that profit off of the exploitation of cheap labor overseas. "I think if most people found out these things were happening at the end of their block they'd walk down to the end of their block and say you can't abuse people this way,” said Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota. news by: ibnlive

Miss China becomes Miss World

Beijing:Twenty-three-year-old Zhang Zilin, who mesmerised the judges and millions of viewers world-wide with her beautiful smile, did China proud by winning for the first time the coveted Miss World 2007 title at a star-studded ceremony today in the southern Chinese city of Sanya.

The six feet tall Beijing-based secretary out shone 105 contestants including Miss India Sarah-Jane Dias. She was the pre-contest favourite with British bookmakers, along with Miss Dominican Republic.

Dias did not find a place in the final five. Miss Angola came second and Miss Mexico third at the beauty pageant. The other two finalists were Trinidad & Tobago and Sweden.

An impressive cast of international stars and music artists ensured that the 57th Miss World Final was a dazzling event.

"There are 1.3 billion people behind me," Zilin said during the 40-second interview stage of the contest, referring to her country's population.

"If I win, I want to become a link between the Olympic Games (in Beijing next year) and the Miss World Organisation."

"I want to use the power and beauty of Miss World to support those in need," she said.

The TV spectacular was hosted by top Chinese TV presenter Angela Chow, presenting Miss World for the fifth year in succession, alongside co-host Fernando Allende, who is one of Latin America's biggest stars and was making his Miss World debut.

The contestants were rated on an array of disciplines including physical fitness, style, dress, personality and beauty.

The Miss World contest is world's one of the largest live annual TV event with global viewing figures topping two billion across 174 countries.

News By: ibnlive

सिंगापूर से आए लालू के प्रशंसक

नयी दिल्ली। भारतीय रेल को फिर से चमकाने की कहानी रेल मंत्री लालू प्रसाद यादव की जुबानी सुनने के उत्सुक विदेशी बिजनस स्कूलों के छात्र- छात्राओं और अध्यापकों का भारत आने का सिलसिला जारी ही है।

इसी क्रम में विश्व भर में प्रतिष्ठित प्रबंधन शिक्षा संस्थान “इन्सीड” के सिंगापूर स्थिति एशियायी परिसर के चार सदस्यों के एक दल ने आज यहां रेलमंत्री से उनके कार्यालय में मुलाकात की। इस दल का नेतृत्व इन्सीड के संकायाध्यक्ष फ्रैंक ब्राउन कर रहे थे। उन्होंने रेलमंत्री को सिंगापूर आने और अपने संस्थान में भारतीय रेल के प्रबंध के बारे में बताने का न्यौता दिया।

Topless swimmers make waves

A group of Swedish women is making waves by taking their tops off at public swimming pools in a protest against what they call gender-biased rules on swim wear.

About 40 women have joined the network and staged topless protests in at least three cities, said Sanna Ferm, 22, one of the founders of the group called Bara Brost, or Bare Breasts.

"The purpose of the campaign is to start a debate about why women's bodies are sexualised," Ferm said on Wednesday.

She said the fact that men can be bare-chested in public swimming pools but not women is "a concrete example of how women have fewer rights than men."

Reactions from other swimmers have ranged from support and encouragement to anger and even indifference, she said.

The network was formed after two women who were swimming topless in a public swimming pool in Uppsala, north of Stockholm, were asked to cover up or leave.

Women can sunbathe topless in the summertime at beaches around Sweden, which is known for its relaxed attitude toward nudity, but they are required to wear tops at public swimming pools.

Inger Groteblad, a manager at the swimming facility in Uppsala, said it was a matter of security.

"We want to make sure that girls don't get subjected to sexual harassment," she was quoted as saying by tabloid Aftonbladet.

The women have filed a complaint against the facility to Sweden's Equal Opportunities Ombudsman.

News By: ibnlive

HALF MAN - HALF TREE

An Indonesian fisherman who feared that he would be killed by tree-like growths covering his body has been given hope of recovery by an American doctor - and Vitamin A.

Dede, now 35, baffled medical experts when warty "roots" began growing out of his arms and feet after he cut his knee in a teenage accident. The welts spread across his body unchecked and soon he was left unable to carry out everyday household tasks.

Sacked from his job and deserted by his wife, Dede has been raising his two children - now in their late teens - in poverty, resigned to the fact that local doctors had no cure for his condition. To make ends meet he even joined a local "freak show", parading in front of a paying audience alongside victims of other peculiar diseases.

Although supported by his extended family, he was often a target of abuse and ridicule in his rural fishing village.

But now an American dermatology expert who flew out to Dede's home village south of the capital Jakarta claims to have identified his condition, and proposed a treatment that could transform his life.

After testing samples of the lesions and Dede's blood, Dr Anthony Gaspari of the University of Maryland concluded that his affliction is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a fairly common infection that usually causes small warts to develop on sufferers.

Dede's problem is that he has a rare genetic fault that impedes his immune system, meaning his body is unable to contain the warts. The virus was therefore able to "hijack the cellular machinery of his skin cells", ordering them to produce massive amounts of the substance that caused the tree-like growths known as "cutaneous horns" on his hands and feet.

Dede's counts of a key type of white blood cell are so low that Dr Gaspari initially suspected he may have the Aids virus. But tests showed he did not, and it became clear that Dede's immune condition was something far rarer and more mysterious.

Warts aside, he had enjoyed remarkable good health throughout his life - which would not be expected of someone with a suppressed immune system - and neither his parents nor his siblings have shown signs of developing lesions.

"The likelihood of having his deficiency is less than one in a million," Dr Gaspari told the Telegraph.

Dr Gaspari, who became involved in the case through a Discovery Channel documentary, believes that Dede's condition can be largely cleared up by a daily doses of a synthetic form of Vitamin A, which has been shown to arrest the growth of warts in severe cases of HPV. "He won't have a perfectly normal body but the warts should reduce in size to the point where he could use his hands," Dr Gaspari said.

"Over the course of three to six months the warts should be come smaller and fewer in number. He will be living a more normal life."

The most resilient warts could then be frozen off and the growths on his hands and feet surgically removed.

Dr Gaspari hopes to get the necessary drugs free of charge from pharmaceutical firms. They would then be administered by Indonesian doctors under his supervision. Still intrigued by the origins of Dede's peculiar immune condition, the doctor would like to fly him to the United States for further examination, but fears the financial and bureaucratic barriers would prove too difficult to overcome.

"I would like to bring him to the US to run tests on where his immune condition has come from, but I would need funding and to get him a visa as well as someone to cover the costs of the tests," he said.

"I've never seen anything like this in my entire career."

AdSense godfather leaves Google for startup life

Another top Googler has left to start his own company. This time, it’s Gokul Rajaram, a product manager who was a key leader in the development of Google’s AdSense advertising service.

Rajaram joined Google in early 2003, when the company was just starting to work on ways of selling ads on other web sites. Rajaram started working with a team of four engineers, developing an algorithm for matching ads with text on sites in less than six months — now, Adsense is a cash cow, generating billions of dollars a year for the company. He is known around the Googleplex as one of its godfathers.

“I’ve been having the itch to do something entrepreneurial for awhile now,” Rajaram told Fortune, “I’m in my early 30s and I have some experience and financial security, so the time felt right.”

Rajaram says he is thinking about starting a consumer internet company, but also says he’s thinking about journalism and writing — you can read some of his works here.

Google, which has been hiring thousands of new employees over the past year, seems okay with Rajaram’s departure. Its senior leaders honored him with a large plaque signed by hundreds of Google employees, and threw him a farewell party at the ‘Plex a couple weeks ago, Fortune reports.

As has happened with every other successful company in Silicon Valley, the process of composting Google back into the local soil is now well under way. We broke the news last month that Salman Ullah, the former head of the Google team responsible for acquiring other companies, is leaving to start his own venture firm. The list just keeps getting longer. As we’ve mentioned several times, top engineer Benjamin Ling and dealmaking guru Gideon Yu have both left Google for Facebook.

Pak doctor plays saviour to Indian dowry victim

Twenty-three-year-old Samlin Jenita lies in Chennai’s Mehta Hospital battling for life. Twenty-eight weeks pregnant, seriously bruised and nursing a severe brain injury, Jenita is a victim of dowry harassment.

She was flown to Chennai from the US on Sunday night in a special air ambulance after her family got a frantic call informing them of her accident and urging them to take her back.

Jenita was allegedly beaten up by her husband Christy Danius - an Infosys employee in the US - who reportedly threw her out of a moving car.

She was rescued by Sardar Inamullhah, a Pakistan-origin pathologist was and sent home.

“Jenita was brought into our hospital on July 31 and she was severely injured. She sustained 80 per cent burs and there seemed to be no chances of survival,” Inamullhah told CNN-IBN.

However, Danius denies this, saying Jenita was injured in a car accident in which he and his sister and parents were hurt as well. He claims that he had provided her contact numbers and address in India to the hospital as well.

But Samlin's parents say they got to know only when they got a call from Inamullhah who got suspicious while treating her.

Inamullhah is a pathologist at the Lake Forest Hospital in Illinois and was the first to suspect something was wrong when a badly-hurt Jenita was rushed into the hospital by a police patrol van. She was brought to the hospital in a state of coma, with multiple bone fractures.

“Initially, I started helping the family but I realised there was something wrong. There was no information, no insurance papers, nothing. Then I heard her husband had left her and abandoned in the hospital. The state of North Carolina wanted to take her custody,” said Inamullhah.

He says none of Jenita’s relatives came to see her while she was battling for life. “Her husband came for first few weeks but none of her relatives came. Then he disappeared too. That’s when I and some of my Indian friends – including Mr Sebastian – got her custody,” he said.

Inamullhah says Jenita also narrated her version of the story. “She told us there was a fight inside the car and they were trying to push her out. That’s when her husband – who was at the wheel – lost control.”

As of now, both Jenita and her child are in a stable condition in Chennai’s Mehta Hospital. But Jenita has been paralysed on the left side due to the brain injuries.

Her parents are now filing a police case against Jenita's in-laws.

As for Inamullhah, he says his duty and priority to save the girl, irrespective of the nationality. "There was no question of our nationality or culture coming into play. I have a number of Indian friends and I love them all like my family," he said.

News By: Ibnlive

युवराज सिंह को दंडित किया गया

जयपुर। भारत के मध्यक्रम के धुरंधर बल्लेबाज युवराज सिंह को पाकिस्तान के खिलाफ अंतिम वनडे क्रिकेट मैच के दौरान, अंपायर के फैसले पर विरोध जताने के लिए दंडित किया गया है। उन्हें आचार संहिता के उल्लंघन का दोषी ठहराते हुए मैच रेफरी ने उनकी 20 फीसदी मैच फीस काट ली है।

आईसीसी की तरफ से जारी बयान के मुताबिक अंपायर द्वारा आउट करार दिए जाने के बाद युवराज की प्रतिक्रिया को आईसीसी ने आचार संहिता का उल्लंघन मानते हुए उनकी 20 फीसदी मैच फीस बतौर जुर्माना काटने की सजा सुनाई है।

रविवार को खेले गए दिन-रात के इस मैच में युवराज ने 50 के निजी स्कोर पर अंपायर सुरेश शास्त्री द्वारा उन्हें उमर गुल की गेंद पर विकेट के पीछे कैच आउट करार दिए जाने पर असंतोष जताया था।

अंपायर द्वारा आउट देने के बाद भी युवराज कुछ देर तक क्रीज पर रूके रहे थे और उन्होंने इशारा करके यह जताया था कि गेंद उनके कंधे को रगड़ती हुई विकेटकीपर के दस्ताने में गई थी। लेकिन उनके इस विरोध का अंपायर पर कोई असर नहीं पड़ा और उन्हें पवैलियन लौटना पड़ा।

हालांकि टीवी रिप्ले से ऐसा लग रहा था कि गेंद युवराज के कंधे से होकर ही गई थी। उनके पवैलियन लौटने के साथ ही मैच में पाक की पकड़ मजबूत हो गई और अंत में भारत को हार का सामना करना पड़ा।

Hot Lindsay Lohan serves time behind bars – for 84 minutes!

Troubled actress Lindsay Lohan is the latest star to join the likes of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie to serve time behind bars. Her stint however, lasted just 84 minutes.

The recently reformed ‘Mean Girls’ star spent time in the slammed at the same facility where Paris and Richie served their time - Lynwood Jail in Los Angeles.

Her stint though a lot shorter than that of Paris Hilton, was just two minutes more than Richie’s, reports the Sun.

The 21-year old actress was ordered to serve just one day in jail stemming from her DUI charge in August.

She had originally been sentenced to 4 days, but got credit for 1 day served, followed by a deal to perform 10 days of community service instead of 2 days in jail.

Lindsay was admitted to Lynwood at 10.30 in the morning on Nov 16 to serve her time and was released at 11.54 a. m.

Nicole Richie served 82 minutes in jail, while Paris had 21 days. (ANI)

Darling, you look good enough to eat..

For hard-core Chocoholics, it was the fashion show that quite literally took the biscuit. Models in New York paraded outfits made of chocolate in the 2007 Haute Chocolate Couture Collection as the audience feasted their eyes on dresses and accessories made out of dark and white chocolate, chocolate squares, chocolate chips and little else. Model Ashley Moss showed off a dress made from cookies. "It's actually amazing. It's not everyday that you get to wear something like this so I'm really, really excited about it. It's a first time experience to be wearing cookies," she told Reuters Television. The show was part of the 10th Annual International Chocolate Show held over the weekend. All outfits were meticulously crafted by several designers, including Ortrud Muench Carstens who said the sun almost sabotaged her creation. "You have to keep it at a very low temperature, not more than about 65 or 68 degrees (18-20 degrees Celsius)," said Carstens. "The other day I opened the window while I was still working on the dress, and the sun was shining and it, if you come close to it, you see, it melted," she said, pointing out an area of partially melted chocolate.

News By: Yahoo

Asia Pacific Screen Awards Winners Announced

Winners in the inaugural Asia Pacific Screen Awards, the region’s highest
accolade in film in 2007, were announced last night at a special ceremony on
the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia..

Films from Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Lebanon, India, Iran, Turkey and Israel
received Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

The Awards were determined by an International Jury headed by esteemed Indian
actress and humanitarian Shabana Azmi.

The Best Feature Film award was won by SECRET SUNSHINE (MIRYANG) from Korea
(Producers Lee Chang-dong, Kim In-soo and Hanna Lee)

Jeon Do-yeon received the Best Performance by an Actress Award for her
performance in SECRET SUNSHINE (MIRYANG).

The Best Achievement in Directing was awarded to Iranian directors Rakhshan
Bani-Etemad and Mohsen Abdolvahab for the film MAINLINE (KHOONBAZI).

Best Children’s Feature Film was DENIAS, SINGING ON THE CLOUD (DENIAS,
SENANDUNG DI ATAS AWAN) from Indonesia, awarded to Producer Ari Sihasale.

Best Animated Feature Film was won by 5 CENTIMETERS PER SECOND (BYOSOKU 5
CENTIMETERS) from Japan ( Producer Noritaka).

Best Documentary Feature Film was BEIRUT DIARIES: TRUTH, LIES and VIDEOS from
Lebanon (Prroducers Mai Masri and Jean Chamoun).

Best Screenplay was awarded to Feroz Abbas Khan for his screenplay for the
Indian film GANDHI, MY FATHER. The Best Achievement in Cinematography was
awarded to Hooman Behmanesh for the Iranian film THOSE THREE (AN SEH).

Turkish actor Erkan Can won the Best Performance by an Actor Award for his
performance in TAKVA: A MAN’S FEAR OF GOD (TAKVA).

Three additional major Awards were announced for outstanding achievement.

Australian director and producer Dr George Miller (HAPPY FEET, BABE, LORENZO’S
OIL, MAD MAX) was announced as the winner of The FIAPF Award for outstanding
achievement in film in the Asia-Pacific region.

The UNESCO Award for outstanding contribution to the promotion and preservation
of cultural diversity through film was decided by the International Jury and
awarded to the Israeli film THE BAND’S VISIT (BIKUR HATIZMORET),

The Jury announced a Jury Grand Prize for the Iranian film NIGHT BUS (AUTOBUS-E
SHAB), produced by Mehdi Homayounfar and directed by Kiumars Pourahmad.

APSA is an initiative of the Queensland Government in collaboration with CNN
International, UNESCO and the Federation of International Film Producers
Asociation.

News by: PTI

H'wood-B'wood come together at Dubai in Dec

The Dubai International Film Festival, since its inception in 2004, has seen the best of Bollywood and Hollywood come together.

From Richard Gere to Laurence Fishburne to Shah Rukh Khan - who won a DIFF Salutes trophy for his contribution to cinema - the stars' presence has always been strongly marked at the festival.

This year's festival, which will be held from December 9 to 16, will focus on Indian cinema.

Among the films screened will be Santosh Sivan's Before the Rains, Frozen, Mira Nair's AIDS Jaago and Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Naal Pennu (Four Women).

"There is a change in the way Indian films are being made today," says DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Juma. "Very young actors and very young directors are coming, today. They want to take indian films internationally more than ever, and we want to use Dubai as a platform to do that," he added.

One of the highlights of this year's festival would be the charity dinner hosted by Sharon Stone after hours.

'Nude scenes make me feel shy'

Washington: Actress Angelina Jolie has revealed that she felt shy over her latest accomplishment in a simulated nude scene of her upcoming animated movie Beowulf.

The 32-year-old, who plays a temptress killer lizard was painted gold, but animated without clothes.

"I got a little shy. I was really surprised that I felt that exposed. I didn't expect ourselves to come out as much. I didn't expect it to feel as real, and so because of especially the type of character I play, it was kind of funny at first,” People quoted Jolie, as stating at a press conference for the film in Los Angeles.

“There are certain moments where I felt actually shy – and called home, just to explain that the fun movie that I had done that was digital animation was, in fact, a little different than [what] we expected,” she added.

Boewulf, which opens on Nov 16 is directed by Robert Zemeckis and is based on the Old English poem.

It is Jolie’s third animated movie, after Shark Tale and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.

News By: Ibnlive

Google gets into the wireless business

When Google came on the scene 10 years ago, the PC business was pretty much figured out. Lots of companies made computers, but Microsoft monopolized the operating systems that ran on them. It was Microsoft's world, and as a software developer Google had to learn to live in it.

Not so with cell phones. There are lots of handset makers, and several companies make operating systems and other software for the devices. Google either has to play ball with those companies or control the mobile environment on its own.

Enter today's announcement of a Google operating system that will prominently feature the company's applications -- mail, maps, search and so on. And Google is going to entice handset makers by giving them the system for free. The phones probably won't have the name Google anywhere on them, and the first ones won't be available until the second half of '08.

This is a tough road for Google. People just want the best phones out there. Google's software has to be as good, if not better, than anything Microsoft, Symbian or Apple has to offer. Web searching has to be fast. Video should be seamless. Maps and directions can't be buggy.

In other words, Google has to nail this. As in better than iPhone nail this. If it can't, then don't expect handset makers to be on board. There are more issues here to consider as well:

Carriers are important. Google is doing a lot to appeal to the guys that make phones, but what about the carriers? AT&T and Verizon aren't part of the alliance of companies supporting Google's efforts. Sprint and T-Mobile are showing initial support but aren't publicly committing to the system. Why would carriers want to be a part of this?

Why would I want one? I haven't seen anything yet that would make me want a phone with Google's software on it. Google's Andy Rubin says Google's phone will have lots of Net applications, which will distinguish it from others. But you can bet that competitors are working on this as well.

What about advertising? Google makes its money from selling ads. It's giving the phone software away for free. Are the phones going to be stuffed to the gills with ads?

News By: MSN Money

Lance and Ashley, sitting in a tree...k-i-s-s-i-n-g

The new most unlikely duo is “Full House” star Ashley Olsen and seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong. The 21-year-old twin was spotted at the Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel on Monday night with the famous cyclist, reports Page Six. “They came together with a group of friends. Ashley drank red wine, sat on his lap and they were making out all night. They left together around 2 a.m.,” the source told Page Six. Story continues below ↓advertisement Access Hollywood has reached out to Lance Armstrong’s publicist and is awaiting a response. Ashley Olsen’s publicist had, “no comment.” Lance Armstrong was previously linked to fashion designer Tory Burch. Lance bought a home in New York City to be closer to her. Before that he very publically dated rocker Sheryl Crow. “He tried to make Tory happy when they were dating by buying a place here, but she couldn’t deal with him not actually living in the same city, so they broke up,” another source tells Page Six. Lance and Tory split up in October.

News By: msnbc

IT sector in for big pay cut

Mumbai: It may be the end of good times for software professionals. Fat salary hikes in the IT industry may soon be a thing of the past. That is because IT companies have realised they need to cut costs in their biggest money drainer - the salaries. The IT industry's largest employer, TCS, says that wage inflation has peaked.

“What we are experiencing this year is a stability in wages. Last year, we had a 12 per cent –15 per cent increase in wages and my own expectation is that this year the wages will increase 10 per cent –12 per cent,” said S Padmanabhan, ED and Head-HR, TCS.

That is a view seconded by Wipro, which sees wage inflation moderating at 12 per cent-13 per cent.

Infosys, however, sees wage inflation at 12 per cent –15 per cent. Salary increments offered in the first quarter this year, reflected in the margins of TCS and Satyam, in the form of an impact on their second quarter margins by 117 basis points and 450 basis points respectively.

Infosys, which offered salary hikes in April last year, saw margins in its first quarter impacted by 250 basis points. One look at the wage hikes, in the past five years, clearly show wage inflation moderating if not declining.

Industry experts say IT margins are impacted primarily by wage inflation and appreciation of the rupee. While the sting of the rupee is being countered by forex hedging, salary hikes are also being tempered. However, some job skills may continue to carry a premium.

“In certain niche market or skill set, you can have a demand, which is far more than the supply and there is a premium. In industry parlance, we call it hot skills, and those hot skills demand a premium,” said Aquil Busrai, ED-HR, IBM India.

Instead of offering a salary hike, some IT companies are sending employees to the US or Europe earlier than usual, so that their onsite salaries make up for the lower salary hikes.

News by: ibnlive

Kareena in a bikini?

After the likes of Tanisha and Bipasha testing the waters of the ‘bikini land’ in the films Neal N Nikki and Dhoom 2 respectively, the radar has now turned towards Kareena Kapoor, who, it seems, is all set to wear a bikini for Yash Raj Film’s Tashan. The bikini shoot is being scheduled for February 2008, for which Kareena is reportedly preparing herself to be in shape! That probably explains why Kareena lost oodles of weight. If you were excited looking at new slim Kareena get into those tight fitting clothes on tv shows for Jab We Met promotion, wait for a next few months, coz the Kapoor girl seems to have much more to offer in Tashan. It will definitely be a challenge for Lolo, who has always been bindaas in her volley of words, off-screen. What remains to be seen is if this bindaas attitude of hers rub her in reel-life too? And to what extent can she take head on, her colleagues (read ‘competitors’), which includes Mallika Sherawat, Malaika Arora Khan or Bipasha Basu even.

Five World's Unsexiest Woman

SEX and the City star Number 1. Sarah Jessica Parker (Old Picture) has been named the world's unsexiest woman. Maxim magazine, which drew up the list of the Unsexy Five, said: "How the hell did this (horse) Barbaro-faced broad manage to be the least sexy woman in a group of very unsexy women and still star on a show with 'sex' in the title?" In the runner-up position is the troubled beehived singer Number 2. Amy Winehouse(Old Picture), because of her "openly haemorrhaging translucent skin, rat's nest mane and lashes that look more like surgically attached bats". Grey's Anatomy star Number 3. Sandra Oh(Old Picture) came third and Number 4. Madonna(Old Picture), "with a mug that looks sealed to her skull", was fourth. Number 5. Britney Spears(Old Picture) took last place. Kim Cattrall says her Sex and the City character is one of a kind, and that there is no one else in the world with Samantha's attitude. Kim said: "Everyone asks if Samantha and I are alike and the answer is no, no, no. I don't think there's anyone in the world like Samantha - if there is I don't know them." The 50-year-old star says playing a femme fatale caused problems in her marriage to ex-husband Mark Levinson because he didn't like her filming such raunchy scenes. Kim - who is currently romancing Canadian chef Alan Wyse - said: "I'd come home at 5am after doing all these scenes involving nubile young men and he didn't believe I'd been filming. He was a fan of the show but he had problems with some of the episodes and storylines." Kim's Sex and the City storylines included stripping naked in fire station, having a lesbian relationship and trying to bed a priest.

Who's this film celebrity with Lata Mangeshkar?

It makes for a cute picture. Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar rustling through the hair of a young boy whose eye-popping look is rather ‘captivating’. No, the boy isn’t an off shoot of her large family. Instead, he later went on to become an intrinsic part of the extended family of Hindi films and also played a small role in giving Ms Mangeshkar a few of her acclaimed hit numbers.

Yes, the boy in Lata’s lap later turned a famous music composer known for his penchant for getting ‘inspired’ by foreign tunes, wearing heavy gold jewellery, sporting black shades even in the dark confines of studios-n-elsewhere and is one of the first composers to have worked with big stars like Samantha Fox. In the more recent times he is seen with an amazing regularity on the idiot box judging music talent shows and also getting in mock fights with irrepressible singers like Abhijeet. Many of his songs have been remixed but the one that went on to become one of the biggest hits was Kaliyon Ka Chaman….incidentally it had originally been sung by Lata.

The celebrity in the picture is none other than Bappi Lahiri

Kim Kardashian gets classy in Playboy

Kim Kardashian is so misunderstood. Often regarded as little more than another famous-for-being-famous Hollywood “it” girl, Kim took a break from her busy reality TV schedule to chat with US Weekly and set the record straight.

“Everyone thinks that I am this wild party girl and that I get drunk and dance on tables, but I don’t even drink alcohol,” the “Keeping up with the Kardashians” star revealed. “We (she and sisters Khloe and Kourtney) own businesses and we work every single day and we have 10 kids in the family and we did not grow up with nannies.” All that wholesome living didn’t keep Kim from showing her assets in an upcoming issue of Playboy. But she insists even that was handled tastefully.

Story continues below ↓advertisement “It is not as revealing as some people might want,” Kim told US. “I keep it classy and covered up. I do bare my whole butt. And a little bit of my chest. But that’s it. It was something that I was really nervous about doing at first and this is the first time I am talking about it.”

Of course the reinvented good-girl made sure the partial nudity even got the Kardashian clan’s stamp of approval. “I consulted the whole family and I decided this is the way I would have wanted it to come out.”

News By:- msnbc

संजय दत्त जेल में बीमार हुए

पुणे। सोमवार देर रात पुणे की यरवदा जेल पहुंचे अभिनेता संजय दत्त की मंगलवार को तबियत खराब हो गई। फिलहाल उनके स्वास्थ्य की जांच की जा रही है। जेल प्रशासन का कहना है कि संजय के स्वास्थ्य का पूरा ध्यान रखा जाएगा।

वर्ष 1993 में मुंबई में हुए बम धमाकों के मामलों में सोमवार को मुम्बई की विशेष टाडा अदालत ने संजय दत्त को फैसले की प्रति दे दी थी और इसके बाद दोपहर में संजय दत्त ने अदालत में समपर्ण कर दिया था। मुम्बई पुलिस ने उन्हें थोड़े समय के लिए आर्थर रोड स्थित जेल में रखा था। उसके बाद सोमवार आधी रात को पुलिस का काफिला दत्त को पुणे स्थित यरवदा जेल ले आया था।

पुलिस अधिकारियों का कहना है कि दत्त जल्द ही जेल में ‘बढ़ईगिरी’ का काम शुरु कर देंगे। दत्त के वकील फरहान शाह और सतीश मानशिंदे ने आईएएनएस को बताया कि वे अपने मुवक्किल की जमानत के लिए अगले सप्ताह सुप्रीम कोर्ट में याचिका दायर करेंगे।

गौरतलब है कि मुंबई बम धमाकों से जुड़े मामले में गैरकानूनी हथियार रखने के आरोप में मुम्बई की विशेष टाडा अदालत ने संजय दत्त को छह सालों की सश्रम कैद की सजा सुनाई है।

Biography of PAMELA ANDERSON

Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-born actress, sex symbol, glamour model, producer, TV personality, and author. She holds both American and Canadian citizenship.[1] For a time, she was known as Pamela Anderson Lee after marrying the drummer for Mötley Crüe, Tommy Lee.

Anderson was born in Ladysmith, British Columbia, 90 km northwest of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, to Carol, a waitress, and Barry Anderson, a furnace repairman. Her great-grandfather, Juho Hyytiäinen, was Finnish, a native of Saarijärvi, and left Finland in 1908[2] and changed his name to Anderson as he arrived as immigrant.

The newborn Anderson won fame as the nation's "Centennial Baby", as she was thought to have been the first baby born on Canada's Centennial Day (she was born at 4:08 in the morning). However, the Campbell River Upper Islander of July 5, 1967 reported a baby born two hours earlier on the same Canada Day.[3] After her birth, her parents, Barry and Carol, and her brother, Gerry Anderson, moved to the town of Comox with Pamela.

• Birth Name:- Pamela Denise Anderson
• Born:- July 1, 1967 (1967-07-01) (age 40)
• Other Name(s):- Pamela Anderson Lee
• Spouse(s):- Rick Salomon (October 6, 2007 - present)
• Kid Rock (August 3 2006 - November 27 2006; divorced)
• Tommy Lee (19 February 1995 - 28 February 1998; divorced) 2 children
• Official site:- PamelaAnderson.com

Career After graduating from Highland Secondary School in 1985, Anderson moved to Vancouver and worked as a fitness instructor. During the summer of 1989, Pamela went with her friends to a Canadian football game; at some point during the game she was shown on the stadium screen wearing a Labatt's t-shirt, causing the crowd to cheer for the twenty one year old Anderson. She was taken down to the field to get an ovation from the crowd. Labatt's immediately offered Anderson a modeling contract and she accepted. In late 1989, Pamela decided to model for Playboy magazine: she appeared on the October 1989 cover (credited as Pamela Anderson Ilicic) and decided to move to Los Angeles to continue her modeling career. She was the February 1990 playmate and has appeared in Playboy several times in the 1990s and more recently.





Acting and modeling After her move to Los Angeles, Anderson bleached her brunette hair blonde and underwent breast augmentation. In 1991, she landed a minor role on the United States's hit television sitcom, Home Improvement (1991-1997). Having gained viewer attention, she landed the role of C.J. Parker (1992-1997) on Baywatch, and left Home Improvement after its second season. Anderson was still modeling for Outdoor Life and appearing on the cover of the magazine each year. Her role as C.J. Parker gave her more popularity and gained her attention from international viewers. She returned to Baywatch for the 2003 reunion movie, Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding. She also made appearances on The Nanny as Fran's rival, Heather Biblow. In 1996, she appeared in a feature film, Barb Wire, as a character known as Barbara Rose Kopetski, which was mistakenly thought by some to have been her real name. The movie, a thinly-veiled futuristic remake of Casablanca, failed to achieve commercial success. During the filming of Barb Wire, Anderson suffered a miscarriage. In April 1997, she guest-hosted Saturday Night Live. During the beginning of the show, Anderson said, "You know, if you're nervous on stage, you actually should be naked!" She then began a striptease. Her breasts, however, were covered by a small flesh-colored bra and she also wore a crotch patch that was also flesh colored (though they were still blurred out for the sake of the joke). The segment became fodder for late-night comedians for the following weeks. She also appeared on one of two covers for the September issue of Playboy; the other cover pictured Jenny McCarthy.

Biography of LISA RAY

Lisa Ray (born April 4, 1974) is a Canadian Bollywood actress and former fashion model. She grew up in Toronto, is the daughter of a Bengali father and a Polish mother. Ray started her modelling career at age 16 and was the "brand ambassador" for Lakme cosmetics in India. She made numerous advertisements for various Indian companies before becoming involved in films. She began her acting career with the Bollywood film Kasoor in 2001 opposite Aftab Shivdasani. Ray then went to Tollywood in 2002 and appeared in Takkari Donga with Mahesh Babu. She subsequently starred as the female lead of Canadian director Deepa Mehta's romantic Indian-Canadian romp, Bollywood/Hollywood in 2002. In 2005, she worked again with Mehta in the latter's most recent film, Water. The film tells the story of a widow, played by Ray, who lives in a Varanasi ashram. Ray starred opposite John Abraham. Although she learned her lines in Hindi for the shoot, her voice ultimately had to be dubbed over in post-production on account of her strong accent. Ray has said that she desires to be a novelist with a base in Paris. She is also hosting "Beauty Mantra" a television show on the Indian channel Zee TV. She recently relocated to Los Angeles to pursue acting roles there. In 2007, she completed filming for Kill Kill Faster Faster, which is a contemporary film noir inspired by the critically acclaimed novel of the same name by Joel Rose.

Court suspends Spears' visits with kids

A family court official has suspended troubled singer Britney Spears' visitation rights with her two young sons until the pop star complies with all of a commissioner's orders, court papers showed on Thursday.

The order by Los Angeles County Commissioner Scott Gordon does not detail why he barred the singer from seeing her boys, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, but it comes only one day after a lawyer for her ex-husband Kevin Federline went to court seeking an emergency hearing.

"Petitioner's (Britney's) visitation with the minor children is suspended pending Petitioner's compliance with the court orders," the order said.

Spears, 26 and Federline, 29, split up a year ago after two years of marriage and since then, her life has veered out of control despite a stint in rehab. The pair have been embroiled in a bitter custody dispute, and in recent months Gordon ordered the boys should live with Federline under tightened rules regarding Spears' visits. The singer has been ordered to get coaching on parenting skills, seek counseling and undergo random drug testing. Gordon has said evidence showed she was a frequent user of "controlled substances and alcohol."

Spears is due in court on October 26 for another custody hearing.

News By - Reuters

Adnan ban gaya hero

A few weeks ago, this writer did the news-break of Adnan Sami being launched as a hero in Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Bhushan Kumar’s first joint venture, to be directed by Bhansali’s sister Bela Segal. At that point of time, Bela didn’t want to comment on it, but here’s the official version… as always, only on IndiaFM.

“Yes, it’s true that Adnan Sami will be launched as a hero in our joint venture. It’s a romantic-musical. We’ve yet to finalize the leading lady opposite Adnan,” Bhushan tells me, “We will start its shooting early next year, but will make an official announcement in the next few weeks.”

Himesh, Adnan… who’s next?

Lindsey Lohan is in Trouble

OK, so Rumor Patrol has been on a little vacation from bringing you all the latest and greatest Hollywood rumors. But every now and then you need a little summer vacation to recharge the battery’s.

To kick us back in the spirit of letting our readers know what’s up in the world of hot Hollywood gossip we’re going to obviously spill a little about Lindsey Lohan. She’s, again, in trouble with the law. This time for driving drunk, and also for possession of cocaine.

With mug shots galore, the rest of Hollywood wondering how to save her precious star filled life, and a everyone else just making her the butt of all their jokes, Lindsey Lohan is our news breaker of the new season. Thanks Lindsey for always keeping our pages filled with your news.

Now Kailash Kher wants to act too!

Kailash Kher Singer, who made his mark in Bollywood with the hit "Allah ke Bande" and has sung many popular numbers, now wants to try his hand at acting as well.

The singing sensation says that getting filmmakers is not a problem, but getting roles that excite him is tough.

"I want to act, not for the sake of acting but to entertain people and make a mark in the film industry. My expectations from myself are to do a unique role that people have never imagined," Kher told IANS.

The singer also rubbished rumours about him having lived at Mumbai's Andheri station during his early days.