Month: January 2010

Is Kareena the female Shahrukh?

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Mumbai, January 30:Of course the comparison can’t be ignored. SRK and Kareena Kapoor aka Bebo are similar in many ways.

Not only are they having a packed calendar ahead, but both SRK and Bebo are commanding some of the highest fee according to latest reports.

With her film 3 IDIOTS making new records at the box-office and the fact that Kareena has got some fresh endorsements in place for which she will be globe-trotting, her busy schedule makes her no different from SRK, who is the busiest male star at the moment.

11,000 MBA aspirants to take online CAT re-test

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New Delhi, January 30: Nearly 11,000 MBA aspirants, who could not take the online Common Admission Test (CAT) due to technical glitches last year, will take the examination over Saturday and Sunday.

The second phase of the exam to select students for the country’s top B-schools, will be conducted in around 40 centres across the nation, including nine in Delhi.

Vidya, Shahid Friends Again

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Mumbai, January 30: The twists and turns in Shahid Kapoor’s love life will put a bestseller to shame. After splitting with Priyanka, Shahid’s life has once again taken an interesting turn with former love Vidya re-entering his life recently.

Katrina Kaif Back in A Bikini For Dostana 2

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Mumbai, January 30: After showing off her assets in her debut movie “Boom,” sexy Katrina Kaif will return to the big screen in a banging bikini for her upcoming project “Dostana 2.”

Replacing Priyanka Chopra, who shot a few sexy beach scenes herself in “Dostana” with John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan, this will be the second time Katz dons a two-piece for a movie, and we bet fans can’t wait! Popular celeb designer Manish Malhotra been chosen to create the hot beachwear so we expect something classy yet sexy.

No News is Good For Kareena Kapoor

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Mumbai, January 30: Bollywood Kareena Kapoor talks about her figure(s) — size zero, 7-crore fee and the three films that’s going to keep her on the top…… At beau Saif Ali Khan’s high-rise apartment in Mumbai, the lady-in-charge is Kareena Kapoor.

Looking fresh as a daisy (without a dot of make-up) Bebo is internet browsing. The view from the 10th floor, an aesthetically done up home, is breath-taking. On second thoughts, so is Kareena.

John Abraham’s rigorous training

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Mumbai, January 30: While John Abraham is quite fit, filmmaker Nishikanth Kamat believes that isn’t enough. He requires John to undergo special training for his role in Kamat’s untitled action film. Now, John will take off for the US in February where he will be given commando-like training by the specialists who have worked for films like “Kill Bill’.

Gul Panag is not Crooked!

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Mumbai, January 30: Gul Panag is not Crooked! Gul Panag has left the film, “Crooked’, after shooting with Abhishek Bachchan for five days. Apparently, there are some issues between her and the team of “Crooked’.

According to Gul’s manager, Gul left the film because of a change in script. He states that she hadn’t started to shoot but had signed the film and done the look test. She was present on the sets but didn’t shoot.

Shiites begin slow journey to Karbala city ahead of annual Hussein ritual

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Baghdad, January 30: Hundreds of thousands of Shiites were heading Friday towards the holy Iraqi Shiite city of Karbala to take part in the annual Imam Hussein religious ritual set for February 5.

Pilgrims clad in black and carrying red, black and green flags were going to the shrine of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Mohammed’s grandson, to celebrate “the Arbaine of the Imam Hussein.”

“Arbaine,” or “40” in Arabic, marks the 40th day after the Shiite holy day of Ashura, marking the death of Hussein in the Battle of Karbala in the year 680.

Australian Open: No-sweat Federer says finals pressure all on Murray

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Melbourne, January 30: Grand Slam master Roger Federer has shifted the weight of expectation onto the Scottish shoulder of Andy Murray as the pair prepare for their Sunday final at the Australian Open.

With 15 Grand Slam titles in his pocket and holding boatloads of records in the game, the 28-year-old world number one has been down the road before.

Murray’s experience is rather more limited, with his only other final at a major ending as a heart-breaking straight-set loss to the smooth Swiss in New York, 2008.

Nation pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on Martyrs’ Day

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New Delhi, January 30: India paid tribute to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, on his 62nd death anniversary observed as Martyrs’ Day with floral tributes, devotional songs and an all-religion prayer service Saturday.

At his memorial in Rajghat, flower offerings were made and a multi-faith prayer service was organised by the Rajghat Samadhi Committee.

For more than half an hour, prayers were offered by religious leaders of Buddhism, Bahai, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Jewish, Parsi and Sikhism faiths.

Muslim, Sikh, South Asian leaders demand end to racial profiling

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Washington, January 30: Muslim, Arab, Sikh and South Asian American community leaders have raised the issue of racial, ethnic and religious profiling at airports and the border with the Obama administration.

The issue was raised during a meeting Thursday with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano called to discuss joint efforts against domestic violent extremists, according to Sikh Coalition, a community advocacy group.

Blair said we should be proud of the war

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London, January 30: His voice was hoarse from six hours of questioning. But still he was unrepentant. To gasps of anger from grieving relatives Tony Blair used the final moments of his evidence to the Iraq war inquiry to justify leading Britain in one of the country’s most divisive conflicts in its history.

After compulsory voting, Guj mulls online polling

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Ahmedabad, January 30: After becoming the first state in India to make voting compulsory in all local body elections, Gujarat is now toying with the idea of introducing online polling for civic polls.

The State Election Commission (SEC), a watchdog for elections in local bodies, is working on introducing voting through SMS or internet in municipal and panchayat polls, a top state Election official said today.

The Narendra Modi government moved to make voting mandatory during local body polls after the Gujarat Assembly passed a controversial bill in this regard last month.

9/11 trial may be moved from Manhattan

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Washington, January 30: Pressured by a growing clamor from New York, the Obama administration appears likely to move the trial of September 11 terror suspects away from Manhattan, where it had been scheduled to take place just blocks from the site of the twin towers attack.

The city’s top police official says he thinks the trial won’t take place anywhere in the city.

Vidya Balan hates abusive language

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Mumbai, January 30: Vidya Balan, who plays the scorching hot village belle in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Ishqiya, has mouthed quite a few expletives in the movie.

Well if it is to be a Vishal Bhardwaj film then a few slip in the tongue and spicy rustic language is to be expected here and there, but apparently Vidya, who plays the character called Krishna in Vishal’s production, was in for a shock when she realized that she has to say ch-ya more often than she thought of!

Russia tests 5th-generation fighter jet

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Moscow, January 30: A stealth jet fighter intended to match the latest US design made its maiden flight in Russia on Friday, an important step in the country’s efforts to modernize its aging Soviet-era arsenals.

The Sukhoi T-50 prototype took to the skies for a 45-minute flight from an airfield at the company’s production plant in the Far Eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur on Friday, Sukhoi spokesman Alexei Paveshchenko told The Associated Press.

Opposition leader Sharif advises Zardari to face courts

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Islamabad, January 30: Chief of Pakistan’s main opposition party and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday advised President Asif Ali Zardari to face courts in corruption cases despite his immunity from prosecution as head of state.

“If I were in his place I would have appeared before courts to clear my position instead of relying on constitutional exemption,” the top leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N told reporters.

His comments coincided with remarks by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani that President Zardari remained immune from any criminal proceedings.

Saudi Arabia to announce new law on marriage

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Riyadh, January 30: Saudi Arabia will soon announce a new law to deal with the problem of underage marriage, according to Shaikh Saleh Bin Humaid, chairman of the Saudi Supreme Judiciary Council.

“We will take the best from judicial systems across the world,” he said, while reaffirming that this would not undermine the fundamentals of Islamic Shariah law, which forms the basis of the kingdom’s judiciary.

High ranking Saudi judicial delegations would soon embark on a wide tour of several European and Arab countries, Bin Humaid told Gulf News yesterday.

Al Qaida exploiting Yemeni crisis, PM says

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London, January 30: Al Qaida has capitalised on poverty, political splits and conflict in Yemen but the outside world has shown a commitment to tackling these problems through economic support, the prime minister said.

Major powers rallied behind Yemen in talks in London on Wednesday in a drive to resolve the economic and social problems which are creating a breeding ground for Al Qaida, Prime Minister Ali Mohammad Megawar told Reuters.

Obama Admn drops plan to try 9/11 plotter in New York

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Washington/New York, January 30: The Obama Administration has abandoned its plan to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of 9/11 attacks, in New York amid concerns that bringing the accused back to the scene of crime could add to security threat and cause emotional trauma to some people.

“New York is out,” an administration official was quoted as saying by ‘The Washington Post’. “We’re considering other options,” he said.

Pakistan revokes players’ IPL permission

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Karachi, January 30: Pakistan’s cricket authorities on Friday revoked certificates allowing the country’s cricketers to participate in the Indian Premier League, after none of the players were selected in an alleged snub.

“Pakistan Cricket Board announces, for clarification purposes, that all NOCs (no objection certificates) issued to Pakistani players for their participation in the Indian Premier League stand revoked,” said a release by the PCB.

Ranbir Kapoor takes autographs from NBA stars

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Mumbai, January 30: Like many youngsters today, RK is also a big Basketball fan. And when there was a match happening in Madison square garden, this Kapoor lad did not wish to miss it.

Bollywood’s heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor, who was in New York City shooting for his film Anjaana Anjaani along with Priyanka Chopra, was fortunate enough to watch a game of New York Knicks against Los Angeles Lakers, as Ranbir himself puts it, “I heard of stories about Madison Square Garden, but actually being in this place…it was just amazing. I’m still shaking with excitement.”

‘Negligent’ US Army officers to be punished

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Washington, January 30: A United States military investigation panel calls for disciplinary action against three US Army officers, who have faulted in Afghanistan.

Reports say that although senior officers had intelligence on an impending Taliban attack on an American outpost in eastern Afghanistan, the three officers, including a battalion commander, are alleged to have been “negligent” in poorly managing the outpost.