Freida Pinto sizzles in Vogue Magazine

Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto appears on the cover of the new issue of Vogue India.

Freida Pinto's career has taken off and how! She is all set to join Woody Allen’s next film with Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins.

The role is a major coup for Pinto, considering Allen has directed many actors to Oscar glory, with Vicky Cristina Barcelona’s Penélope Cruz being the latest example.

Her 'Slumdog' co-star Dev Patel is already set to join M. Night Shyamalan’s 'The Last Airbender' and now Pinto is teaming with Woody Allen. Sounds like the Slumdog duo is doing just fine following the film’s massive success including winning eight Oscars last night.

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India rubbishes Pak navy claims on sea route

NEW DELHI: India on Friday rubbished Pakistan navy's claims that Ajmal Kasab and other terrorists didn't use sea route to reach Mumbai.


Home Minister P Chidambaram took a dig at Pakistan on Friday for its flip-flops on Mumbai terror attacks.

"New Delhi is very clear regarding where the attackers came from,” Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said.

“Several countries too have supported our findings on 26/11 probe. Pakistan government too had accepted them. Now their navy is belying its own government’s claims,” Sharma added.

Meanwhile, Indian naval forces told Times Now, "We have enough proof of the fact that the terrorists came from Pakistan via sea. We have their boats and satellite phones."

Earlier, in a stunning denial Pakistan navy on Friday claimed that Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist of the Mumbai attacks, and others didn’t sea route to land in Mumbai.

Pak Admiral Norman Bashir on Friday told reporters, "There is no proof behind Indian claims that Kasab landed in Mumbai to carry out attacks using sea route from Pakistan."

“Mumbai terror attacks reflect a complete failure of Indian navy,” Bashir added.

At the same time, he admitted that patrolling the waters on the Pakistani side of the international border off the Gujarat coast was "difficult" due to the dispute over the Sir Creek, IANS reported.

The latest statement by Pakistan navy is in complete contrast to the findings of the interior ministry in the 26/11 terror probe.

According to IANS, Bashir also sought to discount suggestions that Pakistan was engaged in an arms race with India.

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New Zealand beat india and win series by 2-0

WELLINGTON: New Zealand on Friday snatched a dramatic last-ball victory in the second Twenty20 international to clinch the series 2-0 against India, who very nearly pulled off an incredible win in the dying moments of the thriller.

Chasing a modest 150 to win, the hosts were cruising along comfortable before the Indians changed the complexion of the game with some tidy spin bowling and Irfan Pathan's double strike in the 18th over.

Needing 12 runs off Pathan's last over, the Kiwis rode on Brendon McCullum's unbeaten 69 to scrape through to record their third consecutive victory against the world champions. The home team won the thrilling match by five wickets.

The result of the ding-dong battle at Westpac stadium could have been different had substitute fielder Rohit Sharma latched on to a difficult catch off McCullum, which would have carried the game to the eliminator stage. (AP Photo)

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Here are the New Intel Logos

Intel just got into business of changing logos, and we just found out how the rest of the line up looks like.

The new logo is much wider than the previous one and on the top right corner you can see something that looks like chip. Core i7 and Core 2 Extreme logos are black, while Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo, Core 2 vPro are blue and very similar.

Many Centrino logos are all in white, and the top one is Centrino 2 inside, runner up is Centrino 2 vPro followed by Centrino inside and Centrino vPro inside.

Itanium, Xeon, and Core 2 Viiv sort of didn’t change their format, while Xeon will come in new blue colour, probably for Nehalem based Xeons. New logos will be effective as of April 1st, the first day of Q2 2009.

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Rupee falls to 50.46 per $, US sends $5 Billion to Pak

Just when it climbed out of the deep pit, the Indian market on Thursday fell into a bottomless crevasse as the rupee had settled at 50.46 per dollar, against Wednesday's close of Rs 49.94.

It is a record of sorts as it is the all-time lowest closing rate for the rupee against the dollar, even beating the 50.2 number on December 2nd 2007.

Meanwhile US has promised gifting billions of Dollars to terror haven Pak as economic and military aid. That after reports certify that Pakistan has been using American tax-payer money for deals with the terror outfit Taliban and that US arms have been ending up in the hands of the extremists.

This little brainwave is courtesy of Senator John Kerry who is considering a $5 billion aid to Pakistan. Also being contemplated is a $1.5 billion annual package for ten years.

"If we fail, we face a truly frightening prospect: terrorist sanctuary, economic meltdown, and spiraling radicalism, all in a nation with 170 million inhabitants and a full arsenal of nuclear weapons," he said. "The stakes could not be higher, and [this] report could not be more timely."

Needless to say, not many people agree with this decision.

"Not only is the United States paying the Pakistani government to abdicate territory to the Taliban, we get to fund the Taliban as well," said Bill Roggio, an expert in the war on terror, questioning the Kerry-Lugar proposal aimed to tripling military aid to Pakistan.

"It's time for the US. government to ask if it is getting a good return on its investment. Considering that more than $3.8 billion of $5 billion of US. aid to Pakistan has gone unaccounted for and the Taliban is being funded by the US, perhaps the answer is no," Roggio, who runs the blog Long War Journal, added.

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Economic growth severly stunted in last quarter

India's economy grew at its slowest annual pace in almost six years in the December quarter, throwing into doubt growth estimates for the full fiscal year and raising expectations the central bank would soon cut rates.

The slower-than-expected growth in Asia's third-largest economy saw a weak sharemarket extend losses to more than 2 percent, and analysts said the central bank could cut rates as early as Saturday.

The economy grew 5.3 percent in the December quarter from a year earlier, below forecasts of 6.2 percent and the previous quarter's 7.6 percent as the global economic crisis cut demand and exports. It was the slowest growth since the March quarter of 2003.

"We have been calling for significant rate cuts for a long time. We are looking for a 100 basis points cut as soon as probably tomorrow in the repo rate and reverse repo rate," said Sailesh Jha, senior regional economist at Barclays Capital.

"After seeing this number, I think the market is now pricing in a 100 basis points cut." The central bank cut its main lending rate, the repo rate, by 350 basis points to 5.50 percent in four moves between October 20 and January 2, but held rates steady at a review in late January, saying banks were yet to pass on its rate cuts.

The rupee, which hit a record low of 50.78 in morning trade, was supported by buying from state-run banks, which traders said was likely to have been on behalf of the central bank

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Sachin, Karthick withdrawn from Masters T20

In a move that fittingly showcases the trivial-mindedness of the BCCI, the Indian cricket board withdrew candidature of Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik from Friday’s Masters Twenty20 match in Wellington because of the involvement of Hamish Marshall, who plays for the ICL.

Tendulkar was supposed to turn out for the New Zealand Cricket Players` Association (NZCPA) while Karthik was to play for the Australian Cricketers` Association (ACA) Masters in a game billed as a curtain-raiser to the second Twenty20 between India and New Zealand on Friday evening. Marshall, who played for the Royal Bengal Tigers in the ICL, was also part of the NZCPA squad.

ICL, seen as a rival to the BCCI-backed IPL, is banned by the BCCI. All players associated with the league are barred from all forms of official cricket and from using any of its facilities. The BCCI also used its financial muscle power within the ICC to ensure other national boards imposed bans on ICL cricketers and officials.

Earlier, a proposal of Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Murali Vijay, Laxmipathy Balaji, Amit Mishra and new fast bowling find Dhawal Kulkarni turning out for provincial teams in New Zealand domestic championship to gain match-practice before the three-match Test series also had to be turned down reportedly due to huge presence of ICL players in New Zealand’s domestic set-up.

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Slumdog kids head to Disney

More than Danny Boyle, more than the eight Oscars for the film he directed, Slumdog Millionaire, Hollywood's entertainment media was enchanted by the cast of Indian kids who added such energy to the movie.

And by the time the Academy Awards were done, the newly minted stars had gone from media shy to media savvy.

Actor Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar (middle Latika) says, “It was amazing. Fantastic, Incredible. Walking on the stage of Oscar's was fantastic. I'm lost for words because of giving so many interviews. Bored, saying the same things again and again.”

Nattily turned out in formal wear, with the boys' tuxedos supplied by upper crust label Brooks Brothers, the children worried about their appearances, like true celebrities.

Actor Tanay Chheda (Middle Jamal) says, “Anyways, I hope do I look good?”

But then, that could also be because they were mixing with Hollywood's elite.

Actor Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala (Middle Salim) says, “You get to meet amazing people. And you're already in shock because you've just won. And then you meet Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt together.

But most of all, the dominant emotion was wide-eyed joy.

Actor Rubina Ali (Little Latika) says, “Mujhe bahut achche lag raha han aaj, humne kabhi socha nahin tha kee hum log itne bade award mein ayenge (I am feeling great because I had never imagined of participating in such a big event).”

Certainly, for a couple of days at least, these kids made Hollywood their playground. And talking of playgrounds, the kids managed to enjoy themselves at Disneyland on Monday. That jaunt was paid for by Fox Searchlight, the studio behind Slumdog Millionaire.

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Mujahideen Operative spills details of 7/11 Mumbai Blasts

As Mumbai police make preparations to bring perpetrators of November 26 terrorist attack to book, another terror story is being unraveled.

A top Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative, Sadiq Sheikh, who is in Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) custody, has revealed on camera the modus operandi of Delhi blasts on October 25, 2005, and Mumbai blasts on July 11, 2006.

“All five of us arranged local train passes for the first class compartments beforehand. We also had local train-timetable with us so that we could find out the train as per our convenience," says Sadiq in the recorded confession.

"We purchased bags and pressure cookers in Mumbai. On the day of blast that is on 11 July, 2006, all five of us assembled and we filled seven cookers with explosives. We kept the bombs ready. We had planned the bomb to blast at 6:30 pm,” he confesses.

Giving details of how the serial blasts were executed on Mumbai trains, Sadiq's chilling confession continues.

“Atif (another IM operative) gave me a bag which I kept in one of the local trains," reads the confession.

"Abu Rashid and Sajid then joined me in keeping their bags in the other trains. Abu Rashid travelled till Dadar in the same train and then left for Sewree."

"After a while, through the general public we were informed of the bomb blasts in the local trains,” adds Sadiq.

Sadiq, one of the key members who planted bombs in Mumbai trains on the fateful day, was also assigned the ‘responsibility’ of recruiting others into IM fold.

Sadiq’s cold-blooded confessions do not end with the Mumbai blasts. He has also confessed to masterminding the pre-Diwali blasts in Delhi on October 29, 2005. "Sarojini Nagar, Paharganj, Govindpuri were the targets for the blast," Sadiq has confessed.

"We used to stay in a flat at Jasola. Atif, Shadab, Aarij, Shakeel and Sakib were involved in the group. I used to accompany them in making bombs. I and Atif were now trained in making bombs."

"I left for my native place before the Delhi blast and on the day itself I got the news of the blasts in the Capital city," Sadiq adds.

Also known as India's Osama, Sadiq's role in the blasts of Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad sare also being investigated.

Sadiq was one of the first IM members to be arrested by Mumbai police in October 2008. His interrogation led to the subsequent arrests of 20 other IM operatives. The ATS had secured the custody of Sadiq on February 21, 2009, in connection with the July 2006 serial train blasts.

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John Carmack reveals Doom 4 Details

In a recent interview with MTV Multiplayer, John Carmack spilled some beans about what we’re to expect from id software in more recent future.

Mr. Carmack was talking about Rage multi-platform development, id’s iPhone titles and even the possible Wii title that the company may be involved in.

He said how bringing Rage to Xbox 360 and PS3 hasn’t been an easy task, as both consoles have their strengths and weaknesses at different fronts, but he mentioned that Xbox 360’s lack of space will be solved by using multiple disks and various compression techniques.

As for the iPhone titles, he mentioned how the company has a beefed up version of Wolfenstein in store, featuring 3D graphics, sound and acceleration. He also talked about another title, that’s still in the shadows, as they don’t plan on unveiling it until they think it’s time.

Carmack admitted that he spends a lot of time on the Wii, and how he’d like and is in talks to develop a Wii game. When asked whether it’s related to the unnamed iPhone title, Mr. Carmack answered:” Yes, it could possibly lead into it. Not directly from that, but a very similar concept for something”.

PC gamers will be also happy to hear that id expects to ink a publisher deal for Doom 4 this year, and that we should expect some media build-up then.

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Movie Review: 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'

Benjamin Button’s aging process, as has been pointed out by others, is merely a metaphor for how the beginning and ends of our lives are no different whether lived backwards or forward with a focus on the importance of how we live the moments in between.

Beyond that, I ask you to not even consider Benjamin’s “curious” aging process and simply get involved in the story.

Benjamin is born in beautifully recreated New Orleans of the early 1900s. His mother dies only seconds later and as a result his father runs off and leaves Benjamin on the doorstep of an old folks home where he will grow up and come to know a caretaker named Queenie (Taraji P. Henson) as his mother.

The retirement home is an obvious irony, but it is a perfect one at that; watching an old man scold Benjamin for fooling around on the outside porch in his wheelchair is priceless. From here Benjamin continues to grow into his body. His arthritis soon disappears and he begins work on a tugboat, which leads him into World War II at the age of 17. Seen as an old man, as his face would lead you to believe he is in his 50s, the tugboat’s Captain Mike (Jared Harris) buys Benjamin his first drink and finds him a prostitute for what would be his first sexual encounter. You are experiencing life with Benjamin, a man who always seems an outsider and yet his life is not much different than that of anyone else.

Cate Blanchett plays Daisy and the two first become friends as youngsters and ultimately come together again at a time in Benjamin’s life when his appearance has caught up with his age. The love between Daisy and Benjamin is at the heart of this story and despite its movie love cliches I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

The film is as beautifully told as it is visually appealing. Some are sure to have a problem with the simplicity of it all, but that is a realistic expectation considering the film’s two hour and 46 minute running time, but epic it is not. The simple narrative with one extraordinary factor is the film’s ultimate appeal. However, despite its simplicity and its long duration I never once looked at my watch or wondered when it would all end.

From a technical perspective the film is flawless. From the beautiful cinematography by director David Fincher’s longtime collaborator Claudio Miranda, to the production designers, this film surely deserved the 13 Oscar nominations. The script, adapted by Eric Roth from the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story of the same name will be compared by many to Roth’s earlier Oscar-winning adaptation, Forrest Gump. But the experiences Gump has compared to Benjamin are wildly fantastical while Button’s life is more-or-less ordinary outside of his unique aging process.

Blanchett, as always, is great in the role, playing an active listener as an old woman and a hurricane force as a younger woman. However, the performance of the film belongs to Pitt. I have read anything from praise to dismissal for Pitt’s quiet performance of Benjamin Button, but to me it was flawless.

As a young man Pitt’s aged face was superimposed onto the body of a little person using copious amounts of CGI, but to such a point you can never tell. His character is oftentimes limited to only a couple of words per scene, but it is the quiet and reserved manner in which they are delivered that caught my attention.

If there is one problem with the film it is the inclusion of Daisy’s daughter as her reactions to the story are, for the most part, foregone conclusions and offer very little to the emotions of the story. The connection is always between Daisy and Benjamin and had they abandoned the reading of the diary entirely this film would have been shorter and most likely much easier for many to enjoy.

For all its worth, 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' is a masterpiece. I believe even its detractors will be able to enjoy it much more as time passes. Some have said the older you are the more you will connect with the story, being a 20-something I don’t know how much older you need to be, but I see no reason why anyone looking for a great story, told from a unique perspective would not also fall in love with this film.

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Slumdog cleans up Oscars, bags 8 Awards!

“Slumdog Millionaire” took the best-picture Academy Award and seven other Oscars on Sunday, including director for Danny Boyle, whose ghetto-to-glory story paralleled the film’s unlikely rise to Hollywood’s summit.

A story of hope amid squalor in Mumbai, India, “Slumdog Millionaire” came in with 10 nominations, its eight wins including adapted screenplay, cinematography, editing and both music Oscars (score and song).

“Just to say to Mumbai, all of you who helped us make the film and all of those of you who didn’t, thank you very much. You dwarf even this guy,” Boyle said, holding up his directing Oscar.

The filmmakers accepted the best-picture trophy surrounded by both the adult professional actors who appeared among the cast of relative unknowns and some of the children Boyle cast from the slums of Mumbai.

The film follows the travails and triumphs of Jamal, an orphan who artfully dodges a criminal gang that mutilates children to make them more pitiable beggars. Jamal witnesses his mother’s violent death, endures police torture and struggles with betrayal by his brother, while single-mindedly hoping to reunite with the lost love of his childhood.

Fate rewards Jamal, whose story unfolds through flashbacks as he recalls how he came to know the answers that made him a champion on India’s version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.”

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India's ‘Smile Pinky’ wins Best Documentary Oscar

The made in India documentary ‘Smile Pinky’ won an Oscar in the ‘Best Short Documentary’ category at the 81st Academy Awards declared in Los Angeles on February 22.

‘Smile Pinky’ is the story of a child with a lip deformity. The film had been nominated along with four other documentaries at the famed Academy Awards.

Residents of Dabai village in Uttar Pradesh’s Ahura district have been praying for the success of the documentary ‘Smile Pinky’ at the Oscars, since it is based on the life of a girl belonging to their village.

The film by Megan Mylan depicts the saga of six-year-old Pinky who becomes a social outcast because of a cleft lip. In the 39-minute documentary, the girl from this obscure village of Uttar Pradesh, undergoes corrective surgery and gets a normal childhood.

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A.R. Rahman bags 2 Academy Awards!

Slumdog collects Eight!

Slumdog Millionaire' sweeps eight Oscars at the 81 st Academy Awards including Best Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Sound Mixing, Film Editing, Original Score, Original Song, Direction and Motion Picture.

Indian music maestro A R Rahman brings home two awards with his Jai Ho... composition. Best Picture: Producer Christian Colson for Slumdog Millionaire. “It has been collaboration between hundreds of people. All of us are here to share this moment. This was an extraordinary journey,” says the Slumdog... team.

Best Direction: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire.

Best Original Song: A R Rahman and Gulzar for ‘Jai Ho...’ (Slumdog Millionarie)

The Indian music maestro, Rahman wooed the audience with ‘O Saya’ and ‘Jai Ho...’ the nominated songs from ‘Slumdog...’, as the nominees for Best Original Song were being announced.

Best Original Score: A R Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire . “I have nothing but my mother and she is there with me. I thank her for making me coming all this way with her blessings,” said a proud Rahman.

Best Film Editing: Chris Dickens for Slumdog Millionaire

Best Sound Mixing: Ian Tapp, Resul Pookutty and Richard Pryke for Slumdog Millionaire. “This is just not a sound award, but a history being handed over,” said Indian receiver Pookutty.

Best Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle for Slumdog Millionaire

Best Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire. “The cast and crew of the film told me so much about India and writing,” said a proud Beaufoy.

Best Documentary Short Subject: Megan Mylan for Smile Pinki

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Politicians hail Rahman's Oscar Feat

The Mozart of Madras

Politicians across party lines hailed composer AR Rahman’s double honour at the 81st Academy Awards. They also lauded Resul Pookutty for his Oscar feat.

AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha on Monday congratulated Rahman and Pookutty for winning Oscars for music and sound mixing, saying the duo were role models for the youth.

"The honours won by Rahman and Pookutty are of the same calibre. Not only should we salute their excellence but the new generation should also look up to them as positive role models worth emulating," IANS quoted the AIADMK chief as saying.

It is indeed a matter of pride for India and Indians that the film Slumdog Millionaire, which centres around India, has dominated the 81st Academy Awards circuit bagging as many as eight Oscars, she said, and also congratulated filmmaker Danny Boyle and his team for their resounding success.

Meanwhile, Home Minister P Chidambaram said, “I would like to request the Finance Ministry to exempt the film from tax.”

And it seems Chidambaram’s wishes were party fulfilled when Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit granted entertainment tax exemption to the film saying it had "created history in the field of Indian cinema".

"This film has earned a special distinction by claiming eight Oscar awards in different categories and hence created history in the field of Indian cinema," Diskhit said in an official statement.

Hailing Rahman, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi called the composer a “worthy son of Chennai.”

"Classic Tamil and six crore (60 million) Tamils are rejoicing over the pinnacle of achievement of this worthy son of Chennai," Karunanidhi said in a statement.

"I join 100 crore Indians and six crore Tamils in showering flowers of appreciation with pure minds on this scion from a minority community," he said.

In Pics: Slumdog Millionaire hogging Oscars

A R Rahman wins two Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire

'Slumdog Millionaire' swept eight Oscars at the 81 st Academy Awards - winner for Best Movie of the Year producer Christian Colson for 'Slumdog Millionaire' poses with his trophy.

Cast and crew celebrate after the film 'Slumdog Millionaire' won best motion picture of the year during the 81st Academy Awards.

Winner for Best Movie of the Year, producer Christian Colson for 'Slumdog Millionaire', gives an acceptance speech at the 81st Academy Awards.

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In Pics: The Slumdog Kids at the Oscars

Slumdog Millionaire'actors arrive at the 81st Academy Awards in Hollywood.

Young stars of 'Slumdog Millionaire' arrive for the 81st Academy Awards.

Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, one of the young stars of 'Slumdog Millionaire, ' seems lost amid the hustle and bustle as he arrives for the 81st Academy Awards.

Cast of 'Slumdog Millionaire' Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, Rubina Ali, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, back left, Ashutosh Lobo Gajiwala, Tanvi Ganesh Lonkar and Tanay Hemant Chheda arrive for the 81st Academy Awards in Los Angeles.

Slumdog director Danny Boyle poses with Rubiana Ali, who portrayed young 'Latika,' as they arrive at the Governors Ball following the 81st Academy Awards.

Academy Awards best director winner Danny Boyle is pictured at the Governors Ball with children that featured in the film 'Slumdog Millionaire'. From L-R: Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, Rubina Ali and Ashotosh Lobo Gajiwala

CIA helped India-Pak share 26/11 intelligence

America's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has played a crucial role in India and Pakistan sharing secret intelligence information on Mumbai terrorist attacks, a media report claimed on Monday.

In a front page article, The Washington Post said CIA "orchestrated back-channel intelligence exchanges" between India and Pakistan with the top American intelligence agency itself playing the role of a neutral arbitrator.

"The exchanges, which began days after the deadly assault in late November, gradually helped the two sides overcome mutual suspicions and paved the way for Islamabad's announcement last week acknowledging that some of the planning for the attack had occurred on Pakistani soil, The Post quoted sources as saying.

"Indian and Pakistani intelligence agencies separately shared their findings with the CIA, which relayed the details while also vetting the intelligence and filling in blanks with gleanings from its networks," the Post quoted sources as saying.

"The US role was described in interviews with Pakistani officials and confirmed by US sources with detailed knowledge of the arrangement. The arrangement is ongoing, and it is unknown whether it will continue after the Mumbai case is settled," the newspaper said.

The Post article is a revelation as so far only the role of FBI in the Mumbai investigation was known.

Kareena says Lose Weight, Not Mind

The secret to Kareena Kapoor's freakishly waifish size zero is finally out in the open - she spent Valentine's Day encouraging people to love their bodies and shed flab.

Maybe Saif was busy on Feb 14th, but Kareena was present for a book launch of her trainers book 'Loose Your Weight Not Your Mind.' She made a point to mention that one should be in love with their bodies.

"First and foremost it's about eating right," she said, "only then can one start beginning to love their body. And when loves their body they don't abuse it."

When asked if she starved herself to gain the paper thin figure, Kareena didn't find it funny. "I was being updated daily by the media about what I'm eating. I was very entertained" she said.

Its a known fact that the Kapoors are known to love their paranthas and dal makhani. So how did she control herself? "Yeah in fact I was recently shooting in Delhi and I had dal makhani for lunch" she said.

"Everyone on the set was shocked to see me eat dal makhani. But I told them that this is what my dietitian's given me, so stop staring at my plate" she added.

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Sania Mirza back into the World Top 100

Sania Mirza, India's highest ranked women's tennis player has now fought her way back into the top 100 of the singles WTA rankings

After her great showing at the Pattaya Open, where she lost in the finals on Sunday, to world number 5 Vera Zvonereva, the Indian star has jumped 39 places in the latest WTA rankings that refreshed on Monday.

She is now ranked 87th in the world. Do remember that the Sania is making a comeback to the sport after a wrist injury that forced her out for the majority of 2008.

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Bollywood Videos Watch thousands of Hot Videos at India.com Advertise Here Live Cricket Live Cricket Faster than Anyone Else Advertise Here

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has been struggling for a long time now to take a few days out of his busy schedule for undergoing a shoulder surgery.

And now the actor has finally decided to get the treatment done at Breach Candy hospital. Shah Rukh’s shoulder had got badly injured in November last year on the sets of his upcoming venture ‘Dulha Mil Gaya’.

The actor said, "I hurt myself and tore a tendon about four years ago. That time it used to hurt when I danced or worked out. Recently, while doing a scene in ‘Dulha Mil Gaya’, I fell on my shoulder and hurt myself again. Not realising how serious it was, I shot for and completed ‘My Name is Khan’. By then the pain was excruciating and the doctor said I must go under the knife within 21 days. Post surgery, my arm will be in a sling for six weeks.''

Recently at a press conference, SRK revealed that wants to get his impending shoulder treatment done at the earliest, and since he had his hands full with his upcoming home production ‘Billu Barber’, he could take out time for the surgery till now.

We wish King Khan a speedy recovery!

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Interim 2009-10 Budget - The Highlights

The Indian economy has maintained a growth rate of 7% to 8% and per capita income has risen by 7.4% in the past four yrs - here are the highlights of the 2009-10 budget.

# 7-8% growth
# Quality education for all
# Generating emp and investment
# Ensuring 100 days employment at min wage
# Focusing on agr and rual dev
# Fiscal consolidation
# Higher fiscal devolution Fundamentals

# Maintaining 7-8% growth

# The govt has worked for increasing access to education, health

# Employment generation

# Assuring 100 days of employment

# Agri, rural development

# Fiscal consolidation and reform

# Fiscal devolution

# Indian showed sustained growth of over 9 %

# 4.7% growth in per capita in 4 yrs

# Fiscal Deficit between 4.5% to 2.3%

# Domestic investment rate as a proportion increased to 39% in 2008

# Domestic saving increased to 39%

# All with guidance of Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan and with P Chidambaram contribution

# Growth drivers were Agri, services, manufacturing, construction

# Real heroes of Indian success stories are farmers

# 22.5 of wheat 28.5 mt of rice in PDS

# Food production grew by 10% every year to reach 230 mt in 08

# Manufacturing growth 9.5% inform 04 to 08

# Construction growth 26% from 04 to 08

# Export grew by 26.4% from 04 to 08

# Foreign trade as part of GDP grew to 35.5% in 08

# Capital inflows in 08 : 97% of GDP

# Revenue deficit fell to 1.1% of GDP Vs 3.6 under UPA

# This lead to accumulation of reserves and pressure on prices

# Effort made to deliver on commitments

# We have weathered the crisis but no room for complacency

# Current indications of the global situation is not encouraging First 9 months:

# Exports slowed down to 17.1% in last 9 months

# IIP fallen by 2% on YoY basis

# India still is second fastest growing eco of the world

# Prompt action: two packages announced

# They provided tax relief’s to boost demand and increase public spending

# Govt accorded approval infra projects worth Rs 70,000 cr

# Successful in attracting investment via PPP mode worth 67,700 cr

# 54 projects worth 67,700 cr under PPA

# Exports grew by 26.4% in last 4 years

# Agri annual growth at 3.7%

# Savings rate up to 30.7% in FY 08

# Inflation down to 4.4% in January

# Exports slowed down to 17.1% in last 9 months

# Domestic investment rate over 39% in FY 08

# Private investment partnerships in infrastructure projects

# Mention presenting budget after 25 years
# Rs 652 cr pumped into Regional Rural Banks

# FY 08 fiscal deficit 2.7% Vs 4.5% in FY 04

# India Infrastructure Co to refinance 60% of the projects

# IIFCL to refinance commercial banks for infrastructure

# FRPM targets relaxed

# USD 32.5 bn received by way of foreign investment

# Fiscal deficit reduced

# To consider additional fiscal measure

# Inward FDI inflow Apr-Nov at USD 23.3 bn up 45% on year

# Latest figures show slowdown of FDI inflows

# Employment schemes, social security net need to be expanded

# Need for accelerated pace of financial reforms

# 60.12 lakh houses constructed in rural areas

# Process of re-amalgamation has been started

# Centre has contributed 600 cr for re-capitalisation of RRBs

# Turnover of public sector companies has increased from Rs 587,000 crore in 2003-04 to Rs 10,87,000 crore in 2007-08,

# Rs 632 crore provided for recaptalisation of Regional Rural Banks.

# Non-performing assets of public sector banks have fallen from 7.8 per cent in 2007 to 2.3 per cent in March 2008.

# We undertook comprehensive reform of tax structure

# Personal tax structures have been rationalised

# Union excise duties have also been rationalised

# Tax rates must fall our ability to pay must rise

# Revised estimates for 08-09

# Budget estimates revised to 909,053 cr from Rs 750,884 cr.

# Plan expenditure revised to 282953 cr

Central plan expenditure increased from Rs 243386 cr to Rs 228957 cr

Fertiliser subsidy increased by Rs 44,863 cr from about Rs 14,000 crore during 08-09.

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First Look: The V12 dual-screen laptop

We were skeptical when we first saw V12 Design's dual LCD concept -- but it seems to be one step closer to production.

Named the Canova, the Italian designed laptop boasts an LCD where the keyboard and trackpad traditionally are.

We don't have any specifics about the construction or innards of this crazy-looking beast yet, but they've hooked up with an American company, Estari, to bring the laptop into reality.

We also hear it's going to cost somewhere around $400 when it hits the streets sometime "soon". No word yet on how much it will cost in India but we can bet it costs more than the $400 converted rate of Rs 20,000.

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Bookies throw in $41 Million for Slumdog's Oscar Win

Will Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire strike gold at the Oscars? A whopping $41 million is said to be riding on that question, as bookies pitch for the rags-to-riches drama, setting off a new betting trend in India.

The Oscar awards ceremony is February 22, and the film set in India has 10 nominations. This includes three entries for music maestro A R Rahman's background score and two songs. And they have all emerged as clear favourites with the bookies.

India has traditionally seen a lot of betting in sports, especially cricket.

"This is yet another new trend picking up in Indian betting circles. Probably this will be the first time when both bookies and punters in the country are placing bets on the Oscars," a Mumbai-based bookie said on condition of anonymity.

"Many of the punters who used to bet on cricket largely are now discussing Slumdog Millionaires' chances of winning. But the number of punters and bookies is still very less as people are not aware where to bet and how to bet," said the bookie.

Rahman has been nominated for Best Original Score and his songs Jai Ho and O Saaya are also up for the Best Original Song for a motion picture.

"Punters are crazy about A R Rahman. The reason behind placing bets on Rahman could be his high status in the Indian entertainment industry. The Indian connection to the movie also makes it favourite among the punters," said a punter.

According to some rough estimates provided by bookies, about $41 million is riding on Slumdog Millionaire in the Indian betting circles. Last month the film won four Golden Globes and recently bagged seven British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards. The BAFTA win has fuelled its Oscar chances.

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Google proves Humans are Sick and Lousy

Although one must’ve had some serious free time to even think of this, we found the latest Gizmodo’s “survey” to be quite interesting. It consisted of entering various phrases into Google’s US search engine and checking the result count.

The findings? Staggering to say the least. According to Google, a huge figure of 303K people is “extremely terrified of chinese people” and as much as 1,060,000 think that “Sex is for making babies and revenge”.

528,000 think "Indians smell". Among the more interesting findings you’ll find that 2,730,000 people think that “Sleep is for sissies” and 42,300 wonder “Why Luke Skywalker is an idiot”.

Well, it seems that sometimes keeping faith in humanity means staying away from Google’s truths, as weird as it may seem. Here are the complete details:

• 5,310,000 pages from people asking or answering: How to get pregnant.
• 69,400,000 people asking How to make money.
• 32,600,000: How to get over someone.
• 3,290,000: Who do I have to be to make you sleep with me.
• 841,000: I have a large cat in my pants.
• 3,300,000: I have a large uterus.
• 112,000: I have a lovely bunch of coconuts (lots of swallows surfing the web).
• 256,000,000: I want to die.
• 3,160,000: Why do I fart so much.
• 528,000: Why do indians smell.
• 63,500,000: Why do I sleep so much.
• 680,000: Why do I have green poop.
• 883,000,000: Why do I have no friends.
• 7,570,000: Why do I have diarrhea.
• 4,170,000: Why do I have so much discharge.
• 7,120,000: Why do I have to pee so much.
• 230,000,000: Why do I have gas or so much gas.
• 456,000: Why do men have nipples.
• 6,000,000: Why men don't call.
• 8,380,000: Why men lie.
• 11,000,000: Why women have affairs.
• 36,500,000: Why women lie.
• 94,200,000: Why Obama should be president.
• 19,100,000: Why Obama should not be president.
• 42,300: Why Luke Skywalker is an idiot.
• 1,610,000: I would like to buy a hamburger.
• 286,000: I would like to extend you an invitation to the pants party (at Jason's house, in Jason's pants).
• 818,000: I think im pregnant.
• 442,000: I hate Indiana Jones 4.
• Almost 800,000,000: Who do I vote for.
• 4,980,000: I want a new drug.
• 114,000,000: I want a wife (114 million people are nuts).
• 783,000: I have one testicle.
• 21,900,000: I have one more drink.
• 12,400,000: I have three breasts.
• 320,000: I have three testicles.
• 1,580,000: I have three girlfriends.
• 610,000: I have four sides, all opposite sides are parallel, I have no right angles. What am I.
• 159,000,000: When to work.
• 126,000,000: When to say I love you.
• 2,730,000: Sleep is for sissies.
• 2,890,000: I smeel like poop.
• 1,510,000: What is a recession.
• 1,400,000: I have a hard time swallowing.
• 338,000: I have a big bag of crabs here.
• 1,060,000: Sex is for making babies and revenge.

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Nokia XpressMusic 5630 price announced

Two need handsets expected to be officially launched during the Mobile World Congress have already been priced up thanks to Expansys who's always one step ahead it seems.

The first one is the Nokia XpressMusic which is a slim-line candy bar handset with 3G connectivity.

The XpressMusic 5630 is only 12mm thick, has a 2.2in 240x320 display, 10.2Mbit HSDPA, 2Mbit HSUPA, WiFi 802.11b/g, Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR, a 3.2Megapixel camera, a front mounted camera for video calls, FM radio, 60MB of built in memory, support for microSD cards, a 3,5mm AV jack and a micro USB port.

It will be available in black with red, blue and grey highlights and Expansys have all three models listed for £199.99 inc VAT (€239.99/$274.99). No word yet on how much it will cost in India, but we expect this gadget to be around Rs 15,000 at least.

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Bush, Clinton , 23 others blamed for financial crisis

Former US Presidents George W Bush and Bill Clinton, and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao are on the list of '25 People to Blame for the Financial Crisis', compiled by TIME magazine.

The list also features former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, past Securities and Exchange Commission Chief Chris Cox, former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and 'American Consumers', among others.

"TIME's picks for the top 25 people to blame for the financial crisis include everyone from former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and former President George W Bush to the former CEO of Merrill Lynch and you -- the American consumer," the magazine said in an accompanying report published online.

New York financier Bernie Madoff, who has confessed to swindling funds to the tune of 50 billion dollars, former Merrill Lynch chief executive Stan O' Neal, former boss of Royal Bank of Scotland Fred Goodwin and former Iceland President David Oddsson are also on the list.

Pointing out that Bush embraced a governing philosophy of deregulation, the magazine said it trickled down to federal oversight agencies, which in turn "eased off on banks and mortgage brokers".

"... after the Enron scandal, Bush backed and signed the aggressively regulatory Sarbanes-Oxley Act. But SEC head William Donaldson tried to boost regulation of mutual and hedge funds, he was blocked by Bush's advisers at the White House as well as other powerful Republicans and quit.

"Plus, let's face it, the meltdown happened on Bush's watch," the report noted.

On Clinton, TIME said his tenure was characterised by economic prosperity and financial deregulation, "which in many ways set the stage for the excesses of recent years".

"Think of Wen as a proxy for the Chinese government particularly those parts of it that have supplied the US with an unprecedented amount of credit over the past eight years," TIME said while writing on Jiabao.

"If cheap credit was the crack cocaine of this financial crisis -- and it was -- then China was one of its primary dealers," the magazine noted.

Regarding American consumers, the report said in the 2008 third quarter, they started to save more and spend less.

"We have been borrowing, borrowing, borrowing living off and believing in the wealth effect, first in stocks, which ended badly, then in real estate, which has ended even worse.

"Now we're out of bubbles. We have a lot less wealth and a lot more effect... We enjoyed living beyond our means no wonder we wanted to believe it would never end," TIME said.

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'FIR against me is flimsy and vindictive': Modi

Lalit Modi, the chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), on Sunday refuted the allegation of misappropriation of funds made by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), calling it "meaningless" and "flimsy".

"It is nothing but vindictiveness on the part of the police," he added.

"Basically, it was the goodwill and kind gesture of the IPL teams, franchisees and sponsors that they had pledged Rs.60 million (Rs.6 crore) and a dummy cheque was presented on the night of the game to the chief minister. Out of which, cheques to the tune of Rs.5.2 crore (Rs.52 million) have been sent directly to the Chief Minister`s Relief Fund and only two sponsors have not been able to send the pledged amount," said Modi.

Modi said the dummy cheque had the logos of the franchisees and sponsors and their signatures on it.

"A pity, instead of appreciating the gesture, the government is hounding the RCA officials, me in particular. Strictly speaking, I don`t come into the picture. It is a matter between the people who have pledged the amount and the state government which received the amount directly."

Moreover, Modi said, if someone pledged something and did not fulfill, it did not become a liability or misappropriation of funds.

"In any case, more than 90 percent of the pledged sum has been realised, and if even after that cases are being filed, it means it is nothing but vindictiveness on the part of the police," he added.

"It is a flimsy complaint and the police has taken cognisance of it."

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So what do Bollywood hotties want for Valentines?

Kangana Ranaut: "Valentine's Day means pure selfless love from me to everyone I love. My ideal gift would be roses and candles."

Preity Zinta: 'To be able to balance out my crazy schedule so that I've time for those I love. What more can I want this Valentine's Day?

Shilpa Shetty: "I've got my Valentine's Day gift. The IPL. And I've got the man who gifted it to me by my side. What more can I want?

Bipasha Basu: "Valentine's Day is special for all the people I love. I'll tell them how much I love them and prove my love for them with simple gestures. The ideal Valentine gift would be hundreds of red carnations. I know John will get them for me.

Raima Sen: "I'm single, so the only Valentine gift I can give myself is time with the family."

Neetu Chandra: "This Valentine's Day means a lot to me as I'm partying with my school friends and meeting with my first ever crush, my schoolteacher. And I hope I find my permanent Valentine this year.

Mugdha Godse: "Valentine's Day is just another day for me. I'll be attending a beachside Catholic wedding of a very close friend on Goa's Morjim beach. Chalo apni Valentine nahin kisi aur ki sahi."

Malaika Arora: "For me Valentine's Day means the freedom for people to express their love without worrying about selfappointed custodians of our precious moral values. The best gift I can think of is, the right for us women to to live our lives how we want without intolerant groups stopping us.

Minissha Lamba: "When you're in love it's Valentine's Day all year round. Am I in love? Who knows a woman's heart? Not even the woman herself."

Amrita Arora: "Valentine's Day means nothing to me. Love should be celebrated everyday. Bring on the love !

Chitrangada: "Sorry I don't celebrate Valentine's Day. I don't like the idea of being told when to celebrate love.

Koena Mitra: "Everyone loves to be loved. But being single gives me more room to love myself without sharing that space for love with someone else. All the eligible men have been taken away. The rest are not worth considering. I'm enjoying my single status and making the most of it.

Pooja Bedi: "It's horrible to be single on such a romantic day. But my brother Adam is getting married on Valentine's Day. So I'll be happy watching two people in love being united. Dreams do come true on this day. As for myself I'm a hopeless and a HOPEFUL romantic. I'm even in love with the idea of love. The real thing may be around the corner.

Riya Sen: "I want to spend quantity time with my loved ones. No matter where I am I want to be back in time for Valentine's Day to be with my loved ones. That's the greatest gift I can get. Other gifts are fun. But spending time with your loved one is the best gift. For Valentine's I'll be performing at a college festival in Ahmedabad before rushing home.

Celina Jaitly: "Valentine's Day is emotional atyachaar for those who aren't in love. It will remind me that I've been unhappily single for the last three years. At the risk of sounding pompous I want a society rid of all intolerance and prejudice.

Esha Deol: "I'm not answering this one."

Mona Singh: "Valentine's Day celebrates love in every form. It can be love for a parent or sibling. Why must it be seen only as a man-woman thing? No I don't miss love. I get lots of it from my family, sister her children and my friends.

Dia Mirza: "Being single on Valentine's Day is the same as any other day. Love is a feeling that you can't miss. It's omnipresent.

Divya Dutta: "Do I miss love? Not really. Work is great healer of the heart. And I get lots of love and male attention. So what if I don't have a guy this Valentine's Day. I know he'll come

Jiah Khan: "There's too much work. No time to think about love. I miss having my family with me on Valentine's. They're my only true love

Tanushree Dutta: "It's fantastic being single on Valentine's Day. You can choose whom to love for that day."

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Here are the newbies of Rajasthan Royals

Indian Premier League champions Rajasthan Royals included explosive Australian batsman Rob Quiney in their squad for the second season and also named two other Australians as replacements for Pakistan`s Sohail Tanvir and Kamran Akmal.

Victorian Quiney was named in Australia`s 12-man Twenty20 squad to take on New Zealand. Quiney`s Victorian team-mate fast bowler Shane Harwood and Queensland all-rounder Lee Carseldine will replace Tanvir and Akmal, Rajasthan Royals Director of Coaching Darren Berry said.

"It feels good to have specialists like Quiney, Harwood and Carseldine in our squad this year. Surely we will miss Sohail and Akmal, but having these players in the team is a boon to the squad. Their presence will definitely add more spice and excitement to the matches in which they will be playing," Berry said.

Left-hander Quiney has been a consistent performer at the top of the order in Twenty20 cricket in Australia this year and made 91 in 57 balls for Victoria against New South Wales in the KFC Big Bash final recently.

Right-arm pacer Harwood, nicknamed `Stickers`, has been in the Australian domestic circuit and his match-winning 4-33 against South Australia took Victoria into the Pura Cup finals.

Carseldine, a useful batsman and left-arm medium pacer, was the player of the Twenty20 Series in Australia. Berry said like last year his side has not gone for high profile players but signed those who would be available for the entire tournament.

He said the franchisee has identified three-four local players and an announcement in this regard would be made in a couple of weeks.

On his team`s chances in the IPL this year, Berry said, "We were the underdogs last year but are the top dogs this year. But this a new year and a new group. I have had discussions with skipper Shane Warne in this regard and we have our strategies in place."

Commenting on the franchise`s local players making it to the Indian squad, Berry said, "It comes as no surprise that Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja have got an opportunity.”

“Yusuf is a destructive player who like Andrew Symonds can change the complexion of the match in 2-3 overs."

"Warne has always praised Jadeja, who I am surprised has not made it to India`s one-day team that is heading for New Zealand. Watching Munaf (Patel) get back in the reckoning for a berth in the national team feels great."

Berry said he was disappointed with the cancellation of the Champions League Twenty20 following the 26/11 terror strikes in Mumbai last November.

"We were eagerly waiting for the Champions league, but looking back at the tragedy I feel disappointed and upset for the people of the country," Berry added.

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Movie Review: 'Billu Barber'

Watching BILLU BARBER is like getting a hair cut done without 'tel maalish', meaning the movie seems very promising but strangely wilts towards the end.

But that doesn't mean you'd want to tear your hair out in frustration, like in DEV D, instead there's a feeling of a gaping hole in the bridge that connects you to the movie. Why does SRK have to talk about his old friend and weep at a school function?

First things first, BILLU BARBER is not a Shahrukh Khan film. The movie belongs to Irfan Khan alone, and he carries it's weight with ease. As the simple hairdresser Billu, Irfan's character is delightfully amiable. It's time Irfan got a fatter paycheck and moved to mainstream cinema for good.

BILLU BARBER is loosely inspired from the Rajnikanth superflop 'Kuselan'('Kathanayakudu' in Telugu), which in turn was a remake of the Malayalam film 'Katha Parayumbol'. The Tamil remake deviated from the original, and BILLU BARBER too has incorporated a few interesting changes. Hairdresser Billu (Irfan Khan) lives with his wife (Lara Dutta) and kids in a charming little UP village. Money is scarce and customers are elusive, especially since a bigger, flashier barber shop has opened opposite his own. His kids have been suspended from school for not paying fees, and the principal won't give a hoot even if Billu begs her.

Just when things look bleak, up pops a rich movie producer announcing the arrival of the superstar of India, Sahir Khan (SRK) in the village. While the town goes mad with glee, Billu's face glows quietly, for Sahir Khan is none other than his childhood friend. His kids get to know of their friendship and word spreads like wildfire across the village. Everyone becomes extra nice to Billu, and they shower him with gifts, on the condition that he would help them meet Sahir Khan. Billu becomes helpless, not knowing how to tell them that his friend might not recognize him anymore. All hell breaks loose when the villagers suspect him of foul play and lies. Were Billu and superstar Sahir Khan really friends? Or was he lying through his teeth? Watch the film to find out!

Shahrukh Khan basically plays himself in BILLU BARBER - the ultra popular, yet humble Demi-God of Bollywood. Although he never manages to reach the over the top persona Rajnikanth displayed in the original film. The brightly lit CGI laced fight scenes, the 'hey-look-at-me-I'm-a-star' shots never reach the intensity of Om Shanti Om. But given the smaller budget of BILLU BARBER when compared to other films, director Priyadarshan deserves credit for whipping out a glossy product.

The songs are unadulterated masala and the audience goes bonkers during 'Love mera hit hit' and 'Marjaani'. The former, especially is entertaining as Deepika Padukone for the first time displays ample amount of midriff. Although both Kareena and Deepika's dancing skills are questionable, Priyanka Chopra absolutely sizzles in 'You Get Me Rockin & Reeling'.

The cinematography is exquisite! DOP V. Manikandan's camera captures breathtaking shots of the painting-like village. You will lose yourselves in the misty hills and wish you'd bathed with Lara Dutta in the waterfall. Lara Dutta's dialogue delivery has improved greatly in BILLU BARBER, and she is quite convincing as Billu's loving, simple, star struck wife. Irfan Khan is excellent, his expressions in his scene with SRK are particularly brilliant. Shahrukh Khan is serviceable as the uber-Badshah Sahir Khan, although he underplays his character during the first half, and overplays it in the climax.

All in all, BILLU BARBER is timepass family fare. What could have been a super entertainer sadly slips into the average masala category due to the weak third act. 'The Stoneman Murders' is a better watch this weekend.

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Google to offer paid cell applications on google phone

SAN FRANCISCO: Google Inc will allow developers to sell applications for its Android cell phone operating system beginning next week in the
United States, as the search giant strives to expand in a smartphone arena dominated by Apple Inc.

Google's announcement marked an important step in the search giant's quest to catch up with Apple in the fast-growing market for smartphones.

It signals Google's commitment to expand into a relatively hot mobile market, even as it pulls back on certain other initiatives such as broadcast radio.

Google said in a blog post on Friday its Android Market will initially carry paid applications from developers in the United States and Britain, with plans to allow developers in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, France and Spain to participate later this quarter.

That could present an outlet for developers such as Electronic Arts Inc that have been anxious to expand sales of their mobile phone games to the Android Market, which has been limited to free applications until now.

Smartphones, which allow consumers to browse the Web, send email, play games and listen to music, in addition to making calls, are one of the few bright spots in a slowing technology and consumer electronics market.

While overall unit sales of cell phones declined 12.6 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter, smartphone shipments increased 22.5 percent, according to research firm Gartner.

The T-Mobile G1 phone uses the Android operating system.

The availability of applications that run on a particular smartphone are important to define and distinguish the product, said analyst Rob Enderle of the Enderle Group.

"It's what's providing that extra value and getting people into the stores," he said. Apple, for instance, enticed a large community of developers to create both paid and free applications for its iPhone.

According to a Google spokeswoman, there are currently 1,000 applications that run on Android smartphones. Consumers will buy the forthcoming paid Android applications via the Google Checkout payment product.

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Sania enters Pattaya Open final

PATTAYA (Thailand): Sania Mirza earned a shot at her second WTA singles title after edging past world number 51 Magdalena Rybarikova in the semi-f
Sania Mirza
Sania Mirza reacts during her semi-final against Magdalena Rybarikova at the PTT Pattaya Women's Open tennis tournament on February 14, 2009. (Reuters Photo)
inals of the $220,000 Pattaya Open on Saturday.

The unseeded Indian, ranked 126th in WTA charts, defeated her eighth seeded Slovakian opponent 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 in a two-hour long contest.

The last time Sania reached the singles final of a WTA event was in 2007 when she made the summit clash of the Stanford classic.

This is for the fourth time in her career that Sania has reached the singles final of a WTA tour event.

She had become the first Indian player to win a WTA title when she won the Hyderabad Open in 2005. In the same year, she had reached the finals of the Forest Hill event in United States.

Sania broke Rybarikova in the fourth game of the deciding third set to give herself a 3-1 lead. She converted first of the three breakpoints, which she earned after the Slovakian double faulted.

Sania consolidated the lead after holding her serve in the next game before breaking Rybarikova to make it 5-1. The Indian then served out the match, converting her third match point.

Facebook to tie up with Nokia

Social Networking site Facebook is negotiating a deal with Nokia to integrate its software into the mobile maker's handsets.

The big idea is that contact information stored in Facebook would be integrated with the phone's address book. Users could see if their Facebook 'friends' were logged on, send them messages and post comments on their profile pages.

Talks between the companies have been going on for months, and it is unclear whether an agreement will be reached, these people said. Nokia is deciding whether it wants to team up with an established Web player like Facebook, based in Palo Alto, Calif., or to build a social network from the ground up, said people familiar with the talks.

Another issue for the two companies is how much information Facebook would have access to. Nokia doesn't want the service to provide Facebook with an avenue to compile data about cellphone users, such as their Web browsing or purchasing habits, a person familiar with the talks said.

Facebook is also working with Palm to do something similar and has had a presence on the Iphone 3G from pretty much day one.

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Here are the newbies of Rajasthan Royals

Indian Premier League champions Rajasthan Royals included explosive Australian batsman Rob Quiney in their squad for the second season and also named two other Australians as replacements for Pakistan`s Sohail Tanvir and Kamran Akmal.

Victorian Quiney was named in Australia`s 12-man Twenty20 squad to take on New Zealand. Quiney`s Victorian team-mate fast bowler Shane Harwood and Queensland all-rounder Lee Carseldine will replace Tanvir and Akmal, Rajasthan Royals Director of Coaching Darren Berry said.

"It feels good to have specialists like Quiney, Harwood and Carseldine in our squad this year. Surely we will miss Sohail and Akmal, but having these players in the team is a boon to the squad. Their presence will definitely add more spice and excitement to the matches in which they will be playing," Berry said.

Left-hander Quiney has been a consistent performer at the top of the order in Twenty20 cricket in Australia this year and made 91 in 57 balls for Victoria against New South Wales in the KFC Big Bash final recently.

Right-arm pacer Harwood, nicknamed `Stickers`, has been in the Australian domestic circuit and his match-winning 4-33 against South Australia took Victoria into the Pura Cup finals.

Carseldine, a useful batsman and left-arm medium pacer, was the player of the Twenty20 Series in Australia. Berry said like last year his side has not gone for high profile players but signed those who would be available for the entire tournament.

He said the franchisee has identified three-four local players and an announcement in this regard would be made in a couple of weeks.

On his team`s chances in the IPL this year, Berry said, "We were the underdogs last year but are the top dogs this year. But this a new year and a new group. I have had discussions with skipper Shane Warne in this regard and we have our strategies in place."

Commenting on the franchise`s local players making it to the Indian squad, Berry said, "It comes as no surprise that Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja have got an opportunity.”

“Yusuf is a destructive player who like Andrew Symonds can change the complexion of the match in 2-3 overs."

"Warne has always praised Jadeja, who I am surprised has not made it to India`s one-day team that is heading for New Zealand. Watching Munaf (Patel) get back in the reckoning for a berth in the national team feels great."

Berry said he was disappointed with the cancellation of the Champions League Twenty20 following the 26/11 terror strikes in Mumbai last November.

"We were eagerly waiting for the Champions league, but looking back at the tragedy I feel disappointed and upset for the people of the country," Berry added.

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26/11 accused not arrested: Pak Media

It seems as if is Pakistan has gone back to speaking in two voices over the Mumbai terror attack issue - Pakistani media reports that government sources are saying none of those named by Islamabad in the 26/11 case have been arrested.

The sources say that they are in custody - which in Pakistan's case usually means house arrest. Delhi has repeatedly called all those under house arrest as guests of the state.

This new contradiction will make it difficult for India to figure out what to believe and moreover who to believe. Just 48 hours ago, Pakistan Interior Ministry Chief Rehman Malik had said, "Whatever we could do on the available information, we have done it. We have arrested a number of the accused. Some are under investigation and some may turn out to be witnesses."

Two months after being in constant denial mode, Pakistan on Thursday had finally admitted that "some part of the conspiracy" behind the Mumbai attacks took place on its soil and a case has been registered against nine people including Ajmal Kasab, the lone captured terrorist.

Islamabad made its first formal response to the Indian dossier on the attacks blamed on terrorists based on its soil at a press conference by Malik who gave details of the probe followed a meeting Indian High Commissioner Satyabrata Pal had with officials.

Malik had said Pakistan wanted the DNA samples of Kasab to establish his identity. Among the things Pakistan wanted from India were Kasab's national identity card, electronic diaries seized and the confessional statement made by him in the Indian court and details of who helped in refuelling of one of the boats used by the terrorists.

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Electronics giant Pioneer slashes 10,000 Jobs

Japanese electronics company Pioneer Corp will cut 10,000 jobs globally to cope with sinking sales of car audio equipment and flat-screen TVs. It will also withdraw from its money-losing plasma display business.

The massive job cuts are the latest from Japanese corporate giants, which are slashing their payrolls worldwide, reducing production and forecasting annual losses amid a global economic slump. Sony Corp. is shedding 8,000 workers while Nissan Motor Co. and NEC Corp. are each cutting 20,000.

Hit by the collapse in demand for car audio equipment and plasma TVs, Pioneer said its net loss in the current fiscal year to March will swell to 130 billion yen ($1.4 billion) from its previous estimate of a 78 billion yen net loss. It would be the fifth straight annual net loss for Pioneer.

The Tokyo-based company said it will slash 6,000 full-time salaried workers at home and abroad, accounting for 16 percent of the company's global work force of 36,900. It will also cut 4,000 contract workers at its Japanese and foreign plants. It did not give a regional breakdown.

Pioneer is also shutting two overseas plasma display assembly plants — one in Pomona, California, and the other in Castleford, Britain — by April. Some 350 employees at the two factories — 130 in the U.S. and 220 in Britain — are part of the 10,000 people subject to job cuts, said company spokeswoman Ema Suzuki.

The factory closures are part of the plan to withdraw completely from the display business by March, 2010, as the company concluded that it would be impossible to turn around the display business.

Pioneer reported a net loss of 26.15 billion yen ($290.52 million) for the October-December quarter, nose-diving from a profit of 1.69 billion ($18.76 million) the previous year. Operating revenue declined 37.8 percent to 131.23 billion yen ($1.46 billion).

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Ponting utterly frustrated with his Bowlers

Australian captain Ricky Ponting demanded more consistency from his bowlers after his team’s narrow escape in rain-curtailed Chappell-Hadlee series decider.

Ponting’s frustration could be gauged by the incident when he was heard to yell "what`s going on?" to a sloppy James Hopes over that had helped Martin Guptill and Brendon Diamanti push New Zealand within sight of victory.

"I was a little bit disappointed in some of the boundaries we let in, particularly late in overs," Ponting said. "I felt that we bowled three or four good balls at the start of the over and then just gave them that boundary they needed in the back-end of our overs. And a lot of them weren`t miraculous shots either, they were bad balls.”

"That`s where a lot of my frustration comes, you set fields and want things to be done in a certain way. Sometimes it does and sometimes my emotions boil over. I`ve always been a person that wears my heart on my sleeve and in a must-win game for us it was no different."

New Zealand needed 33 from 36 balls when the rain came to end the match and Ponting held on to the trophy after the 2-2 result. He will be taking a well-deserved rest from Sunday`s Twenty20 in Sydney on Sunday against same opponents after a long summer of discontent that has included Test defeats to India and South Africa and a one-day loss to South Africa.

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Ram Sene attacks Valentines Day party

Goondagardi = Free publicity

Activists of right wing group Sri Rama Sene on Saturday raided a Valentine's Day party in a software firm here, attacking the participants and ransacking the furnitures.

A group of Sene activists, who had been on the prowl in parts of the city, spotted the Valentine's Day celebrators at the Katwa Infotech, barged into it, assaulted some of those gathered and damaged furnitures, police said.

The police, who were taken aback by the suddenness of the strike coming at the fag end of the day, rushed to the spot.

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