Sachin out of Top 20 in ODI rankings

Champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar slipped out of the top 20 in the latest ICC ODI batting rankings issued on Saturday even as India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni continues to lead the table.

Sachin, a victim of poor umpiring in the series against Sri Lanka managing scores of 5, 6 and 7 in three of the five matches he played, lost nine places to be at 21st position in the ODI charts.

The biggest movers were left-handers Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir. The flamboyant Yuvraj jumped four places to number three while Gambhir climbed eight spots to 12th position.

The Punjab batsman scored 284 runs at an average of 56.80 to help India win the series 4-1 against Sri Lanka. Gambhir's opening partner Virender Sehwag also returned to the top 20 as he gained six places to take the 15th spot.

Left-arm paceman Zaheer Khan moved out of the top 10 to be at 14th spot in the bowlers' list headed by New Zealand spinner Daniel Vettori. There is no Indian cricketer in the top-five all-rounders list, headed by Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh with 403 points.

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Movie Review: 'He's just not that into you'

'He's Just Not That Into You' would be one hell of a social experiment and something I would love to see tested using a TV channel political debate as people flip flop on social dating issues as the movie plays on.

Sure, the movie isn't very good, and could be conceived as an insult to all women and basically proves the chase involved in finding that perfect person is pretty much fruitless and a waste of time and causes only heart ache and misery ultimately placing you in a situation you didn't originally want to be in, but you somehow now find yourself volunteering for. Sounds exciting right?

Surprisingly enough this is exactly the type of inane crud women apparently buy into. The idea that women bought into Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo's book of which this film is based on in the first place is scary enough. For example, did you know that if a man doesn't call you back after you have called him every 15 minutes for the past six hours he isn't interested in you? Or if he's married? Or if he is sleeping with someone else? The fact someone could write a bestselling book based on this premise and pawn it off as actual advice as opposed to common knowledge is shocking, then to turn around and make a film about it is the last line of defense between being a member of the human race and prescribing to the idea we are all just dogs sniffing each others' behinds.

Sold as a relationship comedy the film centers on a large group of spoiled and socially inept people who all live in some of the most gorgeous houses, condos and apartments you can imagine. And when they aren't retiring from their stressful lives in their plush pads they are kicked out by their significant other and forced to live on their boat. Boo hoo, life is so tough, all I ever did was love her. The film runs the gamut on nitwits and social retards to the occasional level headed thinkers who are just down on their luck. This last group I can muster some sympathy for, but the rest are either too dumb to exist or too mean to even deserve happiness.

This is the film your girlfriend will want to go see and you will have to go with them. If you are married I pray it's a strong relationship or you may be getting some questioning looks in the days to follow. Like I said, just watching this film is a social experiment and going to the theater to watch it should be considered extra credit.
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India won't hand over Kasab to Pak

Pakistan said Saturday it might seek the custody of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone terrorist captured during the Mumbai mayhem, if its investigations require this, but India immediately nixed the idea.

"If Ajmal Kasab is needed for the investigation process, then India could be asked (to hand) him over," Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters in Karachi.

India was quick to react, saying there was no way this could happen.

"The crime was committed in India. There is no question of handing Kasab to them. In fact, Pakistan should hand over to India the other suspects they've arrested because they were responsible for this terror attack. It can't be the other way around," sources in the Indian external affairs ministry said in New Delhi.

"On what basis do we send Kasab out there? The crime was committed out here (in Mumbai), therefore logic and reasoning demands that the suspects who they've rounded up be sent here (to India)," the sources said.

According to Malik, "we first had to register an FIR (first information report on the Mumbai strikes). This has been done. Now, if our investigators recommend, we will ask for access to him (Kasab)," Malik added.

"So far, we have not asked for Kasab's custody," the minister pointed out.

He said Kasab was one of the eight suspects named in the FIR registered by the Federal Investigation Agency on the Mumbai strikes. Six of the suspects have been arrested while two are at large.

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First Look: God of War 3

Certainly what must be one of the most anticipated titles of this generation, even moreso for the PlayStation 3, God of War III came out of the gates today with a ton of screenshots, news, and a gameplay trailer.

The trailer, it seems, is actually a few months late in a way, but don't blame us -- blame the developer! The game's director Stig Asmussen said in a press event earlier this week they've been "sitting on it", anxiously awaiting to show it, only deciding now to unveil it (though we got a peek back in December). Might as well get to the most exciting part first, so HERE it is.

As you can see, it's called the "Epic Scale" trailer, and for a reason:

"We're going to be introducing groundbreaking gameplay this time around, and that all starts and ends with our Titan gameplay. It's all about scale," said Asmussen.

Apparently the Titans have actually changed the way they've approached the level and combat designs, due to their massive size. Suffice to say, they will be a big part of the game. "They're truly living, breathing spectacles that I believe are going to change how people look at games."

He later added, "Our whole engine is built around rendering this massive scale, and it truly is a moving level. We're kind of moving mountains now."

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Shah Rukh Khan's house vandalized

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's bungalow in Mumbai's Bandra was attacked early Friday by three motorcycle-borne miscreants.

"Around 0230 hours, motorcycle-borne miscreants threw the bottles filled with kerosene and fled from the scene. The security men at the residence 'Mannat' chased the miscreants but in vain," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Niket Kaushik said.

When the incident occurred, Khan was not in the house and nobody has sustained any injuries, he said adding that a complaint has been registered and further investigation is on in the matter.

The guard on duty in Shah Rukh’s house failed to note down the numbers of the motorcycles. Police, missing on this vital information, said they are clueless about the miscreants as of now.

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Michael Jackson's nose might collapse

Michael Jackson's nose might collapse and his skin will NEVER heal properly after being ravaged by a superbug, a top doctor warned last night.

MRSA expert Professor Mark Enright said it was important the pop legend received swift treatment if he was suffering from a severe “staph” infection, which is resistant to antibiotics.

A UK tabloid told yesterday how Jacko, 50, revealed painfully-inflamed skin on his face and hands as he visited a Beverly Hills clinic.

It is feared the Thriller singer may have got the bug after a nose job.

Prof Enright, of Imperial College London, said: “A wound infection like MRSA on a delicate area like the nose could cause the tissue to collapse."

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Sania storms into Pattaya Open semis

Unseeded Indian Sania Mirza stormed into the semi-finals of Pattaya Open, overpowering sixth-seeded Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand 7-5, 6-4 on Friday.

Sania beat world No.41 Tamarine in an hour and 45 minutes to set-up a semi-final clash with eighth seed Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia, who upset second seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-4, 6-1.

This will be Sania's first singles semi-final appearance since her return to the international circuit last month after a wrist surgery. Sania won the Australia Open mixed-doubles partnering compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi.

Sania, whose ranking has fallen to 126 as she was out of the circuit with the injury for most part of 2008, had earlier got the better of Tamarine here in 2006. With the victory she improved the overall head-to-head record with the Thai to 2-1.

Sania had an early control of the first set with a break of serve in the sixth game when she led 4-2. Tamarine, however, fought her way back to win three games in a row to nose ahead 5-4. The Indian then stepped up her game to take the next three games.

In the evenly fought second set, Sania converted two break points to Tamarine's one to win the match.

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Movie Review: 'Seven Pounds'

Seven Pounds is certainly melodramatic and it tugs on the heart strings like you wouldn't believe. But the largest problem with the film is not its cheap attempts at making you cry as much as it's the fact it holds its revelation so close to the chest despite the fact midway through you already know the ending.

Had it not been for the fantastic chemistry between Will Smith and Rosario Dawson this film would have been impossible to endure. However, despite all its flaws I found myself enjoying the humanity in it all if not entirely accepting the premise at hand.

Smith stars as Ben Thomas, an IRS agent with little interest in taxes and a greater interest in those he chooses to investigate. Working from a list of seven hand-picked names, Ben is on a search to ensure each one is a "good person" for reasons that reveal themselves soon enough and if you are paying any kind of attention you should have it all figured out about midway through, which is where the film will either lose its audience as it meanders toward its finale or keep their attention if it has successfully convinced them to stick with the story for its duration.

In the lead role, Smith is once again quite impressive as his performance never feels forced despite the film's consistent attempts at sticking the knife deeper into the emotional core of the viewer. I expect it to work on half the viewers who will end up wrecked in the film's final moments while those that gave up on the film a long time ago will look at them wondering just what is so sad.

The highlight of the film is the performance given by Rosario Dawson who plays Emily Posa, a woman dealing with an enlarged heart and standing on death's doorstep. Her character in Seven Pounds demands a quality performance and it is her ability to add light to a character that should be drowning in depression that keeps the film from falling apart at the seams.

Reteaming with his 'Pursuit of Happyness' helmer, Gabriele Muccino and Will Smith have put together a film that will be a hard sell to audiences even with Smith's name attached. While Happyness was nothing more than a typical run-of-the-mill emotional drama it didn't pander to the audience as much as Seven Pounds does.

This isn't a bad film per se it is just one that will play to the more emotional moviegoer that tends to view a film as it progresses rather than trying to figure out the mystery at its core. Because once you figure it all out (if you haven't already) you better be fully invested or you are in for a long ride.

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Tata will invest $430 Million in Asia

Indian telecoms firm Tata Communications will invest 430 million US US dollars in an Asian Internet data centre and cable system, a person familiar with the situation said Thursday.

"The investment in the Internet data centre will be about 180 million US dollars, while the investment for the cable system will come to 250 million US dollars," the person, who declined to be named, told Dow Jones Newswires.

The cable system will be laid from Singapore to Japan, passing through the Philippines, Vietnam and Hong Kong, while the data centre will be based in Singapore, the person said.

Tata Communications, part of India's Tata group, has scheduled a press conference in Singapore to discuss the matter. This, when Tata's Nano has been delayed by a year due to financial losses.

Hit by a fall in volume and high material cost, auto major Tata Motors posted a net loss of Rs 263.26 crore for the third quarter, even as it said its Rs 1-lakh car Nano will take at least one year before it is launched from Sanand plant in Gujarat.

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