If go by the latest claims made by Gravity filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron, he feels that he made a mistake by coming up with a movie adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic novel Great Expectations.

Even though, Cuaron, 51, decided to modernize the classic story in 1998, he was hesitant about going ahead with the project. His inhibitions increased after he attained success with his critically acclaimed film The Little Princess in 1995.

"I got a bit engaged in the machinery. I forgot that I used to do my own stuff, and I became this reader of screenplays that they were sending to me. And I started forgetting that I had a voice. It started to become more about the industry," Cuaron said. Gravity director Alfonso Cuaron says that he made a mistake by making a movie adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic novel 'Great Expectations'.

The 51-year-old filmmaker took on the task of modernizing the classic story in 1998, but was extremely hesitant about taking on the project, especially after the success of his critically acclaimed film The Little Princess in 1995, said the Hollywood Reporter.

"I got a bit engaged in the machinery. I forgot that I used to do my own stuff, and I became this reader of screenplays that they were sending to me. And I started forgetting that I had a voice. It started to become more about the industry," Cuaron said.

"And then I did a film that was a horrible experience, 'Great Expectations'. That is a film that I should have not done. I passed many times, and then I ended up saying yes for the wrong reasons," he added.

Superstar Rajinikanth's Kochadaiiyaan is gearing up for theatrical release on January 10, 2014, while its music is likely to be unveiled in December, based on the availability of its composer A R Rahman.

"Our co-producer Murali Manohar has zeroed in on Jan 10 as the release date of Kochadaiiyaan, which is inching closer to completion," the film unit's spokesperson said.

'The film's audio is likely to be unveiled on Rajinikanth's birthday on December 12 or on some other day in the same month. We have to check with A R Rahman on his availability," added the spokesperson.

The film was earlier scheduled to be released on the superstar's birthday.

Directed by Soundarya Rajinikanth, the film also features Deepika Padukone, Jackie Shroff, R. Sarath Kumar, Aadi Pinisetty, Shobana, Rukmini Vijaykumar and Nassar. Kochadaiiyaan is touted to be the first movie to be shot with motion capture in 3D, along the lines of Hollywood films Tin Tin and Avatar. Motion capture is a process by which actions of human actors are recorded and then used to animate digital character models.

Kareena Kapoor, sinner or sinned against? As the Friday of reckoning approaches for Gori Tere Pyar Mein, the plot thickens off-screen.

It all began when lead actor Imran Khan and director Punit Malhotra described to NDTV how they were at the Begum's beck and call on set. "She bullied us a lot. Imran has a lot of pictures of me at her feet saying come on, please give the shot. Imran and me turned vegetarian on set because she'd eat vegetarian food and we had to as well," said Punit. Enforced vegetarianism? Oh, how dreadful.

But Bebo begs to differ.

"I had actually said when I had signed this film that I would bully Punit and Imran. I don't think anybody has bullied Kareena Kapoor the way these two have. No director in the history, ever in my entire career. I think that's why I have had so much fun," Kareena told NDTV.

It would take a brave man to bully a Kapoor of Bollywood's first family. That man, it appears, is Punit Malhotra.

"He's the only director in 13 years that I have called sir. Even though I have worked with Mani Ratnam, Raj Kumar Hirani and Karan Johar, I don't call anybody sir. Punit is the only director I called sir, but I call him sir with a lot of care and fondness," Kareena added.

What we really need to hear now is a comment from Kareena's husband Saif Ali Khan for a The End to this script.

Featuring Kareena Kapoor and Imran Khan in the lead roles, Gori Tere Pyaar Mein will hit theaters on November 22.

The horrifying incident was captured on CCTV. It happened at an ATM on a busy Bangalore road. The victim's skull is fractured and a small piece of bone had gone into the brain, causing a "penetrating injury".

Latest update: Karnataka Home Minister says: All ATMs without security will be shut down. The victim's skull is fractured which has resulted in paralysis on the right side. The police intensified its hunt on Wednesday for the assailant whose gory act caught on CCTV footage sparked an outrage.

What happened? In a bone-chilling incident, a woman withdrawing cash in an ATM on a busy road in the city was attacked by a machete-wielding man on Tuesday.

The horrifying incident — captured in the CCTV footage — unfolded at 7.10am in an ATM belonging to Corporation Bank, situated on the busy JC Road, near NR Square.

The victim Jyothi Uday, manager, service branch of Corporation Bank, Mission Road, entered the ATM to withdraw cash for her child's birthday when the miscreant followed her into the ATM.

On entering, the miscreant pulls down the shutter to prevent people from knowing the goings-on in the ATM. The sequence of events that soon followed, as captured by the CCTV, are harrowing to say the least.

According to the footage, the miscreant orders the woman bank officer to withdraw cash, but the woman refuses. The refusal angers the miscreant who attacks the woman with his machete and flees the scene after lifting the shutter.

Police arrived at the spot after people who happened to notice blood stains in front of the ATM alerted them. The bleeding woman, who was by now unconscious, was shifted to Victoria Hospital. Later, she was taken to Nimhans and finally to BGS Global Hospital, Kengeri.

Speaking to dna, O Vittal Rao, manager, service branch, Corporation Bank, said Jyothi was supposed to attend duty at 7.30am and the bank staff came to know about the incident only after 9.30am. “She was in-charge of the first shift and stayed in Raja Rajeswari Nagar. It is very unfortunate that she has been attacked.”

Assistant commissioner of police Siddaramaiah said two special police teams had been formed to nab the accused. “We have taken the CCTV footage and are investigating,’’ said Siddaramaiah.

Police commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar said they had definite clues about the accused.

When asked about the delay in nabbing the culprit - considering the fact that police had recently nabbed two people who had killed a security guard at an ATM on Outer Ring Road recently - Auradkar said there was a two-hour gap between the incident and the time it had been reported.

“The two-hour gap had provided an opportunity for the accused to escape from the spot. We are confident of nabbing him soon,’’ the police commissioner said.

Karnataka government today bluntly told banks to close down such kiosks unless they provide security. As the shocking episode continued to grab media attention with the cctv footage of the gory act being beamed, Home Minister K J George held a high-level meeting to discuss measures to curb such incidents. George said more than 600 of the total 2,580 ATMs in the city have no security guards.

Don't be. According to Forbes' latest roundup, Madonna made a whopping $125 million in 2013.

"The bulk of Madge’s millions this year come from the tail end of her MDNA Tour, which grossed $305 million," explains Forbes. Add to that heavy "merchandise sales at concerts as well as her Material Girl clothing line and Truth or Dare fragrance," and you've got a clear winner.

Her runner-up, Lady Gaga, trails behind with a "mere" $80 million. The tour she cut short due to her injury, explains Forbes, still grossed $168 million.

Bon Jovi lands in third place with a close $79 million. "All in all, the group earned more than Kanye West, Skrillex and Carrie Underwood," Forbes noted, in what might make little sense to anyone born after 1990.

Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Elton John, Beyonce and more make respectable cameos on Forbes' Highest Paid Musicians 2013 list. To find out exactly how much each songbird raked, head over to Forbes.com.

Ahead of the Dec. 10 release of his upcoming album "Black Panties," R. Kelly debuted artwork for the record.

R. Kelly's latest falls in line with the sexual nature of the album title. He is shown on the cover with a topless woman on his lap, playing her as one would a cello. The 13-track album takes a similar note with song titles like "Leg Shakin,'" "Crazy Sex," and "Marry the Pussy." Check out R. Kelly's album artwork and the full track list to the standard and deluxe editions of "Black Panties" below.

Here is the new artwork for R. Kelly’s upcoming album “Black Panties” which will be out December 10. In classic R&B fashion and definitely in R. Kelly fashion, he’s playing woman like a violin and on the deluxe cover he’s almost buried under a sea of chocolate women all wearing black…well you should already know that.

 1. "Legs Shakin'" feat. Ludacris
2. "Cookie"
3. "Throw This Money on You"
4. "Prelude"
5. "Marry the Pussy"
6. "You Deserve Better"
7. "Genius"
8. "All the Way" feat. Kelly Rowland
9. "My Story" feat. 2 Chainz
10. "Right Back"
11. "Spend That" feat. Jeezy
12. "Crazy Sex"
13. "Shut Up"
Deluxe Version:
14. "Tear It Up" feat. Future
15. "Show Ya Pussy" feat. Migos and Juicy

SYLLABUS (Academic and entrance exam): Syllabus school Lecturer - PHYSICS: RAJASTHAN PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, AJMER SYLLABUS FOR EXAMINATION FOR THE POST OF LECTURER - PHYSICS, (SCHOOL EDUCATION) PAPER ...

Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela is inching close to Rs.100 crore at a good pace. The Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie has minted over Rs.52 crore in its opening weekend, and trade pundits believe it will sustain good business in the coming weeks too.

The Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh-starrer, co-produced by Bhansali and Eros International Media Ltd., released Nov 15 in over 3,500 screens. It earned Rs.16 crore on its opening day at ticket counters in the domestic market.

It went on to make Rs.17.25 crore on the second day of its release and raked in Rs.19.50 crore on the third day, read a statement from Eros International Media Ltd., which has also distributed the movie. The film is said to be the fifth biggest opener of 2013, according to trade analyst Taran Adarsh. The biggest opener so far this year has been Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika's "Chennai Express". "Ram-leela is fifth biggest opener of 2013...Deepika's third biggest opener... Ranveer's biggest opener," Adarsh posted on Twitter.

The film's high points are the sizzling chemistry between Deepika and Ranveer, a scintillating dance number by Priyanka Chopra, strong content with a colourful Gujarati backdrop and Bhansali's impeccable direction. Ram-leela has garnered positive reviews from the film fraternity as well.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan tweeted: "Ram-leela! The genius of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the passion of Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, the guile of Supriya Pathak and the rawness of Richa Chadda.

Philippines Typhoon Update

Here are the latest casualty figures and damage reports from the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan, according to the national crisis management agency.

 National: 3,976 confirmed deaths, 1,598 missing and 18,175 injured, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Eastern Visayas region covering the islands of Leyte and Samar: 3,725 dead, 17,821 injured and 1,574 missing. Widespread severe damage. Tacloban, Leyte's main city with a population of 220,000, lies in ruins. Communications, transport cut in many areas.

Western Visayas region: 161 dead, 228 injured, 19 missing.

Central Visayas region, which includes Cebu: 74 dead, 102 injured and 5 missing.

Former teen idol Debbie Gibson proved that age is nothing but a number when she rocked a teeny leotard for a performance at the New York Knicks game recently.

Gibson donned a sparkling, plunging leotard with fishnet tights when she hit Madison Square Garden for a performance on Thursday, Nov. 14 during the Knicks versus Houston Rockets game, Us Weekly noted. The 42-year-old strutted her stuff on the court, wearing just the bodysuit and a pair of heels.

"Happiness and awareness!" Gibson told Celebzter last year. "I am not rigid with my eating. But, as of late I am aware that certain foods may have certain repercussions and I know that –- for instance –- if I want to maintain a certain weight or am preparing to be on camera, if I gain more than 2 lbs in a day, the next day I fast until dinner and then eat a piece of steak and salad. It resets your weight instantly having a protein load and salad. Amazing!"

She told the website she works out only once or twice a week and maintains a healthy diet full of lean proteins and vegetables.

 Newcomer Shraddha Kapoor, who will be seen in Karan Johar's home production Gori Tere Pyaar Mein, has apparently not charged any fees for her role.

"Shraddha liked the script and wanted to work with the banner. She agreed to come on board instantly without any remuneration. Her role isn't a lengthy one, but she plays an important part. Her role is crucial to the storyline," a source said.

"I bumped into Shraddha outside a theatre on the day 'I Hate Luv Storys' released. I've known her since then. When we wrote the character of Vasudha, I had her in mind, so I met her and informed her about the role. She liked the script and came on board as a friend. We have credited her part as a friendly appearance," said movie's director Punit Malhotra.

The film stars Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan in the lead.

It's the world champion vs the World No1.
Viswanathan Anand shakes hands with Magnus Carlsen

Vishwanathan Anand draws Game 3 with Magnus Carlsen on Tuesday.

The world champion vs the World No1; the King vs the Crown Prince. This is the chess battle of this century.

The World Chess Championship unfolds at Hotel Hyatt Regency as history is in the making over the next three weeks.

If Carlsen wins, he would herald a new era in World Championship. If Anand wins, he would be rated along with Garry Kasparov as the most successful world champion in modern chess.

World champion Viswanathan Anand will start with black pieces in the first game.

The first game will be played on Saturday, followed by the second on Sunday with Carlsen having black. The games will start at 3 pm at Hotel Hyatt Regency, the venue of the championship.

There will be a rest day after the second, fourth, sixth, eighth, 10th, 11th and 12th games. After the sixth game, the colours will be reversed so Anand would have black in the sixth and seventh games.

The players are fighting for a purse of $3 million with the winner standing to earn $1.45m and the loser just under $1m. Carlsen has already pocketed $137,000 of the prize fund for agreeing to play on his opponent’s home turf.

The time control for the 12 games will be: 40 moves in two hours for each player, the next 20 moves in one hour and 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting after move 61.

If the match goes into tiebreakers after a 6-6 tie in Classical chess, there will be a four 25-minute rapid chess games to break the tie. If that also ends in a tie, blitz chess mini-matches of two games each will be played. If the first set ends in a tie, the second, third and fourth will follow. In all five sets (10 games) will be played to break the tie.

Even then if the match is tied, the Armageddon (sudden death game) will be applied. In that game, white will get five minutes and black four but black needing only a draw to win the game and match. The rapid, blitz and Armageddon will have separate draw of lots to choose the colour.

The chief arbiter for the championship is, Ashot Vardapetyan from Armenia the same official who was in charge of the Anand-Boris Gelfand World championship match in 2012 in Moscow.

Miley Cyrus left little to the imagination in a plunging, backless dress for her 2013 MTV European Music Awards arrival tonight (Nov. 10).

Cyrus opted for a minidress featuring images of rappers Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur and the words "Please Stop Violence" on it. The lace-up dress had a plunging neckline and was completely backless, minus the material covering Cyrus' derriere. She paired the look with heavy gold jewelry and thigh-high checkered boots.

The 20-year-old is set to perform "Wrecking Ball," according to MTV News. Prior to the event, which is being held at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Cyrus tweeted a naked shower selfie for her 15 million followers while getting ready for the night.

A Russian performance artist was hospitalised Sunday after stripping naked and nailing his testicles to a Red Square cobblestone in protest against the Kremlin's crackdown on political rights.

A video of the graphic action, available on Russian websites, showed artist Pyotr Pavlensky sitting naked outside Lenin's Mausoleum being covered with a blanket by police officers while horrified passersby looked on.

The state-run RIA Novosti news agency said Pavlensky was taken to a police station after being treated in a central Moscow clinic.

The Saint Petersburg-based artist said in a statement posted on the Grani.ru website that he was trying to draw attention to Russian society's inaction in the face of the development of a "police state".

Russia marked its annual Police Day holiday on Sunday.

It is not the first time the 29-year-old has resorted to eye-watering methods of protest.

He has previously sewn his lips together to demonstrate against the jailing of two female members of the Pussy Riot punk band who staged an anti-Kremlin performance inside Moscow's main cathedral in 2011.

He was also arrested after wrapping his naked body in barbed wire outside a Saint Petersburg government building in May.

 In Russia today, a Moscow political performance artist was arrested after he drove a large nail through his testicles into a cobblestone street in Red Square to protest Vladimir Putin‘s crackdown on civil rights — and the Russian people’s own apathy.

Pyotr Pavlensky can be seen in the video below sitting naked in front of the Lenin’s Mausoleum and nailed to the street.

Later, a police officer comes to arrest him. He reportedly could get 15 days in jail. Pavlensky says his “action can be seen as a metaphor of apathy and political indifference and fatalism of the modern Russian society,” according to a Google translation of what he wrote on the Russian website, Grani.ru.

A family determined to save their kidnapped relative tracked her down to an abandoned Louisiana house, saving her life and killing her captor after she went missing for almost three full days, according to multiple sources.

Bethany Arceneaux, 29, was allegedly abducted Wednesday afternoon in Lafayette by her ex-boyfriend Scott Thomas, also 29, and the father to her 2-year-old son, The Daily Advertiser first reports.

A witness to the abduction, Derrimetrie Robinson, said she saw Arceneaux honking her car horn for help in parking lot as Thomas forced his way into her car and attacked her. When Robinson rushed to the scene, Arceneaux begged the woman to take her son, according to the Advertiser.

Robinson managed to grab the 2-year-old boy during the struggle, as Thomas shoved Arceneaux into his car and sped away, she said.

Later Wednesday evening, police found Thomas' white Buick near a field.

On Thursday morning, the Lafayette Police Department had little new information about the kidnapping.

Family members began posting fliers of the missing mother and searched surrounding areas, according to the New York Daily News.


“Based off the information officers received at the day care about the way the victim was confronted by Thomas, we believe she may be in a situation where she could be harmed,” spokesman Cpl. Paul Mouton said Thursday as police continued to search.

By dark, the rescue search was called off for the day.

On Friday, as police and family members alike searched near Thomas' abandoned car, along with areas near his hometown, witnesses gave the family members a tip about a vacant house in a nearby field where the car was located.

Daily Advertiser photographer Leslie Westbrook, who spent much of the day with the family as they searched, was there to capture the intense scenes that soon played out.

A neighborhood resident and another man, along with almost half a dozen members of Arceneaux's family, took off on four-wheelers towards the house.

As they got closer, family members said they heard the screams of their missing relative begging for help.

The family converged on the house, kicking down the door as Thomas allegedly began stabbing Arceneaux multiple times, according to KLFY, a local news station.

Tom Cruise has admitted that Katie Holmes filed for divorce in part because of his involvement in the controversial Church of Scientology.

During his deposition, first obtained by RadarOnline, for his $50 million defamation case against Bauer media (whose magazines claimed he abandoned his daughter Suri Cruise), the 51-year-old actor first exploded with anger when asked if Holmes left him "in part to protect Suri from Scientology."

Cruise first responded that he found the question "offensive," saying, "there is no need to protect my daughter from my religion.” But when lawyers pushed the question again, asking if his ex-wife ever indicated that she left because of the religion or because she wanted to protect their daughter from Scientology, Cruise responded:

"Did she say that? That was one of the assertions, yes."

What's more, Cruise also admitted that his 7-year-old daughter is no longer a practicing member of the religion. This is a huge admission since anyone who leaves the faith is considered a “Suppressive Person” and is cut off from all members of the church, including their immediate family.
When Holmes and Cruise divorced back in 2012, many of Scientology's defectors spoke out claiming that the church seemed to be playing favorites and bending rules when it came to Cruise and his family. Former Scientologist Samantha Domingo (whose ex-husband Placido Domingo Jr. spoke out and left the church after officials tried to make him "disconnect" from her when she was labeled a "Suppressive Person") told Vanity Fair that the way Holmes blindsided Cruise with the divorce and enrolled Suri in private school would be automatic grounds for disconnection if Holmes were married to any other Scientologist.

Domingo said that even if Holmes left Cruise to protect her daughter from the church, he likely won't give up on bringing her back to the religion.

"According to Scientology doctrine, Katie has denied Suri her spiritual eternity in the church. There's no chance for her now," Domingo explained to Vanity Fair. "Why would Katie deny their daughter her spiritual freedom? How suppressive is that? If [Tom] loves his daughter, he will never give up on [Scientology]. He will try to use every means available to help his child, and he does think he's helping his child, but he's also helping the church control his life."

Facing a double mastectomy with grace takes courage. Facing one with courage and joy is extraordinary.

But that’s exactly what Deborah Cohan did yesterday right before she went into surgery to have her breasts removed. Cohan, an Ob/Gyn and mom of two, held a dance party with her medical team in the operating room of Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco.

This inspiring 6-minute-long video, posted on YouTube, shows Cohan busting some serious moves as she wiggles and twerks to Beyonce’s hit “Get Me Bodied.” Cohan requested that friends and family make videos of themselves dancing to Bey too so that she could watch them during her recovery. “I have visions of a healing video montage,” she wrote. “Nothing brings me greater joy than catalyzing others to dance, move, be in their bodies. Are you with me people?”

They were. You can check out videos of Deborah’s fans shaking their booties in solidarity on her CaringBridge page.

Deborah, we wish you a speedy recovery. And can we go clubbing with you when you’re all better?

One thing we really need to thank the internet for: colorized historical photographs. Of course, the phenomenon comes to us courtesy of Photoshop and the talented editors who transformed black and white images into digital works of art. We're just happy we get to feast our eyes upon them.

Thanks to a Reddit user named Brinkman87, we have a plethora of polychromatic snapshots that bring history back to life. Behold, 15 of the best colorized photos on the web:

Bollywood's reigning queen, Deepika Padukone completes six glorious years in the film industry. The actress' debut film 'Om Shanti Om' released this very day.

The model-turned-actress featured in dual roles -Shantipriya, a leading actress of the 1970s, and later as Sandy, an aspiring actress in Farah Khan's 'Om Shanti Om', opposite Shah Rukh Khan.

Farah Khan took to twitter to post about the anniversary of 'Om Shanti Om', "Thanx 4 reminding me that 2day is 9th nov..OSO released ths date 2007..@iamsrk @deepikapadukone ..how time flies!," she posted.

Her performance garnered immense praise with critics terming her 'a talented whiff of fresh air'.

Her next release, 'Bachna Ae Haseeno' (2008) saw her play Ranbir Kapoor's ladylove. And once again the film went on to become a huge commercial success.

Another of Deepika's notable performances is the strong-headed career woman in Imtiaz Ali's 'Love Aaj Kal' opposite Saif Ali Khan.

'Cocktail' in 2012 saw Deepika play the impulsive party girl, Veronica. Not only did she sizzle on screen, but her performance earned her Best Actress nominations at several award ceremonies, including Filmfare, Screen, and IIFA.

For Ayan Mukherjee's 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani', Deepika once again effortlessly transformed herself to play Naina Talwar, 'the wallflower'. The film that also starred former boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor received great reviews and took the Box office by storm.

Her last release, romantic action comedy, 'Chennai Express' had Deepika play a South Indian girl and she nailed it, even the accent. The Shah Rukh starrer was a rage and ultimately declared a blockbuster.

Deepika's next release, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Ram Leela' with rumoured boyfriend Ranveer Singh has already created much hype and fans are eagerly waiting to see the beauty on the silver screen once more.

Dharamsala-based model Vijay Singh couldn't believe his luck when he won Mallika Sherawat's hand on the quirky dating reality TV show "The Bachelorette - Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika". He is confident they are made for each other and feels their small town connect will help them in their journey.

He beat the other finalist Karan Sagoo, an NRI restaurant owner from London, on the Life OK show's finale Friday night.


Sounding completely zapped, Vijay said after the triumph: "I can't believe I've been chosen by Mallika! Back home in Himachal Pradesh, I used to watch every film of hers. I especially liked her in 'Murder'. She's my favourite."

"The Bachelorette India - Mere Khayalon Ki Mallika", based on the internationally popular format of "The Bachelor", focused on finding a match for Mallika from among 30 contestants, who came from different parts of the country and abroad.

At the show's beginning itself, the actress had clarified that she was only looking for a companion via the show and that she was not promising to settle down with the man she chooses finally.

But for Vijay, 24, winning the show and the actress' heart was "like a dream".

"The other finalist Karan Sagoo also stood a very good chance of winning. But when Mallika gave me the rose, I was in a state of complete disbelief," he said.

Of course the marriage has not taken place as yet and therein lies the catch.

To that, he said: "We've got to know each other as much as we could on the show. Now it's time to take the relationship beyond the show. And for that we need time. We need to get to know one another. I'm pretty confident Mallika and I are made for one another."

Shyly and in chaste Hindi, the small town boy said: "Mallika and I are similar in many ways. She is frank, caring and very transparent about her likes and dislikes. So am I. We both come from small towns. She is from Rohtak in Haryana. I am from Himachal. We both arrived in Mumbai with our dreams. Like her, I too hope to make something of my life."

Recalling his early days in Mumbai, Vijay said: "I came to Mumbai on Aug 18, 2012. I participated in the Gladrags (model hunt) contest 2013. I can't believe I am standing here looking at the prospect of becoming one of India's most desirable woman's life partner."

"When I was chosen, I was in a state of disbelief. When I became one of the two finalists, I was even more surprised. Now having won Mallika's hand, I feel I am in a dream," he said.


Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/vijay-singh-ready-to-wed-mallika-family-says-hes-too-young/1/322361.html

Possibly the strongest typhoon ever to hit land devastated the central Philippine city of Tacloban, killing at least 100 people, turning houses into rubble and levelling the airport in a surge of flood water and high wind, officials said on Saturday. The toll of death and damage from

Typhoon Haiyan on Friday is expected to rise sharply as rescue workers and soldiers reach areas cut off by the massive, fast-moving storm, now barreling out of the Philippines towards Vietnam.
The category 5 “super typhoon” weakened to a category 4 on Saturday, though forecasters said it could strengthen again over the South China Sea on its course to hit Vietnam early on Sunday.

Authorities in 15 provinces in Vietnam have started to call back boats and prepare for possible landslides. Nearly 300,000 people were moved to safer areas in two provinces alone – Da Nang and Quang Nam - according to the government's website.

The Philippines has yet to resume communications with officials in Tacloban, a city of about 220,000 that appeared to suffer the worst of the typhoon, but a government official estimated at least 100 were killed and 100 wounded.

“Bodies are lying on the street,” said Captain John Andrews, deputy director general of the Civil Aviation Authority.

The national disaster agency has yet to confirm the toll but broken power poles, trees, bent tin roofs and splintered houses littered the streets of the city, suggesting the toll could be higher.

Television images showed residents of Tacloban, about 580 km (360 miles) southeast of Manila, wading through flooded streets that were littered half-submerged cars.

Congress leader Sajjan Kumar today sought to declare as "illegal" the probe and chargesheets filed by the CBI in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case against him. This comes days after the Gauhati High Court said that the Central Bureau of Investigation or CBI is 'unconstitutional' and does not have powers to investigate crimes.

Mr Kumar's counsel mentioned the Gauhati High Court's judgement today and said if the CBI itself is unconstitutional, its probe and chargesheets are also illegal.

The judge, however, said the effect of this judgement is not clear at this stage as it is too early and asked the counsel to proceed with the case.

The court also asked the defence counsel to advance his arguments on the two applications filed by Mr Kumar and other accused in the case.

The court gave November 15 as the next day of hearing.

The court had earlier framed various charges including murder and rioting against Mr Kumar, Brahmanand Gupta, Peru, Khushal Singh and Ved Prakash in connection with killing of a man in Sultanpuri area in the riots that had occurred after the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. One of the accused, Khushal Singh, has died.

The CBI had earlier said that though the chargesheet pertains to killing of six people, it was only restricting to the charge relating to murder of Surjit Singh and not of other deceased in respect of whom the trial had already taken place.

The court is yet to fix a date for beginning the trial by recording statements of prosecution witnesses.

Mr Kumar and three other accused had moved an application seeking removal of CBI's nine witnesses in the case claiming they were "irrelevant".

The plea was opposed by senior advocate H S Phoolka, appearing for the victims', saying that the nine witnesses were very important and leaving them out will be miscarriage of justice.

In the other application, the accused had also sought summoning of judicial records of two riot cases of Sultanpuri area which were decided in 2002 and 2003 as some of the witnesses of this case had also deposed during those trials.

Mr Kumar was not an accused in both the cases which had resulted in acquittal of others.

In July 2010, the trial court had framed charges of murder and rioting against the accused in connection with the case of killing of Surjit Singh in Delhi's Sultanpuri area.

Pacer Mohammad Shami gave an awesome exhibition of reverse swing to cap a dream debut with five second innings wickets as India inflicted an innings defeat on a hapless West Indies inside three days in the first Test to mark a fabulous start to the Sachin Tendulkar farewell series on Friday.

Scorecard

Shami followed up his 4-71 performance in the first innings with a 5-47 show in the second to claim an enviable match haul of 9-118 -- the best ever by an Indian pacer on debut.

Shami's performance propelled India to an innings and 51-run victory in the first Test at the iconic Eden Gardens. Offie Ravichandran Ashwin followed up his exploits with the bat (124) with admirable figures of 3-46.

Needing 219 runs to escape the ignominy of an innings upset, the West Indies collapsed like a pack of cards in the final session -- 98 minutes into the post tea session -- to be bundled out for 168. Veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul (31 not out; 101 b, 2x4) put up a gritty resistance, but in the end ran out of partners.

In the morning, Ashwin struck his second Test ton (124) and extended his seventh wicket stand with Rohit Sharma (177) to a staggering 280 to enable the hosts finish at a mammoth 453. The visitors had notched up 234 in their first innings.

Beginning their second knock in the post-lunch session, the West Indies raised the promise of a fightback by reaching 101/1, courtesy a 68-run second wicket stand between Darren Bravo (37; 78 b, 4X4) and Kieran Powell (36; 83 b, 5x4), but Ashwin began the Caribbean demolition by foxing Powell with a flighted delivery that hit the batsman on the pad plumb in front of the stumps.

Shami - after a listless effort in his first spell - returned with a vengeance close to tea, and saw the back of Marlon Samuels (4) with one that reversed and got him leg before.

In the second over after tea, Bravo tried to cut Ashwin, who had pitched outside the off stump, and the ball dipped into the hands of a diving Rohit Sharma at point. The West Indies were then 120/4.

Shami then jagged one back after pitching on a length just outside the off stump, inducing an inside edge from Windies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin (1), which was lapped up by his Indian counterpart.

With half the side gone, Chanderpaul (23) and skipper Darren Sammy (8) tried to put up resistance briefly, but they crumbled in Shami's 11th over - the 49th of the innings.

The Bengal pacer again pitched on a length outside the off stump, and got the ball to reverse, uprooting Sammy's middle stump.

Two deliveries later, Shane Shillingfored got a similar ball which unsettled the off stump by breaking through the gate.

There was a further tragedy for the Caribbeans after the next delivery. Shami again extracted reverse swing, and Veerasammy Permaul (0) was struck on the pads. As the Indian fielders appealed, Permaul took a few steps out of the crease, but the alert Dhoni was quick to throw down the stumps to get a run out decision.

Florida Georgia Line was experiencing the power of a song at the Country Music Association Awards on Wednesday night, taking two early trophies thanks to the overwhelming popularity of "Cruise."

With their mothers in attendance, the duo of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley scored single and vocal duo of the year. Their quick tally was more proof the so-called bro country movement is the sound of the moment in mainstream country. FGL kicked off the show performing a fist-pumping medley with Luke Bryan, and very quickly returned to the stage to take the trophy for single of the year for their "Cruise" remix featuring Nelly. They also played the new song "Round Here."

Meanwhile, Kacey Musgraves — who, along with Taylor Swift, led all nominees with six — won the new artist trophy, besting a field including Florida Georgia Line.

"This first year for me has just been undescribable," said Musgraves.

Hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley got the show going on a jovial note as they took the stage with their opening skit, first joking about feuds in music. They got Bryan and Zac Brown to hug it out after their mild feud over song trends in Nashville. They joked about Juliette Hough's misguided blackface Halloween costume, urging Darius Rucker to start his own feud with the singer. They skewered Obamacare to a Nashville audience that roared with approval.

Then, they brought out the guys from the hit show "Duck Dynasty" and parodied Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," with Willie Robertson doing a little twerk for Underwood.

Swift tied Florida Georgia Line with two trophies after her "Highway Don't Care" collaboration with Tim McGraw and Keith Urban won musical event and music video of the year before the show began. Lee Brice's "I'd Drive Your Truck," about a fallen soldier whose father still drives his truck, won song of the year.

Spiritual leader Asaram Bapu, who has been in jail for more than two months, has denied that he sexually assaulted a school girl at his ashram or retreat in Jodhpur in Rajasthan in August.

In court today, the Rajasthan Police furnished over 1300 pages that outline the case and the evidence against the 71 -year-old. The police's charges against him include sexual assault, raping and illegally confining a minor.

But the police has also said today in a court in Jodhpur that the religious preacher did not act alone. It claims that four others - three attendants and the warden of the hostel where the school girl was enrolled in Madhya Pradesh - participated in a criminal conspiracy to allow Asaram Bapu access to her. So along with their employer, they have been charged with trafficking.

The 16-year-old's parents, long-time followers of Asaram Bapu, sent her to study at the school that was attached to his ashram in Chindwara in Madhya Pradesh six years ago. This year, they began getting complaints from the hostel warden who said their daughter appeared possessed by evil spirits which only Asaram Bapu could exorcise.

The warden and Asaram Bapu's aides then allegedly arranged for the girl to travel with her parents to meet with him at his Jodhpur retreat. In an hour alone with her, the parents were told, he would banish the evil spirits that had taken control of her.

Two days later, the girl told her parents that she had been sexually assaulted. Her father says that Asaram Bapu and his aides warned of damaging consequences if they reported the matter to the police.

He says he ignored those threats because he wants justice for his daughter.

Just over a month after this case was registered, two sisters in Gujarat accused Asaram Bapu and his son, Narayan Sai, of molesting them at a pair of ashrams. That case is being investigated by the Gujarat Police.

Bollywood beauty Bomb Deepika Padukone is running her career in a perfect path with a success taste in a row. Her best of career success are seen this year and one more most awaited flick Ram leela is ready to launch soon.

Deepika Padukone is one of the best heroine in bollywood. She has large number of fans around world.A huge number of fans will follow the actress wherever she goes. Deepika maximum comes outside to functions,film Promotions,Parties and all. Recently Deepika P has come outside for launch the Magazine event.4

Also Read:Deepika Padukone beaten up with EGGS and Tomatoes in Public

But the crowd was so excited to catch a glimpse of the leggy lass that it became difficult for her bodyguards to control the swelling crowd. One of the man in that crowd tried to touch Deepika padukone’s body.You can clearly observe in the below pic a unknown person trying to touch Deepika padukone’s body.She is really feeling insecure for this type of things.

With virtually one semifinal spot up for grabs in Group A, IPL champions Mumbai Indians will fancy their chances when they take on the bottom-placed Perth Scorchers in a do-or-die battle in their final round-robin match of the Champions League Twenty20 here on Wednesday.

Mumbai Indians are currently at the third position with six points in the points table, while Otago Volts are placed second with 10 points with two victories under their belt and an abandoned game from three ties.

Sitting at the top of Group A table with 12 points, are Rajasthan Royals, who have already made the last four stage.

The Mumbai side will have to play out of their skins tomorrow to not just earn full marks to make it 10 and come at par with Otago Volts but also finish with a good run-rate, so that if the New Zealand outfit lose their next tie there is a chance for the Indian franchise to make the cut on the basis of a better run average.

Rohit Sharma`s side got a big boost of confidence after a comfortable seven-wicket win over Highvels Lions in their previous encounter and they could not have asked for a weaker opponents than Perth Scorchers in a crucial game on Wednesday.

There is no doubt that a strong Mumbai side would do everything in their power to post a comprehensive victory against the Scorchers, if Otago lose their last league tie against Rajasthan Royals to be held in Jaipur on Tuesday night.

Even though the star-studded Mumbai outfit did not have an ideal start to the tournament as they suffered a defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals in the opening match before the second tie was washed out, they came back strongly to stamp their authority against the Lions.

Having restricted the Lions to a meagre 140 for 5, Mumbai reached the modest target with nine balls to spare and they would look for nothing less than a repeat of that performance where both their batsmen and bowlers fired in unison.

The bowlers, despite the absence of their match-winning pacer Lasith Malinga, did well with Mitchell Johnson, Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha successfully putting breaks to the opponents` scoring besides chipping in with important wickets.

While chasing, the batsmen did their job to perfection with Dwayne Smith hitting a 47-ball 63, and Kieron Pollard playing an unbeaten 32-run cameo towards the end; skipper Rohit Sharma, with 20 runs, also contributed to the success.

The worrying part though remains the form of Sachin Tendulkar, playing his last tournament for Mumbai Indians. But over the years he has shown that he always makes it count when it matters the most and the team will be hoping for the veteran batsman to shine on Wednesday.

Apart from him, even the likes of Dinesh Kartik and Ambati Rayudu are also yet to show their true potential in the tournament.

The favourites Mumbai have the resources to topple the lowly Scorchers, but they would certainly need to guard against over-confidence when they take the field here at the Ferozshah Kotla ground.

The Scorchers, on the other hand, with two loses and a match being abandoned are languishing at the bottom of the table with two points.

Already out of contention for a semifinal spot, the Scorchers have only pride to play for tomorrow and spoil Mumbai`s chances.

But for that they would require to strike hard with their available resources. Scorchers are here without some key players and have not been able to pose any real challenge to any of their opponents so far in the League.

After an abandoned tie against the Lions, the Scorchers lost to Otago Volts by 62 runs and then got a nine-wicket thrashing at the hands of Rajasthan Royals.

While against Otago, Hilton Cartwright was the lone batsman who showed some spark by scoring a fine 68 off 53 balls, the entire batting line-up came a cropper against Rajasthan.

After the Australian side were bundled out for a mere 120 with Adam Voges top-scoring with 27, the Royals chased down the total in just 16.3 overs. But even Voges has now flown home due to a back complaint.

Scientists involved in the project say they have a long way to go as the orbit of the spacecraft has to be raised.


It was moment of triumph for scientists closely involved in the Mars Orbiter Mission. For KS Shivkumar, director of the Isro Satellite Centre where the spacecraft was built, the placing of the Mars Orbiter spacecraft into the orbit around the Earth was like his baby taking its first steps.

“Our baby is up in space looking for scientific objects but we have a long way to go,” he said.

He said that the spacecraft was realised in a record 15 months. The project team has undertaken all contingency measures to ensure that the spacecraft can take decisions on its own in the event of any issue. He said full scale autonomy has been built into the spacecraft which would take decisions on its own and put it on safe mode without a ground intervention.  Developing such a system is a real challenge, he added.

According to AS Kiran Kumar,  director of the Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad,   the real challenge lies ahead. “We will have to raise the orbit from 23,000 km to 40,000 km and then to 2 lakh km. Then in the early hours of December 1, the crucial trans-Mars injection would be carried out to enable the spacecraft to undertake its 300 day journey to the red planet,” he said.

Mission director P Kunhikrishnan said, “With the precise injection of the spacecraft in the desired initial orbit, the crucial part of the mission for its long journey to Mars has been achieved. It is the 25th mission of the PSLV rocket.”

Professor Yashpal, founding father of ISRO, lauded India’s effort to chart its own path by launching the mission and not following others. “There are a whole lot of programmes going on in the Isro and the best part is that you are making your own path and not following anyone else’s,” he said.

Professor UR Rao, who had conducted the feasibility study of the Mars mission, said: “It is indeed a great day for India as something that has gone out of our own cradle. I can proudly say India has become mature. I hope we get very good results.” He added, “I was talking to some scientist friends in the US and they told me why Indians are shouting about Rs.500 crore spent on the mission, it

The United Arab Emirates state security court on Tuesday launched the trial of 30 Emiratis and Egyptians charged with setting up an illegal branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

A total of 24 defendants attended the hearing in Abu Dhabi, WAM state news agency reported, saying that the session was attended by families of the defendants as well as by representatives of civil society and the media.

The so-called "Muslim Brotherhood cell" comprises 10 Emiratis and 20 Egyptians, including six who remain at large.
The judge appointed a three-member medical committee to perform checkups on some defendants, WAM said, adding that he adjourned the hearing until November 12 to allow more time for lawyers to call in witnesses.

Prosecutor Ahmed al-Dhanhani accused the group of having "established and managed a branch for... The international organisation of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, without a permit."

The founders set up an administrative structure aimed at recruiting members for the Muslim Brotherhood, strengthening its presence in the UAE and maintaining allegiance to the main party in Egypt, he said.

The group also "raised money through donations, Zakat (Islamic alms), and membership fees to support" the Brotherhood, he added.

The Egyptian defendants, including doctors, engineers and university professors, were arrested between November 2012 and January 2013, according to Human Rights Watch.

The UAE has not seen any of the widespread pro-reform protests that have swept other Arab states. However, authorities have boosted a crackdown on dissent and calls for democratic reform.

The Gulf emirate strongly supported the July 3 ouster by the Egyptian military of the country's first democratically- elected president -- the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi.

Ties between the UAE, where political movements are banned, and Egypt were severely strained during Morsi's year in power during which the Gulf state arrested a number of Egyptian residents.

The top UAE court in July jailed 69 Emirati Islamists for up to 15 years each on charges of plotting to overthrow the government, at the end of a mass trial criticised by rights groups. 

The "lackadaisical attitude" of Bihar Police in handling the security at Narendra Modi's Patna rally, which was hit by multiple blasts, has peeved the Home Ministry as, even three days after the explosions, live bombs were found at the venue.

"Live bombs were found at the venue after the serial blasts. Live bombs were found a day after the blasts. Live bombs were found two days after the blasts and live bombs were found three days after the blasts," a Home Ministry official said, expressing frustration over the alleged carelessness of Bihar Police.

The official said that reflected how Bihar Police had acted while providing security at the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate's public rally in Patna on October 27.

Gandhi Maidan in Patna, which was the venue for the rally, is a site of hardly 800m x 300m size and it should not be difficult for any police force to scan it before a public function, the official said.

"Live bombs were being discovered at Gandhi Maidan itself for three days after the blasts. That shows how they (Bihar Police) handled the security at the venue," the official said.

Home Ministry has already asked all states to ensure foolproof security for any visit by Modi after he was declared the BJP prime ministerial candidate.

A Home Ministry team, which visited Patna after the serial blasts, had also found that even though the stage, from where Modi had addressed the public, was sanitised and an anti- sabotage drill was carried out, Bihar Police officials were not ready to sign the relevant papers to that effect.

"Perhaps state police officers did not want to annoy their bosses," another Home Ministry official said.

The Centre has already upgraded Modi's security by ensuring that an advance foolproof drill is held wherever he goes ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The move will ensure that Modi's rally venues are sanitised the same way as is done for the SPG protectees like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani.

The drill, called the Advance Security Liaison (ASL), will see Modi's security detail ensure anti-sabotage checks while the venue is sanitised well in advance in close coordination with local police.

Besides, door-frame metal detectors will be installed at each entry point into the venue and each visitor would be thoroughly checked through multi-layered frisking with hand-held metal detectors.

Every minute of Modi's itinerary will be documented in writing by the police of the state hosting him and will be monitored by officials from the state government and other security agencies. 

The police on Tuesday arrested BSP MP Dhananjay Singh’s wife Jagriti Singh on charges of beating to her maid death and assaulting another domestic help at their South Avenue residence on Sunday night.

Jagriti was picked up for questioning earlier in the day after 17-year-old Rampal testified the MP’s wife beat him and Rakhi, the deceased 35-year-old maid, on Sunday night with an iron rod, sticks, an iron and horns of a dead animal.

But instead of taking them to hospital, the accused, a dental surgeon, gave them first aid at home.

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The police were informed about Rakhi’s death on Monday night though she is believed to have died in the morning. The police have confirmed injury marks were found on the maid’s head, arms, legs and chest.

Jagriti has been booked for murder, attempt to murder and for assaulting a juvenile. The torture of the domestic helps had been going for many months, Rampal has told the police.

This is the third case of abuse of a domestic help in Delhi in the past one month. An airhostess was recently arrested for allegedly assaulting her 13-year-old domestic help and locking her inside the house while she was abroad. In another case, a 50-year-old senior executive in a multinational firm was jailed for brutally assaulting her teenage servant.

Azad Kumar, an electrician who had recently visited the residence, also claimed the BSP MP’s wife used to beat the people employed at her house.

“When I asked her why she would beat up defenseless servants, she slapped me,” he alleged.

Refuting the charges, Dhananjay, an MP from Jaunpur, said his wife had called him three days ago and said the maid had injured herself after a fall from the terrace of the house.
“Yesterday night I again got a call from Jagriti...she said the maid had died. I came from Jaunpur and informed the police," he said.

Sriharikota: India has launched its first mission to Mars on Tuesday at 02:38pm (0908 GMT) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre here in Andhra Pradesh.

The spacecraft was carried onboard the indigenous PSLV-C25 rocket which injected it into Earth's orbit after 40 minutes from lift-off.

The 350-tonne launch vehicle will orbit earth for nearly a month before picking up the necessary velocity to break free from Earth’s gravitational pull.

The Rs 430-crore project, informally known as "Mangalyaan", was approved on 3 August, 2012 and the Indian Space Research Organisation immediately jumped into action to create India’s first interplanetary spacecraft.

"I am extremely happy to announce PSLV-C25 placed Mars Orbiter spacecraft very precisely in elliptical orbit around Earth. Now it will be a complex mission to take the Mars Orbiter from the Earth's orbit to Mars orbit," K Radhakrishnan, ISRO chairman, said.

The Bangalore-based organisation and its 16,000 staff also share their rocket technology with the state-run defence body responsible for India's rapidly evolving missile programme.

So far only three other space agencies including United States’ NASA, Russia’s Roscosmos and the Europe’s space agency have achieved the feat of reaching Earth’s closest neighbour.

Some of the objectives of the mission are to develop the technologies required for design, planning, management and operations of an interplanetary mission and also to study the Martian surface and atmosphere using indigenous scientific instruments.

NASA, which will launch its own probe to study Mars on November 18, is helping ISRO with communications. 

 As a Sachin Tendulkar mania sweeps Kolkata, West Indies operations manager and former skipper Richie Richardson says the little master deserves all the adulation, but that will not affect his focus once he enters the field.

Describing Tendulkar, who plays the 199th and penultimate Test match of his career at Eden Gardens beginning Nov 6, Richardson said: "He has been a great ambassador of the game. He deserves every bit of adulation and celebrations surrounding him. But once he enters the field, the celebrations will not affect his focus."

Tendulkar will be retiring after the second and the last Test - his 200th - at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, Nov 14-18.

Richardson said Tendulkar was a great both as a sportsperson and a human being.

"It is difficult to express in words Tendulkar's contribution to cricket and humanity. What I like most about him is he is humble despite his achievements, and always smiling," said Richardson after Windies' practice session at the Eden Gardens.

"He is a great human being. You do often find somebody who is great at sports, but may be he is not equally great as a person. But Sachin is blessed to be both. People admire him forever," he said.

Richardson said the Caribbeans were happy to be a party in the final two matches of Tendulkar's Test career. "But at the same time we are here to play, to compete and to win."

He praised the Indian team, and said the visitors needed to work hard to make a mark in the two Test series.

"India are playing very well at the moment. They have some very good players, and they will come hard at us. We will have to work hard, but we will be pretty competitive," he said.