Jessica Simpson in India
Hollywood star Jessica Simpson on her trip to India: the singer and actress looked stunning with a bindi dot on her forehead, as traditionally many Indian women wear. She also had an intricate 'Mehendi' design (henna tattoo) on her hand. The designs are typically worn by women during various celebrations and wedding ceremonies. Jessica Simpson is filming on location in India, for the shooting of her VH1 series 'The Price of Beauty'. On Monday evening she attended a bash in her honour at the super deluxe Vie Longe in Mumbai but left after around 90 minutes. Earlier she went on a shopping spree in the markets of Colaba, Mumbai (With inputs from the original author of this image).
Kavya Madhavan to act in Christian Brothers
Malayalam film actress Kavya Madhavan, who had a break from acting following her marriage early this year, is all set to return to acting with the film ' Christian Brothers', as various sources report. Christian Brothers, to be directed by Joshi, will have three superstars, Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Dileep.
Ee Pattanathil Bhootham with Mammootty was her last released film which she completed before her marriage in February 2009, after which she left for Kuwait with her husband. She had acted with leading Malayalam film actors including Mammootty, Mohanlal, Jayaram, Dileep, Kunchacko Boban and Prithviraj.
London Dreams: Asin adjusts her stockings
The photographer's note: "Indian actress Asin Thottumkal adjusts her stockings while shooting for a song "Shola shola" from the movie London Dreams at Trafalgar Square, London".
It is notable that Asin celebrated her 26th birthday on 26 October 2009 while waiting for the release of her next Bollywood movie London Dreams. Asin had a memorable Bollywood debut with Aamir Khan's ‘Ghajini’, one of the biggest box office successes of 2008. It is expected that her second Hindi film ‘London Dreams’ with Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan will repeat what her first Bollywood film had for her fans. The promos of London Dreams were running for quite sometime, and the music is liked by listeners, as reports show. Her role in Ghajini had brought her a Filmfare award for the Tamil version as well as a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award for the Hindi version.
London Dreams: Asin at Trafalgar Square
The author of this photo says: "...Asin Thottumkal straightens her hair while shooting for a movie, London Dreams, at Trafalgar Square, London".
Neha Dhupia wonders why models don't smile
Neha Dhupia was all smiles while walking the ramp on Sunday at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW) wearing creations by designer Kavita Bhartia. The former Miss India (2002) and Bollywood actress wondered why models don't flash a smiles on the ramp. She said, may be as a possible answer for her own question that if beautiful models start smiling, they would completely take the show away from the designer's clothes.
Neha Dhupia has some half a dozen films in the pipeline for release in the near future, including 'Raat Gayi Baat Gayi', 'Pappu Can't Dance Saala' and 'Raftaar 24X7'. She is awaiting the release of the film 'De Dana Dan' as the next one, and says it is an out and out comedy with a lot of people in it.
There is also news that Neha will appear in a reality series with Hollywood actress and singer Jessica Simpson.
Shilpa Shetty with Raj Kundra #2510
So the 34-year-old actress Shilpa Shetty got engaged to London-based businessman Raj Kundra in Mumbai on Saturday, as a little birdy has spread the news all around. Raj Kundra, as news has it, and his parents chose the engagement ring from a reputed diamond company in London. It is said to have cost to the tune of Rs 3 crore. It is reported the two families will fix a wedding date, most probably on November 22, 2009. This sets to rest some earlier reports that the reputed actress' marriage is delayed as a suitable venue could not be located.
Kangana Ranaut was harassed by mob in Lucknow
Actress Kangana Ranaut who was in Lucknow to shoot for Anand L. Rai's 'Tanu weds Manu' was harassed by a group of hooligans in the Kaiserbagh locality of the city, as many reports said on Monday Oct 19. The cast and crew of the film included Kangana’s co-stars R. Madhavan and Jimi Shergil and they were there 10 days to shoot for the film. When, on Sunday at the Lal Baradari building, they were shooting a sequence around 10 PM, a crowd of over 2,000 gathered around them. Some of them came very close to Kangana, Madhavan and Jimi and started passing lewd comments about her and tried to touch Kangana. But the police denied the allegations.
Bhuvaneswari - the newsmaker
As per news reports, Bhuvaneswari is in the news for some unexpected reasons, involving courts, journalists, actors, actresses and many more people. There are complaints and cross-complaints filed with the commissioner calling for action - a complaint filed by South India Film Artistes Association (SIFAA) against journalists and the complaints filed by various journalist bodies against some actors.
The case has its roots in a news report published by Tamil daily Dinamalar about some leading lights of the Tamil movie world. The report was based on a statement by Bhuvaneswari who got into some controversies earlier. But it is reported the daily Dinamalar published an apology to the actors prominently the next day even before such a demand was made. Angered by the Dinamalar report, however, SIFAA filed a police complaint against the daily, which resulted in the arrest and jailing of the daily's news editor. Now it is the press versus actors, and both want the police to act against one another and now it is before the courts.
Maybe, some of our friends from Chennai, who may read this, can throw more light on the controversy!
Meera Chopra in the movie Jaganmohini
Meera Chopra (Nila in Tamil films), with a modelling background and a short stint in television (NDTV), started her film career with the Tamil film Anbe Aaruyire produced and directed by S J Suryah in which he played the lead role. Then she acted in Telugu films too. She has got recognition as a successful actress in both the film industries. Vaana (Telugu) and Jaganmohini (Tamil) are some of her noted films.
Shamita Shetty in Bigg Boss 3
Actress Shamita Shetty, the younger sister of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and the host of the second season of Bigg Boss, is a housemate of Big Boss Season 3.
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Claudia Ciesla hopes Bigg Boss will boost her popularity in India
The 22-year-old Claudia Ciesla, a German model, actress, and singer of Polish descent, is one of the participants of Bigg Boss season three. She is the only foreigner participating in the show. Claudia is participating with Poonam Dhillon, Shamita Shetty, Kamaal R. Khan, Ismail Darbar, Sherlyn Chopra, Vindu Dara Singh, Raju Srivastav, etc.
'Thanks to 'Bigg Boss', I could meet Mr. Bachchan. I had heard so much about him earlier. Among his films I really like 'Black' and yes, I was thrilled after meeting the god of Bollywood,' she said about Amitabh Bachchan who is hosting the show.
Ciesla started modeling at the age of 15 working for shows involved in fashion and dancing. Claudia was invited by Lovely Professional University and was awarded as the Brand Ambassador of the university.
In spite of her problem with Hindi, Claudia says she has been on the lookout to work with good directors, good cast and a good crew. “I don't see a problem with my English at all. I know I don't speak Hindi as of now, but hopefully my 'Bigg Boss' inmates will teach me and I might catch up on the language in a few months,” said Claudia who was featured in 'Karma: Crime, Passion, Reincarnation'.
About her decision to convert to Hinduism, she said, "I’ve discussed Indian philosophy and the Hindu religion and its gods, I love the aspects of tolerance, I love the thought of Karma and reincarnation."
She made news with her meeting Abhishek Bachchan in Cannes last year and is also known for her role in Marigold as Salman Khan's co-star.
Asin to play the lead role in Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se
Asin is to play the lead role in Ashutosh Gowariker's next film 'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se' opposite actor Abhishek Bachchan, as per Bollywood sources. The filming is to start next month. The film will feature Abhishek as the freedom fighter Surya Sen who was the chief architect of anti-British freedom movement in Chittagong, now in Bangladesh. This will be Gowariker's second period film after 'Lagaan'.
Al Gore style Namasté
Namasté: Al Gore responds to the standing ovation at TED for his new slide show.
Suu Kyi detention appeal rejected by Burma’s court
It was a foregone conclusion and everyone knew what would be the outcome of the appeal the Nobel laureate and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi filed before the Burmese court dominated by the ruling military junta. So, when the Burmese court rejected her appeal against her extended detention, it did not make much waves in Burma (now Myanmar), though there were protests by lovers of democracy in far off places, notably, Seoul in South Korea, where her supporters demonstrated against her further detention.
It all happened when the self-proclaimed messenger of God, American man John Yettaw had a vision of God in which the God told him that ‘Ms Suu Kyi’s life is in danger and he should deliver the message to her’ and he stealthily swam uninvited to her lakeside home. But the Burmese military found in it an opportunity or excuse to keep her in prison till the next elections are over. And, in August 2009, they found Ms Suu Kyi guilty of violating the terms of her house arrest.
Consequently she was sentenced to 18 months' further house arrest, which will keep her out of elections scheduled for next year. Ms Suu Kyi's conviction had drawn widespread international condemnation and there were demonstrations in major world cities and appeals were sent to the Burmese military rulers by several international leaders, dignitaries, and even presidents and prime ministers, asking for her release.
Significantly, the Burma court ruling comes days after the US said it would pursue greater engagement with Burma's generals in a bid to advance democratic reforms in Burma. But democracy is what the generals cannot tolerate in Burma. If they seriously believe in what they promise and do, they should have gracefully accepted the verdict of the Burmese people when Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won the country's last elections in 1990. But they never allowed her or her party to come to power and she was kept in prison for winning the democratic mandate with a massive majority.
So now Burma's military authorities want to ensure that Aung San Suu Kyi is kept in detention until after polls scheduled for next year. Going by the past history of the Burmese generals, the election will be yet another eyewash and they are never going to allow true democracy in Burma.
The people’s leader of Burma, a distinguished scholar, writer, distinguished diplomat, Nobel Prize winner and a world leader in her own rights, Ms Suu Kyi has already spent 14 of the past 20 years in detention. No demonstrations, no diplomatic pressures, no economic sanctions and no peaceful solutions can deter the human rights violations committed by the military rulers, but they need to be told in stronger terms about what human rights and democratic values are and what the people of Burma want.
Burma was one of the richest countries in South East Asia when the British left. But by now the Burmese military has reduced Burma as one of the poorest countries in the world.
Earthquake kills 1100 people in Indonesia
PHOTO: People look at a collapsed building in Padang, West Sumatra province of Indonesia on October 1, 2009.
Agencies report that over 1,100 people have lost their lives in the massive earthquake measuring 7.6 on Richter scale that struck at 17:16 local time (10:16 GMT) on Wednesday north-west of Padang, followed by a second tremor, of magnitude 6.8 that hit close to Padang at 08:52 local time (01:52 GMT).
It is feared that thousands of people more are missing or trapped in rubble. The quake razed about 75% of buildings in and around Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, which has a population of over 900,000. Rescuers are still working overnight looking for survivors in the rubble of hundreds of collapsed buildings.
The collapsed buildings include hospitals, mosques, hotels, a mall and homes, and left thousands trapped under rubble. The earthquake cut power lines and phone lines and caused landslides at many places. Many large buildings in the town had been severely damaged and some buildings were on fire. Power has now been restored to some parts of Padang.
As time passes, the scale of this disaster becomes scary. Rescue efforts are hampered by poor communication lines, and damaged roads that have developed very large cracks and craters.
Hospitals in Padang have been severely damaged and injured persons are being treated in tents set up in the open grounds. Many parts of Padang are out of reach for rescue workers, raising fears the number of dead will be much more than initially estimated.
US President Barack Obama, who spent a part of his childhood in Indonesia, said he was deeply moved by the suffering caused by the quake, and added, "Indonesia is an extraordinary country who has known extraordinary hardships from natural disasters. I know that the Indonesian people are strong and resilient and have the heart to overcome this challenge".
Indonesia's location is on the edges where the Pacific, Eurasian and Australian tectonic plates meet. Therefore it is vulnerable to numerous volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. Indonesia has at least 150 active volcanoes, including Krakatoa and Tambora, both noted for their devastating eruptions in the 19th century. The eruption of the Toba super volcano, about 70,000 years ago, was one of the largest volcanic eruptions ever and it is considered a global catastrophe.
Recent disasters due to seismic activity include the Boxing Day tsunami on 24 December 2004 that killed 167,736 people in northern Sumatra (more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries), and the Yogyakarta earthquake in 2006. On 28 March 2005, about 1,300 people were killed after a magnitude 8.7 quake hit the coast of Sumatra.
Indonesia is part of the Pacific's Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped area of seismic activity ringing the Pacific Ocean basin, which is the world's most seismically active region, and 6,000 to 7,000 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.0 or above hit the region annually. It may be noted that seismologists and geologists have warned time and again that Padang area, which is typically vulnerable and falls on the same fault line that devastated the Aceh area, can be destroyed completely by earthquakes.
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