Saturday, July 10, 2010

Honey kills bacteria: research


Updated at: 0933 PST, Saturday, July 10, 2010
Honey kills bacteria: research AMSTERDAM: Scientists have identified a secret ingredient in honey that kills bacteria.

They have found that bees make a protein that they add to the honey, called defensin-1, which could one day be used to treat burns and skin infections and to develop new drugs that could combat antibiotic-resistant infections.

"We have completely elucidated the molecular basis of the antibacterial activity of a single medical-grade honey, which contributes to the applicability of honey in medicine," said a researcher involved in the work from the Department of Medical Microbiology at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam.

"Honey or isolated honey-derived components might be of great value for prevention and treatment of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria," he added.

To make the discovery, researchers investigated the antibacterial activity of medical-grade honey in test tubes against a panel of antibiotic-resistant, disease-causing bacteria.

They developed a method to selectively neutralize the known antibacterial factors in honey and determine their individual antibacterial contributions. Ultimately, researchers isolated the defensin-1 protein, which is part of the honeybee immune system and is added by bees to honey.

After analysis, the scientists concluded that the vast majority of honey's antibacterial properties come from that protein.

Kung fu monk drifts on water 28 meters for record


Updated at: 1220 PST, Saturday, July 10, 2010
Kung fu  monk drifts on water 28 meters for record BEIJING: Shi Liliang, a Kung fu monk of the South Shaolin Temple at Quanzhou, made a new record of drifting 28 meters on the surface of the water on July 5 after drifting 18 meters last year, according to a website of local news channel.

At about 7 a.m. on that day, Shi and his apprentices linked some pieces of plywood into a 30-meter-long "water passage," After he practiced running for several hundred meters on the bank, he stepped on the "water passage" at a very quick speed and drifted 28.7 meters setting a new record.

John Abraham to miss football world cup final


Updated at: 1142 PST, Saturday, July 10, 2010
John  Abraham to miss football world cup final MUMBAI: Football crazy John Abraham won’t be attending the final match between Netherlands and European champions Spain at Cape Town, South Africa on Sunday.

John had all the necessary arrangements ready to fly down to Cape Town, but director Vishal Bhardwaj’s sudden call to John for some extra shooting for the film ‘Saat Khoon Maaf’ made John cancel his plans.

When one of the readings of the ‘Dostana 2’ script coincided with the World Cup Finals John had painstakingly worked on rearrange his schedules. If he had his way he would have attended all the matches. But various things including his pal Dhoni’s wedding kept him from his dream spot,” said a source.

John attended Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni’s wedding last week and was all set to leave when the call came up.

Pakistan beat New Zealand in Davis Cup

Pakistan  beat New Zealand in Davis Cup
Updated at: 1105 PST, Saturday, July 10, 2010

HAWERA: Pakistan beat New Zealand in Asia/Oceania Group 2 Davis Cup doubles in Hawera getting lead by 2-1 over Kiwis. Pakistani duo of Aisamul Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan defeated New Zealand pair Michael Venus and Marcus Daniell by 7-6,6-3 and 6-2 in a match lasts two hours and thirty minutes. Reverse singles will be played tomorrow.

Unlimited GPRS at Night: Warid


With a package called “GPRS Twilight”, Warid is offering its customers to use unlimited GPRS from 1:00 AM to 9:00 AM for Rs. 20 plus tax.

How to Subscribe:

Write SMS “Data” and send it to 3283.

Once the subscription process has been completed the customer is sent an intimation for the confirmation of the package procured.

i.e. Unlimited GPRS usage from 1:00am-9:00am (One day validity)

Available for:

The service is available for Prepaid customers with active GPRS services only.

Subscription Charges

PKR 20 + tax per day

Note:

  • As per fair use policy the data limit per subscription is 100mb.
  • To avail the offer you have to send data to 3283 before midnight.
  • Only ONE subscription per day is allowed.
  • Customers who have already subscribed to this service cannot procure more than one night per day at any one time. However, they shall be charged for attempting to do so.

Peepli Live - Teaser

PTCL Imposes “Installation Charges” on New DSL Connections

Apparently, with an aim to enjoy the monoply, PTCL has started charging “Installation Charges” on every new Broadband and Broadband Wi-Fi connection.

ptcl PTCL Imposes Installation Charges on New DSL Connections

One time Installation charges of Rs. 500 will be charged from every subscriber. The installation charges are applicable from July 1, 2010.

Previously this service was provided without any installation charges by PTCL as there are no complex procedures and costly equipment are required to install the Broadband.

It merits mentioning here that PTCL’s major rival LINKdotNET is providing this service free, without any Installation charges.

Moreover PTCL recently changed its policy regarding Modem ownership – now the modem remains the property of PTCL despite subscribers pay monthly rental or otherwise installation charges for the device.

Kangna took inspiration from Zeenat Aman





Kangna Ranaut cannot stop praising the queen of the 70's - Zeenat Aman. For her role in the film ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI, Kangna did an extensive research on Zeenat Aman before portraying the role.

According to Kangna Ranaut, the charisma of Zeenat Aman was inescapable every time she saw her film.

view ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI videos



It must be recalled that Kangna is playing a role that borders on the popularity of Zeenat Aman during her peak days.

Speaking about the era of the seventies, the actress says, "What I noticed while playing my character in the film was the fact that the heroine of the seventies took half an hour to get dressed and more than two hours to style her hair."

Though Kangna cannot stop praising the retro time for its style, but at the moment her concern is that the audiences accept and appreciate her in the retro look.

Wife Jaya was Big B's KBC inspiration




view RAAVAN PREMIERE IN LONDON picture gallery


Preparing to host the fourth season of the Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC), Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan said it was his wife Jaya who had encouraged him during the telly debut.

"I was scared and nervous not knowing what the public would have to say about the show, about my involvement and its eventual result", blogged Bachchan about his first day's experiences of anchoring the blockbuster game show.

CHECK OUT: With no films, Amitabh Bachchan back to hosting KBC

"I had come home and isolated myself in my office room and quietly had put on the TV, almost not wanting anyone to hear that I was watching the programme," he wrote.

"After 5 mins of its start I put it off, unable to bear what the rest of the country was thinking about it and waited silently for it to get over. And when it did I hesitated to face the family. It was in vain though. The family, represented by Jaya had watched the entire show and when I came to her she said 'Amit ji! This show is going to be a super hit!'," said Big B in his blog.

Of Abhay Deol's lady love



view ABHAY DEOL picture gallery



Abhay Deol is having a great time not only shooting for his film ZINDAGI MILEGI NA DOBARA with Zoya Akhtar in Spain but in his personal life too.

Buzz is that Abhay's lady love Preeti Desai has joined him in Spain and the two are living like a couple.

CHECK OUT: Abhay Deol's embarrassing moment

It must be mentioned that Abhay and Preeti met at the success bash of the film DEV D and the two became thick friends after that. Though later the friendship went through a sour and sweet phase but currently the two are having a ball of a time in each other's company.

Though Abhay has never spoken openly about his lady love before but we say that actions speak louder than words.

Imran's friends consider him an idiot





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Imran Khan might be the next big thing in bollywood, but in real life his friends have a different opinion of him.

With his close pals Imran is just an ordinary guy. In fact when they travel together they stay in small hotels and share the beds and fight for the bathroom.

CHECK OUT: Why Imran should not say-I HATE LUV STORYS!

Though his latest film I HATE LUV STORYS has given Imran some solace after his earlier two films KIDNAP and LUCK flopped badly at the box office, but the actor thinks that he has to keep on doing the good work to keep his audiences interested.

Well, Imran also admits that his friends call him an idiot at times and he has no qualms about it. After all he is the darling and the superstar of not only among his fans but among his friends too.

Madhavan: I am not affected by success




Madhavan is currently in a cruise shooting for his Tamil film with Kamal Hassan and Trisha. In the meanwhile, there are films which are waiting to kick start though. While there are Tamil assignments down South, up North there is an untitled film with T-Series as the producers which is on the anvil. Starring Sunny Deol and Kangna as the other lead actors, this film would be directed by Vinay Sapru and Radhika Rao of LUCKY - NO TIME FOR LOVE (Salman Khan, Sneha Ullal) fame.

view R.MADHAVAN picture gallery



"Yeah, this is a new film which I have signed recently though it is still to go on floors. Let's see how the shooting schedule turns out to be", says Madhavan who was earlier also in news after he signed FREEDOM with Sanjay Dutt. What's happening to the film which would be directed by Vivek Agnihotri (DHAN DHAN DHAN GOAL, CHOCOLATE)?

"Well, it is a period film and Vivek is taking time to put it all together", says Madhavan, "It is good though because FREEDOM is a really big project. For us actors, it requires transformation from being a youngster to someone who is a 60 years old man. The kind of pre-production which the film requires is maddening."

CHECK OUT: I am missing my son

Meanwhile, has he ever sat down and reflected on the success called 3 IDIOTS, something which continues to stay in news even six months after the release. When does Madhavan think that his life would return to normalcy, courtesy all the adulation which till date is continuing to come the way of everyone associated with the film?

"Honestly speaking, I am not affected much by the success of my films, even if they are really huge", he smiles, "I have had numerous successes down South. Also, in Bollywood I have had successful films like RANG DE BASANTI and GURU. These films did spectacularly well. This is why it has not at all been a matter of coming back to normalcy. I have always felt pretty normal."

How Big B inspired Emraan to take up OUATIM





Big B's DEEWAR, which has gained cult status amongst movie buffs for decades, continues to find patronage from the young generation of actors. One such actor isEmraan Hashmi who, despite not being the man who could be expected to fill the long shoes of Amitabh Bachchan (pun intended), is truly fascinated by the world that was created by the actor in the 70s classic.

view ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI videos



"Mr. Bachchan is a legend today and back then he was a huge superstar. In my growing up years as a kid, I remember getting all awed by the rustic charisma that he carried. For youngsters of my age group, he was truly a phenomenon. Especially a film DEEWAR couldn't be missed. Everything about the film caught my attention and I wanted to be a part of something like that."

His wish was answered when Milan Luthria came to him with the subject of ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI, a gangster film where he is supposed to be playing the part of Dawood Ebrahim.

CHECK OUT: Ajay Devgan's double hat trick with OUATIM?

"I don't wish to comment on the Dawood factor", states Emraan, "However we have pretty much projected this fact right from the beginning that OUATIM truly depicts the gangster world from the 70s. DEEWAR too belonged to the same era and this very factor made me fascinated enough to become a part of the movie. This was the time period when certain kind of clothes, body language and mannerisms were very fashionable. OUATIM truly depicts that time, right from the visual aspect to the content and of course the music."

On a parting note, Emraan comments, "It was a great era. 70s was the time when underworld had just come into news and was being spoken about. Now we can hear about it all from corners. I guess that's reality."

Why Imran should not say: I HATE LUV STORYS!



In his latest release, I HATE LUV STORYS, lead actor Imran Khan essays the role of a cynic, one who does not believe in love and he hates people and filmmakers who make love stories. Not only that, he ridicules the very concept of films which revolve around love stories, always making fun of them.

view I HATE LUV STORYS stills



However, jokes aside, going by the stats we feel that Imran Khan should not be hating love stories at all, in fact he should be grateful to the two love stories JAANE TU...YA JAANE NA and I HATE LUV STORYS, which have been the saving grace of his career. As all familiar with Bollywood know that even though Imran Khan's debut film, JAANE TU...YA JAANE NA was a blockbuster, yet his next two films, the much hyped action extravaganzas, KIDNAP (co-starring Sanjay Dutt) and the multi starrer, LUCK were disasters and failed to take even a decent opening despite them being publicized as Imran Khan films.

CHECK OUT: Imran Khan to wed in January 2011

In fact KIDNAP came close on the heels of the super success of JT..YJN. But ironically, once again it was a love story, the Punit Malhotra directed I HATE LUV STORYS that was instrumental in giving Imran his second hit.

Well, in Bollywood actors do tend to get slotted and get caught up in their images and it will take a while before Imran can get out of his chocolate boy image, although he can take heart from the fact that even 'mamu' perfectionist Aamir Khan took a long time to get out of his lover boy (QAYAMAT SE QAYAMAT TAK) image!

ISHQIYA to be screened at IFFL in London







view ISHQIYA movie stills



ISHQIYA, to be screened at the inaugural edition of the IFFL. Directed by Abhishek Chaubey, ISHQIYA, A Home Production of Shemaroo Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. is produced by Raman Maroo and Vishal Bhardwaj, with some mind blowing lyrics by Gulzar and music composed by Vishal Bhardwaj again. The film undoubtedly has brilliant performances by Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi and Vidya Balan among others. The riveting storyline and splendid songs of the film has not only managed to get a good response at the box office in India, but also won loads of appreciation from critics.

CHECK OUT: After Munich ISHQIYA reaches Stuttgart!!

Hiren Gada, Director, Shemaroo Entertainment, shares his thoughts on the occasion "It feels pride to know that ISHQIYA is going to be screened at IFFL. It seems that ISHQIYA has made place in every heart world wide and hope people's love with ISHQIYA continues even in days to come."

The IFFL 2010 is the first major film festival to be held in London Along with the popular and offbeat cinema of Bollywood and regional India, the IFFL seeks to introduce audiences to the lesser-known cinematic traditions of the region, showcasing an array of powerful and dazzling productions from Pakistan and Bangladesh. Additionally, the IFFL aims to build and strengthen cultural and commercial bridges between the film industries of Britain and India, encouraging exchange of ideas and facilitating meetings between film professionals and investors. The inaugural Festival, the IFFL 2010, will be held from 25 - 29 August 2010 at London's historic Riverside Studios.

Sameera Reddy: I wasn't enjoying my life






view RED ALERT - THE WAR WITHIN videos


RED ALERT - THE WAR WITHIN releases today and Sameera Reddy couldn't have been happier. It was close to a couple of years back when she was associated with this Ananth Mahadevan directed film. Now that her effort is ready to be unveiled in front of audience, she can't help but keep her fingers crossed and wait for the final outcome. The film is also special because she started working on it at the time when she was going through a low period.

"I wasn't quite enjoying my life", she sighs, "In life you are sometimes so busy chasing things that you don't know what you are actually doing. Once you decide that you want to be a little relaxed in life, things finally start falling in place all by themselves."

CHECK OUT: RED ALERT-THE WAR WITHIN Movie Review

One wonders what exactly is indicating here? What was she chasing actually?

"I was extremely caught up with Bollywood", admits Sameera who comes with a hat trick of successes (RACE, DE DANA DAN, ONE TWO THREE) behind her, "My life was only about that. Eventually I realized that it was just a state of mind. We actors sometimes just don't take out for time for ourselves. The way we run from one shoot to another, it is simply crazy. I guess it is necessary for us to give time to our own life."

This is the reason why the first step for her was to get into a weight loss regime. "I worked hard on myself and went through a weight loss. It was before the release of DE DANA DAN and ever since then I haven't looked and felt better. Also, I changed as a person and that showed. One needs to have a healthy mind as well to ensure a healthy body", smiles Sameera before signing off.

Samir Soni gets rave reviews for I HATE LUV STORYS






view SAMIR SONI photo gallery



Ever since the romantic comedy I HATE LUV STORYS hit the silver screen, Samir Soni who plays the lovable director Vir Kapoor in the film has been receiving constant calls of appreciation.

Having learnt theater under guru Barry John, Samir Soni steps into the shoes of an eccentric film director in the film I HATE LUV STORYS with great ease.

The actor who plays a small but pivotal role in the film has been receiving rave reviews and has left a favorable impression on the audiences and critics alike.

Says a reviewer from a leading tabloid, 'In IHLS Samir Soni is lovable as the eccentric director - he's the show-stealer every time he's on screen'

In spite of playing a supporting character in the film, Samir Soni- the effortless actor is overwhelmed at the response his character has generated.

Adds one of the acclaimed critics, 'Samir Soni's character reminds you of a certain hi-profile director and he plays the part extremely well.'

Not leaving his runaway hit of a play behind, Samir Soni also plays a bisexual character in 'Anything But Love' a play that juggles around with only two characters- Seema (Mandira Bedi) and Anish (Sameer Soni) and their trouble to face up with each others drawbacks.

Says a trade analyst, 'Samir Soni is a very bankable actor, be it in theatre or in films. He has been impressive in his role that spoofs a director in IHLS and has created a niche for himself in spite of not being a front man'

Akshay Kumar's Bullshit creates furore!







'Bullshit', the controversial track from Akshay Kumar's next, KHATTA MEETHA is already creating ripples in the political arena.

view KHATTA MEETHA videos



The song, which takes potshots at corrupt politicians, has not received flattering responses from the community. Featuring unswerving lyrics such as "Sarak aur bridge banainge (Bull Shit), Traffic main nahi phasain ge (Bull Shit), Waqt pe kaam honge (Bull Shit)", it pokes fun at the politicians in a very direct manner.

CHECK OUT: KHATTA MEETHA Movie Preview

The timing of this uproar has come as no surprise. With the recently concluded Bharat Bandh due to the hike in prices, one would expect the government to be touchy about issues which would further add fuel to fire.

Whether any action will be taken, we're not sure! Guess we'll just have to wait and watch!

Katrina Kaif to turn belly dancer




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It is a known fact that Katrina Kaif will be seen in Farah Khan's TEES MAAR KHANwhich also stars Akshay Kumar. But did you know that she will be seen belly dancing in the film?

Farah Khan reveals, "I've had a very good experience working with her. She is very ambitious. In fact, she is going to do an item song in TEES MAAR KHAN."

CHECK OUT: Hrithik-Katrina's bullfight

The director further went on to add, "I'm going to keep a belly dancer teacher for her. She is actually going to learn belly dancing. So, you will see her in a new very glamourous avatar."

We are sure seeing the gorgeous Katrina doing belly dancing will be a treat to watch for all her fans.

Sonam: I had reservations working with Abhay Deol









Sonam Kapoor is in the thick of news. First her act in I LHATE LUV STORYS got big publicity and now her upcoming film AISHA is making her the focus of attention yet again.

The latest is that Sonam is leaving no stone unturned to praise her AISHA co-star Abhay Deol. The actress seems to be in awe of Abhay.

download AISHA wallpaper



Says Sonam, "Initially I had reservations working with Abhay Deol as I thought that his idea of cinema is completely different from mine. But, he proved me absolutely wrong. Abhay is such a great co-star that he makes the best in you to come out. We bonded big time while shooting for AISHA. He was extremely caring and cooperative all through the shoot."

Earlier, there were reports that Abhay had issues with Sonam on the sets, Sonam has trashed these reports and dubbed them baseless.

Though Sonam failed to set the silver screen afire with Imran Khan, hope she manages to do it with Abhay this time around.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona (2-6) Best/funniest commentary EVER! HD

Imran Khan on cover of Filmfare July 2010


Steve Jobs Declared as ?Smartest CEO?, Mark Zuckerberg as the ?Smartest Founder? in T


It was in March this year when Apple was declared as the ?World?s Most Admired Company for 2010?, and that too consecutively for the third year in a row. Fortune?s report showed that in the 2010 edition of their annual ranking of "World?s Most Admired Companies", Apple Inc. was at the top of the list for the third year in a row, and by the highest margin ever in the ten-year history, beating other giants like Google and Microsoft. Today, Apple achieved yet another two grand successes. The Fortune Survey report released today declares Apple?s CEO Steve Jobs as the ?Smartest CEO?, and their Senior Vice President, Jonathan Ive as the "Smartest Designer" in tech. industry.



When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997 after a 12-year exile, the company was close to bankruptcy. Thirteen years later it has a market cap of $250 billion and is the world?s most valuable tech company, transforming whole industries along the way. iTunes reinvented music. Pixar, now part of Disney, elevated animated films. The iPhone changed telecom. And the new iPad has other computer makers scrambling to respond. Rocking one industry could be luck, but upending four? That?s smart.

Steve Jobs dreamed up the iPhone, but Jonathan Ive created it. As Apple?s senior vice president of industrial design, Ive, 43, is an expert at manufacturing lust. Like his boss, he is a perfectionist who leads a small team working in near secrecy.

In November last year, Jobs was also given the title "CEO of the Decade", and was named as the ?World?s Most Valuable CEO? by Barrons.

In the ?Smartest Founder? category, the 26-year-old Mark Zuckerberg, CEO Facebook was declared as Fortune?s smartest founder.



Some people surely scoffed in 2006 when a 21-year-old college dropout turned down a billion-dollar buyout offer from Yahoo. But from the outset Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg was sure that the website he started coding from his Harvard University dorm room would be more than a time waster. He was designing a utility ? much like the telephone or the radio before it.

B.O: Tom Cruise fetches better start than 'Milenge Milenge', 'Red Alert'



The Friday witnessed two Hindi releases, MILENGE MILENGE and RED ALERT - THE WAR WITHIN, and both didn't really open to the expected response. While MILENGE MILENGE was generally dull at plexes, but was slightly better at some single screens, RED ALERT, despite appreciation and critial acclaim, opened to a poor response. However, the Tom Cruisestarrer KNIGHT & DAY fetched a much better opening than the two Hindi films, which didn't come as a surprise since Tom Cruise is extremely popular in India.

src:indiafm

9th Lux Style Awards – Music Nomination Details

9th Lux Style Awards

Singer of the Year:

Zain ul Abideen
Imran Khan
Chal Bulleya by Mekaal Hasan Band from Saptak
Rahim Shah
Shiraz Uppal

Best Artist:

Maryam Kizilbash
Mekaal Hasan Band for Saptak
Overload for Pichal Pairee
Rahim Shah
Shiraz Uppal

Best Music Video Director:

Ahsan Rahim
Bilal Lashari for Chal Bulleya by Mekaal Hasan Band
Farhad Humayun for Mela Kariyay by Overload
Sohail Javed
Zeeshan Parwez

Best Music Producer:

Mekaal Hassan for Saptak
Farhad Humayun for Pichal Pairee, Overload
Shiraz Uppal for Ankahi
Shani and Kami for Rahim Shah
Rohail Hyatt for the Coke Studio Sessions