Bollywood 'Shahenshah' Big B turns 70

Bollywood 'Shahenshah' Big B turns 70

New Delhi: God of Indian cinema the mega star Amitabh Bachchan turns 70 on Thursday. The wrinkles are visible more than ever on his face; the mortal body getting weaker day by day but the charm and warm in his character still has the power to hypnotize anybody easily.  Despite 40 odd years in Bollywood, the ageing actor is not the one to rest on his laurels. He is back to woo his fans with KBC 6 which is said to be the highest TRP gainer of this year. From a not much hyped debut with ‘Saat Hindustani’ in 1969 to essay a role of 12 years old Progeria kid in Paa, Big B has come a long way.

On asking about his birthday plans and gifts, Amitabh said, I look forward to spending time with my family. All the gifts and presents that I needed have already come my way - the blessings of my parents, which I consider the greatest gift, and their presence in my life through all the upbringing that they gave me."

Happy Birthday Big B!

It was earlier reported that wife Jaya Bachchan and designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla are planning a big surprise bash for the actor. "A million interviews, a million good wishes and a million desires of continuance... birthday at 70 seems special to some. Just another day for me," tweeted Bachchan.

WISH 'BIG B' A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY (click here)

However, this birthday seems to be very special for Big B as his 10 months old granddaughter Aaradhya keeps him busy always. “My family - my wife Jaya and the two wonderful gifts that she gave me - Abhishek  and  Shweta and now the bahu (daughter-in-law) in the house, Aishwarya, and the little (granddaughter) Aaradhya... so these are my wonderful gifts and no one can replace them," said the megastar.

No wonder his milestone birthday is the talk of the town. If the celebrations were in his hands, the busy star would have wanted some rare, quiet time with his family. But close ones of Big B want to

make it big - reportedly with a huge dinner party Oct 10, an art show, poster exhibition and book launch on the big day.

"My family this time round wants to have celebration on my birthday. I have heard that it might be celebrated on Oct 10 at night. I absolutely don't have any idea about it and nobody is ready to disclose anything about it (to me)," he said.

Though this megastar doesn’t like any fuss or big party on his birthday, he loves to get surprises from his close ones. "I don't see why there should be so much fuss, but sometimes you have to go with what friends, well wishers and family wish to do for you and you comply with that.

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Amitabh Bachchan’s 70th birthday bash a star studded affair

Stars descend at Big B’s 70th birthday bash

Mumbai: The Indian film industry's biggest stars like Dilip Kumar, Yash Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan and to southern superstar Rajinikanth to high profile politicians like Praful Patel flocked to the big bash organised on Wednesday to usher in the living legend Amitabh Bachchan's 70th birthday.

The red carpet was rolled out for as many as 800 guests at the Reliance Media Work, Film City, Goregaon. Amitabh, dressed in a black velvet outfit, came with his family wife Jaya Bachchan, son Abhishek, daughter Shweta, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai and he too walked the red carpet with live orchestra playing hit numbers from his films.

Big B, who turns 70 on Thursday, told media, "Thanks for coming", while Aishwarya, flaunting a cream long dress with golden detailed work all over, told reporters, "We are so happy that we are all on Thursday celebrating his birthday.

 Thank you so much."If yesteryear veterans like Hema Malini, Saira Banu, Waheeda Rehman, Vinod Khanna, Prem Chopra, Kader Khan, Pran, Zeenat Aman, Jeetendra and Asha Parekh came to wish Big B, his co-star of many films like "Deewar" Shashi Kumar was wheeled in to join the revelries.

Also Neetu and Rishi Kapoor, who have worked with Big B, were seen walking the red carpet. Aishwarya and Abhishek played a perfect host and escorted 89-year old legend Dilip Kumar inside the venue.

Big B's one time competitor Vinod Khanna, who rarely speaks to the media, was in a generous mood and said: "I wish him all the happiness and good luck."From the current lot stars like Deepika Padukone, Parineeti Chopra, Anurag Kashyap and his wife Kalki Koechlin, Sonakshi Sinha, Vidya Balan, John Abraham and Arshad Warsi came to wish Big B.

Also Tabu, Madhuri Dixit with her husband Sriram Nene, Mahima Chaudhary, Abbas Mastan, Sudhir Mishra, Anil Kapoor, Subhash Ghai, Alka Yagnik, Boman Irani, R Madhavan, Ameesha Patel, Ajay Devgn-Kajol, Sridevi, Sanjay Dutt, Sunil Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Divya Dutta, Ashutosh Gowariker, Juhi Chawla, Preity Zinta, Vipul shah, Rana Daggubati and Urmila Matondker among others were there.

Shabana Azmi called him an "iconic figure" and added: "I got an opportunity to work with him. He is my favourite."Madhuri wished him all the "happiness and success", while Juhi said: "I respect him, admire him and I had a great time working with him."Vidya, who played his mom in "Paa", said that "he is an inspiration not only for actors but for everyone".

From down south, Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Ram Charan Teja were present among others.If glamour was at its high, the big names from political corridor including Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav gathered here to wish Big B.

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PM: Govt. to amend Prevention of Corruption Act

 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday decried creation of “mindless atmosphere of negativity and pessimism” on the corruption issue and promised to strengthen the anti-graft law by including corporate failure to prevent bribery as a new offence besides other steps.

“The mindless atmosphere of negativity and pessimism that is sought to be created over the issue of corruption can do us no good. It can only damage the nation’s image and hit the morale of the executive,” he said.


With his government facing increasing attacks on the corruption issue from the opposition and activists, Dr. Singh said a clear and unambiguous definition of corruption is being sought to be provided through amendments to plug gaps in the Prevention of Corruption Act and bringing it in line with international practices.

Addressing the annual conference of CBI and State Anti-Corruption Bureaux, Dr. Singh said experience has shown that “big ticket corruption” was mostly related to operations by large commercial entities.

“A clear and unambiguous definition for the term ’corruption’, covering both the supply and demand sides, is being sought to be provided,” he said.

Dr. Singh said a proposal is also being mooted to include corporate failure to prevent bribery as a new offence on the supply side. “I would like to stress upon the need to protect honest public servants and keep the morale of the executive intact with our commitment,” he said.

The Prime Minister said amendments in the Act were necessary as the experience has shown that in vast majority of cases, it is difficult to tackle consensual bribery and the supplier of the bribe goes scot-free by taking resort to provisions of the Act.

“This would be taken care of in the proposed amendments...We are also examining how the Act can be amended to protect honest public servants more effectively,” he said.

Dr. Singh said his government was firm in its commitment to do everything possible to ensure probity, transparency and accountability in governance.

“I would like to stress upon the need to protect honest public servants and keep the morale of the executive intact. I have said this in the earlier conferences also, but I think this is something worth repeating,” he said.

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ICC suspends six umpires accused of match fixing

ICC suspends umpires accused of match fixing

Dubai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday suspended the six umpires caught in a TV sting, which alleged that they were willing to fix Twenty20 matches, pending the completion of an inquiry against them.

"The International Cricket Council and its relevant Full Member Boards have agreed not to appoint any of the umpires named in a sting operation recently conducted by India TV to any domestic or international cricket matches pending the outcome of the ongoing investigations into the allegations made," the governing body said in a statement.

"The officials named are not contracted by the ICC and those Boards who employ and nominate the umpires directly will conduct the investigations as a matter of urgency," it added.

The channel had shown video clips purportedly taken by their undercover reporters in which the umpires were shown to be allegedly willing to give certain decisions in exchange for money.

Sri Lanka Cricket chief executive Ajith Jayasekara said that they are studying the tapes of the sting operation and the local anti-corruption unit will work with the ICC in the investigations.

The channel showed video clips, purportedly taken by their undercover reporters in which the umpires were shown to be allegedly willing to give certain decisions in exchange for money.

The six umpires, who are purportedly shown in the TV sting willing to fix matches, were Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui of Pakistan, Nadir Shah of Bangladesh, and Gamini Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Sagara Gallage of Sri Lanka.

All of them have denied the allegations, insisting that they were trapped by the channel.

Rajat Sharma, Chairman and Editor-in Chief of India TV, stood by the channel's expose and said it was open to any inquiry or public scrutiny of their journalistic work if the authenticity of the tapes is in question.

The fact that the umpires were willing to do a "criminal" thing is unfair to cricket, Sharma said.

According to the channel, Shah offered to give decisions like "out", "not out" in any format of the game. He has officiated in 40-plus ODIs, six Test matches as TV umpire and three Tests as reserve umpire.

Ghauri agreed to help Team India in all ways. As a quid pro quo, he agreed to take all amounts underhand in "black". He has stood in 43 ODIs, 14 Test matches and four T20 matches.

Gallage, a Sri Lankan premier panel umpire who was the fourth umpire at India-Pakistan T20 World Cup warm-up match on September 17, agreed to give information on the match pitch report, weather and even the playing elevens of both teams for a payment of Rs 50,000, according to the channel.

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A 70-foot painting from Allahabad for Big B's 70th birthday

70 foot painting on Big B’s 70th b’day

Lucknow: Even as actress Jaya Bachchan lines up a slew of events, gifts and surprises for hubby and mega star Amitabh Bachchan, who turns 70 on Thursday, a young fan of Big B is working tirelessly 24x7 to gift him a "touching and a very big gift".

Raj Kapoor Chitera, 26, is making a 70-foot oil painting which will show various milestones in Bachchan's personal and professional life. Chitera, a resident of Allahabad, has done such work in the past too.

In his earlier works, he has tried to push the case for implementing the death sentence awarded to Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist after the attack in Mumbai in November 2008 that left 164 people dead. He has also taken on the theme of pollution of the Ganga.

 In 2011, he drew a 1,500-foot long painting on Sachin Tendulkar to mark his 38th birthday. Chitera told IANS that he was a die-hard fan of Big B, and proud to belong to the city from where the Bachchans trace their roots.

"Through this humble present, I want to show Amitji how he still is a smashing hit with his fans, all of us Allahabad residents," Chitera says proudly. Originally from Ambedkarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, the painter now lives in Allahabad.

Producing a large painting for a big occasion is something Chitera is passionate about. Chitera says his Big B work will be in oil paint and on a roll of veneer, so that he "can send it to Jalsa (Amitabh Bachchan's residence in Mumbai) later".

"The painting will have shades of all sorts, you will see a picture of  Amitji's bachpan (childhood), his marriage to Jaya Bhaduri and his subsequent successes at the box office," the artist says, adding that the painting too, like a film, would have a story line. The films depicted in the painting would include "Abhimaan", "Shakti", "Sholay", "Zanjeer", "Coolie" and "Baghban".

Chitera has been a painter and sculptor in sand for the last ten years. On Oct 11, Amitabh Bachchan's 70th birthday, Chitera would also be simultaneously doing a sand art gift for Bachchan, which will be executed at the Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.

While Amitabh Bachchan's birthdays have thus far been largely private affairs, this time, the family has decided to make it a mega event as he turns 70. Media reports suggest that Jaya Bachchan, along with Piyush Pandey, will organise a two-day art exhibition - B Seventy - set to open Oct 12 at the Nehru Centre Art Gallery in Mumbai.

The exhibition is likely to host 70 Indian artists, including Manu Parekh, Paresh Maity, Anjolie Ela Menon, Akbar Padamsee, Badri Narayan, Satish Gujral, Gieve Patel, Jayasri Burman, Arzan Khambatta, Farhad Hussain, Satish Gupta, Sujata Bajaj and Praneet Soi, among others.

The lone effort of this artist from Uttar Pradesh, however, will stand out. And not just for its size

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Yash Chopra shouldn't have retired as director: Katrina

Yash Chopra’s retirement upsets Katrina

Mumbai: Actress Katrina Kaif, who has teamed up with Yash Chopra for her forthcoming film "Jab Tak Hai Jaan", is disheartened that the filmmaker has announced his retirement.
  
"I think he shouldn't have retired. It is sad that he has announced his retirement. He is a legend and I don't think anyone can match him. I feel I am honoured to be part of his last film," she told reporters from Chicago.
  
"He is an amazing person. He has a great sense of emotion and passion for cinema. It was great working with him," she said.
  
Recollecting an incident while she was shooting for the film, Katrina said that there was a scene which she couldn't get right despite her repeated attempts.
  
"Everyone from Shah Rukh to Aditya Chopra tried to explain to me about how to get it right. But it was Yashji who understood that I was nervous and hence couldn't get it right. So he started cracking jokes, since he understood what I was going through. That was an amazing moment. He is a very sharp person."
  
She said it was at the premiere of "Veer Zaara" when she watched a scene where Shah Rukh picks up Priety Zinta on a bridge, that she wished she could get to do a Yash Chopra film.
  
"I was aspiring to do a film with him and it eventually happened. I am happy and honoured."
  
Katrina said she felt intimidated by Shah Rukh Khan while working in the film.
  
"I was initially intimidated by him. I had to find a way to connect with him as an actor. Once that awkwardness was gone, I felt he is very caring. He gave me certain tips for a romantic film, like I should look into the eyes whenever we were together for a scene," she said

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MS Dhoni skips Territorial Army Day parade

Dhoni skips Territorial Army Day parade

New Delhi: Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is also an Honorary Lt Col in the Territorial Army, on Tuesday chose to give the organisation`s annual parade here a miss, sparking off a debate whether celebrities should be conferred such titles or not.

The incident comes in the backdrop of IAF`s unhappiness over both, Honorary Group Captain Sachin Tendulkar and Dhoni, not availing its offer of flying in their premier Su-30MKI aircraft.

The IAF on Monday had suggested it would not be able to fly the duo in any of their fighter jets in near future as the service was "very busy".

Dhoni was conferred with the title of Honorary Lt Col in November last year while Tendulkar was inducted into the Air Force as an Honorary Group Captain in September 2010.

When Defence Minister AK Antony was asked about the commitment of celebrities such as Dhoni towards the volunteer Army, he said, "The fact is that most of them are devoting their time and energy for the Territorial Army battalions."

"They are inspiration to the young people and that is why more and more people are joining. The latest of them is Sachin Pilot and just now I saw Kapil Dev... We are not inducting everybody. After careful scrutiny only, we are entering people," Antony said.

Asked if the motive behind inducting people such as Tendulkar and Dhoni was getting killed due to their lack of commitment, the Defence Minister said, "I am saying that most of the people are active. Even today you saw Kapil Dev, he is here. Why are you people not seeing this? Maj Sunil Sawant, Brig K P Singhdeo and many others come to the TA. Don`t forget their names."

Antony added that Malayalam cinestar Mohanlal was not just lending his name to the Territorial Army but "he is actively involved in the force attending all the training camps and all the parades."

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Information Technology Sachin Pilot, who was recently commissioned as a regular officer in the volunteer Army, was present on the occasion in his full ceremonial attire.

Former Test cricketer and 1983 World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev, who was accorded the title of Honorary Lt Col in the Territorial Army in 2008, though defended his counterparts saying if the two had time they would certainly make themselves available for such occasions.

"If they (Sachin and Dhoni) have the time they will definitely attend all the functions. They are currently serving the nation through cricket and I believe once they end their cricketing careers they will like to be a part of all the events. They have lot many things to do and it sometimes become difficult to find time," Kapil, who was present on the occasion, told reporters.

The veteran cricketer, however, insisted that the presence of celebrities will motivate the younger generation to be a part of the unit.

"We should spend some time for all these activities as it motivates the new generation. But sometimes one doesn`t have the time, he has some prior commitments," Kapil said.

Beijing Olympics gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra, who was also conferred the honorary rank of Lt Col along with Dhoni, also gave the occasion a miss.

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MP Sachin Tendulkar plans to integrate sports, education

Sachin plans to integrate sports, education

New Delhi: Batting maestro and Rajya Sabha MP Sachin Tendulkar has expressed his desire to work closely with the government to integrate sports into the education system.

39-year-old Tendulkar, in a letter to HRD Minister Kapil Sibal last week, has stressed on honing the potential of the younger generation and nurturing their talent as he felt that sports is being neglected in educational institutions, a senior HRD Ministry official said.

Tendulkar's suggestions include a roadmap for complete overhaul of the sports infrastructure at the university and college level, he said.

The batting legend has been invited by the Ministry to make a detailed presentation following which his suggestion on integration of sports with education would be looked into by NCERT and CBSE, he said.

The official said Sibal is keen on taking forward the proposal and is awaiting an early interaction with Tendulkar in this regard.

"We welcome Sachin Tendulkar's proposal and I have already written to him inviting him for a presentation," Sibal said.

One of the key suggestions could also include making sports a compulsory activity and infusing greater share of sports-related activities in the course curriculum to bring in more competitive spirit.

Ministry officials also seem to endorse Tendulkar's view on making sports a compulsory activity because at present it is only extra-curricular in nature.

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TV sting claims match fixing by six umpires, ICC promises stern action

WT20: Six umpires accused of fixing

New Delhi: A television sting operation on Monday claimed to have uncovered six international umpires allegedly willing to fix matches for money in the just concluded Twenty20 World Cup and Sri Lanka Premier League matches.

The channel India TV showed video clips purportedly taken by their undercover reporters in which the umpires were shown to be allegedly willing to give certain decisions in exchange for money.

The six umpires, who are purportedly shown in the TV sting willing to fix matches, are Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui of Pakistan, Nadir Shah of Bangladesh, and Gamini Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Sagara Gallage of Sri Lanka.

Ghauri and Shah have rubbished the allegations while Bangladesh Cricket Board President Mustafa Kamal said it will investigate the matter after getting the details.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said the Council and its relevant members have been made aware of the allegations made by India TV and asked the Channel to turn over any information which can assist the ICC’s urgent investigations into this matter.

In a statement, the ICC reiterated its zero-tolerance towards corruption whether alleged against players or officials. The ICC also said that none of the umpires named were involved in any of the official games of the ICC World Twenty20 which ended on Tuesday.

Rajat Sharma, Chairman and Editor-in Chief of India TV, stood by the channel's expose and said it was open to any inquiry or public scrutiny of their journalistic work if the authenticity of the tapes is in question.    

The fact that the umpires were willing to do a "criminal" thing is unfair to cricket, he said.    Ghauri, who is an ICC International Panel umpire, has rubbished the allegations against him and claimed he has never officiated outside Pakistan.

Bangladesh umpire Nadir Shah has also strongly refuted the allegations against him.   Bangladesh Cricket Board President Mustafa Kamal said it will investigate the matter after getting the details.

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Current Affairs October 2012

India Current Affairs/hot News of: October :2012

• India successfully test-fires nuclear-capable naval Dhanush missile off Odisha coast.
• Supreme Court rejects YSR Congress Chief Jaganmohan Reddy’s bail plea.
• The apex court refuses to admit any fresh material other than the expert panel report on Mullaperiyar Dam issue.
• Nifty crashes 800 points …. National Stock Exchange blames it on erroneous orders worth 650 crore rupees.
• Sensex down by over 100 point in afternoon trade; Rupee gains 24 paise in late morning deals.

• Supreme Court refuses to grant interim bail to 2008 Malegaon blast accused, Lt. Colonel Purohit and Pragya Thakur.
• Prithvi-II ballistic missile with 350 kilometer strike range successfully testfired.
• Government to ensure Kingfisher follows all  safety parameters before it resumes flight operations.
• Sensex crosses key 19,000 mark, Nifty breaches 5,800 mark over reform hopes; Rupee rules firm at 51 rupee 97 paise against the Dollar.
• Farmers from North India meet UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi; Hail government’s decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail and demand the waiver of loans.

• Centre proposes to set-up two smart cities in every state under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
• The Assam government deploys a 100-member team of Forest Protection Force in the KazirangaNational Park to protect animals.
• DGCA says Kingfisher airlines cannot fly without paying the salaries to its staff.

Major Current Affairs of World: October 2012

• Pakistan Supreme Court resumes hearing on the Contempt of Court case against Prime Minister Pervaiz Ashraf.
• In the second semi-final of the ICC Twenty-20 World Cup Cricket, Australia is to take on the West Indies 5 October 2012.

• US President Barack Obama and his Republican party challenger Mitt Romney show down on Economic issues just about a month before the US polls.
• Hosts Sri Lanka clash with Pakistan in the first semi-final of the ICC Twenty-20 World Cup in Colombo 4 October 2012.
• In Nigeria, gunmen kill 46 students in an attack in the northern city of Mubi.
• India beat South Africa by one run in the Super Eight match of Twenty-20 World Cup but fail to make it to the semi-finals.
• West Indies Beat Sri Lanka by 36 Runs in Twenty-20 World Cup

Education News October 2012

• The first-ever NEET will cater to admissions in all government and private medical and dental colleges in the country on the basis of its merit list.
• If everything thing goes as scheduled, admission to engineering and medical undergraduate courses from 2013 will be a much easier and hassle-free process. Instead of criss-crossing across the country to write scores of entrance tests conducted by various colleges, students will have to write only one test for medical and one for engineering.
• Even as the registration window for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) 2013 opened, those enrolling themselves for the exam will be using it more like a door to a government job. From being seen as the ‘gateway’ to M.Tech seats, GATE has now become the first step to be shortlisted in renowned Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs)

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Tips on how to prevent wrinkles at an early age

Tips to prevent wrinkles at an early age

You can be an eye candy or a show stopper of any party even when you are turning 30! There is a notion that skin ageing starts at the age of 30. The ageing signs first appear on your hands, neck area and some areas of your face.

The glow and tightness of our skin at our early20s may be cherished. The glow of our skin is at its peak in this age because it remains free from extra oil, dirt and the problem of pimples and requires not much effort to maintain it.

But a research has shown that skin ageing can start at any age if you do not take proper care of it. If you want to flaunt glowing, healthy skin which you have in your early 20’s then start taking care of it from then.

There are a lot of anti-wrinkle creams available in market which claims that it will give you wrinkle free, youthful skin. But there is no need to use such creams at an early age.

In an exclusive chat with “Sakhi” dermatologist Simal Soin shares some tips on how to prevent wrinkle at an early age?

Mediterranean diet

Proteins like collagen and elastine keep the skin soft and glowing. But with the passage of time the level of these proteins decrease resulting in wrinkles. If you want to get compliments for healthy and glowing skin even after the age of 30 then start balanced diet. There are some DO’s and DON’Ts which should be followed:

•    Try to eat lots of fruits and green vegetables as these are good source of vitamin A, E, B and C and they help in the development of skin cells and maintain proper oil balance to keep your skin glowing.

•    Try to consume little sugar as it increases the sugar level in blood. Avoid carbonated drinks, candies, sweets.

•    Water is a great intoxicator. The easiest way to prevent wrinkles is to drink lots of water to keep your skin hydrated.

•    Stop smoking if you want to maintain the younger look because it damages the skin tissues.

Some important tips

Once you are in your late twenties, make cleansing, toning and moisturising a regular habit. Use anti-wrinkle cream before going to bed.

1)    Start doing yoga or meditation every day to be stress free.

2)    If you are uncomfortable using sun-screen then you can also apply foundation according to your skin tone.

3)    Make sure that your skin products do not contain such ingredients which can cause irritation. Do not use products which have menthol, lemongrass, lime or other botanical oils.

4)    If you have dry skin then use good moisturiser to hydrate your skin as this type of skin is more prone to ageing.

5)    Massage your skin with creams, containing vitamin E.

6)    Keep a watch on your weight. Do not lose or gain weight very frequently.

7)    Do facial exercises.

8)    Apply face mask once in a month and get a thermo spa from good beauty expert at least once in a fortnight.

9)    Apply alpha hydroxyl cleanser and lotion on wrinkles. This process lessens the marks.

10) Before going to bed pamper your face with night cream which contains vitamin E or aloevera.

11) Use either face lotion or anti ageing cream. Do not use both of them together.

Aloevera and Papaya

Aloevera is a good source of malic acid which helps in erasing the marks of ageing. Papaya has some enzymes which clean the skin and remove dead skin as well. It helps in controlling wrinkles.

Home-made packs

Orange and yoghurt mask: Mix 1 spoon of yoghurt and ¼ spoon of orange juice and apply it on the face. Keep it for 5 minutes. Then wash it off with lukewarm water. Yoghurt tightens your skin cells whereas orange maintains the glow.

Banana pack: Smash a ripe banana and mix it with1/2spoon of glycerin. Then apply the pack on your face. Keep it for 15-20 minutes. Before removing it pat your face with lukewarm water. Again wash your face with cold water.

Egg and olive pack:  Mix 1 spoon of olive oil with one egg and massage it on your face. Leave it on your face for some time, then again apply another layer of this pack on your face. Lastly wash your face gently with a wet sponge.

Massage your skin:

Before going to bed, massage your skin with olive oil or coconut oil. Then mix crushed cucumber with mint juice. Sieve the mixture and then apply the juice onto your face with cotton.

Skin sauna

Mix few drops of essential oil according to your skin texture in a bowl of warm water.

•    For normal skin- mandarin oil and lavender oil

•    For oily skin-lemon and eucalyptus oil

•    For dry skin- rose and chamomile oil

Then cover your face with a towel and take steam from the bowl. This process opens your skin pores and prepares them for applying face mask. But if your skin is very sensitive or you are pregnant then do not try skin sauna.

What to avoid?

The following ingredients should not be present in your face cream-

-Alcohol as it increases dryness

-Odour as it increases the risk of skin rashes

-Sunscreen as it alone cannot combat skin cancer

-Parabens as it can be a cause for cancer

-Paraffin wax or mineral oil as it closes the skin pores and decreases the secretion of natural oil from skin

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Life is not a bed of roses in Bollywood: Deepika Padukone

Life is not bed of roses in B-Town: Deepika

Elegant and laborious actress Deepika Padukone easily transforms herself into the character she portrays. More importantly, she enjoys what she does. Her off-screen appearance is always that of a traditional girl wearing modern attires. 'Sakhi' tried to catch up with this attractive actress and have an insight about her thoughts on life and career. Excerpts from the interview…

Rising expectations

I know that people’s expectations from me have risen but this does not make me nervous. I do not think about my responsibilities during the shooting of a film. I work with my heart and soul. If I start thinking about the expectations and responsibilities I won’t be able to enjoy my work.

Faith of audience

When people start developing faith in you as an actor then films flopping at the box-office hardly matters. It is true that hit films will make my career graph zoom up but no one can run away from flop films. For me, the most important thing is that the audience loves me, they go to the theatres to watch my film having faith in me.

Family support  

My co-actors who are of my age, like Sonkashi, Sonam, Ranbir or Imran, have filmy background which surely benefit them in some way or the other. They can depend on their family or consult them regarding any professional query like what to do and which film to sign, with whom to work? I do not come from a filmy background. That is why my family’s suggestions are only for my comfort. My family always supports me and so I am here.

No mistakes

As far as my decisions are concerned I do not think I have taken any wrong ones. All those film offers which got rejected either was not make or the ones which hit the theatres becaming super flops.

Where is glamour?

I have heard girls saying that they want to become actress because films are full of glamour. I want to tell them that film world is not as glamorous as it seems from outside. People who know this industry from close quarters are aware of this. Life is not easy here. One has to do many sacrifices and compromises in this industry.

Fitness

I believe that a healthy body should be everyone’s priority. My suggestion to all is to combine a healthy diet with proper workout. You will neither lose your weight nor be healthy if just go for any one of the above. Apart from all these, healthy and positive thinking are must. For me, fitness doesn’t mean to be slim. Most essential thing is to feel healthy from inside.

Live life king size

It is important to do everything as a woman. She is required to do many things at one time. I also do the same. If a group of boys are playing cricket I can also join them and if girls are working in the kitchen I can help them out in cooking. In life, it is important to do things other than your profession. We have got only one life and so we should cherish its value.

Marriage and career

A woman’s priority changes with time. Her life changes completely after marriage. The responsibility of family and kids increases. With this, most of the actresses voluntarily retire from films owing to the added responsibilities after marriage. But there are exceptions to this like Kajol and Madhuri Dixit. Both of them have balanced their personal and professional life very well. As far as I am concerned, I will try to maintain a balance between my family and career after marriage. I will continue acting in films along with looking after my family.

Deepika is simple and grounded: Imran Khan

On the first day of rehersals for our movie ‘Break Ke Baad’, I realized that my chemistry with Deepika would gel. She is a very nice girl, simple and grounded. She is hard-working. Deepika takes care of people around her which I really admire. It is very hard to spot such a person in the film industry. She is not concerned about money and fame. She just wants to do good work.

She has the passion to excel in life: Pradeep Sarkar

I have done several TV commercials with Deepika as well as the film ‘Lafange Parindey’. She can blend herself in any look and style. I have noticed the spark of excelling in life in her. Every time she has made me realise her fighting spirit. Deepika has the passion to succeed, to improve. She has her own style which makes her stand apart.

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US, Pak discuss steps to deal with IED threats

Washington, Oct 6 (PTI) The US and Pakistan have agreed to work together for improving their efforts to combat the threat posed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the Af-Pak region.


During a meeting of the US and Pakistan Convene Law Enforcement and Counter-terrorism Working Group yesterday, the two countries discussed means to disrupt illicit networks that supply the components and financing for IEDs in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

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West Indies beat Sri Lanka to win 2012 World Twenty20 title

 West Indies won the ICC World Twenty20 after they defeated Sri Lanka by 36 runs in the final at the R Premadasa Stadium here on Sunday.

Earlier batting first, Marlon Samuels played one of the best counter-attacking innings under pressure against an impressive Sri Lankan attack to guide West Indies to a reasonable 137 for six in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 here today.

Samuels, who hit five of his six 6’s off T20 specialist Lasith Malinga, made a brilliant 78 off 56 balls, even as Ajantha Mendis returned figures of four for 12.


Samuels alone spoiled Malinga’s figures as he went for 54 off four overs after Mendis pegged the West Indies back.

While only 32 runs came off the first 10 overs, the Caribbeans courtesy Samuels and skipper Darren Sammy (26 no, 15 balls, 3x4) managed 106 in the back 10.

The total might not be a challenging one but the manner in which Samuels batted having scored more than half the runs, the innings will be remembered for a long time to come especially as other West Indian batsmen looked like lambs ready to be slaughtered.

The pressure of playing a World Cup final was telling on Johnson Charles as he offered a simple catch to Nuwan Kulasekara at mid-off in Angelo Mathews’ opening over which was a wicket maiden.

The first run for West Indies came when Kulasekara bowled a wide after three dot balls in the second over. The first run off the bat came off the 17th legal delivery and the first boundary in the next over when Samuels punched one through covers.

Gayle, who has been predicting results like ‘Paul the Octopus’ in the last few days, was strangled by the Lankan bowlers and finally Mendis got him with a straighter one that looked like hitting the leg-stump.

The Powerplay yielded only 14 runs for West Indies and Sri Lanka had already got the opposition match-winner out of the equation.

There were no demons in the pitch and the ball was coming onto the bat nicely but Sri Lankan bowlers maintained discipline throughout.

While Mathews kept on pitching it up in the corridor of uncertainty, Mendis only added to the pressure with Samuels waging a lonely battle. The Caribbean batsmen haven’t seen much of Mendis before this tournament and were indecisive in their strokeplay and perished in the process.

Jayawardene marshalled his resources pretty well in the first 10 but somewhat lost the plot towards the end. While he completed Mathews’ quota of overs within the first 10, he ensured that schoolboy Akila Dananjaya, who replaced an in-form Rangana Herath was introduced when there was relatively less pressure.

Although Dwayne Bravo hit him for a six over the deep mid-wicket area, Akila gave only 13 runs in his first two overs.

The 13th over saw Samuels finally breaking the shackles as he hit Malinga for three sixes with 21 runs coming off that over. The first six was hit over mid-wicket when Malinga, watching Samuels move towards leg-stump, fired one into the block hole and the batsman flicked it into the stands.

The second one was also bowled in the block hole and this time it was spanked over extra cover. The third one was a length delivery that was hit over long-on.

The 50-partnership came off 43 balls while Samuels completed a well-deserved half century with a six off leggie Jeevan Mendis.

Bravo (19) was wrongly adjudged leg-before off Mendis by umpire Simon Taufel, standing in his last international game.

Kieron Pollard chased a wide delivery to be caught at short third man while Andre Russell tried a sweep shot and was adjudged leg before.

There was no stopping Samuels who hit another couple of sixes - a hook shot and one over long—on as the 100 came up in the 17th over. Samuels’ bravado came to an end when he holed out in the deep mid-wicket region by Jeevan. But that West Indies were able to reach some sort of score was simply due to the coolheaded Jamaican.

Brief scores:

West Indies: 137 for six in 20 overs (Marlon Samuels 78, Darren Sammy 26 not out; Ajantha Mendis 4/12).

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Australian eves beat England to win Women’s World T20 championship

Australian women produced an impressive performance to edge out their English counterparts by four runs in an exciting final of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 here on October 7.

Put into bat, Australia put up a competitive 142 for four in 20 overs with almost all the batswoman getting runs.

Jess Cameron with 45 was the top scorer but openers Meg Lanning (25), Alyssa Healey (26) and Lisa Sthalekar (23 not out) all chipped in with useful contributions.

In reply England could manage 138 for nine as Australian bowlers got wickets at regular intervals.

Needing 16 of the last over, England managed only 11 runs off spinner Erin Osborne’s over. England needed an over boundary of the last delivery but could manage a single as girls in canary yellow celebrated enthusiastically.

In a big ground like Premadasa (although boundaries were shortened), chasing a target of 143 is an uphill task in women’s cricket.

Although skipper Edwards showed positive intent but once she was dismissed for 28, the other batswomen could hardly make any impact.

They did get the boundaries but couldn’t stay long enough to get a decisive result in their favour.

Players like Sarah Taylor, Aaran Brindle all got starts but couldn’t carry on as left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen turned out to be the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3 for 25.

She could have taken four had she not dropped a sharp return catch offered by Jenny Gunn.

The main wicket of Edwards was however taken by veteran Lisa Sthalekar.

While batting, Australia had two significant partnerships that clinched the issue in their favour. The opening partnership of 51 runs between Lanning and Healy and another of 51 runs in six overs between Sthalekar (23) and Cameron.

Cameron hit five fours and a six during his 34-ball knock.

Brief scores:

Australia: 142 for 4 in 20 overs (Jess Cameron 45, Alyssa Healey 26, Meg Lanning 25; Holly Colvin 2/21).

England: 138 for 9 in 20 overs (Charlotte Edwards 28; Jess Jonassen 3/25, Lisa Sthalekar 2/16).

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Dhanush ballistic missile successfully test-fired

 Hyderabad: Close on the heels of Prithvi launch, India today successfully tested the Dhanush, its Naval variant.

The 350-km range surface-to-surface ballistic missile was launched at 11:25 a.m. from a Naval ship off the coast of Balasore, Odisha.

The missile was test fired by the country’s strategic forces command (SFC). It achieved all the mission objectives, a Defence Ministry press release said.


Developed by scientists of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Dhanush is a short range strategic ballistic missile.

It is expected to bolster the fire power of the Indian Navy.

On Thursday the SFC launched the surface-to-surface, ballistic missile Prithvi-II, also with a range of 350 km successfully from Launch Complex-III, ITR, Chandipur in Balasore district of Odisha. DRDO developed Prithvi-II Missile was inducted into the Armed Forces.

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Eating rice may help combat cancer

Eating rice may help combat cancer

London: Rice consumption may help reduce the risk of bowel cancer, a study has suggested. Professor Ann Richardson of the University of Canterbury said more than 2800 Kiwis were diagnosed with bowel cancer each year and it was "very possible" dietary changes were associated with world cancer trends.

"Rapid increases in the incidence of bowel cancer in Japan and Hong Kong have been linked to dietary changes which have occurred in these countries over the last 50 years," Stuff.co.nz quoted her as saying.

Per capita, rice consumption declined by almost 50 per cent in Japan over the past 20 to 30 years. But countries such as China and India had not seen the same decline in rice consumption and continued to have low rates of bowel cancer, she noted.

Richardson said rates of colorectal cancer in Japan and Hong Kong had increased "too quickly to suggest that it is something genetic".

"So instead of it being something harmful, it might just be the loss of something protective. There is some laboratory research that suggests that rice has a tumour-suppressing effect, and it's a very interesting idea and we're going to pursue it," she said.

Statistics New Zealand rice-import figures showed that in 1990 each person was eating about three kilograms of rice. In 2012, Kiwis were eating about 8kg each.

A Health Ministry report in 2010 showed bowel-cancer rates were highest for Pakeha and Maori men but lower for Asians and Pacific Islanders

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Watermelon could help prevent stroke

Watermelon could help prevent stroke

Washington: A new US study has found a daily slice of watermelon could help prevent heart disease by halting the build-up of harmful cholesterol and also be a help in weight control.

Scientists who carried out studies on mice fed a high-fat diet found the fruit halved the rate at which 'bad' low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, accumulated, a daily reported.

LDL is a form of cholesterol that leads to clogged arteries and heart disease. The researchers from Purdue University, US, also observed that eating watermelon regularly helped to control weight gain and resulted in fewer fatty deposits inside blood vessels.

They believe the secret to watermelon's health-boosting properties lies in citrulline, a chemical found in the juice.
Although the latest investigation showed no significant effects on blood pressure, it did reveal watermelons had a powerful impact on other heart risk factors.

In Britain around 270,000 people a year suffer heart attack and nearly one in three die before they could reach hospital.

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