Hillary Clinton tops Barack Obama in gifts from foreign leaders

WASHINGTON: Former secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton outpaced President Barack Obama last year in receiving lavish gifts from foreign leaders.

Clinton received gold jewellery worth half a million dollars from King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. The State Department said the gift included a necklace bracelet, ring and earrings. The white gold was adorned with teardrop rubies and diamonds.

Obama's most expensive gift was a USD 16,500 gold-plated clock from Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, the Saudi defense minister.

Obama, a big sports fan, scored a red, white and blue basketball from and autographed by Chinese President President Xi Jinping. British Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife, Samantha, gave Obama a customised Dunlop table tennis table with United States and United Kingdom decals and paddles worth USD 1,100.

The gifts were among a bounty of vases, watches, artwork and other items given to the Obama family and top US officials in 2012, according to the department's Office of Protocol, which catalogues the gifts and publishes an annual listing. But don't look for Clinton or Obama to pocket the gifts. Under law, most of them must go to the National Archives or General Services Administration, unless recipients reimburse the US Treasury for them.

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny gave Obama a package of gifts worth USD 7,246.19 that included a certificate of Obama's Irish heritage, two silver shamrock charm bracelets and a lamb's wool scarf and blanket.

Myanmar President Thein Sein offered gifts of jewelry for the first lady, Michelle Obama, and the Obama daughters, Malia and Sasha. The first lady was given a USD 4,200 pearl necklace with a gold and diamond clasp. The Obama daughters received two flower brooches of pearl, diamond and gold valued at USD 4,440.

Britain's Samantha Cameron gave the first lady a cashmere scarf by J Saunders worth USD 480.

There were gifts that could be consumed and those from display.

Clinton got USD 560 worth of cognac from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Obama received a saber with a 34-inch blade and a silver filigree handle from Mongolian President Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj.

Vice President Joe Biden got a silver knife and chopsticks with silver ends from Mongolia's prime minister and a female bare-breasted bust from Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The gift list published in the Federal Register also included a present Obama received back in 2009. It was package of artwork worth USD 124,000 given to the president by Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's flamboyant former premier. Included was a large book of art, photographs and text by Marilena Ferrari along with a gold-painted box with bookmark and magnifying glass.

Facebook: 6 posts you should never click on

Random posts often appear on our Facebook timeline which appear to be posted by our friends, but many of them turn out to be malware designed by cybercriminals. Most of these posts are potential threats that may expose sensitive information which may be stored in our Facebook profiles. Wondering how to know which posts are to be avoided?

Slovakian antivirus and security software developer ESET has listed six social posts that Facebook users should never click on.

"One-fact story"

First is posts that suggests giving "one-fact story". We often we come across links on our timeline which highlight a breaking celebrity gossip or expose. It is better to Google about the matter rather than directly click on it as it can be a potential malware intended to steal your personal information.

Breaking news

The links which appear to be breaking a global news story too are best to be stayed away from. These links may often appear in our Facebook feed as suggested posts. It is best to avoid them as they can inadverantly lead to downloading of malware.

The post which begs for ‘Likes’

Never "like" posts which ask for more likes for some sort of a social cause. It is better to go to your Facebook’s Activity Log in the new Graph Search and ensure that you haven't "Liked" any companies, products or sites that you don't want the world to know about.

Often our timeline is flooded with posts that offer great dieting tips or ‘Amazing weight loss’ programmes. Scammers often hawk "diets offering weight loss". So better to stay away from posts promising amazing diets or slimming programmes on Facebook. 

Unknown news sources

On internet, unknown spells danger. Same is on Facebook. Abstain from clicking on posts from news outlets you have not heard about. Cybercriminals often send out bogus news links to blend in with the flurry of "real" news.

 

Gift cards
 

 

Gift cards offering free samples or gifts is one of the fastest spreading online scams. It was recently seen on on picture-sharing network Pinterest, where a stage of getting that "free gift" is, inevitably, to share the post with all your friends. Users don’t get any free gifts, but instead, end up giving their personal details or downloading malware which steals sensitive personal information.

Brett Lee to come to India for Bigg Boss 7?

Bigg Boss 7's promos are getting expected attention and the makers are planning to make the show more entertaining than last year.

Every year lot of names grab attention to be an inmate of Bigg Boss house. However, this year it seems cricketer Brett Lee is on their top list and reportedly the makers are trying to negotiate with the cricketer.

As reported in certain section of media, Brett Lee might come to India to be a part of Bigg Boss 7. Last year too Brett Lee was supposedly considered for the show, but things didn't work for both the parties.

According to the reports in media, he has been offered Rs 25 lakh per episode but currently nothing has been finalised. In one of the seasons of the show Andrew Symonds entertained the Indian audience. It will be interesting to see Brett Lee in Bigg Boss this year!

Mumbai Indians drop Ponting; Sanga opts for Kandurata

MUMBAI: The final squads for the Champions League Twenty20, to be played in India from September 17 to October 6, were announced on Friday.

Even as the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid gear up for a final dash at glory in the shortest format, IPL champions Mumbai Indians have curiously dropped Ricky Ponting for the tournament.

Bought by the cash-rich franchise to lead the side in the sixth edition of the IPL earlier this year, Ponting chose to bench himself after failing to perform.

The task of leading the star-heavy side was thrust on Rohit Sharma, who ably handled the responsibility to give MI its first IPL silverware.

The other notable absentee is Kumar Sangakkara, who will play for the Sri Lankan side Kandurata Maroons instead of Sunrisers Hyderabad, ostensibly due to some serious pressure exerted by Sri Lanka Cricket.

Sangakkara, while speaking to a cricket website vented his ire, saying that he had to choose Kandurata over Sunrisers after his "loyalty to the country was questioned."

The CLT20 governing council has also taken care of the grouse of the clubs whose star players preferred to play their trade for their IPL teams rather than home clubs. Ten out of the 12 international cricketers have chosen to play for the IPL franchises instead of their domestic sides.

"Players who were named by more than one team were asked to select which team they were going to play for. Teams were then allowed to replace any player who withdrew from their squad and chose to turn out for a different outfit. CLT20 regulations state that when a player chooses to play for an 'away' team, that team must pay the 'home' team $150,000 as compensation," CLT20 GC said in a statement.

PCB applies for Wolves' visa

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board has applied for visas for the Faisalabad Wolves team which is scheduled to take part in the Champions League T20 in India next month.

An official source said that BCCI had not yet confirmed the participation of the Faisalabad team in the league. "We have been in regular contact with the BCCI over the participation of the Faisalabad Wolves team in the Champions League but so far they have said they were awaiting final word from their government. But they advised us that we should continue our process to send the team to India like obtaining all travel documents and visas for them," the source said.

Gambhir scores century in second innings against Gloucestershire

BRISTOL: Out-of-favour opener Gautam Gambhir roared back to form with a fine century for Essex against Gloucestershire in a Division II County Championship match on Friday.

After four successive failures at the start including a duck in the first innings of this match, the Delhi left-hander showed glimpses of his old self with a delightful knock at the County Ground.

This is Gambhir's first century in county cricket and 34th first-class century of his career.

Rssex were 191 for no loss in their second innings at tea with Gambhir batting on an even 100 off 144 balls with 11 boundaries and a big six. He reached his century off 141 balls. The 100th run came with a push off left-arm seamer David Payne.

Gambhir reached 90's with a four and a big six off medium pacer Benny Howell. Gambhir's footwork was assured from the start and he played both new ball bowlers Payne and Will Gidman with ease.

Gambhir was prepared to wait for the loose balls but also didn't lose out on opportunities to take a lot of singles to keep up the run-rate as Essex will be aiming for an outright win.

No final decision but no US troops in Syria: Obama

WASHINGTON: The United States is looking for a "limited narrow act" of military intervention in Syria that does not involve a "boots-on-the-ground approach", but has not made a final decision yet, President Barack Obama said on Friday.

"We're not considering any open ended commitment. We're not considering any boots on the ground approach," Obama told reporters in a brief interaction with the leaders of three Baltic countries.

Obama emphasised that he has "not made any decisions" about what actions the US will take.

"We have consulted with allies. We have consulted with Congress," Obama said after secretary of state John Kerry indicated that the US is preparing to go it alone without the United Nations, because of Russian opposition.

He noted that lots of people, himself included, are "war weary."

"There is a certain weariness, given Afghanistan. There is a certain suspicion of any military action post-Iraq. And I very much appreciate that," Obama said.

"But its important for us to recognise that when over a thousand people are killed, including hundreds of innocent children, through the use of a weapon that 98 or 99 per cent of humanity says should not be used even in war, and there is no action, then we're sending a signal. That is a danger to our national security," he said.

He said that whatever the US does, it would not be a "major operation".

"We are confident that we can provide Congress all the information and get all the input they need. We're very mindful of that...but ultimately we don't want the world to be paralysed. A lot of people think something should be done but nobody wants to do it," said the US President.

Noting that the horrific images of the chemical weapons attack have shocked all, Obama said this kind of attack is a challenge to the world.

"We cannot accept a world where women and children and innocent civilians are gassed on a terrible scale," he said.

"This kind of attack threatens our national security interests by violating well-established international norms against the use of chemical weapons, by further threatening our friends and allies in the region like Israel and Turkey and Jordan, and it increases the risk that chemical weapons will be used in the future and fall into the hands of terrorists who might use them against us," he said.

"So I have said before, and I meant what I said, that the world has an obligation to make sure that we maintain the norm against the use of chemical weapons," he said.

"Now, I have not made a final decision about various actions that might be taken to help enforce that norm. But as I've already said, I have had my military and our team look at a wide range of options. We have consulted with allies. We've consulted with Congress. We have been in conversations with all the interested parties," he said.

"And in no event are we considering any kind of military action that would involve boots on the ground, that would involve a long-term campaign. But we are looking at the possibility of a limited, narrow act that would help make sure that not only Syria but others around the world understand that the international community cares about maintaining this chemical weapons ban and norm," Obama said.

He said, US is not considering any open-ended commitment. "We're not considering any boots-on-the-ground approach. What we will do is consider options that meet the narrow concern around chemical weapons, understanding that there is not going to be a solely military solution to the underlying conflict and tragedy that's taking place in Syria," he said.

Meanwhile, a senior administration official said the US is not contemplating a military effort aimed at regime change.

"What we have said, though, and what we'll continue to do is pursue a strategy in Syria that seeks to strengthen the opposition, including through the provision of many different types of assistance, and we are coordinating our efforts in providing that assistance with other countries in the region and other allies and partners," the official said.

"What we'd like to see is a situation where there is a political process in which Bashar al-Assad leaves power. Because frankly, we think he's lost the legitimacy to lead. Anybody who has carried out the attacks he has against his population is not a legitimate leader in our eyes; and frankly, the use of chemical weapons only reinforces that point," he said.

In another statement, Senate Intelligence Committee chairwoman Dianne Feinstein said, the world cannot let such a heinous attack pass without a meaningful response.

"I hope the international community will take appropriate action," she said after the intelligence assessment released by the White House said that the chemical weapons attack carried out by the Assad regime killed 1,429 people, including at least 426 children.

Tendulkar, Dravid named in CLT20 squads

Sachin Tendulkar, who has retired from the IPL, and Rahul Dravid, who has indicated the upcoming Champions League would be his last tournament, have been named in the Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals squads for the Twenty20 event. A Faisalabad Wolves squad has also been announced, in an indication of the Pakistan side's probable participation in the qualifying stage of the league, after political tensions between India and Pakistan had cast doubts over whether they would be allowed to come over. 

Kumar Sangakkara is the only player who hasn't preferred his IPL franchise for the tournament among the 12 wanted by two sides, and has decided to play for his home side Kandurata Maroons. Explaining the process for deciding which teams these players would represent, Dean Kino, a CLT20 governing council member and director of legal and business affairs, said: "Players who were named by more than one team were asked to select which team they were going to play for. Teams were then allowed to replace any player that withdrew from their squad and elected to play for another side.

"CLT20 regulations state that when a player elects to play for their 'away' team, that team must pay the 'home' team $150,000 compensation per player. A 'home' team is classified as a team from the country a player is eligible to represent in international cricket. 

"This payment is applicable for 10 of the 12 players that were eligible for more than one team. The exceptions are Kumar Sangakkara, who will be representing Kandurata Maroons, which is classified as his home team, and Thisara Perera, who qualified for Brisbane Heat and Sunrisers Hyderabad, neither of which is classified as his home team."

Lasith Malinga has not been named in the Mumbai Indians squad as he wanted to be with his wife and family, as they expect their second child late in September. 

Group A includes Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Lions, Perth Scorchers and Qualifier 1 while Group B has Chennai Super Kings, Brisbane Heat, Titans, Trinidad & Tobago and Qualifier 2. Otago Volts, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Faisalabad Wolves and Kandurata Maroons will play the qualifiers beginning on September 17 in Hyderabad, with the top two sides advancing to the main draw starting September 21 in Jaipur and to be played across Ranchi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad and Delhi. 

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Dinesh Karthik, Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Ambati Rayudu, Aditya Tare, Rishi Dhawan, Abu Nechim, Akshar Patel, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Smith, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mitchell Johnson, Glenn Maxwell 

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, M Vijay, Wriddhiman Saha, R Ashwin, S Badrinath, Imtiaz Ahmed, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohit Sharma, Michael Hussey, Dwayne Bravo, Albie Morkel, Jason Holder, Faf du Plessis, Chris Morris 

Rajasthan Royals: Rahul Dravid, Ajinkya Rahane, Stuart Binny, Sanju Samson, Ashok Menaria, Dishant Yagnik, Vikramjeet Malik, Rahul Shukla, Pravin Tambe, Siddharth Trivedi, Shane Watson, Brad Hodge, James Faulkner, Kevon Cooper, Shaun Tait

Brisbane Heat: Joe Burns, Daniel Christian, Ben Cutting, Peter Forrest, Dom Michael, Chris Hartley, Nathan Hauritz, James Hopes, Matthew Gale, Chris Lynn, Alister McDermott, Cameron Gannon, Alex Kemp, Kemar Roach, Chris Sabburg 

Perth Scorchers: Ashton Agar, Michael Beer, Jason Behrendorff, Ashton Turner, Liam Davis, Brad Hogg, Burt Cockley, Simon Katich, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Joel Paris, Alfonso Thomas, Tom Triffitt, Adam Voges, Sam Whiteman

Titans: Jacques Rudolph, Henry Davids, AB de Villiers, Farhaan Behardien, Heino Kuhn, David Wiese, Eden Links, Ethy Mbhalati, Rowan Richards, Mangaliso Mosehle, CJ de Villiers, Graeme van Buuren, Morne Morkel, Roelof van der Merwe, Marchant de Lange

Highveld Lions: Temba Bavuma, Gulam Bodi, Quinton De Kock, Neil McKenzie, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Ethan O'Reilly, Hardus Viljoen, Rassie van der Dussen, Alviro Petersen, Aaron Phangiso, Dwaine Pretorius, Jean Symes, Imran Tahir, Sohail Tanvir, Thami Tsolekile

Trinidad & Tobago: Denesh Ramdin, Rayad Emrit, Jason Mohammed, Nicolas Pooran, Sunil Narine, Evin Lewis, Samuel Badree, Navin Stewart, Shannon Gabriel, Yannick Ottley, Adrian Barath, Sherwin Ganga, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Darren Bravo 

Faisalabad Wolves: Misbah-ul-Haq, Asif Ali, Ali Waqas, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Salman, Waqas Maqsood, Samiullah Khan, Asad Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Ehsan Adil, Hasan Mahmood, Jahandad Khan, Farrukh Shehzad, Imran Khalid, Ammar Mahmood 

Otago Volts: Nick Beard, Michael Bracewell, Neil Broom, Iain Butler, Mark Craig, Derek de Boorder, Jacob Duffy, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, James McMillan, Jimmy Neesham, Aaron Redmond, Hamish Rutherford, Ryan ten Doeschate, Neil Wagner 

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Parthiv Patel, Cameron White, JP Duminy, Dale Steyn, Darren Sammy, Biplab Samantray, Thisara Perera, Karan Sharma, Hanuma Vihari, Ashish Reddy, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, Anand Rajan, TBC

Kandurata Maroons: Lahiru Thirimanne, Nuwan Kulasekara, Upul Tharanga, Thilina Kandamby, Kumar Sangakkara, Shehan Jayasuriya, Chamara Silva, Milinda Siriwardana, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Dhammika Prasad, Ajantha Mendis, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, Lahiru Jayaratne, Dhananjaya De Silva, Suraj Randiv

I’ll hide my broken heart beneath a laughing face and though you’ll think I never cared, no one can take your place.

If you find a girl who’s willing to go through hell just to keep your relationship going, you really shouldn’t take her love for granted.

Do you remember when you broke my heart well i found the guy who knows how to fix it.

A break up is like a broken mirror. It is better to leave it broken than hurt yourself to fix it.

People say follow your heart…but which way do you go when your heart breaks into two?

It’s hard to tell your mind to stop loving someone when your heart still does.

Relationships are very simple. There are only two things that can happen. You either get married or your break up.

The pain of having a broken heart is not so much as to kill you, yet not so little as to let you live.

The pain of having a broken heart is not so much as to kill you, yet not so little as to let you live.

Wants to remind you that even though you can not go back and make a brand new start, you can always start now and make a brand new ending.

Do you know why a previous relationship is called EX? It’s not the term for the past. EX is short for EXpired.

There comes a time when walking away is the best for everyone.

Sometimes two people have to fall apart to realise how much they need to fall back together.

It’s not just the goodbyes that hurts, its the flashbacks that follow..

It’s better to dream of something you may never have than to lose something you always dreamed of having.

Trusting you again is my decision, Proving me wrong is your choice.

I’ll say goodbye this one last time. But know that I’m not really saying goodbye because in my heart I will still always love you. So goodbye..

Sachin Tendulkar is India's Bharat Ratna, says Sourav Ganguly

NEW DELHI: Former captain Sourav Ganguly reckons the upcoming foreign tours, starting with the one in South Africa, will be an opportunity for the Indian Test team to regain lost ground overseas after successive reverses in England and Australia.

They have been doing well in ODIs, but Ganguly doesn't think that India's Test team is on the decline either.

"You need to give them some time and as I said, they have played overseas and at home in the past 10-11 years. Yes, we have had a hiccup in Australia and England but we have an opportunity this season in South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia to improve our performance and I don't agree with the tag," Ganguly said.

"Yes, They are a very good limited overs side but in Test matches too they have given results," he added.

Ahead of what is going to be a gruelling tour of South Africa, Ganguly had a piece of advice for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men.

"He (Dhoni) has been to South Africa before and he knows how tough it is. It is not going to be just a one-day combination as Test matches are a different ball game. South Africa have got a great attack, they are a very good side at home. India have to play really really well.

"India have been a good touring team in the past 10-11 years apart from the hiccups in England and Australia. So, I can suggest that play positive and realise that it is a hard tour. It will be a tour that will challenge a lot of players and you have to raise your game," he said.

As discussion turned to his long-time teammate Sachin Tendulkar, Ganguly said the decision of retirement from Test cricket should be left to the Mumbaikar himself.

Asked if Tendulkar should retire after the South Africa tour, Ganguly said, "It's his decision. He has done a lot for world cricket and let him decide the time as he deserves it.

On Tendulkar becoming a Rajya Sabha member, the Kolkatan said: "I asked Sachin what is he doing in Rajya Sabha? Obviously he was nominated by the President of India, I hope he does well in what ever he does as I have a tremendous respect for him for what he has achieved for Indian cricket.

"I have seen him closely when he was at his best, I have got terrific admiration for him. For whatever he does, he does it well and he makes his family and his country proud.

He also hoped Tendulkar gets the Bharat Ratna. "He is India's Bharat Ratna!" Ganguly said.

Ganguly did not rule out the possibility of currently out-of-favoured players like Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh making a comeback to the Indian team.

"Yuvraj Singh has been India's great ODI player, Virender Sehwag is probably the best opening batsman I have seen after Sunil Gavaskar, his records speak about his ability. Sehwag is 32-33, you can't write them off. Will they make a comeback, only time will tell because it depends on how they play and how many runs they get."

Ganguly said he was not interested in joining politics. "I don't want to be in politics, I want to be involved in the game as it gives me a lot of happiness and will find out more opportunities and make the most of it."

Talking about controversial pacer S Sreesanth, who was jailed on charges of spot-fixing in this year's IPL, Ganguly said it will be a complete waste of talent if the allegations against him are proved.

"He has done well as a Test bowler but had been a bit inconsistent which was something to do with his temperament. But if things (allegations of spot-fixing in IPL) are proved, then it is a complete waste of talent," Ganguly said.

Salman Khan beats the bloat, 8 kilos in 5 months

Bollywood's pioneering beefcake Salman Khan is just a couple of years shy of his big milestone anniversary, the golden jubilee. And after his bloated appearances over the past few months, fat watchers had gleefully pointed out that even the macho man had fallen pray to the curse of the middle-age spread.

But Sallu has triumphed again. At a recent appearance on a television show, Salman looked trim as ever and TOI has found out that actor has shed 7-8 kilos with a rigorous regime. After a health scare at the beginning of the year, doctors had advised Salman to go slow on the heavy weights. Coupled with his decision to quit smoking this resulted in a very evident bloat, which was also commented upon by good friend Aamir Khan.

"He was aware that he had put on some weight. Though the intensity of his workouts reduced for a short phase, he never missed the sessions. Even Aamir, when he was shooting nearby around April pointed it out and told him that he needs to get back to his old physique," said the source.
Salman soon chalked out a plan with strenuous gym sessions and a strict diet. "He planned his work out sessions divided into cardio sessions and weight training. He goes for cycling or jogging for an hour, dead lifts to improve leg and back muscles. His push up count can go up to 1000 and up to 500 crunches," added the source.

About Salman's diet, the source added, "His diet is very simple, depending on whether he is shooting on that day or not. He eats a lot of fruits and salad's throughout the day. He loves non-veg food like chicken or fish and ensures he doesn't over stuff himself. He prefers to end his day with a soup. The dedicated diet has helped him to get his old physique back."

A sheltered life can be a daring life as well. For all serious daring starts from within.

Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see.

Three keys to more abundant living: caring about others, daring for others, sharing with others.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature.

I have a disease. Its called awesomeness. but don`t worry it`s not contagious..

Id explain it to you, but I don’t have any crayons with me.

Against the bold, daring is unsafe.

All serious daring starts from within.

Devote today to something so daring even you can’t believe you’re doing it.

Great fear is concealed under daring.

Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see..

Security is an illusion. Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing at all.

I have lost my mind and I am making no effort to look for it.

I dare you to find a more normal psycho than me.

Two most honest people in this world, drunk people and little kids…

Don’t let people rent space in your head just let it go..

You`re like an alcohol. I don`t keep you for the taste, I keep you for the feeling.

Fact of life, After Monday & Tuesday, even the calendar says W T F..

Laziness is the definition of being very active & doing nothing.

I don’t have time to hate people who hate me, B’cuz I’m tooooooo busy loving people who love me..

Go for someone who is not only proud to have you but will also take every risk just to be with you.

The Awkward Moment Where The Music Stops, But You`re Still Singing..

If a boy can play guitar, it makes him that much more attractive.

Hated by many, wanted by plenty, disliked by some, confronted by none.

You can never make the same mistake twice, because the second time you make it, its not a mistake, its a choice

When somebody says “Expect the unexpected” slap them in the face and say ” You didn’t expect that did you.”

When somebody says “Expect the unexpected” slap them in the face and say ” You didn’t expect that did you.”

Only that in you which is me can hear what I’m saying.

There’s more to the truth than just the facts.

If you think you’re free, there’s no escape possible.

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

Ekta Kapoor to dance to 'Ooh La La

Ekta Kapoor will groove to 'Ooh La La' — the famous track from her movie 'The Dirty Picture' — at her actress friend Anita Hassanandani's sangeet. The latter is tying the knot with investor Rohit Reddy in Goa this October.

Says a source, "It is a three-day affair, and Ekta has decided to dance to Ooh La La at the sangeet ceremony. After attending the wedding, Ekta will join her family for a holiday in Goa."

Barcelona beat Atletico on away goals to win Super Cup

MADRID: Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes conjured two stunning saves to deny Atletico Madrid and help the La Liga champions secure a fourth Spanish Super Cup in five years on away goals after a scrappy 0-0 second leg draw at the Nou Camp on Wednesday.

After last week's first leg at the Calderon ended 1-1, expectations of an entertaining spectacle were high when new signing Neymar, who came off the bench to head the equaliser in Madrid, was included in the starting lineup for the first time since joining from Santos.

World Player of the Year Lionel Messi was also back from injury but both struggled to cope with the visitors' muscular tactics in what turned out to be a poor quality game littered with fouls including the 81st-minute dismissal of Atletico fullback Filipe Luis.

Messi smashed a penalty against the crossbar in the 89th minute after Miranda had bundled substitute Pedro over in the area but Atletico, constantly looking to catch Barca on the break, had the clearer chances from open play.

Arda Turan skipped into the area shortly before halftime and belted the ball toward goal but Valdes flung out an arm and diverted it to safety.

David Villa, playing against the club he left in the close season, drew another brilliant stop from his Spain team mate in the 56th minute, Valdes diving full length to tip his curling effort from just outside the box around the post.

Filipe Luis had been tangling with Brazilian compatriot Daniel Alves all night and another incident led to him being shown a straight red card before Messi saw his penalty ricochet back off the bar.

"This Atletico team is a team of winners, who fight and battle and are a very tough opponent," Barca centre back Javier Mascherano said in an interview with Spanish television broadcaster TVE.

"It was a very close match," added the Argentine. "Atleti make things very difficult for you and we have to congratulate them. They compete very well."

FIRST TROPHY

Barca's triumph was the first time any club has claimed the Super Cup without winning either leg and a first trophy for Barca's new coach Gerardo Martino, who replaced the ailing Tito Vilanova last month.

Martino got the better of his Atletico counterpart and Argentine compatriot Diego Simeone but Barca's inability to create scoring opportunities will be of some concern as they bid for a fifth La Liga crown in six years.

They will find out their opponents in the Champions League group stage in Thursday's draw before bidding for a fifth success in Europe's elite club competition.

Atletico's ability to nullify Messi and snuff out any attacking threat from elsewhere was worryingly reminiscent of last season's semifinal against Bayern Munich, which Barca lost 7-0 on aggregate.

"When there is a title up for grabs the important thing is to win it," Martino said at a news conference.

"We need more pace, more precision and we need to attack the space so that we avoid running into the opposition defence.

"But considering the season has only just begun I don't think it's too bad. Sometimes a team needs results like this to find its form."

Simeone was proud of his players but lamented their inability to take their chances.

"We had two clear opportunities and in these matches you have to put them away," the former Argentina and Atletico player told a new conference. "Valdes was very good."

Barca now have 11 Super Cups, winning four of the last five.

Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid defeated them last year to break their run of three trophies under Pep Guardiola from 2009-2011.

Played between the La Liga champions and the King's Cup winners, the Super Cup typically serves as the season opener but this time came after two rounds of La Liga.

Indian marathon man Somdev Devvarman wins after eight hours

Indian qualifier Somdev Devvarman needed five sets over eight hours between rain delays and a determined foe, but he reached the second round of the US Open on Wednesday with a clutch late performance.

The 28-year-old former US college star defeated Slovakia's Lukas Lacko 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in three hours and 11 minutes of match time, although rain halted the match for more than four hours after he won the third set.

"Bummer for me, momentum switch," Devvarman said. "But you have to pull your pants up and deal with it. Just the nature of the beast."

Devvarman made 36 unforced errors, fewer than half of Lacko's 73 such mistakes, and hung tough at the finish

"When you are playing in the fifth set, a lot of it is you play with adrenaline at that point. I know both of us were dying at the end," Devvarman said.

"I was pretty antsy and he was too. The nervous energy affected the both of us. We were just trying to do our best."

Devvarman had just battled back to secure the third set when showers began to fall, sending him into the locker room. After a tease of returning quicker, more rain left him to sit and the marathon wait continue.

"I got two quarters of a meal at different times," Devvarman said. "You just take a shower, eat and try to relax. You are in there with a bunch of your friends, playing games and the time passes pretty quickly."

So did his momentum. "Stopping and starting, it was a little unlucky to stop there," he said. "You can't control the weather. It changed the momentum. He came out and played well, changed his tactics. He played a great fourth and fifth sets."

But at 4-4 in the final set, Devvarman came through with a break and held to book a second-round date with Italian 20th seed Andreas Seppi.

"I'm very happy with the way I played. It was an incredibly tough match," Devvarman said. "I played a few great scramble points there in the fifth set at 4-4. I'm happy with that last bit of effort out there."

Devvarman said having to fight through three qualifying matches has been an advantage.

"Less time on the court is better but you do what you can to take advantage of what you have," Devvarman said. "I'm familiar with the speed of the courts. I've played a lot of matches.

"I'm match sharp. I hope I can take advantage of that in the next match. The only way I can improve is to fight through every match and I feel like I've done that."

I always regretted not being born in India: Pallavi Sharda

Pallavi Sharda talks to TOI about her Indian-Australian upbringing, her observation on her co-star Ranbir Kapoor and how the Indian-Australian issues were sensationalised by the Indian media.

Pallavi Sharda, 25, is an Australia-born Indian, who harboured the dream of being in Bollywood right from her childhood. She is emotional and reacts quickly, though she tries to maintain a straight face, being trained as a lawyer. She is extremely close to her academic and independent family, but considers her brother her soulmate without whom she would often feel morose even as a kid. She just wants to make her parents proud and be able to hold her head high and is extremely proud that she bagged her role in the upcoming film 'Besharam' purely on merit.

She is naturally happy but has a tendency to get into contemplative phases, where she will stare into space all by herself. Her parents always gave her a lot of space and respect and allowed her to take her decisions by herself. She loves baking for people and is known as the Bandra chaiwalli. She talks to TOI about her Indian-Australian upbringing, her observation on her co-star Ranbir Kapoor and how the Indian-Australian issues were sensationalised by the Indian media. Excerpts:

Tell us about your background?
We are Saraswat Brahmins. My father is originally from Punjab and my mother from UP, but they both grew up in Delhi. They are both engineers from IIT and are now professors in Australia. Their romance was like 3 Idiots as my nanaji was a professor at IIT and my father was his junior, who fell in love with his daughter on the campus and married her. My mother's family had migrated to the US and my father loved adventure and travel and moved to Australia, just after my brother was born. Even though my father was really sought after, he was always an academic soul. Money is almost a negative value in our family.

Three years later I was born in Perth and grew up in Melbourne. My brother and I were also academically inclined and I finished school at 16, as I skipped a year due to a double promotion. I finished my double degree in Law and BA within four-and-a-half years instead of six, as I wanted to just come to India to be a part of Bollywood. From the time I could enunciate that word from my childhood, I had only dreamt of being a Bollywood actress.

Tell us about your life as an Australian Indian?
I learnt Bharatnatyam since the age of three. Most parents would drag their kids to class. In my case, I would be dragging them to take me to class. I am a dancer before I am anything else. I grew up on Madhuri and Sridevi. After Lamhe, I was always known as Pallu the dancer. I later started teaching dance while studying. We learnt Hindi watching films. When you live abroad, you are more in touch with your roots. The Indian community is close-knit, your functions revolve around the same set of people and you have exposure to different Indian cultures. In Australia, I was the heralding Indian woman carrying my Indian culture everywhere. On my casual clothes day, I would wear a lehenga choli to school and would often wear a bindi to McDonalds.


How did you bag a role with a big star like Ranbir Kapoor?
I have always been extremely independent. I travelled to Chennai alone at the age of 10 to learn dance at Kalakshetra. I went to school in Chennai for six months as that was my dad's condition for allowing me to go to Chennai. I was this absurd child who regretted not being born in India and the Bollywood fantasy was too much inside me. Now I think it's got balanced out as I live here. My mom, unlike other NRIs, would come to India three times a year being the head of South Asia relationship for her university and I would come with her.

I travelled every nook and corner of the country. But the Bollywood dream never left me. I would watch films and come home and feel morose as I wanted to be a part of them. I had told everyone and, when I finally came, no one was surprised as it was inevitable. During my law internship, I only remember emailing production houses in India during my lunch hour. I was crazy and knew I had to do it, as I would otherwise regret it for the rest of my life. I just wanted to dance in films. I was 21 when I first came here. I did a bit of theatre and was a lead actress in Vaibhavi Merchant's musical Taj Express due to my dance.

I did a small film called Dus Tola with Manoj Bajpayee. I did not want to become a famous actress, I just wanted to work. I also did a small role in Love Breakups Zindagi and an Australian film. I always knew that I am hardworking, passionate and knew dance, but did not know how to navigate my life in Bollywood. Abhinav Kashyap met me at a screening and two months later I got a call to audition for Besharam. He told me, 'It's a fair game. You audition. If you are good, we take it forward.' It's rare to be made to feel that way and I respect him because of the way he believes in merit. After several rounds of audition, I was selected.

How was the experience of working with Ranbir?
I was so ecstatic on my way back after being selected in a Ranbir film that I put on blasting music in my car. I had never dreamt of walking a red carpet. My dream had only been to be in a khet dancing, wearing a salwar kameez with a hero singing to me. Ranbir is very supportive and a fabulous actor. He was really focused on the set and just remained in his character. I would observe him on what he would do between shots. For instance, there is a scene where there is tension between our characters and he had to be a bit awkward and fidgety. Between shots, he kept playing with a piece of paper to remain fidgety.

Is Melbourne back to being safe for Indian tourists and students?
I remember when I came to Mumbai, I said, 'Namaste aunty' and they made me feel I had said something so tacky. I was considered backward and I called my mom to say, 'You made me a villager.' But I still do that, as it reminds me of my roots and makes me feel nostalgic about the way I grew up. In Melbourne, I could be so Indian and Australian at the same time and have no qualms about my heritage. What was carried in Indian media was sensational. My mother would hold a Diwali dinner for all the Indian students in our house and would provide pastoral care to them as they were immigrants.

So when I heard about this disharmony, where I had grown up in so much harmony and been given the freedom to live as an Indian- Australian, it bothered me and I went back to see if it was true. If you have a sudden jump in the number of immigrants in any society, there are issues, but those are only teething problems. It is peaceful today. Melbourne is a multicultural place. I was the ambassador for Australia last year, as the High Commission felt I stood for Indian culture, having been a young leader in many walks of life and a role model to Indians in Australia through my dance. I am known within the Indian community there. I went home this time in May and the reaction of the Indian public was so overwhelming.

I cried meeting all my uncles and aunties. I knew that it was the dandiya nights and the chana jor garam nights they had organised that had made me realise how much I loved Indian dance and music. And that is probably how I have been able to play the role of Tara in Besharam, who is a very Indian girl who never left India.

Breaking News

Rupee Opens stronger today 67.20.

Chawla hoping county stint translates to India recall

Leg spinner Piyush Chawla is hoping his stint with English county Somerset helps pitchfork him back into the Indian team. In his first two matches with Somerset, he said, he has already "picked up tips" that could improve aspects of his bowling.

"After my last spell in county cricket, I received an international call-up and I'm hoping the same happens this time around. I'm hoping that the volume of wickets and runs catches the eye of the selectors back home in India," Chawla told Pakpassion. "I think it's vital to grab this opportunity, perform consistently, and ensure that I make the selectors sit up and take notice of my performances."

Chawla had played for Sussex in 2009, claiming 36 wickets in six championship matches at 27.25, following which he was recalled for 2010 World Twenty20. "I want a repeat of my performance for Sussex when I played there four years ago. That spell in county cricket really gave me confidence and was a massive boost for my career." 

In his first match for Somerset, Chawla went wicketless in 34 overs, against Warwickshire. But he learnt by observing his team-mate, Ireland left-arm spinner George Dockrell, he said. "There are areas of my bowling that I need to improve upon. Leg spin is a very difficult art and I believe it's one of the most difficult skills to master in cricket. I feel I'm learning with each match. 

"Even during my debut for Somerset, despite taking no wickets, the game was a learning experience for me. I wasn't up to the mark and watching George Dockrell bowl made me realise where I was going wrong. He bowled at a slower pace than I did and he reaped the benefits." 

Chawla last played an international during England's tour to India last December. In the Nagpur Test - only Chawla's third since his debut in 2006 - he picked up four wickets in the first innings, including those of Ian Bell and Joe Root. He was disappointed to not be given another go after that performance, he said. "I never imagined that seven years after my debut, I would have only played two more Tests. My last Test … I thought I did well. That was a very flat deck against England and I was the leading wicket-taker in that match for India. 

"However, I was not selected for the next series. I was greatly disappointed at not being given a chance in the following series, but the selectors must have had something else in their minds. All I can do is to wait for my opportunity. I'm still young and I have time on my side, but that figure of only three Tests is an eyesore for me."

Ranbir, Katrina in 'Jagga Jasoos'

Anurag Basu's next, post his superhit Barfi, is a family entertainer titled Jagga Jasoos.

We have learnt that after much speculation, Katrina Kaif will play the leading lady opposite the charming Ranbir Kapoor.

While the film was originally to be shot in 2014, our sources tell us that all efforts are being made to start shooting the film this year itself to ensure that it releases next year.

We had already reported earlier that Ranbir and Anurag are partners on this one.

The trade is excited about Ranbir and Kat teaming up for the third time, especially because their earlier two film outings — Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Raajneeti — were both well received at the box office.

Send that ‘stick’ for forensic test, demands Om Puri

The official version says that Om Puri is 'absconding' after estranged wife Nandita filed a police complaint accusing him of domestic violence. But TOI tracked down the actor to quiz him about his headline grabbing personal life. Excerpts from the interview.

Your estranged wife Nandita has accused you of physical violence...
She has gone to town saying that I hit her with a stick. Pray, who keeps sticks at home? There is a bamboo cane at home, a decorative item purchased by Nandita. I am ready to send that for forensic tests. She complained to the cops at 4.30 pm claiming that I had beaten her up at 9.30 am. What made her wait for seven hours?

Are you seeking anticipatory bail?
Yes. What else can I do? Our legal system is soft on women in such cases. But I have nothing to fear. I have been in the film industry for 35 years and everyone including the spot-boys will vouch for my character. Six weeks ago, Nandita filed a criminal case against me and my ex-wife Seema Kapoor accusing us of trying to kidnap our son Ishaan. The very next day she backtracked saying she 'suspects' that we will kidnap him. That just explains her state of mind.

What transpired on August 22?
We simply had an argument. She said I had to shell out Rs 10,000 to ten girls who had tied a rakhi to my son, Ishaan. I handed over Rs 10,000. Then she said that our maid had also tied a rakhi and she had given her a mobile phone worth Rs 3,000 and she demanded that I pay for that too. I put my foot down. The next thing I knew I was accused of domestic violence. I never thought our marriage will come to such a sorry pass.

What went wrong in the marriage?
We've not been getting along for the past 15 years. We are two very different people. While my roots are absolutely rural, her tastes are very elitist. Yes, I smoke a few cigarettes and have an occasional drink. But that's it. I don't spend on expensive brands. I don't need foreign holidays. She has taken 35 holidays abroad in 15 years. She dropped in on every foreign shoot and I had to pay through my nose every time.

Nandita says you've stopped paying for household expenses. Is that true?
Rubbish! I am paying for everything in her and Ishaan's life and I am not complaining. Be it electricity bills, telephone bills, chaffeur or servants. But Nandita does not know how to control her expenses. It was her idea to sign a MOU, then I gave her joint ownership of three flats and transferred two-thirds of the contents of my bank account to her and Ishaan, but she still wants more. She refuses to sign divorce papers because she doesn't want to give away a single penny. Moreover, she always wants to be known as Mrs Om Puri.

How much has this affected Ishaan?
I try my best to keep him out of this. But he is totally under Nandita's influence. Yesterday I tried to reach him on the domestic help's phone, but I overheard him saying, 'Tell him I have a sore throat'. Now I am going to request the Court to provide me access to him on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

You were recently on a holiday with Nandita and Ishan. Pictures suggested everything was fine...
I wish it was true. I wanted to enjoy a holiday with my son but Nandita tagged along.

How has Nandita behaved during this conflict?
She is very aggressive and uses abusive language against me. She has grabbed my collar on more than one occasion. I try to remain calm and just walk out of the house. But she stands by the door blocking my way and if I try to make my way past her, she says that I am attacking her. She went to Seema's building and screamed expletives.

Would you like to stay with Seema after the divorce?
I can go and live with anybody, but first let me get out of this mess.

That doesn't answer my question.
Yes. I would like to live with Seema, I like her. But if that happens, it would happen only when I have legally parted ways with Nandita.

Nandita says you are in an adulterous relationship with Seema. Is there truth in the allegation?
At the age of 64? I can't write properly, my signature has changed because my hands shake. How will I indulge in adultery? And let me tell you Nandita is responsible for my ill health too. We were in Punjab, when I suffered a neuro problem. The doctors told her to fly me back to Mumbai/Delhi and get a spine surgery done but she ignored the doctors and did not inform me too. Was her holiday more important than my health? I got the surgery done when a doctor in Mumbai pressed the panic button but it was too late.

Have you lost out on work because of problems at home?
Workwise, I won't blame Nandita. Perhaps age has caught up with me. Also stars like Amitabh and Rishi have started doing character roles. But I did a nice film Trafficker in Bangkok recently. And I am doing a film with Spielberg.

Your smile creates the sun, your eyes sparkle, your voice is my play list & your heart is forever in my soul.

If I tell you I love you, can I keep you forever?

I love you and you love me. Thats all we’ll ever need.

(I LOVE YOU) These three words have my life in them.

Some girls will do all manner of naughty things to be your ‘good girl.’

Sri krishna janmashtami mangalmaya ho,Om Namo Bagwate Vasudewaya,
Jai Sri Radhe Jai Sri Krishna,Happy Janmastami..

If things are happeing according to ur wish,u r luky but if not ITS Happening
according to krishnas wish..HARE kRiShna.. Happy janmashtami..

Happy janmashtami..
may lord krishna showers all his blessing on U.May U get a lot of Happines in life..
Jay shri krishna..

Makhan churakr jisne khaya, Bansi bajakr jisne nachaya,
Khushi manao uske janm ki, Jisne duniya ko Prem shikhaya.
HAPPY JANMASATMI..

The Day of Love and Fortune,The day of Birth of Lord Krishna
A Lover,Friend & Divine Guru,HAPPY JANMASHTAMI

If things are happening according to your wish..You are lucky
but if not
ITS HAPPENING ACCORDING TO KRISHNA'S WISH..HARE KRISHNA
Happy Janmashtami

No road is long with good company.

The more you let yourself go, the less others let you go

It is always safe to assume that people are more subtle and less sensitive than they seem .

The easiest kind of relationship for me is with 10,000 people. The hardest is with one

I respect only those who resist me, but cannot tolerate them.

Almost all of our sorrows spring out of our relations with other people.

I like her because she smiles at me and means it

I think a relationship is like a shark. It has to constantly move forward or it dies

If you friend request me on facebook and your profile picture is a car, I will assume you’re a transformer.

Stop advertising your relationship on Facebook, not everyone wants to see you HAPPY. :p

I unfriend people on Facebook on their birthday because that's when I realize I don't know who they are... :p

One man's FB crush is probably another man's nagging girlfriend. :p

Facebook will be much more interesting if only they let you decide which part of the body you wanna Poke.......!!

Nothing moves faster than a girl untagging herself from an ugly picture :)

I look at people sometimes and think …. Really?? That’s the sperm that won :)

I’m a Facebook addict. Click like if you’re one too! Let’s see how many Facebook addicts we have here.

Dear Vegetarians, Thanks for saving the good food for us.

My 2017 resolution is to stop thinking so much about the future.

If you were home alone in the middle of the night, and you heard a fart, would you laugh or be scared.

Imagine how freaked out the first human must of been on the first sneeze.

No matter how hard I try, I just never seem to run out of bad ideas.

I really need 5 hours of Facebook to balance out my 5 minutes of studying.

Today morning when I was driving my Ferrari, the alarm woke me up. :D

My family says I talk in my sleep but nobody at work has ever mentioned it. lol

Eating spicy Indian food is such a luxury: Matt Damon

He's almost done with his India trip when we speak to Matt Damon. The Bourne Series actor's hush-hush visit - most of the Indian media was expecting him in September - saw him visit Pondicherry, Chennai and Bangalore to check on Water.org's projects. Co-founded by Damon, the organisation works toward providing clean water and sanitation to villages.

"I've just been meeting people in those communities and hearing their stories," says Damon, adding, "I love it here in India. I am actually driving in Mumbai right now. I haven't been here in 10 years. It's incredible to be back. Last time, I visited Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi."

Ben will make a great Batman, I won't play Robin
Damon and Ben Affleck go back a long way. They both wrote the screenplay for and acted in Good Will Hunting in 1997, which won them an Oscar for Best Screenplay. "Good Will Hunting is probably my favourite role, just because we wrote it, and it put both Ben and me on the map. That will also be the one role that's nearest and dearest to my heart."

Sixteen years later, he still has his buddy's back. While the studios' decision to sign Affleck on as Batman has brought on a meltdown on Twitter and prompted some overzealous fans to send 'Make it illegal for Ben Affleck to play Batman' petitions to the White House, Damon thinks the actor will be "terrific" in the role. "I think it will be great. It will be terrific. I know there are a lot of people grousing on the internet. I just think it's kind of funny. You know, he's not playing King Lear. It's Batman! Certainly within his skill set. If anybody saw Argo or The Town, and all the work he's been doing lately, it's way more nuanced and interesting and way more difficult than Batman! Batman just sits there with his cowl over his head and whispers in a kinda gruff voice at people. Bruce Wayne is the more challenging part of the role, and Ben will be great at that."

But as perfect - and obvious - as it would be for Damon to then play Robin to Ben's Batman, the actor laughs it off. "I am a little older than Ben. I never saw Robin as older than Batman. Somebody sent me a picture actually (of his face photoshopped on Robin's body and Ben's on Batman's). It was really funny. But it's safe to say I won't be Robin."

Does this level of furore over an actor's appointment to a franchise seem justified to Damon, who too was replaced as the face of the Bourne Series by Jeremy Renner? "They were just trying to revitalise that franchise and I didn't mind at all. It didn't have anything to do with the movie that I made. It makes sense for a studio to keep those franchises as alive as they can, it makes business sense for them. I don't begrudge anybody that. I am a huge fan of Jeremy. I don't equate my Bourne movie with his. He didn't play the part of Jason Bourne. It's a totally different thing."

I love spicy Indian food
"I've been eating nothing but Indian food since I landed. I love it! That's kind of a luxury for me, eating all the local food," he says. As he struggles to pronounce the names of dishes, he declared, "I just love anything that's curried. I love spice too. I like it a bit hot."

As for the reason he's never seen a Bollywood movie? He blames it all on his 7-year-old daughter. "I literally haven't seen a Hollywood movie or a Bollywood movie since my seven-and-a-half year old was born. It's been like a blur of sleepless nights and diapers for seven years. My wife and I are constantly bemoaning the fact that we never see enough movies, but if I could have some suggestions, I could maybe start on the plane ride back home."

Elysium isn't that heavy-handed
When he isn't involved in several of his philanthropic projects, Damon's busy being one of the most politically vocal celebs in Hollywood. "Obama broke up with me," he said recently, while expressing displeasure over the US president's policies, while in an earlier interview he'd been quoted as saying, "You know, a one-term president with some b***s who actually got stuff done would have been, in the long run of the country, much better".

His latest summer sci-fi blockbuster movie, Elysium, too has been dubbed as "Matt Damon's Sci-Fi Socialism" and "heavy-handed political propaganda" by several publications, ruffling Republican feathers with its message on universal healthcare, poverty and immigration.

"It's not heavy-handed," he promises, explaining, "It's more like any good science fiction. You can set it in the future or you can make it in a galaxy a long time ago, far, far away but you're really talking about the world that we live in and there are a lot of things that are resonant, like inequality, and the haves and have-nots."

Mumbai gang-rape case: Rapists assaulted 4 other women in past 6 months

MUMBAI: The accused in the Mumbai gangrape case have admitted to attacking at least four women in Shakti Mills complex in the last six months, including raping a ragpicker and a sex worker besides molesting a girl when a couple entered the desolate area for privacy, police said.

The gang got emboldened as none of the earlier victims lodged any complaint and perhaps explains the brazenness with which they attacked the photojournalist and her male colleague when they went there on Thursday evening.

The accused had clicked the rape survivor's photograph on their cell phones and threatened her not to go to police and slipped back to their normal lives. "They were confident that would get away with such blackmailing as in the past," said a police officer.

Police have appealed to all the victims to come forward. "There are reports (of past attacks), but so far nobody has come forward to register a complaint. If somebody comes, we will surely file fresh complaints," said Himanshu Roy, joint commissioner of police.

In another revelation, investigators learnt why the five, despite three of them having theft cases against them, did not take away either the phones or the expensive cameras of the photojournalist and her male colleague.

Qasim Shaikh and Chand Shaikh, both history-sheeters, had warned other gang members that stealing electronic goods, particularly cell phones, could lead to them being traced.

During interrogation, all five told the police that they had molested a girl after she came to the complex with her male companion. A few weeks later, they targeted a ragpicker and a month before Thursday's attack, they brought a sex worker into the mill. They have admitted a fourth attack, but the details are unclear.

On Tuesday, the crime branch traced an accused's friend who could be made a key witness. Salim Ansari, arrested from Delhi, and Vijay Jadhav had spotted the photojournalists entering the mill and immediately called up their friends. "Qasim Shaikh, Chand Shaikh and Siraj Khan were playing cards on the other side of the mill (away from the railway tracks through which the photojournalists entered) on Thursday. Now we have got a person who confirmed that Qasim received a call from Salim after which they left," said an officer.

The crime branch is also questioning two ragpickers after the survivor's male colleague told the police that one had passed by while the rape was on.

A team of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Hyderabad, and Gujarat Forensic Science Laboratory visited the mill and collected scientific evidence. Officials said now they have advanced technology that enables them to retrieve pollen as evidence even days after a crime.

Sources said the Gujarat FSL team led by Dr S Acharya conducted psychological tests on the accused. "Voice-Layered Analysis (VLA) is a test in which we record the voice of an accused in normal condition and than ask him to talk in unusual circumstances which helps us understand whether he is telling the truth or not," explained an FSL official. It is not admissible evidence, but helps investigation.

Bone and DNA tests were carried out on the accused to determine their ages and to match their semen with those on clothes. Police said identification parade of the accused will be held next week.

The National Woman commission led by Mamta Sharma is likely to arrive in Mumbai on August 29 to meet senior police officers and discuss progress of the probe.

Market mayhem continues, rupee breaches 67 against dollar

MUMBAI: The rupee fell below the 67 per dollar mark on Wednesday as uncertainty over a possible US-led military strike against Syria knocked down Asian equity markets and currencies, also pushing the domestic benchmark bond yield to 9 percent.

The partially convertible rupee was trading at a record low of 67.40/45 per dollar, sharply below its close of 66.24/25 on Tuesday.

The benchmark 10-year bond yield was up 22 basis points at 9 percent.

Masakadza sets up shock win for Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe 246 for 3 (Masakadza 85, Sibanda 54, Taylor 43*) beat Pakistan 244 for 7 (Misbah 83*, Hafeez 70) by 7 wickets

The last time Zimbabwe beat Pakistan in any format was 15 years ago. Back then, Pakistan lost to arguably the most formidable Zimbabwe side in history - one that was capable of standing up to the best international sides. With the cricketing climate in the country having undergone a drastic change since then, any victory by current setup against a top side will be remembered for long. Coming off a disappointing T20 series, where Zimbabwe failed to figure out how to close out a chase, they held their composure and applied themselves better despite the short turnaround time.

A strong opening stand of 107 between Vusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza was the bedrock in their chase of 245. Having dealt with the seamers with ease during the T20s, Zimbabwe's chances of victory hung on how they would perform outside their comfort zone. They looked ill at ease against the spin trio in the T20s but crucially, this time, they didn't let the spinners run away with the advantage. Saeed Ajmal managed to strike, but the long interval between breakthroughs meant that Pakistan were always playing catch-up. In the closing stages, Pakistan had created enough pressure to bring the equation down to a run-a-ball, but a combination of poor fielding and freakish luck meant that it was Zimbabwe's day.

Before this match, Masakadza spoke about the importance of his duty, as an opener, to set the base and not allow pressure to build on the lower order. Back at the top, a position he is comfortable with, and with an opening partner from school days, Masakadza took the initiative by hammering Junaid Khan for three boundaries in an over. The openers were strong through the off side against the left-armers and the boundary barrage prompted captain Misbah-ul-Haq to bring in spin from both ends from the eighth over.

The spinners managed to keep the runs down but wickets eluded them. Misbah used all five bowlers by the end of 12 overs and the breakthrough finally came in the 24th, when Sibanda stayed back to an Ajmal ball that spun back in. Masakadza reached his fifty the following over and continued to take on the spinners, sweeping Ajmal and reading Shahid Afridi's variations. He chipped down the track and lofted Afridi over extra cover for six in an over that produced 13. The frustration showed in Pakistan's fielding, when in that over, a drive back to the bowler which should have been stopped resulted in two runs.

Masakadza fell during the batting Powerplay, smashing Ajmal straight to cover. It was only temporary relief for Pakistan because by then Taylor was set, having already hit four boundaries. Pakistan didn't do themselves any favours in the field, though. A struggling Timycen Maruma tried to loft over long-on but Ahmed Shehzad was in two minds whether to catch or stop the ball and the ball bounced over his head for four. Taylor himself was let-off, on 37, when a reverse sweep went straight to point where Junaid dropped it.

Luck was firmly in Zimbabwe's favour. Maruma's wobbly knock suggested that Zimbabwe were starting to panic, but Sean Williams, aided by some good fortune, ensured his side held the edge with a spicy cameo. An inside edge off Junaid hit the base of the stumps but miraculously, didn't dislodge the bails. Worse still for Pakistan, it went for four. Williams sealed the win in style, smashing a six over midwicket to give Zimbabwe their first ODI win against a top team since October 2011.

Pakistan, winning the toss, found runs hard to come by at the start due to steady seam bowling, recovered in the middle thanks to Mohammad Hafeez's brisk half-century, and stumbled towards the end, failing to accelerate due to the pressure caused by the sudden fall of wickets. What prevented them from suffering a complete meltdown was Misbah-ul-Haq, who carried on his good form from the West Indies with his fourth consecutive fifty.

It was a mixed day for Zimbabwe in the field. A series of drops at the start showed that the team had hardly made any progress on that front since the India tour. Mohammad Hafeez was a beneficiary of one of those drops, when on 10. He went on to score 70, but the pace of his innings was crucial, with Misbah not deviating from his tried and tested conservative approach in the middle overs.

Hafeez found early momentum with three sixes off Prosper Utseya, down the ground, though he was lucky the second one wasn't pouched at the boundary's edge. Hafeez was strong through the off side, punishing the offspinners in particular. He picked 48 of his 70 runs off Utseya and Malcolm Waller, picking the large gaps square of the wicket on the off side.

Pakistan struggled to maintain a healthy run-rate following that wicket. Umar Amin was run-out trying to complete a second run. Afridi played a typical blink-and-you-missed-it cameo before edging a slog. Haris Sohail was caught brilliantly by Utseya, who plucked a one-handed blinder at short cover - a catch good enough to forget the sitters put down earlier by Zimbabwe.

Misbah's innings had a high percentage of singles - he had scored only two fours till the 46th over, and yet had managed a decent strike-rate of 81.69. Yet, he saved his big hitting only for the final over, mowing Tinashe Panyangara for massive blows over the on side to take Pakistan to 244. It was well short of stretching the hosts, who are a win away from sealing the series.

Ajay Devgn to produce film for Kajol?

The stuntman of Bollywood is gearing up for his next production, which will hopefully have the actor's wife Kajol in the lead, as told to sources.

The husband wife duo has worked earlier together in films like Raju Chacha, Dil Kya Kareand Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha. But this time around, Ajay has only plans to produce the film.

Further to media reports, the actor, director and producer is looking for the right kind of scripts for his wife and though they're not really a hitjodi on screen, Ajay is currently focusing on producing the right kind of content for the film and if all works out, the yummy mummy will be seen on the silver screen in a newer fitter avatar.

I have always been afraid of losing people I love, but sometimes I keep asking myself, Is there anyone who’s afraid of losing me too?

Usually the people who degrade others are self conscious about themselves. They want to feel empowerment over you & see you get in your feelings. Don’t let them.

Virtue is never left to stand alone. He who has it will have neighbors.

Dreams are the answers to questions that we haven’t yet figured out how to ask.

If you want to know your past – look into your present conditions. If you want to know your future – look into your present actions.

Logic will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.

Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.

I want to say I deserve better and mean it. I want to say I give up and believe it. I want to say Im moving on and do it.

–(¯`v´¯)–_-(¯`v´¯)–
-(¯`(♥)´¯)_-(¯`(♥)´¯)-
–(_.^._)—_-(_.^._) –
-..—-|/——–__|/——-
–.—(l/)———(l/)—— Good Morning ~♥~

........

..♥
. .((
. . .)
. ( (
████╗
████║
████╝♥♥ ℓσνє & вℓєѕѕιиgѕ♥♥
Good morning

Pyasi nigahon se mat desk Mere “D0ST”
Mere Pas Chaye Ka 1 Hi Cup Hai
(‘.’)     ,’,’,
<))—c(“”)
_//_ “” Pene De Yar
GOOD MORNING

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::: (_( …*…*…*…*…*…*…*…*…::::::::::::::
*: (=’ :’) :: Happy Birth Day!  :::::::::::::::::::::
•.. (,(”)(”)¤…*…*…*…*…*…*…*…*…:::::::::::
¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸

☀̤̣̈̇ː̖́.[̲̅̅H̲̅][̲̅̅A̲̅][​̲̅̅P̲̅][̲̅̅P̲̅][̲̅̅Y̲̅].ː̗​̀☀̤̣̈̇ː̖́..ː̗̀☀̤̣̈̇ː̖́.[̅̅​̲B̲̅][̲̅̅I̲̅][̲̅̅R̲̅][̲̅̅T​̲̅][̲̅̅H̲̅][̲̅̅D̲̅][̲̅̅A̲̅​][̲̅̅Y̲̅].ː̗̀☀

´*•.¸(*•.¸♥¸.•*´)¸.•*´
♥«´¨`•°..Happy Birthday..°•´¨`»♥
.¸.•*(¸.•*´♥`*•.¸)`*•.

I think I can die happy now, coz I’ve just seen a piece of heaven.

Hello, I’m a thief, and I’m here to steal your heart.

My stars said I would meet the woman of my dreams tonight.

It’s not my fault that I fell for you, you tripped me!

You are the first person who has been able to make my heart beat slower and faster at the same time.

5th Ashes Test: Ian Bell defies Australia for go-slow England

LONDON: Ian Bell was left holding the fort for England yet again as they struggled for runs on the third day of the final Ashes Test against Australia at The Oval on Friday.

Scorecard

England, who at 3-0 up had already won the five-match series, were 247 for four at stumps, still 245 runs behind Australia's first innings 492 for nine declared but needing just 46 more runs to avoid the follow-on.

Bell, who came into this match having scored exactly 500 runs in the series with three hundreds, was 29 not out off 110 balls in nearly two-and-a-half hours at the crease.

Meanwhile Test debutant Chris Woakes, Bell's Warwickshire team-mate, was 15 not out following a final session played under gloomy skies despite the glare of the floodlights.

Several England batsmen got in but failed to press on, with Kevin Pietersen making an unusually restrained 50 in 133 balls.

England scored 215 runs in the day's 98.3 overs, the run-rate rarely rising above two an over, in a match where victory would mean they had won four Tests in a home Ashes for the first time.

But there was still something to be gained for England by denying their arch-rivals a consolation success -- Australia's last 'winless' Ashes was in 1977 -- ahead of the return series 'Down Under' starting in November.

"It's not easy out there, it's quite slow and I think we played some good cricket," opener Joe Root, who on Friday made 68 -- only his second fifty of the series following his Test-best 180 in England's crushing 347-run win in the second Ashes match at Lord's -- told BBC Radio's Test Match Special.

"You have to give credit to Australia, they bowled well and we had to work really hard for the runs we got," the 22-year-old Yorkshireman explained.

Australia paceman Peter Siddle, who finished the day with an economical none for 46 in 21 overs, added: "It's been hard work out there. All we can do is go out there and try to get the six wickets as quick as we can.

"Our consistency today was spot and I think it showed." England resumed Friday on 32 without loss after Shane Watson's Test-best 176 and Steven Smith's 138 not out -- his maiden hundred at this level -- had taken Australia to their imposing total.

Alastair Cook, the England captain, was 17 not out and Root 13 not out. Cook's poor series with the bat continued when he followed a delivery angled across him from Harris and edged to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin for 25 to end a stand of 68 with Root -- their first fifty partnership as an opening duo.

It was another low score for Cook in a series where he has made 243 runs in nine innings at an average of 27 with a best of 62 -- a far cry from his 2010/11 Ashes tour of Australia where he compiled 766 at 127.66 with three hundreds.

Root's pull off Siddle saw him to a 145-ball fifty with eight fours. But, after lunch, he made a tame exit on 68 when his top-edged sweep off spinner Nathan Lyon went straight to Watson at short fine leg, with England now 118 for two.

There were ironic cheers from a capacity crowd when Pietersen drove leg-spinner Smith for four -- the first boundary in 11 overs.

But the first delivery with the new ball saw Jonathan Trott lbw for 40 to left-arm paceman Mitchell Starc.

England challenged but, with the Decision Review System upholding Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar's verdict, it was the end of Trott's 134-ball knock.

By contrast Bell, a Warwickshire team-mate of Trott, got off the mark fifth ball with a square-driven four off Starc.

Pietersen's bottom-edged boundary -- England's first in 14 overs -- off Test debutant James Faulkner saw him to a fifty on the ground where his stunning maiden century at this level secured an Ashes-clinching draw eight years ago.

However, Pietersen had failed to add to his total when he edged Starc to Watson, now at first slip, to leave England on 217 for four.

Medium-pacer Woakes posed little threat with the ball in Australia's innings but the all-rounder's batting suggested greater promise as he got off the mark first ball with a cover-driven four off Starc.