World at a Glance

7 Amazing Super-Healthy Seeds That Help You Lose Weight

2015-06-06T14:49:00.000+05:30

As easy as putting it on is, losing weight is an equally difficult thing to do. Not only do you need to work out rigorously, but you also have to watch your diet in order to lose those extra pounds. Moreover, you need to have a strong will power and commitment towards you goal. Well in such a situation, having a few cheat tricks is what we all always love, right? That is why; we have brought for you a tasty and healthy trick to lose weight. Confused? Well, we are talking about some amazing seeds extracted out of flowers, fruits and veggies, which are as good as or even better than nuts, and are extremely helpful for losing weight. So, without further ado, here goes the list

1.Flax seeds

Being good sources of fibre, iron and protein, they have a capacity to fill you up quite quickly, and hence, they help you eat in moderation. They are great sources of omega-3 fatty acids that not only regulate your body’s insulin levels, but also help to burn fat. The phytoestrogens present in them help to avoid hormonal imbalances in the body, which otherwise promote weight gain.

2. Sunflower seeds

A great snacking option to be picked up and eaten anytime, sunflower seeds are full of amazing benefits for your body. They contain vitamin B, which helps a lot in burning calories. Rich in vitamin E, they are natural antioxidants that fight toxins in your body and prevent inflammation. Sunflower seeds are also an excellent source of magnesium that keeps your anxiety levels intact, thereby preventing the excess release of the weight gain promoting hormone, cortisol, in your body. But remember, you will get these benefits only when you eat them raw, and not roasted.

3. Hemp seeds

Hemp seeds are great mood enhancers that help you avoid indulging in mindless eating. They are full of proteins and omega-3 fatty acids, which are helpful in burning your body fat. Magnesium and iron present in hemp seeds keep you highly energised, thereby helping you to burn a few extra calories. Also, these seeds help to control body inflammation

4. Chia seeds

Chia seeds offer a large amount of nutrients with very few calories. They are full of iron, omega-3 fatty acids, potassium and magnesium. Also, because of the high-fibre content in them, chia seeds have the capacity of absorbing large amount of water. Hence, they become a gel-like substance and expand in your stomach once you eat them. And, this is how chia seeds make you feel full for longer duration, thereby reducing your food intake. However, lower food intake does not mean that your stamina goes down as the highly nutritious chia seeds keep you super-energised.

5. Sesame seeds

They are the same seeds that you see on the top of your burger buns and other multigrain breads. They are excellent sources of fibre, vitamins (especially E), magnesium, zinc and calcium, all the minerals that maintain a great body metabolism. The fibre also helps you to have a better and stronger digestive system. What’s more? They are tasty and add a wonderful flavour to whatever you add them into.

6. Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds have the highest amount of zinc in them, which promotes burning of fat, muscle formation and a balanced blood sugar level. These rich in protein seeds also maintain a good digestive system. Pumpkin seeds help to neutralise acidity in body by promoting alkalinity. Moreover, calcium and magnesium present in them let you beat body bloating.

7. Quinoa seeds

This seed looks like a grain and hence, is often mistaken for being one. Quinoa seeds are rich in amino acids, magnesium, proteins, fibre, zinc and some healthy fats. While they contain a slightly higher amount of carbohydrates as compared to the other seeds, most of them are used for energy, and hence are not worrisome. In short, these power-packed seeds have all the goodness that your body and mind needs

Stop eating Maggi noodles,

2015-06-04T11:26:00.002+05:30

Indian Army has issued advisory to its personnel on Wednesday, asking them not to eat Maggi noodles. Army has also directed its canteens not to sell stock of Maggi noodles till further orders.

Earlier, Maggi noodles were banned in Delhi for 15 days and existing stocks ordered to be withdrawn while retail major Future Group stopped sale of the popular instant snack at its Big Bazaar outlets in a further setback to Nestle India over food safety issues.

With concerns rising over the safety of the two-minute noodles, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, against whom a Bihar court has ordered registration of an FIR after he was featured in their advertisements, said he will cooperate with "what the law says" though he hasn't received any notice in connection with the product that he "stopped promoting" two years ago. Actors Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta were also named in the FIR.

The Union government referred the Maggi issue to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission to take appropriate action even as more states - Assam, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal - lifted samples for tests.

However, in some good news for the Swiss multinational, a Goa official said lab tests of samples of the noodles taken in the state have not shown any traces of the flavour enhancer MSG and lead.

Announcing Delhi government's decision to ban Maggi noodles for 15 days, Delhi health minister Satyender Jain said Nestle India has been asked to withdraw the existing stock.

Jain said the government will carry out lab testing of all other noodles brands available in the city and will take action based on the reports. "Government has put a ban on Maggi noodles for 15 days. We have asked Nestle India to withdraw Maggi stocks within 15 days. We will carry out lab testing of fresh stocks and a decision will be taken accordingly thereafter," Jain said.

The decision came nearly two hours after several top Nestle India officials explained to Jain their position on the issue.

On Tuesday, the Delhi government had said that it found samples of Maggi noodles "unsafe" for consumption as it contained lead beyond the permissible level in Maggi masala (tastemaker).

A Future Group spokesperson said that in the interest of consumer sentiment and concerns the retail major has taken Maggi noodles off the shelves from all its stores for the time being. "We will wait for more clarity from authorities to take any further course of action," the spokesperson said. Modern retail outlets like Big Bazaar run by the Future Group contribute a large chunk of sales for FMCG firms, including Nestle.

"The samples (of Maggi) which were drawn from state's markets did not have any ingredients which are harmful," said Goa Food and Drug Administration's deputy director, Jyoti Sardesai

She said the samples were taken from the market and also from the North Goa-based Nestle factory.

"The (results of) tests for monosodium glutamate (MSG) and lead (have) come negative. The samples were produced (for testing) in Goa and in Punjab facility," Sardesai said.

Maggi noodles has been at the centre of a raging storm after UP FDA tests found higher than stipulated levels of lead and MSG in it.

However, Nestle India claimed it has got samples tested in an external laboratory as well as in-house and that the product was found "safe to eat".

AP EAMCET Counselling 2013 - Date, Schedule, Allotment, Result

2013-09-18T23:16:00.000+05:30

AP EAMCET Counselling 2013

This Andhra Pradesh State Council of Education (APSCHE) will relieve an information booklet for the AP EAMCET counselling 2013 with the guidelines and rules applicable for the EAMCET 2013 Coaching and allotment of seats. The EAMCET 2013 information booklet will deal with the list of participating institutes along with specifics of intakes in each discipline in addition to category, reservations as per the government requisites.

The details from the EAMCET coaching schedules and allotment guidelines will probably be displayed on the APSCHE website. EAMCET qualified candidates should check the web site http://www.apsche.org for the information booklet as well as other details. Students are needed to present the EAMCET 2013 EAMCET 2013 Hall Ticket plus the EAMCET 2013 List Card when needed certificate verification. They Can also check DIET CET Admit Card 2013 EAMCET Web Counselling 2013 is very easy to understand in addition to selecting the schools in Online. Candidates requested to learn to read the instructions meticulously before appear on the web counselling. Here you could have the quick way of EAMCET Counselling 2013 dates, Schdule will publish inside the same page underneath.

EAMCET Counselling Dates:

1st Counselling : 17th June to 30th June 2013
Final Phase Counselling : 8th July to 11th July 2013

Fixed Deposit rates offered by Indian banks

2013-05-09T22:54:00.002+05:30

Are you planning to save? Then this will help you compare rates among the FD rates of various banks when you decide.

Axis Bank

6 months-364 days: 7.50

1-2 years: 8.50-8.75

2-3 years: 8.75

3-5 years: 8.75

Bank of Baroda

6 months-364 days: 7.30-7.75

1-2 years: 8.50-8.75

2-3 years: 8.75

3-5 years: 8.75-8.90

Above 5 years: 8.75

Bank of India

6 months-364 days: 8.00

1-2 years: 9.00

2-3 years: 9.00

3-5 years: 9.00

Above 5 years: 8.75-9.00

Bank of Maharashtra

6 months-364 days: 7.50-8.50

1-2 years: 9.00-9.10

2-3 years: 9.00

3-5 years: 9.00-9.10

Above 5 years: 9.00

Canara Bank

6 months-364 days: 7.25-9.00

1-2 years: 9.05

2-3 years: 9.05

3-5 years: 9.05

Above 5 years: 9.05

Central Bank of India

6 months-364 days: 7.75

1-2 years: 9.00-9.15

2-3 years: 8.75

3-5 years: 8.50

Above 5 years: 8.50

Corporation Bank

6 months-364 days: 8.75-9.00

1-2 years: 9.00

2-3 years: 9.00

3-5 years: 9.00

Above 5 years: 8.75

Dena Bank

6 months-364 days: 8.50

1-2 years: 9.00

2-3 years: 8.75-9.25

3-5 years: 9.00

Above 5 years: 8.75-9.00

development Credit Bank

6 months-364 days: 6.75

1-2 years: 8.75-9.00

2-3 years: 9.30

3-5 years: 8.75

Above 5 years: 8.75

Dhanlaxmi Bank

6 months-364 days: 8.50-8.75

1-2 years: 8.50-9.25

2-3 years: 9.00

3-5 years: 9.00

Above 5 years: 9.00

HDFC Bank

6 months-364 days: 7.50-8.00

1-2 years: 9.00-8.75

2-3 years: 8.75

3-5 years: 8.75

Above 5 years: 8.25

ICICI Bank

6 months-364 days: 7.00-7.25

1-2 years: 7.50-9.00

2-3 years: 8.75

3-5 years: 8.75

Above 5 years: 8.50

IDBI Bank

6 months-364 days: 8.65-8.75

1-2 years: 8.75-9.00

2-3 years: 9.00

3-5 years: 9.00

Above 5 years: 8.50-8.75

Indian Overseas Bank

6 months-364 days: 8.50

1-2 years: 9.00

2-3 years: 9.00

3-5 years: 9.00

Above 5 years: 9.00

ING Vysya

6 months-364 days: 8.70

1-2 years: 9.25

2-3 years: 9.25

3-5 years: 9.00

Above 5 years: 8.50

IndusInd Bank

6 months-364 days: 6.50-8.50

1-2 years: 9.00-9.25

2-3 years: 8.75-9.25

3-5 years: 8.75

Above 5 years: 8.50

Kotak Mahindra Bank

6 months-364 days: 8.50-9.00

1-2 years: 9.00

2-3 years: 8.75-9.00

3-5 years: 8.75

Above 5 years: 8.50

Oriental Bank of Commerce

6 months-364 days: 8.50

1-2 years: 9.00

2-3 years: 9.00

3-5 years: 9.00

Above 5 years: 9.00

State Bank of India

6 months-364 days: 6.50

1-2 years: 8.75

2-3 years: 8.75

3-5 years: 8.75

Above 5 years: 8.75

Syndicate Bank

6 months-364 days: 7.75-9.00

1-2 years: 8.50-9.00

2-3 years: 8.00

3-5 years: 8.00

Above 5 years: 8.00

The Federal Bank

6 months-364 days: 7.00-8.50

1-2 years: 9.00

2-3 years: 9.00

3-5 years: 8.75

Above 5 years: 8.75

Union Bank of India

6 months-364 days: 8.50

1-2 years: 9.00

2-3 years: 9.00

3-5 years: 9.00

Above 5 years: 8.75-9.25

Vijaya Bank

6 months-364 days: 8.50

1-2 years: 9.00

2-3 years: 9.00

3-5 years: 9.00

Above 5 years: 9.00

Ten iconic women-oriented films

2013-04-24T21:51:00.001+05:30

As we celebrate 100 years of Indian cinema, here's a list of path-breaking roles in Bollywood

In B'wood, actresses are mostly used as a eye-candy or props. However, time and again, there have been films which breaks the mould of the perfect Indian woman and experimenting. She was no longer coy about her choices in life and not afraid to try out the extreme. We celebrate the women in roles that broke new grounds in Bollywood.

Aandhi: Directed by Gulzar, this film was banned by Indira Gandhi during the emergency as it was rumoured to be loosely based on her life. But Suchitra Sen's Indira Gandhi-sque pace (one hand on her saree pleats and another waving at the people), white hair-strands with oversized shades had too much in common with the Iron lady of India. Her steller performance as Aarti Devi is undoubtedly her career best.

Aastha: The film exploring the subject of women’s sexuality outside marriage is deftly handled by Rekha. Her controversial role as a housewife moonlighting as a prostitute received commercial and critical acclaim.

Astitva: The film is about a woman’s search for her own identity and deals with sensitive subjects like adultery and male chauvinism.

Mother India: This Mehboob Khan magnum-opus was actually a remake of his earlier 1940 film Aurat. Mother India was India’s official nomination at the Oscars and was a socially relevant much ahead of its times. The plot revolves around Radha and her struggle to rise above her circumstances by the sheer strength of her willpower. The film made a powerful impact with its representation of the post-independence era.

Bhoomika: This film, broadly based on the memoirs of the well-known Marathi stage and screen actress of the 1940s, Hansa Wadkar tells the story of a Bollywood actress Usha and her journey to find self-fulfillment and identity. The film is a landmark with the way it traces the acting styles of three decades through Usha’s acting career. Smita Patil won her first National Award for the film.

Damini: Meenakshi Shehasri plays a woman married to a rich family who refuses to cover up the rape of her maid servant by her brother-in-law. The film is mostly remembered for Sunny Deol’s ‘dhai kilo ka haath’, Meenakshi’s performance as a woman seeking justice also stands out.

Dirty Picture: Based on the life of the South Indian dancing diva and actress, Silk Smita's lustful life, 'The Dirty Picture' paints a concupiscent portrait, complete with bouncing love handles, blouses received a thumbs up from both the audience and the critics. Vidya is scrumptious as the imperfect and unrestrained Silk.

Dor: The film is about two women who come from different backgrounds and how fate brings them together. A young woman who becomes a widow shortly after marriage, is trapped by tradition where as another faces the daunting task of saving the life of her husband. Gul Panag and Ayesha Takia were commendable in their respective performances.

Mirch Masala: Ketan Mehta’s classic 1987 film ‘Mirch Masala’ is based in a village where the men decide that handing a woman over to her tormentator is the best solution and how women stand up against the mighty and defend the honour.

Arth: This semi-autobiographical film is written by Mahesh Bhatt and is based on his extra-maritial relationship with Parveen Babi. Though the subject was not a new one, the triumph of the film lies in the portrayal of the complexities of relationships by Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil, arch rivals of the time. Gossip magazines were abuzz about their rivalry and whose performance was better in the film. Though both shone in their respective performance, it was Shabana Azmi’s role as a rejected wife trying to seek her own identity which stood out.

What you didn't know about Bollywood

2013-04-24T21:36:00.002+05:30

Did you know that Jeetendra started his career as a female double while Amjad Khan almost lost out on 'Sholay'. Here's more

SD Burman discovered Kishore Kumar's singing talent when he heard him mimicking KL Saigal. Kishore Kumar always wanted to be a singer but nobody took him seriously since he didn't have any formal training in music. However, after hearing his voice, he gave him the song 'Chhota Sa Ghar Hoga, which was supposed to be sung by Hemant Kumar.

Did you know that Amjad Khan almost got rejected from playing the iconic Gabbar Singh in 'Sholay' for having a weak voice.

While supplying jewellery to director V. Shantaram, Jeetendra was cast as actress Sandhya's double in the 1959 movie 'Navrang'

Dadasaheb Phalke found his heroine in a man called Anna Salunke at a restaurant in Bombay by noticing his hands. Anna Salunke played Queen Taramati in 'Raja Harishchandra' and went on to play several female characters in other talkies.

Balraaj Sahni's portrayal of 'Shambhu' in Bimal Roy's classic 'Do Bigha Zameen' wouldn't have happened as he was almost rejected by him. Sahni, had just returned from England and had gone to meet the director wearing a suit.

Before becoming an actor, Sunil Dutt was an RJ for Radio Ceylon.He was besotted with Nargis and was tongue-tied during an interview.Eventually, they fell in love while working together in 'Mother India'.

Actor Dhamendra started his career in films in 1960 in the film 'Dil Bhi Tera, Hum Bhi Tere'. He got paid Rs 51 for the film and a daily breakfast of tea, two toasts and butter

Iceland: Where beauty meets Volcanic fury

2013-03-15T19:57:00.002+05:30

Nestled near the Arctic Pole is a small island famously well known for its unpronounceable Volcanoes. But in the midst of all the fury of Volcanoes is a country that can be called 'Paradise on Earth'. But even that would be an understatement

One of the first things that strikes one in Iceland is its constantly changing landscape, sometimes rugged, sometimes barren, sometimes with snow capped mountains that it would leave you in awe at the splendour

Horses are another common sight in Iceland.Here, some horses seem to have a meeting

A view of Icelandic houses in Reykjanes

Sulphur rises from the ground at Namafjall Hverir in the Myvatn area

Suplhur rises from the ground at Namafjall Hverir in the Myvatn area

The Northern Lights. One of the main reasons to visit Iceland is to get a view of the famous Northern Lights. The best time to view the Northern Lights is Sept-March. A number of tour operators in Iceland conduct special tours at night to catch a glimpse of nature's wonder

Thingvellir National Park: The world's oldest Parliament site,is situated on a fissure zone between the European and American tectonic plates. One can also snorkel or dive into the waters to get a clear view of the tectonic plates of two different continents!

Europe's most powerful waterfall, Dettifoss. Situated in the Vatnajokull National Park in Northern Iceland, Dettifoss can blow your mind away with its savage force and volume. After all, it is touted to be the waterfall with the largest volume discharge per second. One can however stand or sit right next to the fall to take in the breathtaking view and the speed of the water

A lone house en route Reykjavic to North Iceland

A view of the contrasting landscape

A view of another famous waterfall, Skogafoss

Iceland should be on every traveller's list. The silence of nature, the beautiful landscape, the dance of the clouds and the sunrise and sunsets makes one lose track of time and leaves one wanting more of nature

Seljalandsfoss- where one can walk behind the waterfall

Sulphur rises from the ground at Namafjall Hverir in the Myvatn area

A small town in Iceland

Gulfoss- One of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland,after Dettifoss. The massive drop of water falling 21 metres is a sight to behold. Watching Gulfoss can make one wonder how much fury water can unleash

The Northern city of Akureyri, more famously known as the Northern capital of Iceland. The second biggest city in Iceland after Reykjavik, is nestled amid snow capped mountains

A view of a small lake outside the world famous Blue Lagoon. A visit to Iceland is not complete without taking a dip at this geothermal pool

Icebergs float in the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, the second largest glacier in Iceland. Iceberg of various shapes and sizes float in the lagoon. This one can be called 'Iceausaurus' !

While the breathtaking beauty of the glacier and the icebergs can make one watch in awe, the impact of global warming and the fast receding glacier should be noted

The route from Reykjavik to Akureyri is dotted with snow capped mountains

Kraflavirjkin is where one can see an active volcano brewing amidst the ethereal beauty of snow capped mountains. The climb to the top of the mountain is made difficult only by the extremely gusty winds

A view of a lake around Akureyri

The world's top 10 wine destinations

2013-01-17T23:12:00.002+05:30

There are some who like to drink wine and there are others who love to travel the country where wine is made. Grapes are luscious and vineyards are pretty. And they are mostly located in some of the most breathtakingly scenic locales. We bring you our selection of the world's top 10 wine-growing locations. Take your pick, and feel free to argue. Over a glass of wine, of course!

TUSCANY, ITALY
Tuscany in Italy is one of the world's top wine-growing regions. Viticulture in this region traces its historical roots to the 8th century BC. The famous wines Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are made with grapes grown in the Tuscany region.

SANTA CRUZ, CHILE
Grapes hang from the vine at the Montgras winery in Santa Cruz, Chile. Colchagua Valley is one of the most-travelled winemaking areas in the Latin American country. Though rattled by a recent earthquake, Chile's vineyards still produce some of the New World's finest wines.

STELLENBOSCH, SOUTH AFRICA
The spectacular scenery at a vineyard in South Africa's Stellenbosch area, about 50 km east of Cape Town. By 1700, Stellenbosch had become the wine capital of South Africa.

MENDOZA, ARGENTINA
A vineyard in Mendoza at the foothills of the Andes. The region is Argentina's wine country and is richly planted with grapes. Mendoza is reputed to produce the world's finest Malbec, wine made from a dark purple variety of grape.

OTAGO, NEW ZEALAND
A man works on his vineyard next to Lake Wanaka in Wanaka, New Zealand. In the snowy shadow of the spectacular Southern Alps, these vineyards in the Otago district produce some of New Zealand's most famous wines.

LA RIOJA, SPAIN

The region of La Rioja in Spain is known for a variety of wines that take the name Rioja. Interestingly, a winemaker in Rioja developed the first bottled version of the wine-based punch Sangria.

MCLAREN VALE, AUSTRALIA
Cyclists ride past vineyards in McLaren Vale in Adelaide, one of Australia's most famous wine-making regions. The renowned Hardy and d’Arenberg wineries are located here.

DOURO, PORTUGAL
Douro is a wine region in Portugal that takes its name from the Douro River. It is one of the earliest known winemaking regions of the world and historical evidence shows that its tradition dates back at least to the 3rd and 4th centuries.

BORDEAUX, FRANCE
A chateau and vineyard in Margaux, Bordeaux, France. One of the world's best-known wine-producing regions, Bordeaux's relationship with wine dates back to the early 1st century, when Romans planted vines in the region. Today, Bordeaux produces a variety of wines that are shipped around the world.

BINGEN, GERMANY

Field worker Anna uses a knife to pick gewuerztramine grapes during a harvest in a vineyard at Rochus mountain in Bingen at Rhine, Germany. Bingen am Rhein is a town at the confluence of the Rhein and Nahe rivers.

Bebo sitting idle these days?

2013-01-17T22:53:00.005+05:30

While film makers are waiting for Bebo, she seems to be sitting idle even after blocking her calendar. Here's why

Kareena Kapoor tops the list of every Bollywood director. While film makers are waiting patiently for Bebo to come on board, she seems to be sitting idle even after blocking her calendar with upcoming projects. What seems to be keeping Bebo idle these days?

Bebo had finalized dates for Prakash Jha’s movie Satyagraha with Ajay Devgn, which was to go on floor this January.

However, it was delayed since Ajay Devgn is currently filming for Himmatwala, which got delayed because of the controversy surrounding Son of Sardar. Satyagraha will get deferred which means Bebo’s dates are definitely being wasted.

Recently, Bebo had to let go of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Ram Leela even though she had allocated dates for the same.

In the past, Kareena has been forced to pass on a few films including Karan Johar’s, as her calendar was overbooked. We just hope this temporary phase in her life doesn’t leave her waiting on one foot for long. To know more, tune into Planet Bollywood News every day at 7 pm on ZoOm

Born with a silver spoon

2012-11-20T13:03:00.000+05:30

Born with famous last names, the whole world seems to care about these celebrity kids. (Photos: Getty)

Ever since her birth, Abhishek and Aishwarya's darling daughter Aradhya has been everyone's focus of attention. She will turn a year on 16th Nov.

Sachin Tendulkar (C) of India alongside his son Arjun (L) and daughter Sara (R) during the 2011 ICC World Cup Final between India and Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium on April 2, 2011 in Mumbai, India.

Indian cricketer Vangipurappu Venkata Sai (VVS) Laxman (R), wife Sailaja amd their children Sarvajith and Achinthya attend a press conference held to announce his retirement from Test Cricket at the Rajiv Gandhi International cricket stadium in Hyderabad on August 18, 2012. Veteran Indian batsman Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday, saying it was time to make way for the next generation....

Shahrukh Khan’s wife Gauri Khan and daughter Suhana.

Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and their six children Maddox, Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne.

Pakistan cricket captain Inzamam-ul-Haq (R) walks across the field with his young son Ibtecam (C), team-mate Abdul Razzaq, (L) before a practice session in Calcutta, 11 November 2004.

Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly holds his daughter Sana as he leaves The Arabian Sea Country Club in Karachi, 27 January 2006,

Rahul Dravid with his son Samit during day four of the First Test between South Africa and India at the Liberty Life Wanderers Stadium on December 18, 2006 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Indian cricketer Anil Kumble, with his son Mayas Kumble, arrives for a press conference to announce his retirement from one-day international (ODI) cricket during a press conference in Bangalore, 30 March 2007.

Colombo, SRI LANKA: Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya carries his daughter Javindi (L) and accompanied by wife Sandra smiles with well wishers during official ceremonies to welcome the national team on their return from the World Cup series in the Caribbean, in Colombo, 03 May 2007.

Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag carries his son Aryavir as he enters the airport on his way to Britain for the Twenty20 World Championship in Mumbai on May 29, 2009.

Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan poses for a photo with his son Muttiah Naren after his team won the first Test match between Sri Lanka and India at The Galle International Cricket Stadium in Galle on July 22, 2010.

Wife of Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid, Dr. Vijeta Pendharkar Dravid and their son, sit amongst journalists watching Dravid address a press conference announcing his retirement from Test cricket in Bangalore on March 9, 2012.

Hrithik Roshan with Hrehaan and Hridhaan.

Aarav - Akshay Kumar's son

Malaika Arora Khan with her son Arhaan

Hrithik and Suzanne with their kids Hrehaan and Hridhaan

Sanjay and Manyata Dutt with their kids Shahraan and Iqra.

SRK with Aryan and Suhana.

Kajol with her kids Nysa and Yug Devgn.

World’s 15 most productive shopping centers

2012-11-04T15:48:00.002+05:30

The upscale open-air shopping mall, Bal Harbour Shops in Florida, United States is the leading lucrative shopping centers in the world. It is considered to be one of the most profitable and productive shopping areas internationally. This is a list of the most lucrative shopping centers in the world according to the International Council of Shopping Center's Shopping Centers Today.

1. Bal Harbour Shops
Bal Harbour Shops which is located in Miami, United States is well known for its luxury retail stores such Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Lanvin, Neiman Marcus, Prada, among other brands. The open-air shopping center concept has abandoned the traditional enclosed air-conditioned mall. The Bal Harbour Shops has $2,555 sales per square foot.

2. Forum Shops at Caesars
The Forum Shops at Caesars is one of the most successful high-end shopping malls and is connected to Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The venue includes more than 160 shops, haute couture boutiques as well as restaurants. The Forum Shops at Caesars has $1,750 sales per square foot.

3. Westfield Stratford
Westfield Stratford is located in London and is considered as the largest urban shopping centres in Europe. The shopping centre is part of a large multi-purpose development project called Stratford City. Westfield Stratford has about $1,600 sales per square foot.

4. Westfield London
Located in White City, London, Westfield London is known as one of the largest shopping malls in the world. The mall features around 255 stores, including All Saints, Apple, Bershka, Boots, Bose and high-end brands like Burberry, De Beers, Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, among other stores. Westfield London has about $1,600 sales per square foot.

5. Shops at Columbus Circle
Shops at Columbus Circle is an urban shopping mall in Manhattan, New York City. The mall includes mostly upscale stores selling luxury brands and some of the most expensive restaurants in the city. Shops at Columbus Circle has $1,600 sales per square foot.

6. Westfield Sydney
Westfield Sydney is a shopping center operated in Sydney, Australia and has over 300 stores to entertain shoppers with various retail brands. The shopping center has over 130 specialty stores. The Westfield Sydney has $1,500 sales per square foot.

7. Mall of the Emirates
Mall of the Emirates is developed by Majid Al Futtaim Properties and is one of the largest malls in the world. The Dubai mall as a shopping center hosted 30.6 million visitors in 2009. The Mall of the Emirates has $1,423 sales per square foot.

8. The Grove
Located in Los Angeles, the Grove is a retail and entertainment complex. Its architecture is influenced by classic historic districts with shopping alleys, broad plazas, and intimate courtyards and the stores have boxy interiors similar to the ones found in other contemporary stores. The Grove has $1,400 sales per square foot.

9. Pacific Centre
Pacific Centre is a shopping mall located in Vancouver, Canada. Apart from over 100 stores and services the anchor stores include Sears, Holt Renfrew, Sport Chek and Atmosphere among other well-known brands. Pacific Centre has $1,255 sales per square foot.

10. The Mall at Millenia
Popularly known as The Millenia Mall, this contemporary indoor mall is located in Florida. The shopping center has over 150 stores, and is anchored by Macy's, Bloomingdale's, and Neiman Marcus, among other retail stores. The Mall at Millenia has $1,250 sales per square foot.

11. Ala Moana Center
Ala Moana Center located in Honolulu is one of the largest open-air shopping centers in the world. This shopping center has more than 290 shops and restaurants, including boutiques of leading international fashion designers. Ala Moana Center has $1,200 sales per square foot.

12. Yorkdale
Located in Canada, Yorkdale shopping center is a large mall housing over 250 stores. This shopping center attracts approximately 400,000 customers a week. Yorkdale has $1,194 sales per square foot.

13. Chadstone
Located in Melbourne, the regional shopping center, Chadstone is the first self contained shopping center with about 530 stores and more than 9300 free car parking spaces. The majority of the stores are fashion houses, including luxury labels. Chadstone has $1,157 sales per square foot.

14. The Mall at Short Hills
The Mall at Short Hills is a shopping center located in New Jersey and has over 40 retailers who attract customers from all around the world. The shopping center is anchored by Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's and Macy’s. The Mall at Short Hills has $1,110 sales per square foot.

15. Americana at Brand
Americana at Brand is a large outdoor shopping community in California. Some of its retail and dining options include Barnes and Noble as well as Barneys , J.Crew, Apple, Kiehl's and The Cheesecake Factory among others. Americana at Brand has $1,100 sales per square foot.

Can you afford it?

2012-11-01T22:01:00.001+05:30

A look at some world's most expensive antiques

An emerald and diamond tiara is displayed at Sotheby's auction house in London May 4, 2011. The tiara, which value is estimated between $5-10 million, was auctioned off in Geneva on May 17, 2011.

A silver openface keyless lever chronograph watch (L) and an oversized silver hour angle aviator's wristwatch with indirect sweep centre seconds are pictured during an auction preview at Christie's in Geneva April 1, 2011. The items signed Longines, formerly the property of Air Marshal Italo Balbo and received probably from Col. Charles Lindberg for the wristwatch, carry a price estimate between US$ 30,000 and 50,000.

Mathias Rajani, Danish luxury product company Aesir's chief commercial officer, holds a model of his company's new mobile phone during a press presentation in Moscow September 5, 2011. It doesn't do email, the internet, have a camera, games or GPS navigation, but a new mobile phone from Denmark is literally solid gold. Danish retailer Aesir said it hopes to sell its $57,400, limited-edition 18-carat gold phones to Moscow's fashion-forward elite.

An employee holds a fourteenth century Mamluk candlestick at Sotheby's in central London April 1, 2011. Valued between 2-3 million pounds sterling, the piece was a part of the London sale of Islamic arts on April 6, 2011.

A Christie's employee holds a 17th-century silver and brass inlaid Bidri Ewer valued at £8,000-£10,000 (US $13,000-16,000) at Christie's in London April 4, 2011.

The engraved Persian names of Mughal Emperor Jahangir and his grandson Alamgir are pictured on a spinel during an auction preview at Christie's in Geneva April 1, 2011. The spinel is part of an Imperial Mughal necklace with eleven baroque spinels, weighing 1,136.63 carats, three stone are engraved with the name of its owner. Valued between US$ 1,500,000-2,500,000, it went under the hammer on May 18, 2011 in Geneva.

Christie's Islamic art specialist Sara Plumbly holds a gold and turquoise-hilted knife valued at £400,000-£600,000 (US $650,000-$970,000)at Christie's in London April 4, 2011.

A Gujarati mother-of-pearl and black composition overlaid wooden pen box from northwest India, valued at £100,000-150,000 (US $160,000-240,000), is displayed at Christie's in London April 4, 2011.

A model displays the Sun-Drop diamond during a media preview in Hong Kong October 6, 2011. The 110.03 carats diamond has been graded Fancy Vivid Yellow, the highest color grading for a yellow diamond. The diamond will be sold in auction at Sotheby's Geneva on November 15 and expected to fetch US$11-15 million.

A Bonhams employee poses with the Bulgari crossover ring set with 3.72 carat fancy vivid blue diamond and 3.93 carat diamond at Bonhams auction house in London September 21, 2011. The piece, dated circa 1960, is valued upto 800,000 pounds( $1.3 million).

A Hello Kitty figurine, studded with a total of 19,636 Swarovski crystals, is displayed during a press preview of Swarovski's Hello Kitty collection at an event entitled 'House of Hello Kitty' in Tokyo on June 29, 2011. The figurine, limited to 88, carries a price tag of 1,155,000 yen ($14,246).

Christie's Islamic art specialist Sara Plumbly holds a safavid tinned-copper bowl from the second half of the 14th centry valued at £400,000-£600,000 (US $650,000-$970,000) at Christie's in London April 4, 2011.

Ultra rare magnums of Le Pin 1982 wine are displayed at Sotheby's ahead of their auction next week, in London June 10, 2011. Valued approx in the range of 50-60,000 pounds ($81-98,000), a case of six magnums were auctioned off in June.

A Sotheby's employee poses with artist Alberto Giacometti's artwork 'Trois hommes qui marchent II' at Sotheby's Auction House in London June 17, 2011. The piece is valued upto £15million ($24.23 million).

Sotheby's employee John Dinklemeyer adjusts Paul Gauguin's 'Jeune tahitienne', a sculpture carved during the artist's first trip to Tahiti between 1891 and 1893, at Sotheby's in New York, March 24, 2011. The intricate wooden bust, valued at as much as $15 million, was auctioned off, on May 3, according to Sotheby's. It depicts a young, unidentified Tahitian woman and includes jewelry which Gauguin made himself using seashells and pieces of red coral.

Christie's Islamic art specialist Sara Plumbly holds a Fatimid bronze gazelle dating from the late 10th to early 11th century Egypt valued at £800-£1 million (US$1.6-1.3 million) at Christie's in London April 4, 2011. The piece was auctioned off in London on April 7, 2011 along with other art of the Islamic and Indian world.

A Sotheby's employee poses with 'Gudrun (633)' by Gerhard Richter from 1987 at Sotheby's in London October 7, 2011. It is valued between 3.5 million - 4.8 million pounds ($5.5 million - 7.5 million).

A visitor views detail of a page of the sixteenth century folio 'Faridun in the Guise of a Dragon Tests His Sons' at Sotheby's in central London April 1, 2011. Valued between 2-3million pounds sterling, the piece forms part of the scholarly collection of Islamic and Indian Art assembled by the late Stuart Cary Welch.

Two unmounted emeralds weighing 17.97 and 15.99 carats are pictured during an auction preview at Christie's in Geneva April 1, 2011. Valued between US$ 200,000-300,000, the former property of Empress Eugenie (portrait) was auctioned off on May 18, 2011 in Geneva.

A Christie's employee models The Rosebery pearl and diamond tiara, bracelet and brooch at Christie's in London June 6, 2011. The tiara carries an estimate price of £1-1.5 million (US $1.6-2.5 million) and the bracelet and brooch, were auctioned off in London on June 8.

A fine and rare famille-rose 'peach' vase, Tianqiuping, with a seal mark and period of Qianlong, which is estimated to fetch 10.3 to 15.4 million dollars, is shown during a Sotheby's preview in Hong Kong September 7, 2011. The auction house will hold its Autumn sale in early October, with a total of over 310 lots of imperial Chinese porcelains which estimated a total vale of over 150 million dollars.

A Sotheby's employee poses for a photograph with an 18 carat gold sculpture of Kate Moss entitled 'Microcosmos (Siren)' by Marc Quinn at Sotheby's in London October 7, 2011. The artwork is valued between 500,000 - 700,000 pounds ($777,000 - 1.1 million

Amazing Space Photos

2012-10-20T15:20:00.001+05:30

Rocky diamond planet twice Earth's size orbiting a nearby star, Earth-size planet found in neighboring solar system and the true color image of Titan's colorful south polar vortex are among the top picks for this weeks most amazing space photos. Enjoy these artistic sampling of the far-away worlds.

A photo provided by NASA shows a Spitzer Space Telescope view of the North American nebula in the visiible light spectrum. The shape of North America is a result of clouds of dust obscuring light.

This handout illustration obtained by Reuters October 11, 2012, shows the interior of the planet 55 Cancri e - an extremely hot planet with a surface of mostly graphite surrounding a thick layer of diamond, below which is a layer of silicon-based minerals and a molten iron core at the center.

This artist's impression shows the planet orbiting the star Alpha Centauri B, a member of the triple star system that is the closest to Earth in this image released on October 17, 2012. Alpha Centauri B is the most brilliant object in the sky and the other dazzling object is Alpha Centauri A. Our own Sun is visible to the upper right. It is also the lightest exoplanet ever discovered around a star like the Sun. The planet was detected using the HARPS instrument on the 3.6-metre telescope at ESO...s La Silla Observatory in Chile.

This WISE images shows IC 443, also known as the jellyfish nebula, which is located 5,000 light-years away from Earth inside the Gemini constellation. About 5,000 to 10,000 years ago, a massive star at the center exploded, forming a jellyfish-shaped shell around its remains.

This WISE image shows off the flower-shaped nebula, NGC 2237, also known as the rosette nebula. The nebula is a massive, star-forming cloud of gas and dust located within the constellation Monoceres, or the Unicorn.
Photo by: NASA/JPL-Caltech/WISE Team

In this image released on Sept. 21, 2010, the WISE telescope captured an infrared view of nebula DG 129, gripped in the claw of the constellation Scorpius. The bright, greenish star on the right is Pi Scorpii, which marks one of the claws of the scorpion in the constellation Scorpius. DG 129 was first catalogued in 1963 by two German astronomers named Johann Dorschner and Josef GÃ¼rtler.

A true color image of Titan's colorful south polar vortex captured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft before a distant flyby of Saturn's moon Titan on June 27, 2012, shows a south polar vortex, or a mass of swirling gas, around the pole in the atmosphere of the moon. The south pole of Titan which is 3,200 miles (5,150 km) across is near the center of the view. The formation of the vortex at Titan's south pole may be related to the coming southern winter and the start of what will be a south polar hood. These new, more detailed images are only possible because of Cassini's newly inclined orbits, which are the next phase of Cassini Solstice Mission. Previously, Cassini was orbiting in the equatorial plane of the planet, and the imaging team's images of the polar vortex between late March and mid-May were taken from over Titan's equator. Scientists think these new images show open cell convection. In open cells, air sinks in the center of the cell and rises at the edge, forming clouds at cell edges.

This NASA image released July 11, 2012 shows a computer-simulated image of gas from a star that is ripped apart by tidal forces as it falls into a black hole. Some of the gas also is being ejected at high speeds into space. Using observations from telescopes in space and on the ground, astronomers gathered the most direct evidence yet for this violent process: a supermassive black hole shredding a star that wandered too close. NASA's orbiting Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) and the Pan-STARRS1 telescope on the summit of Haleakala in Hawaii were used to help to identify the stellar remains. A flare in ultraviolet and optical light revealed gas falling into the black hole as well as helium-rich gas that was expelled from the system. When the star is torn apart, some of the material falls into the black hole, while the rest is ejected at high speeds. The flare and its properties provide a signature of this scenario and give unprecedented details about the stellar victim.To completely rule out the possibility of an active nucleus flaring up in the galaxy instead of a star being torn apart, the team used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to study the hot gas. Chandra showed that the characteristics of the gas didn't match those from an active galactic nucleus.The galaxy where the supermassive black hole ripped apart the passing star in known as PS1-10jh and is located about 2.7 billion light years from Earth. Astronomers estimate the black hole in PS1-10jh has a mass of several

This NASA image obtained July 11, 2012 shows an artist's rendering which illustrates the evaporation of HD 189733b's atmosphere in response to a powerful eruption from its host star. The exoplanet is a gas giant similar to Jupiter, but about 14 percent larger and more massive. The planet circles its star at a distance of only 3 million miles, or about 30 times closer than Earth's distance from the sun. Its star, named HD 189733A, is about 80 percent the size and mass of our sun. Exoplanet HD 189733b lies so near its star that it completes an orbit every 2.2 days. In late 2011, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope found that the planet's upper atmosphere was streaming away at speeds exceeding 300,000 mph. Just before the Hubble observation, NASA's Swift detected the star blasting out a strong X-ray flare, one powerful enough to blow away part of the planet's atmosphere.

A NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image released on July 7, 2012 shows U Camelopardalis, or U Cam for short, a star nearing the end of its life located in the constellation of Camelopardalis (The Giraffe), near the North Celestial Pole. As it begins to run low on fuel, it is becoming unstable. Every few thousand years, it coughs out a nearly spherical shell of gas as a layer of helium around its core begins to fuse. The gas ejected in the star's latest eruption is clearly visible in this picture as a faint bubble of gas surrounding the star. The shell of gas, which is both much larger and much fainter than its parent star, is visible in intricate detail in Hubble's portrait. While phenomena that occur at the ends of stars' lives are often quite irregular and unstable, the shell of gas expelled from U Cam is almost perfectly spherical. The image was produced with the High Resolution Channel of the Advanced Camera for Surveys.

An alien world just two-thirds the size of Earth - one of the smallest on record - detected by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is seen in this NASA artist's illustration released by NASA on July 18, 2012. The exoplanet candidate, known as UCF-1.01, orbits a star called GJ 436, which is located a mere 33 light-years away. UCF-1.01 might be the nearest world to our solar system that is smaller than our home planet. Evidence for UCF-1.01 turned up when astronomers were studying a known, Neptune-sized exoplanet, called GJ 436b, seen in the background in this image. The identification of nearby small planets may lead to their characterization using future instruments. In this way, worlds like UCF-1.01 might serve as stepping stones to one day finding a habitable, Earth-like exoplanet.

This composite handout image from data taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys in 2004 and 2005 and the Wide Field Camera 3 in April 2011 shows Herbig-Haro 110 is a geyser of hot gas from a newborn star that splashes up against and ricochets off the dense core of a cloud of molecular hydrogen, released by NASA on July 3, 2012. Although the plumes of gas look like whiffs of smoke, they are actually billions of times less dense than the smoke from a July 4 firework. This Hubble Space Telescope photo shows the integrated light from plumes, which are light-years across. Astronomers now believe that the nearby HH 270 jet grazes an immovable obstacle, a much denser, colder cloud core, and gets diverted off at about a 60-degree angle. The jet goes dark and then reemerges, having reinvented itself as HH 110.

This handout composite image by NASA/ESA from the Hubble telescope, taken between February 1-2, 2010 and obtained on April 23, 2010 shows an image of a pillar of star birth, three light-years high, depicting how scorching radiation and fast winds (streams of charged particles) from super-hot newborn stars in the nebula are shaping and compressing the pillar, causing new stars to form within it. This pinnacle lies within a stellar nursery called the Carina Nebula, located 7500 light-years away in the southern constellation of Carina. The image celebrates the 20th anniversary of Hubble's launch and deployment into an orbit around the Earth. The colours correspond to the glow of oxygen (blue), hydrogen and nitrogen (green), and sulphur (red).

This NASA handout image received 28 August 2007 shows a newly expanded image of the Helix nebula on the the fourth anniversary of the launch of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. This spectacular object, a dying star unraveling into space, is a favorite of amateur and professional astronomers alike. Spitzer has mapped the expansive outer structure of the six-light-year-wide nebula, and probed the inner region around the central dead star to reveal what appears to be a planetary system that survived the star's chaotic death throes. The minimum expected lifetime of Spitzer was only two-and-one-half years. Now, Spitzer's cryogen is expected to last much longer, giving the mission a lifetime of more than five-and-one-half years.

This NASA handout image obtained February 1, 2010 shows the 51st entry in Charles Messier's famous catalog, perhaps the original spiral nebula--a large galaxy with a well defined spiral structure also cataloged as NGC 5194. Over 60,000 light-years across, M51's spiral arms and dust lanes clearly sweep in front of its companion galaxy, NGC 5195. Image data from the Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys was reprocessed to produce this alternative portrait of the well-known interacting galaxy pair. The processing sharpened details and enhanced color and contrast in otherwise faint areas, bringing out dust lanes and extended streams that cross the small companion, along with features in the surroundings and core of M51 itself. The pair are about 31 million light-years distant. Not far on the sky from the handle of the Big Dipper, they officially lie within the boundaries of the small constellation Canes Venatici. AFP PHOTO/Hubble Heritage Team, (STScI/AURA), ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI). Additional Processing:

This artists concept released October 6, 2011 of the pulsar at the center of the Crab Nebula, with a Hubble Space Telescope photo of the nebula in the background. Researchers using the Veritas telescope array have discovered pulses of high-energy gamma rays coming from this object.

This infrared image from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) showcases the Tadpole Nebula, a star-forming hub in the Auriga constellation about 12,000 light-years from Earth. As WISE scanned the sky, capturing this mosaic of stitched-together frames, it caught an asteroid in our solar system passing by. The asteroid, called 1719 Jens, left tracks across the image. A second asteroid was also observed cruising by.

NASA handout image dated February 2011 shows a swirling landscape of stars known as the North America Nebula. In visible light, the region resembles North America, but in this image infrared view from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, the continent disappears. The reason you don't see it in Spitzer's view has to do, in part, with the fact that infrared light can penetrate dust whereas visible light cannot. Dusty, dark clouds in the visible image become transparent in Spitzer's view. In addition, Spitzer's infrared detectors pick up the glow of dusty cocoons enveloping baby stars. Clusters of young stars (about one million years old) can be found throughout the image. Some areas of this nebula are still very thick with dust and appear dark even in Spitzer's view. The Spitzer image contains data from both its infrared array camera and multi-band imaging photometer. Light with a wavelength of 3.6 microns has been color-coded blue; 4.5-micron light is blue-green; 5.8-micron and 8.0-micron light are green; and 24-micron light is red.

GJ1214b, shown in this artist’s view, is a super-Earth orbiting a red dwarf star 40 light-years from Earth. New observations from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope show that it is a waterworld enshrouded by a thick, steamy atmosphere. GJ 1214b represents a new type of planet, like nothing seen in the Solar System or any other planetary system currently known.

This artist's impression shows a red giant engulfing a Jupiter-like planet as it expands.
This artist's impression shows a red giant engulfing a Jupiter-like planet as it expands.

This glowing emerald nebula seen by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope is named RCW 120; it is about 4,300 light-years away in the tail of the constellation Scorpius. The false-color image was created by assigning brilliant colors to wavelengths that are usually invisible to the human eye.

An artist rendering illustrates the newly discovered world (HAT-P-1) that has baffled astronomers, since the planet is much larger than theory predicts, scientists said September 14, 2006. HAT-P-1 has a radius about 1.38 times Jupiter's but contains only half Jupiter's mass.

An artist's impression shows a unique type of exoplanet discovered with the Hubble Space Telescope. The planet is so close it to its star that it completes an orbit in 10.5 hours. The planet is only 750,000 miles from the star, or 1/130th the distance between Earth and the Sun. The Jupiter-sized planet orbits an unnamed red dwarf star that lies in the direction of the Galactic Centre; the exact stellar distance is unknown.

NASA handout image shows an artist's concept of the planet Kepler-16b with its two stars. The cold planet, with its gaseous surface, is not thought to be habitable. The largest of the two stars, a K dwarf, is about 69 percent the mass of our sun, and the smallest, a red dwarf, is about 20 percent the sun's mass. These star pairs are called eclipsing binaries.

NASA handout image shows an artist's concept of the circumbinary planet Kepler-16b - the first planet known to definitively orbit two stars. The cold planet, with its gaseous surface, is not thought to be habitable. The largest of the two stars, a K dwarf, is about 69 percent the mass of our sun, and the smallest, a red dwarf, is about 20 percent the sun's mass. These star pairs are called eclipsing binaries.

This artist's impression shows a sunset seen from the super-Earth Gliese 667 Cc. The brightest star in the sky is the red dwarf Gliese 667 C, which is part of a triple star system. The other two more distant stars, Gliese 667 A and B appear in the sky also to the right. Astronomers have estimated that there are tens of billions of such rocky worlds orbiting faint red dwarf stars in the Milky Way alone.

A handout photo from the European Space Agency released December 10, 2008 shows an artist's impression of the Jupiter-size extrasolar planet, HD 189733b, being eclipsed by its parent star. Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have measured carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide in the planet's atmosphere. The planet is a ?hot Jupiter?, so close to its parent star that it completes an orbit in only 2.2 days. This type of observation is best carried out when the planet's orbit takes it behind the star (as seen from Earth), allowing for an opportunity to subtract the light of the star alone (when the planet is hidden behind it) from that of the star and planet together before an eclipse. This allows astronomers to isolate the infrared emission of the planet and carry out spectroscopic observations that chemically analyse the dayside atmosphere.

Handout picture released June 14, 2005 shows an artist's conception of a newly discovered planet being shown as a hot, rocky, geologically active world glowing in the deep red light of its nearby parent star, the M dwarf Gliese 876. The heat and the reddish light are among the few things about the new planet that are certain, depending on the thickness and composition of its atmosphere - if any - it could range from being a barren, cratered ball of rock like Mercury or the Moon, to being a featureless, cloud-shrouded cue-ball like Venus.

What's with Bollywood divas and married men?

2012-10-18T14:09:00.002+05:30

From Hema Malini to Kalki Koechlin here’s a look at all the celebs who got married to men who were already married once before.

Saif and Kareena are man and wife. This is Saif's second marriage which makes Kareena a member in this list.

Hema Malini was The Dream Girl. She had the grace, the charm, the poise and fans both in and outside the industry. But, she fell in love with Dharmendra during the shooting of their iconic movie Sholay. A whirl wind love affair ended with a secret wedding. Why? Dharmendra was already married to Prakash Kaur. He was so in love with Hema Malini that he converted to Islam so that he could have both the women in his life.

When Sarika announced that she was pregnant with Kamal’s child, it drew stares. Kamal was married to Vani Ganapathi those days. After this announcement, Vani was out, and Sarika came in. The couple had two girls together before Sarika walked out on Kamal because he was allegedly close to Simran and later Gauthami.

Kiran Rao met and became close with Aamir Khan on the sets of Lagaan. Kiran was one of the assistants working on the flick. Aamir was married to Reena Dutta, during this time. Kiran and Aamir tied the knot after he got his divorce from Reena.

Shilpa Shetty was blamed for breaking up ‘their perfect family’ by Raj’s first wife Kavita. Shilpa has time and again denied the allegation.

Shabana was someone who never shied away from talking her heart. When she met Javed Akhtar, they found that they had much in common. They fell in love, hard. That Javed was married with two kids did not deter them.

When Mona and Boney offered Sridevi a temporary residence at their home, little did they know of what would happen next. It was like a movie script – somewhere along the line cupid struck. Boney was head over heels in love with Sri. His family was irked, they refused to accept Sri as their bahu. The duo had a quiet wedding, and now has two kids.

Anurag was married to Arati Bajaj, who edited Gulaal and Dev D. Along came Kalki, and the romance bloomed. Anurag got a divorce from Arati and had a quiet wedding with Kalki.

Her relationships with her co stars made the headlines, but she gave up acting after her marriage to Dr Chamanlal Bali, who was Raj Kapoor’s personal physicians. We are not telling you how the couple met, but she waited patiently for the good doctor’s divorce to come through before getting married to him.

Luxury on wheels by the Indian Railways

2012-10-13T22:26:00.003+05:30

A new luxury train, which will cover tourist destinations in three states, started its maiden journey from Safdarjung railway station in the capital Sunday.

Royal Rajasthan on Wheels' - touted as India's most luxurious train - is a joint venture between Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (RTDC) and the Indian Railways.

The train will run every Sunday between October and April from Delhi. It will travel across three states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh

Consisting of 35 coaches, the train has a ferrying capacity of 82 passengers in one trip. The train has on board a spa, gymnasium, specials suites, deluxe saloons and two restro-lounges which make the journey truly a 'royal experience'

"The train will go to Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Khajuraho and Agra. And the journey will culminate in Varanasi," RTDC chairman Pramod Sharma said. The entire journey would be completed in seven days.

"This train is better than 'Palace on Wheels' as it is more spacious and grander. It has every luxury which anyone would want," said Sharma.

While the journey will cost $4,130 (Rs.2,14,760), one will have to shell out $1,600 (Rs.83,200) per day more if one travels in the special suite.

"So far, the service has been really good and the crew is really hospitable. It would be too early to say anything about the train as the journey has not even started yet," an Australian tourist Kent Vodan told IANS while the train was at Safdarjung station.

On Sunday, as the train started its maiden trip, there were 61 foreign tourists on board.

Astronomy Photographer of the Year

2012-10-13T21:57:00.001+05:30

Britain's Royal Observatory announced the winners of its annual competition for the best space photos of the year - from pictures of deep space to detailed shots of Venus passing in front of the sun earlier this year, captured by photographers around the world.

Japanese photographer Masahiro Miyasaka captured an icy scene in Nagano, Japan, with the blue stars of the Pleiades glowing overhead. Despite the icy glow, blue stars are actually much hotter and more massive than red stars.

Photographer Tunç Tezel captured the earthly lights of towns and villages, spread out beneath the heavenly glow of one arm of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Making the most of an August night, the photographer got this shot after trekking out to the Uludag National Park near his hometown of Bursa, Turkey.

Australian photographer Paul Haese captured a spectacular view of Venus passing in front of the sun in the rare 'transit' in June this year. This is a spectacular view of the active Sun, streaked and blotched with filaments, sunspots and prominences. Venus, a world almost exactly the same size as the Earth, seems dwarfed by the scale and power of our local star.

Crowds around the world gathered to watch the rare moment when Venus passed in front of our sun earlier this year. Photographer Chris Warren captured this image in Blackheath, London, in one shot using a 'Hydrogen-Alpha' filter, when the clouds briefly parted to allow a glimpse of the event

Australian photographer Martin Pugh captured this image of the Whirlpool Galaxy which combines fine detail in the spiral arms with the faint tails of light that show its small companion galaxy being gradually torn apart by the gravity of its giant neighbour. A closer look shows even more distant galaxies visible in the background.

British astrophotographer Damian Peach captured this series of stills of the surface of Mars - offering a complete picture of the hostile world currently being explored by Nasa's Curiosity rover. It shows the gleaming north polar cap of frozen water and carbon dioxide, the red equatorial deserts and the darker southern highlands. The photographer has captured an amazing level of detail, including wispy clouds in the thin Martian atmosphere.

American photographer Robert Franke used narrowband filters to increase the detail in this image of the 'Witch's Broom' nebula - the remnants of an ancient explosion in deep space. Part of the Veil Nebula, the ‘Witch’s Broom’ is the glowing debris from a supernova explosion – the violent death of a massive star. Although the supernova occurred several thousand years ago, the gaseous debris is still expanding outwards, producing this vast ..

American photographer Michael A Rosinski's image blends artificial light, swarms of fireflies, and the long arcs of star trails overhead, captured using long exposures.

10 Interesting Facts About Amitabh Bachchan

2012-10-12T12:58:00.000+05:30

Amitabh Bachchan himself once said, "Everyone must accept that we will age and age is not always flattering."

Though he mouthed the words himself, his very success contradicts the very notion. Amitabh Bachchan may be growing old but he has shown no signs of slowing down and has indeed been the perfect example of 'aging gracefully'. In an era starkly different from his time, the seventies, Bachchan still holds a firm place in the industry and commands a sense of power and respect that is unmatched till date.

1. Amitabh Bachchan is ambidextrous hence, can write with both hands equally well.

2. His father Harivansh Rai Bachchan wanted to name him Inquilab which means 'revolution' but later named him Amitabh which means 'brilliance unlimited'.

3. Amitabh Bachchan wanted to become an engineer and had even contemplated joining the Indian Air Force at one point of his life

4. During his struggling days, Amitabh had spent a few nights on a bench at Marine Drive, Mumbai.

5. During the shooting of the movie 'Khuda Gawah' opposite Sridevi, the, then, President of Afghanistan provided Amitabh with half of his country's air force for protection. The movie was one of the most watched Indian films in the history of Afghanistan.

6. Amitabh Bachchan has a sharp memory. He never forgets the birthdays or special occassions of his close ones and makes it a point to wish them each year.

7. For Amitabh Bachchan, the most beautiful actress in the film industry is Waheeda Rahman.

8. He was the first Asian actor to have a wax model displayed at Madame Tussaud's in London.

9. Amitabh first met his future wife, Jaya Bhaduri at the FIlm and Television Institute of India, Pune and later on the sets of 'Guddi'.

10. He was voted 'Star of the Millenium' by BBC Online above legends like Laurence Olivier, Charlie Chaplin and Marlon Brando

Style check: Who do you think is the hottest?

2012-10-08T15:03:00.001+05:30

Sridevi, Tabu, Manisha - take a look at all your favourite stars and tell us who looks the prettiest.

Bipasha Basu prefers western wear when she attends social events - this time around, she went in for a sari and we just love her style.

Huma Qureshi added colour to an otherwise plain salwar kameez and manages to carry it off with style

Still wondering why Kangana Ranaut is called the style chameleon?

Konkona Sen Sharma looks very pretty, don't you think so?

Manisha Koirala looked dazzling in this dress.

Nargis Fakhri - minus her famous pout - but for the peep toes, we love her chic style.

Sonakshi Sinha was spotted at two different events wearing two different dresses. We feel she looks prettier in her 'desi' girl avatar. What's your take.

Sridevi has every reason to smile as she arrived for the premire of her comeback movie English Vinglish.

Tabu had a fresh glow about her face - but the colour of the sari she picked is not really appealing.

Vidya looks hot in a sari and may be that is why she normally decks up in one. Vidya wore an yellow salwar suit recently at an event and still managed to look dazzling.

Top 10 most well-groomed Indian men

2012-10-07T12:48:00.004+05:30

When it comes to finding a person attractive, many factors enter the game.

Being well-groomed is certainly one of the top few. Indian men have come a long way, over the years, with their grooming sense. Now, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and while it is extremely difficult to have a unanimous list of the top 10, this is an attempt based on popular consensus. They tend to all be actors, but then it’s their job to look good, right?

1. Amitabh Bachchan

Big B is the 'King' when it comes to grooming. He has a style of his own and never fails to look his best.

2. Shahrukh Khan

King khan's grooming skills need no explanation. He just gets it right always!

3. Hrithik Roshan

His grroming skills are simply fantastic. From the simple boy-next-door look in 'kabhi kushi kabhi gham' to the rugged look in 'Dhoom', Hrithik has never failed to impress us.

4. Akshay Kumar

This man seems to get better with age. Like fine wine, “Akki” never fails to get the girls swooning. The fact that he does all his own stunts in the movies has always worked in his favour, because it hints at an amazing fitness level. Being fit is a crucial part of grooming, right?

5. John Abraham

Yes, yes, he appears in a lot of those grooming ads on TV. But that’s no coincidence now, is it? This model turned actor, now a Bollywood veteran has more than his share of female fans. From a top-notch body to great attention to detail when it comes to his haircuts, John Abraham truly deserves his spot in any top 5 list.

6. Ranbir Kapoor

Top honours go to the boy with the lineage. The Kapoor bloodline has presented Bollywood with some scorchers in the past and he’s the latest in line. Proved versatility, coupled with looks that seem to melt knees, Ranbir Kapoor has raced to the top in record time. He learns fast, whether it’s about acting or his appearance. He quickly moved from trying to fit in to setting the trends himself. Currently dating one of the most desirable women in the country, Katrina Kaif, capturing the hearts of our ladies seems to run in his blood.

7. Arjun Rampal

Who can question this model cum actor's grooming skills!

8. Saif Ali Khan

Sporting a new look in every film, Saif is for sure the heart throb of most youngsters

9. Salman Khan

India’s quintessential bad boy has been on women’s lists for two generations now. Here’s another guy who just refuses to grow old. He can pull off just about any look, one reason why he’s sitting pretty with a dream run at the box-office. Comedies and romances to mind blowing action sequences, he has done it all and more. He’s also known to have heart of gold. Combine that with a body that refuses to acknowledge the clock and you have a hero for the ages.

10. Mahesh Babu

Although not as famous as others on the list, Mahesh Babu is gaining popularity and fast! Currently the number one actor of the Telugu film industry and married to the gorgeous NamrataShirodkar, he is a surprising favourite on many lists. Locally known as the “Prince”, his enigmatic screen presence adds to his appeal, apart from his inherent good looks.

Top 5 brother-sister duos of Bollywood

2012-09-22T14:00:00.000+05:30

There are a few brother-sister duos in the tinsel town which have made their presence felt time and again. Take a look

1. Soha and Saif Ali Khan

Saif & Soha, star kids of yesteryears' actress Sharmila Tagore, resemble a lot to each other and that's not all, this duo shares quite a lovely relationship with each other. Both are an integral part of the film industry though their career graphs have gone different ways. Saif has definitely been able to carve a niche for himself while Soha's presence on the screen has been very limited. They are yet to share the screen space.

2. Zoya and Farhan Akhtar

Born to veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar, both Zoya and Farhan have come across as immensely talented individuals. The duo is young, energetic and manages to strike a chord with the youth by the means of their work. Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, followed his brother, to venture into the arena of direction, where his brother is a pro. Recently, the two of them worked together in 'Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara' which turned out to be a monster hit.

3. Ekta and Tusshar Kapoor

Children of wonderful old hand Jeetendra, this duo has been rocking the Bollywood for quite some time now. While Ekta is the queen of TV soaps, Tusshar too is gradually gaining ground in the industry. Recently, they collaborated in 'Shor in the City' which won huge critical acclaimed all over. Ekta Kapoor has again roped in her brother Tusshar Kapoor for her home project 'Dirty Picture,' which will have Vidya Balan playing Silk Smitha.

4. Farah and Sajid Khan

While Farah is one of the most celebrated choreographers and directors in the industry, Sajid too has enjoyed a good degree of success as a director, after having failed to perform well as an actor. The two are known for their affable relationship and are spotted at several parties and events. The duo has churned out quite a few hits in the past, some of them being - 'Housefull', 'Main Hoon Na' and 'Om Shanti Om'. Farah also choreographed a song for Sajid's 'Housefull'.

5. Kareena and Ranbir Kapoor

Quintessentially the most successful brother-sister duo in Bollywood. It's another matter that they happen to be first cousins and are not born to the same parents. Both have demonstrated their fine acting skills in their respective careers and are two of the most sought after actors of Bollywood. Interestingly, once when the actress was asked if she was willing to be paired romantically opposite Ranbir in a film, the actress admitted that she wouldn't mind doing the role if the audience wanted to see the pair on-screen.

Guess what was Sridevi’s best b’day gift?

2012-08-24T23:48:00.004+05:30

A certain debutant director recently paid a tribute to Sridevi on her birthday and gave her a special gift

Actress Sridevi, who celebrated her birthday on August 13, got a special gift from one of her fan. He is not just an ardent fan of the actress but the director of the upcoming romantic musical thriller ‘JANLEVA 555’, Sandeep Malani

Sandeep Malani, who has been her fan since his childhood, recently met Sridevi on her birthday at her residence and gifted the actress the collage poster of her entire filmography

This poster collage included films right from ‘Julie’ to her latest upcoming film ‘ENGLISH VINGLISH’

Apart from the photo collage, the most important and precious gift that Sridevi received on her birthday was a childhood photo with her parents whom she misses dearly. This was a photograph that she had lost many years ago and was thrilled to see it

Sridevi loved the gift and was touched by Sandeep Malani's gesture

The poster that director Sandeep Malani made for Sridevi

10 countries with cheapest petrol prices

2012-08-24T23:41:00.000+05:30

A research conducted by Evans Halshaw revealed the cheapest countries in the world for petrol. Click on the slideshow below to see who these are:

10. Iran
Price per litre: Rs 18.41
Cost (Spending) per month: Rs 2223.40

9. Algeria
Price per litre: Rs 14.90
Cost per month: Rs 1799.94

8. Kuwait
Price per litre: Rs 14.90
Cost per month: Rs 1799.94

7. Turkmenistan
Price per litre: Rs 14.90
Cost per month: Rs 1799.94

6. Libya
Price per litre: Rs 13.15
Monthly cost: Rs 1586.89

Bahrain
Price per litre: Rs 13.15
Monthly cost: Rs 1586.89

4. Qatar
Price per litre: Rs 10.52
Cost per month: Rs 1270.39

3. Saudi Arabia
Price per litre: Rs 8.76
Cost per month: Rs 1058.87

2. Egypt
Price per litre: Rs 7.89
Cost per month: Rs 953.44

1. Venezuela
Price per litre: Rs 7.01
Monthly cost: Rs 846.93

HOW AMAGING PICTURES ARE !

2012-08-05T15:26:00.000+05:30

Less famous star kids

2012-08-04T20:08:00.000+05:30

In B-Town, acting is something that runs in the blood. Almost all star kids are bitten by the 'acting bug' - Ranbir, Sonakshi, Sonam...but there are lesser known ones too. Take a look

Meet Alia Bhatt. Mahesh Bhatt's daughter Alia is a big girl now and she will be making her debut with Karan Johar's Student of The Year. Talking to media recently, Alia said she did not want to be launched by her father because it would have become all too easy for her then. Alia has a sister Shaheen - click next to find out what she is doing.

Ace Bollywood filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt's second daughter, Shaheen Bhatt, has entered the tinsel town and she is busy assisting director Vikram Bhatt on his upcoming film RAAZ 3. Mahesh announced about the debut of his daughter in the world of Bollywood on micro-blogging site. "My daughter Shaheen begins her journey as an assistant with Vikram Bhatt who was once my assistant!" Mahesh tweeted to his fans.

We spotted Namrata Dutt along with her daughters Saachi and Siya at Sanjay Dutt's birthday bash.

Namrata who is married to Kumar Gaurav who is the son of Rajendra 'Jubilee' Kumar. We had spotted Saachi a couple of months back at Shilpa Shetty's baby shower. Click on for more pictures of star kids.

We spotted Saachi, (the pretty girl in the middle in a white top), Namrata Dutt and Kumar Gaurav's daughter along with Manyaata Dutt at Shilpa Shetty's baby shower. Given that the Dutt women stay away from Bollywood and Sanjay Dutt recently saying he would not allow his own daughter to act, we wonder what career Saachi would pursue. A look at other celeb kids.

We spotted this lil girl in a white salwar kameez during the prayer meeting held for Rajesh Khanna.

She is the late actor Rajesh Khanna's daughter Rinke's lil girl. We do not know her name, but we wonder if she will ever consider acting after she grows up.

Junaid, Aamir Khan's son from his marriage with Reena Dutta is all set to enter Bollywood. But no, he will be working behind the scenes. He will be the first assistant director for his father flick Peekay

Meet Rinzing, Danny Denzongpa's son. We spotted him walking in to pay his respects to Dara Singh last week.

There is a new star kid in B-Town raring to take the showbiz plunge. Suniel Shetty's daughter Athiya, all of 18, is making heads turn with her traffic-stopper looks and the buzz is that it is only a matter of time before she makes her Bollywood debut. The buzz about Athiya gearing up for a Bollywood debut has also gained ground because dad Suniel was spotted having a chat with Ranbir Kapoor a few days ago.

File photo of Athiya with her mom

Athiya recently returned from the US after finishing a course in filmmaking and liberal arts at the New York Film Academy. Two years ago, Suniel and his wife Mana had visited the US to choose the best university for their daughter's admission. Reported to be strict parents, the Shettys were extremely watchful about their daughter's education. Now that she is back, they are said to be planning Athiya's Bollywood..

Athiya has a younger brother named Aahan Shetty.

Saif and Amrita's daughter Sara did a cover shot with mom in January. While many speculated that it was her first outing to the world of glitz and glamour, Sara was quoted as saying she wanted to go to Yale and for higher studies.

Don't mistake him for Ranbir Kapoor. Boney Kapoor's son Arjun has a striking resemblance to Ranbir. Arjun Kapoor, has become slimmer now under the guidance of Salman Khan and has also acted in a movie.

Jackie Shroff's son Tiger Shroff is set to debut in Sajid Nadiadwala’s next film.

After Sonakshi, her elder brothers - twins Luv and Kush Sinha - too are going to hit the big screen.

Harshwardhan Kapoor - Anil Kapoor's son

After Akshaye andRahul, Vinod Khanna is readying to launch his teenage son Sakshi (from his second marriage) in Bollywood.

Zeenat Aman with her son Azaan.

Malhar -Nana Patekar's son.

Siddhant Kapoor - Shakthi Kapoor's son.

Chiranjeev- Ranjeet's son

Imaad Shah -Naseeruddin Shah's son

Mimoh Chakraborty - Mithun Chakraborty's son

Sanaa Panscholi - Daughter of Aditya Panscholi and Zarina Wahab

Unlike his dad Dev Anand, Suneil Anand never made it big in Bollywood,

London 2012 Opening ceremony

2012-07-31T23:12:00.000+05:30

London 2012 Opening ceremony

Photos: London 2012 Opening Ceremony

Fireworks explode over the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games on July 27, 2012 in London, England. Athletes, heads of state and dignitaries from around the world have gathered in the Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony of the 30th Olympiad. London plays host to the 2012 Olympic Games which will see 26 sports contested by 10,500 athletes over 17 days of competition. Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images

The Olympic Rings form during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England

Olympic Rings rise over Olympic Stadium during the 'Isles of Wonder' Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games held in London, England held on July 27, 2012

Stems lit by seven young athletes raise to form the Olympic Cauldron during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium July 27, 2012.

The Olympic cauldron is seen alight during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium July 27, 2012. REUTERS/David Gray

The Olympic Flame is lit during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium July 27, 2012.

Britain's Steve Redgrave holds the Olympic Flame aloft before he passes it to the seven final torchbearers during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games in the Olympic Stadium July 27, 2012.

The Olympic flag is carried during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium July 27, 2012.

Fireworks explode over the Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games July 27, 2012.

Athletes of participating countries stand in the middle of the Olympic Stadium during the athletes parade at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, July 27, 2012.

The Olympic rings are seen during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in London July 27, 2012.

Performers take part in the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium, July 27, 2012

Fireworks explode during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games in
Weymouth, southern England, July 27, 2012.

A person dressed as Queen Elizabeth II parachutes into the Olympic stadium during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England.

Children representing the Great Ormond Street Hospital, the NHS and children literature take part in the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 27: Performers dance during the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on July 27, 2012 in London, England.