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India, Proteas declared joint winners Dhaka, Apr 21: Both India and South Africa were on Monday declared joint winners of the triangular one-day series here as rain made play impossible for the second day. The final was to be played on Sunday but was postponed until Monday due to heavy rain. Play got under way on time but after 17 overs the teams were forced off with India, who won the toss, on 46 for three. Bangladesh, the other team in the series, lost all their four group matches earlier in the tournament. In the last game before the final, South Africa beat India on Friday by five wickets. US envoy Blackwill quits New Delhi, Apr 21: United States ambassador to India Robert D Blackwill has quit the job, it was reported on Monday. He is returning home to teach at the Harvard University. Blackwill said he had already informed President Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice of his decision to return during a visit to Washington earlier this year. Though no time limit has been set, Blackwill is understood to have said that he would pack his bags by the end of this summer to continue his academic career. The American envoy has been in New Delhi for less than two years. Since the beginning, rumours had been there that Blackwill would not complete his full term for his inclination towards India as far as Pakistan-sponsored terrorism is concerned. Blackwill did not specify any precise reason for his decision, but in the power corridors of Washington sources said the ambassador was unhappy with the State Department and the White House for not backing aggressively enough his agenda of improving ties between the two countries (India and Pakistan). Though Blackwill earned much fame in India, he was widely criticised too for his autocratic behaviour as on several occasions he broke the protocol of the Indian adminstration. On one occasion, he left Rashtrapati Bhawan even before the departure of the President. But, despite that, he enjoyed an excellent rapport with and instant access to senior ministers, particularly Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani. One killed, eight injured in Kargil shelling (Go To Top) Kargil, Apr 21: The border town of Kargil came under intense shelling late last week as Indian and Pakistani troops fired artillery shells across a ceasefire line dividing the Himalayan region. Four houses and a school were damaged in shelling in Kargil, 220 km east of Srinagar. Locals said one labourer was killed in the shelling on a school premises. "One of the shells fell near the school premises, then when I went inside to take my child there was smoke in the school. Then another shell fell near the school and in this one labourer at the school was killed," an unidentified resident said. Thursday's shelling also injured eight others, including a child. A resident who was injured in the shelling said more than 30 to 40 shells exploded in the periphery of their town. Residents took shelter in bunkers and life came to a standstill in Kargil, which was the scene of a bloody clash in 1999 as Indian troops battled guerrillas occupying strategic mountain tops. Schools were closed down for a week due to the intense shelling. Zambian President arrives, seeks to boost bilateral ties (Go To Top) New Delhi, Apr 21: Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, on a seven-day official visit to India, was accorded a ceremonial reception in New Delhi on Monday. Mwanawasa said his visit is aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation in agriculture and industry. He said there is a lot Zambia can learn from the Indian experience of agricultural growth and food management. Like several of its neighbours in southern Africa, Zambia is in the midst of a food crisis that has been compounded by the region's AIDS pandemic. The Zambian President will hold a series of bilateral meetings, including with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Monday evening. Mwanawasa will also tour industrial centers and visit two irrigation projects. India and Zambia have cooperation in a range of sectors, including human resource development, defence, banking and power. Saddam Hussein in Iraq, claims Ahmed Chalabi (Go To Top) London, Apr 21: Toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein is still in Iraq, a key Iraqi opposition leader Ahmad Chalabi told a British news channel on Monday. "Yes, he is in Iraq. Yes, he is moving around," Chalabi, who heads the Iraqi National Congress, claimed in an interview. 11 killed in Indonesian highway collision (Go To Top) Jakarta, Apr 21: Eleven people were killed and 11 injured, four critically, when two buses and a minibus collided in the town of Cikarang just east of Jakarta on Monday, hospital sources said. A bus heading out of Jakarta collided with a minibus while overtaking, said the area police. Mulayam arrest stayed till May 16 (Go To Top) Lucknow, Apr 21: The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday stayed the arrest of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and six others till May 16 in connection with the 136 FIRs filed against them at the instance of UP Chief Minister Mayawati. Bahujan Samaj Party chief and Mulayam's known political foe Mayawati had ordered the state police to lodge FIRs against Mulayam and his partymen in relation to alleged misappropriation of funds during Mulayam's chief ministership. This followed the filming of an in-house BSP meeting and subsequent release of its video cassette and CDs to the media showing Mayawati asking her partymen to make "contributions" out of their MLA/ MP Development Fund. China accords red carpet welcome to Fernandes (Go To Top) Beijing, Apr 21: Defence Minister George Fernandes was accorded a red carpet welcome here on Monday. He arrived here on a 7-day official visit for high-level talks on bilateral ties, regional and international issues of common concern. The visit is seen as a prelude to the much-talked about trip by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee later this year. On his first-ever trip to China, Fernandes was given the ceremonial guard of honour at the headquarters of the Central Military Commission. Earlier, the defence minister was officially received by his Chinese counterpart General Cao Gangchuan. The two also exchanged greetings and shook hands. The defence minister is heading a 16-member high level delegation which includes defence secretary Subir Dutta, secretary defence production NS Sisodhia, Vice-Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Shantanu Choudhary, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice-Admiral R Gopalachary, besides top officials of the ministries of defence and external affairs. Trident distribution to continue in Rajasthan: VHP (Go To Top) New Delhi, Apr 21: Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has said it would not give up its progamme of distributing tridents to its followers in Rajasthan despite the Supreme Court ban. The statement came barely a few hours after VHP leader Praveen Togadia was granted bail by a sessions court in Ajmer. Togadia was arrested on April 13 on charges of violating the SC order which banned distribution of tridents. He was also charged with delivering an inflammatory speech at a public meeting in Ajmer. The rightist organisation said it would continue distributing tridents in order "to oust the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajsathan". The state goes to polls in nearly six months from now. Speaking to reporters, VHP vice-president Acharya Giriraj Kishore said, "We will intensify our agitation in Rajasthan ... we will throw out the anti-Hindu Government." Pak ready for unconditional talks with India (Go To Top) Islamabad, Apr 21: Pakistan has said it is ready to hold unconditional talks with India. The statement assumes significance even as it came just a few days after Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's softening of stance on the idea of holding talks with the neighbouring country. On the other hand, India said it would clear its stand on Thursday. Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Pakistan foreign ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said Pakistan welcomed Vajpayee's statement suggesting that the outstanding bilateral issues should be resolved through talks. Asserting that Pakistan was not in favour of setting any pre-conditions, Khan said, "dialogue can start only when there are no pre- conditions attached to it."
Body doubles are hot in Hollywood (Go To Top) London, Apr 21: Having a body double is not just limited to Saddam Hussein. Celebrities the world over are using lookalikes to fool stalkers and fans. Britney Spears was apparently inspired to hire a lookalike who acts as a decoy to distract stalkers after an aide told her that Saddam used the technique to avoid assassination, while the Colombian singer Shakira hired a double last January after receiving death threats. Eminem, who is afraid of being shot, employs a man named Particles, while Russell Crowe was reported to have used a lookalike to deflect press interest in his wedding. Michael Jackson also regularly uses body doubles for security purposes, reports Sydney Morning Herald. But who are these doppelgangers and to what lengths do they have to go to convince people that they are the real deal? Kevin O'Brien, who owns OBS security, a favourite firm of VIPs, says that pulling it off requires almost military precision: "Fans are not stupid - they will clock very quickly if something is amiss. They obviously have to get the dress, the look and the mannerisms down to a T," he was quoted as saying in the report. Andy Harmer, 24, a David Beckham lookalike, is used by the footballer for many of the adverts in which Beckham stars. "They are shot over a couple of weeks and, obviously, David can't be there all the time, so he uses me for wide shots, behind shots and shots of my hands and legs," says Harmer, in a Beckham-esque accent. But for some, being a body double requires more than a simple haircut. Navi is one such person - he has been used by Michael Jackson as a decoy and wishes simply to be known by his first name. "I have had surgery to my nose and other parts of my face," he says. "It is what it takes for me to do my job well. And it works - there have been times when newspapers have printed a picture of me, thinking I was Jackson." Arnie's "I'll be back" named best film line (Go To Top) London, Apr 21: A list compiled by Odeon Cinemas has named action star Arnold Schwarzenegger's line "I'll be back" from the 1984 hit 'Terminator' as the best film line of all time. Clark Gable's line, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," from the 1939 classic 'Gone With The Wind' occupies the second place followed by Tim Robbins's "Get busy living, or get busy dying" from the critically-acclaimed 1994 film 'Shawshank Redemption.' Arnie also occupies the fourth position with his line, "Hasta la vista, baby," from the 1989 sequel of Terminator, called "Terminator II Judgment Day." "These lines are so well-known they are in everyday speech," an Odeon spokesman was quoted as saying by the Sun. Becks buries hatchet with team-mate Giggs (Go To Top) London, Apr 21: The differences between soccer star David Beckham and his Manchester United team-mate Ryan Giggs have been resolved after the 27-year old England skipper visited Ryan's new-born daughter Liberty and fiancie Stacey Cook at the Hope Hospital in Salford, Greater Manchester. Ryan was glad when Bechkam took out time to spend an hour with his fiancie and their premature baby last week, according to a report in the Sun. The Manchester United aces, who came up through the ranks together, fell out when Ryan announced he was dating blonde Stacey, the ex-girlfriend of Beckham's best mate Dave Gardner. "Beckham wanted the visit to be as low-key as possible. He was keen to be there as a gesture of friendship to Ryan. He was sneaked in through a back door and chatted to Stacey before admiring Liberty in her incubator," a source said. J. Lo flirts with French fashion, US fans disappointed (Go To Top) Washington, Apr 21: Sexy Jennifer Lopez would definitely upset millions of American fans for agreeing to star in a series of new commercials for French fashion house 'Louis Vuitton' Patriotic stars have already started attacking J.Lo for her decision to work for the fashion house after the country refused to support the American-led war in Iraq. According to a report in TeenHollywood, nothing seems to stop the pop star from teaming up with LV's leading designer Marc Jacobs for a the new advertisements. "I wanted a contemporary icon, a sophisticated, influential and sexy woman," Jacobs says. The advertisements will appear in magazines and on billboards this summer. Charles "worried" about Harry's chain-smoking (Go To Top) London, Apr 21: Prince Harry's chain-smoking habit has become a matter of grave concern for his father, Prince Charles. The 18-year-old smokes heavily in his free time and especially at a night out where he often smokes 20 cigarettes. And he isn't bothered that his habit upsets his father, who has been keeping a close watch on him since he admitted smoking cannabis two years ago. "Harry has been chain-smoking for years. His dad nags him constantly about it but he really doesn't care. Harry just does his own thing and won't listen to his father's advice," a Royal insider was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph. "Harry really enjoys smoking. He knows his dad is very against it but he does not care. He's been smoking for the past few years, although he obviously tries not to be seen smoking in public. Behind closed doors though and at parties he is always lighting up. He loves a drink as well and the two sort of go together. Harry's never without a packet of cigarettes and he does tend to smoke quite heavily these days," added a friend. Charles is also said to be concerned about his younger son's relentless partying and wayward behaviour, which is affecting his studies. "As a father, Charles worries about both his sons, but especially Harry. He is always saying how worried he is that he's going to go off the rails," said a family friend. Beckham's watch a big hit in English footballing circles (Go To Top) London, Apr 21: David Beckham's 36,000-pound diamond- encrusted watch is fast becoming the centre of attraction in English footballing circles. His England team-mates Kieron Dyer and Jermaine Jenas spotted him wearing the Jacob and Co timepiece and now both have one. Beckham's former Manchester United team-mate Dwight Yorke, who now plays for Blackburn, also bought one. But Yorke and Newcastle United's Dyer and Jenas bought the 7,000- pound versions of the watch. "After David was seen with the watch, I was inundated with inquiries from footballers," Simon Walton, of Newcastle jeweller Berry's, was quoted as saying by the Sun. |