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More and more Britons feel marriage a burden (Go To Top)

          London: A new survey conducted by the Office of National Statistics has worried psychologists after it was found that 14 million Britons are currently living alone and enjoying every minute of it, reports the Sun. The survey also revealed that the number of one-member households in Britain has doubled in the past 30 years and specialists are attributing the trend to the ever-increasing divorce rates and the mindset of the younger generation who view marriage as a burden. According to psychologists, the trend has emerged mostly because younger people are attracted to the prospect of having a free- spending lifestyle with no commitments. Psychologists call this the 'me, me, me' generation, who are not ready to give up their freedom at any cost and do not want to make the compromises and adjustments that come along with being married. However, they are also worried that this might prove to be harmful when these people grow older, as then they will have no one to turn to. "While they consider themselves independent and cutting edge they are clearly being naive when it comes to what the future might hold for them," the report quoted Professor Geoff Beattie, head of psychology at Manchester University, as saying.

Marlon Brando was in awe of a divorce lawyer (Go To Top)

         New York: Legendary actor Marlon Brando had kept away from the prying eyes of fans and paparazzi by turning his hilltop Los Angeles home into a fiercely guarded personal fortress. Brando's razor wire and security cameras, however, failed to deter a divorce lawyer named Marvin Mitchelson. Mitchelson had agreed to take on the 'Godfather's' ex-wife Anna Kashfi as a client despite the fact that she had signed a supposedly unbreakable agreement that barred her from seeing their son, Christian. According to the New York Daily News, Mitchelson came up with a petition claiming that Brando's sex scene in 1972's 'Last Tango in Paris' made him an unfit father. The maverick lawyer then hired a process server who landed by helicopter on the lawn of Brando's Mulholland Drive, marched into the star's bedroom and thrust the court papers into his face. "Brando was so awed by my chutzpah that he finally agreed to meet me," said Mitchelson. Brando and Mitchelson then worked out better visitation terms for Christian and his mom, after a series of meetings. "During the meetings, Marlon and I also read poetry to each other from my collected works of Shakespeare," the report quoted Mitchelson as saying.

007's son may be next spy (Go To Top)

          London: Actor Roger Moore's son, Geoffrey Moore, is one of the actors being considered to play the spy in the next Bond flick. According to The Sun, it has been 19 years since his father Roger Moore acted as the suave spy. Moore junior has acted in three films, but is known more for being the owner of two London restaurants. Geoffrey's lifestyle is reportedly very similar to that of the suave spy. "Geoffrey is like a real-life Bond. He looks the part, too. He's a dashing upper-class restaurateur who lives a real jet-setting lifestyle. If anything, he is more like James Bond than his dad." a source was quoted as saying. Other contenders for the part include "X-men" actor Hugh Jackman and "Cold Mountain" star Jude Law.

Sir Elton John to be honoured (Go To Top)

          London: Music veteran Sir Elton John will soon add another feather in his cap by becoming a Fellow of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters. According to the BBC, Sir Elton John's induction also marks the golden jubilee of the Ivor Novello Awards. The British Academy will appoint five Fellows to mark the anniversary, with Sir Elton as the first recipient. "I am honoured and humbled by this recognition.The Ivor Novello Awards are all about the art of songwriting which has always been my passion," Sir Elton was quoted as saying. The presentation will be made during the TV show 'Elton John - An Ivor Novello Tribute' to be screened by the BBC later in the year. John will receive this accolade for his commitment to music and songwriting throughout his career. With this honour he will join the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Malcolm Arnold and John Barry as Fellows of the British Academy.

iPod hits the million mark, is world's largest music site (Go To Top)

          London: After the one-year old music site iPod, which allows Internet users to download songs, recently recorded its 100 millionth legal download, it has become the largest legal music site in the world, reports the BBC. iPod, which is owned by IT giants Apple Computers, started operations in the US in May last year and was launched in Europe last month. iPod features 700,000 songs which users can download. The one-millionth song was downloaded by US user Kevin Britten, who has won a computer, an iPod player and a gift voucher which allows him to download 10,000 songs for free. According to company representatives, since its launch iPod has gained more than 70 percent of the market share for legal downloads.

Tony Blair's toilet paper put up for auction on E bay (Go To Top)

          London: Nothing remains private when you are the British Prime Minister, not even your toilet paper. This was revealed after a 20-year old student, Matthew Blaney, stole Tony Blair's toilet paper and put it up for sale on the auction site eBay. According to The Sun, Matthew stole the paper at a reception that was held at No 10, Downing Street, to honour special achievements in education He has now removed the advertisement after Blair's aides found out and filed a charge against him for trying to sell stolen property.

Superman' director quits project after dispute with Warner Bros (Go To Top)

          London: Superman has acquired a cult status since the birth of the popular comic strip. However, plans of making a new version of Superman have been disrupted by the departure of Charlie's Angels director McG. According to The BBC, Warner Brothers are said to have parted amicably with McG following a dispute over the reported 200 million dollar budget. It is also believed that McG wanted to shoot in New York while the studio favoured Australia. McG, whose real name is Joseph McGinty Nicol, is also said to have argued over the casting with the studio. "When I flew to New York to scout, I became enamoured with our greatest American city," the report quoted McG as saying. "It was clear to me that this was Metropolis. As a filmmaker, I felt it was inappropriate to try to capture the heart of America on another continent. I look at Superman as a character that embodies all that is beautiful about America," he added.

No buyers for water from Diana's memorial fountain (Go To Top)

         London: Nobody has bid for the bottles of water from Lady Diana's memorial fountain that have been put up for auction on the Internet site, eBay. According to The Mirror, a man from Watford collected the water in 500 ml bottles when the Queen inaugurated the fountain last week. Despite his offer to give 50 percent of the proceeds to charity, nobody has bid for the bottles which have been on the site for five days. "After costs, I will be giving 50 per cent of the profit to charity. So, if you can't get to the fountain, I can send you part of it," the seller was quoted as saying. The choppy water at the top of the two-tier memorial illustrates the turmoil of her marriage. The calm pool at the base of the fountain symbolizes the peace that Diana found in later life. There have been a lot of attempts to cash in on the late princess' name. The hearse that carried her coffin was put up for auction for 100,000 pounds, while her former beau James Hewitt wanted to sell their love letters.

Paris Hilton withdraws case against release of her sex tapes (Go To Top)

          New York: Hotel heiress Paris Hilton has reportedly ended her legal battle with ex-beau Rick Salomon for videotaping her bedroom romps and then marketing the tapes in lieu of monetary profits. According to a report in the New York Daily News, Salomon and Red Light District Video have supposedly agreed to pay Hilton about 400,000 dollars and also a share of the profits made by releasing the video tape titled "One Night in Paris." Salamon has also withdrawn a lawsuit in which he had alleged defamation charges against Paris and her reps, the report adds. "Paris is certainly not capitalizing on the tape," an insider was quoted by the report as saying, however the he didn't rule out that money is changing hands. "She has insisted that an ample portion of the proceeds are donated to charity," added the insider.

Sly Stallone wants to do Rocky VI (Go To Top)

          Washington: Action man Sylvester Stallone, who immortalized the character of Rocky Balboa, in the "Rocky" series, has revealed that fans might just get to see "Rocky VI." According to Zap2it.com, the 58-year old actor who wrote as well as starred in all the five "Rocky" movies, is in talks with filmmakers to make the sixth part. Stallone, who had received two Oscar nominations in 1977 for the first "Rocky" movie, also divulged that the movie will be based more on George Foreman's character than on boxing. "We're pushing towards that. I think it will come to fruition, it's pretty much based on what George Foreman is doing and has done with his life. So, to me, it gives it credibility. It takes it away from just about boxing. It's about a certain ideal," the report quoted Stallone as saying.

Blind man attempts to be the first to fly around UK (Go To Top)

          London: Steve Cunningham, a man who lost his sight at the age of 12, took the controls of a light aircraft yesterday in his attempt to become the first blind person to fly around Britain. According to The Telegraph, Cunningham, 41, took off from Biggin Hill, Kent, on the first leg of a five-day journey and arrived four hours later in Newcastle. He will now fly on to Glasgow, Belfast and Cardiff. Cunningham, a native of Banbury, Oxon, has already entered the record books by breaking speed records to become the fastest blind man on land and water. He is also the skipper of the England blind football team and a keen golfer. Cunningham flies the 'Piper Warrior' plane accompanied by Vincent Coultan, his co-pilot, and is aided by a talking software that allows him to receive constant updates on the plane's height, position and speed at the touch of a button. "Vince is there primarily to keep a lookout for other aircraft in the sky and to ensure that the information I am getting from the software is correct," the report quoted Cunningham as saying.