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'Deskfast' replaces breakfast

         London: Market analysts Datamonitor have revealed in a new study that the pressures of modern living and demanding careers are forcing people to skip their breakfast for 'deskfast'. According to the Daily Mail, the report identified a market worth 1 billion pounds among workers who delay eating until they get to their desk, a tendency called as 'deskfast' by the researchers. "The major reason people are skipping breakfast is not because they don't value it as an important meal in the day," said Daniel Bone, consumer analyst at Datamonitor, and lead author of the study. "The problem for many is the general day-to-day pressures of working life that make them feel as though they can't spare the time. Young children's eating habits are following their parents with many arriving at school having not eaten. People are replacing breakfast with a snack mid morning instead," added Bone. The study went on to reveal that that the average person went without the first meal of the day on 113 occasions last year and the number is expected to rise to 120 a year by 2008. Moreover, the figure of people missing breakfast in London is much higher than in other places, with the French missing breakfast just 77 times each a year, the Germans 72 times, Italians 41 times and Spaniards on 31 occasions.

'Wardrobe malfunction' strips Miss Universe (Go To Top)

         Sydney: Talk about handling an embarrassing moment with grace. That's what Jennifer Hawkins, Australia's Miss Universe had to deal with when her dress fell off yesterday. According to The Daily Telegraph, she handled one of the worst "wardrobe malfunctions" ever seen with great poise when the bottom section of a stunning blue-and-gold gown that she was modelling for fell down around her ankles in front of a huge crowd at Westfield Miranda. Hawkins didn't panic or try to fix it, but simply turned on her stilettos and cruised off stage. "She came and said a few words and she went to walk off and seemed to trip on her dress. The dress fell about her knees, she giggled and then rushed off," an onlooker was quoted as saying.

Beer named after Madonna is called 'Material Girl Ale' (Go To Top)

         London: Here is some good news for all beer drinkers, you can now order a bottle with pop icon Madonna's picture on it, called the 'Material Girl Ale.' According to The Sun, launched by the British brewers JW Lees, the new range of the ale has 7.5 percent alcohol content and the brewers describe its flavor as 'nutty and fruity.' JW Lees has currently released three hundred bottles of the ale and they say that they have made the brew in order to commemorate Madonna's first concert in Manchester, which is a part of her re- invention tour, after a gap of 10 years. The makers call the collection 'Material Girl Ale" and they presented a crate to Madonna before a recent gig in Paris. "We brewed the ale to mark Madonna's return to Manchester after ten years. She played the Hacienda in 1994 and we thought that it would be a good way to mark her first gig back in Manchester. We know she likes an ale and thought this one was a little bit special," the report quoted a spokesperson for J W Lees as saying.

Jackson's 'King Kong' to be more battered and ancient (Go To Top)

          Wellington: Even as the cameras are ready to roll for Peter Jackson's remake of the 1933 iconic flick "King Kong," he is already giving insights into his King Kong's character, which he promises will be old and battered with no empathy for living things. According to New Zealand Herald, the "Lord of The Rings," director has promised that the movie, which is slated for a December 2005 release, will be a visual feast and it will also dwell deeper into King Kong's nature. The movie, which stars Oscar winner Adrian Brody, 'The Ring' actress Naomi Watts and Jack Black, will also adapt the actor's roles to fit the 21st century. However, Jackson said that he will not 'bend over backwards' to make the film more politically correct. "We're really just attempting to make a wonderful mysterious adventure film. At the end of the day it's about gorillas, it's about dinosaurs and lost islands," the report quoted Jackson as saying. "Our King Kong is very battered, he's very ancient, he's the last of his particular race on this island. His folks are all dead and there are no more after him. He's the final survivor and he's a very old gorilla. He has never felt a single bit of empathy for a living creature in his long life," he added.

Another 'JK Rowling' in the making? (Go To Top)

          London: Writing children's books is not child's play anymore, just ask author Michelle Paver, who has earned a record 3 million pounds as advance for her first novel "Wolf Brother." According to the Sun, the 44-year old author, who is now being touted as the next J K Rowling, has set her story in the forests of Northern Europe and goes back to the middle stone age, 6,000 years ago. The book revolves around a 12-year old hunter boy Torak, who befriends an orphaned wolf cub. To research the book, the Oxford University alumni actually lived amongst tribal hunters in the forests of Northern Europe. The book has reportedly caused quite a sensation since it's release in America and Japan, and "Lord of The Rings" actor Ian McKellen has lent his voice to the audio version of the book. Michelle's spokesperson has revealed that she has penned down the next five sequels to the book and they will together be called the "Chronicles of Ancient Darkness." "We were amazed at how much Wolf Brother has made. It touches a nerve deep in the human mind," the report quoted him as saying.

Hugh Jackman to take Kabbalah pilgrimage to Israel with Madonna (Go To Top)

          London: Madonna now has company for her forthcoming Kabbalah pilgrimage to Israel with 'X-Men' star Hugh Jackman reportedly set to join her. Jackman and his wife Deborra Lee Furness are planning to travel to Israel with Madonna to celebrate the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah and he has reportedly cancelled a date at the Australian Rules Grand Final in Melbourne where he was booked to sing the Aussie national anthem. "It will be quite the media event for Kabbalah. This all comes a month before a publicity extravaganza in October, including a billboard on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard to promote a book on the red string - which wards off the evil eye - as the got-to- have religious fashion accessory of the season," MSNBC quoted an insider as saying.

Bollywood and cricket turns damp squib for Indo-Pak peace (Go To Top)

         Karachi: Plans to enhance bilateral peace between Pakistan and India through an exhibition match in the UK featuring Indian and Pakistani cricketers and a Bollywood concert has been scrapped. The Asia Europe Cricket Festival was to be held at the Liverpool Cricket Club in the UK and included a concert for 30,000 people, reports The News. The Indian and Pakistani Test stars were to have played an International XI captained by former Australian skipper Steve Waugh. But organisers at the Wirral-based Asia Europe Group were forced to cancel the event after some of players said they were not interested. "We wanted to use current Test players from the Indian and Pakistan teams because they are the biggest draw for spectators. The problem was the amount of cricket fixtures," said "Majid Lavji, Managing Director of Asia Europe Group. Liverpool Cricket Club manager John Perry, however, claimed that Lavji had reneged on his agreement to hold three fixtures. "They were supposed to hold it last weekend but we haven't heard from him for three months. We had hours of meetings with him and he was promising this, that and the other and it didn't happen. We could have held the Bollywood concert here because we have a licence for 35,000 people," Perry said. "Cancelling three matches obviously causes quite a lot of disruption to the league. He would have to come back with proposals that are lot more concrete if we were to have it next year," he said, adding that the concert and cricket match had received the backing of the Liverpool City Council.

Naomi Watts struggles to match Fay Wray in `King Kong' (Go To Top)

         Sydney: Actress Naomi Watts has revealed that playing "Ann Darrow" in "King Kong", the role made famous by Fay Wray in the 1933 classic movie, was quite difficult. Watts, who met Wray, 96, just before she died last month, said that the actress had done complete justice to her role in the original black and white movie. "Those are big shoes to fill. She did a wonderful job. Going back and seeing the movie several times and seeing what she did, it's quite beautiful," The Herald Sun quoted Watts as saying. Wray was forever remembered for her screams while in the grasp of the giant gorilla, but Watts is optimistic that the role would not leave her typecast. "I've done quite a lot of different work before this movie and hopefully people won't suddenly see me as only this role," said Watts. The remake, being directed by "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson, will also feature Adrien Brody and Jack Black.

The 10 best places to spot aliens revealed (Go To Top)

         London: If you are a big fan of Steven Speilberg's E.T. you are surely going to like this. According to The Sun, researchers led by UFOlogist Nick Pope, a former Defence ministry chief, have already compiled a list of sites in Britain most visited by extra-terrestrials. "Our hotspots exhibit up to 20 times as many sightings as anywhere else. It is difficult to arrive at a precise number but it is certainly possible to gauge the intensity of current UFO activity," he was quoted as saying.

          The top 10 hotspots to look out for aliens: -Bonnybridge A town near Falkirk that is considered to be world's UFO capital with more than 100 sightings till date. Flying saucers and hovering cigars are the two most common sights. -Cley Hill It is famous for crop circles and many people believe the patterns are caused by spaceships. -Great Orme A remote beauty spot on the north coast of Wales, this place has been the subject of intense extra-terrestrial activity since 1997. -Bedhampton Musician Abby Parker videoed a UFO over this suburb of Havant, Hampshire, in May 2002. -Walthamstow UFO's have been spotted in this suburb of East London. -Bonsall A village, near Matlock, Derbys witnessed UFO activity when housewife Sharon Rowlands shot a video showing a pulsating disc that changed colours and hovered for several minutes before it then flipped over and zoomed away. -Rendlesham A group of American airmen were confronted by an alien spaceship in Rendlesham Forest on two nights in December 1980. -Bexleyheath Children reported seeing an alien spaceship in 1955, making the Kent suburb one of the earliest UFO sites in the world. -Glastonbury Children reported seeing an alien spaceship in 1955, making the Kent suburb one of the earliest UFO sites in the world. -Buckingham Palace A horrible creature was photographed outside the Queen's London residence in August last year.