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Charles meets 'Diana' in Mumbai! London, Nov 5: Prince Charles met Lady Diana's lookalike, Martina New, in Mumbai at a reception yesterday. According to the Sun, the 40-year old, elegant blonde is a German married to a journalist based in India and is often mistaken for Diana. She says it's nothing new for her as she has learnt to live with it. Prior to this, Prince Charles clapped off the filming of an Anglo-Indian movie, `The Rising', by snapping the traditional wooden clapperboard amidst loud applause. Charles ended his nine-day tour to India on Wednesday by visiting Cheshire-sponsored old age home here. (Details in Travel News) Emergency declared in Sri Lanka Colombo, Nov 5: Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in the country and called for a meeting with the National Security Council (NSC), the service commanders and the acting police chief to discuss the present security situation. (Contd) Tandoor Case sentencing deferred till Thursday New Delhi, Nov 5: Arguments on the sentencing of former Delhi Youth Congress leader Sushil Sharma and another convict in the infamous Tandoor murder case was postponed by a day after the public and lawyers inside and outside the Tis Hazari courtroom here created a commotion. Additional Sessions Judge G.P. Thareja announced on Wednesday that he would decide on the sentencing after hearing arguments presented by the prosecution and the defence at 12 pm on Thursday. The decision was taken after Special Public Prosecutor A P Ahluwalia was repeatedly interrupted while seeking the death sentence for Sharma for killing and burning the body of his wife Naina Sahni in a tandoor in 1995. Justice Thareja also ordered that the entry of people, the media and lawyers be restricted to allow the court to function smoothly. He said that only one representative each from media organizations and a total of 50 lawyers would be allowed at the next hearing. The Bar President would be consulted in this regard, he added. Thareja said that Delhi Police Commissioner R.S.Gupta should ensure that a "cool and calm" atmosphere prevails in the court till the sentence is pronounced. Fencing LoC a violation of UN Charter: Pak (Go To Top) Islamabad, Nov 5: India is violating the UN Charter and breaching the agreement with Pakistan by fencing the Line of Control (LoC). This is what the Pakistani military officials told a delegation of heads of missions from as many as 27 countries yesterday. "Erection of fence on the LoC is clear violation of the UN Charter and breach of ceasefire agreement between both the countries," the Dawn quoted the military officers as telling the visiting guests on Tuesday. General Officer Commanding Major General Wasim Ahmed Ashraf and Brigade Commander Brigadier Iftikhar reportedly briefed the delegation. "Neither of the sides can bring any change, whatsoever it could be, in the LoC," they said while referring to the UN Charter. Benazir acquitted in SGS case (Go To Top) Islamabad, Nov 5: A Geneva tribunal on Tuesday quashed the sentence awarded to Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) chairperson and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Asif Ali Zardari in the much publicised SGS case. The Tribunal de Police of Switzerland heard the appeal filed by Benazir, Asif Ali Zardari and Jens Schleglmilch against the order of Swiss Investigation Magistrate Devaud, who had earlier proposed a suspended sentence against them, the News quoted PPP spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar as saying Tuesday. Babar said the tribunal's findings and its order, quashing the proposed sentence, would now be communicated to the general attorney of Switzerland who will decide as to what to do with the case. According to the well-informed sources, the controversy over the SGS-Cotecna bribery refuses to die down. Even though Bhutto has been successful in her appeal, her reputation has been damaged by the Swiss conviction - especially in the eyes of the international community. An invitation for her to attend a seminar in Norway, for example, was withdrawn after the verdict was announced. Linda Tripp wins damage case against Pentagon (Go To Top) London, Nov 5: Ex-White House aide Linda Tripp has won a 355,000 pounds payout for being defamed by the Pentagon in the aftermath of the Clinton-Lewinsky affair, after a judge ruled that privacy laws had been broken. According to the Sun, Tripp, 53, had sparked a sex scandal that shook President Bill Clinton's presidency, by taping the conversation of her pal Monica Lewinsky, pertaining to her romps with the President. She had then handed over the tapes to the investigators probing Clinton's conduct. The Defence department in retaliation leaked personal information to discredit her, she claimed. MI5 spied on Pak embassy in London: Report (Go To Top) Lahore, Nov 5: The British intelligence agency "MI5" recently carried out a spying operation inside the Pakistan High Commission in London. British Home Secretary David Blunkett reportedly authorised the operation. The operation was run under the cover of restoration work that took place at the high commission last year. Quoting a report in the Sunday Times, the Daily Times reported that the MI5 planted informers and secret agents inside the embassy, stole codes used by embassy staff to send secret messages, and planned to plant listening devices and remove sensitive documents. The operation was conducted through a building contractor-turned- MI5 agent, who quit before the extensive bugging could be carried out and confessed his role to the Pakistani embassy. For carrying out the operation, the MI5 secret agent, who was code-named as "Notation", was paid tens of thousands of pounds and told that the intelligence agency would never work with him again. Later, in a disclosure to the Pakistani embassy, he said he quit the operation because he felt his cover could easily be blown and his life was in danger. According to the report, Notation was actually one of the bidders for the contract to restore the dilapidated high commission building. Noting that he had easy access to document archives in the building including some folders marked `confidential', he tried to contact MI5. After encountering some difficulty at first, he got in touch with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), who got him in touch with Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist branch. He eventually got an MI5 handler, the codename 'Notation', and a salary. He was given the task of using his position as contractor to get detailed information about the high commission's layout, including the offices of the military, air and naval attaches, which MI5 planned to bug. He managed to get an agent into the building disguised as a surveyor checking whether the building had any dangerous materials. The "surveyor" got detailed information of the building's layout, including diplomatic offices, and even managed to photograph documents in several filing cabinets that were open. Some of the restoration work was on the top floor, which housed a cipher machine used by diplomats to send home confidential messages. Notation got three other MI5 agents disguised as repairmen into the building to move the machine, whose secret codes they copied from a post-it note on the wall. They also planned to "accidentally" break the machine so they could take it in for repair work and get it bugged, the report adds. A similar "repair" job was envisaged for the telephone switchboard. MI5 also intended to steal all the visa applications gathering dust in the high commission basement. Notation would convince high commission staff he could get the sensitive documents destroyed by a reputable company and then turned into pulp, for which the high commission would get paid, when the documents would actually end up at the MI5 offices. However, the operation broke down after Notation quit. Later, he wrote a letter to a British government official, forwarding copies to the American and Pakistani embassies, exposing the whole affair and saying MI5 ran the operation ineptly, the report concludes. Emergency declared in Sri Lanka (Go To Top) (Contd) The NSC meeting was called even as the security situation in the country was described as tense after Kumaratunga sacked three key Cabinet ministers and prorogued Parliament for 15 days on Tuesday. Kumaratunga, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, is chairing the first NSC meeting after taking over the Defence Ministry in the absence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is on an official visit to the U.S. The suspension of Parliament till November 19 was described as a move to stop Wickremesinghe's United National Front (UNF) Government from presenting its second budget with various relief measures to the public sector on November 12. Wickremesinghe described Kumaratunga's moves as desperate and irresponsible and said they could plunge the country into chaos and anarchy. He said he would continue with his schedule in Washington, including a meeting with President George W. Bush at the White House on Wednesday. "Well as far as I am concerned first I am in U.S.A., I am finishing that trip as planned, then I go back to Colombo, where the majority of members of parliament support this government," he said. Kumaratunga's action came three days after the LTTE, fighting for a separate homeland for minority Tamils in the north and east of the island-nation, unveiled power-sharing proposals. The Tigers are yet to make any official statement on the latest developments that may have far-reaching consequences on the Norwegian-brokered peace process. However, the pro-rebel Tamilnet Web site said that the ''prospects for peace'' in Sri Lanka had ''dimmed'' after the President sacked the three ministers.
London, Nov 5: Oscar winner Halle Berry says one downside of playing 'Catwoman' in her new movie is that she suffers from terrible wind, reports the Sun. The star has reportedly been on an ultra-healthy diet to fit into her slinky PVC suit, which plays havoc with her bowels. "I'm on all these protein drinks and the methane gas is shooting out of my butt. I'm trying to get really feline and slim but still lean. And the protein supplements just give you wicked gas", she says. Yuck! `Commander' Crowe terrified of the sea! (Go To Top) London, Nov 5: Oscar-winner Russel Crowe was forced to confront his fear of the sea for his latest role in the seafaring epic 'Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World'. The star believes his phobia stems from being stranded at sea as a small boy after his boat ran out of fuel, reports the Sun. "I've always thought I wasn't very good on boats. At first I was using travel sickness pills", he says. But, Russell said that his acting has helped him deal with his terrors. "The character I was playing had no problems with it, so I had no problems if I just played the character", he said. Another J Lo fragrance! (Go To Top) Washington, Nov 5: Jennifer Lopez has launched a second perfume 'Still- Jennifer Lopez', aimed at the over 25s at a glitzy party in New York. After convincing fans to splash out on her first fragrance Glow, J Lo has brought out a new smell, which according to her, is more sophisticated and more sensual, reports TeenHollywood. "There's time when you feel more sensual, more sexy, more sophisticated. You just have a whole different feeling about you that day, and I just feel like you change your scent for the different moods you get in", says the singer-actress. Cruz and Hayek turn bank robbers! (Go To Top) New York, Nov 5: Beware! all bankers. Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek are all set to rob a bank. According to a report in IMDb, the "Vanila Sky" star and the "Desperado" beauty have teamed as a pair of bank robbers for a new yet-to-be-titled movie. Spain-born Cruz and Mexico native Hayek have been offered roles in French producer Luc Besson's upcoming comedy Western, which is set in Mexico. "Penelope and Salma have been close friends for several years. They've always wanted to work together, and they are delighted that Luc has come up with a production that could well give them that opportunity", said Katrina Bayonas, whose Kuranda International Management represents Cruz. Valentine's Day nuptials for Diaz, Timberlake? (Go To Top) New York, Nov 5: Can someone hear the wedding bells? Well, soon you will, as another celebrity couple is expected to tie the knot early next year. Any guesses for who it could be. For sure it's none other than Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake. According to a report in IMDb, the "Charlie's Angels" star and pop singer are planning their wedding on Valentine's Day next year. The nuptials between the two would fulfil a fortune-teller's prediction that the actress would wed before the end of next year. "Justin and Cameron were at a friend's birthday party in Bel-Air and a fortune teller was hired by the host to entertain guests. When he read Cameron's palm he told her that she would be married before the end of the year. She believes it's in the stars and that Justin is her true soul mate and that their future together is meant to be", a source told British tabloid the Daily Star. The glamorous pair have been dating since June, and romantic Justin, 22, is said to have popped the question to 31-year-old Cameron over dinner at home. "It was during one of their recent nights in that Justin proposed. Since it was spontaneous, he didn't have a ring ready - so he improvised and gave her a ring that he's had since he was a child - a simple gold band engraved with his initials," the source continued. Nicole Kidman is ready for marriage! (Go To Top) New York, Nov 5: Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman has finally declared she is ready to marry again, fueling reports she's planning to wed her rocker boyfriend Lenny Kravitz. According to a report in IMDb, the couple's relationship has strengthened in recent months and the duo has now reportedly bought a plush New York apartment together. "I'd be totally into getting married again, and I'd love a baby. I'm willing to take on a lot for love, but it's hard because of the fame thing," said "The Hours" star told British magazine Marie Claire. Aguilera and Pink bare their fangs! (Go To Top) London, Nov 5: There was bound to be trouble when two of the biggest divas in showbiz hit town on the same night. While Christina Aguilera threw a glitzy London party to celebrate her UK 'Stripped' tour, on the other end was outrageous rocker Pink who was in London to drum up sales for her new album, 'Try This'. Christina struck first by banning Pink from her after-show bash, where guests included Minnie Driver and Enrique Iglesias. Among the other prominent banned guest was Kelly Osbourne. The bad-girl rocker struck back with her own party at the ultra posh Sanderson hotel, where Christina was staying. Needless to say Christina was not invited. According to a report in the Sun, there has always been a bubbling feud between the two since the making of the record Lady marmalade for the hit film Moulin Rouge. Eminem Tee's turn deadly! (Go To Top) Washington, Nov 5: The rapper always manages to create a ripple, wherever he goes, but this time round his T-shirt was enough to kick off a deadly fight in Kucukcekmece district in the Turkish capital of Istanbul. According to a report in website ratethemusic, vendor Hayrettin Demir was selling the T-Shirts and shouting "Eminem", which 19- year-old Dilaver Akkurt deemed as an insult to his mother. Apparently, things got out of control when Akkurt told Demir that his mother's name was Emine, while 'Eminem' means "my Emine" in Turkish. A knife scuffle broke out between the two men and Demir died of multiple stab wounds at the scene of the fight. The cops have detained Akkurt, who is currently being treated for stab wounds at a local hospital and are on the lookout for a friend, who they believe, is the actual killer and is roaming free. -ANI |