Daniel Radcliffe to star in ‘Brooklyn Bridge’

05:35 , 0 Comments

‘Harry Potter’ star Daniel Radcliffe is all set to star in ‘Brooklyn Bridge’, written and directed by Douglas McGrath.
UK banner Goldcrest Films will finance, distribute and sell international rights of the movie which starts filming this August, reported Contactmusic.
“Having Daniel’s involvement is a massive coup for the film, not only is he perfect for the role, but he’s consistently proved himself to be one of the very few actors who is genuinely a massive draw for audiences of all ages,” said Degove, managing director of Goldcrest Films.
The movie is inspired by true story and narrates story of a young engineer who is left to oversee the construction of Brooklyn Bridge after his father passes away.

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‘Camp X-Ray’ after ‘Twilight’ was exciting

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‘Twilight’ actress Kristen Stewart, who plays a young military woman in ‘Camp X-Ray’, said she was initially nervous to take up her latest role.
The 23-year-old actress said she was sceptical about people’s response but was also excited to play a “larger than herself” character, reported Contactmusic.
“I was so nervous when I first started working and preparing because I didn’t think that people would believe me or think that I looked tough in a uniform,” Stewart said.
“I was excited to play someone, who was standing up to something much larger than herself,” she added.
The film follows a young woman who joins the military and ends up as a new guard at Guantanamo Bay prison.

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Kay Kay Menon to play Shahid evil uncle

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Kay Kay Menon has recently bagged some interesting movies like ‘Bombay Velvet, Shaatir’ and now the actor will be seen reprising a prominent role in Shahid Kapoor’s ‘Haider’.
Being an Indian onscreen adaptation of Hamlet, Haider will have Kay Kay Menon’s character inspired by Claudius, the evil uncle of ‘Hamlet’.  However, the actor said that his role will be very different from the Shakespearean characterization and is far more interesting than the original one.
‘Haider’ is a film set in the 90s and is being majorly shot in Kashmir. Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, Haider also has Aashiqui 2 actress Shraddha Kapoor.

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ive reasons to watch Salman Khan’s ‘Jai Ho’

05:33 , 3 Comments

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan is back with his action-packed avatar in his brother Sohail Khan’s directorial venture ‘Jai Ho’. The wait for all Salman Khan fans, who had been eagerly awaiting the film’s release, is over. With just two days left for the release of ‘Jai Ho ‘, we give you five reasons why you should and must watch the Salman Khan film.
1. The last time you saw Salman Khan on silver screen was in ‘Dabangg 2′, that released almost 2 years ago in 2012 . Last year, Bollywood’s other two Khans – Aamir and Shah Rukh – made their magic work on Box Office with smash hits ‘Dhoom: 3′ and ‘Chennai Express’ respectively. And now it’s superstar Salman Khan’s turn to claim his position at Box Office. ‘Jai Ho’ being the second big release of 2014 and looking at ‘Dedh Ishqiya’s BO results, it is safe to assume that Salman’s film will cash in big at the counters.
2. ‘Aam Aadmi’ is the flavour of the season. With Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party forming the government in the nation’s capital, no one now underestimates the power of common man. Though Salman Khan said on a television show recently that ‘Jai Ho’ is a tale of revenge, the resonances of eulogising the common man cannot be ignored. The patriotic spirit may also be high seeing that ‘Jai Ho’ releases two days before the Republic Day.
3. Versatile actress Tabu is also returning to the silver screen after Ang Lee’s ‘Life of Pi (2012). Tabu, who plays Salman Khan’s elder sister in the film, is looking gorgeous in the promos of the film.
4. Even Aamir Khan wants to watch ‘Jai Ho’! Mr. Perfectionist, who has stayed away from masala entertainment genre, is also eagerly waiting for the film. The actor, who didn’t promote his own release ‘Dhoom: 3′, is leaving no stone unturned to create a buzz around the Salman Khan starrer. Aamir has been frequently tweeting about the movie and has asked Salman for a screening befor the release. Aamir tweeted: “…waiting to watch your film Salman! release se pehle dikhade mere bhai… JAI HO!!” He has even begun his own countdown for the movie.
5. Salman Khan, who is known to have introduced talented actresses like Sonkashi Sinha and Katrina Kaif to Bollywood, is all set to bring another actress to the fore front – Daisy Shah. Even During the promotions Daisy has been very vocal about her respect for the ‘Dabangg’ Khan.

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Amitabh Bachchan, Lata Mangeshkar

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Remembering him as a “wonderful human being”, megastar Amitabh Bachchan and melody queen Lata Mangeshkar today mourned the death of Telugu movie icon Akkineni Nageshwara Rao.
The 91-year-old actor, popularly known as ANR in the south film industry, passed away on Wednesday (January 22) morning after losing his battle with cancer.
“Another great iconic legend of cinema passes away this morning: Nageshwar Rao, of Telugu cinema, a most affable considerate human! Akkineni Nageshwar Rao, legend of Telugu cinema, formed the incredible duo with another legend NTR, leaves behind incredible legacy,” Bachchan, 71, tweeted.
84-year-old Mangeshkar remembered meeting Nageshwara Rao during an award show four years ago.
“The great Telegu artist Akkineni Nageshwara Rao today left for the heavenly abode and I am deeply saddened. He was not just a great artist but a wonderful human being. I had the opportunity to meet him four years ago… I had received an award from him. May god bless his soul and I pray for his family,” Mangeshkar tweeted.
Actress Sridevi also paid tribute to the actor, saying his passing away marked the end of an era in Telugu cinema.
“”An era comes to end-the doyen of Telugu Cinema.RIP Nageshwar Rao Garu,” Sridevi tweeted. Director SS Rajamouli wrote: “An attitude towards life.. Wish we could learn a bit from him.”
“An actor, a gentleman and a cinematic phenomena Akkineni Nageswara Rao Garu. Have learnt a lot from him. Will miss him and his performances. RIP,” tweeted Anupam Kher.
Similar to his father Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek also took to the micro-blogging site to express his grief over the death of the legendary actor. “And the industry loses another Legend. RIP A Nageshwara Rao garu. A true inspiration. Thoughts and prayers for his family,” wrote Abhishek Bachchan.
Actor Riteish Deshmukh and his actress wife Genelia also condoled the loss. “Legendary A Nagrswara Rao – RIP – deepest condolences to the family and loved ones – Huge loss,” Riteish wrote.
“RIP ANR Garu, was my honour to be launched in the Telugu Industry by you. Strength and prayers to the entire fly,” Genelia posted on Twitter.
Besides them, actors Anil Kapoor and Siddharth too expressed sadness over Rao’s death.
“A true legend and a giant has left us. RIP Akkineni Nageswara Rao garu. What a life. What a man. Will cherish every second I spent with you,” tweeted Siddharth.
“My dear friend Nagarjuna’s father the great Nageshwara Rao passes away. One of the greatest romantic Hero’s. RIP, ” wrote Anil Kapoor.
Actor Prakash Raj and filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, on the occasion recalled the acting stalwart’s contribution in bringing the Telugu film industry to the forefront.
“Apart from numerous other contributions ANR was the most instrumental in bringing the Telugu film industry to Hyderabad,” Varma scribed.
“Thank you ANR garu. For entertaining us. For your studios, for your children, for being a pioneer in bringing Telugu film industry to Hyderabad. RIP!,” Prakash Raj posted on Twitter.

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One million pound security at David and Victoria Beckham’s London home?

05:32 , 0 Comments

Star couple David and Victoria Beckham have reportedly splurged one million pounds to ensure security at their property here.
The couple with their four children Brooklyn, 14, Romeo, 11, Cruz, 8, and Harper, 2 are intending to move to the new multi-million pound house, which would have state-of-the-art security features and a special panic room, reported Contactmusic.
“They will have a panic room, a 24-hour, 60-camera CCTV system they can check from anywhere in the world, and fingerprint-recognition entry phones,” a source said.
Victoria, a fashion designer, is installing a manicure and hair salon and spa into the property, while her former star footballer husband David has requested an elevator and luxury kitchen, which his pal Gordon Ramsay has helped design.
“He has advised on the best equipment. There will even be a dessert station and room to cater for up to 50 people,” the source said.
Victoria’s interior designer friend Kelly Hoppen is also helping the duo with the installations and makeovers at their London home.

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Bradley Cooper returns to Broadway after eight years

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Bradley Cooper is all set to return to Broadway after a gap of eight years by playing the lead in a revival of Bernard Pomerance’s ‘The Elephant Man’.
The 39-year-old Cooper, who has been nominated in the best supporting actor category at the Oscars for his role in ‘American Hustle’, was last on Broadway opposite Julia Roberts and Paul Rudd for 2006 play ‘Three Days of Rain’.
In ‘The Elephant Man’ Cooper will play the role of John Merrick, a severely deformed and soulful figure, reported Entertainment Weekly.
‘The Elephant Man’ hasn’t been performed on Broadway since 2002.
The role of Merrick has been memorably played by John Hurt in David Lynch’s 1980 film adaptation.

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Reason why Sonam Kapoor has been missing from award shows

05:31 , 0 Comments

The absence of Bollywood’s style diva Sonam Kapoor from the red carpet has not been missed. Here’s the readon why the actress, who leads the fashionistas of B-Town at the red carpet of any award show, is missing from the action.
Sonam Kapoor, who has had a successful 2013, courtesy ‘Raanjhanaa’ and ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’, was actually busy attending a family wedding. Sonam Kapoor, who is quite active on the social media posted pictures of her cousin’s (maasi’s son) wedding on Instagram.
In the photos you can see a very happy looking Sonam Kapoor in what seems like a floral printed kurta. Sonam captioned the image: “Wedding happiness!! My brother is getting married!!! Yayyyy!!!”
Besides, Sonam Kapoor also posted images of the groom, saying: “The most handsome!! The groom! #karannammah #bhaiyaa!!!”
She also introduced us to the new addition in the family: “The very happy bride! @nammyq #karannammah #brotherswedding #happiness”
Sonam is also keeping busy or the remake of Khubsoorat in which she stars in the lead role. The film is produced by her sister Rhea Kapoor and directed by Shashank Ghosh.
Besides Khubsoorat, Sonam has ‘Bewaqoofiyan’ and ‘Dolly Ki Doli’ in the pipeline.

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Watch trailer: Sunny Deol, Harman Baweja in ‘Dishkiyaaoon’

05:31 , 0 Comments

Bollywood actress turned producer Shilpa Shetty Kundra is out with her maiden venture ‘Dishkiyaaoon’. The film has B-town’s angry man Sunny Deol in a new revamped avatar, along with model-actor Harman Baweja.
The first power-packed trailer of the film has just released and it does look like a promising one. Harman Baweja, who has not had the best of career in Bollywood, is making a comeback of sorts with ‘Dishkiyaaoon’.
The movie is about the story of two small men who are on their way to make it big in the world of crime. The story revolves around a gangster Viki Kartoos (Harman Baweja) and action man Lakwa (Sunny Deol).
Sunny Deol, who is known for his angry avatars on screen, will surely surprise you with his ‘Harayanvi’ accent. Though from the first promos the movie looks like any other movie of action crime genre but Sunny Deol’a ‘Haryanvi’ avatar can surely be a catch.
‘Dishkiyaaoon’ also stars Aditya Pancholi, Prashant Narayanan and Ayesha Khanna in pivotal roles. The film co-produced by Erod International on March 28.

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Another Bengal shocker: 20-year-old tribal woman gangraped in Birbhum as ‘punishment for affair’

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A 20-year old tribal woman was allegedly gangraped at Labhpur in Birbhum district by 13 persons as they were apparently against her affair with a man from a different community.
Police said all the 13 accused have been arrested while the woman is in a very critical condition at Suri Hospital after her rape on Tuesday night.
The woman’s family filed a complaint with the Labhpur police station that the incident happened following a meeting by her community leaders who decided to mete out the ‘punishment’ for her ‘crime’ of being in love with someone outside her community.
Refusing to give details, ASP Prashanta Chowdhury said “prima facie, she was gangraped and we have rounded up 13 persons. No more details.”
The youth with whom the girl reportedly had an affair has also been arrested apart from the 13 locals who have been slapped with charges of gangrape and causing grievous injury to a woman, police sources said. The charges against the youth are not clear.
A section of locals told the media the incident took place after a kangaroo court of tribals gave the shocking ‘verdict’ but this could not be officially confirmed.
A teenaged tribal girl was paraded naked in the district four years ago for the same reason, which had sparked an outrage in the state and women’s organisations were up in arms.

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Russians study Islamic video threatening Sochi Winter Olympics

05:27 , 0 Comments

Russia’s counter-terrorism agency says it’s studying a video posted by an Islamic militant group that asserted responsibility for suicide bombings that killed 34 people last month and is threatening to strike the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Security experts say the Russians are right in taking the threat seriously.
The video was posted online Sunday by a militant group in Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim republic in Russia’s volatile North Caucasus. The Olympic host city of Sochi lies only 500 kilometers (300 miles) west of Dagestan.
Two Russian-speaking men featured in the video are identified as members of Ansar al-Sunna, the name of a Jihadist group operating in Iraq. It was unclear whether the men in the video had received funding or training from that group or only adopted its name.
There was no confirmation the two men were the suicide bombers who struck the southern Russian city of Volgograd last month as the video claims. Scores of people were also injured by the bombings of a train station and a bus.
Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee said Monday it was studying the video and would have no immediate comment. The video couldn’t be viewed in Russia, where Internet providers cut access to it under a law that bans the “dissemination of extremist materials.”
In Washington, a Pentagon spokesman Monday said the U.S. has offered support to the Russian government as it conducts security preparations for the Winter Olympics. Rear Adm. John Kirby said the U.S. will offer air and naval support, including two Navy ships in the Black Sea, to be available if requested “for all manner of contingencies,” in consultation with the Russian government.
The video was released by the Vilayat Dagestan, one of the units that make up the so-called Caucasus Emirate, an umbrella group for the rebels seeking to establish an independent Islamic state in the North Caucasus.
Doku Umarov, a Chechen warlord who leads the Emirate, had ordered a halt to attacks on civilian targets in 2012. But he rescinded that order in July, urging his followers to strike the Sochi Olympics, which he denounced as “satanic dances on the bones of our ancestors.” The games run from Feb. 7-23.
sochiThe Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya claimed last week that Umarov was dead, but the claim couldn’t be verified. The Vilayat Dagestan statement said the Volgograd attacks were carried out in part because of Umarov’s order, but it didn’t specifically say he had ordered them.
Dagestan has become the center of an Islamic insurgency that has engulfed Russia’s North Caucasus after two separatist wars in Chechnya. Militants seeking to create an independent state governed by Islamic Shariah law in the Caucasus launch daily attacks on police and other authorities there. One of the two ethnic Chechen brothers accused of staging the Boston Marathon bombings spent six months in Dagestan in 2012.
Andrei Soldatov, an independent Moscow-based security analyst, said the video threat need to be taken seriously.
“They have capabilities to strike beyond the North Caucasus, which they demonstrated in Volgograd,” he said. “It’s extremely difficult to stop a ‘lone wolf’ suicide bombing attack.”
Georgy Mirsky, a respected Russian expert on the Middle East, said the video reflected the increasingly close ties between Jihadists in the Caucasus and elsewhere. Russia’s war against Caucasus militants has made it an enemy on par with the United States and Israel for militant Islamic groups in the Middle East, he wrote on his blog.

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More than 60 workers clearing mines kidnapped in Afghanistan’s Herat province

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Unknown gunmen on Tuesday seized more than 60 Afghan workers clearing Soviet-era anti-tank mines in western Herat province, the largest mass kidnapping undertaken in an economically important area now beset by security problems.
Herat, which borders Iran, has long been plagued by kidnappings. But a sharp downturn in security in the traditionally safe province is a worrying sign ahead of the departure of most foreign forces by the end of this year.
More than 60 Afghans working for the British demining group The Halo Trust had arrived at a village in Pashtun Zarghun district before 8 AM to begin clearing anti-tank mines let over from the 10-year Soviet occupation of the 1980s.
“When they arrived, armed people on motorbikes came and forced them to get into their vehicles and made them drive to a nearby village,” The Halo Trust’s country director, Farid Homayoun, told Reuters.
The kidnappers forced the deminers out of the cars and marched them towards nearby mountains. They have not been seen since. “Some deminers were able to escape but over 60 staff are still with those people and at the moment the local shura are in negotiation for their release,” Homayoun said, using the Afghan word for council.
Provincial police have been sent to the village. No one has claimed responsibility for the kidnappings. A small group of deminers was held for a week by Taliban fighters in more volatile southern Kandahar district in April last year before being released.
In Herat, a commercial hub, kidnappers have generally targeted rich business people or their families, with residents staging strikes and protests to draw attention to the issue.
Bombings and insurgent attacks had been infrequent in Herat until recently, but security has deteriorated sharply in recent months. Residents told Reuters it had become dangerous to travel through districts bordering the provinces of Farah and Baghdis.

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Chill returns to the US as storm dumps more than a foot of snow

05:25 , 0 Comments

A swirling storm clobbered parts of the mid-Atlantic and the urban Northeast in the U.S. on Tuesday, dumping nearly a foot and a half (45 centimeters) of snow, grounding thousands of flights, closing government offices in the U.S. capital and making a mess of the evening commute.
The storm stretched 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) between Kentucky and Massachusetts but hit especially hard along the heavily populated corridor between Philadelphia and Boston, creating perilous rides home for millions of motorists.
The National Weather Service said Manalapan, New Jersey, got 15.5 inches (39.4 centimeters) of snow, Philadelphia got slightly more than a foot (30 centimeters) and Brookhaven, near Philadelphia’s airport, got 15 inches (38 centimeters). It said parts of New York City had 10 inches (25 centimeters).
chill3The snow came down harder and faster than many people expected. A blizzard warning was posted for parts of Massachusetts, including Cape Cod.
Highways in the New York City metropolitan area were jammed, and blowing snow tripled or even quadrupled drive times.
Parts of the northeastern New England states saw initial light snowfalls turn heavier as the night wore on. Foxboro, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island, each received about 11 inches (28 centimeters) of snow, and Stamford, Connecticut, got 9 inches (23 centimeters). Forecasters said the storm could be followed by bitter cold as arctic air from Canada streams in.
chill2In Maryland,the storm was blamed for at least one death in the state, that of a driver whose car fishtailed into the path of a tractor-trailer on a snow-covered road 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Baltimore. And police said the storm might have claimed more lives: A preliminary investigation showed wet conditions played a role in a two-vehicle crash that killed two people in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
The storm was a conventional one that developed off the coast and moved its way up the Eastern Seaboard, pulling in cold air from the arctic. Unlike the epic freeze of two weeks ago, it wasn’t caused by a kink in the polar vortex, the winds that circulate around the North Pole.
This second fierce blast of winter weather is sapping fuel supplies in many regions in the U.S. and sending prices for propane and natural gas to record highs.
Customers who heat with natural gas or electricity probably won’t see dramatically higher prices, in part because utilities typically buy their fuel under longer-term contracts at set prices. But propane customers who find themselves suddenly needing to fill their tanks could be paying $100 to $200 more per fill-up than they did a month ago.
About 3,000 flights for Tuesday were canceled, with airports from Washington to Boston affected. More than 1,000 flights for Wednesday were called off as well. Amtrak planned to cut back passenger train service.
The rush to get home early by many workers was evident in Philadelphia, where many commuter trains were packed.
chill1The storm put a damper on New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s inauguration, forcing the cancellation of an evening party. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick postponed his annual State of the State address, and the Philadelphia Flyers postponed their Tuesday night ice hockey game.
Schools in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky stayed closed for an extra day after the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday or sent students home early.
Federal workers in the Washington area also were given the day off.

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Many dead as Pakistani air force pounds militant hide-outs

05:25 , 0 Comments

The Pakistani air force pounded militant hide-outs near the Afghan border on Tuesday, killing dozens of people following deadly bombings against security forces in recent days.
Elsewhere, a roadside bomb killed 20 Shiite pilgrims in a separatist province, and gunmen opened fire on workers administering polio vaccinations, killing three people.
The Pakistani government has come under heavy pressure to aggressively tackle a surge in militant violence instead of solely relying on efforts to start peace talks with the Taliban-led insurgents.
The airstrikes in North Waziristan came after the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for a bomb that killed 26 soldiers Sunday when it tore through a military convoy inside an army compound in the nearby Bannu area. A suicide bomber also killed 13 people, including eight security personnel, Monday in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near the capital of Islamabad.
The Pakistani military in recent years has carried out several offensives against the Pakistani Taliban in the tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, but North Waziristan has largely been spared. The U.S. has repeatedly struck the area with drone strikes targeting militant commanders.
There were conflicting claims about who was killed in the airstrikes, which began late Monday and continued into early Tuesday. A military official speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media said they killed 40 insurgents, but two residents said civilians were among the dead.
Habib Dawar, who lives in Mir Ali, one of the towns that was struck, said many residents sleep in the open out of fear their homes might be hit.
“How would the jet fighters know who is living where and who is a militant and who is a civilian in the dark of the night,” he said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has long supported a policy of negotiating with militants instead of using military force to subdue them, but so far the Pakistani Taliban have shown little desire to negotiate with his government. Most of the discussion about whether to hold peace talks or not has been centered around groups like the Pakistani Taliban that operate in the northwest. Little mention has been made of whether to talk with sectarian groups who operate in areas like Baluchistan. The government also has not outlined areas where it would be willing to compromise.
“The government does not have any strategy at all whether to talk or to fight,” said Zahid Hussain, a Pakistani security analyst. “The army is very, very frustrated at this point. They are under attack and the government has basically no clear strategy.”
Amid the criticism, Sharif cancelled a planned trip to Davos, Switzerland, this week to attend the World Economic Forum, and the prime minister visited a military hospital to talk to those wounded in the Bannu and Rawalpindi explosions.
Sharif also chaired a meeting Monday to discuss the government’s draft Internal Security Policy, a much-discussed proposal that is meant to address the security problems but has not been made public.
The Pakistani Taliban said earlier this week that they would be interested in peace talks but only if the government proved it was sincere and had enough “power,” a reference to the perception that the army wields the real power in Pakistan. Critics contend this is just another attempt at obfuscation by a group with a track record of using negotiations as a way to gather their strength.
Under its new army chief Raheel Sharif the Pakistani military has said nothing about the peace talks. But analysts say attacks like the ones against troops Sunday and Monday has had a detrimental effect on the military.

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Brutality of Syria war casts doubt on peace talks

05:24 , 0 Comments

Syria’s conflict was sparked by an act of brutality – the detention and torture of schoolchildren who spray-painted anti-government graffiti in a southern city. In the three years since, the conflict has evolved into one of the most savage civil wars in decades.
The atrocities have been relentless. Protesters gunned down in the streets. An opposition singer whose vocal cords were carved out. Beheadings and mass sectarian killings. Barrels full of explosives dropped from warplanes onto bakeries and homes.
It will be hard enough to find a political solution to Syria’s crisis at an international peace conference convening in Switzerland on Wednesday, given the vast differences between the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad and the opposition. But in a nation drowning in blood, reconciliation and justice over the atrocities seem even more distant.
“The ethical and moral fabric of this society has been stretched to beyond breaking point,” said Amr al-Azm, a U.S.-based Syrian opposition figure and professor at Shawnee State University in Ohio. “For a country to recover from such a traumatic rupture of the very glue that holds it together is not easy.”
In the latest sign of the brutality, three prominent international war-crimes experts said they had received a huge cache of photographs documenting the killing of some 11,000 detainees by Syrian authorities.
David Crane, one of the three experts, told The Associated Press that the cache provides strong evidence for charging Assad and others for crimes against humanity — “but what happens next will be a political and diplomatic decision.”
In the 55,000 digital images, smuggled out by an alleged defector from Syria’s military police, the victims’ bodies showed signs of torture, including ligature marks around the neck and marks of beatings, while others show extreme emaciation suggestive of starvation. The report — which was commissioned by the Qatar government, one of the countries most deeply involved in the Syrian conflict and a major backer of the opposition — could not be independently confirmed.
“It’s chilling; it’s direct evidence to show systematic killing of civilians,” said Crane, former chief prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
New York-based Human Rights Watch said Tuesday that the United States has focused too strongly on bringing the warring parties into peace talks at the expense of putting “real pressure” on the Assad government to end atrocities and hold to account those responsible. The group also accused Russia and China of shielding their ally Syria from concrete action at the United Nations.
“The mass atrocities being committed in Syria should be a parallel focus of the peace process,” Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, told reporters Tuesday in Berlin.
For Syria watchers, the descent into the abyss was not inevitable, but the result of conscious decisions by a multitude of players.
“From day one, there was a level of violence used initially by the government in its suppression that was unprecedented,” said Nadim Houry, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa division. “Since the Balkan wars and Rwanda in the 1990s, we have rarely seen a conflict with that many people killed in such a short amount of time.”
More than 130,000 people have died in Syria’s conflict, and more than a quarter of the population of 23 million now live as refugees, either within Syria or in neighboring countries. Fighters who took up weapons against Assad have turned their guns on each other, trapping ordinary Syrians in the violence of two parallel wars.

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Why the world loves president Jose Mujica, the Arvind Kejriwal of Uruguay

05:23 , 0 Comments

Even as a muffler-wrapped, sweater spotting Arvind Kejriwal sleeps in a rajai in the middle of a road, the picture of a casually dressed Uruguayan President José Mujica has gone viral with many calling him the people’s president. Beating the protocol and perhaps the convention, Mujica was spotted in a shirt, pant and slippers during an official programme of the country. This is not quite a picture when you think of a president. But Mujica is known to live a simple life without the usual paraphernalia associated with heads of states.
URUGUAYPREZ
A former guerrilla and Marxist, the Uruguayan President’s belief in an egalitarian society has impressed many. So much so that the Economist has named Uruguay as the country of the year for 2013. The Foreign Policy featured him in the list of its 100 Leading Global Thinkers. Mujica lives in a cottage, drives a Beetle and donates 90 per cent of his earnings for charity. The donations are reported to benefit the poor and small entrepreneurs.
URUGUAYPRESIDENT
Mujica, who didn’t opt to live in the opulent presidential palace and use its staff, has now become popular as the world’s poorest president for leading an austere life. Under his leadership, Uruguay passed the groundbreaking gay marriage act and legalised cultivation and sale of marijuana. The marijuana law is aimed at fighting the illegal drug trade.
PREZURUGUAY

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Manchester United shot out in shootout

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Manchester United’s troubled season took another turn for the worse when they lost 2-1 to Sunderland in an error-strewn penalty shootout in their League Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
United looked to be heading for the final against Manchester City when they led 1-0 two minutes from the end of extra time before a dreadful error by goalkeeper David de Gea gifted Sunderland’s Phil Bardsley an equaliser.
Javier Hernandez’s dramatic intervention moments later gave United a 2-1 win on the night and a 3-3 draw on aggregate which sent the tie to penalties.
hernandezAPgoal
But to Old Trafford’s disbelief, England striker Danny Welbeck, Adnan Januzaj, Phil Jones and Rafael failed to convert their spot-kicks and it was Sunderland – who missed three penalties of their own – who scraped through to the March 2 showpiece at Wembley.
The outcome left David Moyes facing more scrutiny in his first season as United manager and under pressure to add to his lacklustre squad in the January transfer window.
Media reports around kickoff time suggesting United were on the verge of buying Juan Mata from Chelsea for 37 million pounds ($61.4 million) were timely all round.
DavidMoyesAP
Asked if criticism of him and his players was fair, Moyes told Sky Sports: “It’s fair if you don’t win at this football club. I understand that.”
The Scot, whose side are seventh in the Premier League and in danger of failing to even qualify for next season’s Champions League, added: “David de Gea’s been very good this season. It happens (making mistakes) but that was a costly one.
“The shootout was really poor. I expect better. We didn’t play well tonight … overall we didn’t really deserve to go through after the way we played.
“That’s football, we’ll get on with it, pick ourselves up and go again.”
jonnyevansReuters
United had been on course to make the final on away goals after Jonny Evans scored with a close-range header shortly before halftime to put them one up.
But they laboured throughout and were clinging on for victory when De Gea failed to stop a routine 20-yard shot from Bardsley – a former United player – in the 119th minute and watched as the ball squirmed off his palm and into the corner of the net.
United stunned the visitors by hitting back in final minute of extra time, Hernandez sweeping home off the underside of the bar from Januzaj’s low cross to force penalties.
SunderlandAP
Glaring miss
Yet Hernandez could have put the outcome beyond doubt but for a glaring miss in extra time.
Januzaj did well to wrestle free on the right and feed the striker on the break, but Hernandez, running unopposed on keeper Vito Mannone, decided to take on an early shot and wafted a left-foot effort well wide.
Uruguayan Poyet has invigorated Sunderland since taking over from Paolo Di Canio in October last year but they still lie second-bottom of the Premier League table.
guspoyetAP
The Black Cats are now looking forward to their first Wembley appearance since 1992 – when they lost the FA Cup final to Liverpool – and another chance to add to their famous win in the 1973 FA Cup final.
“To have a day of football like this is great for everybody, great for football too,” Poyet said. “Let’s see if we can go one better. “The things that happened today were incredible, the players have been outstanding, they have been trying to learn the way

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Decision to run cricket according to commercial interests will cause inequity

05:20 , , 0 Comments

The first thing that strikes you about the “position paper” on the future of the ICC (was the leak an act of dissidence?) is how smartly it has been drafted. I got the impression that the people that produced it were aware of where they would be attacked and have put in debating points at the right places.
But debating points are one thing, the basic philosophy is another. The real issue before the ICC, or the new entity that seeks to be the ICC, is how to balance commerce and development. If you start with development as your primary agenda, you should be willing to compromise on profits. Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, both teams in the top eight, is not a profitable enterprise but still it must be played. If however you start with profit and power as the end-objective, then you make concessions to development. My impression, after one reading of a very skilfully produced document, is that development emerges as, at best, a necessary by-product of commercial success.
Profit by itself is not wrong though. Sport is played, and followed, on emotion but it must be run as an enterprise to have a sustainable future. Interestingly, even charitable institutions are learning that you cannot just be a group of well-meaning people bumbling along. But in sport, as in charity, funds have to be generated for common good. And it is in the distribution of funds that this document seeks to create a group of haves.
I can see them arguing that handouts are bad and that the ICC has given enough of it. Certainly some of the “Test playing” nations have little to show by way of development for all the money gifted them by the ICC. Some countries created bloated administrative structures that paid salaries as, well, handouts. And they will argue too that with greater revenue, and by cutting wasteful costs, everyone will actually get more.
But we are likely to get into a situation where the three rich countries of the ICC run the commercial interests of the others, and obviously their own, and in doing so are likely to create an inequity within nations. Even beyond the ICC revenue distribution, not all of these countries will get to play against the big three often enough to generate television revenue. If New Zealand, for example, have to play Sri Lanka, West Indies and Pakistan most of the time, they will struggle to raise enough money to plough back into development. All they are guaranteed in this document is 3 Tests and 5 one day internationals over an 8 year cycle against Australia and England. The document does not say how often India will grant other teams an opportunity. But it does say that if the host nation has a tv deal with an entity that is in dispute with the visiting nation, they needn’t visit! These are the small financial controls that could weaken finances of teams outside the big three.

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Australian Open: Roger Federer sees off Andy Murray challenge, to meet Rafael Nadal in semis

05:19 , , 0 Comments

Resurgent Roger Federer relished passing a stiff mental and physical test against a dogged Andy Murray to book his 11th successive Australian Open semi-final and a mouthwatering clash with great rival Rafa Nadal.
Stingy on serve and dominant at the net, the 17-times grand slam champion suffered a wobble that dragged him into a fourth set but recovered his composure to post an impressive 6-3 6-4 6-7(6) 6-3 win under the lights of Rod Laver Arena.
The win continued Federer’s revival after his annus horribilis of 2013, and with new coach Stefan Edberg and a bigger racquet in his arsenal, the Swiss master is confident he can give the top seed a shake.
FedererAP
“Physically I know that I can do it. And then because I’m feeling good physically, then I can really think about tactics I want to play, how aggressive or how passive do you want to play,” the 32-year-old told reporters.
“I have all these opportunities now. I’ve been hitting the ball really well for some time now, so it’s just nice that it all came together in a big match against Murray like this.”
Murray saved two match-points in the third set tiebreak and 13 of 17 breakpoints during the match, but crumbled at 4-3 in the fourth set to concede the decisive break.
Federer made no mistake on his third match point, sealing the thriller with an ace after three hours and 20 minutes.
Murray
“I’m explosive out there. I can get to balls. I’m not afraid to go for balls,” he said.
“Of course last year at times (I) couldn’t do it, but what’s important is that I can do it now.
“It was a great game on many levels today, not just physically. Also just mentally it was tough. Then I really played some good tennis. I was very happy.”
rogermurray
Having mowed down Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets in his previous match, the red-hot Swiss appeared set to do the same to Murray, who showed signs of his lack of match practice on the comeback from back surgery.
Federer broke him early and calmly served out the final game of the set to love, sealing it with a huge first serve.
Murray was down a break again at 2-2 in the second set after blasting a forehand crosscourt just wide.
murrayyyy
Powerless to breach Federer’s serve and outplayed on the baseline, Murray slumped to a two-set deficit after losing a series of attritional rallies.
Pushed to the wall, the Scot saved four break points in his first two service games of the third set, and winced with pain after reaching for a low ball.
Two match-points
The pressure ultimately told as Murray netted a forehand to be broken at 4-4.
Inexplicably, Federer wavered when serving for the match.
Having not given up a single break point, Federer conceded two with a pair of unforced errors, and Murray sealed the second after running the Swiss ragged.
rogerfederer
Dragged into a tiebreak, Federer showcased a brilliant defence to leap to a 5-2 lead and held two match-points when Murray floated a backhand long.
Murray saved both with a gutsy counter-attack, surviving the first with an epic 24-shot rally, before clobbering a forehand down the line to raise set point.
Suddenly tentative, Federer fluffed a halfhearted forehand to concede the set, leaving Murray to punch his fists and roar.
Under siege for 19 minutes in his next service game, Murray saved six break points and then another

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After Abu Dhabi meltdown, Gaganjeet Bhullar is tied eighth at Qatar

05:18 , , 0 Comments

Gaganjeet Bhullar did not allow the final round collapse from last week affect him as he got off to a great start with five-under 67 in the first round of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters on Wednesday. Bhullar, who slipped to tenth after being tied second at the start of the final round in Abu Dhabi, teed off from the tenth and fired three birdies in a row, before adding two more on the stretch to turn in five-under.
Thereafter he had just one more birdie and a lone bogey second and was three behind leader George Coetzee (64). Shiv Kapur, who returned to the European Tour this year, tied 37th last week, and was four-under through 16 holes. He had four birdies in his first seven holes and played pars on the rest. Jeev Milkha Singh carded one-under 71. Coetzee holed a six-footer on the 18th to take outright lead at eight-under 64, while another South African Dawie Van Der Walt and Englishman Steve Webster shared the second place at seven-under 65 each. Four others shot 66 each. Coetzee had an eagle on 10th besides seven other birdies and a bogey, while Van Der Walt had an eagle on first, his tenth hole, and five other birdies and no bogeys.
Webster’s card was highlighted by a stunning albatross on par-five 10th, which was his first hole. He holed a five-iron from 245 yards and later said: “There were two people behind the green and one of them started jumping up and pointing down so I didn’t know if it had gone over the back into the rocks or ‘in’. I’ve never been three under after one before.”
Bhullar, Thomas Aiken, John Daly and Branden Grace were all tied eighth at 67. Bhullar, who has five titles on Asian tour against his name, was happy with his round. “I got off to a good start and was three-under after three. It felt nice flying in a short distance and conditions were good. I have been hitting well for last few months and even though it (today’s round) could have been better, I happy still happy with the 67.”
On his frame of mind, “It is a question of taking your good rhythm and positivity into the next round. I have been focusing well and I trying to manage myself well on the golf course.”
Talking of his final round in Abu Dhabi, he added: “It is not easy to re-group immediately, but it is a learning stage for me and I have a long career ahead. One must learn to swallow bitter pills in this game.”

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Australia turn to Shane Warne for spin skill

05:17 , , 0 Comments

Shane Warne will work with the Australia squad as a specialist spin bowling coach in the lead-up to the Twenty20 World Cup in Bangladesh in March, the country’s cricket board said on Thursday.
The former Australian leg-spinner will work with head coach Darren Lehmann as a consultant during the short-time assignment, Cricket Australia said in a statement.
The 44-year-old will join the Australian Twenty20 squad in South Africa ahead of a three-match series in early March.
“We believe our national teams can really benefit from more specific skill-based coaching as and when it is needed,” Lehmann said in the statement.
“This will mean that from time to time we will enlist the support of experts in their craft to work with our players and share their experiences.
“In the case of the ICC World Twenty20, we believe spin bowling will be critical to success. There’s no better person than Shane to help guide the spinners we select in that squad.
“He was a gifted cricketer and remains passionate about spin bowling and seeing our players be the best that they can be. We’re thrilled to have him on board.”
Warne, Australia’s top test wicket-taker and second all-time behind Sri Lankan Murali Muralitharan, had regularly played the shortest format of the sport in domestic leagues in India and Australia after retiring from international cricket in 2007.
“I’m excited to be working with Australia’s spinners in South Africa,” Warne, who currently works as a television pundit, said.
“I’m looking forward to helping them with some intense bowling preparation ahead of the World Twenty20, where we’ll specifically work on tactics and mindset.”

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India defeated, demoted

05:15 , , 0 Comments

Seddon Park in Hamilton has a central block of nine pitches. Which means they are cramped up almost side by side. Still that should be no excuse for landing the ball on the adjacent strip, as Ishant Sharma very nearly did at the start of the 39th over. As such, one wide ball doesn’t mean much: it is after all an extra ball and one added run (though Ishant’s ball to Corey Anderson merited to be counted as two extras). But sometimes, as it is in this case, and as it was in Steve Harmison’s case during the 2006-07 Ashes when he sent down that first ball, it underlines the general waywardness of the bowler which goes beyond just one delivery.
Ishant
Ishant’s ball did just that. It was symptomatic of the inherent erratic nature of his craft, while also summing up India’s overall bowling performance on the day: way-off-the-mark. Consequently, for the second game in a row, the World Champions conceded a formidable total which their batsmen couldn’t chase down despite significant efforts from their captain and vice-captain.
ViratKohliAP
Set a revised target of 297 in 42 overs in a rain interrupted match, India, thanks to Virat Kohli’s 65-ball 78 and Mahendra Singh Dhoni 44-ball-56 came close but eventually fell short by 19 runs. In the process, the World Champions also ceded their No.1 ranking, which they had held for the last 12 months, to Australia. India may reclaim the top spot should Australia fail to whitewash England in the ODI series. However, it’s the loss of their aura that should be more worrying.
After Napier, the inquest mostly surrounded the pull shot, openers, No.4 and Suresh Raina. But it was the bowlers who gave away 292 runs in the first place. On Wednesday too, India conceded more than should have.
Bhuvi
Yet, in the initial overs, it looked better than it turned out to be. After Dhoni won the toss and sent New Zealand in — a decision that would comeback to bite him — the Indian bowlers seemed to have a plan against the Kiwi batsmen. Bhuvneshwar Kumar tied the struggling Martin Guptill down with an off-stump line, while Mohammad Shami, instructed perhaps to bounce the hosts out, dug in short ones against the belligerent Jesse Ryder. Ryder hit a few shots, but was out off a Shami bouncer that he looked to cut above slips but could only edge to Dhoni.
Contrasting knocks
But Kane Williamson and Guptill played contrasting knocks — one fluent, the other scratchy — as they went about building a platform for a big score. After Bhuvneshwar and Shami had bowled their first spell, Dhoni tried Ishant, Ravindra Jadeja, Kohli, R Ashwin and Raina in the space of nine overs, hoping for something to click as Williamson and Guptill took the total past 100. Raina clicked when Guptill’s attempted slogsweep off the part-timer was caught by Shami at leg gully.
a
However, Williamson and Taylor again did what they had done in the previous game as they added 60 runs for the the third wicket. It was then that the promised rain arrived. Two hours later, when it stopped, the game was reduced to 42 overs a side, and the hosts had only eight more overs to launch the assault they had built up to.
Just after resumption, Williamson was stumped by Dhoni off Jadeja, after making 77. In walked Corey Anderson ahead of Bendon McCullum. The all-rounder warmed up with three

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Akshay Darekar turns around fortunes

05:14 , , 0 Comments

Ahead of the season’s first Ranji Trophy game against Tripura, Maharashtra’s left-arm spinner Akshay Darekar’s mind was filled with doubt. The immediate cause of concern was his match figures of one for 172 in the Duleep Trophy game earlier in early October. His figures from that game was an extension of his poor form in 2012-13 which saw him scalp just 10 wickets in six matches at an average of 62.60. “I started doubting whether I had it in me really to take wickets consistently. Nothing had seemed to work that season. In the Duleep Trophy match also, I bowled and bowled but things did not go my way,” Darekar said. The dip in form was even more frustrating because the 25-year-old from Dadar, the son of a cloth merchant, was coming off a good season in 2011-12.
He had taken 42 wickets at 20.38. This tally included five five-wicket hauls and he was the top wicket-taker among spinners that season. He was drafted into the India A squad that traveled to the West Indies. He didn’t seem out of depth and picked 11 wickets in two matches in the Caribbean. Darekar couldn’t live up to the early promise he showed as the next season was a downhill road. An injury picked up while fielding in Maharashtra’s penultimate game of the season sidelined him for two months. His attitude was also questioned at times. However, Darekar has put to rest the self-doubt and emerged as Maharashtra’s highest wicket-taker with 32 in 10 matches at an average of 28.40. Darekar attributed his success to keeping things simple.
“In that game (versus Tripura) I just bowled on or outside the off-stump. I did not waver from the line and even though I picked up two wickets in 19 overs, I ensured that I did the job assigned to me tidily. I was beating the batsmen and that helped me regain confidence,” Darekar said. More importantly Darekar is at peace with playing the role of a containing bowler. Darekar’s economy rate is 2.57 in 358 overs this season.

Action questioned

 But it could have gone all wrong. The left-arm spinner was reported for a suspect action in the first innings in Maharashtra’s group game against Kerala. “When the umpires reported me, I was shocked. In my four seasons, my action was never questioned. It was a difficult time as it came when I was bowling so well,” spinner said. However, Darekar said that the coaching staff stood behind him. “In the second innings, the umpires told me that I was in the clear. They had a suspicion but then after seeing me bowl once more, they were satisfied,” he said. Darekar finished with a seven-wicket match haul in that match.

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Thomas Hitzlsperger announces he is gay in newspaper interview

05:11 , , 0 Comments

BERLIN: Thomas Hitzlsperger has become the first German international footballer to "come out" as gay after admitting his homosexuality in the magazine Die Zeit.
In an interview to be published in Thursday's edition, Hitzlsperger, 31, revealed: "I am declaring my homosexuality because I want the question of homosexuality in the world of professional sport to be out in the open." But he admitted that reaching the agonising decision to come out had been "a long and difficult process". Hitzlsperger, capped 52 times by Germany between 2004 and 2010, added:
"It is only in recent years I have come to realise I preferred living with a man." The midfield veteran, who hung up his boots at the end of last season, plied his trade in Germany, England and Italy. Born in Munich, he came through the ranks at Bayern before signing his first professional contract with English Premier League club Aston Villa in 2000.
 He moved to VfB Stuttgart in his native Germany in 2005, had a brief spell with Lazio in 2010, then moved to England with West Ham and rounded off his career with sojourns at Wolfsburg and Everton, where he retired last year.

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