Shahid and I get along fine: Priyanka Chopra

If reports are to be believed, her ‘friendship’ with Shah Rukh Khan has taken a toll on Priyanka Chopra’s ‘relationship’ with Shahid Kapoor. The once-good-friends refused to give joint bytes or even pose for pictures together during a recent shoot of a coffee commercial at Madh Island.

Ask Priyanka if what was reported was true and she replies with a “yes and no”. She points out that since they were rapidly losing natural light, it was the director of the ad film who suggested they interact with the media separately. “This way he could shoot with one of us, while the other gave interviews and not lose a day’s work,” she reasons. “Please, there are no issues, Shahid and I get along fine.”

Prod her on SRK who earlier this year had played peacemaker for the warring duo on a flight from South Africa, and Priyanka clams up. “I don’t want to speak about all these rumours. They’re upsetting and make me so angry.

Meanwhile, Shahid and Priyanka are returning to Madh Island to shoot a qawwali for Kunal Kohli’s epic love story at a lavish set designed to recreate pre-partition Punjab. Priyanka seems relaxed about the next encounter with Shahid though she’s quick to add that the film is not an epic love story and nor is it titled Teri Meri Kahani.

And though the qawwali is from the ’20s, they have already shot a ‘Aaj kal tere mere pyaar ke charche…’-like Brahmachari number from the sizzling ’60s with Shahid looking like a young, suave Shammi Kapoor in a tux and Priyanka making a perfect modern-day Mumtaz.

"Old man" Sehwag surpasses mentor Tendulkar

INDORE, India: Sachin Tendulkar stepped on a plane on Thursday as the proud owner of the highest individual score in 50-over cricket but will land on Australain soil to find that he has been robbed of the record by his one-time protege Virender Sehwag.

Sehwag has come a long way since his early days when he was called a "Tendulkar-clone" and the 33-year-old struck a blazing 219 against West Indies to surpass his mentor in his 240th one-day international.

Tendulkar, who hit 200 not out against South Africa in Gwalior in February 2010, was among the first batch of Indian cricketers to leave for the team's Australia tour.

Sehwag fiercely cut an Andre Russell delivery for the most memorable of the 25 fours he hit on Thursday as Indore's Holkar Cricket Stadium went into a delirium.

One of the few batsmen considered capable of hitting 200 in one-dayers, Sehwag punched air before hugging batting partner Rohit Sharma. He then took the helmet off to acknowledge the cheers from the hollering fans.

One male supporter even managed to sprint on to the ground with a bouquet and tried to present it to a bemused Sehwag before being escorted out.

Everybody was expecting me to score a double hundred and I think I lived (up to the) expectation,' a visibly tired Sehwag said at the innings break, happy to have made the most of the perfect batting conditions.

'Whenever I wanted to hit a ball, I hit into the gaps and it went for four. Whenever I wanted to hit a six, I just tried to hit it with a straight bat,' said the opener with perhaps the most uncomplicated batting philosophy.

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'I was telling myself and Gautam Gambhir that if we batted with a little patience, we could score a big one here.'

Sehwag survived a run-out chance when he was on 20 and could have been dismissed on 170 as well but his opposite number Darren Sammy, running from extra cover, dropped an easy catch off Ravi Rampaul.

'When Sammy dropped my catch, I thought God is with me and God is telling me 'just bat until 45th-46th over and you will achieve your 200',' said Sehwag, one of the most devastating batsman in contemporary cricket.

His 150 came off 112 balls and by the time Kieron Pollard ended his 149-ball batting pyrotechnics studded with seven sixes, Sehwag had entered the record book after a breath-taking knock that left him drained.

'I'm very tired because I'm a 33-year-old. I'm an old man and my back and glutes are tight,' Sehwag said.

Argentina's Cristina Fernandez begins second term of presidency

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina - Argentine President Cristina Fernandez took the oath of office for the second time Saturday, the only female leader in Latin America to ever be re-elected, in an inauguration marked by a tearful tribute to her late husband and political partner.

Fernandez, 58, held back tears as she pledged before Congress and a gathering of foreign dignitaries to honor the constitution and the memory of the late President Nestor Kirchner.

"I swear to God, the country and the blessed saints to carry out the office of the president and to honor ... the Argentine constitution," said Fernandez, who wore a black dress with a wide belt and sleeves of transparent lace — mourning garb of the kind she has used since Kirchner's death in October 2010.

"If I don't, then let God, the country and him take me to task for it," the president added, her voice cracking with emotion as she referred to Kirchner.

After accepting the wooden presidential baton decorated with a gold-and-silver version of Argentina's national shield, Fernandez remarked, "This is not an easy day. ...

The president entered the House of Deputies accompanied by her children, Maximo and Florencia, and received the baton from Florencia.

Fernandez summarized a litany of accomplishments during her first term, including policies that have led to the resumption of trials for former officials accused of rights violations during the country's last military dictatorship, which lasted from 1976 to 1983.

The bulk of her support comes from the working classes, who have received pay and pension increases as well as more public aid under her government.

She's also continued evoking the legacy of her late husband, whose death sparked enormous public sympathy at a time when her presidency had been losing support.

At the same time, Argentina's 40 million people are facing economic uncertainty, and the big question for Fernandez is whether to continue the government spending and price controls that worked so well in her first term.

Cutting public spending to prepare Argentina for a dicier economic climate could bring political harm, so the president is expected to try to strengthen the economy without cutting social programs dear to her base.

Fernandez and outgoing Economy Minister Amado Boudou, who assumed the office of vice president, took their oaths before outgoing Vice President Julio Cobos, who has distanced himself from Fernandez over the past two years.

Foreign dignitaries attending the inauguration included female Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; the presidents of Bolivia, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, Paraguay and Uruguay; U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, and President Barack Obama's senior adviser on Latin America, Daniel Restrepo.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had planned to attend, but canceled at the last minute, citing the need to attend to the needs of citizens in his own country who had been affected by heavy rains that led to flooding and mudslides and claimed the lives of at least eight people.

The 57-year-old president had a cancerous tumor removed from his pelvic region in June and underwent four rounds of chemotherapy. He has said that he is now cancer-free. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro attended the inauguration in his place.

Gingrich assailed by rivals, fires back at Romney

Attacked as a lifelong Washington insider, newly minted Republican front-runner Newt Gingrich parried criticism from Mitt Romney in campaign debate Saturday night, telling the former Massachusetts governor, "The only reason you didn't become a career politician is because you lost to Teddy Kennedy in 1994."

Gingrich also defended against attacks from Texas Rep. Michele Bachmann in the first debate since he soared to the lead in polls nationally and in Iowa. Caucuses on Jan. 3 in this state will kick off the competition for Republican National Convention delegates who will pick an opponent to President Barack Obama.

Under questioning from Paul, Gingrich said he had never lobbied for Freddie Mac, a quasi-government agency that paid him at least $1.6 million to provide strategic advice. Paul shot back, "It's the taxpayers' money, though. We were bailing them out."

The tone was respectful, at least in the early moments of the debate, the stakes ever higher as six rivals met on a stage in the Iowa capital city. The debate was the 12th since the long campaign began, and the first since Herman Cain's candidacy imploded after allegations of sexual harassment and an extra-marital affair.

Romney, Gingrich and Paul said they favored it. Bachmann, Texas Gov., Rick Perry and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum said they opposed the measure.

Whatever the impact of their differences on the presidential race, the internal disagreement could well portend difficulties for legislation that Obama has proposed and Republican leaders in Congress view as essential if the party is to avoid being tagged for raising taxes.


Paul has been airing television commercials in Iowa attacking the former House speaker, and Romney's campaign has become increasingly critical of him, bolstered by a multimillion-dollar television ad campaign that is financed by allies.

Bachmann criticized Gingrich for first supporting a requirement for individuals to purchase health insurance in 1993. She folded Romney into her attack, saying he had pushed successfully for a state health care law as Massachusetts governor that contained an individual mandate.


Gingrich's decision to invoke Kennedy, the late senator from Massachusetts, served as a dual reminder — that Romney has been running for office since the mid-1990s and also that he lost to the man whose politics conservatives detested above all others.

As for the question of whether he would have become a career politician if he'd beaten Kennedy, Romney replied with a smile that if he'd been good enough to play in the National Football League, as he had hoped, "I would have been a football star all my life, too."

He then tried to turn the tables, saying his defeat in 1994 "was probably the best thing I could have done for preparing me for the job I am seeking, because it put me back in the private sector."

Kolkata: 73 dead in AMRI Hospital fire, owners surrender

Kolkata: The owners of AMRI Hospital, RS Goenka and SK Todi, have surrendered before the Kolkata police at Lal Bazar Police Headquarters on Friday after a major fire at the hospital in South Kolkata left 73 dead. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that at least 73 people are dead in the major fire that broke out at AMRI Hospital in Dhakuria in south Kolkata on Friday.

Out of the 73 dead, 70 were patients and 3 were the hospital staff. Reports said that the hospital authorities fled from the spot. Meanwhile, the registration of the hospital has also been cancelled the West Bengal government.

As angry relatives gathered at the hospital to look for their loved ones, they vent their ire at the lack of relief and rescue efforts by the hospital authorities by damaging AMRI's properties.

AMRI Hospital is jointly promoted by the RS Goenka-led Emami Group and the SK Todi-led Shrachi Group of companies. Emami shares were down by 1.71 per cent when the news last came in on Friday ( Sensex fell by 1.8 per cent).

Mamata rushed to the spot on Friday morning to take stock of the situation and also ordered an FIR against the hospital authorities.

West Bengal Health Minister Sudip Bandhyopadhyay said that the West Bengal Government was shocked to know that the fire safety measures were not in place in the hospital.


The angry relatives of the patients who died alleged that the hospital staff abandoned patients and did not help them rush out. They said that this resulted in suffocation, and therefore, deaths of the patients.


"Isn't it strange that in such a fire only patients lose their lives and not a single casualty from the hospital. They left the patients to choke to death," said an angry relative of a patient.


Upset and angry relatives destroyed hospital property shouting slogans against authorities for not having enough fire safety measures. The fire had also engulfed the ICU and relatives claim that they were the ones who rescued most patients and that help arrived much later. A few of them also heckled officials at the spot
.

Reports said many bodies were moved to SSKM hospital. The identification of bodies was on but sources said some of the bodies may not be identified as they were charred.


"The fire engulfed four floors of one of the buildings of the AMRI hospital in Dhakuria," an officer manning the city police control room told IANS over phone.


The 161-bed hospital is located in Dhakuria in Kolkata.
Firemen using ladders smashed window panes in the facade to rescue patients trapped inside the ICU, ICCU, ITU and Critical Care units.



The hospital also did not have proper fire-fighting equipment, he said.

Fire brigade sources said that firemen were trying to locate oxygen cylinders stocked on the floors, as the fire could make them explode.

Angelina Jolie Explains Choosing 'Blood and Honey' for Directorial Debut (Video)

While many people would probably have taken on a lighter topic for their first stab at directing, Jolie said that this topic was important to her.

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“This is our generation's war,” Jolie said in interview with Christiane Amanpour that will air on both Good Morning America and Nightline. “This was, you know, the worst genocide since World War II in Europe.”

The film, which is set to open in theaters on Dec. 23, stars Zana Marjanovic (Snow), Goran Kostic and Rade Serbedzija (In the Rain). Jolie worked with a completely local cast.

"We did it because we felt this is a war that isn't talked about enough," Jolie said. "I know it's a hard film to sit through, but it's two hours to sit through something that's very hard, and these people lived through it for many, many years, and it was many, many times worse than any reenactment could possibly be.

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Set during the Bosnian War, the film follows Danijel (Kostic), a soldier fighting for the Serbs who re-encounters Ajla (Marjanovic), a Bosnian who's now a captive in his camp he oversees.

Jolie also talked about raising a family with Brad Pitt. She said they homeschool their brood “especially when it comes to history, to make sure it’s not one country’s point-of-view of their country.”

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Amanpour also asked the actress if she and Pitt have plans to get married. 

"The kids asked me the other day and I asked them if it was just because they wanted to have a 'big cake,'" Jolie said. "They see movies that have the people getting married in the movies or somebody's, you know, the happily ever after. Shrek and Fiona are married."

"We've explained to them that our commitment when we decided to start a family was the greatest commitment you could possibly have.

Angelina Jolie: My Children Won't See 'In The Land Of Blood And Honey'

Angelina Jolie has called the experience of writing and directing her first film the "greatest experience of [her] life." But when "In the Land of Blood and Honey" hits theaters, she won't be sharing the joy with some very important people.


"They won't see this movie," Angelina Jolie told The Hollywood Reporter, speaking of her brood of six children. "They know that mommy, on occasion, goes off to Libya or other places.


Given the young ages of her children, it makes sense; the film is about the brutal Yugoslav War of the 1990s, featuring the story of a Bosnian woman sent to a Serbian rape camp.


But while the children won't be watching this film, it doesn't mean they didn't get some of their own stories from Jolie.


"I wrote whenever I could, when the kids were asleep or in their classes," she remembered. "Halfway through some of the most horrific scenes, I'd hear, 'Mommy, I need another story, I can't go to sleep,' and so I'd pause what I was doing and go tell happy stories about bunny villages."

Army Navy Game: Navy Wins Eighth Straight Against Army, 17-3

PHILADELPHIA — Navy has made sports' most patriotic rivalry a lopsided one.


The Mids beat Army 17-3 on Saturday for their eighth straight win in the series. The loss eliminated the Black Knights' shot at playing in their first bowl game since 1996.

The Mids (9-4) already have a postseason date against Missouri in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 31.


Ricky Dobbs ran for a score to set an NCAA single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 24, and threw for a TD to help Navy improve to 54-49-7 overall against Army for its biggest lead in a series that began in 1890.

Navy won the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy, awarded to the team with the best record in games between the three service academies, for a school-record seventh straight year.

Army (5-7) would have played in the EagleBank Bowl with a win. That matchup is now Temple vs. UCLA at RFK Stadium in Washington on Dec. 29.

For the first time in a long while, there was more on the line in an Army-Navy game than bragging rights.


Army blew its chance of marching into a late-December bowl with a series of turnovers and missed field goals.



Dobbs threw a 25-yard TD pass to Marcus Curry in the third quarter to give Navy a 7-3 lead. Dobbs' 1-yard scoring run late in the fourth made it 17-3 and gave him a whopping 24 rushing scores this season.

Dobbs was tied for rushing TDs by a quarterback with Air Force's Chance Harridge (2002) and Florida's Tim Tebow (2007).


Navy has won a service academy-record 15 consecutive games against Army and Air Force. Navy's last loss to a service academy was against Air Force in 2002.


But this one wasn't a rout like so many of Navy's wins in the series this decade. The Mids outscored the Black Knights 78-3 the last two years, including a 34-0 victory last season.

In front of 69,541 fans at Lincoln Financial Field in the 110th meeting between the two service academies, Army scored the only points of the first half on Alex Carlton's 23-yard field goal.


The 3-0 halftime lead may not have seen like much to an Army program looking for respectability under first-year coach Rich Ellerson, but it marked:


_the first time Army led at halftime in the series since 2001.


_the first time Navy was shutout in the first half of the series since 1993.


_the first time Army led against Navy since the first quarter of the 2006 game.

The Black Knights should have put more points on the scoreboard. Carlton missed an earlier field-goal attempt, and they had to settle for three after getting just 6 yards following an interception return to the Navy 12.


The Mids took advantage of the opening. Dobbs went over the 1,000-yard rushing mark in the third and became only the third Navy QB to reach that milestone. He found a wide-open Curry for the Mids' first lead, and Joe Buckley tacked on a 36-yard field goal.

NASA’s Swift satellite spots ‘dormant’ black hole devouring a star

London, Aug 25 : NASA's Swift satellite have spotted a truly extraordinary event, the awakening of a distant galaxy's dormant black hole as it shredded and consumed a star.

Two new studies provide new insights into a cosmic accident that has been streaming X-rays toward Earth since late March.

NASA's Swift satellite first alerted astronomers to intense and unusual high-energy flares from the new source in the constellation Draco.

"Incredibly, this source is still producing X-rays and may remain bright enough for Swift to observe into next year," said David Burrows, professor of astronomy at Penn State University and lead scientist for the mission's X-Ray Telescope instrument.

"It behaves unlike anything we've seen before," he stated,

The galaxy is so far away that it took the light from the event approximately

3.9 billion years to reach Earth.

The second study was led by Ashley Zauderer, a post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass.

It examines the unprecedented outburst through observations from numerous ground-based radio observatories, including the National Radio

Astronomy Observatory's Expanded Very Large Array (EVLA) near Socorro, N. M.

According to the new studies, the black hole in the galaxy hosting Swift J1644+57 may be twice the mass of the four-million-solar-mass black hole in the centre of the Milky Way galaxy.