Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra will be seen together in the remake of Hollywood film Bride Wars. Sources confirm the two have already signed on the dotted line and will be seen in a remake produced by Shrishti Arya.
The original starred Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway playing two best friends who are at war to get married on the same day and venue. The remake will go on floors in the coming months. A source reveals, “Shrishti has bought the rights to remake the film. Both Priyanka and Katrina expressed their interest in the project on being approached. Having watched the original, they could relate to their characters.”
The producers are still finalising the rest of the cast. “Katrina and Priyanka have never worked together before. So it will be interesting to watch them as two best friends who fall apart at later stage. Also the characters need to be fashionable and trendy, which both Kat and PC are.”
How bride wars ran its course… In Manhattan, lawyer Liv and school teacher Emma have been best friends since their childhood. They both are proposed to, by their boyfriends on the same day and they plan their wedding parties in Plaza Hotel, using the services of the famous Marion St Claire. However, due to Marion’s secretary’s mistake, their weddings are scheduled for the same day. None of them agrees to change the date and they become enemies, each trying to sabotage the wedding party of the other.
Play the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack and he’ll come running!
According to Sudanese novelist Kola Boof, even though Osama bin Laden frowns on music, he’s obsessed with diva Whitney Houston!
In her autobiography Diary of a Lost Girl, Boof documents her experience being held captive in a Moroccan hotel and forced to be Laden’s sex slave for four months 10 years ago.
She writes:
“He told me Whitney Houston was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.”
“Osama kept coming back to Whitney Houston. He asked if I knew her personally when I lived in America. I told him I didn’t. He said that he had a paramount desire for Whitney Houston, and although he claimed music was evil he spoke of someday spending vast amounts of money to go to America and try to arrange a meeting with the superstar. It didn’t seem impossible to me. He said he wanted to give Whitney Houston a mansion that he owned in a suburb of Khartoum.”
“He explained to me that to possess Whitney he would be willing to break his colour rule and make her one of his wives. Whitney Houston’s name was the one that would be mention constantly. How beautiful she was, what a nice smile she has, how truly Islamic she is but is just brainwashed by American culture and by her husband Bobby Brown, whom Osama talked about having killed, as if it were normal to have women’s husbands killed.”
“In his briefcase I would come across photographs of the Star magazine, as well as copies of Playboy.“
Damn you, Western culture!
She even claims that the terrorist’s favorite TV shows were The Wonder Years, Miami Vice and MacGyver.
The idea of him watching Kevin Arnold brings the LOLs!
But, it also explains why we couldn’t find him in the mountains of Afghanistan. He got tricky watching all those MacGyver episodes!
Pyaar Impossible is an upcoming movie starring Uday Chopra and Priyanka Chopra in lead. The movie is directed by Jugal Hansraj under the banner of YashRaj Films.The romantic comedy flick has also Dino Morea in starcast. The film is written and produced by Uday Chopra and set to release in Nov 2009. The movie is said to be inspired from the Julia Robert and Hugh Grant starrer hollywood flick Notting Hill, it was a superhit movie. Here are some on the sets pictures of the forthcoming movie.
Rani Mukerji is all set to fire up the screen in her latest film “Dil Bole Hadippa”. For the first time in her career, the actress will even be seen in a bikini in this movie.
Rani and yoga expert Payal Gidwani have worked as a team to achieve the hot body that Rani would be flaunting in the movie.
Payal started off with Rani on April 16, 2008. At that time Rani weighed 56 kilos, which has now been brought down to 49-50 kilos.
Initially Rani had a heavy lower body. She could only do 5-10 Suryanamaskars and had very weak nerves. As a result, stretching would lead to cramps.
To increase her cardio vascular endurance, Payal had to incorporate simple cardio exercises like getting Rani to walk up and down the stairs of her bungalow.
Now Rani has not only lost the extra kilos but can easily do 100 Suryanamaskars or 2,000-2,500 Kapalbhati in a go and can also hold on to Asanas for 1 minute. Her breathing technique has also improved.
The coroner may have concluded that there was no foul play in legendary singer Michael Jackson's death, but his family is not satisfied. It wants an independent autopsy to determine the cause of the pop singer's death.
The Jackson family is understood to have requested a second independent post-mortem examination of the body.
According to reports, Coroner's investigator said that on Saturday Jackson family told his office, that they wanted a second autopsy carried out, as they still have unanswered questions about MJ's death.
Veteran politician and a friend of MJ's, Reverend Jesse Jackson said the Jacksons were upset because the official cause of death might not be known for weeks.
He said the family wanted answers from the star's personal doctor, Conrad Murray, who was with him when he died.
Jesse Jackson told a news daily "When did the doctor come? What did he do? Did they inject him, if so with what?"
He went missing immediately following the death, which raise questions of substance that will not go away until they are answered.
And while the details of his death are a mystery, so are the details of his funeral.
Jackson's body was handed over to his family on Saturday afternoon, which was taken by them to an undisclosed mortuary. The family is still pondering plans for the King of Pop's funeral and there is no news of when and where will it take place.
A sense of disquiet has crept into the BJP ever since L.K. Advani signalled at the national executive that he had no intention to quit active politics in the near future and might stay put to play a longer innings, preferably as the skipper and not as a night watchman or a tail-ender.
The signal has come despite a feeling among most of those who matter in the BJP and the RSS that he is no longer a vote-catcher or a crowd mobiliser.
The irony of a simile borrowed from cricket — Advani is as obsessive about the sport as he is about films — was not lost on the more perceptive executive members. In his concluding remarks, he repeatedly alluded to his party’s defeat (he insisted the drop of 22 seats between 2004 and 2009 was a “setback” and not a “rout”) and said: “When we lost, the people were disappointed exactly the way they get disappointed whenever Sachin Tendulkar gets out in 90s.”
One of the members elaborated on the comparison and said that unlike Tendulkar, who withdrew when he realised he was a far better batsman than captain, Advani was “unwilling to believe his best years are behind him and that it’s time he lets the party move on under a new captain”. Tendulkar was happy being a member of the Indian team, the source pointed out, without “disturbing” its spirit and structure and simultaneously playing to the best of his ability.
The verdict in the BJP is that Advani would not do a Tendulkar. “Initially, everyone in the BJP, including the chief ministers, believed it was a matter of time before the Advani era was over. Now it seems increasingly clear he wants a role for himself, as a player and not a mentor,” an insider said.
At the fag end of his speech, when Advani announced he would tour the country in the coming months, most of the listeners prepared themselves to watch another “yatra” unroll. A source close to Advani, however, claimed it would not be a chariot ride but “meetings to pep up the morale of our workers”.
A prelude to yet another tenure as the BJP president when the incumbent, Rajnath Singh, demits office in September this year? In his first briefing after the two-day session, spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy was asked why Advani had arrogated to himself the role of revving up the party when a president was in place. He was mum.
Advani rejected the suggestion. When journalists in Coorg, where he is now holidaying, asked whether he would take over as party president, Advani said: “No chance.”
The doubts over Advani’s role arose because when he was made the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha — the most coveted role for an out-of-power leader — the “understanding” between the BJP and the RSS was it was a holding operation.
By the end of 2009, the BJP will have a new president. This appointment is expected to trigger a number of changes at the top, underpinned by the strategy that it was time to usher in the “younger generation” and prepare the party to take on a Rahul Gandhi-spearheaded Congress in 2014. Advani is 82 and if he is to lead the next election, he will be 87.
Yet in his address on June 21, Advani tactically avoided a mention of the second generation of leaders in the BJP as he deplored the party’s “train compartment” mentality “which makes those in leadership positions ignore promising, talented and committed cadres who are ‘standing outside’ and waiting for the door to open.... We must identify, train, groom and empower third, fourth and fifth generation leaders....”
“How can the second rung move up if those at the top of the queue are not moving?” an insider asked.
Sources said the initial assessment was if, for instance, Sushma Swaraj (57), who was appointed the deputy leader of the parliamentary party and effectively functioned as Advani’s number two in the Lok Sabha, was elevated as the leader of the Opposition, the message would be the generational change the BJP had been talking of since 2004 was a reality. A part of the strategy was put in place after Arun Jaitley (also 57) was made the leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
Both these appointments were jointly decided by the BJP and the RSS. At 59, the new RSS chief, Mohanrao Bhagwat is considered “young” by the organisation’s geriatric standards. “The Sangh works through signals and insinuations. It hoped the BJP would get the message about a generational transition with Mohanraoji’s anointment,” an RSS source said.
The sources said the RSS was also convinced that “public perceptions” about a leader were as important as other criteria such as acceptability within the party and organisational skills. A BJP functionary of Sangh provenance, who used to have reservations about Jaitley and Sushma, conceded: “On the perception scale, they score higher over their peers. Jaitley has a positive image, he is articulate and has worked as a general secretary in most states. So he cannot be faulted for being out of touch with the organisation. Sushma is an asset, she has charisma and after Vajpayee and Advani, she is our best orator.”
This is why the oblique attacks against Jaitley by Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie were criticised by veterans like Sunderlal Patwa at the executive. “These persons are outsiders to the Sangh. Yet, each one of them got the best of the NDA government. That’s why their remarks were dismissed with the contempt they deserved. Jaitley has come in through the ABVP (the Sangh’s student wing),” a source said.
But with Advani digging in his heels, all eyes are on the RSS to see if it can implement the second part of its blueprint for change. “The Sangh has not revealed its hand right now because there are pulls and pressures within,” a source said.
One section wants the Sangh to keep off the BJP and chart a “modernisation” course for itself before delivering homilies to the party. The other believes that it should continue being pro-active.
Recently, when actress Neetu Chandra (of Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! fame) agreed to do a bold photo shoot for a men’s magazine, she hardly realised it would spark controversy and outrage from political affiliates.
Neetu, who had agreed to do the hot and sexy cover for ‘The Man’ magazine, was shooting along with model Krishikha Gupta outside the lobby of a 3-star hotel, when a group of the hotel’s regular male customers watching it by the pool, suddenly started raising strong objections, by indiscriminately shouting at her and the magazine crew. But only when things spiralled into an ugly argument and the group started screaming “Jai Maharashtra” at the top of their lungs, did the magazine’s team and Neetu realise that things were out of their control.
Alleging that the shoot was promoting, the group began getting aggressive and tried to physically harm the shooting crew. They claimed to have connections with Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and threatened an agitation. They even tried to confiscate the camera, resulting in the shoot having to be abruptly called off. “Though the concept about two girls getting very intimate was a bit outrageous, we were doing it very aesthetically. But these men were a frustrated lot and couldn’t take the heat. They only saw nudity in our concept,” fires Neetu Chandra.
The actress explains, “First they tried to seek my attention with smiles and stares, so I acknowledged them. But as I went on with my work, the whole group of men suddenly started feeling ignored and began creating a scene. They did manage to scare me when they started to politicise the issue and scream communal sloHgans. That was when we had to stop the shoot.” But now ‘The Man’ has decided to go ahead with the images they managed before the ruckus at the hotel began, raising speculation whether these sensational images will cause further problems when the magazine’s next issue hits the stands in a couple of days.
Shah Rukh Khan became Abhi... just for wife Gauri. We recently learnt that when Gauri was to introduce Shah Rukh to her parents she wasn’t so sure how they’d react if they found out that he belonged to another community.
So she conveniently changed Shah Rukh’s name and introduced him as Abhinav to her parents. Looking back, Gauri describes this as “silly and childish.”
And as for SRK, he was ironically shooting for My Name is Khan while Gauri narrated this sweet little anecdote.
Robots could soon be gracing the catwalk, thanks to a black-haired cybernetic beauty who is preparing to make her debut at a fashion show in Japan.Fetchingly named HRP-4C, the humanoid has 30 motors in her body that allows her to walk and move her arms as well as eight motors on its face to create expressions like anger and surprise.
In a demonstration the robot tottered out, blinking, and said, 'Hello, everyone,' in a tiny feminine voice while its mouth moved.
Weighing just 6st and 9pounds she is light enough to fit into the size 0 crowd. However, the robot's developers are doubtful HRP-4C currently makes the grade as a fashionista.
During the display she kept looking surprised, opening its mouth and eyes in a stunned expression, when the demonstrator had asked it to smile or look angry.
The developers said the big challenge in creating the robot was making the small 'feminine' parts.
HRP-4C is 5ft2" and was designed to look like an average Japanese woman, although she is clothed in what appears to be a silver and black space-suit.
Watch HRP-4C in action here...
She has yet to clear safety standards to share the catwalk with human models, so will appear in her own special section in a Tokyo fashion show next week.
The robotic framework for the HRP-4C without the face and other coverings will go on sale for about 20 million yen (£150,000) each.
The robot costs £150,000
The programming technology will be made public so other people can come up with fun moves for the robot, the scientists said.
Japan boasts one of the leading robotics industries in the world, and the government is pushing to develop the industry as a road to growth.
Automaker Honda Motors has developed Asimo, which can walk and talk, although it doesn't pretend to look human.
Other robots, like the ones from Hiroshi Kobayashi at the Tokyo University of Science and Hiroshi Ishiguro at Osaka University, have more human-like faces and have been tested as receptionists.
But demands are growing for socially useful robots, such as those for caring for the elderly and the sick, said Yoshihiro Kaga, a government official in the trade and industry ministry.
'We want this market to grow as an industry,' he said.
Singer Dal Hothi flew to Mumbai to shoot the video for "Promise Me," recorded under the name Dilvog. But he didn't realize that the girl won the costarring role was Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto until someone recently pointed it out to him.
From Canada.com : Several women auditioned for the role of Hothi's "lover" in the video for "I Promise You," with Freida Pinto making the final cut. During a break in filming, she told Hothi of a movie she was making called Slumdog Millionaire. She invited him to the set but Hothi, who had music-related work on his mind, declined the offer.
"Too bad," he said this week, "because it would have been an awesome experience."
Hothi had no idea that the film, starring Pinto as the orphan girl lead, would eventually be nominated for a best-picture Academy Award.
Harman Loses Mobile Phone With Priyanka's Sex Clips !
Harman loses mobile with Priyanka Chopra sex clips.Not content with losing his girlfriend Priyanka Chopra after the flop of his debut flick Love Story 2050, Harman Baweja has now gone and lost something else… his mobile phone.
A source reveals, “Somebody flicked his phone on the sets of Victory and Harman has become handicapped since then. Although he got a new SIM card with the same number, he’s totally lost as he has lost all the contacts and important numbers and is very bad at remembering numbers.”
Not only that, but Harman is worried that the person who has taken the phone, might make public, personal sex videos of him and Priyanka that were recorded on the phone.
She's been catapulted straight to Hollywood. Freida Pinto, the poised, smiling beauty that Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire has thrown up on the global stage, has done what few Indian actors have managed to do before her.
From Om Puri to Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan to Ayesha Dharkar - everyone has worked in Hollywood films but none has tasted instant, mainstream fame like Freida.
Even the glamorous Aishwarya Rai, 35, who has been adjudged India's most bankable star in Hollywood by Forbes, has taken her time to journey there. But not Freida, 24.
The younger model-turned-actress from Mumbai has already walked the Oscar red carpet, shone in the multiple Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire and is set to sizzle on popular magazine covers, with just one film to her name.
Freida is one of the luckiest Bollywood actresses, having been to the Academy Awards, that too, right at the beginning of her career. Even the Bachchan daughter-in-law, Aishwarya, who is a regular at the Cannes Film Festival, hasn't walked the Oscar red carpet yet.
Thanks to British filmmaker Danny Boyle's film, Freida has been exposed to instant international acclaim that any actress would die for. She has already bagged Hollywood director Woody Allen's next project.
While Aishwarya can boast of four international projects - Bride & Prejudice, Mistress Of Spices, The Last Legion and The Pink Panther 2, which is currently being shown in India.
But none of these has set the box office on fire like Slumdog Millionaire. Danny Boyle's film not only got critical acclaim but it also won all the top global awards - four Golden Globes, seven British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards and eight Oscars.
While Freida has been hailed by the international media for her performance, Aishwarya has been panned by critics abroad who feel she is wooden in The Pink Panther 2.
Freida took home the best actress prize at the Elle Style Awards too.
Freida's fashion quotient has always been on an upswing. Freida even topped the list of Vogue Magazine's 10 best-dressed people. She has already featured on the coversof such poular magazines as Vogue India and Maxim.
"Sometimes because of our features and our body type, certain things don't suit us, that's the case with Aishwarya. She has mostly gone wrong with the choice of colours and styles while appearing in international events. Whereas Freida can carry most Western styles and has chosen the right designs for herself," designer Atsu Sekhose said.
"She is the new flavour of the season. Whatever she has worn at these events prove that she can carry off any dress with style and confidence," he added.
Said designer Alpana of the label Azara, "Freida has a great body with an attractive face. She pulls off everything very well. She carries herself with poise and knows what to wear and when."
The stars are certainly shining for India's newest export to the world, Freida Pinto.
Much as we would like to lay old ghosts to rest, they keep rising up and commanding our attention. The Amitabh Bachchan-Rekha alliance has spawned a million stories, some on film and some in real life.
Some have their basis in truth and some are the product of someone's vivid imagination, but what happened on the evening of Feb 28 at the 54th Idea Filmfare Awards is backed by pictures. At the end of the function 1 Rekha stands and greets Shah Rukh Khan who acknowledges with a bow. 2 She moves on to Abhishek Bachchan, whom she has perhaps known since he was a kid accompanying his father to the sets of an Amitabh-Rekha film. The bonhomie is obvious as she kisses his cheek. 3 She then warmly hugs the Bachchan bahu Aishwarya Rai Bachchan 4 and just as she is about to disengage and greet the last person of the Bachchan party, 5 Amitabh Bachchan walks away.
Not only is Priyanka Chopra playing as many as 12 different characters in Ashutosh Gowariker`s "What`s Your Raashee?", she has also stunned everybody by dancing non-stop for 22 hours for a special song in the movie.
Under the choreographic supervision of Raju Khan, Priyanka performed to a song that required her to bring all the 12 characters together in all their varying moods and personalities.
"Priyanka shot with Raju Khan (who is Saroj Khan`s son) for 22 hours at a stretch. At times she couldn`t sit or take a breather for hours at a stretch. It was very important to get the continuity right. Otherwise the characters` graph would`ve become lopsided. To dance and emote to a song in 12 different looks and make-up all at once is not an easy thing," said a source close to the film.
Though Priyanka isn`t allowed to speak about it, it was a challenge that required her to swing from mood to mood at the drop of a beat.
Apparently Priyanka wasn`t allowed breaks between shots, as this would have broken the rhythm of the 12 characters as captured in one line of vision. Each of the characters represents a different star sign of the zodiac.
The film also stars Priyanka`s ex-beau Hurman S Baweja. Although Priyanka and Hurman broke up after the disastrous "Love Story 2050", onlookers say the two are so compatible off and on screen that it`s impossible to tell the status of their personal equation.
"They`re laughing and joking on the sets even when they aren`t facing the camera. In fact, Hurman was there to support her when she did the tough 12-avatar dance act," a source said.
Priyanka`s unique role, which can only be compared to Sanjeev Kumar`s nine avatars in "Naya Din Nayi Raat" could well have been Kareena Kapoor`s, if she hadn`t turned it down.
"Yes, it was offered to me and Shahid Kapur. I`d have loved to do another film with Shahid. But the dates were clashing with Karan`s film that Rensil d`Silva is directing with me and Saif," Kareena told reporters.
The actress, who broke up with Shahid while shooting for "Jab We Met", is currently dating Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan.
"We`re professionals, all of us. Even if I`m working in a film with Saif in place of a film with Shahid, we`re thorough professionals. There`s no time to party or go out or do any of the fun things. We shot in a tube station in Philadelphia in below-freezing temperatures and we need to cover as much work as possible in limited time," Kareena said.
Behold the 11 games that we're looking forward to the most in 2009. Yes, 11. Because 2009 is going to be one louder.
In choosing the games that should make waves this year, Game|Life contributors Nate Ralph, Earnest Cavalli, Chris Baker and I made sure to select titles that we were personally excited about.
The types of games that pack the most appeal will naturally be different for each of us. For example, Nate is too young to remember Punch-Out!!, but when I get the Wii version of the game, I am going to tear open the shrink-wrap with my teeth.
We also tried to constrain this list to games that will actually come out this year. So no Alan Wake, no God of War III and certainly no Duke Nukem Forever.
With these factors in mind, we present the 11 most anticipated games of 2009. Time to sharpen your incisors.
Punch-Out!! (Wii)
This revival of Nintendo's classic puzzle-sports-rhythmic-punching game has been a very long time coming. The original is probably my favorite 8-bit game ever, and no boxing game has ever been as much fun. Probably because Punch-Out!! never had anything to do with boxing. It was about perfecting your twitch reactions while trying not to fall over laughing at the ridiculous ethnic stereotype cartoons that served as your opponents.
Punch-Out!! for Wii will continue that storied tradition: Watch the croissants fly from Glass Joe as he's knocked to the canvas. Will the addictive gameplay be as perfectly replicated? I hope and pray that it will. The game might go off the rails if it makes too much use of Wii waggle controls and feels too much like a Wii Fit exercise minigame. But the return of Punch-Out!! is reason enough to get excited. — Chris Kohler
Infamous (PlayStation 3)
Fact: Sucker Punch makes excellent action games -- the Sly Cooper series was a great addition to Sony's PlayStation 2 lineup. Fact: Grand Theft Auto plus superpowers can equal an amazing experience — I don't think I need to remind anyone of Crackdown.
Sucker Punch is billing Infamous as the ultimate superhero simulator, a game that lets you choose your path, saving the city or wreaking destruction. I'm really interested to see how the story plays out and how the open world environment is used — is it just window dressing for your destructive amusement, or will you really feel like the most powerful being in a living, breathing world? We know so little about how Infamous will play, but as it is likely to be Sony's marquee title for 2009, I imagine we will be hearing a lot about it. — Chris Kohler
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and the Damned (Xbox 360)
I'm sick of hanging out with Niko Bellic. I mean, I know he had a rough adolescence in Serbia and all, but that can only excuse so much murderous, sociopathic behavior. But man, oh man, I sure do miss kicking it in Liberty City. What a place! The sights, the sounds, the insane stunt jumps and plentiful rocket launchers! I'm itching for the chance to visit again, this time in the company of grizzled biker Johnny Klebitz.
The new Xbox 360 downloadable expansion to GTA IV offers a lengthy new narrative, and upgrades my favorite virtual metropolis with new weapons, missions, vehicles and multiplayer modes. What's that you say? Klebitz is probably a murderous sociopath just like Niko? Yeah, well ... as long as he doesn't have an annoying cousin that's always phoning him, I think I can put up with that. — Chris Baker
Resident Evil 5 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Until we zombie purists convince George Romero to open a game development studio, Capcom Entertainment is our best substitute in the pixelized fight against the undead. Metal Gear Solid 4-level visual polish, a nicely modified strain of the Resident Evil 4 control scheme, online co-operative multiplayer and the woefully underrepresented setting of the African Savannah all indicate that Resident Evil 5 almost has to be something special.
Honestly, I'm just giddy for a chance to pop off heavy munitions into the brains of some undead foes. At the end of a long workday, nothing is more satisfying than the wholesale slaughter of shambling hordes. — Earnest Cavalli
The Beatles Game (Multiplatform)
We don't know what it'll look like, how it'll play or even what it'll be called. But Harmonix's collaboration with The Beatles is the odds-on favorite to be the biggest thing to happen to videogames, and maybe even music, in 2009.
The creators of Guitar Hero and Rock Band have turned millions of gamers into faux rockers with plastic instruments, letting non-musicians experience the joy of jamming. And what better way to put on a show in your living room than with the legendary music of the greatest band of all time? Harmonix is forgoing Rock Band 3 this year to concentrate its efforts on re-creating the Fab Four's music in interactive form. Even if this were just downloadable content for Rock Band, it would be one of the best things to happen this year. As a standalone game, it'll be unstoppable. (As long as Harmonix includes an option to sing the entire B side of Abbey Road without stopping, I'll be happy.) — Chris Kohler
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II (Windows)
For more than two decades, the tabletop game Warhammer 40,000 has captivated countless fans with relentless miniature figurine battles waged between hyper-religious superhuman space fascists, space Orks, space Elves and savage, genetically engineered insect-things that are also from space.
The transition to the real-time strategy genre on the PC went fairly well, but the onset of sequel-itis has left the original Dawn of War looking a bit tired. Fortunately, Relic Entertainment is bringing players back to the basics with Dawn of War II — namely, control of small, elite squads embroiled in close-quarters combat, with a number of traditional RPG mechanics rolled in. Dawn of War's gleefully excessive brutality and visual flair have been revamped, adding tantalizing levels of detail to the act of vigorously throttling enemy units before hurling them through the air like a large, wet sack. There will also be bits of traditional base-building and resource gathering on the multiplayer side of things, but confess: We're all really in it for jetpacks and chainsaw-swords. — Nate Ralph
BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC)
I'm anticipating this game in the sense that I'm anxiously holding my breath. 2K says that BioShock can be its Star Wars, meaning that this episode could be as awesome as The Empire Strikes Back. But the original BioShock worked so well because it had such a unique story. Will a trip back into the world of Big Daddies and Little Sisters be as interesting this time around, now that we've already experienced it?
More worrisome than that: Will the fact that Ken Levine and 2K Boston are passing off development to the new 2K Marin studio in Northern California change things? Developing the BioShock sequel is a tall order for a rookie developer. The original's blend of intelligent political commentary and riveting human drama had me hooked, and I'd fall in love with a game that managed to recapture that feeling. I can't wait to find out if Sea of Dreams can pull it off. — Chris Kohler
Dark Void (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows)
Gears of War's cover system is getting a bit tired these days, so when I heard at E3 that Capcom's upcoming shooter Dark Void lifts it, I had to stop myself from yawning. But then the developer giving the demo twisted the camera angle to reveal that we weren't walking down some dark hallway blasting enemies — we were flying up the side of a tower, leaping from cover point to cover point courtesy of a very Rocketeer-ish jetpack.
Moments later, the protagonist leaped off the side of the tower, cutting a beeline toward a wildly maneuvering metal disc. Try as it might, the disc couldn't get out of his path, and when he alighted on top of the frame, a familiar sequence of button presses popped up just as they might in God of War. Triangle, X, Square and the craft's pilot had been beaten soundly and thrown from the disc — only to have his ride hijacked, Grand Theft Auto-style, by our hero. Three minutes of gameplay and Dark Void had cemented itself in my mind as the sleeper hit of 2009. — Earnest Cavalli
StarCraft II (Windows, Mac)
Let's review: The original StarCraft, released in March of 1998, was one of the deepest, best balanced, most addictive real-time strategy games ever made. It had three richly varied races, an actual story and near-limitless potential for strategic variations. Now, Blizzard Entertainment — a developer that has never released a bad game — is finishing up a sequel with gorgeous graphics, new unit types and abilities, and improved online matchmaking.
What's not to anticipate about StarCraft II? I mean, except for the fact that I'll be losing my job and my friends and getting scurvy because the game will end up devouring every waking moment of my life. Some people are griping because Blizzard has already announced plans to hold back some content for expansion packs. But come on, do you really think you won't get your money's worth? People are still playing the original, 11 years later. — Chris Baker
Al-Qaeda's operations chief in Pakistan and another top aide are believed to have been killed, US sources say.
Usama al-Kini and his lieutenant, Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan, were both killed in recent days, US counter-terrorism officials said.
Unconfirmed reports say the two men were killed by a missile fired by a US drone near the Afghan border.
Kini was believed to be behind last year's deadly attack on the Marriott hotel in Islamabad, they said.
Fifty-five people were killed when a truck packed with explosives rammed the hotel in September 2008.
'Significant'
Both al-Qaeda suspects died in South Waziristan, on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, an unidentified US counter-terrorism official told Reuters news agency.
"These deaths are a significant near-term degradation of al-Qaeda's leadership," he added.
Kini was involved in the Islamabad Marriott attack, officials say
He gave no details of how the men died.
However, the Washington Post, also citing intelligence sources, said they were killed in a missile strike by a CIA drone aircraft on a building on 1 January.
"They died preparing new acts of terror," the US daily quoted a counter-terrorism official as saying.
The men - both born in Kenya - were on the FBI's most-wanted list over the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
Kini was also thought to have been behind an unsuccessful attempt on the life of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was later killed in a separate attack, US officials said.
The BBC website reported on 1 January that an unmanned CIA aircraft had fired three missiles in the Karikot area of South Waziristan, killing three suspected militants.
The US has launched dozens of similar attacks in recent months, mostly targeting Taleban and al-Qaeda militants in Pakistan's tribal regions.
'Violation'
The lawless tribal areas on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan are considered a sanctuary for the insurgents.
The US says the militants regularly cross over the porous border into Afghanistan where the US troops have been fighting since 2001.
The drone attacks are believed to have been largely on-target, hitting Taleban and al-Qaeda hideouts.
There have been few civilian casualties, officials say.
But Pakistani media and opposition parties term these attacks a violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity and the government has been under immense public pressure to defend its territory against them.
Islamabad says the attacks are counter-productive as they help offset the negative popularity the Islamist militants have gained in areas under their control.
When you belly up to the bar, how well do you know the cocktail you’re ordering? The ingredients of these famous tipples may be familiar to bar patrons the world over, but some of their origins are as debatable as those of the Flaming Moe. Here’s a quick rundown of where some of your favorite drinks entered a glass for the first time.
1. The Martini
Aficionados disagree, sometimes violently, on the correct ratio of gin to dry vermouth that makes a transcendent martini, and the debate over the true origin of the martini can be just as contentious. Some claim that it’s simply a dryer version of an older cocktail called the Martinez; Martinez, California, the birthplace of this cocktail, thus stakes its claim to the title of birthplace of the martini. Others postulate that the drink’s name simply comes from Martini & Rossi, an Italian company that’s been exporting its vermouths to the U.S. since the 19th century. Still others claim that the drink was created by and named for Martini di Arma di Taggia, the bartender at New York’s Knickerbocker Hotel, although there’s evidence that the cocktail may have been invented well before he started mixing drinks.
2. The Manhattan
The venerable Manhattan, a blend of whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters, is another cocktail that scores of people claimed to have invented. It may date back to the New York bar scene of the 1860s, but there are also some more intriguing tales about its origins. According to one of these legends, Jennie Churchill threw a party at the Manhattan Club in 1874 to celebrate Samuel J. Tilden’s victory in New York’s gubernatorial election. An enterprising bartender created a new cocktail for the event, which he dubbed the Manhattan in the club’s honor. Both of these characters would go on to bigger things. Churchill soon gave birth to a son, Winston, and Tilden made a presidential run in 1876. (Although Tilden won the popular vote, he lost out to his Republican opponent, Rutherford B. Hayes. At least the cocktail saved Tilden from obscurity.)
3. The Bellini
This delightful wine cocktail, a blend of white peach puree and Prosecco, has a well-established origin. Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Venice’s beloved Harry’s Bar, started mixing up the fruity tipples sometime between 1934 and 1948. The pink drink reminded him of the color of a saint’s toga in a painting by Italian Renaissance artist Giovanni Bellini, so Cipriani named his concoction in honor of the painter.
4. The Kir
This popular French aperitif of crème de cassis and white wine has long been a favorite in France, but it didn’t get its name until after World War II. Felix Kir, the mayor of Dijon from 1945 to 1968, was a huge fan of the cocktail, and whenever he entertained visiting dignitaries, he’d invariably serve them the drink. Kir did such a good job pushing the mixture onto his visitors that it eventually became inextricably linked with his personality, and that’s why the cocktail bears his name today.
5. The Daiquiri
If you’re an American mine employee stuck working in Cuba, what do you do? In the case of intrepid engineer Jennings Cox, you start creatively mixing drinks. The mixture of rum, lime, and sugar supposedly sprang to life in 1905 when Cox and some of his fellow Americans were hanging out in a bar in Santiago, Cuba. By mixing together these handy ingredients, the Americans found a tasty tipple, and it eventually worked its way back to the states.
6. The Tom Collins
This refreshing summer drink owes its name to a 19th century hoax. In 1874, hundreds of New Yorkers heard some bad news while they were out on the town: a certain Tom Collins had been besmirching their good names. Although these people didn’t know Mr. Collins, they were outraged that he would slander them, and they often set out to find the rascal. Of course, the root of the hoax was that there wasn’t really a Tom Collins, but that didn’t keep aggrieved parties from searching him out. To deepen the joke, bartenders started making the citrus cocktail that now bears the name, so when searchers asked for Tom Collins, they could instead find a thirst-quenching long drink.
7. The Cosmopolitan
Long before Sex and the City helped bolster the popularity of the cosmo, various bartenders were staking their claims as the cocktail’s “true” creator. According to various stories, the drink originated in Minneapolis, South Beach, San Francisco, Manhattan and Provincetown, Massachusetts. Since the drink is basically just a kamikaze with a simple addition of cranberry juice, it’s possible that bartenders in all these locations came up with the drink independently, so we may never know exactly who was responsible for putting a glass in Carrie Bradshaw’s hand.
8. The Sazerac
Although it’s not the most widely known drink, the Sazerac is both delicious and one of America’s oldest cocktails. The blend of rye whiskey, bitters, sugar, and absinthe or pastis dates all the way back to the 1830s when Creole pharmacist Antoine Peychaud came up with the recipe and began serving it. The Sazerac became so popular that Peychaud’s apothecary business quickly became better known as a place to get a revitalizing potion. The Sazerac is currently in the middle of something of a resurgence. Kentucky distillery Buffalo Trace has marketed two very good straight rye whiskeys under the Sazerac name, and last year the Louisiana House of Representatives proclaimed that the drink is the official cocktail of New Orleans.
9. The Negroni
Count Camillo Negroni gets credits for creating this aperitif around 1919. As the story goes, Negroni really loved to throw back an Americano (Campari, sweet vermouth, and club soda), but he wanted a little extra zing in his glass. He asked a bartender to replace the club soda with gin to give the mixture some added kick, and the Negroni was born.
10. The Black Russian
Surprisingly, containing vodka is the only thing this cocktail has to do with Russia. Bartender Gustave Tops created the drink in 1949 or 1950 while working at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels. Tops supposedly first mixed the combination of Kahlua and vodka for American socialite Perle Mesta, who was serving as the ambassador to Luxembourg at the time.
11. Long Island Iced Tea
It might not actually contain tea, but at least the Long Island part of the name is accurate. This spring break favorite is fairly young as cocktails go; it’s only been around for about 32 years. Rosebud Butt, a bartender at the Oak Beach Inn in Hampton Bays, invented the drink in 1976, so if you ever need to find a patron saint of terrible hangovers and nights spent falling off of barstools, Rosebud may be your man.
Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Maj Gen(retd) Mahmud Ali Durrani has been sacked for having indicated days ago that Ajmal Amir Qasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist arrested for the Mumbai terror attacks, may have been a Pakistani.
This fact, ironically, was confirmed by the Pakistan government earlier in the day.
A brief statement issued by the Prime Minister’s House said Yousuf Raza Gilani had sacked Durrani “for his irresponsible behaviour (of) not taking Prime Minister and other stakeholders into confidence and lack of coordination on matters of national security”.
Gilani was quoted by Geo News channel as saying that he had sacked Durrani for commenting on the issue of the nationality of Iman alias Ajmal Kasab without taking him (Gilani) or the government into confidence.
The premier told the channel that Durrani’s “irresponsible” comments had affected Pakistan’s image and went against the government’s policies.
The move came soon after Information Minister Sherry Rehman and Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Sadiq both told reporters that an investigation by Pakistani security agencies had confirmed that Iman was a Pakistani national.
Rehman also said Pakistan’s investigation into the Mumbai attacks was continuing.
Some reports suggested that Durrani’s sacking would have to be endorsed by President Asif Ali Zardari.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has sacked National Security Adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani, Geo News reported Wednesday.
Talking to Geo News here, Prime Minister Gilani said Durrani had given a statement to an Indian news channel regarding Ajmal Kasab without taking him into confidence.
The prime minister said that Durrani’s statement had tarnished the country’s image.
Long before Sex and the City helped bolster the popularity of the cosmo, various bartenders were staking their claims as the cocktail’s “true” creator. According to various stories, the drink originated in Minneapolis, South Beach, San Francisco, Manhattan and Provincetown, Massachusetts. Since the drink is basically just a kamikaze with a simple addition of cranberry juice, it’s possible that bartenders in all these locations came up with the drink independently, so we may never know exactly who was responsible for putting a glass in Carrie Bradshaw’s hand.
