Katrina's 'Priceless' dream shattered

A French film had inspired Katrina Kaif's so much that the actress had decided to turn producer and remake the film for Bollywood. Rumours of the actress casting her sister Isabel in the film were also afoot. 

However, it so happens that her French connection has just been spoilt. Thanks to the unresponsive people in the other country who she was dealing with.

While Katrina had always remained tightlipped about the film she wanted to buy, industry insiders speculated it to be the 2002 film He Loves Me...He Loves Me Not starring popular French actressAudrey Tatou (of Amelie fame).

However, Kat herself broke her silence and later revealed that she wanted to buy the remake rights of the 2006 French movie Priceless.

And after months of going back and forth, the deal as of today, stands cancelled.

The people in question simply stopped reverting to the Bollywood actress. "It was ridiculous. Katrina is an A-list actress in Bollywood. They should have dealt with the proceedings very tactfully," revealed a source close to Kat.

Tired of the unprofessional behaviour, Katrina too, has eventually given up on her French dream. "She gave lot of time and energy to this project.

She had even thought of a few directors who could handle the subject beautifully. She has every reason to be exasperated now. She has given up on Priceless, " added our source.

However, this setback has not managed to squash Katrina's dream of turning producer.  "She is very much open to other films. She is quite a film buff and sees a lot of foreign films. Who knows, she might even pick up a Hindi film and remake it," informed the source.

Dhoni played innings of his life in World Cup final: Yuvraj

MUMBAI: Flamboyant all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who was named World Cup's man-of-the-tournament, on Tuesday complimented Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his match-winning knock of 91 not out in the final of the mega event, terming it as the Indian skipper's best-ever innings.

"It was a dream come true. As MS (Dhoni) said (earlier) I did not know what to do. I wanted to jump on MS and keep jumping on him. He had just played the innings of his life," the flamboyant batsman said about the Indian skipper's masterly innings, in the latter's presence.

The Ranchi-born wicketkeeper-batsman had promoted himself to number 5 above in-form Yuvraj and simply took away the game from Sri Lanka by slamming two sixes and eight fours in his 79-ball masterpiece at the Wankhede Stadium inMumbai.

Dhoni, only the second captain after Kapil Dev to lead India to the game's showpiece trophy, put on 109 runs for the fourth wicket with Gautam Gambhir (97) and an unfinished 5th stand of 46 with Yuvraj, who remained unbeaten on 21.

"It was the highlight of my career. To win the World Cup after 28 years, was very special. Can't explain the feelings," said Yuvraj who scored 362 runs in 9 matches averaging 90-plus and also grabbed 15 wickets with his left arm slow bowling.

Dhoni, for his part, conceded he had gone blank after hitting the winning shot, a six.

"I was quite blank at that point of time. I didn't know how to celebrate. Then I saw Yuvraj's 6-foot, 2-inch (frame) coming towards me. I thought, he's not going anywhere; let me get to the stumps (souvenirs) first," said Dhoni at the event organised by Reebok to felicitate the triumphant team members.

Yuvraj said he worked hard to make a memorable comeback into the Indian squad after being dropped from both the Test and ODI teams last year.

"Last year was not a great one. I suffered a lot of injuries, but I received a lot of support from my teammates and people close to me. I kept on working hard and performed at the right time," he said.

Dhoni also talked about the importance of fielding and fitness.

"Of course we have to put in a 100 per cent effort (to keep fit). Fielding is an integral part. Twenty overs (games) are said to be demanding but in 50 overs (games) you have to maintain intensity throughout," he said.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh said for him the team always came first.

"Whenever there is a time to celebrate I celebrate. That's the way I have always been. I am there always for the team, the team comes first," he said.

Leg spinner Piyush Chawla and big-hitting all-rounder Yusuf Pathan also shared their memorable World Cup moments.

"I felt very good to take the World Cup in my hand. We played well," said Pathan.

"I don't have words to describe those feelings. It was a dream come true for me. For me it was a special feeling as it was my first home series. That (triumph) is something I will cherish all my life," he said.

All the players were given gold-plated bats as mementos.

Source:TOI

Miss India Ankita Shorey wants to work with SRK ,Aamir

After winning the Miss India International crown, Ankita Shorey has set her sights on the Bollywood and has both Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan on her wish-list of co-stars.

The 24-year-old model says films are her first love, and she wants to live out her life in front of the cameras. “Acting is and will always be my first love. Even before I won the pageant, I was working towards becoming an actress, and the crown will hopefully ease my way a bit,” Ankita told PTI.

Ankita, who has already shared screen space with King Khan in an advertisement for a cosmetics brand, said Shah Rukh had an immense commercial appeal, while Aamir had an “experimental edge.”

“I want to live my entire life on the big screen and want to work with all the top names in the industry. I love both Shah Rukh and Aamir. Aamir is a fearless actor who experiments a lot, while Shah Rukh has an unparalleled commercial success. SRK just sweeps you off the feet with his charm,” she said.

She reckoned that it was the best time to be a newcomer in the Bollywood as the industry had spawned various genres to choose from.

“We have everything from typical ‘masala' song and dance to experimental films coming out of the industry. That gives an aspiring actor a lot of opportunity, and more than anything I want to prove my versatility,” Ankita said, citing the example of the former Miss India, Priyanka Chopra.

“She has done everything, from a Dostana to a Saat Khoon Maaf, and I aspire to do the same.”

Ankita, who attended a Buddhist monastery after studying history, said her early years equipped her well for life in the fast lane.

Time to choose your career

After the board exams the question that every student is faced “What do I want to be?”

Go for it

Gone are the days when engineers, doctors, lawyers and CAs were the only respectable options. There is a whole gamut of occupations you can choose from now, depending on your interests and aptitude. Here are some alternative career options you can look into.

Public Relations

Maintaining relations anywhere and generating positive publicity for a client, be it a company or an individual, is the primary responsibility of a PR officer. A good command over the language is a must. Though no formal education is required, a broad knowledge of many things, including advertising, is of immense help here.

Event Management

Corporate events and conferences, trade shows and exhibitions, product launches, grand openings, festivals, parties, weddings, fashion shows or beauty contests, a never ending list of events you can find yourself organising should you choose to be an events manager. This is a good choice for those who like organising things, with a flair for being creative and innovative. A high school certificate is the basic requirement, but there are many diploma and post graduate courses being offered in this field.

Radio Jockey

If you love talking, and people also love talking and listening to you, then you have found your calling. Add to that an interest and knowledge of different types of music, and you have the makings of a good radio jockey.

RJs are those who anchor music programmes on radio, entrusted with entertaining listeners by playing music or conveying messages in a captivating way.

Apart from a good voice and fluency in the language, an RJ should be friendly, dynamic, witty and have a sound presence of mind with a good sense of humour. Though no formal education is required, there are short courses available which can aid you in improving your skills. These days, many FM stations have started taking on interns also.

Graphic Designing

Graphic designing is the art of creating visual solutions to communication needs of any organisation, in print or electronic form. The scope of a graphic designer is far from narrow.

From designing the layout of magazines and newspapers, promotional displays, marketing brochures, logos to developing material for web pages and interactive media, all come under the umbrella of graphic designing.

Creativity, good communication and problem solving skills are required, as are an interest in computer graphics and design software. It's a creative career that finally rewards you for all those doodles you'd made during classes!

Hotel Management

A career in hotel management is not just a career, but a lifestyle in itself.

With the hotel industry growing, there is a wide scope with opportunities in sales and marketing, front office management, housekeeping, club management, travel and tourism and a lot more. A number of courses and post graduate degrees are available, both in India and abroad.

Foreign language interpreters and translators

With globalisation, the world is becoming smaller, and the need to communicate between different countries and cultures is increasing. If you have a flair for languages, then this might be your calling. In addition to learning the language well, one needs to have an academic degree in foreign languages.

You could make a career in tourism, entertainment, public relations and mass communication, international organisations, embassies, diplomatic service, publishing houses and BPO's.

So, find the best fit for your personality.

Source: The Hindu

UN Security Council to discuss Syria

The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday is to hold a full—fledged discussion of Syria’s crackdown on protesters as Secretary General Ban Ki—moon condemned the repression by the government of Syrian President Bashir al Assad.

Mr. Ban and the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay are also calling for an independent and effective investigation of hundreds of civilian deaths in Syria, Mr. Ban said Tuesday.

Syria’s U.N. Ambassador Bashar Jaafari rejected Mr. Ban’s call for the investigation, saying Damascus is fully capable of carrying out the probe.

Appearing before reporters to defend his government’s handling of the demonstrations, Mr. Jaafari said a law adopted by Damascus last week provided for peaceful demonstrations.

“From last week, demonstrators can demonstrate peacefully anywhere in Syria, peacefully without relying to violent acts,” he said. “If you’re demonstrating peacefully you’re protected by the government.”

Mr. Jaafari defended measures taken by the government against some demonstrators because the protesters had “an agenda.”

Mr. Ban attended a closed—door session with the council Tuesday, where it discussed a draft statement reacting to the military repression of civilian protesters and the deaths of reportedly 300 since mid—March.

Diplomats said China and Russia were opposed to any move by the body to condemn Syria.

The council president, Colombia’s U.N. Ambassador Nestor Osorio, said, “There are drafts circulating, but nothing concrete.” The council will meet Wednesday afternoon to hear an updated briefing on the situation in the Middle East by UN officials, and Mr. Ban said government officials would also attend.

In remarks after Tuesday’s closed—door discussions, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice accused Iran of supporting Syria’s military repression of pro—democracy demonstrations.

“We have said repeatedly that we are very conscientious and concerned of evidence of active Iranian support and involvement on behalf of the Syrian government in its repression of its people,” Ms. Rice told reporters.

Ms. Rice said Damascus has used “brutal tactics” against the demonstrators, similar to those used by the Iranian government against the opposition in Iran.

“The U.S. will continue to stand up for democracy, for respect for human rights, universal rights that all human beings deserve in Syria and around the world,” she said.

The U.S. has threatened to tighten current sanctions against the Syrian regime and its supporters.

Ms. Rice said the situations in Libya and Syria are different “in terms of the origins, of consequences and they will be different in terms of the action that is feasible and desirable here in the Security Council.”

She added that the “gravity of the situation” required Wednesday’s discussions because of the “concerns that we all share for the civilians at risk at present in Syria and the potential conflict with implications for regional peace and security.”

Mr. Ban cited the government’s use of tanks against protestors as a cause for “increasingly a grave concern.” “I condemn utterly the continued violence against peaceful protesters, most particularly the use of tanks and live fire that killed and injured hundreds of people,” Mr. Ban told reporters.

He said the Syrian authorities have the obligation to protect the civilian population and respect international human rights, including rights of free expression and peaceful assembly.

Live In The Present

If you are feeling disoriented and out-of-sync, maybe you just need to slow down, says Paula Horan

The first step towards self-healing of either emotional imbalances or physical ailments is to slow down, so that we get a chance to perceive what is really happening in our lives. We can then better observe and understand our inner state of being, for it is mirrored in our outer situation in life. Once we understand this, we can take responsibility and change whatever that is bothering us.

Illness often results when we are too busy or overwrought to pay attention to signals that point to where our true priorities lie. The causal factors of a common cold are a case in point. The two main reasons for 'catching' a cold, for instance, could be that you are carrying a lot of grief or anger and have suppressed your need to cry or that you have submitted your body to too much stress — to a deluge of toxins such as air pollutants, alcohol, drugs (including unnecessary over-the-counter and prescription drugs) and too much or unhealthy food.

These together with excess stress and lack of rest can exhaust the immune system; it now needs to purge itself.

Go slow now

When you slow down, it becomes possible to be in touch with your feelings again, the very ones you were ignoring in the first place. The neurotically busy pace of your lifestyle can make you lose touch with your genuine feelings. When you can barely keep your head out of water, it is easy to not notice what is really going on. When you are speeding along like a rat on a skateboard, there is no time to reflect and feel.

When you slow down, you also begin to get the first inkling of peace — the silent power with you all the time. In ordinary circumstances, we simply do not notice this — neither our innate peace or our own power, because we are never fully present or living life in the 'now'. If you are always engaged in mind games, worrying or planning, you are bound to suffer. In such a state of mind, you overlook your existing

reality — the eternal moment, the now, the inner joy.

Karachi: 4 Killed, Several Injured In Attack On Two Navy Buses

KARACHI: Four people including two personnel of Pakistan Navy were killed in two separate terrorist attacks targeting Pakistan Navy buses in Karachi on Tuesday morning, a spokesman of Pakistan Navy said.

He identified the dead as Sub-Lieutenant Iqbal and Umar Farooq, a Sailor of Pakistan Navy, Dr. Nazia, a civilian working with Pakistan Navy, and Muhammad Sharif, a civilian employee of Pakistan Navy.

Of the 56 injured being treated at Pakistan Navy hospitals, some were discharged after providing them with first aid.

The spokesman pointed out that two Navy buses were targeted in two different parts of the metropolis almost simultaneously.

The buses, he added, were taking the staff to their respective units.

The two Navy buses were targeted in Defence Phase two and Mohajir Camp in Baldia Town area here.

The Commander Karachi, Rear Admiral Syed Khawar Ali, visited the hospitals and inquired about the health of the injured,

The spokesman further stated that the Naval Headquarters has ordered an inquiry.

The Inquiry Committee has been directed to submit its report to the Naval Headquarters.

Zulqarnain Faces Charges From Akmal Father

  

Zulqarnain Haider faces defamation charges from the father of Kamran and Umar Akmal after his return to Pakistan on Monday.

Zulqarnain is being fined RS 100 million for defamation after telling a press conference that Mr. Akmal was allegedly a bookermaker and match fixer, while in the same breath accusing his son Umar Akmal of unruly behaviour. With regard’s to Mr. Haider’s accusations, Akmal’s lawyer Badruzaman, was reported to have said:

"My client is a well reputed businessman and he will not tolerate such allegations. Haider now has to either produce evidence to back his allegations or make a public apology or face legal action."

Pakistan’s gloveman, Kamran Akmal is reported be to hurt and upset by the accusations, and says his father is an innocent man.

Chernobyl Disaster: 25th Anniversary of the World's Worst Nuclear Accident

Ceremonies will take place in Ukraine today to mark the 25th anniversary of the world's worst nuclear accident.

An explosion at reactor number four at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exposed hundreds of thousands of people to high doses of radiation and sent a fall-out cloud across Europe.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will visit Chernobyl to take part in the memorial ceremonies at the site, alongside his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yanukovych.

One of the main services was held in the central square of Slavutich, a small city 40kms from the site.

The service was at held at 1.23am (11.23pm Irish time), the exact moment 25 years ago that the Chernobyl reactor No 4 exploded, spewing a cloud of radioactive fallout over much of northern Europe.

Mourners placed flowers and lit candles for the victims of the disaster, including the cleanup workers known as 'liquidators' - who died as they battled the fire at the reactor and evacuated people.Almost every one who came to the ceremony had lost someone in the Chernobyl disaster.Alexander Pelechanko, a former Chernobyl worker, was employed at the plant for 25 years.

'I came to light a candle for my friends, I came to remember all my friends and all of what happened. All of this is difficult to talk about,' he said.

Meanwhile in capital Kiev, Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill led the night time service near a monument to firefighters and cleanup workers who died soon after the accident from acute radiation poisoning.

The explosion at Chernobyl forced hundreds of thousands from their homes in the most heavily hit areas in Ukraine, Belarus and western Russia.

Large territories were contaminated, several villages and the towns of Chernobyl and Pripyat were abandoned.

The city of Slavutich was built to relocate the people who worked and lived near by Chernobyl power plant, in the city of Pripyat.
The explosion released about 400 times more radiation than the US atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima.

The United Nations's World Health Organisation said at a conference in Kiev last week that among the 600,000 people most heavily exposed to the radiation, 4,000 more cancer deaths than average are expected to be eventually found.

Thousands of children developed thyroid cancer, and other health problems from the harmful radiation levels.

But exactly how many people died is still debated.

The official Soviet death toll of the Chernobyl accident stands at 31, but there is controversy over the disaster's long-term health effects.

Pak Hockey players Could face action for ties with WSH

Three senior Pakistani hockey players could face the axe from next month's Sultan Azlan Shah Cup because of their apparent association with an unsanctioned league in India. Sources in the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) said on Sunday that its top brass has decided to take stern action against 

the players, who have signed contracts with the World Series Hockey (WSH) in India in spite of the federation’s repeated warnings to stay away from the event. The players have already been sent show-cause notices by the Federation.

“The PHF is unlikely to show any leniency to the players who are associated with WSH,” said a well-placed source.

Pakistan’s top hockey stars, meanwhile, are mulling over their future plans after receiving show-cause notices from the PHF Saturday.

Rehan Butt, Waseem Ahmed and Shakeel Abbasi have been instructed to explain their position following reports that they have entered into contract with WSH.

“We have issued show-cause notices to the three players for having contractual obligations with an unsanctioned league in India,”  said Asif Bajwa, the PHF secretary.

“We have asked them to clear their position by April 28. The PHF will decide whether to take action against these players after receiving their explanation.”

The trio are a part of Pakistan’s preliminary squad for next month’s Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. They are three of the team’s most senior players but are unlikely to make the cut in the final squad because of their ties with WSH.

“Our message to any player who thinks he can flout rules is loud and clear,” stressed Bajwa, a former Olympian. “There is no place for anybody in Pakistan hockey who thinks that he is bigger than the game.”

Sources close to the players revealed that the players, who are in the twilight years of their international career, are in fix. “They want to continue their Pakistan career but the money being promised by WSH is really tempting, especially for hockey players who are quite under-paid,” said a source.

According to a report in ‘The News’ Sunday,  Butt will be the highest paid player from Pakistan if he decides to stay on board with WSH. He has signed a contract of $25,000. Abbasi’s contract is worth $22,000 while Waseem will get $20,000.

The players with links to WSH are looking at making around six to eight million rupees by featuring in the inaugural season because they will also get shares from a prize purse of $3 million besides receiving other allowances.

“It might not sound very big if you compare it with what international cricketers earn these days but for hockey players it’s a huge amount,” said a source.

“That is why it will be really difficult for these players to make their choice."

Butt, Abbasi and Waseem are not the only Pakistani players with links to WSH. There are several more including Zeeshan Ashraf, the experienced fullback who led Pakistan to their first Asian Games title in 20 years in China last year. Another former captain
Muhammad Saqlain and Olympian Adnan Maqsood are also on the list.

Spurned by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), WSH is a joint venture of a sports management firm and the unrecognised Indian Hockey Federation. It is trying to rope in 60 top international players besides local Indian talent.

Second Drone Strike in Libya

An unmanned predator drone struck a Libyan anti-aircraft system in Tripoli sometime Sunday or late Saturday, a NATO spokesman said.

The spokesman on Sunday said that the drone hit an SA-8 anti-aircraft system sometime in the past 24 hours, confirming the second such strike by NATO forces.

The United States on Saturday confirmed a predator strike, which happened Saturday afternoon.

Keeping with U.S. practice not to comment on drone strikes, the Pentagon offered no other information.

According to a NATO news release, the first strike destroyed a multiple rocket launcher belonging to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's regime in the vicinity of Misrata. The rocket launcher had been used against civilians, NATO said.

The unmanned predator drones are the latest technology to be used in Libya as NATO carries out a U.N.-backed mission there to protect civilians and enforce a no-fly zone.

The United States has used such drones in other conflict zones, such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. They are designed to carry out precision bombings, and can also be used to collect intelligence.

Do You Know Your Best Friend ??

You think you know everything about your best friend that there is to know, but do you really? Do you know how does your best friend feel when people act needy? Or, about people being dishonest? What do they think when others seem uncomfortable in social situations? According to a study, if you don’ t know – your relationship may pay a price.

There are lots of ways to know someone’s personality. You can say “she’s an extrovert” or “she’s usually happy.” You may also know how he or she reacts to different situations and other people’s behavior.

“It’s a more detailed way of understanding personality,” says Charity A. Friesen, a graduate student at Wilfrid Laurier University, who co-wrote the new paper with Lara K. Kammrath.

“You might know the person is extroverted when they’re out with their friends but more introverted when they’re in a new situation.” When a person is faced with one of a list of situations, then how does he or she behave? Friesen identifies this as an “if-then profile.”

Friesen and Kammrath recruited university students to take part in the study. Each student was asked to get a friend to participate in the study with them.

Then each of the participants individually filled out an online survey.

This included a list of “triggers”—descriptions of behaviors that someone might find annoying. One example was the word “skepticism” which was described as when someone is overly disbelieving of information that he/she receives, when he/she questions things that are generally accepted, or when he/she is very hard to convince of something.

The list also included gullibility, social timidity, social boldness, perfectionism, obliviousness and several dozen other possible triggers. For each behavior, each respondent answered a question about how much this triggers them and how much it triggers their friend.

Some people knew their friends’ triggers well; others had almost no idea what set their friends off. And that made a difference to the friendship. People who had more knowledge of their friend’s if-then profile of triggers had better relationships. They had less conflict with the friend and less frustration with the relationship.

Other research has shown that it’s not that hard to come up with a list of traits that describe someone; casual acquaintances can do it.

“But, if I’m close to someone, I can really start to learn the if-then profiles, and that’s what’s going to pay off in my relationship,” Friesen says.

The study appears in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science

US Confirms Drone Strike in Libya

The United States has announced its first Predator drone strike in Libya, while rebels report deaths in their western stronghold, Misrata, as pro-government forces apparently retreat. 

A U.S. Defense Department statement says the airstrike, carried out by an unmanned aircraft, took place on Saturday.  However, the statement does not say where the strike occurred.  The U.S. strike is part of a NATO-led effort to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, where rebels are fighting to overthrow the government.  

In the western city of Misrata, rebels say at least 15 people were killed on Saturday in clashes between forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and rebels.  However, rebels say pro-Gadhafi forces appear to be pulling out of the city. 

Susan Boyle statue at Madame Tussauds

LONDON: 50 year-old singer, Susan Boyle, who received international attention through the show 'Britain's Got Talent', immortalized in Madame Tussauds wax sculpture collection of the British.

Wax statue was unveiled at the seaside resort of Blackpool, northwest England. Susan Boyle wax spend a budget of £ 150,000.

Susan Boyle twins appeared wearing a black dress which is owned by Susan Boyle.

The singer is also immortalized in Madame Tussauds wax sculpture, among others, Justin Bieber, Lady GaGa and Taylor Swift.

Moin Akhter You Still Live On ....

William Kate Royal Wedding Guest List Released

LONDON :  The full list of confirmed guests and the seating plan for the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton were released by the British monarchy Saturday.

Many of the 1,900 invitees had already been mentioned in the media weeks ago, including soccer star David Beckham and his wife Victoria, musician Elton John and director Guy Ritchie. But others, like soul singer Joss Stone and Mr. Bean actor Rowan Atkinson — a close friend of William's father Prince Charles — were new.

St. James's Palace also confirmed for the first time that Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa will be attending, despite British concerns about the treatment of activists there.

Moin Akhter Laid To Rest In Karachi

KARACHI: A renowned television artist, comedian and compere Moin Akhter was laid to rest in Model Colony graveyard in Malir, Karachi on Saturday.

The funeral prayers of Moin Akhtar were offered in Tauheed Mosque near his residence. Hundreds of people attended the funeral prayer. The funeral prayer was led by Junaid Jamshed.

Moin Akhtar, aged 60, passed away in Karachi after suffering a heart attack on Friday afternoon.

Moin Akhtar also demonstrated his calibre in realms of fine arts. As a comedian he had won recognition at international level for his unique style.

He leaves behind his wife, three daughters and two sons to mourn his death.

He died at around 6:15 pm at the Combined Military Hospital in Malir Cantonment where he was admitted after suffering heart attack in the morning.

The legendary television and stage actor was also a playwright, singer, and producer who made his debut from Pakistan Television. 

Ice Creams are Nostalgic

The next time you order an ice cream, get ready to feel like a busy bee, for a new survey has revealed that these chilled sweet treats can trigger emotions linked to its place of origin.

In fact, the emotions generated vary from one kind of iice cream to another, according to a study of 10,000 adults by Kelly's of Cornwall Ice Cream.

The study was followed by analysis from food psychologist Greg Tucker, reports the Scotsman.

Eating ice cream from Scotland with its sweet, milky taste conjures up feelings of indulgence.

Cornish ice cream may inspire visions of beaches and seaside towns, while Italian ice cream with its swirls creates images of 'bright and interesting'Naples.

American-style ice cream, which contains chunks or pieces, results in feeling 'frenetic and busy'. 

ZULQARNAIN HAIDER READY TO RETURN TO PAKISTAN

Former Pakistan wicket-keeper, Zulqarnain Haider, has revealed on a social networking website that he has decided to return Pakistan on April 24, 2011, despite receiving threats to his life.

The wicket-keeper had suddenly left for England, before the final One-Day International (ODI) against South Africa, last year in Dubai, citing life threats from bookies to fix the match.

He then sought asylum in London leaving his family in Pakistan. The banished player announced that he would not play for Pakistan saying that he was not properly trained and suffered under pressure.

His sudden departure raised many raises and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) carried out an inquiry of his action. Later on, some support staff members of the national team said that Zulqarnain was a person with “weak nerves” who could be easily convinced and believed whatever was told to him.

Haider expressed anger and was reportedly suing PCB for his mental illness report. While living in London, he revealed that he was offered to participate in county cricket after getting clearance of his status in UK.

Media reports, earlier this week revealed that the wicket-keeper was planning to come back in Pakistan. Later on, the exiled cricketer revealed to media that he again received threatening calls, after which it was expected that he would have cancelled his plan.

Last week, he met the Pakistan’s interior minister  Rehman Malik, who assured that wicket-keeper and his family would be provided with proper security when he came back home.

Zulqarnain said that he is ready to face all questions the PCB and International Cricket Council (ICC) might have for him.

"I received assurances from interior minister Rehman Malik and also from the Pakistan High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, regarding my safety on my return to Pakistan".

Rehman Malik also gave assurances to the player that his job in Zarai Taraqiati Bank will also be restored.

Facing hurdles in the early days of his career, he just played four ODIs and scored 48 runs while playing two Test innings and scored 88 runs.

Syria Recent Clashes 90 killed, 80 injured

BEIJING: In Syria, where a human rights organization says at least 90 civilians had been killed by security forces during the biggest demonstrations so far against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad.

Another 80 people were injured in the clashes. Demonstrators also seek the release of political prisoners and the dismantling of the security services.

It was the bloodiest day in a month of escalating demonstrations.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in cities across Syria on Friday to call for current president Bashar al-Assad to step down. Although he had just lifted the almost half century old emergency law, protesters were not appeased. They called for more reforms and greater freedoms in the west-Asian country.

Syrian state television showed protests in several cities with news anchors stating the protests were "peaceful". But an unnamed fireman in the capital city of Damascus said the fire stations had been attacked by protesters. His fire engine appears to have been badly damaged.

Unidentified Fireman, said, "Shooting is evidence that people are not calling for freedom. They are calling for damage, to destroy the country.":

However, amatuer video posted on a social website showed yet another side to the story. In it, protestors are seen running from the sound of gunfire in the cities of Homs and Damascus.

Neither account could be independently confirmed.

Friday's violence brings the death toll to around 300, since the unrest broke out in March in southern Syria.

Legend Pakistani Comedian Moin Akhtar passes away

KARACHI:  Prominent TV and stage actor Moin Akhtar breathe his last on Friday. He was heart patient and few months back he had undergone heart bypass.

He was taken to CMH in critical condition where he expired. Late Moin Akhtar was living in Karachi and in his life he received many awards including Pride of Performance for his best performances in TV and stage dramas. He was borne on 24 December in 1950 and started his acting career in 1966.

His family members confirmed his death that Moin Ahktar is no more with us, and he has left widow, three daughters and two sons behind him.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, PML-N Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister Punjab Main Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, former President Pervaz Musharrraf, Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Interior Minister Rehman Malik and JI Amir Syed Munawar Hassan shown deep sorrow over the death of Moin Akhtar.