Goody goes home for 'final weeks'

Cancer-stricken British television star Jade Goody left hospital in London on Wednesday to be home with her family for what doctors say may be the final weeks of her life.The 27-year-old reality show celebrity was carried into an ambulance after leaving the Royal Marsden Hospital in west London along with her husband Jack Tweed.Earlier, her publicist Max Clifford said she was "desperate" to return to her home in the village of Upshire, Essex."They are going back home. Obviously, they've decided she's well enough to go. One of the nurses is going with her," Clifford said.Clifford said Goody wanted to be with Tweed and her two sons, Bobby, five, and Freddie, four. "She wants to spend as much time as possible with the boys and Jack. At the moment, that's very difficult."Goody was diagnosed with cervical cancer in August last year, forcing her to cancel her appearance on the Indian reality show "Bigg Boss" and fly back home from Mumbai, but the cancer has since spread to her liver, bowels and groin.After doctors gave her only weeks to live, Goody married Tweed last month, following which she and her two sons were christened at the Royal Marsden hospital chapel on Sunday.

Naomi Campbell’s billionaire Russian beau is ‘married’

Supermodel Naomi Campbell’s billionaire Russian boyfriend Vladislav Doronin is married, it has emerged.The catwalk queen and Doronin have been dating since last May, and the 46-year-old tycoon himself talked about buying her an engagement ring.However, Ekaterina, who claims to be his wife and the mother of his 12-year- old daughter, has told friends that she will not divorce her hubby.“This is just a ridiculous affair. Vladislav is married to me and we are still a couple,” the News of the World quoted her, as saying.“Naomi is deluding herself if she thinks she can take my husband. But it is adultery and Naomi is flaunting it. It is sick and it is embarrassing,” she said.She added: “Vladimir and I are not even legally separated. How can she possibly think she can get engaged to my husband when he is married to somebody else?”

Jordan was a sex attack victim at age of 6

Katie Price aka Jordan has revealed that she was a victim of sexual abuse at the age of six.Jordan also revealed how she was once photographed by a convicted paedophile as a teenager. “Worse things happened to me when I was younger than that,” News of the World quoted her as saying.In an interview to Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, the 30-year-old model choked with emotion as she revealed that she was sexually attacked in park when she was six years old.“In a park, but yeah. I don’t know. I’ve never really . . . Oh my God, what’s the matter with me?” she said as her voice shook with emotion.She was playing hide and seek in bushes with a school friend, while her mum chatted with a friend on a nearby bench.A man appeared and promised to buy the two girls an ice cream. The pervert then lined up the two terrified girls and exposed himself. He also touched the girls.Katie was terrified by the attack but too afraid to scream. She felt she should do what the attacker said.Meanwhile some older children saw what was happening and scared the attacker off. Her mother immediately called the police but the man quickly disappeared and was never caught.She also talked about her ordeal at the hands of the photographer her mum had hired to help launch her modelling career at 13.He turned out to be a pervert who insisted she pose in her underwear. Photos of her were later found plastered over the walls of his home.

Jobs lost: 20,000 Indians return home

About 20,000 Indians have returned home after losing their jobs overseas due to the global economic crisis, the government said today. Though the exact number of people who have returned is not available, there are reports, which indicate that between 16,000 and 20,000 Indians have come back here after the economic slowdown, the Overseas Affairs Minister, Vyalar Ravi, told the Rajya Sabha during Question Hour.

To a supplementary, the Minister said that the number of incidents of overseas employers keeping passport of Indian employees have come down by 50 per cent.But he did not provide the period when this reduction has been witnessed.To a supplementary, the Minister said that the number of incidents of overseas employers keeping passport of Indian employees have come down by 50 per cent.But he did not provide the period when this reduction has been witnessed.He said the government is aware that some employers keep the employees' visas with themselves and do not renew these on time, rendering them illegal immigrants. The government is holding talks with foreign countries on the issue.He said the government is aware that some employers keep the employees' visas with themselves and do not renew these on time, rendering them illegal immigrants. The government is holding talks with foreign countries on the issue.he UAE has issued direction to employers not to keep the visa of their employees, he added.The Minister also said there is a need to make changes in the Immigration Act, which was last amended in 1983. On the issue of migrant workers, he said the government has taken a number of initiatives, including signing of bilateral agreements to protect their interests. Asked how many Indians are in jails abroad, he said the government does not have the figure, but it is very vigilant and would collect the information.

Salma Hayek weds billionaire in Paris

Mexican actress Salma Hayek has married on-off fiance Francois-Henri Pinaul in a surprise ceremony in Paris on Valentine's Day.The Mexican actress, 42, and the French billionaire, 46, married in the City Hall in the St. Germain area of the French capital Saturday, reports dailymail.co.uk.The decision to wed on Valentine's Day also has a special meaning for the couple, as their 17-month-old daughter is named Valentina.News of their marriage comes as a surprise after they publicly announced the end of their engagement last July.

RICKY MARTIN KIDS PHOTOS

A.R.RAHMAN WINS BAFTA

It's raining awards on music wizard A. R. Rahman. At the recently concluded British awards ceremony BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts), A. R. Rahman has been adjudged the best original music composer for his work in the film 'Slumdog Millionaire'.
The film directed by British filmmaker Danny Boyle is a rags-to-riches tale of an improbable winner of the game show 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire', has picked up seven awards.
'Slumdog Millionaire' has won awards for Best Film, Best Director and Best Original Music Score. The film also won the awards for Cinematography, Editing, Sound and Adapted Screenplay.
The film's story revolves around Jamal Malik, played by Dev Patel, who wins the jackpot and then is subject to police interrogation for cheating. The film stars well-known Bollywood actors Anil Kapoor and Irfan Khan. The film had earlier swept the the Critics' Choice Awards in California, winning five prizes, including best film, best director and best composer. Rahman had earlier won the Golden Globe Award and the Screen Award for 'Slumdog Millionaire'. Interestingly all eyes are now on Feb 22 when the coveted Oscar Awards would be announced. The movie has been nominated in 10 categories.

FORMER INDIAN CAPTAIN SOURAV GANGULY TO CONDUCT QUIZ

Former cricketer Sourav Ganguly is all set to begin a new innings as compere of a Bengali TV reality show in June.Ganguly, India's cricket captain who retired from the game late last year, has already inked a deal with popular Bengali TV channel Zee Bangla, according to a report in the Ananda Bazar Patrika.

'Yes, I have agreed to this proposal. I only know I have to conduct a quiz show.A Zee Bangla official, however, refused to comment.The weekly show, likely to be christened 'Dadagiri', would see Ganguly interacting with the masses, besides talking to celebrity guests.Initially, there will be 52 episodes, which may be increased if the show becomes a hit.

'Slumdog Millionaire' is like my story: Anil Kapoor

Versatile Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor, who played quizmaster in Danny Boyle's Oscar-nominated rags-to-riches story 'Slumdog Millionaire', says he sees a reflection of his own life in the film.''Slumdog…' is like my story. I also started from scratch - a rags to riches story. I started in Chembur (a Mumbai suburb) and slowly climbed up. God has been kind in that way,' Anil said on CNN's show 'My City My Life'.On the show, to be aired Thursday at 3 p.m., the actor tours the city and shows off 'his' Mumbai with clips of slums as well as the hangout spots of Bollywood's elite.While doing a tour, the 49-year-old also talks about the success of 'Slumdog Millionaire', his first international venture.The film triumphed at the Golden Globe awards and has also bagged 10 Oscar nominations.'The film is basically a love story, but shot in a very realistic way. The film is not choreographed at all - it's very natural and real. There is nothing that is exaggerated or nothing that is downplayed,' said the actor.The actor, whose first big hit was 'Tezaab' (1988), went on to give blockbusters like 'Ram Lakhan', 'Mr. India', 'Karma' and 'Beta'.

NEWBORN BABY DETECT THE BEAT IN MUSIC

This phenomenon - termed ‘beat induction’ - is likely to have contributed to music’s origin. It enables such actions as clapping, making music together and dancing to a rhythm. Beat induction is also considered to be uniquely human. Even our closest evolutionary relatives, such as the chimpanzee and bonobo, do not synchronize their behavior to rhythmic sounds.The findings, which have just been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, challenge some earlier assumptions that beat induction is learned in the first few months of life, for example by parents rocking the infant.Instead, the results of this collaborative European study demonstrate that beat perception is either innate or learned in the womb, as the auditory system is at least partly functional as of approximately three month before birth. It should be noted that the auditory capabilities underlying beat induction are also necessary for bootstrapping communication by sounds, allowing infants to adapt to the rhythm of the caretaker’s speech and to find out when to respond to it or to interject their own vocalisation.Therefore, although these results are compatible with the notion of the genetic origin of music in humans, they do not provide the final answer in this longstanding debate.

World to celebrate Valentine's Day with Indian roses

Come Valentine's Day, thousands of lovers across the globe, including in Europe and Australia, will exchange 'I Love You' greetings with 'Made in India' roses.Besides the roses in red, yellow and other hues, the much-hyped "Taj Mahal", a new variety of deep rose, will make its presence felt for the first time during Valentine's Day which falls on February 14.Tanflora Floriculture Infrastructure Park, a Tamil Nadu Government enterprise, plans to export about 10 million cut and Taj Mahal roses across the globe for this year's Valentine's Day."The roses are being exported to Europe, Australia and countries in Middle East and Far East. These roses will be sent to them a week before the Valentine's Day," Tanflora Managing Director Najeeb Ahmed said in Chennai.The demand for roses during this season is increasing day by day. Besides the other usual variety of roses, demand for Taj Mahal brand is high.Roses are always in high demand during the Valentine's Day season every year as more and more people express their affection towards their love through a rose, which is seen a symbol of love.Tanflora, which operates from Hosur, located near Bangalore, had exported 1 million cut roses in 2007 during the Valentine's Day and has sent 3 million flowers to markets across the globe last year.Tanflora Infrastructure Park Ltd grows roses in a 200 acre farm in Amudhagondapalli village in Hosur in Tamil Nadu.Europe, Japan, South-east Asia, Australia, MiddleEast, Russia and CIS countries are major markets for Tanflora, which has marketing offices in London, Frankfurt, Tokyo, Sydney and Duba.Ahmed said the global economic meltdown did not affect the export of roses."Personally... I feel there is no impact of the economic slowdown. We will achieve our target of exporting 10 million roses".Red Giant, Red Horizon, Red Corvette, Happy Hour, Passion Royal Class, Red Palace, Bohemia, Discovery, Gold Strike, Rimini High Society, Tenga Venga Bugatti, King Fihser, Apricot Kiwi and Avalanche Classic and Duett are some of the varieties which are exported to the foreign markets throughout the year, especially during the Valentine's Day.Asked about the price of the roses, Ahmed said it depends on the varieties and the place where the rose is sold."The price of the flower depends on the variety. The price will differ from place to place. The nominal price is also one reason why foreign countries like flowers from India,"The 'Taj Mahal' variety of red rose, named after the famous 17th century monument of love, was launched in Australia and London last year.The roses are grown by 25 grower-investors in each of their 5 acre green houses. The processing, packaging and marketing of the roses from all the 25 green houses is done centrally by Tanflora at its world class Central Packaging Hall at the farm.The exclusive rose variety is known for its unique colour, shape, vase life, stem length and overall vigour and is a hit among buyers in Australia and Europe.

Cells that can limit stroke damage identified

Researchers have identified a specific type of cells that can limit brain damage in stroke patients.They found that crucial functions like sight, speech, or control of the limbs can be preserved by stimulated the production of Treg cells in stroke victims.In the study conducted using mouse model, the researchers found that the affected area of the brain is 20percent larger in mice without regulatory T (Treg) than in normal mice.They found that locomotor control was more severely affected in mice lacking this type of cells."We are particularly enthusiastic about this discovery because we already know what chemicals stimulate the production of Treg cells," Nature quoted Serge Rivest of University Laval's Faculty of Medicine as saying."So a treatment may be available in the not too distant future. We also believe that the protective effect of Treg cells could be used to treat other types of brain damage, especially that caused by head injury," Rivest added.Treg cells, produced in the bone marrow and other organs of the immune system, migrate to the brain during the first few days after a stroke.They limit the extent of secondary damage by blocking the production of neurotoxins and modulating the action of lymphocytes and microglia in the brain.

Why some drinkers, smokers die young and others don't

Two newly identified genes hold the key to why some people who indulge in smoking and boozing die young, while others continue into old age.While smoking and drinking have been linked to many types of cancer, still some people appear to be more prone to their effects than others, and scientists have attributed this tendency to genetics.Scientists found that the genes if present in a human being, put their carriers at an increased risk of developing five different types of cancer- skin, lung, bladder, prostate and cervical cancer.The researchers can use the findings to identify people who are at highest risk of suffering from the potentially deadly conditions because of a combination of genetics and their unhealthy lifestyle.According to researchers almost 25 percent around of the population have the highest risk that their unhealthy lifestyle would give them cancer.The researchers also estimated that another quarter of the population have the lowest risk, because they do not carry these genes, reports The Telegraph.And these people could be the ones who remain hale and hearty into old age despite smoking, drinking, using sunbeds of having a poor diet.But, till date scientists did not know by how much these two genes could increase the overall lifetime chance of developing a form of the disease.Tim Bishop, professor of genetic epidemiology at the University of Leeds, and one of the co-authors of the paper, said that cancer was often caused by a "complex" interplay between genetic and environmental factors.He also said that the newly identified genes might explain their relationship.In the study, the researchers managed to isolate the genes by looking at the genetic make up of more than 33,000 cancer survivors and another 45,000 people who had never suffered from the disease.Later, they compared the genes against their carrier's lifestyle and history of the disease.While the genes were found to increase the chance of suffering from five types of cancer, they were not linked to an increased risk of another nine cancers for which the researchers could test, including breast cancer.

FAMOUS SPORTS STAR GALLERY

Megan Fox wants Salma Hayek’s ‘boobs’

Hollywood actress Megan Fox has revealed that she wants Salma Hayek’s chest. When the stunner was asked her body ideal, she quipped and said Salma Hayek,"I really want her boobs. Those are the most amazing boobs,” she said.While at the Golden Globes Award, the babe revealed that she thinks she’s ugly. "I'm so painfully insecure I'm on the verge of vomiting right now," the Transformers star told E! news on the red carpet at the Golden Globes on Sunday.Fox alone attended the star-studded affair, as her fiance Brian Austin Green decided not to attend so he could stay home and "work on his music.""He doesn't want to be my date," she explained. "He's a man. He has an ego,” she added.

MICROSOFT WARNS PC USERS

Microsoft has warned computer users against downloading the latest test version of Windows, for it might harm their computers.The firm today released a "beta" version of Windows 7, which allows expert users to try the product and highlight any glitches.However, owing to the soaring demands for the new version, Microsoft has put a 2.5 million limit on the number of copies available until January 24.And today, the firm has made it clear that the product is not meant for every user, but is only aimed at computer experts.Microsoft, which designed the product to make everyday tasks easier and to allow better access to entertainment content such as music and films, currently offers no technical support to those testing the product.Laurence Painell, a product manager for Microsoft, said the company was "genuinely surprised" at the number of users vying to test Windows 7 Beta, but he asked home PC users to stay away from it for the time being."We don't recommend that if you've got one PC at home and you're an average consumer that you install a beta product because it's unfinished. It can have bugs and issues with it," The Independent quoted him as saying.John Bogue from consumer magazine 'Which? Computing' said the average PC user "should not go near it"."They make it quite clear there's no point if you're not completely self-sufficient with computers. You shouldn't go near it otherwise, because anything beta by definition is not a complete product. It's a testing product and it could crash any machine at any time, "There's no guarantees with a beta, it could completely ruin your computer. It's only for the enthusiasts who have a spare computer to install it on. You wouldn't ever install it on your main machine."A final version of Windows 7 is expected to go on sale before January 2010.

India's manned moon mission by 2020: ISRO

The ISRO proposed to undertake the country's first manned moon mission by 2020 following the success of Chandrayaan-I, project director of Chandrayaan-I M Annadurai has said. The successful launch of Chandrayaan-I in October last year has given space scientists the confidence to undertake manned mission to moon, Annadurai told reporters here yesterday.The Chandrayaan-II mission is expected to be undertaken within a couple of years followed by Chandrayaan-III, he said. The Chandrayaan-I mission has been sending considerable amount of data and scientists are busy analysing it, he said.Several countries have approached India to set up a common lunar research centre for conducting various studies, the director added

SATYAM CHAIRMAN RAMALINGA RAJU ARRESTED

The Andhra Pradesh police on Friday night arrested disgraced former founder-chairman of Satyam Computers B Ramalinga Raju and his brother and former company managing director B Rama Raju on charges of cheating and forgery.The Crime Investigation Department (CID) of the state police arrested Ramalinga Raju and Rama Raju on charges of "criminal breach of trust, criminal conspiracy, cheating, falsification of records and forgery", Director General of Police S S P Yadav said.The two brothers accompanied by their lawyer S Bharat Kumar reached the state police headquarters and surrendered before the police. They were interrogated by CID personnel for some time before being arrested.Their move came after a criminal case was registered against them by the CID in the Rs70 billion financial fraud in the company.The case was registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).The CID sleuths will interrogate the two to ascertain the veracity of Ramalinga Raju's shocking admission on Wednesday of being behind the fraud. They are likely to be produced before a magistrate either late in the night or on Saturday morning.Raju quit as chairman on Wednesday while admitting that the company cooked its books resulting in an "inflated (non-existent) cash and bank balances" over several years. His brother Rama Raju has also quit as managing director.They had remained untraced ever since they sent their resignations to Satyam board. Their surrender and subsequent arrest by the CID came hours after Ramalinga Raju's lawyer told reporters that he would appear before market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Saturday.Meanwhile, police sources said the CID might also arrest Vadlamani Srinivas, who resigned as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) on Thursday. The whereabouts of Srinivas is not known.The Rajus were arrested hours after CID began the probe. Earlier in the day, a team of CID officials verified records at Satyam's headquarters here and spoke to a few employees.Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy had ordered probe by CID on Wednesday to "look at the criminal angle into the entire episode".The CID stepped up investigations amid criticism by opposition parties that the Congress government was soft towards Ramalinga Raju.

ANOTHER AWARD FOR MAESTRO A.R.RAHMAN

Slumdog Millionaire, the rags-to-riches story of a Mumbai slum dweller, has bagged five prestigious prizes including the Best Composer Award for Indian music maestro A R Rahman at the Broadcast Film Critics Association's 14th annual Critics Choice Awards.British Director Danny Boyle's Indian drama was a big hit at the award ceremony last night. It won Best Film, Best Director for Danny Boyle, Best Writer for Simon Beaufoy, Best Young Actor for Dev Patel and Best Composer for A R Rahman.The Broadcast Film Critics Association's 14th annual Critics Choice Awards (BFCA), which took place at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium recently, is the largest film critics organization, with more than 200 members in the US and Canada.

MOTOROLA INTRODUCED CELLPHONE MADE FROM RECYCLED PLASTIC WATER BOTTLE

If recycled paper and plastic products were not enough, Motorola has now launched a cell phone made from recycled plastic water bottles.Called the MOTO W233 Renew, the mobile phone not only boasts plastic exterior made from recycled material, but also the device is the first "carbon neutral" phone, said the company."Through an alliance with Carbonfund.org, Motorola offsets the carbon dioxide required to manufacture, distribute and operate the phone through investments in renewable energy sources and reforestation," All Headlines News quoted Motorola as saying in a press release.In fact, the box that contains the phone is also made from recycled material, according to the media release.Another postage-paid box comes inside the package, which is also made from recycled paper, and can be used by customers to mail their old phones back to Motorola for recycling.With nine hours of talk time, the phone includes other features like ChrystalTalk technology and messaging capabilities.MOTO W233 Renew will hit the shelves during the first quarter of 2009 at T-Mobile stores.Motorola unveiled the phone at the 2009 International CES in Las Vegas this week.

ISRO TO LAUNCH 4 FOREIGN SATELLLITES THIS YEAR

Indian Space Research Organisation will launch four foreign satellites this year as it seeks to make further inroads into the international satellite-building and launch services market in 2009. Two weeks ago, communication satellite, W2M, built by ISRO on a commercial basis in partnership with EADS-Astrium of Europe, was successfully launched by the European Ariane-5 launch vehicle from the Guiana Space Centre at Kourou in French Guiana.Managing Director of Antrix Corporation Ltd, the commercial arm of Bangalore-headquartered ISRO, K R Sridhara Murthy, said the Indian space agency is gearing up to launch four satellites of Singapore, the Netherlands, Italy and Algeria. (These contracts were bagged by ISRO independently and not in partnership with EADS-Astrium)."We have four commitments for Singapore, the Netherlands, Italy and Algeria. We want to complete it in 2009,""It (the four spacecraft) is a mix of nano and small satellites". Contractual obligations bar ISRO from talking about specific launch price but Sridhara Murthy said that the space agency's charge per kg of satellite (to be launched) is around Euro 20,000 per kg, quite cheaper than prevailing International prices.But, he stressed that the launch price is guided by competition, market conditions and demand-supply scenario

BEST 7 WAYS TO MAKE GOOD IMPRESSION

Impressions are important: They leave an initial taste in people's mouths that can remain prevalent for the entire relationship. If you are paranoid about what kind of impression you make, run through these seven list items and see if you are consistent with them; if you are, then you will probably expose the best of yourself. If not, then work to meet these standards.

1. Dress: The absolute first impression you will make on someone will be through your clothing, because that is what is seen from a distance, and cannot change throughout your meeting. Make sure to dress according to the situation-don't over or under dress-and maintain within the limits of good taste. If you aren't sure if what you're wearing looks good, ask people for an honest opinion. One last thought: always, and I mean always, pull up your pants.

2. Hygiene: Take a shower! Shave! Brush your teeth! You must be fully bathed and groomed before you meet with someone for the first time, because scruffy looking people generally don't seem as neat and mature. Pay attention to the little elements like breath: keep a pack of mint gum with you wherever you go, and periodically check to make sure you aren't killing bugs every time you breathe out. If you sweat heavily, keep a small stick of deodorant/anti-perspirant close, and if you notice you're stinking you can freshen up. People notice the minutiae!

3. Manners: At the table and with other people be civilized, polite and respectful: keep your elbows off of the table, open doors for people and address everyone-initially, at least-by their formal title. This will make an especially good impression on senior citizens, because you will prove that you aren't one of those "new fangled punks."

4. Speech: Have clean, clear diction and speak sans "like" or "you know." It is important to be articulate because that inspires a feeling of intelligence and education in the person you are meeting with. Always leave out profanity, and whatever you do, make sure to speak loud enough for all to hear, because conversationalists are easily agitated if you force them say "excuse me?" more than a few times.

5. Discretion: Choose what to share about yourself: forget to tell everyone about that time you went camping and ruptured your appendix, then fell face first into a pile of bug infested leaves-it is rude and will alienate you from the group. Try to withhold from conversations on personal subjects like religion or more disgusting topics like personal medical care. Before you speak, think about the possible impact of what you might say, then imagine its implications in the long run.

6. Humor: Humor can be your most powerful tool or your doom, because everyone has a slightly different sense of humor. What might be hilarious to you might seem disgusting to another, or vice versa. Try to withhold from any jokes that aren't family or dinner table friendly; you can tell those later.

7. Start and End with a Bang: I am a classical musician, and in my orchestra, among other messages, the conductor tells us that the "audience remembers mostly the first and last notes of a symphony." This is the same in a personal encounter: whoever you are meeting with will remember how you greet them, and then in what manner you left them. If you feel you have trouble with this, practice a few different phrases in the mirror, and introduce elements like: "pleased to meet you," or "honored to make your acquaintance." Ignore the antiquity of these phrases; it often makes them more memorable.

Making a good impression will set any relationship off on a good foot. If you are in a situation where you need to be judged at face value-such as a job interview or date-then make sure to go through this list and make sure you are within bounds of reason and good taste on all of your decisions.

JOHN TRAVOLTA 16 YEAR OLD SON DEAD

Jett Travolta, son of flamboyant Hollywood actor John Travolta was found dead in the bathroom of a resort in the Bahamas. The Travolta family had been vacationing in Bahamas when this unfortunate incident happened. The teenager was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

According to reports, Jett was prone to seizures. One such seizure resulted in his falling down. His head jammed against the bath tub which resulted in his death. However, police have stated that an autopsy would be conducted to determine the cause of death.

Jett was the oldest child of John Travolta and his wife, actress Kelly Preston. The couple also has an eight year old daughter.

TABU:FIRST VOGUE COVER GIRL OF YEAR 2009

It is a fabulous New Year gift for the gorgeous Bollywood actress Tabu, heroine of Cheeni Kum opposite Amitabh Bachchan. She is gracing the cover of the January 2009 issue of Vogue magazine. Though Bollywood actresses have frequently been adorning the covers of various fashion and lifestyle magazines, this treat to Bollywood is special as it comes during the New Year.The cover has Tabu posing in a sleek, Swarovski-decked silk dress with a stunning bold look on her face. In perfect shape, the actress’ demeanour and poise speak volumes about her confidence and standing in the industry. In this issue, Tabu has a frank chat with director Homi Adajania of Being Cyrus fame. She talks about everything – from her 'haveli' childhood in Hyderabad to her tinsel town debut with veteran actor Rishi Kapoor to her various experiences – including her best and not-so-best performances so far.Though the tall beauty has several accolades on her crown and is ever-present on every film maker’s wish list, she did not have a single film release in 2008. So the current Vogue issue will bring cheer to all diehard fans of Tabu.

TOO MUCH OF THINKING WILL MAKE YOU FAT

Researchers at the Universite Laval in Quebec, Canada, have concluded that too much thinking can make you fat.According to Jean-Philippe Chaput, the study's main author, students who participated in the research consumed 23.6 percent more calories after intellectual tasks.The research team, supervised by Dr Angelo Tremblay, measured the spontaneous food intake of 14 students after each of three tasks, The Telegraph reports.The first was relaxing in a sitting position, the second reading and summarizing a text, and finally completing a series of memory, attention, and vigilance tests on the computer.After 45 minutes at each activity, participants were invited to eat as much as they wanted from a buffet.The researchers had already discovered that each session of intellectual work requires only three calories more than the rest period.However, despite the low energy cost of mental work, the students spontaneously consumed 203 more calories after summarizing a text and 253 more calories after the computer tests.This represents a 23.6 percent and 29.4 percent increase, respectively, compared with the rest period.Blood samples taken before, during, and after each session revealed that intellectual work causes much bigger fluctuations in glucose and insulin levels than rest periods."These fluctuations may be caused by the stress of intellectual work, or also reflect a biological adaptation during glucose combustion," claimed Chaput.Chaput added: "Caloric overcompensation following intellectual work, combined with the fact we are less physically active when doing intellectual tasks, could contribute to the obesity epidemic currently observed in industrialised countries."This is a factor that should not be ignored, considering that more and more people hold jobs of an intellectual nature."