Ishant in Test squad for B’desh series

05.01.10 / Cricket / Author: timepasss / Comments: (0)

Anil Kapoor starrer American series 24 premieres on Jan 14

05.01.10 / Bollywood / Author: timepasss / Comments: (0)

As he turned 50 on Thursday, Anil Kapoor has much reason to be happy and proud, the most immediate being the fact that his American television series 24 premieres in New York on January 14.

And his presence in the globally popular series has been extended from 10 to 16 episodes.
Confirming this boost in the contract, Anil says, “Initially I was under contract for just ten episodes. Then seeing the way my role developed, they decided to have me in sixteen episodes. I must say I was as happy with the whole experience as I was with Slumdog Millionaire.”

Anil laughingly recalls how a lot of people advised him against doing American television. “But I was also advised not to do Slumdog Millionaire. Some Bollywood actors had turned down that part before me. I took it up because my wife and kids were in favour. Can you imagine how I’d feel right now if I had turned it down? If I see 2009 as the best year of my life it’s partly because of Slumdog…Then of course there was Aisha my two daughters’ gift to me. Yes, that’s how I see it. It isn’t my gift to them. But their gift to me. While Sonam plays the lead Rhea is producing Aisha. I’m proud of both of them.”

Anil is now ready to take on his third international project. “But I am very clear that I won’t play Indian characters in international projects unless they’re really special. I won’t do the stereotypical Indian characters in American films. I’ve told my agent to seek out parts that are not culture-specific but have character.”

Anil plays a Middle Eastern character in 24. “I’m now waiting to see how audiences react to it. I’ve always believed in doing all kinds of work. Just like my friend A.R .Rahman who scores music for Shankar and Mani Ratnam, I’ve also done Eeshwar and Rakhwala side by side. I think variety is a very strong incentive for growth.”

Another project with Danny Boyle after Slumdog Millionaire is not ruled out. “Yes Danny has gone on record to say we’re working together and we will. As soon as we both have time. At the moment, I’m not signing anything new until I’m sure of what to do next.”

Anil Kapoor faced a rather strange dilemma on Wednesday night. He needed to be at two very important places at the same time.

“It was my Dad’s birthday on Wednesday night. It was also the premiere of Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s film. Vinod and I go back a long way. I did Parinda with him. Remember? But my Dad and I go back an even longer way. Besides at his age he depends on his family to make his day special. But I didn’t want Vinod to feel bad.”

Anil did what he always does when he’s in a dilemma. “I asked my wife Sunita. She gave me the solution, so I could fulfill both the commitments. As for my own birthday I’ve a habit of quickly turning around and wishing a Happy Birthday to all those who wish me. It’s my way of sharing that day with all those who care for me.”

Anil dropped in at the premiere said hi to all his friends and proceeded to his Dad’s for the birthday. Things couldn’t get any better for Anil Kapoor who turned 50 on December 24. He agrees it has been a phenomenal year for him. “And now 2010 starts for me with the premiere of my television series 24 on January 14.”

The actor is naturally excited about the event. “I’m flying down to New York on January 12 for the premiere. In fact all through the shooting of the series I’ve been flying in and out of India and the USA. At one point, I thought I wouldn’t be able to do Anees Bazmee’s No Problem because I was committed to do 24. I even spoke to Mr. Bachchan about my role. Finally I did manage both, thanks to Anees’ co-operation. But I must say doing 24 and No Problem side by side was quite a cultural and continental shuffle.”

Anil feels a strong support system at home and at work is the key to his durability as an actor. “I hope my children have imbibed the values that I grew up with. I’m very proud of my three children. They are all doing well for themselves. My son Harshvardhan is enjoying his student days in the US, just like I did at his age, though not abroad like him.”

Wishing Deepika Padukone a very happy Birthday

05.01.10 / Bollywood / Author: timepasss / Comments: (0)

A killer smile, a gorgeous face and a personality that oozes not only confidence and self belief but also sophistication and style. She may be a former model-turned-actress but she made that transition so effortlessly that it wasn’t hard to believe that Bollywood is where this leggy lass naturally belongs. Having spent little but a very fruitful time in the industry, it’s time for her to sit back, kick off those shoes and declare a holiday just for today as it’s this promising star, Deepika Padukone’s birthday.

Having worked so hard for more than a year, and giving one hit after another, whether it’s Om Shanti Om, Bachana Ae Haseeno or Love Aaj Kal, Deepika has proved her acting prowess with one great performance after another and has risen to the position of one of the most promising female stars of Bollywood. No doubt, this birthday brings with it a hope of better things to come for Miss Padukone. Bollywood Hungama raises the toast in celebration to her bright future. Cheers!

Nestle rules out bid for Cadbury

05.01.10 / News / Author: timepasss / Comments: (0)

Food giant Nestle says it does not intend to table a takeover bid for Cadbury despite recent speculation.

Nestle had been linked to a possible offer following Kraft Food’s hostile bid for Cadbury, announced in December.

Separately, Kraft has announced that it will increase the proportion of cash in its offer to Cadbury shareholders in order to make its bid more attractive.

Kraft will use cash made from the sale of its north American pizza business – sold to Nestle for $3.7bn.

More cash

The sale means that Kraft will be able to offer an extra 60 pence per share in cash, though the overall value of the offer is not being increased.

The company will announce full details of its new offer before 16 January.

Kraft’s original bid was £3 plus 0.26 new Kraft shares for each Cadbury share – a deal that analysts said would be unlikely to tempt shareholders.

The Cadbury board has launched a fierce defence against the Kraft bid, calling it “derisory” and arguing that it undervalues the business.

Nestle was among the possible rival bidders expected to enter the fray.

On Monday, that speculation was fuelled when Nestle sold its remaining stake in eye care group Alcon to Novartis for $28.1bn – a deal perceived as freeing up cash for a Cadbury bid.

However, on Tuesday it instead spent some of that money buying Kraft’s frozen pizza business, which sells brands including DiGiorno and California Pizza Kitchen in the US and Canada.

In a statement, Nestle said its decision not to make, or participate in, a formal offer for Cadbury followed discussions with the UK Takeover Panel – the body in charge of regulating takeovers.

That leaves Kraft as the only current bidder for Cadbury, although the UK confectioner says it has been in talks with US firm Hershey over a possible deal.

CIA bomber ‘was a double agent’

05.01.10 / News / Author: timepasss / Comments: (0)

The suicide bomber who killed seven CIA agents in Afghanistan was an al-Qaeda double agent, US media reports say.

He is said to have been a doctor from Jordan who was arrested by Jordanian intelligence a year ago.

He was then reportedly recruited by the Jordanians and CIA – who thought they had successfully turned him – and given a mission to find al-Qaeda leaders.

He is believed to have been working undercover in Afghanistan for weeks before detonating a bomb at a CIA base.

The attack at Forward Operating Base Chapman was the worst against US intelligence officials since the US embassy in Beirut was bombed in 1983.

MARDELL’S AMERICA Many operatives in the field may choke on their rations when they see what Major General Flynn has to say… His basic argument isn’t that they are all rubbish at the job, but that they are doing the wrong sort of job Read Mark’s thoughts in full Read the Major General’s report

The news about the bomber’s identity came as a report was published in which the top US military intelligence officer in Afghanistan, Maj Gen Michael Flynn, sharply criticised the work of US intelligence agencies there.

He said that at present, US intelligence in Afghanistan was still “unable to answer fundamental questions about the environment in which US and allied forces operate and the people they are trying to protect and persuade”.

The report, which was published by a think tank, the Center for a New American Security, cites one officer’s remarks that the US was “clueless” due to its lack of useful intelligence about the country.

Changing sides

On the suicide bomb attack, the Washington Post quoted two former US government officials as saying that the alleged attacker had lured the CIA officers into a meeting with a promise of new information on al-Qaeda’s top leadership.

The reports named him as Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, a 36-year-old al-Qaeda sympathiser from Zarqa, Jordan, arrested by Jordanian intelligence over a year ago.

CIA DEATHS: 1965-2009 2009: Seven killed in suicide attack on CIA base in Afghanistan 2003: Two CIA contractors die in Shkin, Afghanistan; CIA officer killed during training exercise in Afghanistan 2001: Officer shot during prison uprising in Afghanistan 1993: Two CIA employees killed at the agency’s Virginia headquarters 1989: Six CIA employees die when a plane carrying military equipment from DR Congo to Angola crashes 1985: CIA Beirut station chief killed after having been kidnapped and tortured 1983: Eight CIA employees killed in US embassy bombing in Beirut 1965: Seven CIA employees die, most of them in Vietnam Source: Washington Post

His specific mission was thought to be tracking down al-Qaeda’s number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The CIA has declined to comment on the reports.

Jordanian intelligence believed they had brought Humam al-Balawi over to their side and sent him to Afghanistan to infiltrate al-Qaeda, US network NBC says.

According to Western intelligence officials quoted in the reports, Humam al-Balawi called his handlers last week to arrange a meeting at Forward Operating Base Chapman in Khost, where he said he would relay urgent information about Zawahiri.

Once inside the base, the reports say, he blew himself up killing seven CIA employees and his handler, whom Jordanian media have named as Ali bin Zeid.

Questions were raised after the bomb was detonated in the base’s gym last week about how the attacker could have managed to pass through security.

The Washington Post says he was picked up in a car outside the base and driven in without being thoroughly searched.

A US official, also a former CIA employee, told the Associated Press news agency that such people were often not required to go through full security checks, in order to help gain their trust.

“When you’re trying to build a rapport and literally ask them to risk [their lives] for you, you’ve got a lot to do to build their trust,” he said.

Drone base

A Taliban spokesman quoted on al-Jazeera’s website said Humam al-Balawi was a double agent who had misled Jordanian and US intelligence services for a year.

Forward Operating Base Chapman, a former Soviet military base, is used not only by the CIA but also by provincial reconstruction teams, which include both soldiers and civilians.

The airfield is reportedly used for US drone attacks on suspected militants in neighbouring Pakistan.

The CIA has not released the names of the officials killed nor details of their work because of the sensitivity of US operations.

But the head of the base, reported to be a mother-of-three, was among those killed.

The BBC’s Mark Mardell in Washington says the CIA will be deeply embarrassed that the bomber was able to work so closely with the agency and with such high level officials.

FOB Chapman operates from Khost Airfield 32km from Pakistan border Former Soviet base is reportedly used for launching US drones Airfield extended to allow C-130 transporter planes to land Named after Nathan Chapman, first US soldier killed in Afghanistan in 2002 Enlarge Image