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Afghanistan continued their seemingly inexorable march to the World Twenty20 with a 14-run win over Scotland at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Noor Ali's blistering 42, when wickets were falling around him, provided the early impetus in Afghanistan's 131 for 7 and Shapoor Zadran's remarkable bowling - he conceded just eight runs in four overs - held Scotland at bay to ensure Afghanistan an all but certain passage into the Super Fours. Scotland's decision to field this morning appeared to have paid dividends when Gordon Drummond picked up Karim Sadiq and Shafiqullah in his first over, but Ali was unperturbed and crashed four fours and a six in his 42. With his partner striking the ball so cleanly, Mohammad Shahzad could afford to play a more sedate innings. His 30 contained just a single boundary, but he rotated the strike well in the 71-run partnership. Kyle Coetzer grabbed three quick wickets - including the hero of yesterday's game, Mohammad Nabi, first ball -

Daniel Christian had a dream day as South Australia moved towards an outright win after Western Australia were dismissed for 189. Christian scored 71 and backed up with a career-best 5 for 24 to give the Redbacks an easy assignment on the final morning, with them needing another 88 runs after reaching 1 for 6 at stumps. The victory would move South Australia to outright third on 16 points and keep them in with a chance of reaching the finals. South Australia closed their first innings before lunch at 9 for 380 and then started to dismantle the hosts following a 69-run opening stand. Christian, who collected 4 for 63 on day one, removed Liam Davis for 37 before Jake Haberfield had Marcus North lbw for 4 in a crucial dismissal. Wes Robinson (43) and Mitchell Marsh went quickly before tea and after the break Christian was on a hat-trick, taking care of Luke Pomersbach and Luke Ronchi. Suddenly the Warriors were 6 for 111 and there was a chance the game would be over in three days. However

The curator at Eden Gardens, Prabir Mukherjee, has said that he received phone calls from a BCCI official instructing him to prepare a "turning track" for the second Test between India and South Africa beginning in Kolkata on February 14. However, the Indian board's chief administrative officer, Ratnakar Shetty, said he was not "aware of any such request". India go into the second Test in danger of losing their No. 1 ranking after they were thrashed by an innings and six runs in Nagpur. That pitch had plenty of turn but the Indian spinners were ineffective, while Dale Steyn and the other South African fast bowlers rattled the batsmen with conventional and reverse swing. "I got a call from one of the BCCI officials requesting me to prepare a turning track as per the wish of the team management," Mukherjee told the Telegraph. "However, I have clearly told him that I want an official communication, like an email, stating what should be the nature of

Big Picture As aficionados of crime fiction know, for a narrative to be gripping, you need a good twist, something this series has sorely lacked. Despite missing several important players, New Zealand have swept past Bangladesh with ease in each of the matches so far. Coach Mark Greatbatch could not have asked for a simpler initiation to his stint in the top job - his charges have already won the series with minimum fuss, and New Zealand have also managed to blood newcomers ahead of tougher contests against Australia. Completing a clean sweep in Christchurch on Thursday will be the cherry on top for the new regime. The tracks in New Zealand have neutralised Bangladesh's primary weapon - spin - forcing the visitors to use a three-pronged pace attack, which has proved less effective, especially with Mashrafe Mortaza absent. The wretched form of key middle-order batsmen, Mohammad Ashraful and Shakib Al Hasan, who have scraped 14 runs between them in two ODIs, is another huge setback t

Greg Chappell has turned down an approach from the Pakistan board to coach the national team. Chappell's name had been floating around Pakistan cricket's corridors of power as a possible alternative to Intikhab Alam, the incumbent, whose position is currently in limbo following Pakistan's tour to Australia where they failed to win a single match. Chappell, a former Australian captain, coached India for two tumultuous years between 2005 and 2007. He is now working with Cricket Australia, a role which he is reluctant to leave and he confirmed that an approach had been made. "Wasim Bari [chief operating officer, PCB] rang me yesterday," Chappell told Cricinfo. "I was honoured and flattered by the approach but I have declined the invitation. "I have no ambition to coach at the international level again and I am committed to my role with CA as Head Coach at the Centre of Excellence and Chairman of our National Youth Selection Panel." The approach does at

Mohammad Yousuf, Pakistan's Test and ODI captain for the New Zealand and Australia tours, has targeted one player in the aftermath of the disastrous tour for being a particularly disruptive influence. Though he gave broad hints during a lengthy TV interview, he stopped short of revealing the name of the player. "There is no doubt there is only one player in the team who is disturbing team unity and other players. I spoke to coach Intikhab Alam and other management about it and they agreed with me," Yousuf told Geo Super. "I will only disclose his name to the chairman of the board, Ijaz Butt." "Intikhab Alam (coach), Abdur Raqeeb (manager) and [Shahid] Afridi know who the player is and we discussed it as well several times," Yousuf added. "From New Zealand onwards Intikhab was telling me to be wary of him, but I wanted to see for myself. I saw in Australia how his body language was and we dropped him from the Tests. We decided in Australia during a

Nick Kruger's 93 delayed Tasmania's charge but Queensland will need a significant lower-order rally to save the game after holding a 58-run lead entering the final day. The hosts earned an advantage of 101 after George Bailey's second century of the season came in the face of some painful fast bowling from Ben Cutting, who captured 6 for 90. Queensland, who finished the day at 5 for 159, were in big trouble at 3 for 29 after Adam Maher collected Wade Townsend, the first-innings century-maker, and Lee Carseldine in three deliveries. Ryan Broad had already departed for 2 in a poor start to Queensland's attempt to set the hosts a testing target. The opener Kruger stepped up and moved close to a century before pulling Brendan Drew to deep midwicket late in the afternoon, leaving Chris Hartley (26) with a big assignment on the final day. Bailey picked up first-innings points as his side reached 427, with Drew (35) and Adam Griffith (40) helping out towards the end. The capta

Reports of a move by IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab to sell its stake to Hero Honda have been denied by both parties. The development, reported by CNN-IBN and other news outlets, suggested the franchise would be sold for $260 million and an announcement was in the offing. However, both parties have subsequently issued denials of any such deal. Punjab was purchased by Bollywood actress Preity Zinta and businessmen Ness Wadia, Mohit Burman and Karan Paul for $76 million in 2008. Burman told the television channel Headlines Today that there were no plans to sell in the near future. Hero Honda, the world's second-larget manufacturer of two-wheelers, also issued a statement denying the reports. "The current media reports about Hero Honda buying stake in Kings XI Punjab is completely baseless and untrue. We have not had any discussion in this regard either," it said. "Hero Honda's association with IPL as an associate sponsor and the main team sponsor of Delhi Daredevils

Australia began their Rose Bowl defence in the best possible way by demolishing New Zealand by 115 runs at the Adelaide Oval. Rachael Haynes and Alex Blackwell set up a strong total of 241 with half-centuries before Lisa Sthalekar ran through the New Zealand middle order and the visitors collapsed for 126, which confirmed the second-greatest run margin ever between the two teams. A double-figure total loomed for New Zealand when they slumped to 7 for 60 following the third of Sthalekar's wickets but Katey Martin and Sophie Devine staged a minor recovery. Despite Martin's 35, the damage was done and they sputtered out in the 37th over when Ellyse Perry's second wicket ended the match. Having been sent in, Australia were given a solid platform thanks to a 102-run opening stand from Shelley Nitschke (35) and Haynes. In her second one-day international, Haynes top scored with 56 and when she departed, the captain Blackwell took up the fight with 51, which ended a lean patch in

Chris Gayle has been dismissed four times by Doug Bollinger this season and admits the left-arm fast man has his number. Gayle, the West Indies captain, didn't know who Bollinger was before the second Test in December, but has learned quickly and is still trying to find a way to deal with him. Gayle was lbw first ball in Adelaide on Tuesday as Australia raced to a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. "He has my measure, definitely," Gayle said in the Advertiser. "There is no doubt about that." Despite his troubles, Gayle is looking forward to his next contest with Bollinger at the SCG in the third match on Friday. "These things are good for the game," he said. "Hopefully we can get a good start in Sydney and we don't expose our middle order again." The Australians have talked about cramping Gayle for room and the move has been successful, with the batsman scoring seven runs in the opening two fixtures. Bollinger's plan in Adelaide revol

Remember yesteryear super hit Sandesham (1991), directed by Sathyan Anthikad with Sreenivasan and Jayaram in the lead roles? The same Anthikad-Sreenivasan-Jayaram team is now back with a sequel to this comedy flick. In the yet-to-be-titled sequel, Jayaram and Sreenivasan will appear in the same characters as of KRP and Kottapalli respectively. Script is by Sreenivasan himself. The shooting will begin soon. The original Sandesham, which makes fun of the political gimmicks in Kerala, is about a retired station master and his family, consisting of his wife, three sons and two daughters. The two elder sons are local leaders of rival political parties. How the family goes through the infighting between the brothers forms the crux of the story.

Charming beauty Charmi's heroine-oriented Sye Aata, directed by K.R.K. Pawan, is a much delayed project in Tollywood. The film was originally planned for March 2009 release, but was dragging indefinitely for the last one year. According to latest info from the makers, the film is almost done and is waiting for the audio launch soon. Devi Sri Prasad is the music director. Starring debutant Ajay as the hero, the film is presented by Kanipakam Creations and produced by Nalluri Rajasekhar and Sudharani under the banner of Frames Entertainments. Kota Srinivasa Rao, Rao Ramesh, Dr. Sivaprasad, Ajay, Ali, Nasser, M.S. Narayana, Ramaprabha, Master Bharat and Suman Setty are in the cast. Dialogues and lyrics are by Bhashasri, camera by J. Prabhakar Reddy and editing by Nandamuri Hari.

There are several tutorials on the Internet on how-to integrate the Google Custom search in your website, but the results are not very attractive. The older iframe version doesn’t fit perfectly in most of our templates and the style for ads and results doesn’t look good in the past. A few month Google has released some nice new features: * Custom search element placements * Custom styles and themes using CSS * Promotions, set your own premium results for specific search queries * A new AJAX powered CSE using the Google AJAX API loader With all these new features the CSE (Custom Search Engine) becomes very attractive to use it on your own site as site search. In this tutorial we show you how-to add the custom search feature to you site using jQuery, the Thickbox plugin and the AJAX API provided by Google. To do this a result page is not necessary anymore, we show only a search box somewhere on a particular website. Including the Google API, jQuery and the Thickbox plugin

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Google has injected social networking features into Gmail as the world’s No. 1 search engine seeks to fend off competition from Facebook and Twitter. Google introduced a new product dubbed Google Buzz that allows users to quickly share messages, Web links and photos with friends and colleagues directly within Gmail. In addition to the Buzz features for Gmail, Google said it is launching a special mobile application for Buzz, as well as weaving Buzz technology into the mobile versions of its flagship Web site and its maps products. Key Features Automatic friends lists (friends are added automatically who you have emailed on Gmail) “Rich fast sharing” combines sources like Picasa and Twitter into a single feed, and it includes full-sized photo browsing Public and private sharing (swap between family and friends) Inbox integration (instead of emailing you with updates, like Facebook might, Buzz features emails that update dynamically with all Buzz thread content) “Recommended Buz

Google has injected social networking features into Gmail as the world’s No. 1 search engine seeks to fend off competition from Facebook and Twitter. Google introduced a new product dubbed Google Buzz that allows users to quickly share messages, Web links and photos with friends and colleagues directly within Gmail. In addition to the Buzz features for Gmail, Google said it is launching a special mobile application for Buzz, as well as weaving Buzz technology into the mobile versions of its flagship Web site and its maps products. Key Features Automatic friends lists (friends are added automatically who you have emailed on Gmail) “Rich fast sharing” combines sources like Picasa and Twitter into a single feed, and it includes full-sized photo browsing Public and private sharing (swap between family and friends) Inbox integration (instead of emailing you with updates, like Facebook might, Buzz features emails that update dynamically with all Buzz thread content) “Recommended Buz

New Zealand could field up to three Test debutants in the one-off match against Bangladesh after calling up the opener Peter Ingram, the batsman Neil Broom and the fast bowler Andy McKay. The trio is part of a 13-man squad that does not feature the out-of-form Daniel Flynn, who has been dropped for the Hamilton Test that starts on Monday. Grant Elliott and Jesse Ryder were unavailable due to injuries, while Iain O'Brien was also out of contention from New Zealand's most recent Test side having retired from international cricket. The coach and selector Mark Greatbatch said the three new faces had forced their way in thanks to strong domestic performances. "Peter Ingram has been picked based on the form he has shown in the longer versions of the game over the last three years of domestic cricket," Greatbatch said. "We always had an eye on him for the Test matches, and this is his chance to step up. The top order is an important area where we need to improve and

Brad Haddin and Shane Watson are the latest members of Australia's one-day squad to be rested with both men to sit out of the third and fourth ODIs against West Indies. Tim Paine will join the squad for his first international appearances since he broke a finger on Australia's one-day tour of India in October. Paine made an impressive start to his ODI career after coming in for the injured Haddin during the series in England and he is likely to open the batting with Shaun Marsh. Haddin has not missed an international game since the first Test of the summer and he is the only Australian to have played every match in that time . The other addition to Australia's 13-man squad is Adam Voges , who was with the group for the limited-overs series against Pakistan but only played the final match. Watson was rested from two games against Pakistan but Australia are keen to be extra cautious with him due to his importance as an opening batsman and bowler in the Test and one-day

Hampshire's groundbreaking deal with the Rajasthan Royals, which was announced at Lord's on Monday, could have changed at a stroke the dynamics and priorities of the remaining 17 first-class counties, as the scramble intensifies to reposition English cricket in the midst of the IPL revolution. As many as six county chief executives are currently believed to be in India, sounding out investment opportunities for the future of their clubs, and one of those, Surrey's CEO Paul Sheldon, envisages a future in which The Oval, soon to be regenerated as a 25,000-seater stadium, can be at the forefront of any further drive to globalise the game. "I have been having various discussions with various people to investigate possible links that can be made in a country that's full of opportunities," Sheldon told Cricinfo. "Business-wise and stadium-wise, and international cricket-wise, we like to think of ourselves as a global leader, and we believe it's vital tha

Designing and running a blog was never so easy before the wordpress had stepped in. You can perform numerous things on your blog after installing wordpress, but you must not forget to accomplish the things as enumerated below on your blog immediately after installing the wordpress. It will not only enhance your blog’s life expectancy but will also improve your blog bounce rate . Timely implementation of these issues will ensure having an optimized blog running up to fetch all the web-treasures you desire. Most important things that you may need to do after installing wordpress on your blog, will differ depending upon your web requirement and nature of your blog. However, ten most common things that you must perform on your blog after installing wordpress are: 1. Change password The foremost thing you are required to do is changing the password. Go to ‘Change the Admin Password and Manage Your Authors’ and set your handy easy-to-remember password. 2. Look at User Panel and allow oth

More than 1,000 Shiv Sena activists have been arrested for vandalising cinema halls and multiplexes that will screen Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'My Name Is Khan', officials here said Wednesday. Till Wednesday morning, 1,023 Sena workers had been arrested under various charges like rioting, damaging property, unlawful assembly and trespass. They had also attacked Broadway cinema at Kandivalli East in the city.

X Factor winner Leona Lewis's Bleeding Love has landed the first spot in a poll of the most-played love songs in recent years in Britian. In the survey by PRS For Music, the 2007 track was followed by Whitney Houston classic I Will Always Love You, reports The Telegraph. Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On landed third spot. PRS (Performing Rights Society) collects royalties on behalf of songwriters and composers. Chairman Ellis Rich said: "The right music for Valentine's Day can help provide a marvellously romantic atmosphere so it makes sense to put a bit of thought into what you play." Top 10 most-played love songs 1. Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 2. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You 3. Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On 4. Mariah Carey - Without You 5. Andy Williams - Can't Take My Eyes Off You 6. Elvis - Can't Help Falling In Love With You 7. Christina Aguilera - Beautiful 8. The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody 9. Bryan Adams - Everything I Do

Now that's one kahaani mein twist that not many saw coming. In the face-off of RANN v/s ISHQIYA, it was widely anticipated that former would have an edge over the latter at least on the opening day. Though a mind blowing opening was ruled out and an average occupancy was pretty much expected for both the films, it had seemed that from the acclaim, appreciation and acceptance standpoint, Ram Gopal Varma's urban outing RANN would grab more attention than Vishal Bharadwaj's rustic production ISHQIYA. However, it was just the opposite and that too by a substantial margin. ISHQIYA has not just done far better than RANN and but also has continued to hold stable ground right through the second weekend. With superb reviews coming its way, the situation was only rosier for this Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi and Vidya Balan starrer. Believe it or not but the star ratings handed over to this directorial debut effort by Abhishek Chaubhey was, hold your breath, equivalent to what all t

Bollywood action hero Akshay Kumar will now be seen doing some daredevil stunts for his new Thums Up TV commercial. The launch of the new integrated communication for the summer of 2010 would feature Akki, who is the ambassador of the soft drink brand. The latest communication takes the 'I will do Anything for My Thunder' attitude to the next level by showcasing Akshay indulging in an extreme sport of 'Parkour', all for his bottle of Thums Up. Akshay's thirst for his favorite Thums Up is further prolonged by a girl, who grabs the bottle of Thums Up to win his attention. Parkour means "Art of Moving' and is an extreme sport popularized by the French. The campaign shot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia also showcases Akshay performing breathtaking stunts on his Hayabusa motorbike. In his quest for his Thums Up, Akshay uses a combination of action and smartness to outwit all challenges, demonstrating the daredevil spirit of a Thums Up lover. "Thums Up has always

After stupendous success of 'Daata Sunle' from the much acknowledged movie JAIL, Shamir is now proving a point that work knows no bounds. With his upcoming films Shamir is now attempting different kind of work. With upgraded technology and 3D films making rave in the market Shamir is again working on BAL GANESHA 2 and PANGA GANG. With his remarkable work in BAL GANESHA, Shamir is now coming out with some creative invention with an item song in the film PANGA GANGA. Shamir says, "For the first time in Bollywood an animation film that caters to children will have an item song called 'Mera item number great hai'. I wanted to try something unusual but at the same time I have kept ethics in mind." Shamir has finally managed to break the norm that he belongs to Madhur Bhandarkar's camp. On this he quotes, "It has been a pleasure to work with Madhur on his reality films like TRAFFIC SIGNAL, CORPORATE, PAGE3 to JAIL but people had started to label me. Now wit

None in their senses will ever question a director of the caliber of Shyam Benegal when it comes to making films, but when Shyam Babu (as he is fondly referred to) decided to make a comedy, quite a few 'idiots' (in the real sense!) did question his decision. After all this was man who had made such serious films like MANDI, ANKUR, MANTHAN and JUNOON etc. to name a few, and so expecting a comedy from him was a bit too much. But creativity knows no bounds and Shyam Benegal proved that he is a genius whether the genre is serious real life drama or comedy! And his Shreyas Taplade and Amrita Rao starrer, WELCOME TO SAJJANPUR, not only proved to be runaway hit but was critically admired as well, and also introduced a new type of cinema called 'middle cinema' which is basically a perfect blend of art-house and commercial elements to entertain as well as enlighten people. There is good news in store for all those who loved WELCOME TO SAJJANPUR as Shyam Benegal's next, WELL

Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network That noted director of hard hitting films like DAMUL, GANGAJAL and APHARAN, Prakash Jha, hails from Bihar is common knowledge and also the fact that he is respected politician and a social worker who has worked selflessly for the people of the state. The wind of change that has overtaken Bihar is being felt even in the film industry as people are venturing out late at night to see movies. Films like WANTED, 3 IDIOTS and VEER have done stupendous business in Bihar and the territory which was once ignored by distributors and producers is now being taken seriously. The film world is happy and the first signs of positive development is being seen in the capital Patna, courtesy Prakash Jha, who is putting up Bihar's first multiplex mall, the Pand M Mall. This mall is coming up in the heart of Patna's Patliputra industrial estate and is expected to be ready by March. Plans are underway to premiere Prakash Jha's Ajay Devgan, Ranbir Kapoor, Katri

Think about comedy flicks and the first name that comes to your mind is Ajay Devgn. The talented actor who started his career with the superhit PHOOL AUR KAANTE was best known for his action movies for a long time. But, action is certainly not what he seems to be doing these days. The two-time National Award winner has now become the King of comedy, with his recent hattrick of GOLMAAL, GOLMAAL RETURNS and ALL THE BEST. The smashing success of these movies has resulted in the actor being flooded with offers of comic roles. What's more! The actor's forthcoming release ATITHI TUM KAB JAOGE? co-starring Paresh Rawal and Konkona Sen Sharma is also a laugh riot. The film, produced by Amita Pathak and Warner Bros (India), will make it to theatres across the world on March 5. The promos of the family entertainer have already got the audiences eager to watch the film. Ashwni Dhir, the director of ATITHI....says, "Ajay is a first-rate actor. You can give him just about anything to d

Finding locations that could resemble gambling dens, bombarding them with dirt and grime, painting gruesome graffiti...'Teen Patti' production designer Ayesha Punvani says creating setups for the film was a crazy experience. 'It was the craziest idea to create gambling dens in 'Teen Patti' since the gambling addas (dens) that exist in real are very hard to approach, gambling being illegal in India. You will never be allowed to just walk in casually. You will have to go through some contact and with all of us being women, it was tougher,' Punvani told IANS in an interview. Punvani, with her team, created gambling dens in places like abandoned train yards, dockyards, abandoned factories, mills that have been shut down and an ice factory, since 'all these locations give an amazing backdrop'. Directed by Leena Yadav, 'Teen Patti', slated to release Feb 26, revolves around a mathematician, played by megastar Amitabh Bachchan, trying to write a thesis

Independent entertainment studio Lionsgate, is planning to acquire Miramax, which Disney has placed on the market for a reported price of $700 million, according to reports. The New York Post newspaper reported Monday that while rival studios 'pursue the bigger fish (MGM)', Lionsgate might wind up being the only bidder for Miramax, and a direct deal with Disney would be far easier to negotiate than one with the five owners and more than 100 creditors who must approve any MGM deal. It said that Lionsgate is not likely to bid $700 million at first because it would risk upsetting its principal stakeholder, activist investor Carl Icahn, who has previous chastised the studio's principal executives for their tactics in previous negotiations.

Hoping to prevent the famed view of the Hollywood sign from being spoiled by development, a group set out on Tuesday to raise $5 million to buy a nearby hilltop peak once owned by billionaire Howard Hughes. The San Francisco-based Trust for Public Land is seeking to purchase the 1,820-foot-tall (555-meter) ridge, called Cahuenga Peak, from a group of Chicago investors who acquired it from Hughes' estate in 2002 with plans to build luxury homes there. City officials and residents have worried since then of cluttering the postcard-perfect view of the landmark sign, whose four-story-high "H" stands just to the east of and slightly below Cahuenga Peak in the Hollywood Hills. To launch the fund-raising drive, the land conservation group received permission to superimpose over the Hollywood sign giant letters that spell out the message "Save the Peak" -- to be fully in place from Thursday through next Tuesday. "This is as an iconic a view as you'll see anywhe

Paramount Pictures on Tuesday said Tom Cruise will star in a new "Mission: Impossible" movie set for release in 2011 and produced by Cruise and J.J. Abrams. Cruise and Abrams last teamed up in 2006 for "Mission: Impossible III," with Cruise in the role of super agent Ethan Hunt who battles bad guys and saves the world from evil. The first two "Mission: Impossible" movies made a combined $1 billion at global box offices. The third film's U.S. box office reached $134 million and was considered a mild disappointment by box office watchers, even though it raked in another $264 million overseas proving Cruise's international appeal. Also, Cruise's public image had been tarnished the preceding year by his staunch defence of his beliefs in Scientology and by an incident in which he jumped on Oprah Winfrey's couch proclaiming his love for actress Katie Holmes. Following "Mission: Impossible III," Paramount cut its film production ties wit

New "American Idol" judge Ellen DeGeneres on Tuesday hinted of fireworks between her and Simon Cowell, and said she'd prefer not to sit next to the acid-tongued Briton in future. The Emmy-award winning comedian and talk show host makes her long-awaited debut on "American Idol" on Tuesday night, replacing Paula Abdul on the four-judge panel. "He (Cowell) is going to be challenge. He is Simon and I am me, and we both are completely different people. So I think it is going to be as they say, good television," DeGeneres told "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest on his KIIS FM Los Angeles radio show. "I think he is a funny guy. I think he is a smart guy. I like Simon. Like, on Wednesday I like him. I think...", she added. DeGeneres, 52, told celebrity TV show "Extra" that in her first "Idol" appearances -- when hopefuls from nationwide auditions compete in Hollywood -- she is sitting next to Cowell, with songwriter Kara DioGuard

U.S. rapper Lil Wayne temporarily escaped jail on Tuesday when his sentencing for possessing a gun was postponed on the same day he bid goodbye to fans in a video he posted on the Web. Lil Wayne, 27, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, appeared in New York State Supreme Court where his sentencing was postponed until March 2 because he needed time to heal from a dental operation, his lawyer Stacey Richman told the court. Carter, whose "Tha Carter III" won best rap album at the 2009 Grammy Awards, had agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors on a charge of attempted criminal possession of a weapon after a gun was found in his tour bus in July 2007. He is expected to be sentenced to a year of jail time. The rapper, dressed in black jeans and a blue bomber jacket, did not speak at the hearing held before New York State Supreme Court Justice Charles Solomon, who told the rapper the sentencing would not be postponed again. In a video to fans posted on www.ustream.tv on Tuesday, Carter

Actor Louis Gossett Jr, best known for his Oscar-winning role as the tough drill instructor in "An Officer and a Gentleman", said on Tuesday he was fighting prostate cancer. Gossett, 73, said his cancer was in its early stages and that he was going public to encourage African-Americans to seek early examinations and treatment for the disease. The award-winning actor said he had begun an intensive treatment program so that he can resume his acting schedule, and work with his Eracism Foundation, as soon as possible. "I count this diagnosis among the many challenges I have faced in my life and overcome. I expect this to be no different," Gossett said in a statement. The actor's Eracism Foundation works to raise awareness of issues such as racism, ignorance and social apathy. He said he wanted to go public "to set an example for the large number of African-American men who are victims of this disease because of the comparatively low emphasis in our community on

Michael Jackson's full autopsy report was released following the filing of involuntary manslaughter charges on Monday against the singer's personal doctor. Following are some notable or new highlights of the Los Angeles County Coroner's report into Jackson's June 25 death. * Jackson died of "acute propofol intoxication" administered at a level equivalent to that used during anesthesia for "major surgery". A consultant anesthesiologist said there were "no reports of its use in insomnia relief." * None of the recommended monitoring, precision dosing or resuscitation equipment was present in Jackson's room. * Jackson had the skin pigmentation disorder vitiligo, with white patches particularly on his chest, abdomen, face and arms. * The hair on Jackson's head was described initially by police as "sparse and connected to a wig." The autopsy revealed "frontal balding". * A bandage was present on the tip of Jackson'

Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland's dream of bringing his hit American TV series '24' to cinemas is set to come true, as Hollywood bosses have commissioned a script to turn it into a movie. The actor has always talked of transforming the real time series into a film franchise, with plans to transfer the action drama from America to Europe, reports contactmusic.com. TV bosses are now moving forward with the plans, hiring the writer behind Russell Crowe's 2009 thriller 'State of Play' to pen the story for a big budget '24' film. Sutherland previously starred in '24: Redemption', a 2008 TV film shown as a prelude to the show's seventh season. The '24' movie will follow in the footsteps of other TV shows, including 'The Simpsons' and 'The X-Files', which have both made successful transitions to the big screen.

Pop diva Madonna's manager Guy Oseary is said to be the frontrunner to replace music mogul Simon Cowell on the 'American Idol' judging panel. Oseary is said to be the favourite to succeed Cowell when he leaves the show after the current series, reports imdb.com. Despite being the frontrunner, Oseary still faces competition from singer-and-actor Jamie Foxx and former Sony music boss Tommy Mottola, the ex-husband of Mariah Carey for the judge's seat. 'Guy has been in the music business since Madonna discovered him when he was 17, and he has a lot of the same experience as Simon. His competition just can't live up to his level of experience and the people behind the show are slowly starting to realise it,' said an industry source. Oseary who has made cameos in several films, including 'Charlie's Angels' and 'You Don't Mess With the Zohan', and authored four books including 'Jews Who Rock' is keen on the job because he wants to ra

Shasha aka Shahid Kapoor has turned a new leaf. A new arrogant leaf. Reportedly, Shasha had been giving hell to the folks at the CINTAA (Cine and Television Artistes Association) show. Firstly, he showed up a mere three hours late for the shoot. And once inside, he scooted off to his vanity van… where he was holed up for another hour. After stepping out, His Lordship Kapoor told the organisers that he'd like to do his act… pronto! And when he was informed that he'd have to await his turn, SK vented his spleen calling them "unprofessional." This, when senior stars such as Shah Rukh Khan and Farhan Akhtar had been cooling their celeb heels for over an hour. And when the phenomenal moment arrived for Shasha to do his number (song number, that is)… he threw a tantrum riling against the "mediocre dancers" hired for the event! 'Kaminey',anyone?

An athlete nicknamed after a tomato because of his flaming red hair and a regal South Korean figure skater head the Forbes list of top earning Winter Olympic athletes. Shaun White, the top U.S. snowboarder, and South Korean figure skater Kim Yu-na both earned $8 million last year, leading all athletes for the Winter games, according to Forbes magazine. The list excluded all salaried professional athletes, including players from the National Hockey League. White, known to many as "The Flying Tomato" because of his long red hair, is a favorite to repeat as a gold medalist at the Winter Games in Vancouver this month. Among his sponsors are such companies as Target Corp, Red Bull, Oakley and AT&T Inc. Kim, the reigning world champion and known as "Queen Yu-na," is South Korea's hope for its first figure skating gold medal. The 19-year-old's sponsors include Hyundai Motor Co, Procter & Gamble Co and Nike Inc. Forbes previously named her the most powerful

The onus of the Padma Shri will soon begin to weigh on Saif Ali Khan. His proud mom, Sharmila Tagore, feels that the recognition will keep the Junior Nawab of Pataudi on his royal pedicured toes. "This kind of recognition encourages an artiste to better himself," she states in a Press chat. "Even if you lead a comparatively carefree life, a Padma Shri makes you sit up and realise that this isn't a film award." Elaborating further she states, "It's the government recognising your efforts and so you'd better live up to the expectations. The Padma Shri will remind Saif of what the country expects of him. I think it's like a great pat on the back."

Her sly and seductive act in 'Ishqiya' has garnered praise for Vidya Balan. The real Balan, however, has her heart firmly in place. For five days a week, Vidya will set aside two hours from her busy schedule to educate under privileged girl children. Balan babe will tutor the girls in Science, Commerce and Arts. Says vivacious Vidya in a tabloid chat, "As celebs, we have come forward for fund raisers, but this is something special for me. You actually interact with those who need help and see them grow right in front of you. I'm really looking forward to being their teache

No 'Swayamvar'. No Elesh. No pesky kids. No deficit of media glare for Ms Loud Mouth, either. The publicity greedy Sawant is perpetually looking for ways to attract attention from journos. And sometimes, it backfires too! Recently, rebel Rakhi launched her new spa and invited mom Jaya as a token gesture, hoping a reconciliation would be on the cards. Mamma Jaya arrived… and proceeded to badmouth her crassy daughter to the byte boys… who clearly had a blast!! A supremely miffed Rakhi told the fourth estate, "There is no patch up and things are still sour between us. My mother simply took this as an opportunity to speak about me. I guess some things never change." Mum's the word.

Her late father, Kaifi Azmi, was a living icon for Shabana Azmi. And with her celebrated mom's bio pic 'Kaifi and I' hitting stands, the spotlight has shifted to the poet lyricist once again. Says Shabana in a periodical, "They were a beautiful couple who could give their life for each other. Once, my father said something very romantic to her and mom dashed out of the room, and came back with a bottle of 'Evening in Paris' perfume. She sprayed it all over him and then ran away!." Shaukat Kaifi's 'Yaad Ki Rahguzar', makes a comeback in an English avatar: 'Kaifi and I'. Her incomplete book was a stupendous success across the world and was already being read in five languages! A move that prompted actress writer Shaukat Kaifi to bring out an English version too. Interestingly, 'Yaad Ki Rahguzar' has been adapted into a successful play,' Kaifi Aur Main'. "It was a strange feeling to have my mother sitting watching me e

Akshay Kumar 's scion is up to action of another kind! No scuba diving/ pole vaulting/ bungee jumping/ whatever. Aarav Bhatia, all of seven years, earned an 'Extraordinary Contribution by a Child' award at New Delhi, presented to him for reducing global warming at the Green Globe Foundation awards. Inspired by a telly programme 'Greenathon' (2009), Aarav asked his dad to adopt a village without electricity and supply it with solar lanterns. The beneficiary was Bhuriba Wasky Dhani village and Aarav used to check all the items personally before it was packed off to the village. Hiding behind his gorgeous grandmom Dimple Kapadia , the expressly shy Aarav tried to dodge the spotlight even as lensmen turned clicked crazy. Meanwhile, dad Akshay and mom Twinkle, away in Germany, can barely hide their pride…