City boss Mancini receives apology – from Dzeko

MANCHESTER: Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko has apologised to manager Roberto Mancini for his petulant response to being substituted in Tuesday’s Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich.


The Bosnian was furious when he was replaced by Nigel de Jong after 56 minutes, a decision which also sparked Carlos Tevez’s later refusal to go onto the Allianz Arena pitch, the Argentine believing he should have replaced DzekoCity suspended Tevez on Wednesday as they began an investigation into whether he refused to come on as a substitute in the tie in Germany.


The Argentine denied that he had refused to come on when told to do so by Mancini, who had said after the match he was finished at the club.

Elton John starts 3-year Las Vegas run at Caesars

Elton John has returned to Las Vegas for a three-year headlining gig at Caesars Palace.


The five-time Grammy winner performed Wednesday night for the first of 16 shows scheduled through October, the first performances of a new show titled ”The Million Dollar Piano.”


John took the stage in a dazzling, sequined cape and garnered standing ovations from parts of the crowd after each song. John spent about 2 hours going through hit after hit from his lengthy catalogue – though he skipped his top hit, ”Candle in the Wind.”


The remainder of John’s shows during the three-year run have not yet been announced.I think it’s very possible, both on duration and number of shows,” Gastwirth said. ”There’s been such a large appetite by his fans to come see the show.”ohn won an Academy Award in 1994 for his original song, ”Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” from Disney’s ”The Lion King.

Shakira denies plans to sing for Chechnya leader

LOS ANGELES: Pop star Shakira denied reports Thursday that she had been booked to perform at a birthday celebration for the leader of the war-torn Russian republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov.


“Contrary to any misreporting, Shakira is not performing nor was she ever booked to perform a gig for the Chechen president or government,” according to a Twitter message by the Colombian singer confirmed as authentic by her spokeswoman Shoshanna Stone.But rights groups have long accused him of presiding over a personal militia that they say has carried out serial rights violations, torture and even murder

Filmmaker Moore demands Georgia boycott after execution

Oscar-winning filmmaker Michael Moore called Thursday for a total boycott of Georgia after the southern US state, defying global protests, executed convicted police killer Troy Davis. the director of “Fahrenheit 9/11,” “Bowling for Columbine” and “Sicko” also demanded that his just-released memoirs “Here Comes Trouble” be pulled from Georgia bookshops.Two years later he collected the Palme d’Or at the Cannes film festival in France for “Fahrenheit 9/11” which critically examined the way the Bush administration responded to the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Intelligence about ISI link not clear: Obama

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama said on Friday that Admiral Mike Mullen was expressing “frustration” over alleged terrorist safe havens in Pakistan when the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the Haqqani network was an arm of the country’s intelligence service.


“The intelligence is not as clear as we might like in terms of what exactly that relationship is,” said Mr Obama in a radio interview when asked about Admiral Mullen’s testimony at a Senate hearing last weekWe’ve been very firm with them about needing to go after safe havens inside of Pakistan, but we’ve tried to also preserve the intelligence cooperation that we’ve obtained that’s allowed us to go after Al Qaeda in a very effective way,” he said.


There’s no doubt that the relationship is not where it needs to be and we are going to keep on pressing them to recognise that it is in their interest, not just ours, to make sure that extremists are not operating within their borders.”The US she said, had told Pakistan that it wanted to see an end to safe havens and “any kind of support from anywhere for terrorists inside Pakistan, and we also want to continue to work to put our relationship on a stronger footing.


Questions about this new US approach were also asked at a White House briefing on Friday as reporters tried to draw a link between Awlaki’s death in Yemen, and drone attacks in PakistanWhen asked why the US refused to acknowledge the drone attacks that had killed Awlaki and other key Al Qaeda leaders, Mr Carney said: “We are asked questions like that all the time and our response is the same, which is that we cooperate with partners around the world, whether it’s in Pakistan or Yemen, in taking the fight to Al Qaeda, and that cooperation takes many different forms.

Take Shelter.

Take Shelter is a 2011 American drama film starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain. The film is written and directed by Jeff Nichols. Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father (Shannon) questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself.Michael Shannon as 
Cast.
Ray McKinnon as Kyle
Kathy Baker as Sarah
Katy Mixon as Nat
Shea Whigham as Dewart
Curtis LaForche
Jessica Chastain as Samantha LaForche
Lisa Gay Hamilton as Kendra.Take Shelter premiered in January 2011 at the Sundance Film Festival, and Sony Pictures Classics acquired rights to distribute the film in North America, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand. The film also screened in May 2011 at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the 50th Critics' Week Grand Prix. It also received the Fipresci award from the International Federation of Film Critics, sharing it with Le Havre and The Minister. In September 2011, Take Shelter screened at the 37th Deauville American Film Festival, where it beat 13 other contenders to win the festival's grand prize. Later in September, Take Shelter screened at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival.
The film will have a limited release in New York and Los Angeles on September 30, 2011 Shotgun Stories, a 2007 film directed by Jeff Nichols.

Homeland (TV series)

Homeland is an upcoming American psychological thriller television series created by Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa and Gideon Raff. The series stars Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, a CIA operations officer who has come to believe that an American Marine, who was held captive by Al-Qaeda as a prisoner of war, was turned by the enemy and now poses a significant risk to national security.
The series will be broadcast in the United States on the cable channel Showtime, and is produced by Fox 21. It is due to premiere on October 2, 2011. The first episode was made available online, over two weeks prior to broadcast, with viewers having to complete some tasks to unlock accessBased on Gideon Raff's Israeli series Hatufim, also known as Prisoners of War, Homeland was created by Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa and Gideon Raff in early 2010. On September 19, 2010, Showtime placed a pilot order for Homeland as the first project David Nevins had undertaken since leaving Imagine Entertainment to become president of Showtime. Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa and Gideon Raff wrote the pilot, Michael Cuesta was attached to the project as director, with Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa, Gideon Raff, Avi Nir and Ron Telem serving as executive producersOn April 7, 2011, Showtime green-lighted the series with an order of 12 episodes. Along with the series pickup Showtime announced that Laura Fraser would not be continuing past the pilot and her role had been re-cast with Morena Baccarin taking over the role of Jessica Brody. It was also announced that Chip Johannessen would be joining the series as a a producer, while Michael Cuesta, who had served as the director on the pilot, would join the series as an executive producer. Showtime later announced that Jamey Sheridan, Navid Negahban, Amir Arison and Brianna Brown had joined the series as recurring guest stars. Sheridan was cast as the Vice President of the United States, Negahban was cast as Abu Nazir, with Arison playing Prince Farid Bin Abbud and Brown playing Lynne Reed.
On July 21, 2011, at the San Diego Comic-Con, Showtime announced that the series would premiere on October 2, 2011. Along with the announcement of the premiere date for the series, the network also announced that the names of the characters portrayed by Claire Danes and Damian Lewis had been renamed Carrie Mathison and Nicholas Brody, respectively. The series is produced by Fox 21.The pilot episode has received universal acclaim, scoring 92 out of 100 from 20 critics. Hank Stuever of The Washington Post gave the pilot episode an A-, saying "What makes Homeland rise above other post-9/11 dramas is Danes's stellar performance as Carrie — easily this season's strongest female character" and that "The latter half of the first episode is exhilarating. I'm hooked. Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe said it was his favorite drama pilot of the season, giving it an A. Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker gave it an A-, stating "It's the fall season's most intriguing, tense puzzler.

Stacey Dash.

Stacey Lauretta Dash is an American film and television actress.She made her first TV appearance in Farrell for the People starring Valerie Harper and a virtually unknown Ed O'Neill in 1982, which did not make it past its pilot episode. Her notable first appearance was as 'Michelle' in the 1985 The Cosby Show episode "Denise's Friend" alongside Lisa Bonet, and in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Dash's first substantial television role was in the 1988 television series TV 101, which also featured Matt LeBlanc and Sam Robards. The series was canceled after 13 episodes.In 2007, she completed filming roles in I Could Never Be Your Woman, Nora's Hair Salon II, Fashion Victim, Ghost Image and American Primitive. For 2008 release, she filmed Phantom Punch and Secrets Of A Hollywood Nurse for television, and the feature film Close Quarters.
Dash performed in the 2008 reality television series, Celebrity Circus. Prior to the series premiere, Dash suffered a broken rib while training. Despite the injury, Dash performed on the trapeze bungee during the premiere and continued on to be a finalist. Dash finished second behind Antonio Sabato, Jr.
Dash made a guest appearance on the television series The Game in early 2009. In March 2010, she said she will be starring in her own reality show on VH1.
Dash is currently starring in the VH1 original series "Single Ladies." Dash stars as Valerie "Val" Stokes, a woman who is a "'good girl' looking for a good man.Dash was born in The Bronx, New York. She is an alumnus of Paramus High School in Paramus, New Jersey. Her mother, Linda, was the general manager of DME Interactive Holdings. Her father was a methadone addict.

Anwar al-Awlaki.

Anwar al-Awlaki (also spelled Aulaqi; Arabic:‎ Anwar al-‘Awlaqī; April 22, 1971 – September 30, 2011) was a Yemeni-American imam who was an engineer and educator by training. According to U.S. officials, he was a senior talent recruiter and motivator who was involved with planning operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda. He was implicated in helping to motivate at least three attacks on U.S. soil, and was the first U.S. citizen to be approved for targeted killing. Columnist Glenn Greenwald held that al-Awlaki's killing was in direct violation of the United States Constitution. With a blog, a Facebook page, and many YouTube videos, he had been described as the "bin Laden of the Internet". Barack Obama described Awlaki as “the leader of external operations for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.In 1993, while he was a college student and the same year as the first World Trade Center bombing, al-Awlaki took a vacation trip to Afghanistan like "many other thousands of young Muslim men with jihadist zeal". Much of the nation was under the control of various mujahideen factions, after the withdrawal of the Soviet occupation. Mullah Mohammed Omar would not form the Taliban until 1994. When al-Awlaki returned to campus, he showed increased interest in politics and religion. He wore Afghan hats and Eritrean t-shirts, and quoted Abdullah Azzam—who theologically justified the jihad to liberate Muslim lands such as Afghanistan and Palestine by fighting infidel invaders, and was later known as a mentor to Osama bin Laden.Planning for the 9/11 attack and USS Cole bombing was discussed at the January 2000 Kuala Lumpur al-Qaeda Summit. Among the planners were Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, who later died on 9/11 hijacked American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon. After the summit they traveled to San Diego, where witnesses told the FBI they had a close relationship with al-Awlaki in 2000. Al-Awlaki served as their spiritual adviser, and the two were also frequently visited there by 9/11 pilot Hani Hanjour. The 9/11 Commission Report indicated that the hijackers "reportedly respected [al-Awlaki] as a religious figure. Authorities say the two hijackers regularly attended the mosque al-Awlaki led in San Diego, and had many long closed-door meetings with him, which led investigators to believe al-Awlaki knew about the 9/11 attacks in advance.
Al-Awlaki told reporters that he resigned from leading the San Diego mosque "after an uneventful four years", despite his contacts with 9/11 participants. He took a brief sabbatical and a trip overseas to various countries, which have not been identified or explained.In July 2010, his father, Nasser al-Aulaqi, contracted the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to represent his son in a lawsuit which sought to remove Anwar from the targeted killing list. ACLU's Jameel Jaffer said:
the United States is not at war in Yemen, and the government doesn't have a blank check to kill terrorism suspects wherever they are in the world. Among the arguments we'll be making is that, outside actual war zones, the authority to use lethal force is narrowly circumscribed, and preserving the rule of law depends on keeping this authority narrow.
Lawyers for Specially Designated Global Terrorists must obtain a special license from the U.S. Treasury Department before they can represent their clients in court. The lawyers were granted the license on August 4.
On August 30, the groups filed a "targeted killing" lawsuit (Case 1:10-cv-01469-JDB), naming U.S. President Barack Obama, CIA Director Leon Panetta, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates as defendants. They sought an injunction preventing the targeted killing of al-Awlaki, and also sought to require the government to disclose the standards under which U.S. citizens may be "targeted for deathOn September 30, 2011, in northern al-Jawf province, two Predator drones fired Hellfire missiles at a vehicle containing al-Awlaki and three or four suspected al Qaeda members. A witness said the group had stopped to eat breakfast while traveling to Ma'rib Governorate. The Predator drone was spotted by the group who then tried to flee the scene in the vehicle.
According to U.S. sources, the strike was carried out by Joint Special Operations Command, under the direction of the CIA. U.S. President Barack Obama said: "The death of Awlaki is a major blow to Al Qaeda's most active operational affiliate. He took the lead in planning and directing efforts to murder innocent Americans ... and he repeatedly called on individuals in the United States and around the globe to kill innocent men, women and children to advance a murderous agenda." He said the strike is "further proof that Al Qaeda and its affiliates will find no safe haven anywhere in the world. Yemen's Defense Ministry announced that al-Awlaki had been killed in the country. Also killed was Samir Khan, an American born in Saudi Arabia, who was an editor of Al Qaeda's English-language web magazine, Inspire.

If Computer Problems Were Real.

Habitual computer users have given a whole new meaning to words and phrases like “firewall,” “rebooting,” locked out,” “frozen,” and, of course, “Windows crashed.”


But what if we took them literally?

Trey Parker and Matt Stone Say They Dropped Acid Before the Oscar.

When the co-creators of “South Park,” Trey Parker and Matt Stone, showed up at the 2000 Academy Awards ceremony wearing gowns similar to those worn by Jennifer Lopez and Gwyneth Paltrow at previous awards shows, some people blew it off as the guys being their normal irreverent selves.
Others no doubt wondered if the pair had imbibed in a little recreational pharmaceuticals.
As it turns out, yes. To both.
That year, Parker and Marc Shaiman were nominated for a Best Original Song Oscar for “Blame Canada” from the 1999 movie, “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.” And because Parker and his partner-in-crime Stone are nothing if not unconventional, they thought it would be funny to go to the ceremony wearing the then-iconic dresses.
This past March, they told David Letterman they had indeed been “Sheening [their] heads off.” But without specifics, many thought they meant they’d been high on cocaine — which, lo these several months ago, was Charlie Sheen’s (alleged) drug of choice.
But not so, they now say. It wasn’t cocaine! It was acid. Which, when you think about it, really makes a lot more sense.

20 Hottest Celebrity Sisters

Sheer sexiness can get you a long way in the celebrity world, and often good things run in the family. That means when one famous sibling is cute, there’s every chance the other one will be even cuter. And, as everyone knows, there is nothing better than two sexy siblings together. Without further ado, then, we present the 20 most smoking hot sets of celebrity sisters…Sheer sexiness can get you a long way in the celebrity world, and often good things run in the family. That means when one famous sibling is cute, there’s every chance the other one will be even cuter. And, as everyone knows, there is nothing better than two sexy siblings together. Without further ado, then, we present the 20 most smoking hot sets of celebrity sister.

Tottenham survive Shamrock Europa League scare

PARIS: Tottenham Hotspur got the better of Shamrock Rovers in their Europa League Group A encounter on Thursday, but only after the League of Ireland side had taken a shock second-half lead at White Hart Lane.


Stephen Rice sent the huge travelling support into raptures when he deflected a Gary Twigg shot past Spurs ‘keeper Carlo Cudicini five minutes into the second-half.


The goal had come completely against the run of play, and the Premier League aristocrats were back level 10 minutes later when Roman Pavlyuchenko headed home from point-blank range.


Within six minutes, Jermaine Defoe and Giovani Dos Santos had also netted to complete the turnaround as Spurs ran out 3-1 winners to go level with Rubin Kazan – who drew 2-2 with PAOK Salonika earlier in the day – on four points atop the group.Paris Saint-Germain have been tipped as one of the favourites to win the competition, but they were beaten 2-0 away to Athletic Bilbao.


First-half goals from Igor Gabilondo and Markel Susaeta gave the Spanish side a second win in Group F, while Mohamed Sissoko was sent-off to complete a miserable day for the French league leaders.


Earlier, seven of their followers were arrested following disturbances in Bilbao.


Shop windows were broken and chairs were thrown from cafes near San Mames, while one man is accused of hitting a policeman over the head with a chair.

Delonte West.

Delonte Maurice West (born July 26, 1983, in Washington, D.C.) is an American professional basketball player who last played with the Boston Celtics of the NBA.After LeBron James left the Cavaliers to sign with the Miami Heat, the Cavaliers traded West, along with Sebastian Telfair, to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Ramon Sessions, Ryan Hollins, and a future draft pick. Minnesota waived West shortly after acquiring him. On September 1, 2010, the Boston Celtics signed West to a one-year contract to backup Rajon Rondo as a point guard. West was suspended for the first ten games of the 2010-11 season following a guilty plea to weapons charges in Maryland.On September 17, 2009 West was pulled over for a traffic violation while riding a 3-wheeled motorcycle. During this stop it was found that West had a 9mm Beretta pistol, .357 Magnum and a Remington 870 in a guitar case. He was arrested and had a court appearance on November 20. His trial was scheduled to be heard on February 18, 2010, but was postponed until July 21, 2010. West pleaded guilty to the traffic and weapons charges and was sentenced to electronic monitoring, unsupervised probation, and 40 hours of community service as well as psychological counseling.West is of African American and Piscataway Indian descent.

Jack Osbourne Engaged.

Sure, he’s a little rough around the edges, but some little lady is finally making an “Honest Man” out of Jack Osbourne. The scruffy reality star is set to walk down the aisle with his girlfriend, aspiring actress Lisa Stelly.
Jack’s rep confirmed to E! Online that the 25-year-old popped the question recently, and was estatic when his girl said “Yes.” Apparently these two are made for each other: A source tells Us that Jack is “a great influence on her. It’s just no drama. More stable.”

Is Jacqueline Laurita Leaving “The Real Housewives Of New Jersey?”

Big changes may be afoot in The Garden State…PEOPLE Magazine informants are reporting that Jacqueline Laurita, one of the brassy and sassy Franklin Lakes socialites who make up The Real Housewives of New Jersey is leaving the popular Bravo series after three seasons.
In a series of Tweets earlier this week, Laurita hinted that she’s done with the show and even refused to appear on the seasonal reunion show, which taped on Wednesday. Apparently, Jacqueline can no longer deal with the “drahmah” that comes along with being a television reality star.
Oh, cry us a river!
Jacqueline [Laurita] definitely quit,” a production tattle tells the glossy. “She had to walk away for her sanity. Jacqueline, a former Vegas cosmetologist-turned-full-time stay-at-home New Jersey mom, has been a staple on the docu-soap since its inception in 2009. Of course, she isn’t the first original castmember to jump ship on the series. Her similarly-frustrated sister-in-law, Dina Manzo, left the show in the middle of its second season after a feud with this series villian Danielle Staub, a former federal informant who was booted from RHOJ a short time later.

Kardashians Invade “TODAY”

Just this week, Kim Kardashian was dubbed the “World’s Most Annoying Reality Star” in a poll conducted by Parade Magazine.
Poll smoll! It still seems some folks just can’t get enough of the First Family of Reality TV.
Take the folks at NBC’s TODAY Show, for instance.
The network has announced that various members of The Kardashian Klan will serve as guest co-hosts of the morning gabfest every day next week — sitting in for family chum Kathie Lee Gifford with TODAY regular Hoda Kotb during the show’s fourth hour. Khloe Kardashian will appear on Monday’s edition, followed by stepdad Bruce Jenner on Tuesday. “Momager” Kris Jenner will fill in on Wednesday, while Kourtney and Kim Kardashian are booked for Thursday and Friday, respectively.

Mrs. Obama Does Some Thursday Afternoon Shopping At Target.

You know the American economy is in the crapper when even the First Family is buying their dog food at Target.
Yep, First Lady Michelle Obama did her best “incognito” impersonation as stepped out in casual clothes for a little afternoon shopping at a Target location (also known as “Tarjay” in some circles….) in Alexandria, Virginia on Thursday. The Secret Service arrived at the store 30 minutes ahead of the First Lady — You know, just to check things out. Mrs. O then entered the store, accompanied by an assistant, and purused the aisles for a few bare essentials for approximately 40 minutes before heading back across the 14th St. Bridge toward The White House.
She was only recognized after she entered a check out aisle.

Gaga stylist disappoints at Paris fashion week

PARIS: The alchemy was off at the house of Mugler, where Lady Gaga’s stylist, Nicola Formichetti, again failed to live up to his reputation as a sort of Generation Y Midas who turns everything he touches into gold.


Formichetti’s second effort as Mugler creative director fizzled Wednesday, as the label fielded a less-than-convincing spring-summer 2012 ready-to-wear collection of willfully wacky sci-fi garb in neutral shades. It was as if the show, which garnered only a tepid round of applause before fashion insiders fled into the hot Paris night, had been tailor-made to drive home a crucial point: That buzz does not a fashion house make.Romantic, boulder-strewn landscapes and anonymous cityscapes – their neon lights shining in the dark – were the dreamscapes of Van Noten’s haunting spring-summer collection.Whether he dresses her in meat or swathes her in a gown made entirely out of stuffed animals, Formichetti can do no wrong when it comes to outfitting Lady Gaga.


But at his day job as Mugler creative director, the stylist has yet to hit on the winning formula.Mad Men” has been off the air for months, but Rochas’ Zanini is betting on the enduring popularity of the ladylike retro styles the hit show helped to relaunch.


For spring-summer, Zanini delivered sober sheath dresses and demure V-necked gowns with full skirts and skinny belts in ivory, powder pink and seafoam green that felt like they’d been plucked straight out of the first two seasons of the AMC series.


With its modest lines, Wednesday’s collection was more demure housewife than va-va-voom secretary, or in “Mad Men” terms, more Betty Draper than Joan Holloway. You could almost picture the sullen Ms. Draper skulking around her kitchen in one of the poof-skirted shirtdresses.Though Lourenco’s collection felt fresh, the sweet spot he hit between a kind of hokey but appealing retro look and something sleek and futuristic was not uncharted territory: Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquiere has been mining it for seasons.


Still, there are worse things than winning comparisons with Paris’ hottest label.

Tony Bennett, 85, tops US album chart for first time

Tony Bennett made music history Wednesday when he topped the Billboard album chart for the first time in his 60-year career – and became the oldest living act ever to do so.


Bennett, 85, a 15-time Grammy winner who plays London and Copenhagen next week, reached the summit with “Duets II” featuring collaborations with 17 other stars including Lady Gaga, Michael Buble and the late Amy Winehouse.

“Duets II” sold 179,000 copies in its first week, Billboard said, despite Bennett’s remarks on the Howard Stern radio show that US policy was to blame for the 9/11 attacks. He later issued an apology.The native New Yorker who famously sang “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” has sold more than 50 million records in a career that goes back to 1951 when he spent 10 weeks atop the Billboard singles chart with “Because of You

Nato chief presses Pakistan on ‘terrorist’ safe havens

BRUSSELS: Nato’s chief piled pressure on Pakistan on Friday to step up the fight against “terrorists” allegedly enjoying safe havens in the border region with Afghanistan.


Amid growing US pressure for Pakistan to take action against militants, Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called for a “positive engagement” from Islamabad to ensure stability in Afghanistan.


“We encourage the Pakistani military and the Pakistani government to do its utmost to fight extremism and terrorism in the border region,” Rasmussen said at a defence forum hosted by the European Policy Centre think tank.


“It is really a security problem for our troops in Afghanistan that terrorists have safe havens, and that’s a fact, in Pakistan,” he said.


“We have to deal with that and it’s in our mutual interest to deal with that.”


“That’s a reason why we have conveyed that clear message to Pakistan authorities.”


The Pakistani government and opposition leaders on Thursday closed ranks against increasing US pressure for action against the Haqqani network, refusing to be pressured into doing more in the war on terror.Mullen also charged that the country’s main intelligence agency, ISI, was actively supporting the Haqqani network blamed for an assault on the US embassy in Kabul this month.


There are 140,000 Nato-led foreign forces in Afghanistan, some 100,000 of them from the United States, fighting a Taliban-led insurgency.

Holly Madison Insures Breasts For $1 Million.

Holly Madison isn’t taking any chances with her big moneymakers.
The onetime Playboy Playmate and almost Bride of Hefner tells PEOPLE that she’s taken out a $1 million insurance policy on her breasts with the infamous Lloyd’s of London — the same insurance provider that holds a policy on Jennifer Lopez’s lovely legs and insured Tina Turner’s glorious gams during her endorsement agreement with Hanes.
I have heard about people getting body parts insured and I thought, why not?, because if anything happened to my boobs, I’d be out for a few months and I’d probably be out a million dollars. I thought I’d cover my assets,says the ex-Girls Next Door star, who appears topless in the Vegas burlesque show Peepshow.
I think it’s kind of funny. I think they’re getting the credit they deserve. They’re my primary money makers right now.

Man Proposes to Girlfriend with an Awesome Disney Flashmob.

As proposals go, this one is sure to be ranked among the best and most creative of all time.
After more than five years together, Jamin was ready to pop the question to his girlfriend, Val. But rather than go the traditional route with candlelight and roses, he and some friends put together a dance to Bruno Mars’ Marry You” and organized a flashmob in the Downtown Disney area at Florida’s Disneyworld.
The picture-in-picture is great
you see Jamin and Val watching the dancers, and when he jumps in to join them, the look on her face as she realizes what’s going on is priceless.
It’s almost impossible not to smile during the whole thing. Even if you’re a cynical broad like me.

Dane Cook NBC Sitcom Gets Greenlight.

Comedian Dane Cook is getting his own sitcom on NBC.
According to dish from Deadline Hollywood, the actor-comedian has signed a deal with The Peacock to develop a half-hour comedy series, which is being eyed for premiere next fall. Per the arrangement, Dane will star in and produce the still-untitled project trough his SUperFInger Entertainment imprint.

Ashton Kutcher On Split Rumors: “Don’t Believe The Hype.

Don’t Believe the Hype” – It isn’t just the title of a Public Enemy hip-hop classic…it’s embattled actor Ashton Kutcher’s response to the rampant rumors that an addiction to sex has cost him his marriage to wife of six years Demi Moore.
Early Thursday, Kutcher Tweeted a link to the ’80s song. It’s the first thing we’ve heard from Ashton, 33, or Demi, 48, since whispers surfaced saying the two might be heading for a split. Ashton later returned and added a new Tweet. That one read: “When you ASSUME to know that which you know nothing of you make an ASS out of U and ME”

New Dad Mike Myers Welcomes Son Spike.

Congrats to Mike Myers – a rep for the Shrek star confirms that he and wife Kelly welcomed a baby boy named Spike earlier this month.
He is healthy and his parents are ecstatic,” Myers’ publicist told two weeks after Spike’s arrival.
Mike and Kelly began dating in 2006. The couple quietly wed in New York in 2010 and kept their nuptials a secret until March. The tot is the first for Myers, who has reportedly signed on to reprise his role as “International Man of Mystery” Austin Powers in a third sequel to the popular 1997 comedy, Austin Powers.

Kelly Clarkson Insists She’s Not Gay.

I may be straight, but my girlcrush on Kelly Clarkson finds this news rather disappointing.
The first winner of “American Idol” recently told E! News:
The singer says she doesn’t care who is or isn’t gay, but when it comes to her own orientation, she’s on the straight and narrow.
People keep saying I’m gay, and I’m not … I’m pretty sure I’ve never made out with a girl. It’s just not helping me because I’m straight. No boy wants to hit on me because I make mean songs about them, and they think I’m gay.”
But when it comes to vocal-talent competitions, she’s open to them all. Of course she still watches “American Idol,” but she also watched “The Voice” and is checking out Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul (who helped make her famous) on “X Factor.”
Clarkson also named her dream duet-partner — Adele.
Kelly said she’d love to work with the “Rolling in the Deep” singer. “I love Adele, that would be a great collaboration, I really want to do it, I will put it out there for you,” she says. “I just don’t care if it’s just an awards show backstage.”
She jokes she’d even take the opportunity in a ladies bathroom, if that were her only option. “Yeah, good acoustics in there,” she says. “I just love her voice.

Cardinal (Bird)

The Cardinals or Cardinalidae are a family of passerine birds found in North and South America. The South American cardinals in the genus Paroaria are placed in another family, the Thraupidae (previously placed in Emberizidae).
These are robust, seed-eating birds with strong bills. The family ranges in size from the 12-cm, 11.5-gram Orange-breasted Bunting to the 25-cm, 85-gram Black-headed Saltator[verification needed]. They are typically associated with open woodland. The sexes usually have distinctive appearances; the family is named for the red plumage (colored cardinal like the color of a Catholic cardinal's vestments) of males of the type species, the Northern Cardinal.
The "buntings" in this family are sometimes generically known as "tropical buntings" (though not all live in the tropics) or "North American buntings" (though there are other buntings in North America) to distinguish them from the true buntings. Likewise the grosbeaks in this family are sometimes called "cardinal-grosbeaks" to distinguish them from other grosbeaks. The name "cardinal-grosbeak" can also apply to this family as a whole.

Jessica Simpson Wedding Postponed.

Looks like Jessica Simpson’s got a case of “Cold Feet.” The singer-actress-stylist has postponed her late fall wedding with fiance of 10 months Eric Johnson, sources close to the couple tell Us Magazine.
Simpson was set to wed the former NFL player in November, but has begun dragging her feet about setting a date after months of whispers that the cash-strapped Eric is merely using the budding fashion mogul for her money.
Everything is up in the air,” an insider told Us about the Simpson-Johnson wedding. “She can’t figure out what kind of day she wants. Some days she wants a big wedding in Hawaii, then other days she wants something closer to home.”
She was so gung-ho about planning their wedding, and now she’s gone dark,” added a second friend. “She won’t commit to a date.”
Simpson’s ex-husband, recording artist and TV personality Nick Lachey, married his longtime girlfriend Vanessa Minnillo in July.
Ironically, Jessica’s wedding blues have come right on the cusp of the star’s first pregnancy. The contents of Jess’s womb is often the topic of speculation, thanks to her fluctuating weight, but this time the food baby might really be an actual baby.
A “friend” has blabbed to In Touch Weekly that Jess, 31, and Eric, 32, are expecting a baby.
She’s already having kooky cravings!” the friend says, especially nacho chips dipped in chocolate – “which satisfy her urge for salty and sweet” – cheese-flavored popcorn, and non-alcoholic margaritas.

Jason Alexander’s Weird New Hair Explained.

Seinfeld star Jason Alexander is known for being bald, so it was kind of a surprise to see him step out recently with hair…lots of hair! Apparently a lot of fans were (understandably) confused by Jason’s new ‘do, so he took to Twitter to explain what’s going on up there.
What you see on my head is a really good, semi-permanent hairpiece,” he revealed in a lengthy testimonial to fans. “So yes, I’m still bald and yes, just like others in my profession who have to either wear make-up or dye their hair or undergo surgery, I now do a little something. It’s honestly no big deal for me and hope it’s not for you either.”
So there you go. But why did Jason — who’s been bald for a long, long time — decide that now is the right time to start wearing a fancy toupee? This is all eerily reminiscent of that episode of Seinfeld where George (Jason) got a toupee and Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) ripped it off his head and threw out the window, isn’t it?
The way my hair has receded in the last two years was best defined as ‘dorky’… recently, the look lost any kind of impression other than purely comical,” Alexander says. “Also, there was a practical element — onstage and even to a degree on film, my head had become a big beacon, reflecting light in a very obvious and distracting way.

Amanda Palmer.

Amanda MacKinnon Gaiman Palmer sometimes known as Amanda Fucking Palmer, is an American performer who first rose to prominence as the lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls. She has since started a solo career, and is also one half of the Evelyn Evelyn duo.Palmer was born in New York City's Mount Sinai Hospital, and grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts. She attended Lexington High School, where she was involved in the drama department, and attended Wesleyan University where she was a member of the Eclectic Society. She staged performances based on work by the Legendary Pink Dots, an early influence, and was involved in the Legendary Pink Dots electronic mailing list, Cloud Zero.[citation needed] She then formed the Shadowbox Collective, devoted to street theatre and putting on theatrical shows (such as the 2002 play, Hotel Blanc, which she directed).In 2010, a reunion tour to selected venues in the United States occurred. It started on Halloween in New York City and ended in San Francisco on New Years Eve.[She has identified as bisexual telling afterellen.com in 2007: "I'm bisexual, but it's not the sort of thing I spent a lot of time thinking about," Palmer said. "I've slept with girls; I've slept with guys, so I guess that's what they call it! I'm not anti trying to use language to simplify our lives. On her blog, Palmer has stated that she had an abortion at age 17. In the same blog post, she stated that she was date raped when she was 20 years old.
On 1 January 2010, she stated on her Twitter feed that she "might have told [Neil Gaiman] [she]'d marry him but also might have been drunk. On 15 January 2010, Gaiman and Palmer confirmed their engagement in an announcement made to their respective websites. On 16 November 2010, Amanda Palmer hosted a flash mob wedding (not legally binding) for Gaiman's birthday in New Orleans. On 3 January 2011, the couple announced, via Twitter, that they had legally married in a private ceremony. The wedding took place in the parlour of writers Ayelet Waldman and Michael Chabon.
Amanda practices meditation and wrote an article titled Melody vs. Meditation for the Buddhist publication Shambhala Sun, that described the struggle between songwriting and being able to clear the mind to meditate. Palmer has also mentioned her pescetarianism on her blog 2011 – Actress in a local production: Cabaret – Boston's Best, Improper Bostonian.
2010 – Artist of the Year – Boston Music Awards.
2010 – Cover of Fake Plastic Trees (Radiohead) named 13th of Paste Magazine's 20 Best Cover Songs of 2010.
2009 – #100 on After Ellen's Hot 100 of 2009.
2008 – #6 on the Best Solo artist list in The Guardian's Readers' Poll of 2008.
2007 – #6 on Spinner.com's Women Who Rock Right Now.
2006 – the Boston Globe named her the most stylish woman in Boston.
2006 – listed in Blender Magazine's hottest women of rock.
2005 – won Best Female Vocalist in the WFNX/Boston Phoenix Best Music Poll.

Starz Renews Kelsey Grammer’s “Boss” For Second Season Before Debut Of First.

How do you know a show you’re starring in is good? Well, if it gets picked up for an entire second season before the first even airs it’s probably a pretty good sign. Kelsey Grammer has found job security with his new Starz series, Boss.

Do you like it? Ya can’t answer that question since the first episode has yet to air!

Produced by Lionsgate Television and created by Farhad Safinia, Boss will make its Starz debut on Oct. 21, with Kelsey as the star. He’ll play Tom Kane, a mayor in Chicago hiding the onset of a neurological disease that could ruin his career. Grammer is best known for his portrayal of snobbish psychiatrist Frasier Crane on TV’s Cheers and Frasier and Boss is his first dramatic series. The premiere episode is the television directorial debut of acclaimed filmmaker Gus Van Sant.Starz has a good track record of renewing shows before airing a premiere. The channel did the very same thing with Spartacus: Blood and Sand and look how well that worked out.

The first time we read Farhad’s script, we knew we had to make ‘Boss,’” Starz President and Chief Executive Officer Chris Albrecht said in a statement Tuesday. “With each episode, the story grew richer, and the cast continued to turn in breakthrough performances. Led by Kelsey and Farhad, this creative team is giving us dramatic storytelling at its very best. For our viewers, we felt it important to start working on the next season as soon as possible.”

Kevin Beggs, President of Lionsgate Television Group, adds: “This early vote of confidence from our partners at Starz is extremely gratifying and reflects the tremendous work of all those involved with ‘Boss’ on both sides of the camera. Kelsey’s dramatic turn in this series is a powerful and radical departure from his previous television roles and we can’t wait for viewers to be drawn into his fascinating world.”

Production on the second season of Boss is expected to begin in early 2012.

Ashton Kutcher & Demi Moore.

Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore's six-year union may be coming to an end.
Amid new tabloid reports of infidelity on Kutcher's behalf, the spouses have taken a break from their normally lovey-dovey tweets -- a strong indicator that their relationship is on the rocks.Moore shared a quote from Greek philosopher Epictetus on September 23, writing, "When we are offended at any man's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger."
Three days later, Moore posted a forlorn picture of herself with the caption: "I see through you."
Earlier in the month, Moore told her Twitter followers that she was "trying to find the light I lost.” On September 9, she added: “Remember...you've got your own back."Adding to speculation that Kutcher and Moore have separated? The pair spent their sixth wedding anniversary -- September 24 -- apart.
While Kutcher, 33, whooped it up with his former That '70s Show costar Danny Masterson in San Diego, his wife, 48, was busy promoting the short film she directed for Lifetime's upcoming anthology, Five.
Moore -- who shocked onlookers with her rail-thin appearance at the Five premiere in NYC -- is also pulling out of pre-arranged public engagements.emi was supposed to attend David LaChappelle's art show in West Hollywood Tuesday night," a source tells Us Weekly. "She pulled out of the event last minute."

Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh Hashanah, is the Jewish New Year. It is the first of the High Holidays or Yamim Noraim ("Days of Awe"), celebrated ten days before Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is observed on the first two days of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. It is described in the Torah as  (Yom Teru'ah, a day of sounding [the Shofar]).Laws on the form and use of the shofar and laws related to the religious services during the festival of Rosh Hashanah are described in Rabbinic literature such as the Mishnah that formed the basis of the tractate "Rosh HaShanah" in both the Babylonian Talmud and the Jerusalem Talmud. This also contains the most important rules concerning the calendar year.Rosh Hashanah occurs 163 days after the first day of Passover (Pesach). In terms of the Gregorian calendar, the earliest date on which Rosh Hashanah can fall is September 5, as happened in 1899 and will happen again in 2013. The latest Rosh Hashanah can occur relative to the Gregorian dates is on October 5, as happened in 1967 and will happen again in 2043. After 2089, the differences between the Hebrew calendar and the Gregorian calendar will result in Rosh Hashanah falling no earlier than September 6On Rosh Hashanah day, religious poems, called piyyuttim, are added to the regular services. Special prayer books for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, called the mahzor (plural mahzorim), have developed over the years. Many poems refer to Psalms 81:4: "Blow the shofar on the [first day of the] month, when the [moon] is covered for our holiday".On the first night of Rosh Hashanah after the evening prayer, it is the Ashkenazi and Hasidic custom to wish Leshana Tova Tikoseiv Vesichoseim (Le'Alter LeChaim Tovim U'Leshalom) which is Hebrew for "May you (immediately) be inscribed and sealed for a Good Year (and for a Good and Peaceful Life)" 
Shana Tova is the traditional greeting on Rosh Hashanah which in Hebrew means "A Good Year.
Shana Tova Umetukah is Hebrew for "A Good and Sweet Year.
Ketiva ve-chatima tovah which translates as "May You Be Written and Sealed for a Good Year.
The formal Sephardic greeting is Tizku leshanim rabbot ("may you merit many years"), to which the answer is ne'imot ve-tovot ("pleasant and good ones"). Less formally, people wish each other "many years" in the local language.

Boston Red Sox.

The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in 1901 as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since 1912. The "Red Sox" name was chosen by the team owner, John I. Taylor, around 1908, following previous Boston teams that had been known as the "Red Stockings".The 2011 season started with Mike Lowell deciding to retire. The Red Sox acquired superstar Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford to help the team after a horrible year. The Red Sox struggled early, falling to an 0-6 start for the first time since 1945. However, they gradually made their way into playoff contention by July, thanks to a potent offense which made up for a decimated pitching staff. Daisuke Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz ended their season with injuries, while Josh Beckett, John Lackey and newly-added setup man Bobby Jenks had stints in the disabled list, paving the way for new additions such as Andrew Miller, Alfredo Aceves and seldom-used setup man Daniel Bard to prove their worth. After rookie pitcher Kyle Weiland proved ineffective, the Red Sox made a three way trade, giving up some prospects for Érik Bédard. On July 16, 2011, Jed Lowrie turned a triple play against Sean Rodriguez of the Tampa Bay Rays, the first triple play played by the Red Sox since 1994. When Kevin Youkilis; Josh Beckett; Érik Bédard; David Ortiz; and Adrian Gonzalez all had a brief stint to the disabled list in September, the Red Sox lost 11 out of 14 in that month. The Red Sox at one point held the AL East lead midway through the season. In the end however the Red Sox blew up their postseason aspirations on September 28, losing to the Orioles 4-3 while the Tampa Bay Rays clinched the American League Wildcard with a win over the Yankees on the same night. The Red Sox missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since missing three straight postseasons from 2000-2002.Former left fielder Mike Greenwell is from Fort Myers, Florida and was instrumental in bringing his team to the city for spring training. City of Palms Park was built in 1992 for that purpose and holds 8,000 people. It is also the home of the Red Sox Rookie team, the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, from April through June.The Yankees – Red Sox rivalry is one of the oldest, most famous and fiercest rivalries in professional sports. For over 100 years, the Red Sox and New York Yankees have been rivals.

Walter Payton.

Walter Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football. Payton, a nine-time Pro Bowl selectee, once held the league's record for most career rushing yards, touchdowns, carries, yards from scrimmage, all-purpose yards, and many other categories. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993. Hall of Fame NFL player and coach Mike Ditka described Payton as the greatest football player he had ever seen—but even greater as a human being.Payton married Connie Norwood in 1976. During his rookie years he resided in a home on the north side of Arlington Heights, Illinois. The couple had two children, Jarrett Payton (born 1980) and Brittney (born December 26, 1985) and resided in South Barrington, Illinois.Payton was the NFL's all-time leader in rushing yards and all-purpose yards prior to the 2002 NFL season, when Emmitt Smith broke his record. He also held the single game rushing record until the 2000 NFL season, when it was broken by Corey Dillon. Payton led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns in the 1977 NFL season. Also, he was among the top-ten players for rushing attempts during his entire career, including 1976, 1977, and 1978, leading the category in 1979. As of 2006, he was the NFL's second all-time rusher, and he ranked third in rushing touchdowns scored. Along with Frank Gifford, Payton threw six (6) interceptions, more than any other non-quarterback position in NFL history. He also passed for 8 touchdowns.

Who Are the Highest Paid Actresses on TV?

On the new Forbes list, the top ten highest-paid actresses on TV earned a total of $94 million. But how did it break down?
Desperate Housewives” hottie Eva Longoria and “30 Rock” comedic genius Tina Fey top the list with $13 million each in salaries and syndication profits. Which seems incredibly unfair to Fey, who isn’t the one-trick pony Longoria seems to be.
Longoria’s co-star Marcia Cross, “Law & Order: SVU” actress Mariska Hargitay and “CSI”‘s Marg Helgenberger all tied for second with $10 million.
The other two “Housewives,” Teri Hatcher and Felicity Huffman, each made $9 million. Having Huffman among the least-paid of the group is a sin — she and Cross are both versatile, mad-talented performers who should easily get more than Longoria. (Maybe they should hire her manager.)
Cougar Town”‘s Courteney Cox and Ellen Pompeo from “Gray’s Anatomy” tied at $7 million, and “The Good Wife” star Julianna Margulies came in last with $6 million.
If all of these ladies seem overpaid, just remember that movie stars get paid a lot more — the top three women on that list made as much as all 10 of the TV actresses combined.

American-Pakistani musicians enthrall audience

 A group of American and Pakistan musicians enthralled the audiences from the twin cities here late Saturday with their jazz fusion performance.


The live concert was organized by the US Embassy in collaboration with Pakistan National Council of the Arts The band ‘Ari Roland Quartet’ included Ari Jon Roland on Bass, Zaid Nabeel Naseer on Alto Saxophone, Christopher Lawrence Byars on Tenor Saxophone and Keith Gregory Balla on Drums. They created fusion music with Pakistani instrumentalists like Aamir Husain on Sitar, Mohammad Ajmal on Tabla and Muhammad Salman on Flute.


The melodious tunes and enthusiastic performers compelled the audiences to sing and dance at the mesmerizing show.