Washington, Oct 2 (ANI): Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones will be jetting her kids to Mumbai at Christmas so that they can spend their holidays with Michael Douglas. The ‘Chicago’ actress revealed that she will take her two sons, Dylan, seven, and Carys, four, to spend their Christmas holidays with Douglas, while he shoots for new movie ‘Racing the Monsoon’. Jones revealed that she and Douglas are developing the script for the film, which will be to set up in the country. "I'm looking forward to going to India. Michael and I are developing a script and that will be set up in India. We will take our kids and all of us will set up camp in India and shoot a film," Contactmusic quoted Jones, as saying. Meanwhile Zeta-Jones has secured a coveted role in ‘Chicago’ director Rob Marshall's new movie musical ‘Nine.’ French actress, Marion Cotillard and Italian screen siren, Sophia Loren will also be a part of the film, which revolves around the life of a fictional filmmaker Guido Contini, who re-examines his past romances in the midst of a nervous breakdown. (ANI)

Labels: Non-Resident

Mumbai, Oct 29 (ANI): Eminent humorist Shail Chaturvedi died here on Monday morning after prolong illness. He was 71. He is survived by his wife and three sons. Chaturvedi, well-known for his humours Hindi poems and lyrics, had been suffering from various ailments. He died at his residence in Malad. Chaturvedi had started his career as a lecturer at Allahabad University. He also played some character roles in television serials and Hindi movies.Some of his popular Bollywood films include Chitchor, Hum Do Hamaare Do, and Chameli Ki Shaadi. (ANI)

Labels: Top-Stories

About 150 senior medical teachers of Maharashtra government hospitals have submitted a mass resignation notice to protest the government's "failure" to fulfil their various demands. Maharashtra State Medical Teachers Association (MSMTA) has been demanding that the government regularise all posts by giving the temporary teachers permanent cadre, time-bound promotion and pay scale, salary at par with other state governments like Karnataka, allow private practice and give allowance for non-practice. The government had promised to fulfil their demands by September 30.

Labels: Education

Results of the phase one clinical trials to develop a vaccine for the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) are out. The Pune-based National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) took up two possible vaccines for trial in February 2005. The results were analysed after completion of one year’s follow-up this year of the last vaccinated volunteer. The results indicate that the first vaccine, which used adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, failed to generate desired results. The second vaccine using the modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vector was on par with scientists’ expectations. Now scientists at NARI, the Indian Council of Medical Research, the National AIDS Control Organisation and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, are discussing how to go ahead with further trials of the so-far successful vaccine. The phase two trials may take off in six months if the Union Health Ministry gives its clearance. The AIDS vaccine trials work on two strategies - either neutralising antibodies or cell mediated immune response.

Labels: Health

Mumbai, Oct 18 (ANI-Business Wire India): Cleartrip.com announced the launch of the Discover India Travel Guide -- a travel guide produced in association with Lonely Planet and Jet Airways -- to be given out exclusively to customers booking Jet Airways flights on Cleartrip.com.The Discover India Travel Guide is a pocket guide that provides customers interesting information on 15 key destinations across India. The destinations that have been covered in the guide are Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Goa Guwhati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mangalore, Mumbai, Port Blair, Pune and Trivandrum All the content for the Discover India Travel Guide has been put together by Lonely Planet - the travel content specialists. The information on each of the destinations includes city highlights, information on restaurants, entertainment options in the city, shopping hubs and fast facts on getting around the city. The photographs used are unique and capture the essence of each destination. "The Discover India travel guide is another Cleartrip initiative to make travel simple and exciting for our customers. This guide equips customers with a wealth of information on destinations so that they can explore much more ", said Sandeep Murthy, CEO of Cleartrip.com."We're proud to be associated with Cleartrip. The customer and visitor profile of Cleartrip is a great fit for our brand. Cleartrip shares our philosophy of adding value to customers' travel experiences", said Gaurang Shetty, Vice President (Marketing), Jet Airways. "India is one of our priority markets. We are delighted to work with Cleartrip and Jet Airways to provide valuable travel information to customers and grow the travel market", said James Sundram, Head Asia, Lonely Planet. (ANI)

Labels: Tourism

Dubai, Oct 25 (ANI): Pakistan’s Aleem Dar has become the 10th umpire to stand in 100 One Day Internationals (ODIs) after officiating in the Australia–India match in Mumbai last Wednesday. Aleem achieved the mark at the age of 39, the second youngest after Simon Taufel of Australia who completed his ton earlier this year at 35. Aleem’s first-class career as a middle-order batsman and wrist spinner spanned nearly a decade (between 1986/87 and 1997/98) but was altogether more modest. He scored 270 runs and took 11 wickets in 17 first-class matches for Gujranwala, Allied Bank, Lahore and Rawalpindi. In sharp contrast, Aleem has earned the reputation as one of the best and most respected umpires in a short span, evident from the fact that he was nominated for the ICC Umpire of the Year award in 2006 only to be beaten by Taufel. The journey to the top started in 1998, when Aleem turned his attention to umpiring and within two years made his debut as an international umpire in Gujranwala. In 2002, he was included in the ICC International Panel of Umpires and in April 2004, his excellent decision-making and temperament, particularly in the World Cup 2003 in South Africa, earned him promotion to the ICC Emirates Elite Panel. Aleem’s success story shows that determination, hard work and commitment are the key to success in any profession. It also reflects that not only the cricketers, but officials can also reach the zenith of glory if there is a quest to rise. “It has been a fairy-tale ride for me,” admitted Aleem. “Like any youngster, I also wanted to be a Test cricketer and although I couldn’t cherish my childhood ambitions because of various reasons, I find myself extremely honoured and lucky to still be an active member of the cricket fraternity. “I couldn’t have a impressive career as a cricketer because I started my cricket late due to my father’s regular postings in remote areas. And when I really got an opportunity, there was fierce competition besides limited backing, facilities and resources,” he said in an ICC statement. Aleem said that by becoming a Test umpire he has fulfilled his dreams of being part of international cricket. “You don’t always get what you dream but I am one of those lucky people who almost achieved what they dreamed of.“ “To officiate in 100 ODIs and 39 Tests is something like a dream come true. Completing a century of ODIs is not only an honour for me but also for Pakistan, as I am the first umpire from Asia to achieve this distinction,” he added. Most appearances by umpires (as of 25 October 2007): Rudi Koertzen (South Africa)– 182David Shepherd (England)– 172Steve Bucknor (West Indies)– 167Daryl Harper (Australia)– 141Darrell Hair (Australia)– 135Billy Bowden (New Zealand)– 120Simon Taufel (Australia)– 116David Orchard (South Africa)– 107Steve Dunne (New Zealand)– 100Aleem Dar (Pakistan)– 100.

Labels: Sports