`Messy’ Messi says his home looks like a pigsty

London, May 6 (ANI): Argentine football star Lionel Messi lives on takeaways and never cleans up.

Messi, 22, who earns more than 500,000 pounds a week, says he does not like to “flash” and drives an Audi given to him by the Spanish club rather than splash out on a super car.

According to The Sun, Messi told Football Punk magazine he was also messy in the kitchen and could only rustle up sausages or burgers.

“He”s an amazing footballer, but when it comes to his car and domestic chores, he”s a nightmare. He leaves stuff lying around everywhere and never really thinks to clear it up. I guess he is thinking about football all the time, ” a pal said. (ANI)

Iran threatens suntanned women

Taking backward steps into orthodoxy against the weaker

sex has become institutionalised. As part of a new drive to enforce Islamic dress code, Iran has warned that suntanned women who looked like “walking mannequins” would be arrested.

Brig Hossien Sajedinia, Tehran’s police chief, said: “The public expects us to act firmly and swiftly if we see any social misbehaviour by women, and men, who defy our Islamic values.

“In some areas of north Tehran we can see many suntanned women and young girls who look like walking mannequins.

“We are not going to tolerate this situation and will first warn those found in this manner and then arrest and imprison them.”

Iran’s law insists on women wearing headscarves and shape shrouding cloaks but many women splash out a lot of money on fashions that barely adhere to the regulations, reports The Telegraph.

Iran threatens to arrest ”unIslamic” suntanned women who look like “mannequins”

London, Apr 28 (ANI): As part of a new drive to enforce Islamic dress code, Iran has warned that suntanned women who looked like “walking mannequins” would be arrested.

Brig Hossien Sajedinia, Tehran””s police chief, said: “The public expects us to act firmly and swiftly if we see any social misbehaviour by women, and men, who defy our Islamic values.

“In some areas of north Tehran we can see many suntanned women and young girls who look like walking mannequins.

“We are not going to tolerate this situation and will first warn those found in this manner and then arrest and imprison them.”

Iran””s law insists on women wearing headscarves and shape shrouding cloaks but many women splash out a lot of money on fashions that barely adhere to the regulations, reports The Telegraph. (ANI)

Iran threatens to arrest ”unIslamic” suntanned women who look like “mannequins”

London, Apr 28 (ANI): As part of a new drive to enforce Islamic dress code, Iran has warned that suntanned women who looked like “walking mannequins” would be arrested.

Brig Hossien Sajedinia, Tehran””s police chief, said: “The public expects us to act firmly and swiftly if we see any social misbehaviour by women, and men, who defy our Islamic values.

“In some areas of north Tehran we can see many suntanned women and young girls who look like walking mannequins.

“We are not going to tolerate this situation and will first warn those found in this manner and then arrest and imprison them.”

Iran””s law insists on women wearing headscarves and shape shrouding cloaks but many women splash out a lot of money on fashions that barely adhere to the regulations, reports The Telegraph. (ANI)

Mystery surrounds motive behind Malay-Indian actress’ suicide

Kuala Lumpur, Sep. 11 (ANI): The mystery behind Malay-Indian actress K. Sujatha’s suicide continues, with her family’s counsel testifying that she took her life for reasons best known to her.

K. Kumaraendran, however, dismissed any third party involvement in her death.

The Star Online quoted Kumaraendran as saying that Sujatha’s close friend S. Vell Paari, who spent lavishly on the actress, including buying her a 420,000 ringgits condominium and financing her brothers’ education, should not be associated with her death.

Making his submissions, he said coroner Mohd Faizi Che Abu should not fail to reach a positive conclusion because there were doubts on some minor points.

Kumaraendran said the coroner had to consider the forensic expert’s evidence affirming that Sujatha herself drank the paraquat, as there were no splash marks on her.

He said the court should also consider the evidence given by Sujatha’s younger brother Surenthiran that he bought the paraquat upon her request.

“Sujatha had claimed that she wanted the para-quat for her friend. There is no interested party here,” Kumaraendran stressed.

He also said that the doctor who treated her was informed by her that she had consumed paraquat unknowingly.

DPP Geethan Ram Vincent said the coroner had to evaluate the evidence, as the evidence given by Vell Paari and Dr Sakti over the reasons for drinking the paraquat was difficult to believe.

He said Surenthiran’s evidence was suspicious, too.

Sujatha, 28, who had worked as Vell Paari’s personal assistant and head of corporate department, died on June 25, 2007, four days after being admitted to hospital. (ANI)

Brit drinkers splash £39,480 on drinks for friends!

London, Sept 4 (ANI): British drinkers splash out an average of 39,480 pounds buying rounds for their friends over a lifetime, according to a new survey.

The study involving 4000 Britons adults revealed that they spend around 840 pounds a year on drinks for their friends, partners and work colleagues.

It also showed that an average Briton goes out socialising to bars, pubs and restaurants three times a month, despite the ongoing credit crisis.

About a quarter of men go out twice a week, and buy rounds in groups of five – which equates to 200 pounds a month.

They are likely to spend over 13 pounds on one round alone, and on average will buy 1.8 rounds in an evening out,

“Buying rounds is a way of life in Britain and these results show us to be a very generous nation,” the Telegraph quoted a spokesman for OnePoll, which conducted the survey as saying.

“The cost of buying a round soon adds up and over their lifetime it amounts to a sizeable piece of their disposable income,” he added. (ANI)

Dog training centres in China cash in on pet craze

New Delhi, June 20 (ANI): Dog training centres are cashing in on the latest pet craze in China.

Although the number of pet owners is small, they do not hesitate to splash money to pamper their pooches. There are about 100 dog training centres in China.

For instance at Beijing, Jinjiajun Dog Training Centre, an hour’s drive from the centre of the city, all the 10 “VIP” rooms, each of which can accommodate four dogs, have been booked, reports The China Daily.

And the centre’s 40 dog trainers have their hands full.

Dog owners also have an option to choose from different courses at Jinjiajun.

And the most popular being the basic one-month training costing 4,500 yuan, which uses “German techniques”.

Dogs can also be trained for shows at 5,000 yuan a month, basic agility at 4,500 a month for at least three months, or anti-terrorism maneuvers costing 5,000 yuan a month for a minimum six months.

However, training German Shepherds is the costliest with the fees around 10,000 yuan a month for up to six months.

The centre has purebred dogs from around the world, too, which can mate with pets for a fee. It also has a school to train dog trainers and a facility that sells training equipment.

Lu Yuanjie, Jinjiajun’s manager said that plenty of dog owners need help.

“These people are rich and successful in their fields but when it comes to dealing with their dogs, they are at a loss,” he added. (ANI)

Chelsea to spend 18.6 million pounds to snare Russian star Yuri Zhirkov

London, May 30 (ANI): Chelsea has agreed to splash out 18.6 million pounds for Russia star Yuri Zhirkov.

Sun Sport had revealed in March this year that coach Guus Hiddink had recommended the 25 year old, dubbed the Russian Ronaldinho, to Blues owner Roman Abramovich.

Zhirkov’s agent yesterday claimed a four-year deal was signed two days ago and that the CSKA Moscow star will move to Stamford Bridge later this summer.

The left winger, who can also play at left-back, has yet to complete a medical.

And while the details of the contract have been agreed, it has not yet been signed.

Under Hiddink’s advice, Chelsea will look to clear out several players this summer – including Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou. (ANI)

Avril Lavigne’s ‘cupping show’ at Malibu beach!

London, May 27 (ANI): It seems Avril Lavigne can’t get enough of herself – she was seen stripping off to a bikini and groping herself on sunny Malibu beach.

The feisty pop beauty made a splash in Malibu with a gal pal.

Besides the “cupping” show, Lavigne also showed her art of cartwheeling at the beach, reports The Sun.

Meanwhile, the Canadian singer’s representative has denied reports that the punk princess has collaborated with Lil Wayne.

Lavigne was reportedly going to be featured on Wayne’s upcoming rock record “Rebirth.” (ANI)

Kim Kardashian makes ‘purple splash’ in sexy bikini at Miami beach

London, May 27 (ANI): Socialite Kim Kardashian looked sizzling hot as she flaunted a sexy purple bikini at Miami Beach recently.

The 28-year-old beauty opted for a psychedelic-style two-piece from her new clothing line, reports the Sun.

The reality TV star has recently opened up a fashion boutique close to the beach along with sisters Khloe and Kourtney.

Kim fuelled rumours that she’s set to wed boyfriend Reggie Bush after she was spotted ring shopping with pals.

“I definitely scared him and told it was probably way more expensive than it is, just so that when he goes he feels like he’s getting a good deal,” said Kim. (ANI)

How Ronnie Wood drove estranged wife Jo to file for divorce

London, May 24 (ANI): Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood’s estranged wife Jo reportedly decided on filing for divorce after she realised that the former had allowed his Russian girlfriend Ekaterina Ivanova to splash thousands from their joint bank account.

Sources have revealed that Ekaterina merrily used the couple’s bank cards for huge shopping splurges.

According to them, Jo’s worries increased even further when she realised that Ekaterina had misplaced one of the cards for the Woods’ joint account at posh bank Coutts.

Those close to the couple say that Ronnie ignored his wife’s pleas to keep a closer eye on their funds, and that pushed furious Jo to call in the lawyers and lodge divorce papers.

“Jo knew divorce was on the cards but the Coutts and Co spending was the trigger point,” the News of the World quoted a source as saying. (ANI)

Britney to splash 15k pounds on oxygen chamber to refresh her voice!

London, May 5 (ANI): Britney Spears is getting her life back together, and she’s leaving no stone unturned to make sure that her voice remains as refreshing as it used to be.

While she has been lip-synching to virtually all her songs on her ‘Circus’ world tour, the Womanizer star is planning to dish out a whopping 15,000 pounds on an oxygen chamber.

“Since her Vancouver gig, where she ran off stage as it was too smoky, she’s become paranoid about breathing in too much bad air,” The Sun quoted a source as saying.

The source added: “She’s keen on an oxygen chamber that will reverse any smoke inhalation damage.”

However, the 27-year-old singer is not the only celeb to indulge in the expensive device.

Singers of the likes of Madonna, Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson also own such chambers. (ANI)

Raindrops splash before they hit the ground

London, April 27 (ANI): In a new research that involved the use of computer simulations, scientists have shown that raindrops actually splash just a few microseconds before hitting the ground.

A liquid drop hitting a surface often flattens into a thin sheet that then bounces to form a crown shape.

Previous experiments have suggested the surrounding air plays a role: a droplet doesn’t splash so easily when the air pressure is low, instead spreading out into a thin pancake.

Now, according to a report in New Scientist, Shreyas Mandre of Harvard University and colleagues ran computer simulations of liquid drops hitting a solid surface, accounting for factors such as air pressure and the drop’s surface tension.

Their results showed that a typical raindrop – roughly 2 millimeters wide and traveling at a few meters per second – compresses air in front of it a few microseconds before hitting a solid surface.

This creates an air cushion that causes the raindrop to flatten and spread out, which the team believe would be less likely if the drop was striking a higher friction surface, and may help the splash evolve into a crown.

According to Mandre, splashing is still poorly understood, so describing such processes could help create splash-suppressing materials for use in kitchens, for example. (ANI)

Thousands cheer for Salman Khan as he campaigns in Maharashtra

Nasik (Maharashtra), Apr 19 (ANI): It’s election time, but Bollywood is making a splash. With various actors showing up in political rallies or road shows, it’s the movie buffs who are having a field day watching their favourite heroes live.

The latest instance was witnessed on Sunday when Bollywood heartthrob Salman Khan showed up to campaign for a NCP candidate from Nasik.

Thousands of fans gathered at a road show to catch a glimpse of their favourite actor. Salman Khan was in Nasik to support NCP’s Sameer Bhujbal.

Despite waiting for a long time at Bhagwanpura in old Nasik, the spirits of these fans continued to remain high. They were later pleasantly surprised to see Khan, who made a grand entry here.

“We were waiting for Salman Khan for past three hours but when he came, he came with a bang. We liked it very much,” said Ijjaz Sheikh, a residentasik.

Earlier, Salman Khan had campaigned for Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel in the state’s Bhandara region.

Khan has also campaigned for Congress party, soliciting votes for its candidate in Unnao region of Uttar Pradesh.

Moreover, he has campaigned for veteran actor-turned-politician Vinod Khanna, a BJP candidate from the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency in Punjab. By Robin David (ANI)

Nepal to debut at Cannes film fest with ‘Chaukath’

Kathmandu, April 13 (IANS) Almost a decade after Nepal made a mark in the international film arena, a debutant Nepali director hopes to create a stir at the Cannes Film Festival starting May 13.

Journalist-turned-filmmaker Dipak Rauniyar made a splash in December when his debut film ‘Chaukath’ (Threshold) received rave reviews at the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival.

Now ‘Chaukath’ will be screened during the 12-day Cannes Film Festival in the non-competitive category in the short film section.

It will be Nepal’s first entry at Cannes.

The half-an-hour film, that was awarded the third prize by the jury, is about the status of women in Nepal’s conservative Terai plains in the south where sons are preferred to daughters and women are expected to stay at home and devote themselves to housework.

Rauniyar, who worked as a journalist in Biratnagar town in east Nepal, came to Kathmandu in 2001.

‘Chaukath’ revolves around two women from different backgrounds – a divorcee from the hills and a timid housewife who is not even called by her name but is known by the name of the village she hails from.

The film raises questions about the restoration of democracy in Nepal when women are still destined to live as the second sex.

Made on a budget of NRS 100,000, the film has been scripted by Rauniyar himself and Asha Magarati, who also plays one of the two central women characters.

Nepal made a mark at the Academy Awards with ‘Caravan’, the film made in mountainous north Nepal by European Eric Valli in the late 1990s, that received an Oscar nomination in the Best Foreign Film category.

Rooney, Ronaldo fuel ManU’s wage bill to whopping 121-mn pounds

London, Apr 10 (ANI): Manchester United’s wage bill has increased to a whopping sum of 121million pounds in 2008, an increase of 29 million pounds.

The 30 per cent rise comes after improved deals for ace players Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.

United’s Premier League and Champions League Double last season saw them splash 13.3 million pounds in bonuses, compared to 8.6 million pounds the previous year.

Chief executive David Gill is United’s best-paid non-playing or non-coaching employee on 1.7 million pounds a year, The Sun reported.

The champions are still second in the big spenders table with Chelsea’s bill at 148 million pounds – a rise of 12 per cent.

United boss Alex Ferguson admits Real Madrid’s continued pursuit of Ronaldo has affected his performance on the field.

The build-up to the 2-2 Champions League quarterfinal draw with Porto was dominated by fresh reports of a Ronaldo move, something Ferguson termed as “pathetic”.

But Ferguson says being honest with the player has kept his focus.

“He’s lucky in the sense that people here can be straight with him and he appreciates that – he has responded to that.”

Ferguson also praised Ronaldo for realising when he had overstepped the line in his tentative courting of Real.

“If it changes him as a person then you have a problem. Fortunately Ronaldo knows when he’s gone too far and he draws back in after that,” he added. (ANI)

PM Rudd a nerd for wanting to spend stimulus handout on books and music

Sydney, Apr.8 (ANI): Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has reportedly been called a nerd by some Australians for saying that if he was eligible for a stimulus package hand-out, he’d blow it on books and music.

Appearing on Nova radio in Sydney today, Rudd said taxpayers earning less than 100,000 dollars will receive a one-off bonus of up to 900 dollars, as part of the federal government’s 42 billion dollar stimulus package.

Asked how he would spend the money if he were eligible for the bonus, The Daily Telegraph quoted Rudd as saying that he would splash out on some high-brown entertainment.

“Some people have accused me of being a nerd from central casting. What I would probably do is go down to the bookshop and buy some books I’ve been wanting to buy for a while. A bit of music, that sort of stuff,” Rudd said.

Rudd said he would let people make up their own minds how they spent their bonus, though he was not entirely happy when one talkback caller said he would blow it on a holiday to New Zealand.

“That’s brassy of you,” he told the caller, Chris.

“It all adds up in one way or other to supporting Australian employment, he said. (ANI)

Leona Lewis’ ‘pony’ surprise birthday present!

London, Apr 7 (ANI): Leona Lewis’ friends gave her a rather ‘galloping’ surprise present for her birthday- a sponsored horse.

The ‘Bleeding Love’ hit-maker’s parents, mates and boyfriend Lou Al-Chamaa travelled all the way to LA to give her a surprise on her big day.

They, then took the thrilled singer to a Thai restaurant, and gave her a sponsored horse as a gift.

“Leona is besotted with horses. It’s a bit pricey to splash out one of her own so they did the next best thing and donated money to sponsor one for her in LA,” The Mirror quoted a pal as saying.

The friend added: “She was overwhelmed by everyone’s efforts.” (ANI)

Fergie admits he was crazy to snare Roo for 27 million quid

London, Apr.1 (ANI): Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson has told England coach Fabio Capello that he was “crazy” to splash out 27 million pounds on Wayne Rooney.

Capello revealed that Fergie made the shocking admission shortly after signing Rooney from Everton in 2004.

But, on the eve of Rooney’s 50th England cap against Ukraine tonight, Capello is sure Ferguson will now feel he bagged a bargain.

“I remember when Sir Alex Ferguson bought Rooney. I saw him at a UEFA meeting in Nyon and he said, ‘Fabio, I am crazy. I have just spent an awful lot of money on a very young player’, recalls Capello.

Rooney is regarded as one of the best in the world.

He has scored seven goals in his last four England appearances and Capello has compared his influence to that of Raul for Real Madrid and Spain.

And Capello also believes Rooney could one day go on to captain his country. (ANI)

Colourful laptops make a splash in WLAN cafes

Colourful laptops make a splash in WLAN cafes Berlin – Laptops are now available in bright red, yellow and mixed colour, artists editions.

They can be spotted daily in WLAN cafes from Hamburg to Berlin, making time spent on the computer feel a bit more invigorating.

“To each his own,” is the rule of thumb, fashion expert Bernhard Roetzel of Berlin said. The twill-suit-sporting banker is best paired with a black, silver or white laptop, while young professionals go for colourful computers.

However, Roetzel says the trend is not exceptional.

“There’s nothing new here. Apple has had them for years, but they haven’t achieved full acceptance,” he said, adding that they are overrated as an intentional style accessory. (dpa)