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Ed Miliband defends climate change science

Among the controversies are claims that some leading scientists exaggerated the melting of the Himalayan glaciers.

Mr Miliband told the BBC it would be "profoundly irresponsible" to use one "mistake" as an excuse not to act.

He added it did not "undermine decades of climate research" and the "majority of scientists say that".

'Devastating'

Earlier this month, the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was forced to admit it had made a mistake in asserting that Himalayan glaciers could disappear by 2035.

The incident came shortly before the disclosure that the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) at the University of East Anglia broke Freedom of Information rules in refusing to release research data.

The CRU was already at the centre of a row over a series of leaked e-mails between leading climate scientists, the contents of which led some to suggest that evidence against man-made global warming was being suppressed.


Ed Miliband insisted action to tackle climate change must continue
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's The World this Weekend, Mr Miliband acknowledged that recent revelations had been damaging, but said it would be "devastating for future generations" to misinterpret them.

"Yes it was bad a mistake that was made, yes the IPCC needs to reform its procedures... so these kind of mistakes don't happen again.

"But the truth is it doesn't undermine decades of climate research and the overwhelming majority of scientists say that."

He added: "I think science is improved when criticised and improved when opened up. What I think is profoundly irresponsible is to suggest that one fact that was wrong about a glacier undermines the overall picture on climate change."

Mr Miliband spoke as the deadline set at the Copenhagen summit for countries to submit their pledges for reducing greenhouse gas emissions passed.

However, it is understood that nations will continue to make written commitments over the coming days.

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bautiful arab (arabic) models and actress

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HEART BEAT CAFE'S CAJUN CORN CHOWDER recipie

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HEART BEAT CAFE'S CAJUN CORN CHOWDER recipie

WITH SHRIMP  

1 lg. onion
3 (16 oz.) cans kernel corn, drained
1/2 lb. bay shrimp
3 tbsp. butter
2 1/2 c. chicken broth
2 c. heavy (whipping) cream
Cajun seasonings to taste

3 STEPS OF PREPARATION:

1. PRE-PREP (can be done well in advance of cooking and held under refrigeration).
Peel the onion and in a food processor puree to a fine pulp, remove to a bowl. After draining the corn well run it through

the processor also for about 10 to 15 seconds (some kernels left whole adds texture to the finished product).

2. COOKING

Melt the butter in a soup pot, add the onions and saute. Add 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning, the bay shrimp and the corn,

continue cooking about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Next, add the chicken broth and 1 1/2 cups cream, bring to a boil

then reduce to a simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes. Continue stirring occasionally.

3. FINISHING THE CHOWDER

While the pot is simmering it's a good time to adjust the seasonings. This is a spicy soup and should have a 'bite' to it,

but as each persons tastes differ so will the amount of seasoning you will need for 'the bite'. I like about 2 1/2 to 3

tablespoons, add slowly and taste the soup to get your desired spice. Use the remaining cream to adjust the consistency if

needed.

My own opinion is this chowder tastes best if it's made a day or 2 in advance allowing time for the seasoning to marinate and

develop it's full flavor. Serves 6 to 8.

I recommend using Chef Paul Prudholmes CAJUN MAGIC seasoning for redfish and it is available in most grocery markets. ENJOY!

CHICKEN WING DIP recipie

CHICKEN WING DIP recipie

4-6 oz Frank's Original Hot Sauce
2 8-oz packages regular (not low fat) cream cheese
8 oz bottle Ranch or bleu cheese salad dressing
2 lg cans chicken, drained and flaked apart with a fork
8 oz shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

In a medium-size saucepan, bring hot sauce to a simmer over medium-low heat. Add cream cheese and stir continuously until

fully melted. Stir in dressing.
Add chicken and stir until fully coated. Add shredded cheese and stir until fully melted.

Transfer mixture to a small crock pot and heat on low. Or transfer to a small casserole dish and bake at 350°F until bubbly

(approximately 20-25 minutes).

Serve warm with tortilla chips or tortilla scoops.

Be prepared to share many copies of this recipe!

Note: You may substitute two cups cooked and shredded chicken in place of canned chicken.

CHICKEN TORTELLINI SOUP recipie

CHICKEN TORTELLINI SOUP recipie

FAMILY SIZE:

9 oz. pkg. Green Giant Harvest Fresh frozen cut broccoli, thawed
6 c. water
3 (10 3/4 oz.) cans condensed chicken broth
10 3/4 oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 c. cubed, cooked chicken
1 c. chopped onions
1 c. sliced carrots
1/2 c. water
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. basil leaves
1/2 tsp. oregano leaves
7 oz. pkg. cheese tortellini
Grated Parmesan cheese, if desired

In large saucepot or Dutch oven, combine water, chicken broth, soup, chicken, onions, carrots, vermouth, garlic, basil and

oregano. Bring to a boil; add tortellini. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes. Add broccoli. Simmer an additional 5-10 minutes or

until broccoli is tender. Serve with cheese. 10 (1 1/2 cup) servings.

CROWD SIZE:

2 (16 oz.) pkg. Green Giant frozen broccoli cuts, thawed
14 c. water
9 (10 3/4 oz.) cans condensed chicken broth
3 (10 3/4 oz.) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
6 c. cubed, cooked chicken
3 c. sliced carrots
3 c. chopped onions
1 1/2 c. water
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. basil leaves
1 1/2 tsp. oregano leaves
3 (7 oz.) pkg. cheese tortellini
Grated Parmesan cheese, if desired

In large 12 quart saucepot, combine water, chicken broth, soup, chicken, carrots, onions, vermouth, garlic, basil and

oregano. Bring to a boil; add tortellini. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes. Add broccoli. Simmer an additional 5 to 10 minutes or

until broccoli is tender. Serve with cheese. 30 (1 1/2 cup) servings.

CHICKEN AND ASPARAGUS STIR-FRY recipie

 CHICKEN AND ASPARAGUS STIR-FRY recipie

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 lb. fresh asparagus
3 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 c. dry sherry
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1/4 c. chicken broth
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 c. chopped scallions
1/2 c. dry roasted cashews
3 c. cooked brown or white rice

1. Cut chicken into 1 inch squares. Combine with beaten egg white and toss lightly. Set aside.
2. Trim woody bottom ends from asparagus and discard. Cut asparagus into 1 1/2 inch pieces.

3. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, cornstarch, sherry and sesame oil and stir well.

4. In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add asparagus

and stir-fry 1 minute longer. Add chicken broth, cover and cook 2 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Remove

asparagus and wipe pan.

5. Heat remaining tablespoon vegetable oil. Add chicken and stir-fry until opaque. Add asparagus, red pepper, scallions and

cashews. Stir sauce and add to pan. Cook until mixture thickens. Serve over rice. Makes 4 servings.

CHESAPEAKE BAY CRAB DIP recipie

1 large package (8 oz) cream cheese
1 tablespoon onion
1 clove garlic dash of Worcestershire sauce
dash of Tabasco sauce
1/2 can crabmeat

In blender, process all ingredients together until smooth. (Red onion adds a nice color, but any kind of onion, including

green onions or even a shallot may be used). Taste and adjust seasoning; a little extra flavor can be added with a pinch of

onion and garlic powder, if desired.
Imitation crabmeat or lobster can be used in this recipe. Half a teaspoon of low sodium crab, clam or lobster soup base may

be added if available (found at restaurant supply stores).

Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.

Dip may be served with chips, tortillas, or raw vegetables.

Kamal Hassan

Kamal Hassan is a legond south indian star

South india Cinema bollywood

When a film's title is chosen based on some weird superstition; what more can we say about it? It is believed that the makers of the Malayalam film Drona 2010 added the numerals to the title because a film with the same name had failed in other languages.



The movie directed by Shaji Kailas, written by Sajan A K and starring Mammootty, is supposed to be a spook fest but is anything but.



As for the story, it is about two wealthy families involved in a feud for generations. One side is always trying to get even all the time but fails. You get a sense of déjà vu as you have seen at least half a dozen films with the same premise every year.



The spooky part occurs when Kunjunni (Mammootty), who is dealing in ancestral buildings, gets interested in a property that is supposed to be haunted. The house proves fatal for him and he dies. Enter his elder brother, Pattazhi Madhavan (Mammootty's second avatar), a scholar of some sort with flowing mane and rugged beard chanting mantras in Sanskrit. He vows to avenge his sibling's death by killing the spirit that resides in the house.





The spirit of Savitri (Dhanya) has an old score to settle with the Pattazhi family and proves to be a hard nut to crack. So, we see extended rituals, explanation of Vastu and a lot of other things. And, making an effort to give rational justifications to the supernatural happenings in the end proves to be a huge damper.



The film works, if at all, because of the towering presence of Mammootty and the supporting cast consisting of Thilakan and Manoj K Jayan.



Mammootty as Kunjunni is our conventional dashing hero in designer sunglasses who handles humour and action well. At the same time his second avatar -- which has some novelty initially - loses the charm towards the end as he has to be continually loud.



Thilakan, the old war horse holds on to his space and matches Mammootty in every step. Manoj K Jayan seems to be passing through a lucky phase professionally as he keeps playing characters that are noticed. Even here he is convincing though his character is unnaturally loud.



Of the females, Kaniha as the immature Thulasi has some variety as she has only done mature characters till date. Dhanya, as the ravishing spirit passes the litmus test of being noticed even though she is silent most of the time. Navya Nair as Madhavan's wife deserves better.



All in all, the actors deserve a better film than this ho-hum film

Arthur J Pais' Oscar nominee wishlist for 2010

What I love about Hollywood and the Oscars is that there is room for all kinds of movies, the behemoths as well as hole-in-the-wall kind of films.


Though the list for the best picture nomination has been extended to 10, I am listing my favourite candidates in the first half of the list.

One of them is Precious, a dark, often harrowing but in the final reckoning a life-affirming film which lost its steam a few weeks after its strong opening and now it could end its North American run with about $45 million. A solid number for a film that cost about $10 million to make and about $25 million to market.


It could also do well when DVD and Blu-Ray discs are out. But the film was expected, following dazzling reception at the Toronto International Film Festival and elsewhere, and Oprah's endorsement, to gross at least $100 million. It is certainly among my top five.

My list also contains the mesmerizing German film White Ribbon about study of fascism in a seemingly charming and quiet German village.

Pedro Almodovar's suspenseful Spanish film Broken Embraces also is worthy of a nomination. It is a kind of film Billy Wilder and Alfred Hitchock would have made had they collaborated on it.

Invictus, the post-apartheid drama directed by Clint Eastwood, got good reviews. But the $60 million suspense film which is uplifting and funny did a mediocre $38 million business in North America. If the French box office is any vindication, where the film is headed for a $30 million gross, Eastwood's film is headed for a small profit, even without any Oscar nominations.

The utterly crazy and inventive comedy The Hangover should be taken seriously too.

On the other side of the spectrum, is the heart-pounding and suspenseful The Hurt Locker which also has several fabulous performances.

Best Picture

Avatar
Inglourious Basterds
Up in the Air
Precious
The Hurt Locker
White Ribbon    
The Hangover
Invictus
Up
Broken Embraces

Blind Side: A Sandra Bullock vehicle

Before we begin this review, it's imperative to clarify -- at least for the sake of those who aren't already aware -- that The Blind Side is technically a sports movie, rather a story of relationships with sports as a backdrop.

The makers have made it clear that the movie is based on a true story, a story of a sportsman's triumph.

Now there are two basic problems with such sports-based movies. First, they chart a predictable path. Secondly, in most cases, the director fails to recreate the actual drama, the emotion that you feel while watching sporting action live.

The Blind Side suffers from both these problems.

It is everything that these kinds of movies are supposed to be -- the story of an underdog, a saga of the triumph of human spirit against all odds and an account of how interpersonal relationships influence performance at the professional level.

A director, who has already burnt his fingers attempting a sports movie, helms it. John Lee Hancock, having prior experience of directing a sports flick (The Rookie, 2002), returns to familiar terrain after the disastrous The Alamo (2004).

However, to its credit, The Blind Side is an honest attempt, a movie that whips up enough drama to sustain attention, despite its predictability and slow pace.

The movie is based on the book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, a work of author Michael Lewis that was first published in 2006.

The director and his team have succeeded in making a decent adaptation, palpably taking a few cinematic liberties en route and adding dollops of melodrama to evoke pathos. The end result is a product that even if is not entirely engrossing, is definitely thought-provoking.

The movie narrates the story of Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron), an oversized African-American destitute with a troubled past who is adopted by Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock ) and Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw), an affluent couple.

As the movie progresses, we witness a sequence of events starting from Oher's impoverished upbringing, his lack of confidence, his years at Wingate Christian High School, his adoption, his struggle to adapt in a predominantly white set-up and finally, his rise in ranks as one of the most highly coveted prospects in football -- ending with him being drafted as an offensive lineman for the NFL side Baltimore Ravens.

At the outset, Oher is shown as a teen with no academic records but one who is accepted into the local school simply because a football coach thinks he has potential.

Oher is intimidated in the mostly white surroundings of his school and is even described in one scene as 'a fly in the milk,' one of the few direct instances with racial undertones.

It is only after their son Sean (Jae Head) befriends Oher that the Tuohys first offer him temporary shelter and subsequently adopt him.

Oher's poor grades prompt his adopted parents to hire a private tutor Miss Sue (Kathy Bates) to help him with his academic troubles. And the latter ensures the teen secures good enough grades to make the football team.

However, having made it to the team, Oher has trouble adjusting to the brutality of the sport. And it takes his adopted mother's wisdom and encouragement to help Oher understand his objective as a player and attain subsequent success.

Oher's relationship with the Tuohy's works two ways. While the latter help him fight his inner monsters and fulfill his potential, Oher's presence in the Touhys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own.

There's also a sub-plot regarding Oher's biological parents thrown -- of a father who left before Oher was born and a mother who is a drug addict. But that fails to make any major impact to the narrative.

The movie has a few powerful moments that succeed in leaving a lasting impact and valiantly attempts to address a few issues simultaneously. On the negative side, at over two hours, it is a tad too long.

Coming to the performances, McGraw excels as a henpecked husband and provides the comic relief in an otherwise dramatic set up. Jae Head, as the Tuohy's son, is impressive. So is Bates.

Aaron, starring as the protagonist Oher, literally lives his character of an introverted, withdrawn teen struggling to come to terms with his incapacities and surroundings.

The actor doesn't get to speak much but his eyes do express his internal feelings effectively. Suffice to say it is not an exceptional performance but an earnest effort nonetheless.

And finally, regarding the performance that has won at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors' Guild awards -- Sandra Bullock has come a long way from the days she played a sidekick to Sylvester Stallone  (Demolition Man). From driving a bus in action movie Speed, to struggling with thrillers (The Net, Murder By Numbers) to excelling in rom coms (While You Were Sleeping, Two Weeks Notice, The Proposal), comedy (Miss Congeniality) and drama (A Time To Kill), Bullock has made repeated attempts to impress critics without succeeding in many.

However, in this movie Bullock finally gets a character that she can sink her teeth into. To her credit, she does her part commendably, playing with panache a woman who isn't afraid to speak her mind and who exactly knows what she wants.

Will she win at the Oscars  too? Her fans need to be patient for that, a virtue that is also required in abundance while watching this film

Nikunj Malik

After Rakhi Sawant, it is Rahul Mahajan's turn to try his luck at a swayamvar. The former Bigg Boss housemate has 15 beautiful women to choose from for his reality show, Rahul Dulhania Le Jayega, on NDTV Imagine.

Before the show premieres on February 1, we take a look at the women who will compete for Rahul's love.

Nikunj Malik
Age: 25
Hails from: Faridabad, Haryana

An accessory designer, Nikunj has done her Masters in accessory design and fashion management from NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology). She has worked with established companies like Wills Lifestyle and Lee Cooper.

Nikunj was accepted into a PhD program at IIM Ahmedabad but she decided against it, as she did not want to study for at least six years.

Nikunj loves dogs, and has five pets.

sharukh khan 'honoured' in Hollywood

Shah Rukh Khan's lifelike wax figure was reportedly unveiled at the renowned Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Hollywood on Friday.

The 44-year-old is the first Bollywood star to be inducted into this museum, which boasts of wax figures of celebrities like Audrey Hepburn , Clark Gable, Jennifer Lopez , Nicole Kidman , Johnny Depp , Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg , Beyonce and David Beckham .

The museum calls Shah Rukh's  induction as 'historic addition' and adds that it 'symbolises a coming together of the world's two great film centres, Hollywood and Bollywood'.

Shah Rukh was named by Newsweek magazine as one of the 50 most powerful people in the world.

The unveiling on Friday was reportedly accompanied by a performance of America's Bollywood dance troupe 'Ishaara', a recent America's Got Talent contender.

Image: An archive picture of Gauri Khan  standing next to the waxwork model of her husband Shah Rukh, at Madame Tussauds in London .

Minissha Lamba

Skin show is no skill.

Even if Bollywood's hottest women would like to make us believe otherwise.

While in some cases channeling the sex symbol within has led to great advances in their careers, like Urmila Matondkar in Rangeela, Mallika Sherawat in Murder and Priyanka Chopra in Dostana, not everyone's gotten far with it.

Don't believe us? Here's a look at instances when shedding clothes didn't help an actress or her career.

Minissha Lamba, Kidnap

After playing cute, conscientious characters in Yahaan, Corporate and Bachna Ae Haseeno, Minissha Lamba decided it's high time she displayed she's capable of doing hot as well.

Enter the starlet taking a dip in the aqua blue seas wearing nothing more than a pristine white two-piece bikini in Kidnap. Too bad the action thriller, co-starring Sanjay Dutt and Imran Khan, turned out to be a damp squib sealing Minissha's sexy fate with it.

Ishqiya: An idyllic tale of love and lies bollywood movie

Rarely are grace and profanity cited in the same breath. Debutant filmmaker Abhishek Chaubey's Ishqiya  however, is a privileged exception.

Regardless of its colourful language, simmering sexuality, ribald humour and unabashed reverence for the offensive, the drama has enough lyricism, layers and eccentricity to stereotype it as grim or gawky.

Produced, co-written (along with Chaubey and Sabrina Dhawan) and composed by Vishal Bhardwaj   Ishqiya bears his stamp of brains, brilliance and blasphemy but leaves enough space for Chaubey to establish his credibility. And that's not an easy task when your film is set in the same milieu and texture as Bhardwaj's Omkara . But like Chaubey mentions in an interview, the similarities are mostly 'cosmetic.' He's quite right too.

Barring the fact that both films are set in Eastern Uttar Pradesh belt, which obviously reflects in the conversations, mannerisms and clothing, there's no further resemblance. Interestingly, Chaubey's UP is not just a contrived hamlet featuring mooing cows and stray dogs but a self-sufficient town with malls, restaurants and beauty parlours.

Comfortable in its capricious skin, Ishqiya -- a tricky and moody tale of a whimsical trio caught in twisted circumstances -- gets even more complicated owing to the impulsiveness of heart.

The fickle tone is set in the opening sequence itself wherein a couple shares intimate moments of domesticity when their bliss is shattered after a gas cylinder blows off. This then immediately follows with some wonderful on-the-road bonhomie between Naseeruddin Shah  and Arshad Warsi , courtesy the supremely infectious Ibn-e-batuta. The drastic change of tracks is conducted with such crispness and panache; it's quite impressive, really.

The afore-mentioned actors play Khalujaan and Babban, small-time crooks on the run after stealing from their gun-toting boss, Mushtaq (Salman Shahid). Things don't work out as planned and they are forced to take refuge at a deceased friend's dilapidated abode in Gorakhpur (striking props and production design by Nitin Chandrakant Desai) run single-handedly by his melancholic widow, Krishna (Vidya Balan).

While Khalujaan is clearly the experienced yet emotional of the lot, Babban, underneath the cocky surface is disarmingly boyish and sensitive. As for Krishna, she's exactly like the tone of this movie -- unpredictable.

Her melodious charms instantly find an aficionado in Khalujaan who reveals his antecedent belonged to the 'Great Gharana of Indore' for his tabla-playing skills whereas the perennially aroused Babban befriends a 'Bees-kam-paanch' adolescent lad (Aalok Kumar) to track down the nearest brothel in town. Eventually, he too starts competing with Khalu for Krishna's hard-to-tell affections.

Just as we get comfortable with the romance, Chaubey throws a new twist our way. Certain developments in the script implore them to kidnap a specific Mr Kakkad as the only resort to wiggle out of the ensuing dilemma. What follows is a wild ride of set-ups, heartbreaks, revelations and a high-five worthy awesome climax.

While Ishqiya is a terrific first-time effort from Chaubey, there were a couple of things that strike a jarring note. Firstly, the pace could have been tauter and done away with all the excessive ambiguity surrounding characters, sub-plots and their objectives. If the idea is to keep them enigmatic, it is tediously conveyed.

As much as one appreciates Mohana Krishna's fluid camerawork, which captures both the day scenes of dingy countryside lanes as well as the shady night-themed drama of red-light areas with precision and play, the editing by Namrata Rao is mostly sloppy.

Ishqiya's individuality lies in the fact that it's stylish, very stylish, mind you, only not in the sense we are conditioned to acknowledge. There's none of the cowboy swagger nor is the blasphemy or sexuality, read a long lip lock between Arshad and Vidya, induced with the intent to jolt or titillate.

Like Popeye's simplistic philosophy, 'I yam what I yam,' Ishqiya tells it like it is, no judging, in the face of most bizarre circumstances. Therein lies the charm and triumph of Chaubey's fondly titled caper which bears the rustic imagery of Shyam Benegal's vision and the aggression of a Vishal Bhardwaj film.

Though set against a rural backdrop, Ishqiya has a very urban mind and approach, which is evident in its narrative if not lingo. Chaubey, like Bhardwaj in Kaminey, handpicks classic melodies of Rahul Dev Burman and Hemant Kumar to lend dual perspective to a scene, which is both effective and cool.

Considering Bhardwaj's contribution to this film, his mention is mandatory. As expected, he brings his ardour and understanding of the art with some forceful and quotable word play: 'Humne galti karne mein thodi jaldi kardi aur aapne maafi maangne mein thodi der.' Or communicate just a hint of ethnic differences with 'Khalujaan, yeh jagah bahut danger hain. Apne yahan toh sirf Shia-Sunni hote hain. Yahan toh Pandey, Yadav, Jat sabne apni fauj bana rakhi hai.'

He influences Chaubey in the most constructive way possible instilling the importance of a solid, even if virtually unknown, supporting cast. And so you'll come across some incredible pieces of acting from actors -- spanning all age groups, besides the main three.

And what a threesome! Even as Naseer keeps it understated letting his keen presence, droopy eyes and shy smile express his besotted state, Arshad Warsi demonstrates his un-Circuit self in a role that demands sly sensuality and locker-room humour.

The lady, however, steals the show. Vidya Balan seems to be on a roll. After Paa, she once again rises to the occasion to reaffirm her credentials as a powerhouse performer. Along the lines of Hema Malini [  ], Vidya is a rare combination of grit and grace even when swearing in the strongest possible language draped in dowdy, fluorescent yellows and reds. If this is not remarkable, what is?

Although one of the best moments of Ishqiya comes during the climax as three maverick Ishqians walk away from a scene of destruction to Bharadwaj's escalating score, an unmistakable ode to the genius of Ennio Morricone

If VB is the equivalent of Quentin Tarantino  in Hindi cinema, safe to say with Chaubey, we have a Robert Rodriguez  in the making.

When in Rome (2010)

Disillusioned with romance during her whirlwind trip to Rome, an ambitious New Yorker defiantly swipes a few magic coins from a "foolish" wishing fountain, inadvertently igniting the passions of a motley crew of suitors as she's pursued by a handsome reporter with charm to spare. Beth (Kristen Bell) is at a point in her life where love seems like a luxury she just can't afford. Years of waiting for that perfect romance has made Beth bitter, and one day, while vacationing in Rome, she cynically plucks a handful of coins from a local fountain of love. Almost immediately thereafter, Beth finds herself fending off the advances of a diminutive sausage magnate (Danny DeVito), a lanky street magician (Jon Heder), a doting painter (Will Arnett), and a narcissistic male model (Dax Shepard). Meanwhile, a smitten reporter (Josh Duhamel) does his best to convince Beth that true love isn't just a topic of fairy tales and romance novels.

Edge of Darkness (2010)

Casino Royale's Martin Campbell returns to familiar territory with this adaptation of his own 1985 BBC miniseries -- a mystery starring Mel Gibson as a detective looking into his political-activist daughter's death and uncovering layers of governmental conspiracies in the process. William Monahan (The Departed) provides the screenplay for the GK Films production, co-starring Ray Winstone and Danny Huston.

Kill Theory (2010)

Feast producer Chris Moore makes his feature directorial debut with this shocker concerning a group of vacationing college graduates who become the unwilling participants in a sadistic game of kill or be killed. Having just completed their finals and received their diplomas, a small group of recent college graduates decide to celebrate their accomplishment by taking a trip to a secluded cabin in the woods. Just as they're settling in for the time of their lives, however, a violent psychopath arrives to inform them that they are now all contestants on a vicious game of survival. The rules are simple: kill all of your friends, and the last person left standing is the winner. As the reality of their grim situation slowly sinks in, the tensions ramps up and relationships between old friends start to buckle under the weight of fear.

Helen (2010)

Mostly Martha's Sandra Nettelbeck directs Ashley Judd from her own script in this drama concerning a teacher and student who bond over their experiences of severe depression. ER's Goran Visnjic co-stars in this Little Film Co. production.

Saint John of Las Vegas (2010)

A compulsive gambler attempts to cure his addiction by moving from Las Vegas to Albuquerque and working at an auto insurance company, only to find old temptations cropping up once again when he's sent out to investigate a dubious car accident just outside of Sin City. After a string of bad luck at the tables, John (Steve Buscemi) decides to give up gambling and take a shot at a "normal" life. Arriving in Albuquerque and landing a job at an auto insurance company, John goes to work for Mr. Townsend (Peter Dinklage), who pairs him with the company's top fraud debunker, Virgil (Romany Malco), and sends them out on an investigation together. While John is eager to get a promotion, he's reluctant to go anywhere near Las Vegas, and before he leaves he strikes up a tenuous romance with his eccentric co-worker Jill (Sarah Silverman). On the road, Virgil and John encounter a series of offbeat characters including a nude militant (Tim Blake Nelson), a wheelchair-bound stripper (Emmanuelle Chriqui), and a carnival human torch (John Cho). But while Virgil is the one with the experience, John gradually begins to assert himself and soon his efforts begin to pay off as the case moves closer to conclusion. As John's confidence grows, he becomes increasingly aware of the fact that running away from his gambling problem is not the solution, and that he'll only be able to move forward by returning to Las Vegas to face his demons head on.

ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction (2010)

A small town wrestling with xenophobia is forced to open its collective mind in order to ward off a pack of brain-champing ghouls in this horror-comedy from writer and director Kevin Hamedani. It's 2003, America has invaded Iraq, and Port Gamble, Washington is a town in the Pacific Northwest that's fallen on hard times; fishing in the nearby harbor has dried up, local businesses are closing, and a lot of folks in town are looking for someone to blame for their troubles. Frida (Janette Armand), a college student of Middle Eastern descent, has come home for the summer to work in her dad's diner, and has to deal with narrow-minded locals who foolishly suspect she might be a terrorist. Meanwhile, Tom (Doug Fahl), who left Port Gamble years before, is wary about returning to visit his mother; Tom is gay, and has come home to tell his mom about his sexual orientation and introduce her to his boyfriend Lance (Cooper Hopkins). However, Frida's work behind the counter and Tom's revelation to his family take a back seat when a pack of hungry, flesh-eating zombies invade Port Gamble, and the most narrow-minded members of the community are forced to throw in their lot with some folks they're not sure they trust to fight off the undead mob. ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction was an official selection at the 2009 Seattle International Film Festival.

For My Father (2010)

A man prepared to commit a profound act of hatred unexpectedly discovers compassion and understanding in this drama from Israeli filmmaker Dror Zahavi. Tarek (Shredi Jabarin) is an Arab man in his early twenties who left behind a promising career in soccer to join a radical terrorist group. Tarek volunteers to be a suicide bomber and travels from Tulkarem to Tel Aviv, planning to explode himself in the Carmel Market on a busy Saturday morning. However, Tarek's bomb turns out to be a dud, and he's left stranded with nowhere to go. Looking for a place to spend the night, Tarek is befriended by Katz (Shlomo Vishinsky), an aging electrician who lost his only son to fighting against the Arab states. As the day wears on, Tarek meets Keren (Hili Yalon), a woman who was raised in an Ultra-Orthodox household and left her family behind in search of her own freedom. Tarek finds a kindred spirit in Keren and acceptance in Katz, forcing him to reexamine the choices that brought him to Tel Aviv in the first place. Sof Shavua Be-Tel Aviv (aka For My Father) received its North American premiere at the 2008 Montreal World Film Festival.

Oorlogswinter (2010)

As helmed by Martin Koolhoven (Het Zuiden), the Dutch-language saga Oorlogswinter stars Martijn Lakemeier as Michiel van Beusekom, a young man who becomes involved in the Dutch resistance during the final winter of World War II. Though this represents a heroic move on the boy's part, the experience ultimately leads to complete disillusionment, as it brings Michiel face to face with the realization that during times of war, good and evil are actually intertwined.

Preacher's Kid (2010)

Seeking to experience life on her own terms after growing up a preacher's daughter, twenty-something Angie King joins a traveling gospel show in this contemporary retelling of The Prodigal Son. When Angie discovers just how difficult life on the road can be, she hesitates to return home with nothing to show for herself, and for fear that her father doesn't lover her anymore.

Celina jaitley launches new brand campaign of Egypt to attract Indian tourists

 Egypt's brand ambassador and Bollywood actor Celina Jaitly launched a new brand campaign and logo that brings alive all the wonders of this ancient land of the Pharaohs.



The former Miss India Universe unveiled the new logo of Egypt and also announced the launch of their new advertising campaign in India.

Speaking on the occasion, Egyptian Ambassador Dr. Mohamed Higazy said, "India is very important to us not only as a tourism market but more so as a country with which we share strong political and cultural ties."

"India and Egypt have cultural synergies and affinities that go far back in history. It is for this reason that we are launching our new campaign and logo here. We want more and more Indians to visit Egypt and experience for themselves the warm hospitality of Egypt something for which both India and Egypt are fabled," he said.

"Further, both the countries are perfect tourist destinations offering an eclectic mix of past and the present, ancient and modern, art and culture, heritage and history, sports and entertainment," Dr. Higazy added.

Explaining the new campaign and logo and slogan, the Egyptian Tourism Authority Director, Adel El Masry said: "The new brand campaign, logo and slogan signify that Egypt is not only the origin of a great civilization that helped in shaping universal culture but as a tourist destination it is the source of new experiences, rich personal inspiration and has outstanding stories to tell."

The launch was preceded by a grand performance of the renowned Egyptian Belly Dance that has captured the imagination of the world.

Skjult (2010)

Following a bizarre accident on a desert road and an odd encounter with another boy about the same age, KK (Kristoffer Joner) returns to his hometown after a long period of estrangement. It's a cozy yet slightly spooky place, a rural locale with a massive waterfall, surrounded by a daunting forest, and filled with unpleasant memories: the memory of the abusive mother who practically drove KK away, and who is now mercifully dead. In her will, she left KK a home in the heart of the woods; entering the house and coming face-to-face with disturbing memories conjures up torrents of evil that lurk inside of KK - malice that he suppressed for years but that now manifests itself with devastating force.

A Town Called Panic (2010)

This unusual feature (a French-Belgian-Luxembourgian co-production) stylistically recalls the work of Art Clokey (Gumby, Davey and Goliath), with its lead cast consisting entirely of stop motion-animated children's toys. The premise concerns two such toys -- Cowboy (Stéphane Aubier) and Indian (Bruce Ellison) -- who plan to buy a birthday gift for their friend Horse (the voice of Vincent Patar) but accidentally destroy his house. A series of wacky, often hallucinatory adventures ensues that finds the trio journeying to the center of the earth, wandering across icy tundra and discovering a strange aquatic world inhabited by oddball beings with pointed heads. Benoît Poelvoorde (Man Bites Dog) provides one of the voices.

The Most Dangerous Man in America (2010)

In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg, a top military strategist working for the RAND Corporation, leaked a 7,000 page document known as the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times. Disenchanted with the nation's conduct in Vietnam, Ellsberg believed the release of the top secret paper -- which outlined the "secret history" of the war -- was crucial to educating the public about the government's lies and misdeeds. This documentary chronicles the media and political frenzy that Ellsberg unleashed, and traces the effect of the leak on public perception of both the war and the White House.

Lake Mungo (2010)

Shortly after the mysterious death of sixteen year old Alice Palmer, her family summons a psychic and a parapsychologist into their home and discovers that the secretive teen had been leading a double life. Alice was swimming in a local dam when she drowned tragically. Later, after her body is recovered and the coroner issues a verdict of accidental death, Alice is laid to rest and her family returns home to grieve in peace. The Palmer's mournful silence is short-lived, however, when a series of strange occurrences in and around their home leaves them convinced that they are experiencing something supernatural. Seeking the advice of a psychic and a parapsychologist, who reveals that Alice had been keeping some profound secrets from her friends and family, the Palmers travel to Lake Mungo and begin unraveling the mystery of the troubled adolescent's double life. A faux-documentary shot in the style of The Blair Witch Project and Diary of the Dead, Lake Mungo proves that the mysteries of the living don't lie silent with the deceased.

Off and Running (2010)