Hollywood actress Goldie Hawn turns cultural as she goes silk shopping in India

 

With a bindi dot on her head and dressed down in casual clothes, Goldie Hawn looks a far cry from the Hollywood star.

The 63-year-old was today spotted shopping for silk clothes in India where she is currently on holiday.

And it also seems the practising Buddhist was getting in touch with her spiritual side on the trip as later in the day she was seen meditating on a boat.

Goldie Hawn in Varanasi, India, shopping for silk garments

The Oscar-winning actress is spending some time in the historic city of Varanasi, which Hindus regard as the most sacred spot on Earth.

She has also reportedly toured around the wharfs (ghats), taking pictures and writing notes as she watched a Hindu ceremony from a boat.

She is said to have taken time out to visit an ashram where she offered flowers to the portrait of a late guru, whom she first met in 1982 and who imparted her lessons in astrology and spirituality.

She also spent time meditating on a boat, wrapped in a shawl

Her daughter Kate Hudson says she would love to star in a film with her

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed welcomed Hawn and other celebrities to Varanasi and said in a statement that Hollywood stars should become familiar with the basics of world religions. 

He said that by doing so, it would help them to understand their audiences better.

Meanwhile, Hawn's daughter Kate Hudson has said she would like to appear in a movie with her famous mother.

The 30-year-old Fool's Gold actress admitted that she would like to star in a flick with her - but it's just finding the time to do it.

She said: 'Mom and I would like to do something together. But she is so busy doing other things in her life right now that she finds really fulfilling.

'If the right thing came along maybe, I don't think she'd be closed to it. 

'We have an idea that we would like to sort of pursue, although it's very early and we don't know if that will ever really happen or come to fruition if it's the right thing. 

'But we definitely want to have that together at some point.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1226429/Hollywood-actress-Goldie-Hawn-turns-cultural-goes-silk-shopping-India.html#ixzz0YBZx5tQn

Kylie Minogue's Bollywood debut

 

Busy touring the US, Pop Princess Kylie Minogue is nervously awaiting public feedback from the release of her new Bollywood film, Blue.

Blue is released on Friday and has already been hailed as a 'stunning film' by critics but that hasn't stopped Kylie worrying about how it will be received by her public. Here she is in an exclusive picture from the film.

Kylie has done an amazing job but she is still worried about what her fans and critics will think of it,' says my source. 'She kind of gave up on acting after the flops she had with Streetfighter and The Deliquents so hopes this goes down a lot better.'

In the flick, Kylie performs a sizzling dance number with co-star Akshay Kumar. The song, entitled ‘Chiggy Wiggy’, has been composed by Oscar winner, A.R. Rehman, and is already a smash hit.

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Bunions Beckham: Years of killer heels have left Victoria in agony - and in need of an urgent operation

 

The high life: Victoria Beckham, pictured this week in a skyscraper pair of Fendi platform slingbacks

Her penchant for towering heels has become her trademark.

But years of wearing six-inch stilettos have taken their painful toll on Victoria Beckham - she is facing surgery to remove her bunions.

Style may be everything for Posh, but she is in such agony that friends have revealed she is being forced to put ice on her feet and do daily exercises in a desperate bid to avoid having the bunionectomy operations advised by her doctors.

The star has said the pain is affecting her perfect posture.

A friend has told the Mail: 'The Beckham household is all about feet at the moment: David is having painkilling injections for bone bruising on his foot, while Victoria is in agony with her misshapen feet.

'She is suffering from shooting pain from the bunions. Normally, she kicks off her shoes in the house, but she has been out so much recently in high heels that she is really feeling it.'

Mrs Beckham continues to insist she will not resort to flat shoes.

'I beyond hate ballerina flats,' she says. 'I can't walk in them. Unless they're on a ballet dancer doing ballet, I just don't get it. I love heels.'

To combat her agony, Mrs Beckham, 35, has been doing exercises, such as standing on a step and lowering her weight onto one leg, and lying on her back to stretch her legs.

If Posh has the surgery, she could face at least two months out of high heels.

'Victoria calls her feet "the bane of my life'', but she is worried about having the operation because she fears they will compromise her ability to wear heels and ruin her stylish look,' says her friend.

'She puts up with the pain, but the doctor has told her she seriously needs to consider a bunionectomy or ditch the heels for a few months to let the inflammation calm down. She has not got that long to decide what to do.'

Mrs Beckham is believed to wear corrective insoles in some shoes.

The pin-thin star, whose high-end fashion range counts supermodel Elle Macpherson among its fans, loves shoes by designers such as Christian Louboutin, which cost from £500.

Ouch: Victoria's bunions are apparent in her Gina 3in shoes, £350

Teetering: Victoria's extensive shoe collection includes 6in Louboutin heels, £1,000 (left), and a £460 pair of Giambattista Valli 5in heels

The mother of three, who uses heels to boost her modest 5ft 6in height, is often seen tottering about on shoes in the most unsuitable locations.

 

She wore Louboutin heels when she visited Universal Studios theme park with her sons and a pair of heel-less, Antonio Berardi PVC boots at the designer's show in Paris.

Towering: Victoria in a pair of £485, 6in Yves Saint Laurent heels (left), and 5in, £400 Louboutin heels

Recently, as she watched her husband play for his team, LA Galaxy, she couldn't resist teaming her casual outfit of a vest top and jeans with £600, 51/2in Louboutins.

Bunions - a deformity of the big toe joint, which grows at an angle to the foot - can become a major problem if not treated.

A pair of metallic £350, 4in Dolce & Gabbana sandals (left) and an infamous pair of Antonio Berardi 7in PVC boots, £3,300

Posh has previously admitted her feet are in poor condition.

'I hate my feet - they are the most disgusting thing about me,' she said.

Last night, a source close to Mrs Beckham said: 'Victoria has not made it a secret that she has problems with her feet.'

These Dolce & Gabbana padlock shoes, £500-£700, feature teetering 4in heels

Know your bunions: The bony lump that makes life a misery

Many women will have winced at the sight of Victoria Beckham's gnarled feet in her killer heels. That's because 15million of us can feel her pain - we, too, have bunions.

A bunion is a bony bump at the base of the big toe joint - as your shoe rubs on this, it becomes painfully inflamed.

Pointy spice: Beckham in a pair of Dolce & Gabbana 4in shoes, £420

Sufferers tend to have lax tendons and ligaments - these are the bands of fibrous tissue that join the bones and muscles.

If these aren't as taut as they should be, the top of the big toe drifts towards the little toe. This causes the bottom of the toe bone to stick out, creating a bump on the side of the foot.

It is overwhelmingly a female problem, largely as a result of high heels. A towering heel throws your weight forward onto your splayed out toes and forefoot, putting pinching pressure on the big toe joint.

The more you wear high heels, the worse the problem. Once you have a bunion, custom-made insoles in flat shoes can help alleviate the pain, but surgery is the only way to resolve the condition.

There are 100 procedures used to correct the deformity. Most common are variations on what is known as a bunionectomy or open osteotomy.

The surgeon makes an incision in the skin and cuts into the toe joint (a bit like jointing a chicken), then re-aligns the toe bone and secures it with screws.

After the operation, patients can suffer severe pain and have to spend six weeks wearing flat shoes with wedges inside the heels to prevent pressure on the forefoot.

It can take up to three months for the swelling to subside before you can wear normal shoes and six months before you can get back into your Jimmy Choos.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1231270/Bunions-Beckham-Years-killer-heels-left-Victoria-agony--need-urgent-op.html#ixzz0Y4BETqOm

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Satellites unlock secret of India's vanishing water

 

Groundwater levels have fallen 20 per cent more than expected in northern India, Nasa satellite images have revealed.

A team of experts has found the underwater supply in the region is being pumped and consumed by the burgeoning population, and could spark a major food and water crisis.

The study, led by Matthew Rodell from Nasa said groundwater across three states, including the New Delhi region, dropped at a rate of 1.6 inches per year between 2002 and 2008.

That depletion is double the capacity of India's largest reservoir and is around 20 per cent higher than previous estimates by Indian authorities. More than 110 million people live across the three states, or nearly twice the population of Britain.

The findings, published in the journal Nature, are based on data from Nasa's Gravity Recorvery and Climate Experiment (GRACE).

A pair of satellites orbiting 300miles above Earth the surface sense changes in Earth's gravity field. Changes in underground water masses affect gravity enough to provide a signal that can be measured by the GRACE spacecraft.

Groundwater levels respond slowly to changes in weather and can take months or years to replenish once pumped for irrigation.

The map shows groundwater changes in India during 2002-08, with losses in red and gains in blue, based on GRACE satellite observations.

'GRACE provides strong evidence that current rates of water extraction are not sustainable,' said Rodell.

'If measures are not taken to ensure sustainable groundwater usage, the consequences for the 114million residents of the region may include a collapse of agricultural output and severe shortages of potable water.'

The trend is particularly alarming because it came in years where there was no shortage of rainfall.

The Indian government released an environmental report this week that said a growing percentage of its groundwater was neither drinkable nor could be used for irrigation.

'This illustrates that degraded water quality can contribute to water scarcity as it limits its availability for both human use and the ecosystem,' the Indian report said. 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1206285/Satellites-unlock-secret-Indias-vanishing-water.html#ixzz0XxjePPEo

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Rihanna's Christmas wish-list

 

RIHANNA has revealed her Christmas wish-list for 2009 - "great food and great sex".

The singer has avoided the dating scene since ex-boyfriend CHRIS BROWN brutally assaulted her back in February.

But she admits she's itching for some action between the sheets - and some of her mum's spicy beef stew - as the festive season approaches.

When asked what she wants this Christmas, Rihanna responded: "Some great food and some great sex.

"That's not too much to ask, right? The sex might be a little difficult but definitely my mum is coming to cook me some food.

"My mum cooks this thing called Pepperpot, which is like a stew. Sounds strange but it's really good. It's spicy, which I love.

"But we do the whole traditional tree thing, it's just not a white Christmas.

"I might be in Barbados but I'm thinking about spending it with my grandparents in New York."

Meanwhile, the star has defended X Factor judges over the criticism and pressure they pile on contestants.

Rihanna - who will be performing on the show this Sunday - rejects calls on SIMON COWELL and co to tone down the ferocity of their comments, insisting the real world's a far less forgiving place.

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She added: "The show is huge - it reaches a lot of my fans. They called and asked us and we couldn't possibly say no.

"The judges are very accurate when they say 'that was great' or 'that was horrible'. They're betting on these kids and they're looking for a star.

"In this industry, if they can't take the comments the judges are giving them then they won't be prepared for this world. This world is much more intense and the comments can be a lot worse.

"Simon Cowell is nothing compared to what this industry can do to you."

Rihanna's new album Rated R was released yesterday.

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/usa/2743736/Rihanna-All-I-want-for-Christmas-is-great-food-and-great-sex.html#ixzz0XxiTtgQA

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Rihanna gets into the festive spirit in red dress and stockings

 

Rihanna seems to be getting in the festive spirit by heading out to party in a red dress and stockings.

The singer left a party in a clinging mini dress with rather spiky shoulder details which looked a little like scary Christmas decorations.

She teamed it with glittering stockings and shoe boots in New York last night.

Festive treat: Rihanna wore a clinging mini dress with shoulder details that looked like a cross between a Christmas decoration and an instrument of torture

Whoops! Rihanna drops her sunglasses as she leaves superclub Juliet in New York after her Rated R album launch party

She didn't seem to mind the cold though as the front of her dress was slashed almost to the waist and laying her chest open to the elements.

And even though it was dark, she kept on her sunglasses.

The 21-year-old was at nightspot Juliet celebrating the launch of her Rated R album.

Earlier in the evening she was pictured wearing a glittering gold dress at the nightclub party, which was also attended by Jay-Z and P Diddy.

The singer has revealed that she was forced to change the title of her new album because the record's title was too racy and store bosses complained.

All that glitters: The 21-year-old looked good enough to pop on top of a Christmas tree in a sparkling gold dress during the party

She told U.S. TV show Fuse that she wanted to call the CD Such A F****** Lady.

She said: 'I actually wanted to name my album, Such A F****** Lady, but a couple of stores, a couple of major outlets didn’t allow that... That was the title for a while, but Rated R made more sense because of the overall story.

'It’s a movie really, the album. But Such A F****** Lady - we take everything back to that - especially in our style.'

Earlier this week she appeared on Good Morning America to give fans a sneak peak of her album material.

But her planned costume went awry when the zip burst and she ended up performing in a white blazer and fishnet tights.

Rated R: Rihanna showed off her long legs on the Good Morning America show in a white blazer, black top and heels

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1230927/Rihanna-gets-festive-spirit-red-dress-stockings.html#ixzz0Xxfh3iQC

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Shilpa Shetty throws ANOTHER wedding party as she glitters in gold sari

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty glittered in a gold sari as she put on a lavish wedding reception following her nuptials at the weekend.

The former Celebrity Big Brother star wed millionaire businessman Raj Kundra, 34, on Sunday.

But it seems the pre-wedding celebrations and all-night party that followed were not enough to mark the pair's momentous event.

So Shilpa, 34,  threw another function last night at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in India's Mumbai.

Newlyweds Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra threw a wedding reception at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in India's Mumbai last night following their wedding on Sunday

The bride looked stunning as she arrived at the venue in traditional dress, adorned in jewels and with a henna tattoo running up her hand and forearm.

Someone who was not invited to the function, or the wedding for that matter, was her former beau and co-star Akshay Kumar.

According to sources, Shilpa and Raj didn’t want an embarrassing situation - so Akshay and wife Twinkle Khanna were not on the guest list.

 

Shilpa starred alongside the actor in the 1994 film Main Khiladi. She later dated him, but the pair split when he began seeing his now wife and fellow actress, Twinkle.

According to Indian website apunkachoice, it was Raj who wasn’t in favour of inviting Akki, though Shilpa buried the hatchet last year when she met him on the set of Bigg Boss 2.

Enlarge

The former Celebrity Big Brother winner looked stunning in a gold sari

During the wedding, the bandwallas were also warned not to play songs from Akki’s film, even though the movie had Shilpa as his co-star.

At her wedding on Sunday, Shilpa wore a red sari and diamonds and emeralds as she exchanged vows with Raj in a close-knit family wedding in Khandala, a hill resort near Mumbai.

Friends, family and showbusiness colleagues attended the Hindu service and all-night celebrations, including her father, who discovered he was ill with two types of malaria just two days before the ceremony.

The groom wore a maroon sherwani with golden embroidery and a turban with his face veiled by a sehra (string of pearls). He arrived at the ceremony in a two-horse chariot.

'Everything went very well. All parents want their children to get married happily and that goes the same for Shilpa's parents as well. They are very happy,' said Kiran Bawa, Shilpa's friend and business partner, after the wedding.

The pair arrive at the venue as crowds of fans and photographers assembled

'Raj and Shilpa both were very nervous before the marriage but now they are happy. We are going straight to Raj's house in Mumbai,' she added.

The wedding was the climax of the two-day festivities that included a sangeet ceremony on the Saturday night.

The Indian actress became famous outside of her home country when she won the reality TV show in 2007 after being subjected to allegedly racial comments from fellow contestant Jade Goody.

She met jewellery tycoon Raj after her win on the British reality show.

Raj, a 34-year-old millionaire, owns a Dubai-based business trading precious stones and metals and has also started to help manage Shilpa’s career.

He is believed to be behind her decision last month to invest £8million in the cricket team Rajasthan Royals, last year’s Indian Premier League winners.

The star has not broken through into major film roles, but she has remained one of Bollywood's most talked-about and photographed figures.

The Bollywood actress at her wedding day on Sunday with Raj

'This is it!' she wrote on her blog early Sunday, describing how her life had 'been turned upside down, inside out in the past week as the marriage is nearing.'

'All is in order, friends and family have got together,' she said, adding that she looked forward to meeting fans under her new name 'Shilpa Shetty Kundra'.

'There's nothing wrong in looking forward to a comfortable life. But money isn't everything. Raj and I connect on a different level,' she said.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1230771/Shilpa-Shetty-throws-ANOTHER-wedding-party-glitters-gold-sari.html#ixzz0Xtr9ePMv

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American Idol's Adam Lambert sparks 1,500 complaints over racy performance on American Music Awards

 

American Idol star Adam Lambert's provocative performance on the American Music Awards has sparked 1,500 complaints.

The 27-year-old singer, who is openly gay, offended some viewers when he kissed a male musician and simulated oral sex with a dancer.

After the show was broadcast live on Sunday night, hundreds of complaints flooded into U.S. TV network ABC.

Scroll down to watch a video of his AMA performance

Courting controversy: Adam Lambert kissed a male musician on-stage at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday

During his performance of his new single For Your Entertainment, Lambert cavorted on stage with male and female dancers, which were dressed in S&M-style outfits and masks.

The singer, who was the runner-up in the American Idol final earlier this year, also grabbed his crotch and stuck his finger up at the audience during his risqué set.

Timothy Winters, president of the Parents Television Council said he had received a string of complaints from outraged members.

He said: 'They're outraged. They just can't believe the nature of the content, the explicit nature, and how much graphic content there was.'

Following the outrage, ABC breakfast show Good Morning America cancelled Lambert's planned live performance over fears he may repeat his controversial behaviour.

Kinky: Lambert cavorted with dancers dressed as sadomasochists

An ABC spokesperson said: 'Given his controversial American Music Awards performance, we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning.'

Instead, he was offered a slot on rival channel CBS's The Early Show today where he tried to explain himself.

 

He said: 'I admit, I did get carried away, but I don't see anything wrong with it. I do see how people got offended and that was not my intention. My intention was just to interpret the lyrics to my song and have a good time up there.'

Responding to criticism it was racy for younger viewers, Lambert added: 'Honestly, it didn't cross my mind ... children. It was almost 11 o'clock. It was a night-time show. I was there in the audience full of mostly adults.'

Lambert pointed out that fellow AMAs performer Janet Jackson was seen grabbing a dancer's crotch on stage.

'Artistic freedom and expression': Lambert said female artists doing the same act wouldn't be so controversial

He said: 'If I was a female pop performer doing the moves ... I don't think there would have been nearly as much of an outrage.

'I didn't hear one peep about (Jackson)... (I think people are complaining because) I am a gay male.'

Conservative group Culture and Media Institute of the Media Research Center hit out at The Early Show for broadcasting Lambert's 'brand of raunch'

Dan Gainor, the group’s vice president said: 'Rather than back ABC’s decision to temper such trash, CBS is compounding the problem and rewarding Lambert with not one but two TV appearances.'

In an interview with Access Hollywood immediately following his AMA performance, Lambert said: 'If I offended some people... well it's apples and oranges. I'm not an artist  that does things for every single person.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1230789/American-Idol-star-Adam-Lambert-sparks-1-500-complaints-racy-performance-American-Music-Awards.html#ixzz0Xtq0pnOV

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'Big Bang' machine makes history by achieving first particle collisions

Proton beams have been smashed together for the first time in the 'Big Bang Machine', a development which scientists hope will help unravel the origins of the universe.

The beams were circulated in opposite directions at the same time causing the first particle collisions in the £6billion experiment after 14 months of repairs.

It is only three days since the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), situated under the Swiss-French border, was switched back on after being halted by an accident in 2008, just ten days after its first start-up.

It is only three days since the Large Hadron Collider was switched back on after being halted by an accident in 2008, just ten days after its first start-up

'It's a great achievement to have come this far in so short a time,' said CERN director general Rolf Heuer

Scientists at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) hope experiments will start giving clues about the origins of the universe in the coming months as the world's biggest particle collider starts moving to full power.

'It's a great achievement to have come this far in so short a time,' said CERN director general Rolf Heuer about the collision. 'But we need to keep a sense of perspective - there's still much to do before we can start the LHC physics programme.'

Earlier, physicist Steve Myers said it could take until 2011 for beams of protons to hit top velocity in the experiment, which involves scientists from dozens of countries.

The key aim of the project is to try to discover how the universe took shape, after the Big Bang 13.7billion years ago spilt out matter at vast speeds and energies that eventually became suns, stars, planets and then life itself.

Physicists also hope the collider will help them see and understand other suspected phenomena, such as dark matter, antimatter and supersymmetry.

 

Experiments in a previous collider at the CERN research centre near Geneva at the foot of the French Jura mountains staged particle collisions producing energy very close to that of the Big Bang.

The 16-mile-long LHC operating at its full might should recreate conditions like those just one billionth of a second after the primeval explosion.

The scientists now plan to increase the beam intensity and accelerate the beams further so they can gather enough collision data by Christmas to help set up experiments.

The particle collisions - seen by massive detectors - were a side effect of the quick advances being made by the LHC during its start-up phase, which began Friday night.

Collisions were recorded in all four of the main detectors at 'experiments' in rooms the size of cathedrals about 300ft underground around the collider.

'This is great news, the start of a fantastic era of physics and hopefully discoveries after 20 years' work by the international community to build a machine and detectors of unprecedented complexity and performance,' said scientist Fabiola Gianotti.

A CERN statement said the simultaneous beams and collisions demonstrate the excellent performance of the control system.

While the initial collisions were a side effect, intentional hits could begin within the next ten days, mainly to check how the machine is working, said a CERN spokesman.

The collider was started with great fanfare Sept. 10, 2008, only to be heavily damaged by an electrical fault nine days later. It took 14 months to repair and add protection systems to the machine before it was restarted.

The protons were traveling Monday at almost the speed of light - 11,000 times a second in each direction around the tunnel.

Initial signs are very good, physicists told a news conference. The beam is of superb quality, with the protons tightly packed into hairlike lines and guided by some 1,600 superconducting magnets - 50ft long - operating at temperatures colder than outer space for maximum electrical efficiency.

So far the machine is operating at 450 billion electron volts of energy, which is relatively low compared with its design capability of more than 14 times that.

It soon will overtake the world's current most powerful accelerator, the Tevatron at Fermilab outside Chicago, which operates at 1 trillion electron volts, or TeV.

Myers said the CERN collider should be ramped up to 1.2 TeV by Christmas. CERN might decide to make the first collisions at the current low energy or at 1.2 TeV, but that will be more for calibration purposes than for making scientific discoveries, he said.

Physicists said the discoveries could begin in the first half of next year when the collider reaches 3.5 TeV. CERN is hoping to have the first collisions at that energy in January or early February, said Gillies.

"That would really mark the start of the research program," he said.

Physicist Steve Myers said the collider may even go up to 5 TeV before the end of 2010.

Tejinder S. Virdee, a physicist from London's Imperial College who represents more than 2,000 scientists on CMS, another of the experiments with its own detectors at CERN, said it could take several years before the collider discovers the elusive Higgs boson, a particle that theoretically gives mass to other subatomic particles, and thus everything in the universe.

That is because the Higgs boson is believed to be hard to see and needs powerful energy to be revealed, Virdee said. "This is going to take a few years," he said.

Director-general Heuer said CERN was being as cautious as a driver would be with the first production model of a new car.

'We'll never accelerate this the first time with a kick-start to its maximum velocity," he said.

Once it is tested out, he added, "we can open windows into new physics and that could happen already next year. It depends on how kind nature is to us.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1230438/History-Big-Bang-machine-achieves-particle-collisions-giving-initial-idea-universe-created.html#ixzz0XmB8r4OA

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Kim Cattrall , 52, strips to save painting from auction.

Kim Cattrall is nothing if not brave.

The game actress's latest role called for her to take off her clothes for a worthy cause - to save a valuable artwork - alongside a troupe of super-fit twenty-something performers from theatre production La Clique.

And the 52-year-old actress, who regularly stripped in television show Sex And The City, duly rose to the challenge, holding her own among the nubile young bodies who were assembled to recreate Titian masterpiece Diana and Actaeon.

BBC Two's The Culture Show teamed up with artist and photographer Tom Hunter to create a modern-day version of the artwork.

In the name of art: Kim Cattrall, 52, bared virtually all to recreate Titian masterpiece Diana and Actaeon alongside (L-R) Gemma Rolls-Bentley, Kimberly Williams and Yulia Pykhtina.

The shoot was organised by BBC programme The Culture Show and helmed by photographer and artist Tom Hunter

Tom Hunter is well known for his recreation of old masters and is the only photographer to have had an exhibition at the National Gallery, London.

The Culture Show challenged Hunter to create a 21st century version of the painting after he came out in support of the campaign to raise £50million to keep it on public display in Britain.

For the recreation, Cattrall posed alongside the cast of cult cabaret production La Clique; David O Mer, Fiona Anderson, Anna Harnden, Alexandra Roy, Ursula Martinez, Gemma Rolls-Bentley, Kimberly Williams and Yulia Pykhtina.

Titian's Diana: One of two paintings - Diana and Actaeon, and Diana and Callisto - being offered by the Duke of Sutherland to the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Gallery of London at £50million

And Miss Cattrall features as Diana in the picture alongside art students from the Courtauld Institute and performers from the hit West End burlesque show La Clique.

Tom said: 'Kim is the perfect Diana. Just like the Greek goddess, she combines beauty with a sense of threat.

'She was a great sport and at 52 made an amazing Diana. She more than held her own among a room full of twenty-somethings.

'The picture can't of course hold a candle to the original which deserves to remain on public view. This painting is sublime and to lose it to a private collection would be a tragedy.'

Cattrall, whose parents are British, is a regular visitor to the National Gallery and a huge admirer of Titian's work.

She said: 'Viewing this painting is like being in the presence of genius, it would be a tragedy if it were not on public view'.

The Duke of Sutherland, who owns the painting, has given the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Gallery, London until December 31 to raise £50million to buy it from him. After that point, he may sell it on the open market.

Earlier this month, artist Tracey Emin took a petition to Downing Street to try to garner support for the campaign and the signatories include artists Damien Hirst, Anthony Gormley and Lucian Freud.

The Culture Show featuring the collaboration will

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Shilpa Shetty marries Raj Kundra

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty and London based businessman Raj Kundra pose for the media after their marriage ceremony in Khandala.

Clad in a red sari and flaunting diamonds and emeralds, actress Shilpa Shetty on Sunday exchanged wedding vows with London-based businessman Raj Kundra in a close-knit family affair in Khandala in this Maharashtra hill station.

"Everything went very well. All parents want their children to get married happily and that goes the same for Shilpa's parents as well. They are very happy," said Kiran Bawa, Shilpa's friend and business partner, after the wedding.

"Raj and Shilpa both were very nervous before the marriage but now they are happy. We are going straight to Raj's house in Mumbai," she added.

Wearing a red sari designed by Tarun Tahiliani, the 34-year-old exchanged vows with Kundra as per the Bunt tradition, according to the Mangalorean community that the Shettys belong to.

The groom was sporting a maroon sherwani with golden embroidery and a turban with his face veiled by a sehra (string of pearls). He was also holding a sword in his hand, as per Indian tradition.

Kundra left Amrit Villa, located about five minutes away from Bawa Villa, where the wedding was held, in a two-horse chariot.

Photographers scrambled to train their cameras at the goings-on while curious star-gazers were kept at bay by both private and police security.

Sunday's wedding was the climax of the two-day festivities that included a sangeet ceremony Saturday night here.

The buzz around the marriage started early this year and had been steadily getting louder even though Shilpa denied it officially before getting engaged to Kundra late October.

Expected at the marriage were celebrities like the Bachchan family, Shah Rukh Khan and family, the Kapoors, Rekha, Farah Khan, Salman Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Karan Johar, the Deols and Sushmita Sen.

However, noticed prominently on the occasion were only actors Rohit Roy, Jackky Bhagnani and Tahiliani.

Shilpa also delighted fans by posting a blog entry titled "This is it" on her D-day.

"Thanks for all the best wishes from family and friends...Will write to you very soon... As Shilpa Shetty Kundra. This is it," she posted on www.shilpashettylive.com/blog on Sunday morning.

Shilpa met Raj after her win on the British reality show "Big Brother" in 2007.

Shilpa's sister, actress Shamita who was participating in the third edition of "Bigg Boss", withdrew voluntarily from the show to attend the wedding.

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Sarah Palin: Newsweek Cover Showing My Legs "Sexist" (PHOTOS)

Sarah Palin took to Facebook Monday night to declare the Newsweek cover depicting her in runner's shorts as "sexist."

In a Facebook note to her almost 1 million fans, Palin said that Newsweek's choice of photo — which she shot for Runner's World magazine — was "unfortunate." Her full comments:

 

The choice of photo for the cover of this week's Newsweek is unfortunate. When it comes to Sarah Palin, this "news" magazine has relished focusing on the irrelevant rather than the relevant. The Runner's World magazine one-page profile for which this photo was taken was all about health and fitness - a subject to which I am devoted and which is critically important to this nation. The out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist and oh-so-expected by now. If anyone can learn anything from it: it shows why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, gender, or color of skin. The media will do anything to draw attention - even if out of context.

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How to woo a man... flash 40% of your flesh: Science (and a few nights out) solve an old dilemma.

 

It is the question that has troubled many a young woman as she dresses for a night out: How much should she dare to bare?

After all, if her clothes are too revealing, she may catch the eye of the wrong kind of man.

But too prim and she may attract none at all.

British scientists believe they have the answer, with an outfit that reveals 40 per cent of a woman's skin providing just the right amount of attention.

Teri Hatcher shows off about 40 per cent of her flesh - perfect for attracting the right amount of male attention

To hit on the figure, Leeds University psychologist Colin Hendrie sent four female researchers to one of the city's biggest nightclubs.

There, they stood on a balcony overlooking the dancefloor, and noted what the female clubbers were wearing and how many times they were approached by men. 

 

All their observations were taped on dictaphones hidden in handbags.

Dr Hendrie said: 'The location served as a "hide", as did the age and attire of the observers which were similar to those of the people frequenting the nightclub.'

What to bare to successfully woo a man

Seventy hours of recordings revealed that a man was much more likely to ask a woman to dance than vice versa.

While this may not seem surprising, it is important because it meant that the female clubbers had to compete against each other for male attention.

And clothing - or lack of it - was one of the factors that helped them stand out.

Specifically, women who showed off around 40 per cent of their skin were approached by twice as many men as those who were more covered up.

For the purposes of the study, each arm accounts for 10 per cent, each leg for 15 per cent and the torso for 50 per cent.

The head, hands and feet are not included in the calculation.

Suitable outfits might include a sleeveless dress that skims the thighs.

But showing off any more flesh than this could be counterproductive.

Dr Hendrie said: 'Any more than 40 per cent and the signal changes from "allure" to one indicating general availability and future infidelity.

'Show some leg, show some arm, but not any more than that.'

The women who proved most popular combined the 40 per cent rule with tight clothing and sexy dancing.

The 15 per cent that fitted all three criteria were approached by 40 men, the journal Behaviour reports.

However, some suitors fared better than others. Dr Hendrie said: 'The male couldn't be too thin and he couldn't be too fat.

'Most particularly, he couldn't be too tall and he couldn't be too short.

'He must be more than a head taller than the female and certainly not shorter than her.'

At least some of the men passed the height test, with the researchers noting that 30 per cent of people leaving did so as part of a couple, compared with 20 per cent of those arriving.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1228440/How-woo-man--flash-40-cent-flesh-Science-nights-solve-old-dilemma.html#ixzz0X8E1MuEi

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