‘Jackomania’ grips people worldwide

August 17th, 2009 Swine flu inspires new video gameLONDON — Since swine flu first emerged in April, it has sparked panic, vaccine production and now, a video game. In an effort to raise awareness, Dutch researchers have created a game that challenges players to control a new pandemic.

August 12th, 2009 LONDON - Israel is in the grips of "mermaid fever" after the local authorities were deluged by reported sightings of the mythical sea creature. The town council of Kirvat Yam, near Haifa, is taking the reports so seriously that it has stumped up a 1-million-dollar reward for anyone who can prove the creature's existence with a photograph.

August 11th, 2009 LONDON - A handmade bicycle, plated with 24-carat gold and adorned with more than 600 Swarovski crystals, has become the world's most expensive bicycle after it was sold for 55,000 pounds. Swedish manufacturer Aurumania has made a limited ten of these golden bicycles, which are embossed with gold leaf and set into a leather badge, are placed prominently on the front of the bike.

May 21st, 2009 LONDON - A new research has suggested that global temperatures could rise by more than 7 degree Celsius this century, killing billions of people and leaving the world on the brink of total collapse. According to a report in the Telegraph, the study, carried out in unprecedented detail, projected that without "rapid and massive action", temperatures worldwide will increase by as much as 7.4 degrees C by 2100, from levels seen in 2000.

May 16th, 2009 LONDON - Popular animated film 'Kung Fu Panda' will soon be seen as a TV series. The 2008 movie, which featured the voices of Jack Black and Angelina Jolie, grossed $600 million worldwide.

April 23rd, 2009 LONDON - Music sales all over the world took a dip by more than 8 per cent to 18.42 billion dollars in 2008, reveals the body that represents the record industry globally. According to figures released by the Official Charts Company, sale of physical formats such as CDs and vinyl sank particularly by 15 per cent worldwide and 31 per cent in the US.

April 3rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - The date has been officially set for 'Sex and the City sequel', it is: May 28, 2010. Usmagazine.com has confirmed that the second instalment debuts around the same timeframe as the first flick, which hit theatres May 30, 2008.

April 1st, 2009 LONDON - Declaring Pakistan as the 'epicentre' of world terrorism, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has urged the world's most powerful countries to rid both Pakistan and Afghanistan of terrorism. 'We all know the epicentre of terrorism in the world today is Pakistan.

March 16th, 2009 LONDON - A Hawaiian Tropic beauty queen, who shot to fame during U.S. President Barack Obama's campaign with her raunchy tribute song 'I Got A Crush...On Obama', has been voted the No.1 woman on the Internet.

January 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Yana Gupta are set to add a dash of glamour at the grand finale of PC Jewellers Miss India Worldwide pageant to be held at Pragati Maidan Jan 31. 'There will be a mix of beauty, talent and glamour at the finale of the pageant, with Bollywood beauties shaking a leg with the participants; it will be an evening to remember,' host Deepak Tijori said at the press conference here Wednesday.

January 15th, 2009 BANGALORE - He doesn't have to travel so he gets enough time to play and sleep. Bollywood perfectionist Aamir Khan says he is having the time of his life while shooting for Rajkumar Hirani's 'Three Idiots' at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) campus here.

January 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - If you have got beauty, brains and oodles of talent but not adequate height to participate in a beauty pageant, do not worry as now you can take part in the PC Jewellers Miss India Worldwide pageant. 'This pageant is not restricted by banalities like physical shortcomings, therefore the absence of height criteria and swim suit rounds makes it different from the conventional pageants,' Deepak Tijori of Tijori Entertainment told IANS.

January 9th, 2009 LONDON - Rocker Courtney Love wants to allow fans to decide how much to pay for her new album the way rock band Radiohead did. According to contactmusic.com, Love is almost done with her new album 'Nobody's Daughter' - her first in five years.

December 29th, 2008 MUMBAI - Aamir Khan starrer 'Ghajini' is raking in big money not only in India, but abroad as well. The film's box-office performance has almost equalled the big grosser of the year 'Singh Is Kinng', which opened with Rs.900 million worldwide.

December 25th, 2008 LONDON - James Bond star Daniel Craig says he found it tough learning Russian for his new film 'Defiance' and nearly gave up in the middle. The actor had to learn the language for his role in the upcoming World War II movie in which he plays one of four Polish brothers who help save Jews from the Nazis.