''I am not intimated by Amitabh Bachchan'' says Amrita Rao.

BollywoodLife cornered the petite babe at the trailer launch of her next movie Singh Sahab The Great. Dressed in a resplendent anarkali, Amrita Rao looked like a million bucks with new-found glow and a zest she has rediscovered after getting back into the reckoning. This year is turning out to be a fab one for Amrita. After being appreciated for her role in Jolly LLB co-starring Arshad Warsi and Boman Irani, Ms Rao is now excited about Satyagraha and Singh Sahab The Great. “Yes, 2013 hain, par mera hain – that’s the note I started this year on. In fact, I started this year on a jolly good note and now Satyagraha is getting good reviews too and I have butterflies in my stomach,” said Amrita.

The 29-year-old maintains that it was a challenge for her to hold her own with the big daddy of Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan, with whom she is working for the first time. So was the young star nervous? What does it take to share screen-space with Mr Bachchan without being intimidated by his larger than life personality? “I never got intimidated by his larger than life persona. In fact, it only helped me. When you have a wonderful actor like him standing next to you, it helps. But it’s only after the pack up that I would ask myself, did I really work with Mr Bachchan? Oh my God!,” laughs Amrita.

Away from her regular the girl next door characters, Amrita is experimenting with roles these days. Is she consciously playing more mature, intense characters to break away from her off screen persona? “I always like to do something new. I am not trying to change my image. I want to go back to college. There’s no better place than the campus and do songs and dances!” Amrita, who impressed Naseeruddin Shah with her her performance in Jolly LLB, awaits Singh Sahab The Great. Is that also a serious role? “I am playing a news reporter. So I will be on the other side of the fence this time. I am this ambitious journalist from Eastern UP who is trying to prove herself. I follow Sunny Deol (Singh Sahab) everywhere,” she explains.

The petite star seems all set to give yet another intense performance in her next and with Sunny paaji standing alongside her with his mighty dhai kilo ka haath, this is certainly going to be a power-packed year end for Amrita!

Champions league twenty20 2013 news.

Sachin Tendulkar may have retired from the Indian Premier League (IPL), but will turn up for the Mumbai Indians one last time at the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) 2013.

The squads of all the participating sides in the CLT20 2013 were announced on Friday on their websiteclt20.com.

Ricky Ponting is not a part of the Mumbai squad. Kumar Sangakkara has opted to play for the Sri Lankan side Kandurata Maroons instead of his IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, Hyderabad are yet to announce Sangakkara’s replacement.

The other players who could have featured for their respective national qualifying sides have chosen to play for their IPL teams. Rahul Dravid will also feature for the Rajasthan Royals.

The following is the list of the IPL squads at the CLT20 2013:

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma (c), Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Aditya Tare, Glenn Maxwell, Kieron Pollard, Rishi Dhawan, Mitchell Johnson, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Akshar Patel, Pragyan Ojha, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Abu Nechim Ahmad, Dwayne Smith.

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (c), Dwayne Bravo, Murali Vijay, Subramaniam Badrinath, Michael Hussey, Chris Morris, Albie Morkel, Faf du Plessis, Jason Holder, Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha, Imtiaz Ahmad, Mohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin.

Rajasthan Royals: Rahul Dravid (c), Brad Hodge, Ajinkya Rahane, Kevon Cooper, Shaun Tait, James Faulkner, Praveen Tambe, Stuart Binny, Sanju Samson, Shane Watson, Ashok Menaria, Dishant Yagnik, Vikramjeet Malik, Siddharth Trivedi, Rahul Shukla.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Cameron White (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Hanuma Vihari, Parthiv Patel, JP Duminy, Darren Sammy, Thisara Perera, Dale Steyn, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, Biplab Samantray, Karan Sharma, Ashish Reddy, Anand Ranjan.

Alex Hales excels as England level T20 series against Australia.

Alex Hales`s 94 provided the platform for England`s 27--run win against Australia in the second Twenty20 international today as the two-match series ended all square at 1-1.

Australia, set 196 for victory, finished on 168 for nine at Chester-le-Street with opener Aaron Finch -- who made a T20 international record 156 in the tourists` 39-run win at Southampton on Thursday -- out for just five.

David Warner top-scored for Australia with 53 but they were rarely up with the rate as seamer Jade Dernbach took three wickets for 23 runs in his maximum permitted four overs.

Earlier, opening batsman Hales just failed again to become the first England batsman to score a Twenty20 international hundred as he took the hosts to 195 for five.

Pakistan-born leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed, wicketless on debut at Southampton, took his first international wickets to finish with three for 25.

Hales, who made 99 in a T20 international against the West Indies last year, shared an opening stand of 111 with Michael Lumb (43).

That partnership equalled England`s best for any wicket against Australia in a T20 international, with Craig Kieswetter and Kevin Pietersen having put on 111 for the second wicket in England`s 2010 World Twenty20 final win over their arch-rivals in Bridgetown, Barbados.

England, in a mirror image of Thursday`s match, were sent into bat by Australia captain George Bailey.

The powerplay ended with England 61 without loss off six overs after a blizzard of boundaries.

Hales drove a straight six as James Faulkner`s opening over went for 19 runs and left-hander Lumb struck all-rounder Shane Watson high over long-on for six.

It was not long before Hales completed a 34-ball fifty -- his sixth half-century in 21 innings at this level.

However, the first-wicket stand was broken when Lumb top-edged a sweep off Ahmed and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Matthew Wade.

Luke Wright added a quickfire 30 before he was well caught by a leaping Mitchell Johnson at mid-off after driving a Faulkner full-toss.

Hales, off the last ball of the penultimate over, was caught by Warner, running in from long-on, off Faulkner to end a 61-ball innings featuring 11 fours and two sixes.

In contrast to the first innings, Australia lost early wickets with Finch out to his fifth ball when he top-edged a hook off England Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad to Wright at mid-on.

And when Watson, sent back by Warner, was run out by Eoin Morgan`s direct hit from backward point, Australia were 15 for two.

But a stand of 67 between opener Warner and Shaun Marsh repaired some of the early damage before the latter was bowled, heaving across the line, by occasional off-spinner Joe Root.

Warner, one ball after being missed by Steven Finn, then holed out off Dernbach to Hales, sweeping on the cover fence.

And 111 for four became 113 for five when Bailey was lbw to left-arm spinner Danny Briggs for 23.

Briggs then struck again when he bowled Wade for four.

Dernbach then took two wickets in two balls to dismiss Glenn Maxwell and Faulkner before Johnson survived the hat-trick.

England, who won the preceding Ashes Test campaign 3-0, and Australia meet in their third format of the season when a five-match one-day international series

Nintendo drops Wii U price, releases new ‘2DS’ handheld.

Prepping itself for a competitive holiday season, Nintendo announced Wednesday that it will drop the price of its higher-end Wii U console and release a new handheld gaming device aimed at younger, or more casual, gamers.
The 2DS will play games designed for the Nintendo’s DS line as well as its three-dimensional handheld, the 3DS — albeit without the extra depth. The $129.99 device will come in red or blue, and is slated for an Oct. 12 launch.

Similar to the DS and 3DS, the device has two touchscreens, one on top of the other, and a control layout similar to Nintendo’s existing products. Unlike its predecessors, however, the 2DS does not fold in the middle. Nintendo has not provided measurements for the new WiFi-enabled device, which is still pending approval from the Federal Communications Commission. A commercial for the 2DS, however, seems to show that it’s about the same size as a 3DS or DS-line handheld when unfolded.

The same commercial, posted to YouTube, also seems to indicate that the handheld is aimed more at children than adults looking for a portable gaming option, though 2DS players can use the handheld’s WiFi capability to play games with 3DS or DS owners.
Nintendo also cut the price of its Wii U. The higher-end model of the Wii U got a $50 price cut, taking the console to $299.99 from $349.99. Plus, Nintendo will also throw in a copy of one of Nintendo’s most anticipated titles headed into the holidays, “The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD.”

The lower price, which takes effect on Sept. 20, takes the Wii U even lower under its nearest price competitor for the holiday season, the $399 Playstation 4. That’s a move the company undoubtedly hopes will convince gamers to pick up its latest console instead of, or in addition to, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One when they hit store shelves in November.
There is no word as to whether Nintendo will also drop the price of its basic Wii U console, which already costs $299.99.
Nintendo’s latest launch has been a bit of a struggle for the storied game company. The console followed Nintendo’s popular but fading 2006 Wii to market last September, and has not caught on as quickly. Nintendo reported last month that it was making a loss on the Wii U after nearly a year on the market, which belied suspicions that the company would lower the Wii U’s price to boost sales.
By way of comparison, Nintendo didn’t drop the price of the Wii until nearly three years after its launch.

Kristen Bell: 'Frozen' Is 'The Kind Of Movie I Wanted To See As A Kid'

'I always loved Disney animation, but there was something about the females that was unattainable to me,' 

Winter is coming. The next Disney animated film to hit theaters is titled — chillingly — "Frozen" and features the voice work of Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, Idina Menzel and Josh Gad in this loose retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Snow Queen." MTV News recently caught up with Bell, who explained what movie-goers can expect from "Frozen."

"The movie is about a pair of sisters — one who has the power to freeze things, and it happens when she is fearful or angry," Bell said. "And because of feeling terrified to show that to the world, she sort of runs away and freezes the town accidentally. I play the sister Anna, who makes it her mission to travel across these snowy lands and bring her sister back amidst the fact that they're fighting and kind of at that point hate each other. It's kind of how they make up and find love in the end."

Bell's voicework on the film isn't limited to dialogue — she sings too!

"We're singing the lovely songs of Kristen and Bobby Lopez, who wrote 'Book of Mormon,' " she enthused. "So it's really, really funny music. It's really good music. They're amazing to work for."

Yet, the thing Bell is most proud about when it comes to "Frozen" is embodying a relatable heroine — something you don't always find in your average Disney princess.

"I'm really excited to show it to people. I became a part of the kind of movie I wanted to see as a kid," she said. "I always loved Disney animation, but there was something about the females that was unattainable to me. Their posture was too good and they were too well-spoken, and I feel like I really made this girl much more relatable and weirder and scrappier and more excitable and awkward. I'm really proud of that."

"Frozen" debuts November 27.

From "Romeo and Juliet" to "Ender's Game," "Riddick" to "Oldboy," the MTV Movies team is delving into the hottest upcoming flicks in our 2013 Fall Movie Preview. Check back daily for exclusive clips, photos and interviews with the films' biggest stars.

Hyderabad Hotshots thrash Pune Pistons 3-0 in semi final and reach final.

Hyderabad: Inspired by the fighting spirit of their icon player Saina Nehwal, Hyderabad Hotshots thrashed Pune Pistons 3-0 in the first semi-final tie played at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.

Such was Hyderabad’s dominance, than Ashwini Ponnappa, the icon player of Pune Pistons didn’t even get the chance to appear in her mixed doubles match as Hyderabad won the first three matches on the trot.

In the men’s singles match, Hyderabad Hotshots’ Ajay Jayaram got his side to a terrific start as he defeated Pune Pistons’ Tien Minh Nguyen in comprehensive style. Jayaram, who has been phenomenal right through the tournament, once again played some superb badminton and outshined his opponent in straight sets - 21-17, 21-11.

The first match was followed by the most anticipated match, the women’s singles encounter between Saina Nehwal and Pune Pistons’ Juliane Schenk. Even though Saina had defeated Juliane in their previous meeting in the tournament, Saina played her heart out in a tense match which she finally won 21-10, 19-21, 11-8.

Massive crowd had turned up to watch her local star play on her home ground as Saina began the match high on confidence and won the first game 21-10.

In the second game too, the star Indian player was leading 18-14 at one stage after which Juliane made a spectacular comeback and bounced back to win the game 21-19. Juliane won seven of the last eight points in the second game and proved her worth as a world class player.

Both the players showed great aggression in the decider and displayed superb show of stamina and strength. Saina, who won several points off her cross court forehand smash, edged past her opponent 11-8 in the third and the final game.

In the men’s doubles match, Pune Pistons’ pair of Joachim Fischer Nielsen and Sanave Thomas gave their franchise something to cheer about in the must-win match as they won the first game against Shem Goh and Wah Lim of Hyderabad Hotshots 21-16.

But, they couldn’t sustain the momentum as Fischer and Sanave came back to win the next two games and the tie for their side.

It was a painful sight for Ashwini Ponnappa who sat in the dugout as her players left the court one after the other after being defeated by Hyderabad’s determined shuttlers.

Earlier, Hyderabad made an interesting move to play Saina Nehwal in the mixed doubles match as well. But the situation didn’t arise as the local franchise won three straight matches and advanced into the final in emphatic style.

Hyderabad Hotshots will now play the final with either Mumbai Masters or Awadhe Warriors at the Sardar Patel stadium in Mumbai on August 31.

Lost Planet 3 game trailor and review.

Lost Planet 3 reveals new truths about the foreboding planet and the colonial history of E.D.N. III, returning players to the extreme and unpredictable conditions that characterized the Lost Planet series, now harsher than ever before. The game delivers a diverse range of gameplay including on-foot battles and intense first person action. With a number of multiplayer modes and a compelling single player experience, Lost Planet 3 will delved into the hidden truths within the unique and dynamic environment of E.D.N. III.

Lost Planet 3 introduces Jim, a rig pilot who leaves Earth to take on a hazardous but lucrative contract on E.D.N. III working for Neo-Venus Construction (NEVEC.) NEVEC's existing Thermal Energy reserve is running low, and the fate of the Coronis mission depends on the natural source of the energy supply being located. Realizing the opportunity for a huge pay-off and early ticket home, Jim braves the risk of the treacherous environment and threat of the indigenous Akrid. Acting as a home away from home and boasting an array of tools that can assist Jim on the field, the utility rig provides Jim's safety and is essential for not only his contract work but also his protection against the ever-changing climate.

Release Date: August 27, 2013

RP-T+ for Rating Pending, Targeting a Rating of Teen or Above:

Genre: Action

Publisher: Capcom

Developers: Spark Unlimited,Capcom

Samantha to pair opposite Nitin.

Tollywood handsome hero Nithin is flying high in the clouds with the success of two subsequent movies ‘Ishq’ and ‘Gunde Jari Gallanthayinde.’ Hence he is flooding with offers. He nods for director AS Ravi Kumar Chowdary’s movie, with whom he did a film ‘Aataadistha’ earlier but was a flop. They have zeroed upon Kerala beauty Samantha to play heroine in the movie. Regular shooting of this movie may begin from February next year. Devisri Prasad for the time will be giving music for Nithin’s movie.

Nithin is currently doing film ‘Courier Boy Kalyan.’ The shooting of this movie is nearly completed, but may release later due to prevailing situation in the state.

Gautam Gambhir's lean patch continues in County cricket.

 

India discard Gautam Gambhir`s woeful form in the county circuit continued as he failed to make a significant contribution for the third time in a row during a one day game for the Yorkshire Bank Pro 40 Championship.

Gambhir made only 2 after Essex captain James Foster elected to bat at the Old Trafford ground.

The left-hander, who is fighting to make a comeback into the Indian team had scored 31 in a first-class game against Northamptonshire and 21 in a Pro-40 game against Derbyshire.

On Monday Gambhir was the first batsmen to get out after facing nine deliveries as he poked at an away-going delivery of seamer Kabir Ali which was snapped up by veteran South African Ashwell Prince in the slip cordon.

Gambhir will still get a few matches to make a mark before the Indian domestic season begins.

Rain hits Australia`s victory hopes:5th Ashes Test, Day 4 news.

 Australia`s hopes of forcing a consolation win in their Ashes finale against England were left hanging by a thread after rain washed out the whole of the fourth day`s play at The Oval on Saturday.

Conditions worsened throughout the day and, with rain pelting down under increasingly dark skies, the umpires finally abandoned play for the day at 4.06pm local time (1506GMT) with only a handful of hardy spectators, some sheltering under umbrellas, still in the ground.

The bad weather was especially frustrating for Australia, who were seeking a first win in nine Tests and trying to avoid their first Ashes series without a Test victory since 1977.

England, who at 3-0 up had already won the five-match series and retained the Ashes, were 246 for four at stumps on the third day in reply to Australia`s first innings 492 for nine declared,

That left England 245 runs behind and still requiring a further 46 runs to avoid the follow-on.

Ian Bell, who came into this match having scored exactly 500 runs in the series with three hundreds, was 29 not out and Test debutant Chris Woakes unbeaten on 15.

The way England batted on Friday, scoring at barely two runs per an over, suggested they were in no mood to give arch-rivals Australia a sniff of victory.

Australia now face the improbable task of having to take 16 wickets for victory on Sunday`s final day -- if the weather allows.

However, England did take nine Australia wickets in under a session as they won the fourth Test in Durham by 74 runs with more than a day to spare. 

Miley Cyrus's pre-Video Music Awards message.

Miley Cyrus had a pre-VMA message on Saturday night (August 24). With just 24 hours to go before she's set to perform at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, the singer decided to gift her Smilers with something she's been teasing all week: the cover of her upcoming album,Bangerz.

The artwork features the title of the October 8 LP scrolled across it in pink lettering. Miley stands with her back to the camera, wearing a little black trench coat, surrounded by palm trees. The singer gives off a serious "Miami Vice" vibe.

Miley has been in Brooklyn prepping for her VMA performance, which she talked to us about in between rehearsals.

"Hopefully this is the best VMA performance of all time," she said about bringing her VMA-nominated "We Can't Stop" video to the stage. "That's the standard I'm setting. I just think it's going to be so much fun. ... [I'm] feeling the energy in rehearsals, it feels so good. It was kind of this crazy dream that we've been having this past month, so now to have it come to life is really beautiful."

Cyrus, who's up for Best Song of The Summer at the 2013 VMAs, spent much of the week soliciting votes (with the hashtag #votemiley) from fans by teasing pieces of the album cover.

Miley will also compete for Best Female Video and Best Pop Video, and will be hitting the Barclays stage on Sunday night . Other performers include Robin Thicke, Drake, and Lady Gaga, who's set to open the show, going live

England trail by 245 runs: 5th Ashes Test, Day 3.

It was yet another good day for Australia in Ashes 2013 when England struggled to score runs and were 247/4, still trailing by 245 runs at the end of Day three of the fifth Test match at The Oval.

England skipper Alastair Cook and Joe Root added 68 runs for the first wicket, before after getting another start, Cook (25) was once again dismissed by Ryan Harris as he edged one to Haddin. Cook who scored 766 runs in the 2010/11 series has struggled to play a captain’s knock in the series so far.

Root was joined by Jonathan Trott, who himself hasn’t done much in the tournament. The pair added 50 runs for the second wicket before Trott (40) was dismissed by Mitchell Starc.

Joe Root and Kevin Pietersen then batted for the most part of the day, adapting a defensive approach which slowed down the pace of the runs.

Both Root (68) and Pietersen (50) scored half-centuries but England still managed to score runs at slow pace.

Micthell Starc picked two wickets for the Aussies and spinner Nathan Lyon was a bit unlucky as England fielders failed to capitalise on a few opportunities which came their way.

With an unassailable lead of 3-0 in the series, England won’t mind a draw in the fifth and the final Test while the visitors would want to end the series with some respect.

Planes movie trailor and news.

In theaters : August 23, 2013

Plot: Dusty, a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar.

Producer

John Lasseter

Genre

Adventure , Animation , Comedy

Madras cafe trailor and news.

In theaters : August 23, 2013

An Indian Intelligence agent (played by John Abraham) journeys into a war torn coastal island, to break a resolute rebel group. He deftly maneuvers his resources to make significant breakthroughs, amidst a scenario where the enemy has no face and the only counsel is ‘don’t get caught’. At various junctions he meets a charismatic and passionate journalist (played by Nargis Fakhri) who is following her will to reflect the truth behind the civil war. The story unfolds as their quest for the truth reveals a deeper conspiracy, by a faceless enemy, united to seize a common nemesis – India

Allen Iverson to officially retire from NBA

Allen Iverson, an 11-time All-Star who has not played in the NBA since 2010, is prepared to officially announce his retirement in the coming days, SlamOnline.com reports.

According to the report, the 38-year-old Iverson has come to terms with the fact that his playing career is finished. He has not played professionally since 2011 in Turkey.

Gary Dineen/NBAE/Getty ImagesAllen Iverson reportedly is set to officially announce his retirement from the NBA.

On his bobblehead night in Philadelphia in March, Iverson indicated he still hoped to return to the NBA. Just two months earlier, he turned down an opportunity to launch a comeback in the NBA Development League.

Iverson also previously rebuffed opportunities to sign lucrative deals in China, instead eyeing a return to the NBA.

Considered one of the best pound-for-pound scorers in NBA history, Iverson -- listed at under 170 pounds for much of his career -- averaged 26.7 points and 6.2 assists during his 14-year career that included stops with thePhiladelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies.

"He might be the greatest athlete I've ever seen," Larry Brown, Iverson's coach from 1997-2003 with the 76ers, told Slam. "I don't think there'll be another one like him."

Iverson, a former No. 1 overall pick out of Georgetown, was the 1997 Rookie of the Year, the 2001 MVP, a three-time All-NBA First-Team selection and a four-time scoring champion.

Iverson led the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals and is firmly cemented as one of the franchise's all-time greats. He is the franchise leader in 40-point games (76) and 3-pointers (885), and is second behind Hal Greer in points (19,931).

In recent years, Iverson also has made headlines off the court. In December, divorce filings revealed he had serious financial issues.

Chelsea edge dogged Aston Villa.

Chelsea overcame obdurate opposition from Aston Villa to secure a hard-fought 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday that maintained their early momentum in the fledgling Premier League season.

After a breezy 2-0 victory over Hull City in their opening game on Sunday, Chelsea had to dig much deeper against Paul Lambert`s side but eventually prevailed through a header from Branislav Ivanovic with 17 minutes to play.

As against Hull, Chelsea had taken an early lead, this time through an own goal from Antonio Luna, but Villa refused to roll over and claimed an equaliser on the stroke of half-time when Christian Benteke lashed home.

Victory in an occasionally ill-tempered game, brought forward due to Chelsea`s involvement in the UEFA Super Cup on August 30, will give Jose Mourinho enhanced belief that his side are ready for the battle sure to await them at Manchester United on Monday.

Villa manager Lambert, meanwhile, will take solace from the doggedness of his side`s display, four days on from their shock 3-1 win at Arsenal and eight months after a humiliating 8-0 defeat on the same pitch.

Mourinho made two changes to the team that beat Hull, introducing Demba Ba and Juan Mata in place of Kevin De Bruyne and Fernando Torres, while Ciaran Clark replaced the injured Nathan Baker at centre-back for Villa.

Chelsea had taken the lead after 13 minutes against Hull and they were just as quick off the mark against Villa.

This time the visiting team held out for only seven minutes, although there was more than a touch of fortune about the goal.

Oscar released Eden Hazard with an incisive pass down the inside-left channel and although Brad Guzan parried the Belgian`s shot, the ball bounced off inrushing defender Luna and into the net.

Despite the early goal, Chelsea were not nearly as dominant as they had been against Hull and Villa might have equalised sooner had Andreas Weimann not completely miscued his header from Luna`s cross in the 20th minute.

There was a blow for the visitors shortly before half-time, as Clark had to go off after an inadvertent kick from Ba left him with blood streaming down his face. New signing Jores Okore came on in his place.

They finished the half with a stoppage-time flourish, however, as Gabriel Agbonlahor powered down the left flank before squaring for Benteke to smash home an equaliser off the left-hand post.

Villa`s tactic of withdrawing 10 men behind the ball when Chelsea had possession frustrated the hosts, and Agbonlahor almost put Villa ahead on the hour with a first-time curler that cleared the crossbar by inches.

Benteke then picked out Weimann for a volley that Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech had to deflect behind at his near post.

The volume inside the stadium rose as the intensity of the on-pitch challenges increased and the noise reached a crescendo in the 73rd minute when Ivanovic met Lampard`s deep free-kick with a bullet header to put Chelsea ahead.

Villa created one golden chance for a second equaliser, but when Benteke`s knock-down fell to Weimann in the 86th minute, Cech came to the rescue by blocking with his legs.

There was an even bigger scare for the hosts in injury time, when the ball appeared to strike John Terry`s arm inside the Chelsea box, but referee Kevin Friend did not put his whistle to his lips and Mourinho`s men escaped.

5th Ashes Test, Day 2:Smith shows a ton of learning.

 Steven Smith`s maiden Test hundred ensured Australia maintained their grip on the Ashes finale at The Oval on Thursday.

Smith`s 138 not out powered Australia to an imposing first innings total of 492 for nine declared on the second day as they sought a consolation win after England had already taken the series at 3-0 up.

When bad light ended play for the day, England were 32 without loss, a deficit of 460 runs.

England captain Alastair Cook was 17 not out and Joe Root 13 not out.

Australia resumed well-placed on their overnight 307 for four after rain delayed Thursday`s start by three-and-a-half hours.

Smith was 66 not out and nightwatchman Peter Siddle 18 not out following Shane Watson`s Test-best 176 on Wednesday.

The overcast conditions, despite the glare of floodlights, were more friendly to the bowlers, especially the seamers, than Wednesday`s blue skies when England debutant bowlers Chris Woakes and Simon Kerrigan struggled.

Indeed so poor was left-arm spinner Kerrigan`s first day return of none for 53 in eight overs, he didn`t bowl at all on Thursday.

It did not take long for paceman James Anderson, who on Wednesday moved past Bob Willis into second place in England`s all-time list of leading Test wicket-takers, to make the breakthrough.

Anderson bowled Siddle with a superb ball that clipped the top of off stump.

But when seam-bowling all-rounder Woakes dropped short, Smith pulled him for four to go to 89 -- the same score he made in the drawn third Test at Old Trafford.

However, there was no falling short of three figures for Smith on Thursday. The 24-year-old, playing the 12th Test of a career that saw him initially regarded as a leg-spinner who batted, went to his hundred in style by on-driving occasional medium-pacer Jonathan Trott for six.

However, four balls later, Brad Haddin played on to Trott for 30.

An embarrassing post-tea session where Cook set excessively defensive fields even when the tailenders, rather than Smith, were on strike, saw England concede 95 runs in 11.5 overs.

James Faulkner holed out to give fellow debutant Woakes a maiden Test wicket before Graeme Swann, who didn`t bowl until three hours into the day`s play despite being arguably the world`s leading off-spinner, struck with his second ball Friday to dismiss Mitchell Starc.

Ryan Harris hit 33 at better than a run-a-ball before he was caught and bowled by Anderson, who had to run some 20 yards to the vacant mid-off area.

Anderson led England`s attack with four wickets for 95 runs in 29.5 overs but he was denied the chance to take his fifth wicket of the innings when Australia captain Michael Clarke declared before last man Nathan Lyon faced a ball.

Smith, whose previous Test best was the 92 he made against India in Mohali in March, batted for more than six-and-a-half hours and faced 241 balls with 16 fours and two sixes.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist news, Trailor.

The United States has a military presence in two thirds of countries around the world. A group of 12 have had enough and initiate a terror ultimatum called the Blacklist -- a deadly countdown of escalating terrorist attacks on U.S. interests. Sam Fisher is the leader of the newly formed 4th Echelon unit: a clandestine unit that answers solely to the President of the United States. Sam and his team must hunt down these terrorists by any means necessary, and stop the Blacklist countdown before it reaches zero.
Unleash the power of the most lethal agent to ever exist. You've been given the ultimate freedom to protect innocents against the Blacklist terror attacks known as -- the freedom to use limitless force, to break every law, and to become the globe's deadliest operative. If you succeed, the President of the United States will deny you exist. If you fail, millions will die.

Release Date: August 20, 2013

M for Mature:

Genre: Third-Person Action

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Toronto

Saints Row IV trailor and review.

In the next open-world installment of Saints Row, Deep Silver Volition continues the story of the Third Street Saints by elevating their status to the highest level – the leaders of the free world. In Saints Row IV, the head honcho of the Saints has been elected to the Presidency of the United States. But the Saints are just getting started. Now the larger-than-life insanity of the Saints series gets a new twist with a catastrophic alien invasion, and the aliens have transported the Saints to a bizarro-Steelport simulation. Wield gargantuan superpowers and fight to free humanity from alien granddaddy Zinyak's mental grasp. Escape the simulation that's trapped the Saints crew, or die trying.

Saints Row IV lets players delve into an arsenal of alien weaponry and technology that will turn each Saint into an ultimate entity of destruction. Utilize out-of-this-world superpowers to fight all the way to the top. With intensified action and enhanced customization, players can use their newfound superpowers and leap over buildings, outrun the fastest sports cars, or send enemies flying with telekinesis in the greatest, most insane installment of Saints Row yet. Save the world, Saints Style.

Release Date: August 20, 2013

RP-M+ for Rating Pending, Targeting a Rating of Mature or Above:

Genre: Action

Publisher: Deep Silver

Developer: Volition

The Bureau XCOM Declassified news and Trailor.

The battle of humans against an invading alien force erupts in The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, a new story and unique gameplay experience set inside one of gaming's most storied and beloved franchises. Set in 1962 at the height of the Cold War, The Bureau tells the origin story of the clandestine XCOM organization's first encounter with a mysterious and devastating enemy. Originally established as America's covert defense against the Soviet Union, The Bureau must adapt and overcome a threat unlike anything the world has faced before. As special agent William Carter, players will call the shots and pull the trigger, leading their squad of agents in the high-stakes secret war for humanity’s survival. Paramount to repelling the outside threat is The Bureau’s ability to cover-up the enemy’s existence in order to prevent worldwide panic.

In the spirit of the XCOM franchise, The Bureau's calculated combat design requires players to think and act tactically. The game's third-person perspective gives the player a sense of spatial awareness and grants them the freedom to transition in and out Carter's unique Battle Focus ability seamlessly -- heightening the tactical shooter action. The Bureau also fully embraces the concept of permanent consequence. As our last line of defense, every command can mean the difference between life and death for Carter, his squad and mankind.

Release Date: August 20, 2013

RP-T+ for Rating Pending, Targeting a Rating of Teen or Above:

Genre: Third-Person Shooter

Publisher: 2K Games

Developer: 2K Marin

' The Butler" topped the box office over the weekend with a $25 million.

Despite the massive popularity of movies like "Kick-Ass 2" and "The Avengers," box-office observers predicted that comic-book based sequel"Kick-Ass 2" would be roundly beaten by a historical drama over the weekend. They were right.

"Lee Daniels' The Butler" topped the box office over the weekend with a $25 million debut. Starring Forest Whitaker as a character based on a butler who worked in the White House for 34 years, "The Butler" was the last film produced by the late Laura Ziskin, whose producer and executive producer credits included four "Spider-Man" films and "Pretty Woman."

Oprah And Forest Whitaker 'Did What Couples Do' To Prep For 'The Butler'

"Kick-Ass 2" floundered in the #4 spot with just $13.5 million, behind both "We're the Millers" and "Elysium" from the week before. Liam Hemsworth's corporate espionage thriller "Paranoia" and Ashton Kutcher's Steve Jobs biopic, "Jobs," both bombed. Neither movie debuted in the top five, despite the considerable respective fanbases for the two stars.

"Lee Daniels' The Butler" was the only one of the weekend's four widely released new films to receive mostly positive reviews from film critics. The film's success owed a lot to Oprah Winfrey, who put a great deal of time and effort into promoting her first scripted/live-action film role in more than a decade. "Kick-Ass 2" failed to receive the enthusiastic critical reception of its predecessor, amassing just 28 percent positive reviews, according to Rotten Tomatoes. "Jobs" fared even worse, with 25 percent on the Tomatometer, while "Paranoia" was one of the worst reviewed films of the year, sitting at just 4 percent.

"The Butler" was produced for just $30 million and has been called the first true Academy Awards contender of the year. The prospects look great for the latest film from Oscar kingmakers the Weinstein Company, particularly with so few "grownup dramas" in the marketplace. Audiences who saw "Lee Daniels' The Butler" assigned it a CinemaScore of "A."

"Kick-Ass" earned only $48.1 million domestically in 2010, but its success on DVD and on-demand services was enough for Universal to push forward with a sequel. It's the latest in a string of comic-based sequels that failed to live up to the original's success, including "Red 2," "The Wolverine" and "The Smurfs 2" (yes, the Smurfs got their start on the printed page). The fact that the film's biggest star, Jim Carrey, withdrew his endorsement of the film due to its extreme violence certainly didn't help.

There's no denying the courage it must've taken for Ashton Kutcher to play Apple visionary Steve Jobs, particularly so soon after the cultural icon's death. Despite the star's creative bravery, "Jobs" made a meager $6.7 million over the weekend. Jobs' Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has been critical of the film and audiences who saw it gave it a "B-" CinemaScore.

Despite supporting turns from screen legend Harrison Ford and Oscar-nominated actor Gary Oldman, "Paranoia" couldn't withstand the competition at the box office. The thriller starring Liam Hemsworth, brother to Chris Hemsworth aka Thor, earned an extremely low $3.5 million in its opening weekend. "Paranoia" received a "C+" CinemaScore from audiences.

R-rated comedy "We're the Millers" held onto the #2 spot for a second consecutive weekend, making $17.8 million for a two-week total of $69.5 million. "Millers" reunited "Horrible Bosses" co-stars Jason Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston. Last weekend's #1 movie, "Elysium," was #3 with $13.6 million. Matt Damon's $115 million sci-fi flick has made $55.9 million domestically, all but ensuring "Elysium" will end up doing less business than filmmaker Neill Blomkamp's much-beloved debut, "District 9."

Disney's "Planes," once intended to go direct-to-DVD, rounded out the top five with $13.1 million for a $45 million two week total. The "Cars" spinoff, featuring Dane Cook in the lead voice role, was produced by DisneyToons for about $50 million. This weekend will be the third in a row to see four new films vying for the top spot. But unlike last weekend, the majority of them are getting great reviews: "The World's End," "You're Next" and "The Frozen Ground," in that order. Only the big-screen adaptation of "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" has yet to receive commentary from major film critics.

The Ashes: History beckons both England and Australia in final Test.

A chance to make history, albeit of different sorts, will confront England and Australia when the final Test of this season`s Ashes starts at The Oval in south London on Wednesday.

At 3-0 up with one to play, England have already retained the Ashes and won the series -- the first time since the 1950s they`ve won three successive Test campaigns against their oldest rivals.

But they still have plenty to play as they`ve never won four Tests against Australia in England and have never taken any Ashes series by a 4-0 margin although they did win 4-1 in Australia in 1911/12 and in 1928/29 before taking a six-match series against an Australia side weakened by defections to the unofficial World Series Cricket 5-1 in 1978/79.

A result of greater resonance to both current sides is that the last England team to win the Ashes and round off the series with a defeat was Mike Gatting`s side at Sydney in 1987.
Following a narrow victory, Australia won the next eight Ashes series.

The last thing England batsman Jonathan Trott wants is for his captain, Alastair Cook, to receive the Ashes urn on the back of a loss.

"I don`t think anyone wants to go up on the stage and raise the urn after we have lost," Trott said. "If we do that, it will be a bit of a downer."

Unusually, Australia will have a chance for revenge in a matter of a few months, with the return Ashes `Down Under` starting in November.

"There are another five games (against Australia) after this one so we are not letting up," Trott said. "That is an important message to send. If we take our foot off, you give them hope and they can go back to Australia having won a Test," added Trott, who marked his Test debut by making a hundred against Australia at The Oval in the concluding Ashes Test of 2009 where victory saw England regain the urn.

England have been forced into making a change after Tim Bresnan, who starred with both bat and ball in the 74-run fourth Test win at Chester-le-Street was ruled out of the rest of the season with a back injury.

Fast bowler Chris Tremlett, looking to revive his Test
career on his Surrey home ground, is one of three players along with the uncapped duo of all-rounder Chris Woakes and left-arm spinner Simon Kerrigan looking to take Bresnan's spot.

Australia, who've used eight batsmen in a series where the top order has been their Achilles heel, could once again make changes despite being urged to 'pick and stick' by the likes of former captain Steve Waugh, who didn't score a hundred until his 26th Test before becoming a world-class batsman.

Usman Khawaja, averaging just 19 in three successive Tests, appears to be the batsman under greatest pressure right now after coach Darren Lehmann warned his top six they were playing for their places following

Australia's latest collapse at Chester-le-Street and there have been suggestions reserve wicketkeeper Matthew Wade could come into the side as a specialist batsman.

Australia have lost seven of their last eight Tests, a losing streak interrupted by a rain-affected draw at Old Trafford.

However, vice-captain Brad Haddin insisted a side led by world-class batsman Michael Clarke could avoid becoming the first Australia team since Greg Chappell's side lost 3-0 in England in 1977 to go through an Ashes series without winning a Test.

"There's a lot of belief in the changing room that we can win this last Test," wicketkeeper Haddin said.

"We've been in a position over the Tests to put ourselves in a position to win, we just haven't been good enough in the big moments.

"We've shown glimmers of where we can be as a team, but we haven't done it for long enough.

"To get ourselves in a position that we did at Durham and then finish the way we did, it takes a lot out of you," Haddin admitted.

"But Test cricket's not meant to be easy...The series has gone, and we've just got to see what we're made of."

Saina Nehwal leads Hyderabad Hotshots to 4-1 victory over Pune Pistons.

 

Hyderabad Hotshots, spearheaded by Indian badminton icon Saina Nehwal, brought down the high flying, unbeaten Pune Pistons in impressive style with a comprehensive 4-1 victory in the Indian Badminton League at the NSCI courts on Monday.

The thumping victory also powered the Hotshots to the top of the league table with 11 points to their credit while leaving Pistons in second place with 9.

Saina provided the early spark to the Hotshots campaign against the league toppers by clinching the high quality women`s singles clash against her long-time German rival Juliane Schenk in a battle between two of the world`s top five players.

Egged on by the partisan crowd chanting "Saina Saina", the Indian world no 4 downed world no 3 Schenk 17-21 21-19 11-6 in 59 minutes after her compatriot and teammate Ajay Jayram shocked Vietnamese rival Tien Minh Nguyen, world no 5, 21-19 21-8 in the opening men`s singles encounter in just 40 minutes.

Later, the Malaysian world no 2 pair of V Shem Goh and Wah Lim Khah subdued the challenge of India`s seasoned pair Sanave Thomas and Rupesh Kumar 21-19 and 21-16 to give the Hotshots a winning lead in the best of five clash, their second victory in three ties, thus ensuring the Pistons` first defeat in as many encounters.

Thailand`s S Tanongsak, a semi finalist at the All-England made it 4-0 for the Hotshots with a straight-game victory over Pistons` Saurabh Varma. The left hander won 21-19 21-18 in the second men`s singles match.

Pistons got a consolation victory as well as one point from the tie when their mixed doubles combination of Joaquim Fischer Nielsen and Ashwini Ponnappa downed Hotshots` pair of V Shem Goh and Pradnya Gadre 21-11 21-14.

The match of the evening was the high-octane one between Saina and Schenk that the Indian won after a grim struggle to take her superior win-loss record against the German to 9-4.

The clash had all the trappings of a very good match between two of the world`s top women shuttlers and enthralled the crowd, both players striving their best especially in the second game that stretched to 27 minutes.

Saina started on the wrong note against Schenk against whom she has an 8-4 win-loss record at the international level, by making a number of unforced errors in the opening game which she lost quite tamely after bridging a big gap.

Saina trailed 5-7 and then 7-14 and egged on by the partisan crowd, the Indian ace narrowed the leeway by sending the German rival to the base with quick flicks and then winning the point with drop or smash winners.

The Indian ace narrowed the lead to 16-17 before her rival hit a purple patch in time and ran away with the opening game in 19 minutes when Saina hit the bird wide.

Saina, who had by now tightened up her game, and her rival level-pegged till 6 in the second before the Indian, who went into the match with a 8-4 win-loss record against the German, upped the tempo and led 11-8.

Schenk caught up at 14 and then even led by one point before Saina caught her at 16.

It became 18-all and then 19-all before Saina went up to game point with a flat smash winner and then drew level with her rival by winning the last point when Schenk`s attempted drop sailed wide of the sideline.

Having the momentum, Saina jumped to a 4-1 lead in the decider and led 7-5 at the break in the final game after a series of long and exciting rallies. But she held her nerve while Schenk committed errors and clinched the tie when the German hit long.

This was the German`s first loss in three games in the IBL while Saina has won all her three matches thus far.

"We have always had some great matches and today too it was a very good contest. She played very well," said Saina.

Earlier, Jayram, ranked 24th in the world, was the more aggressive player against world no 5 Nguyen and dominated the Vietnamese shuttler near the net as well as away from it, especially in the second game in which the Indian was clearly the better player.

'One should respect every individual who has played for the country' says Dhoni.

Some former cricketers may have selected their best-ever Indian team recently, but captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni does not favour such a practice, saying "one should respect every individual who has played for the country".

"It's very difficult to compare and compile all the players and teams of all era. Personally, I won't select my best team ever because I feel we should respect everyone who has played for India," Dhoni said at a promotional event.

Two stalwarts of Indian cricket — Kapil Dev and Sourav Ganguly — recently picked their best-ever Indian ODI squads which had a few surprises. Suprsingly, while Kapil's all-time best ODI squad did not have a single player from India's 1983 World Cup-winning side, Ganguly's dream ODI and Test teams reflected a post-Eighties selection.

Ganguly ignored the spin troika of Bishan Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna and B S Chandrasekhar in any squad. He named VVS Laxman as 12th man in Test squad while totally ignoring Mohammad Azharuddin.

Unlike the 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil who did not include himself in his dream ODI team, Ganguly didn't hesitate to name himself in both the ODI and Test teams he selected.

In what can be seen as a ray of hope for out-of-favour seniors like Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and others, Dhoni said that not age but form and fitness was crucial for the success of any cricketer.

"I don't think age is a factor. What matters is form and fitness and not age," he said.

He was also of the view that all forms of the game are important.

"They are all inter-related. Performance in one will have an impact on the other form," Dhoni said.

Dhoni, undoutedly the most successful Indian captain of all-time, lauded his deputy Virat Kohli for his leadership qualities.

"Kohli is a fantastic cricketer. He has great knowledge about the game and has done well as a captain. He has all the right recipes. He is very expressive on the field," said the wicket-keeper batsman under whose leadership India had won both the ICC Twenty20 World Cup and the ICC 50-over World Cup apart from this year's Champions Trophy.

'Sachin Likely To Retire After 200th Test'.

Sachin Tendulkar set to play his 200th Test Match during the upcoming Indian tour of South Africa, the batting maestro may bid goodbye to the game after the landmark match, former Test pacer Karsan Ghavri Thursday said.

"He already has all the records and we all surely would love to see him getting to another landmark -- his 200th Test Match. I think he has been waiting for the right time and as soon as he plays the 200th game he will retire," Gahvri said here.

In the city to participate in an Independence Day celebration, Ghavri described Tendulkar as the country`s greatest sporting ambassador. Tendulkar is just two short of achieving the landmark of having played in 200 Tests.

"It`s not that after retiring he will be out of the game. He is such a great name, he will always be associated with cricket. All his records are almost impossible to be broken and the landmark of 200 Test matches is just unbelievable," added Gahvri.

India`s tour to South Africa, beginning November this year, is slated to comprise two T20 Internationals, seven One Day Internationals and three Tests.