Travel Picks: Top 10 fire festivals around the world

Diwali isn't the only festival of lights. As clocks turn back, days get shorter, temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere plummet and 2012 draws to a close, there's no better time to strike a match and light those dark skies up with color.

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  Yahoo Lifestyle Entertainment/Reuters - Participants in costume hold burning torches as they take part in one of a series of processions during Bonfire night celebrations in Lewes, southern England November …more 

LONDON (Reuters) - As clocks turn back, days get shorter, temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere plummet and 2012 draws to a close, there's no better time to strike a match and light those dark skies up with color. That's why online travel consultants Cheapflights.com (wwww.cheapflights.com) have come up with a list of Top 10 fire festivals around the world. Reuters has not endorsed this list:

1. Guy Fawkes Night (Bonfire Night) - England

"Remember, remember the fifth of November - gunpowder, treason and plot" goes the nursery rhyme, chanted in the run-up to Guy Fawkes Night (November 5). It goes back to 1605 when Guy Fawkes, one of the members of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding explosives in the House of Lords, London. With the plot to blow up the House of Lords - and kill King James I - foiled, Londoners lit bonfires around the city in celebration.

The bonfire tradition continues to this day, and usually there's an effigy of Guy Fawkes placed at the center of it. One of the biggest celebrations is in the town of Lewes in Sussex where, in recent years, effigies of various current figures, including those from the UK banking world, have been burned.

2. Daizenji Tamataregu Shrine's "Oniyo" - Fukuoka, Japan

Fukuoka, capital of Fukuoka Prefecture on Kyushu Island, is one of Japan's largest cities and hosts one of its oldest fire festivals. Daizenji Tamataregu Shrine's "Oniyo" (Fire Festival) is a ceremony to drive away evil spirits that has been practiced for 1,600 years. It's held in early January each year. A "devil fire" that has been guarded at the temple is transferred - at around 9 p.m. on the seventh day (January 7) - to six massive torches measuring one meter in diameter and 15 meters long.

The torches are transported around the grounds of the shrine by a group of men in loincloths. It sounds like a potential health-and-safety issue, but it's considered to be good luck if embers or ash from the torches fall on them.

3. Jeongwol Daeboreum Deulbul Festival - Jeju, S. Korea

In early February, the Jeongwol Daeboreum Deulbul Festival takes place on the island of Jeju off the coast of South Korea. It's a fairly new festival, younger than 20 years old, but its origins go back to the time when families kept cows.

To keep the grass grazeable, farmers set fire to the fields in the mountains to destroy old grass and kill harmful insects. Today, a hilltop is set alight to pray for health and a good harvest in the coming year. There's a torchlight march, straw-rope making competition and deumdol (rock) lifting.

4. Diwali - India

The best-known Hindu festival is known as the "festival of lights." Diwali (or Deepavali) means "rows of lighted lamps" and, during this time, houses, shops and public places are decorated with diyas (small earthenware oil lamps), elaborate feasts are prepared and spectacular fireworks displays light up the skies.

The festival (November 13 this year) celebrates the triumph of good over evil and is celebrated throughout India and around the world (in Singapore, Trinidad and Tobago, Mauritius, Myanmar and London among many others).

5. Samhain 2012 - Out of the Darkness - Altoona, Florida, USA

More than 500 pagans gather in Florida for the state's largest pagan festival. Running from October 31 to November 4 at Camp Ocala, each day is filled with feasting, rituals, drumming, dancing and live entertainment.

The main ritual in 2012 is centered around the "Burning Times" when so-called "witches" were put to death.

6. Quema del Diablo (Burning of the Devil) - Guatemala

In early December Guatemalans ready themselves for the Christmas season by...driving the devil from their homes and burning him in the streets! For centuries - at least since the 1700s - the traditional ceremony has been performed to chase bad spirits from homes and neighborhoods.

By watching bonfires, firework displays and burning devil figures in the streets, locals say they are spiritually cleansing themselves. The tradition is best experienced in Guatemala City and Antigua, but many towns throughout Guatemala host similar ceremonies.

7. Ottery St Mary - Devon, England

In the small town of Ottery St Mary, the bonfire and fireworks are not the focal point of the community's celebrations. This November 5, it will be the local townspeople carrying flaming barrels of tar through the streets. In a tradition that predates even 1605 it is said, 17 barrels are carried, starting in the afternoon, with small barrels for boys, medium barrels for youths and women and big ones for the men.

Traditionally, the barrels are set on fire at pubs and hotels around the town and a strict schedule is followed until midnight when the final barrel is carried in the square.

8. Up Helly Aa, Lerwick - Shetland Islands, Scotland

If you've ever wanted to see Vikings, this is the festival to see! Described as a Northern Mardi Gras, its origins stretch back 1,200 years, although the festival started in the 1870s. It's held on the last Tuesday of January (January 29 in 2013). On that evening, nearly 1,000 men march in ranks, carrying fencing posts topped in paraffin-soaked sacking. At 7:30 p.m. a rocket cresting over the Town Hall marks the start.

Torches are lit, bands start playing and the men march with the Guizer Jarl (the head of the festival) who stands at the helm of a longship. Dragged to the burning site, the Guizer Jarl will leave his ship for it to be set alight. As the longship is engulfed by flames, the Vikings sing "The Norseman's Home" before heading to halls for feasts of mutton soup, bannocks and plenty of warming drinks.

9. Bonfire Night - Newfoundland, Canada

When English and Irish people, in search of a better life, crossed the Atlantic Ocean to Canada, they took their traditions with them. The English took Guy Fawkes Night, the Irish took Samhain and over time the traditions merged into Mischief Week.

With a belief that certain types of naughty behavior (soaping windows, taking pins from gate hinges or stealing old tires for bonfires) is permitted at this time, many of Newfoundland & Labrador's close-knit communities hold bonfires and celebrations.

10. Sadeh - Iran

Sadeh (or Jashn-e Sadeh) is an ancient Zoroastrian festival. While it refers to 100 days and nights before the New Year (Nowruz, which falls on the Vernal Equinox, March 20 or 21), it is celebrated 50 days earlier - around the end of January. It honors the discovery of fire that defeated the forces of darkness and cold.

Traditionally, festivities went on for three days and gifts of food were given to the poor. Today, Zoroastrians light bonfires, perform religious rituals around them and thank God for his blessings. It's usually celebrated in the Kushk-e Varjavand gardens in Karaj (in Tehran province) where members of the Zoroastrian community congregate for the festivities.

Sonia to open Congress strategy meet Nov 9

 Congress president Sonia Gandhi will open the party's review cum strategy meet on Friday with her remarks on the current political situation, party leaders said Thursday.

The informal meet, billed as "Samvad baithak" (dialogue meet) will be held at Surajkund near Delhi.

"The Congress chief's opening remarks about the current political situation will form the basis of the debate," Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told reporters here.

"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will address the meeting next on the economic challenges facing the country," said Dwivedi.

While Finance Minister P. Chidambaram will initiate the debate on the economic challenges after the prime minister has spoken, any leaders wishing to speak on the political issues will be allowed to do so during the meet itself, said Dwivedi.

The third and last item on the agenda of the meet will be a performance review of the party's 2009 manifesto and a roadmap for the future.

The meeting will end with Sonia Gandhi's remarks.

"All the issues are likely to take up around six hours, and it is going to be a working lunch for us, to have more time for the debate," said Dwivedi.

The meeting will be attended by party leaders, including 19 Congress Working Committee members among whom are general secretaries in charge of states, 16 permanent invitees to CWC, 23 cabinet ministers and 12 ministers of state with independent charge.

Coming after the Oct 28 reshuffle of the Manmohan Singh cabinet, the meet is being described in Congress circles as a "review cum strategy" session.

Sandy forces three carmakers to scrap 15,000 cars

 Toyota Motor, Chrysler, Nissan and Honda plan to scrap about 15,000 vehicles damaged by Hurricane Sandy as automakers and dealers continue assessing the storm's impact, said media reports.

Travis Parman, spokesman of Nissan Motor Co, said late Tuesday it is estimated more than 6,000 Nissan and luxury Infiniti brand cars and light trucks are "un-saleable" due to the storm. As many as 200,000 may have to be replaced, said Larry Dixon, a senior analyst for the National Automobile Dealers Association.

Sandy, the biggest Atlantic storm in US history, impacted New Jersey, New York and the surrounding region, leading to at least 100 deaths, reported Xinhua.

According to the Detroit News, Fisker Automotive Inc., a startup maker of luxury plug-in hybrids, lost 320 of its $103,000 Karma sedans at the port of Newark, New Jersey, that burned in a fire triggered by salt water, said Roger Ormisher, a spokesman for the California-based company.

"We don't have a full estimate of the cost to replace them yet," Ormisher said. The cars were being processed at the port for delivery to Fisker dealers when the storm arrived.

Some 4,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles were at the company's port facility in Newark when the storm hit, said Jana Hartline, spokeswoman for Toyota's US unit in Torrance, California.

Chrysler lost about 750 vehicles in dealer stock due to the hurricane damage, said Ralph Kisiel, a spokesman for the Auburn Hills-based carmaker that's majority-owned by Fiat SpA. Ford Motor Co.could not immediately provide estimates for storm damage.

Kingfisher Airlines posts net loss; pressure mounts

Debt-ridden Kingfisher Airlines put on a brave face on Thursday after announcing a record loss for the second quarter, saying a recovery plan is in the works and its grounded jets will take to the skies soon.

The airline, which has struggled to pay its staff for most of the year and has not flown for over a month due to protests and safety concerns, has never turned a profit in its eight-year history. According to one estimate, it is saddled with roughly $2.5 billion in debt.

The figures got even worse on Thursday for a company that has been on life support for months.

Second-quarter results showed a loss of 7.54 billion rupees, compared with a loss of 4.69 billion rupees a year earlier. Revenue declined 87 percent to 2 billion rupees.

Despite the company's pledge on Thursday to produce a comprehensive recovery plan, some analysts doubt that what was once India's second-largest carrier will fly again.

Creditors have set a November 30 deadline for Kingfisher to bring in fresh equity or an investor, the chairman of State Bank of India, its lead lender, told Reuters. He did not say what would happen if the demand was not met.

"Options? It is already bankrupt, I don't think there is any option," said a Mumbai-based aviation analyst with a local brokerage.

"If a promoter can put in money, then possibly the company can be revived, but we are talking about very large amounts of money, 30-40 billion rupees," said the analyst, who did not wish to be identified because he no longer covers the company.

A Kingfisher spokesman refused to comment.

Kingfisher has been scrambling without success to find fresh investment. No global airline has publicly expressed an interest in buying a stake.

The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation has said a fully funded turnaround for Kingfisher would cost at least $1 billion.

First Look: Salman Khan back as Chulbul Pandey in DABANGG 2

After making Eid special with super successful EK THA TIGER Bollywood's hot favorite, Salman Khan is back to sway us and make this Christmas a grand celebration with his upcoming film DABANGG 2, sequel to 2010 blockbuster DABANGG. The much awaited first look poster of the sequel is out!

Retaining the style of prequel, the poster shows Salman Khan's back posture and his famous glasses, which was there in the first part as well. However, this time around in the poster Salman is seen sporting broken glasses. Is it an indication about the film or Salman Khan's character?

There's also a marginal note on the poster saying: Here comes Chulbul Pandey.

Salman's character - Chulbul Pandey, from the first part, won the hearts of many and soon became a household name and now get set for some more antics from the colourful character!

While DABANGG was directed by Abhinav Kashyap, the sequel is helmed by Salman's brother Arbaaz Khan. Salman Khan and Sonakshi Sinha will be seen in the lead roles once again. It also stars Vinod Khanna, Prakash Raj, Deepak Dobriyal, Sandeepa Dhar and Nikitan Dheer. Kareena Kapoor will be seen in a special appearance song.

DABANGG 2 is slated for December 21, 2012 release!

Reema Kagti: Kareena is not as intense as Aamir and Rani

Besides Aamir Khan Reema Kagti's much-touted film TALAASH stars two of the best and finest actresses of the industry - Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. Both have their individual standing, art is in their blood, both have created their distinct mark and both command supremacy in their respective spaces, yet when asked about their working styles director Reema Kagti didn't mince her words in saying that Aamir and Rani are more intense than Kareena.

"Both Rani and Kareena are two of the finest actresses that industry has. Both have different working process. Rani loves doing prep for her films. Before the shoot she wants to know everything how will she do, what she'll be doing, the backstory, what's going in my mind etc. While Kareena has a completely different approach," says Reema.

She further adds, "If you compare them as students then Rani is proverbial front bencher and Kareena is proverbial back bencher. Prep ke time Kareena ki koi khabar hi nahi hoti. I did little bit of reading and rehearsals with Kareena. But she is nowhere as intense as Rani and Aamir. So they have different styles of working but what matters ultimately is when camera rolls on and both of them seem to have terrific control over their art."

Produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Siddhwani's Excel Entertainment Pvt. Ltd and Aamir Khan Productions', the story and screenplay done by Zoya Akhtar, music composed by Ram Sampath and distributed by Reliance Entertainment, TALAASH is set to release on November 30, 2012.

'Dabangg 2' trailer to be launched on 'Bigg Boss 6'

The trailer of the much-awaited "Dabangg 2", a sequel to the 2010 blockbuster "Dabangg", will be launched on reality show "Bigg Boss 6", which is hosted by the film's lead actor Salman Khan.

Arbaaz Khan, the producer and director of "Dabangg 2", will join his elder brother Salman Friday on the sets of "Bigg Boss 6" to launch the trailer, a source told IANS.

The special episode will be telecast on Colors Saturday.

"Dabangg 2" will see Salman return as corrupt policeman Chulbul Pandey, and Sonakshi Sinha once again plays his wife. Southern star Prakash Raj plays the antagonist.

Arbaaz's wife Malaika, who gyrated to "Munni badnaam" in "Dabangg" is said to have done an item number for the sequel. Kareena Kapoor too will be seen in an item number.

The movie is slated to release around Christmas this year.

Its first poster features Salman with his trademark shades placed on the back of his collar.

Why vampires? Book looks at science behind monsters

The suave and sensitive Edward Cullen of "Twilight" may be the norm for vampires these days, but fictional monsters such as Dracula originally sprang from the fear of inexplicable diseases and the mysteries of death in the natural world.

So argues science journalist Matt Kaplan in "Medusa's Gaze and Vampire's Bite: The Science of Monsters," an examination of monsters around the world and throughout history - the science behind their origins, and why they matter to us even now.

"When our kids ask for monster stories around the campfire, they are behaving in a way that is not dissimilar to lion cubs," Kaplan said in an email.

"Lion cubs play fight so they can test out their skills in a safe place where nobody is going to get maimed or killed. Monster stories serve a similar purpose, they allow us to face our worst fears without the risks that are normally associated with them."

Some are simple. The Kraken tales of mammoth monster squid, along with the Leviathan of the Bible, are most likely based upon the existence of real creatures such as whales.

The terrifying Medusa of Greek myths, with her hair made of snakes and a gaze that could turn things to stone, may have been distantly connected to the idea of fossils for ancient people, with the snakes in her hair an example of pure fear.

Though mentions of vampire-like creatures exist as early as ancient Greece, it took hundreds of years for tales of the creatures to gradually evolve into the haunting undead of more recent history.

Accounts of people found in their graves with blood on their lips and their stomachs seemingly full, as if they had just eaten, may be explained by simple decay, with gas buildup throughout the body sometimes pushing blood up from the lungs. Elongated canine teeth and fingernails was due to skin shrinking after death and pulling away, making both more prominent.

Later, greater awareness of contagious diseases such as influenza and tuberculosis - which could cause people who came in contact with the ill person to also sicken and die - further contributed to the myth. This was especially true due to incubation periods that weren't understood at the time, making it unclear how the diseases were being spread.

"One death would follow another in a dominolike progression," writes Kaplan. "In a morbid sense, these patients were literally killing their friends and relatives, but from their deathbeds rather than the hereafter."

But vampires have now undergone a radical transformation, a process that began with the publication of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" but has speeded up in recent years.

"If tuberculosis, influenza, rabies and bloated bodies are the human experiences from which Dracula came, how have we now ended up with the kind, honourable and handsome Edward Cullen?" Kaplan said.

For one thing, modern science has uncovered the mechanism of various diseases, which remain a fear but now appear as their true selves, as in stories such as "The Andromeda Strain."

Vampires have also become increasingly charming, transforming their original monster nature into something else.

"In a world where the seemingly most virtuous individuals all too often fall prey to vice, public interest in good souls battling their own bestial natures is higher than ever, and vampires provide exploration of this," Kaplan added.

In the future, fears are likely to focus on things like genetic manipulation - think Jurassic Park - and also from technology, with worries about what computers might do with true artificial intelligence looming large.

"What I find most interesting here is that these monsters really require human participation in their creation," he said, noting the popularity of films like "Avatar" and "Planet of the Apes," where monsters are the heroes and the humans, monsters.

Why are we so comfortable with feeling elated as inhuman beasts rip apart people? I think a long, hard look in the mirror can provide a lot of answers," he said.

Karisma to endorse McCain Foods

 Bollywood actress Karisma Kapoor has been roped in as the brand ambassador of McCain Foods India Pvt. Ltd.

"I look forward to partnering with McCain. Being a true-blue Kapoor, I love good food. And being a mother, I know the importance of being able to create appetizing snacks for my kids in a few minutes," Karisma, 38, said in a statement.

"With McCain's easy-to-prepare frozen products, I can serve up popular snacks like french fries and aloo tikki as well as innovative snacks like potato bites and veggie nuggets. McCain is a great solution for women, whether working or homemakers," she added.

The company will shortly roll out a new campaign featuring Karisma as a smart woman who delights her family and guests with quick snacks.

'Skyfall' has bumper opening, has Rs.27.5 crore windfall

 The much-awaited 23rd James Bond movie "Skyfall" has grossed approximately Rs.27.5 crore ($5.1 million) in four days, making it the second biggest opening weekend ever for a Hollywood film in India.

The opening collections of Daniel Craig starrer "Skyfall" are said to be best so for a Bond film in India.

"'Skyfall' has not only continued India's fascination with the James Bond franchise, but also expanded it...," Kercy Daruwala, managing director, Sony Pictures India, said in a statement.

"Extremely positive reviews and word-of-mouth will ensure that the film has a long and successful run at the box office and will garner repeat viewings as well," Daruwala added.

Sony Pictures India released "Skyfall" Nov 1 with 907 prints. It hit the Indian screens in four languages - English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The opening collection of the film has exceeded the earnings of Craig's last two Bond movies - "Casino Royale" (2006) and "Quantum of Solace" (2008).

Karan Johar: Encourager of new talent!

It has been a great year for Karan Johar and Dharma Productions as they released some of the biggest hits of the year like EK MAIN AUR EKK TU, AGNEEPATH and STUDENT OF THE YEAR. Karan is also back on his director's chair with three newcomers - Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt in STUDENT OF THE YEAR. The film was undoubtedly a success at the box-office and Karan is overwhelmed with the response.

The last two years saw Dharma Productions in a complete different light as they introduced varied genres of films. Karan has valiantly attempted to experiment across genres along with encouraging fresh talent. Karan Malhotra and Shakun Batra have stood by their producer's expectations and have kept up the Dharma legacy by delivering successful films like AGNEEPATH and EK MAIN AUR EKK TU. Karan is known to have complete faith on his directors and go all out there to help them deliver their best.

Karan Johar has launched many new directors in the last couple of years, including Ayan Mukerji with WAKE UP SID, Rensil D'silva with KURBAAN, Tarun Mansukhani with DOSTANA, Siddharth Malhotra with WE ARE FAMILY and Punit Malhotra with I HATE LUV STORYS. After making their successful debuts in Bollywood, most of these directors are already geared up for their second projects.

The coming year has an exciting lineup of films for Dharma Productions with a range of genres including Ranbir-Deepika starrer YEH JAWAANI HAI DEEWANI, GIPPI and 2 STATES. Here's hoping that Dharma Productions continues to entertain the audiences by encouraging new talent in Bollywood!!

Bigg Boss 6: Sapna manhandles Urvashi

It all started with a friendly task assigned by Bigg Boss. The team under vrajesh was assigned the task of putting gulal on rival team leader Sidhu's face.

5 Desserts You Shouldn’t Be Eating

Let’s have a look at five desserts you should definitely avoid at all costs.

1. Fried Desserts

No matter how tasty banana fritters or churros might be, they are nothing but a sweet treat filled with unhealthy ingredients and oodles of calories. The batter, which is used to make this dessert, only consists of fat and heaps of sugar. Also, it is important to note that it does not give your body any kind of nutrition at all.

2. Doughnuts.

The doughnut bug bit India just a few years ago. However, this circular sweet treat is not doing the right things to your system. These tiny desserts are made from flour, sugar and cooking oil; everything is refined. Doughnuts are filled with large quantities of calories since they are also deep fried.

3. Muffins

There are a variety of muffins that are available in bakeries today. However, the muffins that are even labeled ‘low-fat’ contain a lot of sugar, thereby filling your body with a lot of calories. In order to ensure that you control the calorie intake, eat it in smaller portions and consume it after short intervals.

13 best foods you must start eating

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   Yahoo Lifestyle Entertainment Photo by ThinkstockFri 5 Oct, 2012 3:30 PM IST

   Pumpkin: Pumpkins are fibrous, and boosts immunity.

4. Ice cream

Ice creams have been a favorite dessert of everyone. It tops the list of favorite desserts and is also used as an integral part of many other desserts. Innovative toppings like whipped cream, sauces and coulis are added to ice creams too. This makes this, the already high calorie dessert, increase in the amount of calories thereby making it unhealthy for your body.

5. Packaged baked foods

Convenience foods and packaged cake mixes are considered to be extremely unhealthy for your body because of the trans fat content in them. To increase its shelf life, producers add a large amount of preservatives, colors and artificial flavors to it. This addition made to the mix makes it harmful and is bad cholesterol for the body.

Eating desserts completes the meal for the most of you. However, making the right choices and consuming healthy substitutes for the same is very crucial for the well-being of your body.

Americans choose Obama over Romney

US President Barack Obama claps as he arrives on stage to deliver his acceptance speech on November 7, 2012 in Chicago. Obama swept to re-election, forging history again by transcending a slow economic recovery and the high unemployment which haunted his first term to beat Republican Mitt Romney

Barack Obama wins election for second term as president

President Barack Obama handily defeated Gov. Mitt Romney and won himself a second term on Tuesday after a bitter and historically expensive race that was primarily fought in just a handful of battleground states. Obama beat Romney after nabbing almost every one of the 12 crucial battleground states.

The Romney campaign's last-ditch attempt to put blue-leaning Midwestern swing states in play failed as Obama's Midwestern firewall sent the president back to the White House for four more years. Obama picked up the swing states of New Hampshire, Michigan, New Mexico, Iowa, Virginia, Wisconsin, Colorado, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Ohio. Of the swing states, Romney picked up only North Carolina. Florida is still too close to call, but even if Romney wins the state, Obama still beat him in the Electoral College vote. The popular vote will most likely be narrower than the president's decisive Electoral College victory.

In a sweeping victory speech early Wednesday morning, Obama thanked every American who voted, and vowed to work with leaders from both parties to tackle the country's challenges.

"Our economy is recovering, a decade of war is ending, a long campaign is now over," he told a crowd of cheering supporters in Chicago. "And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you, I have learned from you and you have made me a better president." Obama added he has "never been more hopeful about America. ... We're not as divided as our politics suggest. We remain more than a collection of blue states and red states."

Obama win: What it means for India, markets and economy

Barack Obama's anti-outsourcing ads have helped him in being re-elected as US President. Over the past few months the US president has released waves of advertisements against his Republican rival, Mitt Romney. 

These have claimed "Romney outsourced call center jobs to India" and was a "pioneer in outsourcing". President Barack Obama has said that he wants to give tax breaks to companies that are investing in the United States, but will this spell out bad news for our economy and jobs market?

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  U.S. President Barack Obama (R) celebrates with Vice President Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden and their son Beau (L) at their election night victory rally in Chicago, November 7, 2012. REUTERS/Jim Bourg

Katrina Kaif's sister Isabelle in Bollywood

Isabelle Kaif to make her Bollywood debut

Katrina Kaif's sister Isabelle is all set to make her big screen debut opposite Anil Kapoor's son Harshvardhan. The young pair will be seen in a yet- untitled short crossover film directed by Steven Roy Thomas. 

Say no to flaky hair!

You cannot be prone to dandruff if you keep your scalp immaculately clean. If you wash your hair less often, then it can lead to accumulation of more dead skin cells and oil which can cause dandruff. Wash your hair gently and allow it to dry before you brush or comb it 

Shah Rukh's 47th birthday with his fans

"I never had big dreams and I just wanted to work hard and be accepted and act in films. I got more than what I had wanted. I will not do anything to tarnish this happiness," Shah Rukh told reporters at his birthday celebrations at his house here.

What you didn't know about Obama, Romney

Barack Obama has a personal background like no other president in U.S. history. His mother, Ann Dunham, was a white woman from Kansas and his father, Barack Obama Sr., was a black Kenyan who saw little of his son after a divorce when the boy was a toddler. Obama spent much of his childhood in Indonesia and then Hawaii, where he lived with his maternal grandparents.