Western leaders have condemned strongly Russia's decision to recognise the independence of the breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

US President George Bush warned his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, that his "irresponsible decision" was exacerbating tensions in the region.Georgia said Russia was seeking to "change Europe's borders by force".Earlier, Mr Medvedev told the BBC that Russia had been obliged to act because of Georgia's "genocide" of separatists. He also said Moscow had felt obliged to recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia as other countries had done with Kosovo earlier this year

Let's see Hari Puttar get out of this one. Bollywood producers set to release a film called "Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors" are working to fend off a lawsuit filed by Warner Bros. that claims the movie title hews too closely to their mega-famous boy wizard franchise.While Bollywood films often borrow liberally from Western movies, producers of "Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors" say their movie bears no resemblance to any film in the "Harry Potter" series."There is absolutely nothing to link 'Hari Puttar' with 'Harry Potter,'" said Munish Purii, chief executive officer of Mumbai-based producer Mirchi Movies. Hari is a common name in India and "puttar" is Punabji for son, he said.

Hermann Goering, Hitler's Luftwaffe (Air Force) Chief is attributed with the remark: 'When I hear anyone talk of culture, I reach for my revolver.' Goering was a man not to be admired nor followed but we get the same inclination of Goering when culture tsars and commissars not  knowledgeable nor competent to deal with culture, take upon themselves to dictate to Sri Lankans on what our culture is and what it is not.

Last week the Minister of Sports and Public Recreation Gamini Lokuge announced his decision to ban 18 Russian girls who were cheerleaders at cricket matches following an appeal made to him by the Cultural Affairs Minister Mahinda Yapa.

The cheerleaders had been performing at the last two one day international cricket matches but now by ministerial diktat they will be kept out of the remaining matches. Yapa had decided that these performances were against our (Sinhala?) culture

Flowers in spring

These girls as one gushing report said were as 'pretty as flowers in spring;' brought down at great cost and booked in to the expensive Hotel Kandalama by sponsors of this tournament. We too, now in our declining years, are not enthusiastic about these girls in gini jungis (hot pants) and flimsy bras gyrating before the pavilions. In fact it is our opinion that they are incongruous with this dull game invented by the English where flannelled fools play on for days battering a leather ball with a willow in a wide green.

BEIJING - International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Jacques Rogge declared the Beijing Olympics officially closed Sunday bringing down the curtain on a glittering 16-day long sports extravaganza.

‘These were truly exceptional Games!’ said Rogge at the end of the first Olympics organised by China.The Beijing Olympics, which opened on August 8, saw China for the first time emerge as the dominant sports country at the Games taking 51 golds to 36 for the United States and 23 for RussiaThey were also a massive landmark showcasing China's full emergence as a world political and economic superpower.Presiding at his second summer Games, Rogge said at the conclusion to a lavish closing ceremony in the Olympic Stadium that through the Beijing Olympics ‘the world learned more about China and China learned more about the world

What they lacked at the press conference they certainly made up for on stage - thankfully. On- and off-screen Bollywood couple Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan wowed an audience at Jashan 2008 - a dynamic stage show packed full of all their big songs from their hit films.

The long-awaited event, which had been cancelled on two previous occasions, finally took place at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday and was their first-ever show together.But while the couple oozed energy and charisma on stage, unfortunately the same could not be said for the duo a day before at a pre-show press conference
Looking uninterested, the pair arrived more than an hour late for the scheduled 3pm start and took their seats before forcing smiles for a three-minute photographer frenzy.
Rudely chit-chatting while the organisers, hotel staff and sponsors were introduced, Kapoor and Khan were more interested in each other than in the invited media before them

Republicans strategists don't have to look too deep to find ammunition to use against Joe Biden, Politico reports. It's all a matter of public record. For starters, he called Obama's foreign policy views "naive" last year and said the presidency is not the place for "on-the-job training." He damaged his own run when he called Obama “the first mainstream African-American (candidate) who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.”

Canadian singer Celine Dion (left) poses with Quebec's mayor Regis Labeaume after receiving an honorary doctorate in music from Laval University in Quebec City.(Reuters Photo)

The final segment of India's 45-day-long Sri Lankan sojourn beckons as the team returns to Colombo for the last three ODIs. With the series tied at 1-1, it's almost as though a new mini-series is beginning, and given how different the conditions are likely to be, it might be just that.The Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium hosted two low-scoring matches, but by no means dull or bereft of strong individual performances. Since there isn't much domestic cricket played in Dambulla, the pitches are usually hard and fresh when international cricket comes around

Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan pose during a photocall to promote their Unforgettable Tour in London