Master Manzoor mysteriously found dead

HYDERABAD: Famous Sindhi singer Master Manzoor has been mysteriously found dead at his residence, police said.

According to the police, the dead body of Master Manzoor was found from his residence, located in Qasimabad phase 2.

Interrogation has been kicked off, police added.

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Mr Guitar' Bert Weedon dies at 91

LONDON: British guitarist Bert Weedon, who inspired a generation -- including some of the world's best-known players -- to pick up the string instrument, died at the age of 91 on Friday, a close friend announced.

Nicknamed "Mr Guitar", Weedon, whose "Play In A Day" tutorial books sold millions, was an in-demand session player who backed stars such as Frank Sinatra.

The Beatles' George Harrison, John Lennon as well as Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Queen guitarist Brian May and Pete Townshend of The Who were all among those who started out with Weedon's books. The Shadows also dedicated a song to him.

His friend John Adrian said Weedon died at his home in Beaconsfield, west of London.

"He had been poorly for a while but, even so, this was sudden," he said, adding: "He was one of my dearest friends."

Weedon was born in east London and aged 12 he persuaded his father to buy a battered guitar from a street market.

He started out playing with big bands before embarking on a solo career which saw him notch up hits including "Guitar Boogie Shuffle" and "Nashville Boogie".

The arrival of rock 'n' roll provided him with a new role as a top session man who played with stars including Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Rosemary Clooney and Cliff Richard.

His first "Play In A Day" book was published in 1957.

Clapton once said he had "never met a player of any consequence" who had not learned from the books.

Weedon is survived by his wife and two sons. (AFP)

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Julia Roberts eyes Bollywood

MUMBAI: According to Indian media, Hollywood actress Julia Robert is set to buy a house in India as well take a shot in the kaleidoscopic tinsel town called Bollywood.

Julia’s fascination for India is not new. The ‘Pretty woman’ fell in love with the sub-continent while she was here to shoot for her movie ‘Eat, Pray, Love’.

The 44-year-old, who converted to Hinduism in 2009 confirmed this report saying, “I can see something like that (buying a house here) happening in the future. I would love to live near Haridwar or Varanasi, since they are such holy spots for Hinduism. I’ve heard land prices are astronomical there, though.”

Interestingly, it’s not just Julia who is in awe with India, the love is shared by her entire family. In her last interview with a daily she said that her daughter Hazel wants to live in India when she grows up.

So is her plan to book a property in India a step towards materializing her daughters dream? She said, “I wish I could give a concrete answer to that, since I really enjoyed my first visit here. But, unfortunately, given my line of work, I can’t promise anything. However, whenever I come to India, I’ll bring my kids along.”

Asked if she is teaching her kids about Indian culture? “Right now, they’re too young to grasp the nuances of culture and religion. However, as they grow up, I’d like them to be knowledgeable and respectful towards all cultures. I’ll make sure they know about India.”

Roberts confessed that she is herself on a learning mode. “My Hindi is terrible! The only things I can manage are basic greetings like ‘Namaste’.” That, though, doesn’t stop her from loving Bollywood. “I’m fascinated by Bollywood ... I don’t know much about it, but I’d love to give it a try,” she said.

Julia’s new film ‘Snow White’ directed by Tarsem Singh, an American of Indian origin is set to release in India on 20th April.

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Tom offers $75,000 reward for guitars

LOS ANGELES: Rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are offering a $75,000 reward for the return of five guitars stolen from a Los Angeles-area studio last week, ahead of their US and Europe tour.

The band said on their website that the guitars include Petty's 1967 12-string blonde Ricken backer 360 and his 1965 Gibson SGTV Junior, as well as instruments belonging to bassist Ron Blair, rhythm guitar player Scott Thurston, and lead guitarist Mike Campbell.

They said they would pay a $75,000 reward "with no questions asked to anyone with information leading to the recovery of the guitars."

The guitars were reported stolen on Thursday from a studio in Culver City, west of Los Angeles, where the band was rehearsing for their US tour, which is set to open in Broomfield, Colorado, on Wednesday.

Police said they were investigating the theft. (Reuters)

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Veena is on Geo's Nadia Khan Show today

KARACHI: Famous actress Veena Malik said that what she has done with Ashmit what was right and she was not repenting her decision.

Veena said that one actress had given money to a man to throw acid on her (Veena) face. She said she doesn’t know what to say about a person who makes money by making his wife dance.

Veena Malik made these revelations during her interview in Geo's programme the 'Nadia Khan Show.'

While talking to host Nadia Khan, Veena Malik revealed several things in connection with conflicting stories and scandals relating to her personal life.

The discussion with Veena Malik will be presented today (April 8, Sunday) at 10:30 pm in the Nadia Khan Show.

It should be remembered that Nadia Khan held a special meeting with Veena Malik in Dubai where she carried out her interview.

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Palin pans Julianne Moore in Game Change

WASHINGTON: Sarah Palin gave a visible thumbs-down to actress Julianne Moore on Tuesday for her portrayal of Palin in the political docudrama "Game Change," but praised Tina Fey for her comic impersonation of the former Alaska governor.

The movie review came up during a NBC "Today Show" panel discussion on whether Ashton Kutcher was the right actor to play the late Apple chief Steve Jobs.

"Do any of you have experience of people being paid a lot of money to pretend they're you?" Palin asked the other panelists.

When the question of Moore's portrayal of Palin came up, Palin made a thumbs-down gesture, but said she hadn't seen the HBO film about the 2008 election, in which she was Republican presidential candidate John McCain's vice presidential running mate.

"I didn't see 'Game Change' because I don't waste my time on lies," Palin said.

She praised Fey, who repeatedly portrayed Palin, complete with characteristic upswept hair-do and glasses, on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" during the 2008 campaign.

In her dual role as guest and guest-host on the "Today" program, Palin first sat for an interview and then switched to comment on various segments of the show. (Reuters)

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