British troops could be withdrawn from Iraq despite Washington’s desire that they continue to fight along with American forces. A determined Gordon Brown hinted after meeting President George Bush in Camp David on Monday that he might consider pulling 5,500 British troops from Iraq.

Brown said, “We can then achieve what we want to do, which is to pass security over to the Iraqi­people.” He added his aim was to “step by step move control to the Iraqi authorities – to the Iraqi government and to its security forces – as progress is made.”

“We’ve moved from combat to over watch in three of the four provinces for which we, the British, have security responsibility. We intend to move to over watch in the fourth province, and that decision will be made on the military advice of our commanders on the ground,” the Prime Minister stated.

He is expected to announce the withdrawal to parliament soon after the return of MPs in October from the summer recess. Political analysts said Brown’s determination to draw troops back to base in Basra will lead to irritation in the White House and the Pentagon.

“Gordon Brown has paved the way for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq by telling George Bush he would not delay their exit in order to show unity with the United States,” one analyst commented.

Brown’s comments will give him further bounce in public ratings here in Britain. One Labour Peer told HT: “Gordon Brown has paved the way for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq by telling George Bush he would not delay their exit in order to show unity with the United States. It strengthens the belief that a snap poll may be held soon after the forces return home.”

Another significant development was Brown apparently distancing himself from Bush’s “war on terror”. He said, “Terrorism is not a cause, it is a crime – and it is a crime against humanity.” He also appeared to indicate that he considered the fight against the Taliban in Afghan­istan as the more important theatre for British troops. “Afghanistan is the front line against terrorism,” he said.

Maruti Q1 net profit jumps 35 pc

Parties must seize the opportunity


Great circumspection must be exercised in welcoming the Pakistan Supreme Court’s decision to nullify President Pervez Musharraf’s reference against Chief Justice Iftikar Chaudhary. The gumption displayed by the court in asserting its institutional independence against a dictatorial regime cannot be overemphasised.

But given Pakistan’s peculiar political situation, this victory could well turn out to be pyrrhic. Sure, military dictatorships have historically been the bane of Pakistani democracy. It would, nevertheless, be foolish to ignore the fact that the country currently faces a far more pernicious adversary: a reactionary and terroristic strain of political Islam.

Unchecked ascendancy of radical Islam in Pakistan would, among other things, spell a huge setback for the already wobbly war on terror. The best bet against such a clear and present danger is, ironically enough, the Pakistani army.

But considering that the country’s security apparatus has very little political accountability, the possibility that it might leave the country’s mainstream politicians in the lurch in the latter’s battle against radical Islam cannot entirely be ruled out.

What could actually effect such an unfortunate turn of events is the likely legal challenge that mainstream democratic players — their resolve bolstered by the independent judgement of the court — could successfully mount against Musharraf’s decision to get himself re-elected by an outgoing puppet Parliament.

A cornered security-intelligence apparatus — not yet fully cleansed of radical Islamist elements — could then not only go slow in its battle against Islamist terror, but actually aid and abet them surreptitiously.

The point is not that this sequence of events is inevitable. However, it is not completely improbable given the limitations of liberal democracy in Pakistan. Mainstream electoral politics has, for the most part, been an alibi for the country’s traditional elite to preserve its vested interests.

That has created a small, though significant, space for radical Islam. Unless Pakistan’s democratic parties change their ways, the forces of reaction and authoritarianism will engulf South Asia.

Painter, curator, collector and installation artist: multiple roles come easy to the indefatigable Bose Krishnamachari


He’s just back from the Peabody Essex Museum, Massachusetts, where his Ghost/Transmemoir installation was part of a cutting-edge group show, Gateway Bombay, curated by Susan Bean and Beth Citron. But there’s no room for jet lag. In his Borivili studio, Bose Krishnamachari, 44, is painting a new canvas for an upcoming group exhibition while fielding calls, unpacking his cargo of books and catalogues and sipping coconut water to keep up with the crazy pace.

Up ahead are shows in Milan, a group exhibition in Paris, a solo in London AICON, another group show in Vienna hosted by Swarovski, and an offer to curate a big show for the Amsterdam India Festival, not to mention the planned solos, group shows and curator projects around in the country.

The little plastic globe on his desk isn’t obviously out of place. “Travel is the best form of education,” says Bose about his upcoming whistle-stop trips. One wonders how it feels to be both a curator and an artist. “Being a practitioner of the arts, I feel I am in a position to curate with the sort of depth that a lot of the so-called curators of today aren’t doing,” says the painter who made a statement with his first curated show Bombay X 17 in 2003. “Bombay X 17 created a link between Mumbai and Kerala. It was followed by Double Enders, where Kerala artists came to Mumbai and shared their works,” he says.

With his latest venture Spy, at The Guild Art Gallery, featuring four upcoming young artists, Bose looks at the human tendency to be voyeuristic through the works of C. K. Rajan, Dia Mehta, Prasad Raghavan and Simrin Mehra. “Spy is an interdisciplinary show that brings photography, painting, advertising and fashion designing,” says Bose.

Despite the hectic workflow, Bose isn’t letting his own painting lag behind. “The current canvases are lager-than-life tributes to dabbawalas. Plans are afoot for my solo at Bodhi, where I am focussing on the media,” says the artist.

This is a project like Ghost that featured over 100 tiffin-carriers strung up on what looked like the inside of a local train compartment; this time it’s over 5,000 media logos on mikes. “It’s going to be like a Last Supper with world leaders at the table facing the mikes. The media invades your living room and can make or destroy public opinion,” says Bose.

Who was Bose before he became a phenomenon? A young artist from Kerala, he had already won a Lalit Kala Akademi award when he landed in Mumbai in 1985, with a few leads, loads of talent and a yen to make it big. JJ School of Art initially denied him entry on the grounds that he was already an established artist. “I was determined to get in. I stayed in a Saki Naka chawl, sharing a flat in shifts with a cousin and ten other bachelors. I made portraits for a living at the Mela Restaurant in Worli in the mornings,” recalls the artist.

JJ School relented in 1986 and he enrolled for his Bachelor in Fine Arts. Bose found himself drawn into circles that had a senior like Akbar Padamsee, the contemporaneous Sudarshan Shetty and the younger Riyas Komu. “It was good to have stimulating people around. It inspired me,” says the painter.

Being the topper in his batch, he also had a stint as a teacher at JJ under a Bombay University scholarship. However, when Bose organised a SAHMAT workshop on the campus, he spoke about the changes that he wanted to see at JJ School. “They found it untenable that I had spoken out and critiqued them and I was asked to leave in 1992,” he recalls. That only proved to be a minor setback since he was awarded a scholarship from Goldsmiths College, University of London.

Stylistically Bose has traversed the entire gamut of modern and contemporary art— from photo-realism and portraits, to a popish usage of found images from the media. He has experimented with billboards, furniture, public art, his own brand of abstraction and later in his career, with large-scale installation projects.

Bose is appalled at the apathy of Indian museums towards contemporary art. “Some of them run like commercial galleries with shows running only for a week,” he bemoans. “My dream is to build two museums in Kochi and Mumbai, where I will showcase my personal collection and also invite collectors from the world over. I have bought land in Kerala and am lobbying for a spot in Mumbai.”

For now there is Bose’s adda in his basement adjoining his studio, which is thrown open to young artists and contemporaries to access his vast collection of books and DVDs. “We will have screenings of films, discussions and workshops. My home used to be an adda of sorts. I’m glad I have a new space for it.”

Looking at the glossy spines of the tomes that currently lie in the cardboard boxes, one does wish that he gets all the space that he wants, since he is more than willing to share his goodies with the rest of the art world.

NEW DELHI: The rain god smiled on the national capital Saturday, bringing some respite to millions of people after almost a week of sweltering heat and oppressing humidity.

The capital received moderate rainfall in the evening that also saw the mercury dropping by almost six degrees.

"Delhi received 9.2 mm of rains within one hour of rainfall," an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

"Before the rain started at around 5 p.m., the temperature was 34.2 degrees Celsius and after the rainfall, it plummeted to 28 degrees," the official said.

The city Saturday recorded a maximum of 35.2 degrees and a minimum 29.7 degrees, three degrees above normal.

On June 28, the IMD announced the formal arrival of monsoon in the city but there was very little rain since then.

Eva Longoria was at the Bebe Collection Fall 2007 runway show for LA Fashion Week. Why wouldn't she be? She is now the new face of Bebe Sport, which seems like an odd pick to me, even though I adore her.

Though she looks like a fairly voluptuous woman, Eva Longoria is teeny tiny - she makes Rebecca Romijn look like an Amazon! How adorable is Eva in that little black dress, which she paired with black peep-toe heels (black peep toe is the flavor of the month, it seems). The only thing I didn't like is the new hair style. You can't tell from the photo, but it's straight and shorter, almost a long bob.

How to Lose 20 lbs. of Fat in 30 Days… Without Doing Any Exercise

Rule #1: Avoid “white” carbohydrates

Avoid any carbohydrate that is — or can be — white. The following foods are thus prohibited, except for within 1.5 hours of finishing a resistance-training workout of at least 20 minutes in length: bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, and fried food with breading. If you avoid eating anything white, you’ll be safe.

Rule #2: Eat the same few meals over and over again

The most successful dieters, regardless of whether their goal is muscle gain or fat loss, eat the same few meals over and over again. Mix and match, costructing each meal with one from each of the three following groups:

Proteins:
Egg whites with one whole egg for flavor Chicken breast or thigh Grass-fed organic beef Pork

Legumes:
Lentils Black beans Pinto beans

Vegetables:
Spinach Asparagus Peas Mixed vegetables

Eat as much as you like of the above food items. Just remember: keep it simple. Pick three or four meals and repeat them. Almost all restaurants can give you a salad or vegetables in place of french fries or potatoes. Surprisingly, I have found Mexican food, swapping out rice for vegetables, to be one of the cuisines most conducive to the “slow carb” diet.

Most people who go on “low” carbohydrate diets complain of low energy and quit, not because such diets can’t work, but because they consume insufficient calories. A 1/2 cup of rice is 300 calories, whereas a 1/2 cup of spinach is 15 calories! Vegetables are not calorically dense, so it is critical that you add legumes for caloric load.

Some athletes eat 6-8x per day to break up caloric load and avoid fat gain. I think this is ridiculously inconvenient. I eat 4x per day:

10am - breakfast
1pm - lunch
5pm - smaller second lunch
7:30-9pm - sports training
10pm - dinner
12am - glass of wine and Discovery Channel before bed

Here are some of my meals that recur again and again:

Scrambled Eggo logy pourable egg whites with one whole egg, black beans, and microwaved mixed vegetables

Grass-fed organic beef, pinto beans, mixed vegetables, and extra guacamole (Mexican restaurant)

Grass-fed organic beef (from Trader Joe’s), lentils, and mixed vegetables
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Post-workout pizza with extra chicken, cilantro, pineapple, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, bell peppers, and red onions

Rule #3: Don’t drink calories

Drink massive quantities of water and as much unsweetened iced tea, tea, diet sodas, coffee (without white cream), or other no-calorie/low-calorie beverages as you like. Do not drink milk, normal soft drinks, or fruit juice. I’m a wine fanatic and have at least one glass of wine each evening, which I believe actually aids sports recovery and fat-loss. Recent research into resveratrol supports this.

Rule #4: Take one day off per week

I recommend Saturdays as your “Dieters Gone Wild” day. I am allowed to eat whatever I want on Saturdays, and I go out of my way to eat ice cream, Snickers, Take 5, and all of my other vices in excess. I make myself a little sick and don’t want to look at any of it for the rest of the week. Paradoxically, dramatically spiking caloric intake in this way once per week increases fat loss by ensuring that your metabolic rate (thyroid function, etc.) doesn’t down regulate from extended caloric restriction. That’s right: eating pure crap can help you lose fat. Welcome to Utopia.

White Tie & Tiara Ball

After a decade of hard work, Elton John's annual White Tie & Tiara Ball - which raises funds for his charity, the Elton John Aids Foundation - has lost none of its sparkle.

For its ten year anniversary, the event had a beach party theme and Valentino, Agyness Deyn and Roberto Cavalli were among the glamorous attendees who saw Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys play a live set before digging deep at the charity auction.

"The aim every year is to get people to say that it was the best one yet," said David Furnish; mission accomplished.

See the stars in their cars as they arrive at one of the most closely-guarded celebrity events on the calendar.

Sienna and Keira

Sienna and Keira have been pictured together yet again, this time for The Edge of Love film premiere in London. Designer and friend Matthew Williamson was there to show his support - and perhaps assist Sienna with a quick dress change before heading into Mayfair.

Also in London, another pair of well-dressed girls - Gweneth Paltrow and Stella McCartney - headed out to Hoping Foundation Benefit Evening, which was held in Soho, while over in New York, London girl Agyness Deyn took a quick cigarette break whilst shopping in the West Village and Anne Hathaway stepped out with a new haircut.

Philip Treacy

A design by Philip Treacy. Photograph by Joy Ekpeti

Inspired by beauty and elegance, master milliner Philip Treacy has dressed the heads of everyone from Madonna and Kate Moss to The Countess of Wessex and Sarah Jessica Parker.

With his dramatic and wildly imaginative creations - clouds of butterflies, festoons of feathers and shapely sculptures - it's no wonder he's been awarded British accessory designer of the year five times. This is indeed what wearing a hat is all about.

Kangana Ranaut's 'Fashion' statement

No midriffs or minis for Ascot fashion parade

ASCOT, England (Reuters Life!) - The "fashion police" were on alert on Thursday for Royal Ascot's Ladies Day to ensure no mini-skirts or bare midriffs marred the hallowed turf of the exclusive Royal Enclosure.

For officials at one of the world's most elegant race meetings are cracking the sartorial whip after veteran racegoers complained that standards were slipping.

So the Duke of Devonshire, chairman of the course where Queen Elizabeth plays host for the five-day meeting, has issued firm fashion instructions to stamp out errant dressers.

Once the Royal Enclosure was so select that divorcees were banned and all ladies had to wear gloves.

Today all you need to gain admittance is to be recommended by someone who has attended four times before.

All this year's badgeholders were given their fashion marching orders and warned: "Those not complying with the directions will be asked to leave the Royal Enclosure."

Thursday is Ladies Day at Ascot so the competition to put on the finest fashion display is intense.

A major storm is brewing in WTO trade talks which is a major headache for Australian producers. THE stunning winery in the Yarra Valley in Victoria, Australia seems to stretch on and on, not unlike its own history which spans over 168 years. Our first stop in this relentless acreage of vineyard is Domain Chandon, the Australian base of French champagne house Moet & Chandon set up in 1986.

Protruding aniseed ball buttons were all the rage during London Fashion Week. No longer just a small and functional fastening, they're getting bigger, bolder and purely decorative.Yes ! it is.

Bobbling about on fuchsia pink knits in jet black at Biba , they made another appearance at Juilien Macdonald adorning everything from capes and coats - in purposely random and off centre spots - to chunky knit mini dresses covered in structured panel formations. We love fashion's new seemingly sweet tooth.

Bejewelled Sunglasses

If you haven't yet invested in a pair of sunglasses for summer, then these are the pair to save up for indeed.

Encrusted with turquoise blue precious stones, they are as bold as they are delicate and will transform any outfit, immediately adding superstar status.

Price available on request. Exclusively available at selected Dolce&Gabbana boutiques.

While in Sydney last month, Burdeu shot her second Vogue cover in a year.

Twelve months ago she was battling out with a bunch of nobodies in reality series Australia's Next Top Model.

Often chastised by the other girls for being different, she's had the last laugh.

Burdeu is in Europe working, while many of the girls in the show have disappeared.

Vogue editor Kirstie Clements is a fan of the leggy redhead.

"She's a different model now to the one who won Australia's Next Top Model," she said.

"She's been validated as one of the top emerging models on the world scene and has a whole new sense of sophistication."

Researchers envision a day when workouts are tailored for men vs. women.

"I don't think they really are ever going to catch up," says Danielle Day, an assistant professor of exercise and sport performance at the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine, who follows the topic.While women have made tremendous gains in athletic performance, experts generally agree that the world's top female athletes will probably never outperform their male counterparts. Men are bigger and have more muscle and higher levels of that powerhouse hormone testosterone than women.

But as researchers have begun to unravel the differences between the sexes with regard to physical activity, they're learning that there's more to the story. Men and women also differ in energy metabolism, lung function and other factors during exercise.

OCTOBER is going to be one busy month for Burberry's Christopher Bailey: the creative director will head to Los Angeles where he'll continue with the label's sartorial charm offensive of the US.

According to The Daily, the designer will celebrate the opening of a new flagship concept store in Beverley Hills followed by a suitably glam bash the following evening to mark the arrival of the National Portrait Gallery's exhibition Vanity Fair Portraits - for which Burberry is the sponsor. The exhibition opened in London in February.

Just last month the luxury British fashion label announced a 25 per cent rise in annual profits, a result which was boosted from successful sales in the US and it has also just unveiled an ultra chic new store in Cannes.

IF there's one place to find the trends and designers of fashion's future, it's Graduate Fashion Week and yesterday, the annual event kicked off in style at its new home in Earls Court 2.

Northumbria University, Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication and Winchester School of Art were among the five universities who took to the catwalk to show the cream of this year's sartorial student crop while among the static exhibition stands there was plenty to look at too.

Louise Simmonds (Northbrook College) drew on the drama of the Italian renaissance to create tumbling ruffled and pleated collars while florals inspired Hannah Townsend's (Colchester School of Art) bloom festooned and very wearable dresses, and Emily Bell (Northumbria University) brought us the cutest seaside collection of homeware pieces entitled Squawk.