12 Celebrities who made news by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

 

Aishwarya’s post-pregnancy weight-gain was the focus of much debate and discussion. Ash tried her best to cut down on public appearances during the final stages of her pregnancy and managed to shield her baby girl from the paparazzi for almost 10 months. However, sections of the media and some of her fans slammed her when she was snapped at some Bollywood dos looking chubby and sporting a double chin.




Aishwarya’s presence at the Cannes silenced her worst critics, not only did the new mummy look glamorous but she seemed to be glowing in her new curvaceous avatar. Post Cannes, Ash looked radiant in a new jewelry advertisement and has been complimented on her various public appearances.

Recently on her 39th birthday, the 'Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters' was conferred on her by the Ambassador of France. Aishwarya was flanked by her family and her little daughter, Aaradhya, who is already enjoying a lot of media attention.

South Africa seek to build on top spot

South Africa will seek to consolidate their top place on the world Test rankings when they play New Zealand in a two-match series starting at Newlands on Wednesday.

The series shapes up as a mismatch, with eighth-ranked New Zealand hit by injuries and the withdrawal of former captain and star batsman Ross Taylor, but coach Gary Kirsten said the South Africans would not take victory for granted.
Kirsten said South Africa wanted to start a busy year of Test cricket on a strong note after capturing and then retaining the number one spot with successive away series wins against England and Australia.
"We had a good meeting around the year ahead," said Kirsten. "We're likely to have ten Test matches in 2013, and what we do as a team is set our goals about what we want to achieve for the year. The New Zealand series will be an important stepping stone to that.



"The success of our team in 2012 was the fact that we remained humble in our play, we never took any situation or any team for granted. We made sure that our preparation was spot on and that, when we got into Test match time, we set up solid foundations to give ourselves the best chance of success. We will treat this series no differently."
Nothing less than a 2-0 series win will be necessary for South Africa to improve their ranking points - and even then they will only gain one point. If they win the series 1-0 they will lose a point, while if they lose the series 1-0 they will shed seven points and lose their top spot to England.
New Zealand are likely to rely on a handful of top players, with captain Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson their key batsmen.
Guptill made a century in a Twenty20 international against South Africa, while all three made half-centuries in their side's three-day warm-up match against a South African Invitation XI in Paarl.
Williamson made New Zealand's only century when the teams met in three Tests in New Zealand earlier this year. South Africa won the series 1-0.
Left-arm opening bowler Trent Boult and the experienced Chris Martin will be New Zealand's bowling spearheads in the absence of the injured Tim Southee and Daniel Vettori.
South Africa have an injury concern over new ball bowler Vernon Philander, who is recovering from a hamstring strain but can call on two of the world's leading fast bowlers in Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, while their batting bulges with proven world-class performers such as captain Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers.
Squads
South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Alviro Petersen, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers (wkt), Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Jacques Rudolph, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Rory Kleinveldt
New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (capt), Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Daniel Flynn, Dean Brownlie, BJ Watling (wkt), James Franklin, Colin Munro, Doug Bracewell, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult, Jeetan Patel, Bruce Martin, Chris Martin, Mitchell McClenaghan
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG), Rod Tucker (AUS)
TV umpire: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI). Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
Fixtures
Jan 2-6, First Test, Cape Town
Jan 11-15, Second Test, Port Elizabeth

Narendra Modi

From shaking up the very foundations of the Indian government to stirring up unseemly controversies, from showing incredible courage in the face of extreme adversities to losing a reputation built over years of hard work in just a blink of an eye, from setting the electoral hustings afire with golden speeches to getting into trouble for not speaking at all, there were many 'newsmakers' in 2012 who caught the common man's imagination. Some made it for stellar reasons, others for all there is wrong with the society. Here are 12 'newsmakers' that deserve a mention.

From an obscure party worker to becoming a powerful political brand, Narendra Damodardas Modi's evolution as a leader with prime ministerial ambitions makes an interesting story. When he took over the reins of Gujarat he was relatively unknown but the torching of the Sabarmati Express train in Godhra and the subsequent riots in the state changed his political fortunes.




Although he was severely censured for not arresting the riots that lead to the massacre of hundreds of Muslims, such criticism only cemented his image as a leader who had 'protected' Hindus. For many Indians he is a possible prime minister and for others he is a Hindu zealot. Surprisingly, although he has mostly remained confined to Gujarat, Modi has takers in all parts of the country.

His appeal is widespread: some see him as a national security hero and for some he is a development man, but what is baffling is that the Bharatiya Janata Party does not seem too eager to project him as its prime ministerial candidate. Analysts believe that such a move could botch up the party's chances to come back to power at the Centre.

The problem for Modi is that he is still remembered for being in office during the Gujarat riots in 2002 and for years Modi was a political pariah, vilified at home and shunned by the West. A policy turnaround on London's part to renew political ties with Gujarat has come as a major boost for Modi's quest to be accepted as a mainstream political leader. Many of his critics say despite his attempts to refurbish his image, the ghosts of Godhra will continue to haunt him.

Lately, Modi has also made concerted efforts to project himself as a moderate by trying to promote religious harmony and has toned down his speeches, shifting their focus from Hindu revivalist rhetoric to wooing investment. What would be interesting to see is if his own party projects him as its prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Be that as it may, in 2012, Modi was one of the major movers and shakers in the nation's political firmament.