LOS ANGELES: Nikhil Dhawan, Mr. South Asia 2007, will compete at Mr. International in Malaysia, representing India. The Mr. International 2007 pageant will be held in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia on Dec 31.

LOS ANGELES: Ranjani Sarode, student at Thalam School of Fine Arts, disciple of Natya Peroli Nalini Natarajan, and daughter of Mrs. Mamtha and Dr. Neelkanda, had her Bharatha Natyam Arangetram at the Reseda High School Auditorium.

NEW YORK: The Twenty-Sixth Nationwide Miss India USA is set to take place on Dec 28 at the Royal Albert's Palace, Fords, New Jersey. The pageant is organized by the New York-based IFC, the pioneer in organizing Indian pageants and fashion shows throughout the US and the world.

There is nothing like biting into the ambrosial flesh of a ripe plum, its juice dripping down one's lips, throat and hands. It is with the sweet memory of this ecstatic pleasure that I share the following recipe," writes award winning author, model/actress and host of Bravo's Top chef, in her dazzling new book Tangy Tart Hot and Sweet.

LOS ANGELES, CA: Step aside and make way for DesiYou, the newest, hippest, online community. DesiYou is one of the largest providers of original South Asian content, branding through the community.

NEW YORK: Wrapping up a successful auction season, Saffronart's 2007 Winter Online Auction closed last week with a total sale value of approximately US$ 8 million. The sale featured works by artists including S. H. Raza and F. N. Souza of the Bombay based Progressive Artists' Group, and also by their contemporaries including Tyeb Mehta, Rameshwar Broota and Jogen Chowdhury.

NEW YORK: Directed by Indian filmmaker Rajnesh Domalpalli, "Vanaja" - unquestionably, one of this year's best reviewed foreign language films and bound to show up in year-end 10 Best lists - continued its winning streak by picking up two major Independent Spirit Award nominations.

NEW DELHI: After capturing the minds of the people across the nation with his 'Chakde India' song, scriptwriter Jaideep Sahni is now penning the lyrics for a dog in animated film, 'Romeo.' Jaideep, who also wrote the lyrics.

RENO, Nevada: "Citizen Kane", created more than 66 years ago, still holds its number one position in the world of movies. A forthcoming book on world cinema, "99 Remarkable Films of the World", by journalist Rajan Zed of Nevada (USA), the excerpts from which were released here, rates "Citizen Kane" (1941) number one among films of the world made so far.

LONG BEACH, CA: Everyone witnessed a star-studded Red Carpet gala here onboard the prestigious ship Queen Mary on November 16, as the who's who of South Asians in Hollywood and world beauty queens were seen greeting fans, posing for pictures, and participating in interviews.