Monet sells for $22.5 million at Christie's

A Claude Monet painting of poplars sold for $22.5 million at a Christie's auction in New York on Wednesday, while a Maurice de Vlaminck smashed records for the artist by also selling for $22.5 million. The works were among the better earners at the impressionist and modern art spring sale. Monet's "Les Peupliers," painted in 1891, had been estimated to sell for $20 million to $30 million. Another Monet, "Iris Mauves," was estimated to sell for between $15 and $20 million dollars, but found no buyer in tepid trading.

From backpacker to Bollywood extra

Scouts often cruise the streets of Mumbai looking for westerners to work as extras in Bollywood films. I ended up dancing on the set of a movie within a day of landing in India as a backpacker, says Howard Johnson.

Some people spend their lives seeking their 15 minutes of fame.

 But as I experienced in India, sometimes it comes looking for you.

Al Ain: The desert’s oasis in UAE

It may be hard to picture, but before oil was discovered in the 1960s, the Gulf was not just uninhabited desert. The region has a long history, and one of the best places to learn about it is Al Ain.

Just an hour east of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain sits on the border with Oman.  And what is initially most striking about it is the greenery. The roads are lined with palm trees and landscaped gardens abound. Known as the Garden City of the Gulf, it is a welcome contrast to the concrete jungle of construction and development so often seen in cities in this part of the world.

Kayseria Summer Chapter II Collection

Sefam (Pvt.) Limited began its operations in 1985 with one outlet, named Bareeze, in Lahore. Bareeze was the first entity to sell premium quality embroidered fabric in the cities of Pakistan. After the success of embroidered fabric Sefam brought a range of premium quality products of textile from couture to bed spreads and from casual to fancy wear for the people of Pakistan. These products were well received and within a few years Bareeze outlets were present in most of the major cities of Pakistan.

Hollywood honours Sophia Loren

John Travolta called her the "most delicious" thing to come out of Italy, Roberto Benigni serenaded her with the Neapolitan song "O Sole Mio" and Billy Crystal said she was his "first great love." Hollywood came out on Wednesday to honour Sophia Loren, 50 years after she become the first person to win an acting Oscar for a foreign-language role with the Italian movie "Two Women."

Oksana drops violence claim against Mel

According to latest media reports Oksana Grigorieva let Mel Gibson off the hook in court, concerning her domestic violence claim being grounds for changing their custody order. Oksana's representative confirmed that the rumors of the dropped claim, as well as the termination of a protective order against Mel are "accurate" but he did not want to make any further comment on the matter. Last month, Mel Gibson broke his silence, discussing the leaked audio recordings that allegedly feature the Oscar winner shouting obscenities at Oksana in a fit of rage.

Retro telephone gets 21st century update

While most phones are getting smaller and being crammed with non-phone functionality, the "Sixty" cordless phone from French company Sagemcom harks back to an earlier age of domestic communications ... with an injection of 21st Century design and technology. The Sixty delivers a new twist on the 1960's Bakelite telephone by transforming the stocky rotary form into a folded, slimline design and adding a digital time fascia and capacitive touchscreen.