On August 14^th, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani said, in a televised address, that 20 million people, about one-ninth of the population, had been displaced by the disaster.

The BBC reported that, “flooding began on July 22 in the province of Baluchistan,” which then leaked into the, “the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province in the northwest before flowing south into Punjab and Sindh.”

Due to the flood death toll estimates reached from 1,300 to 1,600.

Since these horrific floods have devastates Pakistan, numerous nations from across the world have been sending out their own stream of announcements stating how they are going to help the nation and its victims.

Honestly though, from where and whom is the aid coming from? We question this important aspect because after the aftermath of January’s earthquake in Haiti, more victims were saved and pulled from rubble by neighboring Haitians and later by the “publicized” international rescue teams.

And it’s because of such actions that people knew that the same was to happen in Pakistan. And sadly, it has happened. The BBC has also reported that, “The Red Cross, for example, has supported the Pakistani Red Crescent in assisting about 300,000 flood victims.”
Nonetheless, this aid does not appear in the United Nation’s $72 million estimate. So is the aid really coming to those in need or not?

We do know for a fact though that the al-Khidmat Foundation, Pakistan’s largest and most influential right-wing religious party, has mobilized 16,500 volunteers and provided food and medical care to tens of thousands of people in need.

The money given for flood relief is small compared with the total amount that arrives in Pakistan and is broadly…

Since yesterday, the rumors have been spreading that producer Timbaland tried to commit suicide.

According to law enforcement sources, he was the subject of a manhunt yesterday after his family believed he was so distraught after someone had stolen a Jacob & Co. Timbaland suspected it might have been someone he trusted.

Timbaland left his home last night and began driving.  His family was worried because they couldn’t find him so they called the Sheriff’s Department. According to sources, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department put out a “possible suicide attempt” APB just before 5 PM PST yesterday.  A helicopter and squad cars went on the hunt for the rapper/producer’s Escalade.

It got to such a point that the deputies called for paramedics to evaluate Timbaland, in which they found that he was not a threat to himself and left.

And to clear the matter, today Timbaland called into Ryan Seacrest’s morning show and said, “It ain’t nothin to worry about.”

Let’s just hope they find his bling and it wasn’t anyone close to him to took it.

1. Confidence!

• Whether it be in work, school, hobbies, or the relationship itself- a guy must be confident in his own abilities. If he wasn’t strong willed enough to believe in himself, then how does he have any right to believe in any one else? It is so easily spotted (the level of confidence that people portray) that right off the bat I can tell if I’d be interested or not. When it comes down to it, confidence leads to success. Although…

So, I thought, why not just write about whatever topic comes to mind at the time? Love, relationships, life in general, dance, media, trends… the possibilities are endless! As long as it doesn’t end up turning into an endless novel of blog-type rants, I definitely feel like this may be a writing style that readers may enjoy.

So, I’ve been thinking about this for a while now and it never fails in capturing my attention. What do women really want from a guy? Mel Gibson finally figured out the answer to this age-old question, it only took him an accident and an unrealistic ability to hear women’s thoughts to get there, in the romantic comedy “What Women Want”. I mean, I know what I want, but I always wondered what truly causes the attraction between women and certain individuals.

So, for further exploration, I’ve narrowed it down to a couple of generalized characteristics that most of us women seem to look for in men.

Stay tuned for “What Women Really Want” !!

We’re introduced to these new websites, and it seems like they become popular overnight. One day no one has ever heard of them, and then suddenly the next day it seems like everyone is hooked. Just like the rising popularities of MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter came about, Bravura is here to tell you to keep Tumblr on your social networking radar!

Tumblr is a New York based blog, founded in 2007 by David Karp. It serves as the best way to “express yourself” as described by many people. Having a Tumblr myself, I love it. You can instantly blog pictures, videos, quotes, or just random thoughts. You can “follow” someone to get their updates on your “dashboard” (similar to a Facebook newsfeed or Twitter homepage). From there, posts can be “liked”, commented on, or reblogged to add it to your own personal Tumblr page.

So go ahead Bravura readers, check out the new blogging hotspot, Tumblr! You may find yourself among the 3 million people who are now proudly calling themselves Tumblrs. And while you sink into the crazy world of blogging, don’t forget to come back to Bravura for the latest news and updates, and keep a look out, you might just see Bravura tumbling in Tumblr.

Katy Perry will launch her first fragrance, called Purr, in November at Nordstrom and nordstrom.com, WWD is reporting.

The fragrance was inspired by a Catwoman costume Perry wears on stage. Fittingly, the bottle is kitty-shaped. And despite Perry’s penchant for the tooth-achingly saccharine, Purr won’t smell like candy or Hello Kitty’s garden (whatever that smells like). It has “top notes of peach nectar, forbidden apple and green bamboo; a heart of jasmine blossom, pink freesia and Bulgarian rose, and a dry-down of vanilla orchid, white amber, creamy sandalwood and musk,” according to WWD, and will sell for $45 for a 3.4 oz. cat bottle.

This is not to say that Perry’s turned anti-cute. Her upcoming album, “Teenage Dreams,” will be scented. Perry describes the disc as smelling like “My Little Pony,” which is not surprising since she kind of dresses like the toy. WWD also reports that future launches “could include Perry’s favorite fruit motifs,” and she told the paper that she’s “very inspired by the Japanese world and all things completely cute…[s]o if there are little dancing strawberries, I will be happy. Peppermint is cute; cotton candy is adorable.”

Coming off the success of her hit-single “California Gurls” and considering Perry’s upcoming nuptials to Russell Brand, the forthcoming release of her newest album, and her stand-out style, it’s the perfect time for the 25-year-old pop star to cash inon her own fragrance.

“She will be riding the wave of her wedding with Russell Brand and the fragrance release will be synergistic,” says Jo Piazza, who writes about the economics of celebrity for AOL’s Popeater. “Sales will benefit because…

But remember…you heard it here on Music Masala first!

Talk about an amazing destination wedding!

Keys wore a Grecian-inspired Vera Wang dress and carried a bouquet of purple calla lilies. Swizz was decked out in a Tom Ford tuxedo.

And check this out: the couple’s friend Dr. Deepak Chopra presided over the nuptials.

Keys and Swizz are also expecting their first child together, have been together since fall 2008. The good news about the baby was announced in May!

We wish this happy couple, and soon-to-be parents all the happiness in the world!

But who would’ve thought that something as innocent as Twitter could lead to such a huge issue. And that is what Kanye has done, stirring an international controversy.

Celebrities who are on Twitter normally follow one another and other industry people. You rarely see a celeb following a fan or a “common person.” But low-behold, Kanye always does the opposite, as he chose to follow a British teenager, Steven Holmes.

Holmes, at first, was ecstatic about Kanye West decided to follow him.

This leads us to ask:
- Is Holmes an amazing producer? No.
- Is Holmes an unknown stylist/designer? No.
- Is Holmes an MC who’s talent is yet to be untapped? No.

He’s just a normal teenager, living a normal life, and following celebrities on Twitter.

Holmes, a student from Coventry, England [who's Twitter username is ste_101], responded to Kanye’s follow by Tweeting: “Holy *&$% bro thx for following!”.

And on top of that, Kanye replied, “You are the chosen one dun dun dun dun.”

Seriously?!

When this became public knowledge, that’s when all the ‘drama’ started for Holmes. In an exclusive interview with the Coventry Telegraph, Holmes says he was, “immediately barraged through Twitter” and that his, ” phone with requests from media organizations.” He says he turned down interviews with the BBC, CNN, and New York Magazine, among others.

Frankly, I think that’s very rude on the media’s end!

Kanye started to follow Holmes on Saturday night and since then, he’s been receiving messages from people who want to get Kanye’s attention. Holmes told the press, “I didn’t want to talk to any of them. Fame has never appealed to me. It’s vacuous.”

Well hopefully Kanye, and other…

As western culture rapidly spreads through India through many aspects, magazines serve as a large influence for modern Indian culture. The supposed American culture portrayed in magazines is what Indians are trying to depict in their culture. But American culture is not what it seems like in magazines and movies; every girl is not flawless and skinny, everyone doesn’t have an endless wallet for shopping, and no one has a perfect life. With this skewed perception of American culture, many Indians seem to have an idealized dream of American life. But in pursuit of trying to balance two cultures together, it seems as the western culture holds a stronger appeal to modern Indian society.

As the racks of Indian magazines slowly fill up with more and more Indian magazines, it leaves some thinking; where does that leave Indian culture? With any hope, the young generation of India will be able to balance the customs of these two very different cultures. The essence of this culture change is that it is the latest vogue and…