London, Jan 6 : The BBC has denied new Doctor Who Matt Smith had any knowledge about the betting that took place over the identity of the 11th Doctor.

A wager had been waged on Smith, 26, at odds of up to 80-1, and when he landed the role unexpectedly, he was dragged into a betting scandal after bookies, who stood to lose tens of thousands of pounds, said the wagers had been placed after the BBC told the new Doctor he had gotten the role.

Most of the bets were placed in Northamptonshire, the county Smith grew up in, but a BBC spokeswoman has denied that he or anyone he knew was involved in the betting.

Washington, Jan 6 : Aussie actor Hugh Jackman has revealed that he sticks to a very strict diet of protein and vegetables, and exercises six times a week to keep his body in shape.

Jackman, 40, who was voted People magazine''s Sexiest Man Alive in November last year, follows the routine religiously, allowing himself only little treats.

"I get up at 4am and eat egg whites, then every three hours after that. I have a combination of protein or steamed vegetables and brown rice. Then after midday, no rice or carbohydrates. It''s just vegetables and meat or fish," Contactmusic quoted him as saying.

London, Jan 6 : The band Mongrel has revealed that they have plans of making a second album, and that it will be with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Sydney, Jan. 6 : South Africa have wasted little time in attending to injured captain Graeme Smith.

Smith has flown to Melbourne to receive treatment on his broken left hand and undergo an autologous blood injection on his right elbow.

The Proteas are desperate for Smith to regain full fitness in time for Australia''s forthcoming Test tour and have attempted to expedite the healing process by having him treated immediately.

Barely 18 hours after Mitchell Johnson struck him a series-ending blow to the hand, Smith was on a plane to Melbourne for an appointment with local surgeon Greg Hoy to have the fracture attended to.

Istanbul - Russian gas supplies to Turkey via Ukrainian pipelines have been cut amid the ongoing dispute over gas between Kiev and Moscow, the Turkish government said Tuesday.

Islamabad, Jan. 6 : As the mystery behind the delay in announcing the tour itinerary by the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) continues, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to get a response from the SLC officials today, the Daily Times reported.

Commenting on the tour preparations, PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said: "The Pakistan board is busy in giving final touches to the schedule of home series against Sri Lanka."

Confirming reports about Australia touring Pakistan in the coming months, Butt said: "Cricket Australia officials have ensured the PCB that their team would visit Pakistan in March this year for the one-day international series."