Salute to troops voted top Super Bowl ad

Super Bowl viewers were most enchanted with an ad that saluted American troops in the Middle East, but when it came time to replay commercials with their TiVos, they mostly went for jiggly babes, according to a couple of studies released Monday.

America Online’s poll of viewers showed that their favorite ad during Sunday’s game was, by far, an Anheuser-Busch commercial in which a crowd of travelers break into applause as returning soldiers walk through an airport.

But TiVo said that after an Emerald nuts ad in which Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny chewed out a dad for lying to his little daughter, the most replayed commercials featured Cedric the Entertainer trying to pick up a bar-room hottie (Bud Light); a buxom dancer popping her halter (GoDaddy.com); and Cindy Crawford being Cindy Crawford (Pepsi).

Actress’ conservation efforts threatened

Phnom Penh, Cambodia — Land encroachment in northwestern Cambodia is threatening the future of conservation efforts funded by actress Angelina Jolie, a beneficiary of her aid said.

Mounh Sarath, director of Cambodian Vision in Development, said some 1,000 people have recently settled about 3 miles inside a protected site in Pailin, a former war zone.

The new settlers, who moved in from other provinces about four months ago, have cut down the forest to grow crops, he said Monday.

Jolie is giving his group $1.5 million for its work to protect about 148,200 acres of forest in Samlaut and Pailin, former strongholds of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime that ruled Cambodia in the 1970s.

Ieng Vuth, deputy governor of the Pailin municipality, acknowledged that there has been encroachment in the conservation area. He said authorities are now working on a plan to evict the new settlers.

Bollywood star draws crowds

New York — Bollywood film star Aishwarya Rai says she was taken aback by all the attention she received during the filming of “Bride & Prejudice,” her first English-language movie.

The 1994 Miss World told the Daily News for a story in Sunday’s editions that during scenes filmed in Amritsar, a dusty provincial city in northern India, unexpected crowds arrived at the set.

“People just came in throngs and stood around,” Rai said in a phone interview from Bombay.

“Bride & Prejudice,” based on Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” features singing and Bhangra dancing.

McConaughey to start engines

New York — Matthew McConaughey was selected the Grand Marshal for the Daytona 500.

The actor will give the command “Drivers, start your engines” at the Feb. 20 race in Florida, NASCAR announced Monday.

“I’m honored and excited to be the Grand Marshal of this year’s race,” McConaughey said in a statement. “There is nothing more American than NASCAR and the Daytona 500.”

McConaughey, who has starred in films including “Dazed and Confused” and “The Wedding Planner,” will star in the upcoming thriller “Sahara.”

Previous Grand Marshals include Ben Affleck last year and John Travolta in 2003. Ashton Kutcher will be the honorary starter of this year’s race.