Monica Bellucci poses nude for Vanity

Monica Belluci - who is six months pregnant with her second child - has posed naked to show off her baby bump for Italy's Vanity Fair magazine for the second time.

But the 45-year-old actress insists she is just a normal mother-to-be who feels "lucky" to be expecting another baby.

In fact, she feels like she's an "ordinary farm wife".

She said: "Women who have children late like me are always told how brave they are and it's true that the older you are the more risks you run both for the child and yourself."

"But I don't feel brave, I just feel very lucky. I already have a healthy daughter whom I gave birth to in Umbria like an ordinary farm wife. This second pregnancy is just as fantastic, but I wouldn't say I was an example to follow."

While she understands having children later in life isn't ideal, The Matrix star - who already has five-year-old daughter Deva with her husband Vincent Cassel - couldn't make up her mind about whether or not she wanted to have a second child.

She explained: "When I had my first child at 39 I was told that if I wanted another I should try straight away but I wasn't ready. Eventually I decided that I was and I wanted one straight away but babies are not like movies and cannot be organised in a hurry."

- Sitiemilia , Singapore.

Hollywood can wait

While most of our Bollywood actresses would never miss a chance to star in a Hollywood film, Priyanka recently refused to star in Dawn of War. And it wasn’t because she didn’t like the script. The only reason Priyanka turned down the offer was because she chose to star in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Saat Khoon Maaf instead.

A source said, “The dates of Dawn of War and Saat Khoon Maaf were being worked out at the same time and Priyanka was asked to allot her dates in early April.

Left with no choice but to choose one of the two projects, Priyanka didn’t think twice before agreeing to star in Bhardwaj’s film. Priyanka was given a copy of the script of Dawn of War while she was shooting in the US for Siddharth Anand’s Anjaana Anjaani.”

After Priyanka refused the offer, director Tarsem Singh signed Freida Pinto to star opposite British actor Henry Cavill. Priyanka is currently shooting in Gulmarg and Srinagar for Saat Khoon Maaf and remained unavailable for comment.

- Madhumitha .

Rani gets mobbed in Delhi

Most people want to be famous so that people recognise them. Ironically, when they do get there, they will try any trick to move around incognito. Rani Mukerji hoped that she could get away with some shopping in Khan Market in Delhi while shooting for Who Killed Jessica Lal, but had to retreat in a hurry when a crowd gathered around her.

One fine afternoon a few days ago, Rani decided to dress in plain, simple clothes and wore no make-up as the urge for some retail therapy struck. Khan Market is about a kilometer away from her hotel. She surprised her driver when she told him that she didn’t need the car. The next minute the driver saw her walk off briskly into the market, unescorted.

The excursion started with a bit of window-shopping. Just when she was beginning to enjoy herself, she realised that some people were staring.

Hearing her name being called out in soft tones a few minutes later, Rani looked over her shoulder and sensed that a crowd was gathering around her. Clearly, her plans for some alone time had gone awry. Sensing that the situation could get out of hand, she had to make a quick decision.

Without losing a minute, Rani called up the driver and asked him to come and take her back to the hotel. Pronto.

Rani, at least, can take comfort in the fact that even if she isn’t inundated with films, her fans haven’t forgotten her yet.

- Madhumitha

Girl examinee strip-searched

A girl student, appearing in the Class X exams of Uttar Pradesh board, was allegedly strip-searched by invigilators at a college here suspecting that she was carrying chits for copying, the police said on Friday.

The girl was writing the English paper of the UP Intermediate Education Board (UPIEB) exams in Rukmani Modi Mahila Inter College in Modinagar, 20 kms from here, when the incident took place on Thursday.

The police said they received a complaint from the girl's family that the invigilators made her remove her clothes to search for chits being carried for copying.

Nothing was found in the search but the girl could not complete the paper because of the incident, they said.

Parents and family members of the girl staged a protest in the college and approached the police.

Principal of the college, Mr Kamlesh Gaud, then tendered an unconditional apology to the parents of the girl and closed the matter with an assurance that full protection will be given to all girls appearing in the examination.

"We have apologised for the incident, which has been accepted by the parents. The matter has been resolved," Mr Gaud said.

Inspector R.K. Singh of Modinagar police station said no action was taken as the two parties resolved the issue.

"We had received a complaint from the girl's family. The matter was later disposed of amicably and the police did not interfere," he said.




- Madhumitha

China student sentenced for killing snoring room-mate

A university student in northeast China has been given a suspended death sentence for murdering his room-mate after becoming fed up with his loud snoring, state media reported on Friday.

Guo Liwei, 24, was found guilty of fatally stabbing his 23-year-old room-mate in the chest and back in November last year, 'Xinhua' news agency said.

Guo was also ordered by the court in Changchun, the capital of Jilin province, to pay the victim's family more than 270,000 yuan ($39,000) in compensation, it said.

Guo had allegedly angered his room-mate by videotaping him snoring and posting the footage on the website of the Jilin Agricultural University, where the two attended classes, the report said.

A death sentence with a two-year reprieve is commuted to life in prison if the convict commits no further crime while in jail.

- Indian Journalist.

Minister's convoy kills 5 in mishap

Five persons were killed when a car which was part of the Minister of State for Defence, Mr M.M. Pallam Raju's, convoy hit an autorickshaw in Andhra Pradesh's East Godavari district on Thursday, police said.

The police said five persons including four women, who were travelling in the three-wheeler were killed in the mishap that took place in Perumallapuram in Todangi Mandal.

Seven persons including three policemen were also injured in the accident. They have
been admitted to a government-run hospital in Kakinada.

The police said the minister, who was on his way to attend an official programme at a village near Kakinada town, was unhurt. Shocked over the accident, the minister got down from his car and supervised the relief operations. The Tondangi police have registered a case.

In a similar incident, six persons were killed when the auto-rickshaw in which they were travelling collided with an escort vehicle of ruling Congress chief whip Bhatti Vikramarka in Nalgonda district last month.

- Indian Journalist.

Police arrest man who hacked Obama's Twitter a/c

French police say they have detained a 25-year-old who allegedly hacked Twitter accounts of numerous well-known figures, including Britney Spears and US President Barack Obama.

Police said on Wednesday the suspect, who went by the pseudonym ``Hacker Croll,'' was caught following a joint operation with the FBI and arrested Tuesday in the Puy-de-Dome region of central France.

Police say the FBI contacted them after discovering in July that someone had managed to get access to confidential information after hacking into the Twitter system and passing for an administrator.

Police say the challenge, not money, motivated the hacker. Twitter has been the target of several attacks. Hackers have posted information online or sent fake messages.

- Indian Journalist.

Govt paints wrong Bhagat Singh picture

he government just can’t seem to get its advertisements right.

On Tuesday, the 79th death anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the Punjab government splashed separate ads in leading newspapers of the Capital and in Punjab featuring paintings of the martyr.

Historians and Bhagat Singh’s descendants are unhappy with the paintings. “When there are so many photographs of Bhagat Singh available, why use paintings?” asked Chaman Lal, professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, and editor of Singh’s documents.

The I&B ad had Bhagat Singh in a red turban, the Punjab government one in a yellow one. “Actually, Bhagat Singh wore a European style hat,” said Jagmohan, his nephew.

“Bhagat Singh did not wear a turban for the last three years of his life — from 1928 to the day he was hanged,” added Bipan Chandra, noted historian. “Nor did he have a beard, as the Punjab ad shows.”

Two months ago, the Women and Child Development Ministry had used the photo of a former Pakistani air force chief on an ad commemorating the girl child.

- Indian Journalist.

Govt paints wrong Bhagat Singh picture

he government just can’t seem to get its advertisements right.

On Tuesday, the 79th death anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the Punjab government splashed separate ads in leading newspapers of the Capital and in Punjab featuring paintings of the martyr.

Historians and Bhagat Singh’s descendants are unhappy with the paintings. “When there are so many photographs of Bhagat Singh available, why use paintings?” asked Chaman Lal, professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University, and editor of Singh’s documents.

The I&B ad had Bhagat Singh in a red turban, the Punjab government one in a yellow one. “Actually, Bhagat Singh wore a European style hat,” said Jagmohan, his nephew.

“Bhagat Singh did not wear a turban for the last three years of his life — from 1928 to the day he was hanged,” added Bipan Chandra, noted historian. “Nor did he have a beard, as the Punjab ad shows.”

Two months ago, the Women and Child Development Ministry had used the photo of a former Pakistani air force chief on an ad commemorating the girl child.

- Indian Journalist.

Penelope Cruz to play Johnny Depp's lover in Pirates

Spanish beauty Penelope Cruz will play Johnny Depp's lover in the fourth film in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Contactmusic reported.

The two were last seen together as husband and wife in the 2000 film, Blow.

The 35-year-old actress has signed up to play the daughter of British actor Ian McShane who will portray Depp's new nemesis, the notorious pirate Blackbeard in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, according to producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

"She's the daughter of the bad guy... very feisty. There's a little romance between Captain Jack and the character that Penelope plays," said the movie mogul.

Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley who were part of the previous three films in the hit franchise are not returning for the fourth movie as they feel their characters' storylines are at an end.

- Indian Journalist.

800 varsities, 35,000 colleges needed in next 10 years: Sibal

India will need at least 800 more universities and another 35,000 colleges in the next ten years to increase the percentage of students going for higher education from the present 12.4 per cent in the country, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said in New Delhi on Wednesday.

"India has about 480 university and about 22,000 colleges. If we were to increase that figure of 12 per cent to 30 per cent, we will need another 800 to a thousand universities in the next ten years. We will need another 35,000 colleges in the next ten years...We are still below 40 per cent which I think is critical," he said.

Sibal was speaking at the first contact group meeting of Parliamentarians for Education of the UNESCO South Asia Cluster, in which delegates from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka and other south Asian countries participated.

Highlighting the importance of human resource development, Sibal said, "When the global economy is doing well and the stock market is in the up swing, the developed nations share their prosperity with us." But it is not the case when global economy is not doing well and the stock market is on decline, he said.

"And I think that if we in this part of the world recognise the facts, we will realise how important education is for a developing economy," he said.

Sibal said the energy of a nation ultimately depends on its youth. "The energy of a nation does not depend on parliamentarians who are over 60 years, he said.

He said that in the 21st century, acquisition of physical or tangible assets will not be the wealth of any country but it will be the acquisition of intangible assets which are created not in the stock market but in the university system of nations.

- Indian Journalist.

A former doctor armed with a large knife killed eight children and injured five others Tuesday at an elementary school in eastern China, a local offic

(A Chinese woman whose child was killed in a stabbing incident gets help outside a elementary school in Nanping in east China's Fujian province Tuesday.)
A former doctor armed with a large knife killed eight children and injured five others Tuesday at an elementary school in eastern China, a local official said.

The assailant was arrested after the 7:20 a.m. attack, Xinhua News Agency said. He is a former community clinic doctor with a history of mental health problems, said a man surnamed Wu in the Nanping city government office, who would not give his full name as is common among Chinese officials.

Eight children from Nanping City Experimental Elementary School were killed, and five were being treated at a hospital, Wu said. Six died at the scene.

The attacker, who is 41 or 42, had resigned from his post at the community clinic, Wu said, but he wasn't sure when.

The school, located in Fujian province, was closed and students were sent home.

China has witnessed a series of school attacks over the past several years, which are often blamed on personal grudges or people with psychiatric problems, leading to calls for improved security.

- Sitiemilia , Singapore.

Indian-origin taxi driver attacked in New Zealand

An Indian-origin taxi driver has been assaulted by a passenger in a New Zealand city, an official said. The attack comes less than two months after an Indian taxi driver was fatally stabbed by a passenger here.

Mohinder Singh was recovering at home after being assaulted in Tauranga city on Sunday morning, the New Zealand Herald reported. A second taxi driver was threatened and robbed by another passenger later.

Company manager Bruce Rainey said the twin attacks were worrying. "There's some sort of perception that our guys are an easy target."

On January 31, Auckland taxi driver Hiren Mohini, 39, was fatally stabbed by a passenger after which his taxi collided with a tree in Mount Eden.

The other Indians killed in New Zealand include liquor store owner Navtej Singh, who was shot dead in 2008. Last year, an elderly man, Jasmatbhai Patel, died in a road rage attack.

- Indian Journalist

Dino's kiss harmless

If that’s true, then Dino Morea must have rocked their love boat! The pictures of her and Dino, in what looked like a passionate kiss was harmless according to the actress. “I know Dino for a while now. We’ve met socially and even had a few laughs but to make it seem like there is something more is terrible,” says the curly-haired temptress. Kangna also adds, “I’m done with relationships.

I have 10 movies to complete this year, and will perhaps take on another dozen next year. What I’m trying to say is that I’m completely swamped by work. I have no desire to get into another relationship. I’m done with those.” The actress says the next time she dates a man, it will have to lead to a walk up the altar. “Marriage is what it will be,” says Kangna, adding, “I may marry three years down the line or perhaps even five years down the line. But I’m certainly not interested in the dating scene.”


- Madhumitha

I’m like a mature 45

She wants to believe that her 23rd birthday (adding up to 5) today will take her several notches up, professionally. She has ten films on hand, and is romancing Hrithik Roshan (Kites), Abhishek Bachchan (Crooked), Ajay Devgn (Once Upon a Time in Mumbai) R Madhavan (Tanu Weds Manu) and Akshaye Khanna (No Problem). But, of course, it isn’t all roses for this mountain beauty who still feels like a little girl lost in Mumbai.

“I’m guessing this will be an extra special birthday,” says Kangna. “Professionally I’m rocking. There’s so much work happening that I barely have time to hear myself think. I want it that way because this is the time for work,” she says, pointing out that the shelf life of Bollywood heroines has shrunk to around six years. “Bollywood plays by its own rules. It is never about your talent here. It is always about which hero is romancing you on screen. I’m super-confident about my talent but if you judge me only by which heroes I’m working with, then you may argue that I’m not even in the race. However, as far as I’m concerned, my career has gained momentum. And, I’m making the niche I need to,” says the National Award winning actress.

But at the same time, Kangna laments she’s got no personal life. “I believe that if one has to have emotional growth then he/she needs a personal life. I’m currently single and not about to mingle. In this mad race for stardom, I sometimes feel I’m missing out on what I would say are life’s essential moments. I’m not in a relationship but the thought is always there at the back of my head. I wonder if lack of a personal life will stunt my growth as a person. But these are fleeting thoughts. As I hop from studio to studio, my love life is put on the back-burner,” she says.

The actress admits that she may be 23 but in her head, she’s as mature as a 45-year-old. And as she reflects on her life today, she realises that her goal for the moment may be superstardom. But she sometimes fears she is chasing a hollow dream. “If I want to be actually enlightened, like I do, I need to set a larger goal for myself. I want to turn director someday, I need to make place for a permanent relationship. I need to look for the rainbow. Perhaps these are the things that will complete me. Who knows? But I’m looking.”

- Madhumathi

I can't step into Akshay's shoes

Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, who is all set to replace actor Akshay Kumar as the host of reality show 'Khatron Ke Khiladi', insists she can never step into his shoes.

"I can never step into his shoes because they are very big shoes to fill. Akshay is the original 'Khiladi'. He is super good at what he does," said Priyanka.

"He has taken the show to a different level and my effort will be to take it forward from there. He has already made my job easier," she added.

The actor was the host for the reality show in 2009, which had 13 women - models and actresses - taking part in it. Akshay popularised the show with his daring stunts, which is an Indian version of the US reality show 'Fear Factor'.

Now Priyanka will be anchoring the special IPL Edition of the show on Colors, which will have 13 Indian and international cricketers competing with each other.

The 27-year-old actress had made her Bollywood debut opposite Akshay in 2003 film 'Andaaz' and also went on to star with him in films including 'Aitraaz', 'Mujhse Shaadi Karogi' and 'Waqt: Race Against Time'.

The national award-winning actress, who was in the capital to launch four new body wash variants from Lux, has three films in the pipeline.

"My next film 'Anjana Anjani' will release in July or August. I am also starting work on 'Saat Khoon Maaf' with Vishal Bhardwaj and once 'Khatron..' is finished, I will start shooting for 'Don 2'," said Priyanka.

- Madhumitha

No to booze zone

Brunei's religious affairs minister has poured cold water on a plan to set up an "alcohol zone" for tourists in this Muslim country saying it would invite God's wrath.

Brunei's laws ban the public sale and consumption of alcohol in this small sultanate on Borneo island, though non-Muslim visitors are allowed to bring in limited amounts for private consumption.

On Monday, Religious Affairs Minister Zain Serudin rejected lawmaker Goh King Chin's proposal to establish a special area for foreign tourists to buy and drink alcohol.

"What we are most afraid of is the wrath of Allah," Zain said. "The wrath of Allah will not only come for the doer but others as well."

Tourists who want to drink "can do it more freely in their own countries - not only can they drink it, they can even take a bath in it," Zain told the Parliament.

Goh, a member of Brunei's Parliament, sparked debate last week when he suggested authorities could promote tourism by establishing a special "alcohol zone" for non-Muslim foreign visitors.

Such a move would also mar Brunei's reputation as a devout religious nation, the minister added.

"Today they want this zone, later they may want clubs, then what else? Prostitution zone? Then casino zone," he said. "This is why we need to fight to maintain Brunei as a peaceful country called the 'Abode of Peace."'

- Sitiemilia , Singapore.

Caught in the (sex) act

It is most embarrassing but one of the most common situations during a police raid is being caught in the midst of having sex.

The most recent occurrence took place at George Town, Penang, on Monday night, when two women, believed to be guest relations officers (GROS), found themselves in such an awkward situation when the police charged into the hotel rooms.

The women, a Chinese national and a Vietnamese, were half-naked and were believed to be in the midst of providing sex services to their customers when they were detained at a hotel at Burma Road.

The operation, carried out near midnight, saw the police nabbing 21 women in their twenties and thirties, four hotel caretakers – one of them wanted by the police – and 17 patrons.



The patrons were later released after having their statements recorded in the police station.

Condoms, cash and receipts were also confiscated from the scene, said State CID chief Senior Asst Comm (II) Wan Abdullah Tuanku Said.

The women will be investigated for violation of their social visit pass, he added.

- Sitiemilia , Singapore.

Google lifts censorship

INTERNET titan Google stopped censoring its search engine in China on Monday in a move that was hailed by rights groups but risks angering the Chinese authorities.

Google said it had ended censorship of its Chinese-language search engine Google.cn and was redirecting mainland Chinese users to an uncensored site in Hong Kong.

Google also said it intended to continue research and development work in China and maintain a sales presence there.

Google's lifting of censorship on Google.cn comes a little more than two months after the Mountain View, California-based company said it had been the victim of cyberattacks originating from China.

'Figuring out how to make good on our promise to stop censoring search on Google.cn has been hard,' Google chief legal officer David Drummond said in a blog post. 'Earlier today we stopped censoring our search services - Google Search, Google News, and Google Images - on Google.cn,' he added.

'Users visiting Google.cn are now being redirected to Google.com.hk, where we are offering uncensored search in simplified Chinese, specifically designed for users in mainland China and delivered via our servers in Hong Kong.' Mr Drummond expressed hope the Chinese authorities would not seek to block Google services, which also include sites such as YouTube.

- Tom Lee

Taiwan teens burn abusive dad

TWO Taiwanese teenagers have been arrested for allegedly burning their 45-year-old father to death in revenge for what they described as severe physical abuse, police said on Tuesday.

The victim, identified only by his surname Tseng, was allegedly drugged onSunday by his 17-year-old son, who is accused of taking him to a field with the help of his 18-year-old sister and her boyfriend, aged 26, police said.

A witness reported seeing the trio watching a fire burn in the field where the charred body of the victim was discovered several hours later, the police in southern Pingtung county said.

The brother and sister, who were arrested on Tuesday, had admitted to plotting Tseng's death but defended their alleged actions by saying they were victims of domestic violence, police said. The sister's boyfriend was also arrested.

According to Taiwan's Central News Agency, Tseng, who was divorced 11 years ago, was alleged to have frequently beaten his children with belts.

- Sitiemilia , Singapore.

9/11 attacks official version, a ''big lie'': Ahmadinejad

The official version of the September 11 attacks on the United States is a "big lie" that was used by Washington as an excuse to launch the war on terror, state media quoted Iran President, Mr Mohammad Ahmadinejad, as saying.

Addressing the intelligence ministry staff, Mr Ahmadnejad said: "September 11 was a big lie and a pretext for the war on terror and a prelude to invading Afghanistan."

He called the attacks a "complicated intelligence scenario and act."

The Iranian president has questioned the official US version of the September 11 attacks before, but this is the first time he ventured to label it a "big lie."

In 2007, New York officials rejected Mr Ahmadinejad''s request to visit the World Trade Center site while he was in the city for a UN meeting.

The President also sparked an uproar when he said during a lecture in New York that the causes and conditions that led to the attacks, as well as who orchestrated them, still need to be examined.

At the time, he also told Iranian state TV the attacks were "a result of mismanaging and inhumane managing of the world by the U.S," and that Washington was using September 11 as an excuse to attack others.

He has also questioned the September 11 death toll of around 3,000, claiming the Americans never published the victims'' names.


- Indian Journalist.

City boy shot dead in US

A Hyderabadi student of the Oklahoma State University was shot dead at a convenience store in Oklahoma City in the United States on Sunday evening.

G. Prashant was a resident of Santoshnagar in the city. He had gone to study at the university just two months ago and was doing his MS.

Prashanth was reportedly shot dead during an armed robbery at SK Foods, a convenience store where he was working part-time at about 7 pm local time on Sunday night.

Police said they were investigating the death as a homicide as there was trauma to the body. It was unclear what led to the shooting.

His family was informed of his death by his friends at the university.

Prashant’s father, Mr G. Rajaiah, works in the state health department. A native of Suraram in Medak district, Prashant completed his B.Com from Badruka college.

Family sources said Prashant had left the city to study at the Oklahoma State University on January 25.


- Indian Journalist.

‘Congress has failed Muslims’

The Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) floor leader, Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi, on Monday, warned the Congress of losing the support of Muslims in the 2014 elections if it continued to fail in protecting their interests.

Speaking on demands of welfare departments in the Assembly, the Majlis leader said the government, on one hand, failed to defend its initiatives in the legal battle and cut down allocations for several schemes in 2010-2011 Budget.

Maintaining that not a single day passed without Muslims feeling the absence of former chief minister Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, Mr Owaisi sought to know from Chief Minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, whether his government was sincere in implementing welfare schemes. He referred to the government marking zero allocations for several schemes which got funds last year.

- Zainab

Courts may declare India as Hindu Rashtra: Akbaruddin

The Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen floor leader in the Assembly, Mr Akbaruddin Owaisi, on Monday said the “judiciary may declare India to be a Hindu Rashtra and pronounce the adherents of religious minorities to be a second class citizens.”

Participating in a debate in the Assembly, Mr Owaisi said instead of strengthening the secular character of the Constitution, judicial pronouncements in recent times tended to turn against religious minorities, more particularly Muslims and Christians.

“If this trend is allowed to continue, the government may be forced to give up its secular mukhota (mask). We must put an end to this dangerous trend by clearly delineating once again the powers that separate the judiciary from the executive and the legislature,” he said.

The Majlis leader was cautioned to maintain restraint while speaking about the judiciary by the Deputy Speaker Mr N Manohar, who was in the chair. Mr Owaisi replied that he was exercising his Constitutionally guaranteed right to speak on the judiciary in the Assembly.

The Majlis leader was critical of the judiciary for its rulings against four per cent reservation to Muslims, state funding for pilgrimage to Jerusalem by Christians and construction of new churches or their renovation.

Maintaining that judicial activism had become “hyper active,” Mr Owaisi said public interest litigations were being filed and entertained by the courts on a daily basis. “The High Court may be getting more PILs than original and appellate writ petitions and suits,” he added.

Mr Owaisi referred to two HC judgments by benches headed by then Chief Justice Mr Anil R. Dave and said the petitioners in these cases were Mr Satish Agarwal, who contested the 2009 Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket, and Mr T Hanuman Chowdary, IT adviser with the Telugu Desam government.

“A day will come when all the welfare schemes meant for the minorities would be nullified by the courts on PILs filed by Sangh Parivar activists,” he said.

He said the state government had failed to defend its actions and policies in the courts. He sought to know from the Chief Minister whether the state intended to appeal against HC orders on pilgrimage and funding to churches.

The Majlis leader said the proceeds of Common Good Fund raised from Hindu temples were utilised for renovation of temples and construction of Ramalayams in weaker section colonies. But proceeds collected by Wakf Board from wakf institutions were used for salaries. He demanded that these funds should be utilised for repair of mosques.


- Indian Journalist.

Husain's work fetches over Rs 2 crore

An untitled work by eminent painter MF Husain sold for over Rs 2 crore at the Saffronart Spring Online Auction 2010.

The art work that crossed the Rs 2 crore mark shows four horses and a female rider and was painted by Husain 1970.

The Saffronart auction Wednesday witnessed resurgence in demand for works by pioneering contemporary masters, said a statement issued by the Mumbai-based online art auction house.

A 1953 portrait by Akbar Padamsee, "Prophet", sold for Rs 1.25 crore against an estimate of Rs 36 lakh while FN Souza's "Decomposing Head" went for Rs 1.57 crore against an estimate of Rs 1.12 crore.

Subodh Gupta's "Doot" sold for Rs 1.75 crore. The online auction raked in Rs 21 crore ($4.6 million).

Said Dinesh Vazirani, CEO and co-founder of Saffronart: "The strong results of our spring Online Auction 2010 are an affirmation of the renewed confidence of the growing collector base for Indian art. The results from the auction indicate a consistent demand from collectors for top quality and rare works with important provenance."

Saffronart's Spring Online Auction featured 100 works by 47 modern and contemporary Indian artists including MF Husain, FN Souza, SH Raza, Manjit Bawa, Akbar Padamsee, Subodh Gupta, Shibu Natesan, Anju Dodiya and Jagannath Panda.


- Art Lover.

Kingfisher explosive stowed in cabin baggage

The explosives recovered inside the Kingfisher airliner on Sunday might have been smuggled in using a trick similar to the one used by the "Christmas bomber" in the US.

Officials investigating the Kingfisher security breach suspect that the culprit could have hidden the explosives inside his underpants, just like Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab had done during a failed attempt to blow up a US-bound jetliner from Amsterdam on Christmas day.

And what has thrown the security establishment into a tizzy is the revelation that the explosive material was recovered from the cabin and not from the cargo hold of the plane.

Sources have told HT that the explosive material was found near the cabin area. "The most probable conclusion that can be drawn is that a passenger carried the explosive during boarding though we don't rule out theories like the involvement of ground staff. Recovery from the cabin means that the person went through all security checks, which include x-ray screening of the handbag, passing through the metal detectors and frisking," an official said on condition of anonymity.

Investigators believe that the suspect might have placed the packet while going to or coming out of the toilet.

The explosive included some powder - suspected to be nitrate, containing traces of sulphur, ammonium and potassium chlorate. Some aluminium foils too have been recovered. The exact nature of the explosive would be ascertained only after the forensic report is out.

Sources from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) - the regulatory authority for civil aviation security in India -said the bureau has decided to come up with revised guidelines for security checks, likely to be issued in the next couple of days.

The guidelines would be a reiteration of security instructions issued in 2005. Airports would be asked to enforce stringent implementation of the directives and "pat-downs" and manual checking of handbags would be made compulsory.

- Indian Journalist.

B-town stars ecstatic over National Awards glory

"Great", "Amazing", "Fabulous" and "Wow" -- these were some of the expressions that Bollywood stars, directors and filmmakers came out with after receiving their National Awards at a ceremony here Friday evening.

High on Bollywood quotient, films from the Hindi film industry bagged 13 awards at the 56th National Awards ceremony and the winners just couldn't stop beaming.

Priyanka Chopra after receiving the Best Actress award for her role in Madhur Bhandarkar's Fashion said: It feels great. It feels amazing. I just can't believe myself.

Kangana Ranaut after receiving Best Supporting Actress award for her role in the same film: I feel great. It's absolutely amazing to be a part of it. I am so amazed.

Arjun Rampal after receiving the Best Supporting Actor award for Rock On!!: When we made 'Rock On!!', we were just hoping people like our belief and they did. With this award, it feels all our efforts have come back to us. Being chosen for it by the awards jury feels I'm worthy enough for the award. It feels great.

Farhan Akhtar on the same movie that was his debut film as an actor and co-producer: It feels amazing. It's great. The feeling is fabulous. The director-producers also had similar sentiments to share.

Madhur Bhandarkar on his film Fashion: I am very ecstatic at the moment and I can't express my feelings. More than anything else I am happy for my actresses Priyanka and Kangana who did a wonderful job in the film. They completely deserve the award.

Abhishek Kapoor after receiving the Best Film award for his directorial venture Rock On!!: I am so happy. I am on top of the world. This shows when you do something with utter sincerity and a vision, you get the best.

Jugal Hansraj after receiving the Best Animation Film award for his directorial debut: This is something that I had never imagined and getting the national award for your debut film is just amazing.

Neeraj Pandey after receiving the Indira Gandhi award for Best First Film of a director for A Wednesday: I am very happy. It's good to be recognised. It's just wow.

Sooni Taraporewala after receiving the award for the best film on family values for Little Zizou: It's just the best feeling. It's really really great. It has been a long run. It's been a year now (to the film).

Ronnie Screwvala for productions Fashion, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!, A Wednesday and Jodhaa Akbar that all won awards in different categories: It's good. When you are producing a movie, you take a lot of risks but through such recognitions, you feel proud of yourself on the other side.

The event was compered by actors Ashutosh Rana and Divya Dutta and the former felt "honoured" at the opportunity.

Ashutosh Rana: It's a great honour to present the award at a platform where you also have the president of India. I am thrilled at this opportunity.

- Madhumitha

Freida Pinto is no Bond girl

Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto has denied that she was approached by director Sam Mendes to play the lead in his next Bond film.

Reports suggest that the 24-year-old actress will not be seen alongside Daniel Craig as she has not been roped in to play the next Bond girl.

Accoring to a report, an official spokesperson in a statement said, "I would like to confirm that as of today, Freida Pinto has not been approached to be part of the next Bond film. It is of course very flattering to even be rumoured to be part of a Bond film but she has certainly not been approached for the role of the next Bond girl opposite Daniel Craig as yet," he added.

Freida is right now working on her forthcoming projects, Julian Schnabel's Miral, Woody Allen's You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger and Tarsem Singh's Dawn of War.

- Indian Journalist.

Rajdhani derails in Bihar following suspected Maoist blast

assengers onboard the Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express had a miraculous escape when seven of its coaches and the engine derailed near Gaya station following an explosion triggered by suspected Maoists late tonight, police said.

There was no casualty or serious injury, Gaya district Superintendent of Police Sushil Khopde said, adding none of
the derailed bogies fell on its side which possibly was the reason why no casualty took place.

Sanjay Saraogi, a passenger of the D-3 coach, one of the seven derailed bogies, said that none of the passengers were harmed in the incident.

"We heard the sound of a blast, but to my knowledge no harm has been caused to the passengers in the affected
bogies," he said from the spot, about 15 km from Gaya station.

The explosive planted in the tracks between Kasta and Paraiya stations went off shortly after the train left Gaya
station, Khopde said, adding a medical team with rescue train was sent to the spot.

Seven coaches and the engine of the 2445 up Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Rajdhani Express jumped the tracks due to the impact of the blast, suspected to be a handiwork of the Maoists who have called a 48-hour bandh in seven states, including Bihar, starting Monday.

The spot of the explosion is under Gaya-Mughalsarai section of the East Central Railway. The 48-hour bandh has been called by the CPI (Maoist) in Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and three districts of Maharashtra to protest against the 'Operation Green Hunt' launched against them.

- Indian Journalist.

Tiger Wood's wife ‘disappears'

tiger woodsGolfer Tiger Woods' wife Elin Nordegren has reportedly disappeared as one of his alleged mistresses vowed to unveil more racy text messages she claims to have received from the golf star.

Former porn actress Joslyn James revealed she is ready to unwrap more dirt on the shamed golfer, with whom she allegedly had a three-year affair.

According to the Mirror newspaper, James has set up a website where Woods'' alleged sex texts can be read and she would soon post some of the more than 1,000 text messages.

"I just wanted the public to know and the truth to be out there for me to have people see what I was being told and not just judge me for being with a married guy," the Daily Telegraph quoted James as saying.

The 32-year-old apparently added: "If I would have known everything that was going on, and wasn''t being lied to, I would have done things differently.”

She also told the New York Daily News: "There were certain things about our relationship that were not conventional. There were a couple situations when he was a bit more aggressive than usual."

Meanwhile, Elin, the mother of Wood’s two kids, has not been seen at their residence for several days, according to TMZ.com.

- Indian Journalist.

'I wasn't hot enough to be a Bond girl'

English actress Gemma Arterton has revealed that she does not think she was hot enough to be a Bond girl.

Arterton, 24, who acted in Quantum Of Solace, told GQ magazine that she thought herself to be an “average” girl.

“In comparison to many actresses I think I’m really average - when I got the Bond film there was this big hoo-ha about me not being hot enough, I have to say I agree - I don’t think I’m in that realm,” the Mirror quoted her as saying.

The actress explained however that she might have had an advantage over the actresses. “I think in a way it might have helped me along - there are some really beautiful actresses like (Bond co-star) Olga Kurylenko who find it difficult,” she said.

“It’s frustrating for her but she’s so beautiful that it’s like someone having a massive nose: you are going to take that into consideration when you’re casting her.

“Whereas I can change my look: I can look plain or I can be all dolled up,” she added.

- Indian Journalist.

Man molests airhostess midair

Subhash Chandra (36), a steel fabricator working in Saudi Arabia, was arrested on Monday for molesting an airhostess aboard an Air India flight from Dammam to New Delhi.

“He touched the cabin crew member and molested her,” said OP Mishra, deputy commissioner of police, Indira Gandhi International Airport. “He tried to enter the Business Class enclosure and created a ruckus.”

The cabin crew repeatedly tried to restrain him, but failed.

A breathalyzer test conducted after his arrest confirmed Chandra, who hails from Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, was drunk.

This is the fourth such incident in recent years. Last October, an Air India airhostess had alleged she was attacked midair by the pilot and co-pilot There were two other cases in October 2007.

- Indian Journalsit.

Porn star reveals 'sexts" from Tiger Woods

Just as he was mending fences with his wife and planning his golfing comeback, Tiger Woods’ rehabilitation suffered another massive blow on Friday with the release of more than 100 text messages he allegedly sent to his porn star mistress.

In a report in dailymail.co.uk, Joslyn James, who claims she had a three-year affair with the disgraced golfer, made the "sexts" public, saying: "It’s time to tell the truth about Tiger."

They range from mundane details of the logistics of their secret trysts to extremely graphic messages detailing Woods’ allegedly kinky sexual demands. Some are too explicit to be republished.

The texts were all purportedly sent to 32-year-old James from Woods’ mobile phone last year.

"I would wear you out," Woods allegedly boasted in one text dated August 29. "I want to treat you rough. Throw you around, spank and slap you," James said he wrote in another message the same day.

He allegedly revealed one of his fantasies in a follow-up text, asking James: "Do you ever hook up with other guys or girls?' ‘OK. I would love to have a threesome with you and another girl you trust," she said he wrote a few minutes later.

If they prove to be true, the texts rip away what’s left of Woods’ good guy facade just weeks after his televised mea culpa that was supposed to help rebuild his battered reputation.

In a sign that he thought the worst of the scandal had blown over, Woods announced on Tuesday that he was planning to end his self-imposed four-month exile from golf to play in next month’s Masters tournament in America. He was also photographed for the first time with his wife amid claims they were patching up their marriage.

It now seems he may have some more work to do on his image after some of the messages James said he sent revealed a darker, more sinister side.

"You are my ****ing whore," said an August 29 text. "im going to tell you to shut the **** up while i slap your face and pull your hair for making a noise."

James, whose real name is Veronica Siwik-Daniels, was one of as many as a dozen mistresses that 34-year-old Woods kept secret from his Swedish wife Elin Nordegren, the mother of his two young children.

The star of adult films like Big Breasted Nurses and My First Sex Teacher, she is represented by Los Angeles-based celebrity lawyer Gloria Allred. Although she released Woods’ alleged texts on her website today, she didn’t include any of her own messages.

One September 8 text allegedly showed how confident the golfer was that he was never going to be caught. "Good thing we have a lifetime of this," said the message. "Baby I’m not going anywhere or doing anything," he allegedly wrote on October 1.

"You please me like no other has or ever will. I am not losing that..."

But then James said an October 4 text suggested he came close to having his secret life discovered.

"Don’t ****ing talk to me. You almost ruined my whole life. If my agent and these guys would have seen you there, ****."

Last month, another of Woods’ alleged mistresses, cocktail waitress Jaimee Grubbs, also released racy text messages backing her claims that she had a 31-month affair with the golfer.

Tiger's sexts

Tiger: Sent: 05:52 PM 07/30/2009
How close are you

Tiger: Sent: 06:01 PM 07/30/2009
I will leave an envelope at the front desk under my daniels. Your room will be 305. Get settled and let me know when you are ready to see me. I will be i

Tiger: Sent: 06:01 PM 07/03/2009:
n room 201. You can come down the stair well next to your room. Make sure absolutely no one sees you.

Tiger: Sent: 03:57 PM 07/31/2009
Will be back in 5. Let me take a shower

Tiger: Sent: 04:18 PM 07/31/2009
Just glad and surprised i can do that to you im all clean. Come on down :)

Tiger: Sent: 04:22 PM 07/31/2009
Hurry :)

Tiger: Sent: 06:36 PM 07/31/2009
Awesome baby. Be safe

Tiger: Sent: 03:13 AM 08/01/2009
Thank you sexy

Tiger: Sent: 06:34 AM 08/06/2009
In Ohio playing

Tiger: Sent: 06:50 PM 08/09/2009
In about a month

Tiger: Sent: 06:51 PM 08/09/2009
Maybe sooner. Can’t talk now. Will text when i can

Tiger: Sent: 10:45 PM 08/23/2009
So you have been with others huh since

Tiger: Sent: 10:45 PM 08/23/2009
Not a bad thing thinking about me

Tiger: Sent: 11:08 PM 08/23/2009
I like when you do that to me

Tiger: Sent: 11:11 PM 08/23/2009
Ditto sexy

Tiger: Sent: 04:10 PM 08/29/2009
Maybe in two weeks in Chicago

Tiger: Sent: 03:19 PM 08/29/2009
I need that so bad

Tiger: Sent: 03:30 PM 08/29/2009
I have no idea.

Tiger: Sent: 03:35 PM 08/29/2009
Me to. I would wear you out

Tiger: Sent: 03:32 PM 08/29/2009
I have no idea.

Tiger: Sent: 03:32 PM 08/29/2009
In a week. I will try to wear you out

Tiger: Sent: 03:37 PM 08/29/2009
Do you ever hook up with other guys or girls

Tiger: Sent: 03:41 PM 08/29/2009
You didn’t answer the question

Tiger: Sent: 03:34 PM 08/29/2009
Ok. I would like to have a threesome with you and another girl you trust

Tiger: Sent: 03:48 PM 08/29/2009:
Does that excite you at all or no

Tiger: Sent: 03:52 PM 08/29/2009
God girl. You better want to take care of me

Tiger: Sent: 03:56 PM 08/29/2009
You do. Need more of it

Tiger: Sent: 04:02 PM 08/29/2009
I want to treat you rough. Throw you around. Spank and slap you

Tiger: Sent: 04:21 PM 08/29/2009
Ok. Now you’re talking. Whatever I want. You are mine

Tiger: Sent: 04:39 PM 08/29/2009
Whatever else turns you on

Tiger: Sent: 04:48 PM 08/29/2009
You are. Always will be. Don’t trust people

Tiger: Sent: 05:00PM 08/29/2009
I really do want to be rough with you. Slap you around

Tiger: Sent: 05:12 PM 08/29/2009
For years. And punish you for not seeing me anymore

Tiger: Sent: 05:15 PM 08/29/2009
I want to Kiss you all over

Tiger: Sent: 05:18 PM 08/29/2009
We will see how bad you want me

Tiger: Sent: 05:26 PM 08/29/2009
Next time I see you, you better beg and if you don’t so it right I will slap, spank, bite you till mercy

Tiger: Sent: 09:20 AM 09/03/2009
Was playing sexy

Tiger: Sent: 01:42 AM 09/03/2009
I can’t wait to see you as well. What time do you land again

Tiger: Sent: 03:15 AM 09/07/2009
You are going to be headed to the hyatt lodge. 2815 jorie blvd oak brook, il 60523.

Tiger: Sent: 12:35 PM 09/07/2009
I am pretty tired after today. I am going to sleep early

Tiger: Sent: 07:38 PM 09/07/2009
Head to the elevators and go to 334. That’s your room. The door will be open with the dead bolt. I have to get back here to wait for the food. Im in room 358.

Tiger: Sent: 07:42 PM 09/07/2009
Let me know when you are in the room. Food just got here

Tiger: Sent: 07:47 PM 09/07/3009
Sweet. Don’t come down here yet. Lots of people in the hall. I will let you know when it clears

Tiger: Sent: 08:32 PM 09/07/2009
Come on down. Its quiet here now

Tiger: Sent: 08:35 PM 09/07/2009
There is a room service cart in my hall. Be careful

Tiger: Sent: 08:35 PM 09/07/2009
Room 358

Tiger: Sent: 10:01 PM 09/07/2009
Ok. Lights out. Good night sexy

Tiger: Sent: 12:42 PM 09/08/2009
I have to leave for an appearance at 430 but I will be back at 730 for dinner and lots of dessert with you. How about a quickie before I go:)

Tiger: Sent: 01:30PM 09/08/2009
Really. You. You have done just about everything haven’t you

Tiger: Sent: 01:32 PM 09/08/3009
Enter thru 360. Its next door

Tiger: Sent: 07:32 PM 09/08/2009
You felt amazing to baby

Tiger: Sent: 07:35 PM 09/08/2009
Having a few issues at home. Might be a little later before I see you tonight

Tiger: Sent: 07:39 PM 09/08/2009
Parent hood melt down :)

Tiger: Sent: 07:43 PM 09/09/2009
Great thing is we have a lifetime of this

Tiger: Sent: 06:02 PM: 10/01/2009
Baby im not going anywhere or doing anything. You please me like no other has or ever will. I’m not losing that. You have to understand that people have to tal

Tiger: Sent: 06:02 PM 10/01/2009
K about me. Sometimes its good and sometimes its bad. I have learned to just roll with it no matter how much it upsets me when its not true. My life is a

Tiger: Sent: 06:02 PM 10/01/2009
fish bowl

Tiger: Sent: 10:40 AM 10/04/2009
Guys from dubai. Investors. So my agent being suggested that we go back to my room at the mansion for lunch. He doesn’t know about us obviously

Tiger: Sent: 11:31 AM 10/04/2009
This has been a total s*** trip. Im sorry I *****d up last night. And this s***. We will get it right next time so we can spend more time together

Tiger: Sent: 12:06 PM 10/04/3009
Oh my god. If they were with me. You would have ruined everything

Tiger: Sent: 12:07 PM 10/04/2009
I told you. Oh my god. I can’t believe what just happened

Tiger: Sent: 12:08 PM 10/04/2009
Don’t f***ing talk to me. You almost just ruined my whole life. If my agent and these guys would have seen you there, f***

- Indian Journalist.

Lady Gaga fires back at music producer

Lady Gaga is firing back at a music producer who claims he launched her career and is suing her for $30.5 million.

Her lawyer said in a court filing made public Friday the agreement at the heart of the suit was "unlawful."


Song writer and music producer Rob Fusari filed the lawsuit Wednesday in Manhattan against the Grammy Award-winning performer. He said his protege and former girlfriend, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, ditched him as her career soared.

The lawsuit said they co-wrote songs such as "Paparazzi" and "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich." Fusari also said he came up with her stage name and helped get her record deal.

According to the lawsuit, Lady Gaga and Fusari's relationship turned romantic and then became a business partnership in May 2006, when they created a joint venture called Team Love Child LLC to promote her career. Fusari's share was 20 percent.

But Lady Gaga lawyer Charles Ortner wrote in his response that the arrangement was "structured in such a way as to mask its true purpose - to provide to the defendants unlawful compensation for their services as unlicensed employment agents."

Ortner wrote that Fusari and his company violated statutes that prohibited them from "acting as employment agents without a license and charging Lady Gaga an unlawful fee for their purported services."

Fusari's lawyer, Robert S. Meloni, called the claim "ludicrous" in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

"Fusari is a PARTNER in the Team Love LLC with Gag and her father (through their company Mermaid)," Meloni wrote. "Rob was no more of an 'agent' for her than she is a Roman Catholic nun."

Ortner did not immediately respond to a phone message left at his office and an e-mail.

Lady Gaga won two Grammys in January: best dance recording, for "Poker Face," and best electronic/dance album, for "The Fame."

- Indian Journalist.

A sceptic challenged an Indian tantric to kill him live on television, after the guru proclaimed that he could kill another man using only his mystical powers. Sanal Edamaruku, self-appointed sceptic-in-chief of Indian Rationalists' Association, told Pandit Surender Sharma to kill him. Both men, according to The Times of India, were invited to a talk show for the challenge. The episode was banned from being screened on television, but can be viewed on Youtube. Sharma was reluctant to start with, but he finally obliged to perform his rituals. He brandished a knife, ruffled the sceptic's hair and pressed his temples. However, even hours later, Edamaruku was alive and smiling. "He was over, finished, completely destroyed!" The Times of London quoted him as saying. Edamaruku added: "The immediate goal I have is to stop these fraudulent babas and gurus. I want people to make their own decisions. They should not be guided by ignorance, but by knowledge. "I'd like to see a post-religious society - that would be an ideal dream, but I don't know how long it would take."

A sceptic challenged an Indian tantric to kill him live on television, after the guru proclaimed that he could kill another man using only his mystical powers.

Sanal Edamaruku, self-appointed sceptic-in-chief of Indian Rationalists' Association, told Pandit Surender Sharma to kill him.
Both men, according to The Times of India, were invited to a talk show for the challenge.
The episode was banned from being screened on television, but can be viewed on Youtube.
Sharma was reluctant to start with, but he finally obliged to perform his rituals.
He brandished a knife, ruffled the sceptic's hair and pressed his temples.
However, even hours later, Edamaruku was alive and smiling.
"He was over, finished, completely destroyed!" The Times of London quoted him as saying.
Edamaruku added: "The immediate goal I have is to stop these fraudulent babas and gurus. I want people to make their own decisions. They should not be guided by ignorance, but by knowledge.

"I'd like to see a post-religious society - that would be an ideal dream, but I don't know how long it would take."

- Indian Journalist.

Serial killer with a "soft heart"

When a seemingly kind street vendor confessed to the sexual abuse and murders of 14 boys, it was a story that was both shocking - and familiar.
Indonesians drew parallels to another Jakarta man, Robot Gedek, who died of a heart attack in 2007 while on death row for raping and killing 12 boys in the mid-1990s.

Baikuni aka Babe

In both cases, most of the victims were homeless. The serial killings highlight what activists say is a widespread and largely ignored problem: the rampant sex abuse of poor children in this Southeast Asian nation.
The vendor pushed a cart through the bustling streets of Jakarta, the capital, selling snacks, drinks and cigarettes. He went by one name, Baikuni, and street kids called him "Babe" (pronounced bar-bay), an affectionate term for "Dad."


The 48-year-old man was known for having a soft heart for street kids, many of whom he took home and gave temporary shelter, apparently without molesting them.

Body parts of 9yr old Ardiansyah were found in a black plastic bag in a river

Others he strangled, sometimes before and sometimes after sodomizing them, he told police.

Baikuni was arrested in his rented house in January, days after the severed head and several body parts of 9-year-old Ardiansyah were found in a black plastic bag in a nearby river.

In police custody, he confessed to murdering 14 boys, aged 6 to 12, from 1995 to Jan. 8 of this year.

"In the beginning, he just lured them to his home, sodomized them, then dumped the bodies," police investigator Lt. Col. Nico Afinta said.

Later, starting in 2007, he decapitated and mutilated his victims after strangling them with rope.

His last victim was a neighbor. Ardiansyah's mother knew her son had been spending time at Baikuni's house in recent months and immediately suspected him.

"Why was Babe caught? Because he violated his own procedure of luring victims who were strangers from outside his neighborhood," a psychologist who questioned Baikuni in prison, Sarlito Wirawan Sarwono, told reporters.

In an unexplained twist, Baikuni also may have been a witness in the case against Gedek, though police and Baikuni's lawyers deny that.

Gedek's former lawyer, Febri Irmansyah, told reporters that he believes Baikuni testified under another name in 1997, telling a court that he saw Gedek carry a young victim into bushes in central Jakarta in 1995.

Police say Baikuni wasn't a witness.

Baikuni did know Gedek, a homeless man who eked out a living by selling plastic bottles for recycling. But one of Baikuni's lawyers, Haposan Nainggolan, said his client knew Gedek only as two men who worked the same streets would.

Seto Mulyaqdi, chairman of the independent National Commission on Child Protection, said that reports of sexual abuse and missing children suggest there are more victims of Baikuni and other killers, both in Jakarta and the cities of Makassar and Medan.

"I think there are more people like Babe. This is the tip of an iceberg," he said.

Andreas Harsono, an Indonesian adviser to New York-based Human Rights Watch, said he believes most street kids have been sexually abused, based on his interviews with children.

"When you are seven or eight, you are already being abused. It's a big problem in a place as crowded as Java," he said, referring to Indonesia's main island, where most of the nation's 235 million people live.

Frans Hendra Winarta, a prominent Jakarta trial lawyer who is chairman of the Indonesian Advocates Association, said the current police priority is tackling corruption, not child abuse or murder.

Police lack the money and resources to tackle all the nation's crime, he said, adding that victims who are wealthy enough to pay for a police investigation, including "bonuses" for investigators, could get their crimes investigated.

"Whether you're rich or poor, you have to pay the police, otherwise they won't notice you," Winarta said. "That's the problem with this country."

- sitiemilia , Singapore.

Padma Lakshmi’s child’s father!

It’s finally out. Former model, TV presenter and writer, Padma Lakshmi’s child’s father is a millionaire venture capitalist, Adam Bell.

They were first seen together two years ago but they kept their affair very private. Padma, gave birth to Krishna Thea Lakshmi a month ago, but didn’t reveal the identity of her child’s father. But now, all the speculations have ended as a friend of the leggy beauty spilled the beans about her ex-lover. “Adam dotes on his daughter and wants to see more of her. Padma and he are trying to work out visiting rights to Krishna. They are trying to avoid anything messy,” said the friend. Padma was married to author Salman Rushdie in 2004, but they divorced three years later.

- Indian Journalist.

Animation is the future of cinema

Future of Film marketing, future of music industry and the challenges of developing Animation / Gaming industry in India, Day 3 of FICCI Frames 2010 saw expert panels discussing the future.

On one such panel, comprising personalities like filmmaker Yash Chopra, actress Vidya Balan, theatre person Sanjana Kapoor, music composers Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani; the topic of discussion was ‘Entertaining India in the next decade’. Unfortunately, Kamal Haasan and Resul Pookutty, who were also to join the panel, had to give FICCI Frames 2010 a miss.

Though the panel was a diverse one, there was a common point voiced from across the board. All agreed that the audience’ acceptance to newer ideas has given rise to experimentation with filmmaking techniques and stories which will continue motivating directors and producers to chose diverse subjects and take entertainment to the next level.

Vidya Balan initiated the discussion by throwing light on some important points. She said, “India is a diverse nation and our cinema in the future will reflect the same diversity in filmmaking too. Indian audience’ has matured and is now accepting films like Dev.D. This acceptance will only strengthen the conviction of the new age directors,” noted Vidya.

Talking about technological advancements, Vidya said, “Animation movies have a great market in India. We have seen that with the recent ‘Avatar’. For now, the animation we see in India is mostly imported; I see animation and 3D films becoming a big source of entertainment in the future.”

Yash Chopra, who is also the FICCI chairman, added to Vidya’s thoughts. He said, “Our industry today is full of young boys with brilliant ideas. Audience is accepting newer subjects and 3D and digital is the way to go in the future,” Chopra said further adding, “The medium might change though – from theatre, TV screens, mobile devices and so on, but what will win is ‘Content’. If the content is good, your film will work.”

Also touching upon the ever increasing piracy, Yash Chopra said, “When a person makes a movie, he wants his movie’s worth. But our movies, our content is available for free due to pirates. Filmmakers are losing out on their legitimate money. This is something the film fraternity, government of India and internet companies should come together and fight against.”

Seconding the opinion, Vidya said, “Indian audience goes to the theatres for the cinematic experience. With more and more 3D films being made in the future, piracy will come under control. People won’t like to see a 3D movie at home and miss out on the visual effect they can enjoy in a theatre,” Vidya observed.

The discussion then shifted from the future of films to the future of theatre in the next decade with celebrated theatre artist Sanjana Kapoor taking the lead. Sanjana said, “The thirst and need of the audience and of artist’s to see and perform live will keep theatre alive. With the ever booming technological environment, theatre will change too,” said Sanjana highlighting a very interesting aspect, “With the help of technology, in the future you might see theatre floors made touch sensitive that can play sound, change light and effect other such changes as the artist performs on stage.”

But all is not rosy for theatre. Sanjana pointed out, “Just like more screens in a multiplex has provided for exhibiting space for small budget films, theatre needs space too. Right now theatre is simply surviving, but to thrive, we need more space. Government should come forward and intervene,” Sanjana signed off.

Concluding the discussion, Yash Chopra summed up that with innovative story ideas and technological advancement Indian cinema is not far away from making a major breakthrough in Hollywood and other western markets.

- Indian Journalist.

Savita bhabhi to seduce on the Net

Just a few months after the government banned cartoon character Savita Bhabhi for her virtual sexcapades, the sultry housewife is ready to enter your bedrooms, this time with a real face. The shooting of the serial has started and it will be soon aired on an internet TV portal as a daily soap, Jay Hind.

Divya Dwivedi, who now wants to be known as Rekha Kumari for her Savita Bhabhi role, is quite kicked about getting into the skin of the character. She feels playing an adult star is similar to the challenge of playing a courtesan like ‘Umrao Jaan’.

She further adds, “In a lot of mainstream Bollywood films, heroines do very vulgar and objectionable stuff. In the show, I do not wear revealing clothes like a bikini. Also, I do not have any steamy scenes.”

The actress was seen in ‘Jahan Jaaeyega Hamen Paaeyega’ with Govinda and Sakshi Shivanand. She also acted in Rakesh Sawant’s ‘Hot Money’ and was also seen in ‘Kuch Kaha Aapne’ with Ayub Khan and Mukesh Tiwari. Divya ... oops Rekha has done around 20 films but failed to get noticed. Perhaps, her role of the raunchy character will get her some eyeballs.

- Indian Journalist.

Cable giant airs porn on kids' channels

US cable giant Time Warner was left red faced after accidentally airing pornography on two television channels meant for children.

The company's officials had to apologize for the blunder which they attributed to "equipment failure" after airing Playboy Channel previews on the Kids on Demand and Kids Pre-School on Demand channels, reported New York Daily News.

While the programming menu listed information for children's shows on the left side of the screen, previews of nude women in explicit conversations played on the right side of the screen.

It took technicians two hours to fix the glitch and officials said they weren't sure how many saw the mixed-up programming.

The mistake affected the company's North Carolina markets and parents and viewers reportedly inundated the company with calls about the error.

Time Warner Cable spokesperson Keith Poston apologised saying, "It was a small number of customers. But one's too many. We're very, very sorry it happened.

"We know parents are concerned. I have a 9-year-old. I'm a dad. I'd be concerned too. It was a technical malfunction that caused the wrong previews to be shown on our kids on-demand channels," he added.


Poston pointed out that even Time Warner's robust parental controls would not have blocked the images from viewers who happened upon them on Tuesday.

- Indian Journalist.

Woman who doped and stole for Botox

For four months last year, Vicky Herman Quek Bee Lan chose her victims carefully, picking elderly men with Rolex watches to dope and steal from.


According to Singapore's Straits Times, the 44-year-old woman would visit coffee shops and hawker centres to look for her victims, chatting them up or pretending to be a prostitute and offer them sex.

She would find a reason to offer the victim a drink, and would either drop a sleeping tablet into the drink by hand or at times, would hide Dormicum, a brand of sedative, in her mouth before dropping it in the coffee.

The petite, fair and bespectacled woman pleaded guilty in a Singapore district court last week to eight charges - four each of administering a stupefying drug and stealing items worth $21,316 (RM50,517) from four men, aged between 43 and 69.

Twenty other charges involving 10 men were taken into consideration. The total amount involved in all the charges was about $40,000 (RM94,793).

On Wednesday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Adrian Loo urged the court to call for a corrective training report before sentencing Quek, citing a multitude of aggravating factors.

Quek, he said, had admitted in her statements that the money she received from the crimes were used to buy Dormicum for herself and for use on subsequent victims as well as Botox and laser treatment to make herself look younger.

She has previous convictions for theft in 1994 and 1996, and in 1999, was packed off to jail for 6-/12 years for doping and theft.

If convicted of theft, she could be fined up to $10,000 (RM23,701) and or jailed for up to seven years. If found guilty of spiking their drinks, she could be fined up to $10,000 (RM23,701) and jailed for up to 10 years.

- Sitiemila , Singapore

Julianne Moore married for kids'sake

Hollywood beauty Julianne Moore was a firm non-believer in marriage but changed her mind after realising that the bond was important for her two children.

The Boogie Nights actress refused to marry director Bart Freundlich, despite a 13-year-long relationship until she was advised their union would help raise their children better, reported Contactmusic.

The redhead beauty whose first marriage to actor John Gould Rubin ended in 1995 had vowed never to walk down the aisle again.

But Moore changed her mind after an eye-opening therapy session in 2003, following the birth of her second baby with Freundlich.

"For me the only reason to get married was my children. I had a therapist who said marriage is really a container for a family," said Moore, who shares 12-year-old son Caleb and seven-year-old daughter Liv with the filmmaker, now admits her second marriage is a grounding force amid her hectic Hollywood lifestyle.

"Freud says you need love and work, and a family and a job give you a balance... One element can't give you everything. You can have friends in movies and plays you make, but they're not your family. And you can't expect family to give you the stimulation work is going to provide, because that is not their responsibility," said the actress.

- Thymus Mecauley

Tamil signboards made must, traders unhappy

Language politics is back in play with the DMK-led Chennai Corporation council trying to gain mileage by asking all shops and establishments to display their names in Tamil in a large font.
The council on Monday brought out the rule book to underline the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishment Rules (1948), which directs traders to display the store name in Tamil prominently, followed by English, and then any other language of choice.

Currently, most shops display the name in English, with many opting to have the Tamil version in a much smaller font. Corporation commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni said the new proposal was to have the name in Tamil displayed prominently and on top of the signboard.

This is the second time the Corporation is throwing the rule book at traders when it comes to signboards. The proposal, first introduced by the DMK-led council in its previous regime between 1996 and 2001, has been dubbed impractical and unnecessary by traders and businessmen.
Some are concerned about its impact on sales.

“We display our name in Tamil in a smaller font as our clientele is primarily English-speaking,” said a senior manager with a Chennai-based retail clothing brand. Once the signboard is repainted as per the new specifications, he is doubtful if the brand will draw customers. “Most of us are more comfortable with English than Tamil. Also, people from other parts are settling down in the city. How will a local brand like ours appeal to outsiders if our outlets have to display boards in Tamil?” he asked.


- Indian Journalist.

Mohanlal bounces back

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal was going through a rough patch sometime back. Veteran actor Thilakan was on a crusade against Mammootty and him and accused them of scuttling his film career.

A smear campaign unleashed against Mohanlal, the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movies Artistes (AMMA), by Thilakan even got the support of Sukumar Azhikode, well-known writer and orator. However now, the campaign against the star has died down and Mohanlal has emerged a winner.

The tide has changed for the actor as a university in Kerala is set to confer a honorary doctorate on him tomorrow. Mohanlal will be given a D Litt, for his contributions to Indian cinema. That’s not all; the star, who was given the honorary title of Lieutenant Colonel in a special ceremony at the office of the Ministry of Defense last year, will start his army training towards the end of the month.

Mohanlal, speaking exclusively to CT, on the sets of his new film titled Oru Naal Varum (A Day Will Come), said, “I’m honoured to be conferred a doctorate. Cinema has given me everything in life and I will continue acting till the end.” This movie, written by noted writer, director and actor Sreenivasan and directed by TK Rajiv Kumar, also marks the coming together of the successful combination of Mohanlal and Sreenivasan. In the movie, Sreenivasan plays a corrupt Town Planning Officer, who tries to demolish a house built by Mohanlal. Sameera Reddy plays Mohanlal’s wife, an IT professional.
About being cast as one of Priyanka Chopra’s seven husbands in Vishal Bhardwaj’s next film Saath Khoon Maaf (which is said to be based on Ruskin Bond’s Susanna’s Seven Husbands), Mohanlal said, “I would have loved to do the film. Vishal came down to Kochi and narrated the story to me and I was hooked. But after that, he didn’t get back to me to discuss the dates or sign me up. Now it’s too late, as I have other commitments.

Mohanlal is also excited about his forthcoming Kandahar which is to be directed by Major Ravi and produced by the actor himself along with a Mumbai-based corporate. It is based on the hijacking of the flight IC-814 in 1999 by five Pakistani militants who forced it to land in Kandahar with 186 hostages on board. Amitabh Bachchan has an important part as the father of one of the passengers while Mohanlal role will be that of a commando involved in the rescue act.

Said Mohanlal, “Kandahar will be an action-adventure film. We have to get permission from the army and home ministry to shoot in different locations; we will start the shoot in a few months.” On doubts being raised about Suriya doing the film, Mohanlal said, “Suriya had agreed to do the film initially but later, called and said he had reservations as Prakash Raj was said to be making a film with a similar storyline. I assured him that both the films were different, but if he was still not convinced, he didn’t have to do it.


- Kesavan Nair , Trivandapuram