Month: June 2009

Oscar winner is accused of raping 11 women

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New York, June 25: Oscar winning composer Joseph Brook, 71 has been arrested on charges of raping 11 women between the ages of 18 and 30 whom he lured into his apartment with promises of film roles, reported The New York Times.

The musician who won the Academy award for his 1977 hit You Light Up My Life sexually assaulted the young aspirants, many of them from the Pacific Northwest, after enticing them with promises of a Hollywood career through the advertisements on Craigslist and a talent website, said the report quoting Robert M. Morgenthau, the Manhattan district attorney.

Now, Monica Bedi takes to devotional singing

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Chandigarh, June 25: Having seen the glamour of the tinsel town, the harsh existence behind prison walls and the ‘make-believe’ world of reality shows, former starlet Monica Bedi is all set to don a new role – that of a devotional singer.

Bedi, whose family originally hails from Chhabewal village near Hoshiarpur town in Punjab, 130 km from here, chose this place Wednesday to announce the release of her first album of Sikh devotional music.

The music album has been launched by Universal Music.

Doe-eyed Hrithik a Jesus look-alike?

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Mumbai, June 25: Some people from the audience also called our doeeyed superhero a Jesus Christ lookalike.

However, there were also rumours of a rift between Susanne Roshan and hubby Hrithik over the sexy Barbara Mori, who stars opposite Hrithik in the film. But all that’s over now and the film, which has been greatly hyped over the last few months, is in the news again.

Stolen Rights fights for women’s rights

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Jeddha, June 25: Kholoud Al-Fahad, 32, believes women’s rights are God-given — but they have been lost or stolen and need to be regained.

She is talking about a woman’s inheritance right, and the right to see justice against those who take it away. She seeks public libraries, gyms and cultural clubs for women. She wants adequate housing units for widows and poor or abused women. She wants strong sexual harassment laws to protect workingwomen from chauvinists and perverts.

Judicial remand of Satyam accused extended till July 8

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Hyderabad, June 25: Judicial remand of the Satyam Computer accused, including its founder B Ramalinga Raju, was extended by a local court on Wednesday by 14 days to July 8.

The accused were produced before the XIV additional chief metropolitan magistrate, who extended the judicial remand of Ramalinga Raju and other accused for alleged involvement in the multi-crore financial fraud.

Indian dancer locked up for not performing at Dubai bar

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Abu Dhabi, June 25: An Indian woman dancer, who declined to perform at a Dubai bar, was allegedly locked up in a flat here for four days by another Indian and a Bangladeshi, a local court was told.

The Indian supervisor, 32, and the Bangladeshi cleaner, 30, however, pleaded not guilty in the Criminal Court of First Instance to the charge of holding the woman in captivity.

The Dubai Police on a tip-off raided the apartment on April 29 and found the woman locked in a two-bedroom flat.

Airline offers flights ‘cheaper than a carton of beer’!

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Melbourne, June 25: Low-cost airline Tiger Airways is offering travellers flights to destinations around Australia that are cheaper than a carton of beer.

The airline launched the “Just Pay Taxes and Charges” sale as its latest discount scheme against rivals Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Blue.

According to The Advertiser, flyers can pay as little as 25.51 dollars for one-way flights from Sydney to Melbourne, or 23.33 dollars for Gold Coast to Melbourne or 22.78 dollars for Adelaide to Perth, reports News.com.au.

US church creates stir with gay exorcism video

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Bridgeport, June 25: The video shows the 16-year-old boy lying on the floor, his body convulsing, as elders of a small Connecticut church cast a ‘homosexual demon’ from his body.

‘Rip it from his throat!’ a woman yells. ‘Come on, you homosexual demon! You homosexual spirit, we call you out right now! Loose your grip, Lucifer!’

Kapil Sibal in favour of scrapping Class X Board exams

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New Delhi, June 25: In what could be a pointer towards the government’s seriousness to bring in substantial reforms in education, HRD minister Kapil Sibal has indicated that the government could abolish the Class X Board examinations to lessen the “trauma” on young students.

The Human Resource Development Minister has outlined his ministry is looking into the feasibility of abolishing the strenuous 10th exams that give sleep less nights to the parents and minor students – often resulting in psychological problems before and after the exam.

All visa seekers to be photographed and fingerprinted

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Jeddha, June 25: Saudi Arabia will introduce fingerprinting and full-face digital photographs for visa applicants next year as part of its efforts to strengthen its security, prevent identity theft and combat terrorism.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday that it was calling for tenders from specialized international firms to set up a network of centers to provide biometric services to people applying for visas to the Kingdom.

Kapil Sibal in favour of scrapping Class X Board exams

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New Delhi, June 25: In what could be the pointer to the government’s seriousness to bring in substantial reforms in education, HRD minister Kapil Sibal has indicated that the government could abolish the Class X Board examinations to lessen the “trauma” on young students.

The Human Resource Development Minister has outlined his ministry’s is looking into the feasibility of abolishing the strenuous 10th exams that give sleep less nights to the parents and minor students – often resulting in psychological problems before and after the exam.

SC governor admits affair, secret Argentina trip

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Bogota, June 25: After going AWOL for seven days, Gov. Mark Sanford admitted Wednesday that he had secretly flown to Argentina to visit a woman with whom he was having an affair.

Wiping away tears, he apologized to his family and gave up a national Republican Party post, but was silent on whether he would resign.

“I’ve been unfaithful to my wife,” he said in a news conference in which the 49-year-old governor ruminated on God’s law, moral absolutes and following one’s heart. He said he spent the last five days “crying in Argentina.”

Jennifer Lopez to stop clothing line

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London, June 25: Hollywood actress-singer Jennifer Lopez will stop producing her clothing line once the spring collection hits the stores.

The “Jenny From The Block” hitmaker has banked millions from merchandising and brand deals, launching the Sweetface range in 2005 as a streetwear spin-off of her original JLO clothing collection.

But, despite the line’s popularity with fans, Lopez has confirmed work on future designs will come to a halt while the future of the brand is reviewed, reported contactmusic.com

Priyanka in Love

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Mumbai, June 25: Unaffected by the split rumours doing the rounds, the much talked B-town couple Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapur seem very much in love.

Earlier, they were spotted working out in a gym and now the two were reportedly caught devouring each other with their eyes when having a romantic, cozy lunch. As we know Shahid couldn’t make it to the IIFA, where Piggy chops was being felicitated, so it seems he’s trying to make it up by asking her out for a date at her favourite restaurant also to celebrate her success as she bagged every other award for her role in ‘Fashion’.

India seek redemption in WI one day series

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New Delhi, June 25: India start their campaign on Friday to put the bad memory of their failure in the World Twenty20 behind them, when they face West Indies in the first One-day International of the four match series.

India and their opponents settle back down to the bump and grind of 50 overs-a-side matches, following a heavy diet of Twenty20 cricket for several of the players in the form of the second edition of the Indian Premier League in South Africa, and the World Twenty20 in England.

But it’s the World Twenty20 which is still fresh on the minds of the Indians.

Hong Kong tutor faces jail for forcing pupil into having sex

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Hong Kong, June 25: A Hong Kong language tutor was Thursday facing jail after being convicted of using threats to force a 14-year-old girl pupil into having sex with him.

Gary Siu Cheuk-ming, 27, lured the girl who attended his private Japanese lessons to a meeting in a hostel after claiming he could get modelling work for her and filmed her naked.

He then had sex with her at least 10 times over a three-month period after threatening to distribute the video if she did not sleep with him, the South China Morning Post reported.

Hindu or Muslim, they are flocking to Ajmer Sufi shrine

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Jaipur, June 25: Pilgrims, both Hindu and Muslim, are thronging the shrine of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer for his 797th annual Urs or death anniversary, which is not treated as a sad occasion but a celebration of the soul’s union with god.

About 250,000 to 300,000 pilgrims visit Ajmer during the Urs, which this year begins Thursday and will go on till June 30. The dargah (shrine) of the saint, who was popularly known as Khwaja Gharib Nawaz by his devotees from both communities, symbolises a touching synthesis of the hopes and prayers of various faiths and communities.

NKorea warns of ‘fire shower of nuclear’ attack

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Taipai, June 25: North Korea condemned a recent U.S. pledge to provide nuclear defense of South Korea, saying Thursday that the move boosts its justification to have atomic bombs and invites a potential “fire shower of nuclear retaliation.”

The commentary in Pyongyang’s main Rodong Sinmun newspaper was the North’s latest reaction to last week’s summit between President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. The allies issued a joint statement committing the U.S. to defend the South with nuclear weapons.

Shahrukh to star with Barack Obama

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Mumbai, June 25: Bollywood Baadshah Shahrukh Khan is all set to star with US President Barack Obama. Not quite really but Shahrukh will be seen starring with a lookalike of the US President in the in his upcoming movie My Name Is Khan.

The casting crew is in search for an African American who can resemble Obama. The exact nature of the character is not known but sources claim Obama’s character play a significant part in the story.

Myanmar says no news on tracked North Korean ship

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Yangon, June 25: Myanmar downplayed reports Thursday that a possibly weapons-bearing North Korean ship was headed for its shores, saying it expected another vessel from the communist state but that it only carried rice.

The comments came after a US Navy destroyer began tracking the suspect North Korean ship, the Kang Nam 1, under new United Nations sanctions designed to punish Pyongyang over a recent underground nuclear test.

K3 gee!

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Mumbai, June 25: Farah Khan is delighted that she will be enjoying the company of her good friends Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar in San Francisco. She left Mumbai last night. SRK has a bigger reason to look forward to her visit — he has been waiting to read the script of Farah’s next, Happy New Year. Her star friend has patiently waited for Farah to work on it for over a year.

Farah will be handing over the script of the first half of her forthcoming film, Happy New Year, to Shah Rukh. Farah also hopes to zero in on some technicians for her film while she is there.

8 die of sunstroke in AP

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Visakhapatnam, June 25: The severe heatwave conditions has led to the death of eight people from sunstroke in the last two days in this district of Andhra Pradesh.

According to reports reaching here this morning, eight people died of sunstroke in Ravikamatham and Makavaraipalem Mandals even as heavy rainfall in Hiramandalam Chvthivari Vedhi of Srikakulam District claimed three of a family this morning after they came into contact with a live wire.

Kambakkht Kiss

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Mumbai, June 25: Denise Richards, move over. Kareena Kapoor is in a better position to rate Akshay Kumar when he puckers up. There are reports that the film Kambakkht Ishq has as many as ten lip locks between Kareena and Akshay. The pair will steam up the screen as they kiss repeatedly in the film.

Tenants in a Dilemma After Eviction Notice

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Dubai, June 25: Engineers from Dubai Municipality (DM) will examine the condition of Zabeel building on Umm Hurair Road and will present a report to the Tenancy Disputes Committee (TDC) after the authorities had served an eviction notice to the tenants.

TDC took the decision, following a two-hour meeting on Wednesday between some 250 tenants of the six storey building and representatives of the Dubai International Real Estate Company (DIREC) which manages the building.

The litigants are to meet again on October 7, for the TDC to issue a final decision, according to a tenant.

Husband’s relatives gangrape woman

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New Delhi, June 25: A mother of two was allegedly gangraped by three men at her East Delhi residence on Tuesday night. The police said all three accused are distant relatives of the victim’s husband.

The incident was reported from Bholanath Nagar area in Farsh Bazar. A case of rape and criminal intimidation has been registered and the police is looking for the accused.

The 22-year-old victim identified the three to the police as Rakesh, Mukesh and Subhash . Rakesh even stayed with the victim and her husband about two years ago.