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  • Beyonce's 'Partition' Video Debuts Online After 'Beyonce' Release

    Beyonce rolled down the partition on her ultra-sexy new music video this week. The steamy visuals to Bey's "Partition" became available online, showing Mrs. Carter in skimpy get-ups to the tone of an old-school burlesque. Peep the fairly NSFW video, which was previously included on the album release of "Beyonce," below.

    Slates For Sarah Inspires Influx Of Tributes For Cinematographer Killed On 'Midnight Rider' Set

    Last week's death on the set of "Midnight Rider," the Gregg Allman biopic directed by Randall Miller and starring William Hurt, has prompted an outpouring of support from the Hollywood community. A Facebook page called Slates for Sarah was established to honor Sarah Jones, the second camera assistant who was struck by a train while the movie was filming on a railroad bridge. Various entertainment-industry insiders are posting photos of clapperboards from their respective film and TV sets that contain sentimental messages such as "R.I.P. Sarah" and "We will never forget you Sarah Jones."
    In addition to the Facebook page, filmmakers are calling for Jones' inclusion in this Oscars' In Memoriam segment on Sunday. Cinematographer Haskell Wexler ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?") penned an open letter on Deadline.com urging the Academy to add Jones to its posthumous acknowledgements. Wexler also called for higher safety standards on film sets. "Sarah and the three injured crew members were not victims of an 'accident' but of criminal negligence," he wrote. "Something that would not have happened if proper safety rules were in place."

    Here are some of the most notable memorializations for Jones, per the Slates for Sarah page.

    Asia Cup 2014: Virat Kohli will be under pressure as captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be missed, says Sunil Gavaskar

    India's stand-in skipper Virat Kohli will be under pressure to produce good results in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh, according to former captain Sunil Gavaskar. Gavaskar also said senior player and permanent captain MS Dhoni will be sorely missed during the course of the five-nation tournament.

    Dhoni was ruled out of the Asia Cup tournament with a left side-strain injury last week, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed it in a release, along with naming Dinesh Karthik as his replacement. Kohli was named captain in Dhoni's absence. "Virat (Kohli) will be under pressure. If he produces the results then it is a good start for him," Gavaskar told NDTV in an exclusive chat. (India vs Bangladesh preview)

    Gavaskar also said that even if Kohli did not deliver as Team India captain in Bangladesh, he should not be judged on the basis of just one tournament. "Don't judge Virat by just one tournament. Don't expect tremendous results from him as skipper," said the former Indian captain. (Also read: Virat Kohli ready to test himself as skipper)
    "Captaincy, like anything else, is a role to be settled into. So to expect Virat to produce tremendous results might be going over the top. But if he does produce tremendous results it means that he has begun well. Yes, I think he will be under pressure because he realises that with the recent results that India has had there are a lot of expectations from him. There has been a lot of talk about Dhoni retiring as captain from one format and so maybe that is the reason why maybe Virat will feel a little more of the pressure," he added. (Related: Dhoni not the only casualty as injuries mar Asia Cup)

    While encouraging Kohli as captain, Gavaskar made it clear that India could not do without the services of Dhoni, who is a combination of a great finisher, a great runner between wickets and a top-class keeper. "India is going to miss him massively. Apart from the fact that he just takes the game away from the opposition, it's the running between the wickets that he puts pressure on the opposition. So in all aspects I think he is going to be missed massively as a player in the team. Again as a wicketkeeper, he is top class. Not too many people give him credit for being the kind of wicketkeeper he is. But he is a tremendous cricketer and I just hope that whatever injury he suffered in New Zealand, he gets over that pretty quickly," said Gavaskar.

    The Indian cricket legend also touched upon how the fifth bowler could prove key for the team in sub-continental conditions but said the top-four bowlers should do most of the job. "The fifth bowler will be key. Stuart Binny, Ambati Rayudu will be good options but the first four bowlers will have to do the job for India," Gavaskar added.

    Latest price cut makes the BlackBerry Z10 a great buy. Here is why

    BlackBerry flagship smartphone, the Z10, is now available as a limited period offer of Rs 17,990. That is almost a 60 per cent cut on its launch price and the second price cut in recent months. The offer is open for the next 60 days.
    Running the latest BlackBerry 10 OS version 10.2.1 and with the best touch keyboard in the market, the Z10 is a good buy at this price. But you will have to live without the popular apps on other platforms, BlackBerry’s biggest pain point.
    However, with the new OS you have the option of sideloading any Android app. So look at this phone as a top-end Android phone a mid-level price, with the added security and mail features of the Blackberry. Yes, this could be one of the best smartphone deals in the market at the moment.

    Announcing the price cut, BlackBerry India MD Sunil Lalvani said:  “BlackBerry has a vast and loyal user base in India and we’re keen to provide these consumers with the unique communication experience that BlackBerry 10 offers. This commemorative offer puts the BlackBerry Z10 at Rs 17,990 and will ensure users are able to enjoy the cutting edge experience of a full-touch device combined with a revolutionary operating system – all at an attractive price point.”
    The BlackBerry Z10 has the latest BlackBerry 10 atOS version 10.2.1, that supports Hinglish and Hindi typing and Android apps. it runs on 3G and 2G plans without a special BlackBerry Plan.  The phone has a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and an expandable memory card slot that supports up to 32GB of additional storage. Plus, there is a superb screen, NFC (near field communications) and BBM service voice and video chats. Now get that in an Android phone for Rs 18,000.
    The beleaguered Canadian smartphone company must be hoping that a lot of its loyal user will upgrade to the new phone with this offer.

    BlackBerry goes back to the keyboard to recover sales

    BlackBerry Ltd unveiled a new, cheaper touchscreen smartphone and a "classic" model with a keyboard on Tuesday, as it tries to stem losses and win back a once devoted following by security-conscious business and government users.

    The Z3 smart phone, which is to be priced at under $200, is being built under a partnership deal with FIH Mobile Ltd - the Hong Kong-listed unit of Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn.

    Code named Jakarta, it will go on sale in April in Indonesia, where BlackBerry's BBM messaging service is proving very popular, said John Chen, the group's new chief executive who took over late last year.

    "It's going to be under $200 on retail price," he said at the annual Mobile World Congress trade fair in Barcelona.

    "It's a 3G phone, and we have a plan to expand the phone to different parts of southeast Asia after Indonesia, and in addition we have a plan to go global with an LTE (high speed 4G) version of it some time in the future."

    BlackBerry, once a must-have device for every business executive and government official because of its pioneering secure email service, has haemorrhaged market share to Apple's iPhone and rival devices running on Google's Android software.

    Opening up its BBM messaging service to be available on other operating systems - with Windows Phone the latest addition - has further hit device sales, particularly in emerging markets.

    Rick Owens' Epic Step Team Fashion Show Inspires Beautifully Diverse Editorial

    It's been nearly six months since Rick Owens' Spring/Summer 2014 fashion show took place in Paris, but we just can't stop talking about it -- and for good reason. The designer sent a slew of traditional African-American step teams down the runway to show off his wears and inevitably promote the importance of both racial and body diversity within the fashion industry.

    Owens' message and clothing have now found themselves at the center of AnOther Magazine's newest editorial. Katie Shillingford, the glossy's fashion director, teamed up with photographer, Matthew Stone and created images that captured the fearlessness of Owens' now iconic presentation.

    "I think it was very admirable that a designer with such a big brand, who is commercially successful too, had made such a brave choice," Shillingford said. "There is not enough of that in the fashion industry today, no one is brave enough to take a risk because everyone is worried about selling clothes."

    The series of clothed and nude photos, which are reminiscent of old world paintings, were cast with real people (pulled from the street and friends of friends) and a few professional plus-size models.

    "I wanted to applaud this fearless move and celebrate women of all colours and sizes," Shilligford explained. "That's also why I wanted to show a lot of nudity, because for me it wasn't just about clothes, it was about a really powerful message and putting that into print form."

    With the fashion industry still struggling with racial diversity and body image, it's encouraging to see stories like this being created.

    Asia Cup 2014: Skipper Misbah-ul-Haq slams fifty to revive Pakistan chase

    Chasing a 297-run target, Pakistan got off to a bad start as they lost their top order cheaply against Sri Lanka in the first match of the Asia Cup in Fatullah.

    Scorecard | Match in Pics

    Pakistan tried to get its run chase back on track courtesy a steady stand between Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez.

    The Shehzad-Hafeez duo stitched a crucial 49-run partnership for the second wicket soon after losing opener Sharjeel Khan early.

    However, Chaturanga De Silva and skipper Angelo Mathews struck in consecutive overs to send Shehzad (28) and Hafeez (18) back to the pavilion.

    Spinner Sachithra Senanayake then joined the wicket taking party when he scalped Sohaib Maqsood (17) by getting him caught at deep mid-wicket.

    Pakistan lost their first wicket when Suranga Lakmal had Sharjeel (26) caught comfortably at mid-on by Mathews after the Pakistan opener mis-timed a short of length delivery.

    Earlier, opener Lahiru Thirimanne notched up his second ODI hundred to power Sri Lanka to a challenging 296 for six against Pakistan.

    Thirimanne hit 11 fours and a six in his 110-ball 102-run innings and starred in a 161-run stand with Kumar Sangakkara (67) for the second wicket to lay the foundation for a huge score at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium.

    Pakistan tried to make a comeback in the middle overs as they picked up a few wickets, before skipper Angelo Matthews provided the late charge, cracking a 50-ball 55, to take Sri Lanka close to the 300-mark.

    For Pakistan, Umar Gul (38) and Shahid Afridi (56) picked up two wickets each, while Saeed Ajmal (1/50) took one.

    Electing to bat, Sri Lanka made a watchful start before opener Kusal Perera (14) edged an Umar Gul delivery straight to Umar Akmal behind the stumps in the eighth over to slip to 28 for one.

    However, Thirimanne continued his good run and notched up his fifty off 56 balls in the 20th over, his first half-century since last July.

    He and first-down batsman Sangakkara ensured Sri Lanka suffer no more damage as the two left-handed batsmen amassed runs at good pace and took Sri Lanka to the 100-mark in the 20th over.

    The duo then changed gears, piling up 68 runs in the next 10 overs. Sangakkara, who has been in red-hot form, brought up his 84th fifty in as many balls in the 27th over when he blasted Mohammad Hafeez for a boundary through the midwicket area.

    In the 31st over, Thirimanne picked up Hafeez for special treatment as he sent him over deep midwicket to bring up the first six of the match and move into the 90s. 

    Sri Lanka rejects UN war crimes probe as more bodies found in mass grave

    The Sri Lankan government has denounced a UN call for an international investigation into human rights abuses in its long civil war as 'unwarranted interference'

    The UN believes 40,000 Tamils were killed in the last months of the war before the defeat of the LTTE in May 2009 Photo: Getty
    By Dean Nelson, South Asia Editor 3:23PM GMT 25 Feb 2014
    More than forty new bodies were found in a mass grave in Sri Lanka's Tamil north, officials said on Tuesday, after the government rejected a UN call for an international inquiry into alleged war crimes.
    The discovery of the grave in Mannar, a key battle zone in the last stages of Sri Lanka's long civil war, will increase pressure on the United Nations Human Rights Council to support an independent war crimes investigation when it meets in Geneva next month. Eighty bodies, including those of children, have now been recovered there and another mass grave with 155 bodies was discovered in 2012.
    The report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, highlighted these mass graves in her report and said they demonstrated the "magnitude and gravity of the violations alleged to have been committed" by both sides. The thousands of civilians killed in the last months of the war in 2009 and allegations of summary executions of surrendering or arrested Tamil Tiger leaders demanded an independent investigation, the report said.
    The UN believes 40,000 Tamils were killed in the last months of the war before the defeat of the LTTE in May 2009. Many of them were killed in Army shelling of civilians in official "no-fire zones".
    David Cameron, the prime minister, and other leaders had warned President Mahinda Rajapaksa at last year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo that there would be an international inquiry if Sri Lanka did not launch its own credible and independent inquiry before March 2014.

    Ms Pillay effectively called time on its delays when her report calling for an international investigation was released late on Monday evening.
    Its failure to launch "independent or credible investigations," reflected a lack of political will, it added.
    It cited political interference in the judiciary, continuing disappearances and intimidation of witnesses as further reasons for an international inquiry which would guarantee witness protection.
    "The international community has a duty to take further steps, which will advance the right to truth for all in Sri Lanka," the report said.
    Its criticisms of Sri Lanka's own reconciliation attempts were rejected by the government which said the report "reflects bias and is tantamount to an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state".
    Critics said Sri Lanka is hoping that support from China and Russia might help it defeat the war crimes inquiry proposal at the Human Rights Council meeting next month. But they will not be able to veto the proposal if a simple majority of the 47 council members support it.

    Axolotl, Endangered 'Water Monster,' Sighted In Mexico After Fears Of Disappearance

    Mexico's salamander-like axolotl apparently hasn't disappeared from its only known natural habitat in Mexico City's few remaining lakes.

    Researchers say they have sighted, but not caught, two of the slippery little creatures during a second effort to find them.

    A weekslong effort last year by researchers in skiffs trying to net axolotls in the shallow, muddy waters of Xochimilco lake found none, raising fears that they might only now survive in captivity.

    But biologist Armando Tovar Garza of Mexico's National Autonomous University said Friday that members of the team carrying out the search had seen two axolotls during the first three weeks of a second survey expected to conclude in April.

    "We weren't able to capture them ... because the behavior of the axolotl makes them very difficult to capture," Tovar Garza said. "We haven't had any captures, but we have had two sightings. That's important, because it tells us we still have a chance."

    The axolotl, admittedly ugly with a slimy tail, plumage-like gills and mouth that curls into an odd smile, is known as the "water monster" and the "Mexican walking fish." It's only natural habitat is the Xochimilco network of lakes and canals — the "floating gardens" of earth piled on reed mats that the Aztecs built to grow crops but are now suffering from pollution, urban sprawl and invasive species.

    The creature is import in scientific research because of its ability to regenerate severed limbs.

    Some axolotls still survive in aquariums, water tanks and research labs, but experts said those conditions aren't the best, because of interbreeding and other risks. Releasing captive-bred axolotls into the wild could spread a fungus infection that is fatal to them and could reduce their genetic diversity. Tovar Garza said some small mutations, possibly the result of interbreeding, have already been seen.

    Alarmed by the creature's falling numbers in recent years, researchers built axolotl "shelters" in Xochimilco to help them breed in the cleanest part of their remaining habitat.

    Watch 'Basically,' A Short Film Starring Rachel Brosnahan From 'House Of Cards'

    "House of Cards" fans who didn't get to see enough of Rachel Posner during the show's second season would be wise to watch Ari Aster's newest short film. Called "Basically," the mini-feature is the first of a 12-part, short-film series by Aster, which the director describes as "an idiosyncratic collection of monologue-driven character profiles" of Los Angeles residents. Different actors will appear in each film, but the first stars Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Posner on "House of Cards," as an actress dealing with an array of personal issues, including her domineering mother and the fate of an ex-boyfriend.

    Aster, who previously directed the 30-minute short "The Stranger Thing About The Johnsons," is set to start work on his feature film debut later this year. "Basically," which premiered at the New York Film Festival last fall, can be seen in full below. (Warning: Strong language.)

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