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  • The Spymaster: Meir Dagan on Iran's threat

    Meir Dagan has been described as "hard-charging" and "stops at nothing." For more than eight years, Dagan made full use of those qualities as chief of Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, where he focused on keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. When that job ended, Dagan did something unheard of for an ex-Mossad chief: he spoke out publicly, voicing opposition to Israel launching preemptive airstrikes against Iran's nuclear facilities anytime soon. Dagan believes the Iranian regime is a rational one and even its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - who has called for Israel to be annihilated - acts in a somewhat rational way when it comes to Iran's nuclear ambitions. Lesley Stahl reports.

    The following script is from "The Spymaster Speaks" which aired on March 11, 2012. Lesley Stahl is the correspondent. Shachar Bar-On, producer.

    When President Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this past week, the subject was how, when and if to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, Netanyahu saying Israel can't afford to wait much longer; Mr. Obama arguing there's still time to let sanctions and diplomacy do the job. And he said some top intelligence officials in Israel side with him.

    Actually, you'll hear from one of them tonight: Meir Dagan, former chief of the Mossad, Israel's equivalent of the CIA. It's unheard of for someone who held such a high-classified position to speak out publicly, but he told us he felt compelled to talk, because he is so opposed to a preemptive Israeli strike against Iran anytime soon.

    Dagan headed the Mossad for nearly a decade until last year. His primary, if not his only mission was to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb. And he says there is time to wait, perhaps as long as three years.

    Lesley Stahl: You have said publicly that bombing Iran now is the stupidest idea you've ever heard. That's a direct quote.

    Dagan: An attack on Iran before you are exploring all other approaches is not the right way how to do it.

    Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon – 9th March 2012 Video Update

    Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon – 9th March 2012 Video Update
    <<<<<<<<<< CLICK HERE FULL VIDEO UPDATE >>>>>>>>>>>>>

    Whitney Houston’s Daughter Remembers Mother’s Last Days

    Bobbi Kristina Brown, Whitney Houston's only child, spent her mother's last day in her arms, the 19-year-old told Oprah Winfrey on "Oprah's Next Chapter," her first interview since Houston was found dead in her hotel room on Feb. 11.

    The night before Houston died, her daughter with ex-husband, singer Bobby Brown asked her mother to sleep with her as she often did.

    "Sometimes she'd come in my room, she'd lay down with me," Bobbi Kristina told Winfrey. "On the last day, it was so early. I went to go get her. I said, 'Mom, will you just come lay down with me?' She stayed with me all day. I slept in her arms all day. All night long."

    Does Bobbi Kristina want to change her name?

    Bobbi Kristina appeared stronger, more confident and mature than one would expect of a teenager and only child who just lost her mother. Bobbi Kristina spoke to Winfrey at the Atlanta home of her uncle and aunt, Houston's older brother, Gary, and wife, Patricia, who was Houston's manager and confidant.

    Bobbi Kristina said support from her family and God is helping her cope with the loss. She is also comforted by her mother, who, she said, still speaks to her.

    Vidya Balan's 'Kahaani' declared a hit

    After being appreciated for her performance in female-centric "Ishqiya", "No One Killed Jessica" and "The Dirty Picture", actress Vidya Balan carries forwards the legacy of hits with "Kahaani", which has reportedly collected Rs.2.95 crore on its opening day.

    Released Friday, the drama-thriller made at a shoestring budget of Rs.8 crore is receiving positive response from both the critics and audiences

    "The film has opened very well. The collection in India on Friday was Rs. 2.95 crore and on Saturday it earned Rs. 4.5 crore. A full-pack show is expected on Sunday. The film will definitely survive for over a week," Taran Adarsh told IANS.

    In director Sujoy Ghosh's Vidya is cast as a software programmer. She comes to Kolkata from London in search of her husband, who is the father of her unborn child.

    Gautam Dutta, COO, PVR said that the film has superseded their expectation.

    "The response we are getting for the film is phenomenal. There are families coming together to watch the movie. And since it is a women-centric film, there are group of females coming to watch the film. We are expecting a 80 percent occupancy all over India on weekend, which is something we did not expect. And the film should be able to do a good business," Dutta told IANS.

    It is being co-distributed by Pen India Pvt. Ltd, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Boundscript Motion Pictures Pvt. Ltd

    " 'Kahaani' is a film that is made for serious and sensible cinegoers. Vidya's performance is being appreciated by audience. The film is not entertaining like 'The Dirty Picture', that is why it has a niche audience. But it will not only recover its cost but also earn profits," said Delhi based distributor Joginder Mahajan.

    If the story and Viday's charma are attracting audiences, distributor Sanjay Ghai of Mukta Arts Ltd says word of mouth is also helping the film a lot in gaining success.

    "It is houseful in multiplexes and we are expecting collection of Rs.5 crore on Sunday. It is the word of mouth that is bringing people to the theaters," Ghai said.
    READ MORE

    20 Tax Changes You Need To Know About

    Several important tax changes took effect in 2011 that will impact federal income tax returns filed this April. While some of the changes are straightforward, such as the standard mileage rates, others, including the tax handling of foreign financial assets, may be more complicated. Following is a list of the tax law changes for 2011 Federal tax returns.

    Alternative Minimum Tax
    The alternative minimum tax (AMT) exemption amount increases for tax year 2011 to the following levels:

    $48,450 for singles and heads of household (up from $47,450 in 2010)
    $37,225 for married filing separately (up from $36,225)
    $74,450 for married filing jointly, and qualifying widows or widowers (up from $72,450)

    Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit
    The alternative motor vehicle credit cannot be claimed for a vehicle bought after 2010, unless it is a new fuel cell motor vehicle.

    Capital Gains and Dividends
    Lower rates for long-term capital gains and dividends remain in effect for 2011 and 2012. The rate on long-term capital gains and dividends remains at zero for those taxpayers in the 15% income tax bracket and below; the rate is 15% for taxpayers in the 25% bracket and above. Most taxpayers will use new Form 8949 to report capital gain and loss transactions. Schedule D, the form that has been traditionally filed to show these transactions, is now used as a summary sheet.

    Child Tax Credit
    The 2010 Tax Relief Act extended the credit of $1,000 per eligible child through 2012.

    Designated Roth Accounts
    Taxpayers who rolled over an amount from a 401(k) or 403(b) plan to a designated Roth account during 2010 and did not elect to report the taxable amount on a 2010 return must report half on the 2011 return and the rest on the 2012 return.

    Due Date of Tax Return
    Because April 15 is a Sunday and April 16 is the Emancipation Day holiday in the District of Columbia, tax returns are due on Apr. 17, 2012.

    Estate Tax
    For individuals who died after 2010, the federal estate tax provides a $5 million exemption and a maximum 35% rate. These estate tax rules are scheduled to end following 2012.

    First-Time Homebuyer Credit
    In order to claim the first-time homebuyer credit for 2011, a taxpayer (or their spouse, if married) must have been "a member of the uniformed services or Foreign Service, or an employee of the intelligence community on qualified official extended duty outside the United States for at least 90 days during the period beginning after Dec. 31, 2008, and ending before May 1, 2010." For more, check out Top Tips For First-Time Home Buyers.READ MORE

    Meet ‘John Carter’s’ Martian Princess Lynn Collins

    The sci-fi extravaganza "John Carter" -- based on the classic book series by Edgar Rice Burroughs -- is a familiar title. But the leading lady, Lynn Collins, is less well known: The actress, who co-stars with Taylor Kitsch in the adventure flick, is grabbing the spotlight for her skimpy costumes -- and getting some looks on the Web.

    Searches on the star have climbed 1,000 percent on Yahoo! in the past week alone, thanks to her starring role.

    In the Disney film, Collins plays the Martian warrior Princess Dejah Thoris. The fantasy stars Kitsch as a Confederate captain from the Civil War who is transported to the red planet, where he becomes involved in an epic conflict among various nations, whose leaders include Thoris. The website Hollywood.com claims that the rising star's "beauty, grace, and adeptness with a sword will not leave your consciousness even long after you leave the theater."

    The star's bikini-style short shorts may also stay with you. In an interview with Yahoo! Movies, Collins admitted that the costumes were made more revealing than originally designed -- at her request. She said, "I knew they were going to be small. And I am actually the one who put them on and said, 'The cut's going to be weird, they should probably be higher.' There you go."

    Still, she was more covered up than the character in the books. In Edgar Rice Burrough's original tale, "A Princess of Mars," the people of Barsoom (as they call their home planet) don't wear much at all. In his first-person narration, John Carter says, "Save for her highly wrought ornaments she was entirely naked, nor could any apparel have enhanced the beauty of her perfect and symmetrical figure."

    Back on planet Earth, the leading lady originally comes from Houston, Texas. (In the movie, she speaks with a credible British accent.) Collins, who is trained in martial arts, told ABC News that she performed "about 85 percent of the stunts." This didn't always end well: At one time, Collins told Yahoo! movies that the rigging holding up their safety wires fell down right on top of her and Kitsch. She said she panicked thinking it broke her nose, but she was unharmed.

    Two Bucks for a 23-year Legal Battle

    A village in Madhya Pradesh on May 26, 1980 and Pratap Singh Thakur Hrban fight for rent in the center of the hackery. Rent was fixed Rs 15 Rs 13 to but just wanted to Thakur.Trial court during the trial, which found no evidence to prove who did it attempt to Ramdin. All nine Aropio court convicted for the intentional serious attack. State High Court challenging the lower court's decision but his appeal was dismissed. The Madhya Pradesh government has challenged the High Court's decision in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court and High Court set aside the trial court hearing.Bench of the nine accused guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced to eight years' rigorous imprisonment.

    जुड़वां बहन-भाई में तीन साल का अंतर?

    मां के गर्भ में साथ पलने वाले दो बच्चे जब जन्म लेते हैं तो वे जुड़वां कहलाते हैं। आम तौर पर इन बच्चों के जन्म में कुछ मिनट या कुछ घंटों का अंतर होता है। लेकिन, कोलकाता में जन्मे जुड़वां भाई-बहन के बीच पूरे तीन साल का अंतर है। चौंकिए नहीं, यह कमाल कृत्रिम प्रजनन से जुड़ी अत्याधुनिक एम्ब्रियो तकनीक के चलते संभव हुआ। कोलकाता में एक निजी क्लीनिक चलाने वाले डाक्टर सिद्धार्थ चटर्जी ने बताया कि बीते बुधवार को जन्मे विनायक की जुड़वां बहन इशानी 3 अक्टूबर 2005 को पैदा हुई थी। उन्होंने बताया कि शादी के पांच साल बीत जाने के बाद भी संतानहीन दंपति देबयान और रूबी चौधरी एक दिन उनके क्लीनिक पर पहुंचे। डा. सिद्धार्थ के अनुसार जनवरी 2005 में देबयान के स्पर्म और रूबी के अंडाणु से प्रयोगशाला में तीन भ्रूण तैयार किए गए। इनमें से एक को अलग कर विकसित होने के लिए रूबी के गर्भ में डाल दिया गया। पूर्ण गर्भावस्था के बाद रूबी ने ईशानी को जन्म दिया। सिद्धार्थ के अनुसार शेष बचे दो भ्रूण को तरल नाइट्रोजन में डालकर फ्रीजर में संरक्षित कर लिया गया। तीन साल बाद इस जोड़े ने जब दूसरे बच्चे की इच्छा जताई तो एक भ्रूण फिर मां के गर्भ में प्रत्यारोपित कर दिया गया। यह भ्रूण विकसित होकर इस बुधवार को पैदा हुआ। गणेश पूजा के मौके पर जन्मे इस बच्चे का नाम विनायक रखा गया है। READ MORE

    स्तन कैंसर का खतरा कम करें एस्परिन

    दर्द से छुटकारा पाने के लिए बरसों से कारगर दवा समझी जाने वाली एस्परिन और आइबूप्रोफ्रेन को नियमित लेने पर स्तन कैंसर होने का खतरा कम से कम 20 फीसदी घटाया जा सकता है।
    ब्रिटेन के अनुसंधानकर्ताओं ने एक अध्ययन में पाया कि नियमित एस्परिन लेने वाली महिलाओं को स्तन कैंसर का खतरा 20 फीसदी कम हो जाता है। एस्परिन का इस्तेमाल उन महिलाओं के इलाज में भी किया जा सकता है जो स्तन कैंसर से पीडि़त हैं। ज्ञूवेंज एंड सेंट थामस एनएचएस फाउंडेशन ट्रस्ट के प्रमुख अनुसंधानकर्ता प्रो. इयान फेंटीमेन ने बताया कि एस्परिन न केवल कैंसर का खतरा घटाती है, बल्कि यह स्तन कैंसर से पीडि़त महिलाओं के हार्मोन संबंधी इलाज में भी मदद करती है। अनुसंधानकर्ताओं ने कहा कि इसी तरह की नानस्टीरायडल एंटी-इंफ्लेमेटरी ड्रग्स [एनएसएआईडीएस] तथा आइबूप्रोफेन जैसी दवाएं भी स्तन कैंसर से बचाव में मददगार हो सकती हैं। यह निष्कर्ष अध्ययनकर्ताओं ने पिछले 27 साल में 21 अध्ययनों का विश्लेषण करने के बाद निकाला है। अध्ययन में 37,000 महिलाओं को शामिल किया गया।
    अध्ययन के नतीजे इंटरनेशनल जर्नल आफ क्लीनिकल प्रैक्टिस के नवीनतम अंक में प्रकाशित हुए हैं। अध्ययन में हालांकि कहा गया है कि जिन महिलाओं में अनुवांशिक स्तन कैंसर संबंधी जीन होता है उन्हें एस्परिन से सुरक्षा मिलने की संभावना नहीं होती। ऐसी महिलाओं की संख्या प्रति 20 में एक होती है। अनुसंधानकर्ताओं ने यह भी नहीं बताया है कि एनएसएआईडीएस की कितनी मात्रा ली जानी चाहिए और कब तक ली जानी चाहिए। उन्होंने लेकिन चेतावनी दी है कि महिलाओं को इन दवाओं के दीर्घकालिक दुष्प्रभावों की जानकारी मिलते तक अतिरिक्त सुरक्षात्मक उपाय के तौर पर एनएसएआईडीएस नहीं लेना चाहिए।
    डेली टेलीग्राफ में प्रो. फेंटीमेन के हवाले से कहा गया है, इन दवाओं के नकारात्मक प्रभावों का पता लगाने के लिए और अनुसंधान करने की जरूरत है। इन नकारात्मक प्रभावों में आंतरिक रक्तस्राव और बड़ी आंत में अल्सर आदि शामिल हैं। कैंसर रिसर्च चैरिटी संस्थाओं ने इस अनुसंधान का स्वागत किया है, लेकिन उन्होंने इन दवाओं के दुष्प्रभावों के बारे में चेतावनी भी दी है। jagran

    हो रही है सांता क्लाज की भर्ती

    क्रिसमस आने में बस एक महीना रह गया है। इन दिनों सड़कों, रेस्तरांओं और माल्स में सांता क्लाज को छोटो-बड़ों का मनोरंजन करते देखा जा सकता है। लेकिन इस साल जर्मनी में सांता क्लाज की कमी पड़ गई है। कंपनियां सांता क्लाज की भर्ती के लिए बाकायदा विज्ञापन दे रही हैं।
    जरा इस विज्ञापन पर नजर डालें। हमें एक मजाकिया, थोड़ा गोल-मटोल एक ऐसा आदमी चाहिए जिसका कोई आपराधिक रिकार्ड न हो। सफेद दाढ़ी वाले लोगों को तरजीह दी जाएगी। एक प्रमुख जाब एजेंसी के मुताबिक हम तेजी से ऐसे पढ़े-लिखे लोग खोज रहे हैं जिन्हें जल्दी से प्रशिक्षण देकर सांता क्लाज बनाया जा सके।
    म्यूनिख में सांता की नियुक्तियां करने वाले प्रमुख जेंस विटेनबर्गर के अनुसार सांता क्लाज बनना आसान काम नहीं है। शापिंग माल्स, निजी पार्टियों और बाजारों में नियुक्त किए जाने वाले सांता क्लाज में कुछ खास विशेषताएं होनी चाहिए। जैसे वह बच्चों के साथ आसानी से घुलमिल सके। उसे अच्छा संगठनकर्ता, विश्वसनीय और कुशल अभिनेता भी होना चाहिए। यह नहीं, उन्हें कुछ छोटी-छोटी बातों का ख्याल रखना पड़ता है। हर बच्चा जानता है कि सांता रेनडीयर द्वारा खींचे जाने वाली स्लेज (बर्फ पर चलने वाली) गाड़ी पर आता है।
    इस कारण उसे अपनी कार तैनाती की जगह से थोड़ी दूर खड़ी करके मौके तक पैदल आना होता है। हालांकि सांता बनना मुश्किल काम होता है। लेकिन मंदी के इस दौर में बेरोजगारी से तो अच्छा ही है। जागरण

    अब भी मेहमानों के लिए स्वप्न देश है भारत

    आतंकियों ने भारत की वित्तीय राजधानी को निशाना बनाकर बेगुनाहों का कत्लेआम किया और दहशत फैलाने की पुरजोर कोशिश की, लेकिन इन तमाम घृणित करतूतों के बावजूद आतंक के ये सौदागर भारत आने वाले विदेशी सैलानियों के हौंसले नहीं तोड़ पाए हैं, इन विदेशी मेहमानों के लिए भारत सपनों का देश बना रहेगा।
    आस्ट्रेलिया के मेलबर्न शहर के दंपति अविवा और रोडनी टाफ्ट ने बताया कि मेरे दामाद बीएमडब्ल्यू कंपनी में मार्केटिंग एंड सेल्स संकाय के निदेशक हैं और जिस समय मुंबई में आतंकी हमला हुआ, उस समय वह मुंबई से दिल्ली लौटने वाले थे। आतंकी हमलों की खबर से मेलबर्न में मेरी पुत्री चिंतित हो गई, लेकिन अपने दामाद को मेलबर्न लौटने के लिए कहने के बजाय, हम खुद भारत चले आए। उन्होंने कहा कि ऐसी आतंकी घटनाएं विकास और लोगों के बीच संवाद के मार्ग में बाधा उत्पन्न करती हैं, लेकिन आतंकवाद अब वैश्विक घटना बन चुकी है। इस सबके बीच विश्व के सभी प्रगतिशील मुल्कों को इस बुराई से निपटने के लिए ठोस नीति तैयार करनी चाहिए। रोडनी ने कहा कि भारत में कई खास बातें हैं जो हमें अपनी ओर आकर्षित करती हैं। भारत हमारे लिए सदा सपनों का देश बना रहेगा।
    जर्मनी के म्यूनिख शहर के गेडहार्ड स्वेन ने कहा कि आतंकवाद आज पूरे विश्व में फैल गया है, लेकिन मुंबई में आतंकी हमलों के बारे में जैसी खबरें आ रही हैं, उससे विदेश में गलत संदेश जा रहा है, हालांकि यहां आकर पता चला की स्थिति सामान्य है। स्वेन ने कहा कि जब मैं म्यूनिख से दिल्ली आ रहा था तो मेरे दोनों बेटों ने मुझे यहां आने से मना किया था, लेकिन यहां आने के बाद पता चला कि दुष्टों के इतने प्रयासों के बावजूद भारतीय कितने जीवट एवं जीवंत हैं। उन्होंने कहा कि भारत एक अद्भुत देश है, जहां आने पर एक अजीब सुकून मिलता है।

    उक्रेन के सर्गेई मिलोविच ने कहा कि आतंकी ऐसे हमले कर विकास का मार्ग अवरुद्ध करने का प्रयास करते हैं। मुंबई में ऐसा हमला कर उन्होंने विकास की गाड़ी को रोकने का प्रयास किया, लेकिन इसका असर काफी कम समय तक ही रहेगा। उन्होंने कहा कि भारत के लोग काफी हिम्मती हैं। यहां की ऐतिहासिक धरोहर और सांस्कृतिक विरासत से दुनिया के लोग काफी देर तक दूर नहीं रह सकते। उन्होंने कहा कि आतंकी हमलों के बावजूद हम इस स्वप्नलोक में आते रहेंगे।
    एयर चाइना की कंट्री मैनेजर झाओ क्वानझेन ने कहा कि आतंकवाद एक वैश्विक घटना बन गई है जो भारत और चीन के लोगों के समक्ष गंभीर चुनौती पेश कर रही है। मुंबई पर हुए आतंकी हमले सरकारों के समक्ष समस्या खड़ी करने और लोगों के बीच शांति के माहौल को खराब करने का प्रयास है। उन्होंने कहा कि मुंबई के आतंकी हमले कुछ समय तक तो लोगों को जरूर प्रभवित करेंगे, लेकिन भारत के लोग इस बुराई को परास्त करने में सक्षम हैं। जागरण

    THE EXHIBITION" EXPLAINS WHO ACTUALLY INVENTED THE LOUIS VUITTON MONOGRAM

    Although rumors persist that Jacobs will leave Louis Vuitton for Christian Dior, the native New Yorker's aesthetic has become critical to the image of the French fashion house. However, Jacobs, who has been the artistic director of Louis Vuitton since 1997, is just one of many to have helmed the house since it was founded in 1854. When the brand's namesake, who was born in 1821 in eastern France, founded Louis Vuitton in the 19th century, it was initially an inventive luggage company that specialized in "packing of fashions." The first trunks were not even the leather Louis Vuitton is known for today, but actually waterproof waxed canvas. Vuitton's son, Georges Vuitton, took over the brand in 1896 and was the one who is responsible for inventing the "LV" monogram. Fast-forward a century and enter Marc Jacobs. The current exhibit, which was celebrated Wednesday night by the designer-of-honor along with Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker and more, links the stories of both Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton and shows a wide range of Louis Vuitton's history: including pieces from the brands heritage like a trunk from to 1869-1871 that pre-dates the signature monogramed leather and more contemporary pieces like Takashi Murakami's cherry monogram canvas bag from 2005 and more.

    European Chess Tournaments Soon To Be Less Cleavage-y, Thanks To New Rules

    Female chess players, put away your two castles: The European Chess Union just released some new dress code rules for chess players, and they include some strict policies on cleavage. ChessBase.com (a great chess website, we're told) has an interview with Sava Stoisavljevic, General Secretary of the ECU, who speaks out on the new rules that the group has adopted, which are already being enforced at the European Women's Individual Chess Championship happening now in Turkey: Only two buttons may be opened on women's dress shirts, and some companies even mandate on female competitors' hemlines, she said: Décolletés are partly covered in our regulations, which state that in respect to shirts the second from the top button may also be opened, in addition to the very top button. But, nothing is written in our rules about the length of skirts or dresses. There are several special rules in some companies which put restrictions on the length of skirts and dresses – no shorter than 5-10 cm above the knees for example. I can see that there are many players here who wear very short skirts. It's nice to see chess players with short skirts – they are very pretty girls. But I believe there should still be some limit. Stoisavljevic says the new regulations came about because spectators were making comments on female competitors' outfits, and not due to complaints from distracted male players who faltered in their game while seated across from a comely female opponent. And the penalty is steep. According to the official rules: "A player not dressed according to the Code can be refused to attend the opening or closing ceremony."

    Princess Charlene Opens Grace Kelly Fashion Exhibit In Australia With Sexy New Look

    The South Africa native, who most recently thrilled us by attending the Oscars with her husband Prince Albert, opened the "Grace Kelly: Style Icon" exhibit in Victoria, marking her first trip to Australia as a royal. The special exhibit showcases one hundred of Kelly's most famous costumes and dresses from designers like Dior, Balenciaga, Givenchy and Yves St. Laurent. "Her beautiful style was a reflection of her natural elegance, taste and character," Charlene told the crowd. "Her style is so gracefully unique it remains an inspiration to all across generations and cultures." And since we've long waxed ambivalent about Charlene's sartorial tastes (she favors tan and black instead of color), we were totally stoked to see her dressed to the nines for the opening. Are those... sparkles? Yes! They're sparkly, and they're actually Swarovski crystals: Costume designer Johanna Johnson spent hours with the princess to custom design the spangled pink frock, which Charlene paired with blinged-out strappy heels. We're also loving Charlene's casual hairstyle, especially because this is the first time we can recall seeing her with her hair down, which really highlights her bangs and her smoky eye makeup. Charlene married Albert II, the only son of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III, in July of 2011. "Grace Kelly: Style Icon" will run until June 17, 2012 at the Bendigo art gallery.

    Mexico Bodies Found: Remains Of 167 People Discovered In Cave

    Mexican authorities have found the remains of 167 people in a southern Mexican cave, and forensic experts believe the remains are at least 50 years old, according to a statement from Chiapas state prosecutors. The statement released Saturday said the remains were found Friday on the Nuevo Ojo de Agua ranch in an area frequently used by Central American migrants traveling north. The statement said there were no visible signs of violence on the remains, which "break easily." The statement said authorities will "not discard any line of investigation." The remains were discovered stacked atop each other in the cave, said a prosecutor's office employee who was not authorized to release information and asked not to be identified. The remains have been moved to the state capital of Tuxtla Gutierrez for examination, the employee said.

    Dwyane Wade Buzzer Beater: Heat Top Pacers 93-91 In OT

    Dwyane Wade's jumper with 0.1 seconds left in overtime gave Miami a 93-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night, extending the Heat home-court winning streak to 12 games. Wade scored 28 points and LeBron James led two late comebacks by Miami, finishing with 27 for the Heat. James helped force regulation by hitting a game-tying 3-pointer with 10.2 seconds left in regulation, then not allowing Indiana's Darren Collison to get a potential game-winning shot off at the other end. Danny Granger's runner with 2:01 left in the extra session gave Indiana a 91-86 lead. The Pacers didn't score again, getting outscored 7-0 the rest of the way. Chris Bosh scored 13 for the Heat. Granger led the Pacers with 19 points. James made another 3-pointer in overtime to start Miami's rally, Bosh tied it with a jumper with 1:03 left to play, and an offensive rebound gave Miami the ball and a chance to take the last shot of the extra period. Wade waited, waited, waited – then delivered. Moments after the final buzzer, most of the power in AmericanAirlines Arena was gone. Good timing. It was finally over. David West finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds for Indiana, which got 14 points from Darren Collison and 12 from Paul George. Over the last 101 minutes of play, spanning three games, Miami had gone 1 for 21 from 3-point range. But James coolly drilled one from the right corner with 10.2 seconds left, tying the game at 85.

    वह उगाता है कुर्सी?

    आपने अभी तक पेड़-पौधे उगाने के बारे में सुना होगा, लेकिन चीन के वू एक ऐसे व्यक्ति हैं जो लकड़ी की कुर्सी उगाना जानते हैं। और उन्होंने अपनी कुर्सी उगाने की इस अद्भुत कला का पेटेंट भी करा लिया है।

    60 वर्षीय वू बताते हैं कि उन्हें एक कुर्सी उगाने में पांच साल लगते हैं। पेड़ को कुर्सी का रूप देने की इस प्रक्रिया में अंकुर फूटने से पेड़ के बड़े होने तक का समय भी शामिल है। जैसे जैसे पेड़ बड़ा होता जाता है, वू इसकी कटाई कर इसे कुर्सी के आकार में ढालते जाते हैं। इस तरह से बनी कुर्सी को ट्री चेयर नाम दिया गया है।

    वू की उगाई एक ट्री चेयर तो उनके घर में ही रखी है। यही नहीं ऐसी ही अन्य छह ट्री चेयर उनके मैदान में उग रही हैं। वू को उम्मीद है कि इस तकनीक के जरिए एक दिन लोग पूरा फर्नीचर अपने घर में ही उगा सकेंगे। तब किसी को फर्नीचर दुकानों से खरीदने की जरूरत नहीं पड़ेगी। जागरण

    बाल बढ़ाने की जल्दी कहीं गंजा न कर दे!

    पैरिस हिल्टन और विक्टोरिया बेकहम सरीखी मशहूर हस्तियों की देखादेखी अगर आप भी हेयर एक्सटेंशन करवाने का प्लान बना रही हैं तो सावध
    ान! कई इसे हॉट ट्रेंड भले ही मानते हों, पर डर्मेटलॉजिस्ट की हिदायत है कि इससे सिर गंजे भी हो सकते हैं। इसलिए एक्सपर्ट अब बालों के एक्सटेंशन पर रोक लगाने की मांग भी करने लगे हैं।

    अमेरिकी और इटैलियन यूनिवर्सिटी के रिसर्चरों की एक जॉइंट टीम ने स्टडी में पाया कि हेयर पीसेज (जो कि असली बालों के साथ गोंद से चिपकाए जाते हैं) लगाने से बालों की जड़ों पर कुछ ज्यादा ही खिंचाव पड़ता है। नतीजतन, इससे बाल पतले होने का डर रहता है या फिर सिर पर स्थायी रूप से गंजापन भी आ सकता है। बल्कि एक्सटेंशन से फॉलिकल्स इतने उत्तेजक हो जाते हैं कि बाल झड़ने लगते हैं, जिससे हमेशा के लिए सिर गंजा भी हो सकता है। हेयर एक्सटेंशन की लागत एक हजार पाउंड (करीब 70 हजार रुपये) तक आती है। navbharattimes

    Olivia Munn's Funny Letter To Fans About Those Fake Nude Photos

    Olivia Munn has had quite the week, and she was MIA at the SXSW screening of her upcoming movie, "The Babymakers." But she was legitimately busy working on her new HBO series, Aaron Sorkin's "The Newsroom," -- not avoiding facing the music about her recent Internet scandal as some might think. Proof: She had the movie's director, Jay Chandrasekhar, read a letter out loud in her absence, while showing her own photo response to those fake hacked cell phone pictures that surfaced earlier this week. Her letter to fans adorably humble bragged about all the good deeds she was doing while not sending lewd texts, ending with a note about the pictures obvious fake nature because of certain absent physical traits. Here's her letter to fans: March 9, 2012 Dear Everyone at "The Babymakers" SXSW screening: I'm sorry I couldn't be there with you all. I'm currently in Sierra Leone helping build wells for the thirsty. I thought I'd have time to stop through Austin on my way here, but I was detoured when I saw two beached seals on the Gulf near South Padre and used all of my strength, sweat and tears to pull them back into the water and save their lives. (NOTE to JAY- Hold for applause and gasps. About 2 solid minutes...) So, I come to you only in this letter, by way of my director of "The Babymakers" Jay Chandra-shay... shay- Jay Chandra-something. It’s hard for me to sit here with these small, dysentery-ridden children and know that I cannot be there, with all of you wonderful friends and supporters, for my SXSW Hollywood movie premiere. I must end this letter short, as I'm on my way to Seoul, Korea to speak with the starving children who have been denied food by their country and educate them on a motto that I have personally lived by and think will give them some hope: Thinner is Better. I pray this letter finds you well and God keeps you safe.

    Britney Spears Rejects $10M Bid to Judge 'X Factor' - She Wants $20M!

    Britney Spears has rejected a $10 million offer to judge the next season of “The X Factor,” TheWrap has learned.

    So the question is: How much is Fox going to have to pony up? Try $20 million.

    Reports this week that the pop star was considering a $10 million offer to judge next fall’s seasons of “The X Factor” are out of date, according to a knowledgeable individual in Spears’ camp.

    Read also: 'X Factor' Implosion: Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger, Steve Jones Out

    The singer rejected that offer three weeks ago and is instead thinking about an offer to become a resident performer at a Las Vegas hotel in the fall, a la Celine Dion.

    So here comes a game of chicken. Fox desperately needs a big name to announce on the judge’s panel of Simon Cowell’s show, now that NBC’s hit show “The Voice” will be competing with them in the fall.

    Spears’ camp wants $20 million. (EvenI think that’s ridiculous and Fox won’t pay that.)

    But the reality is it’s becoming an arms race for singing talent being paid to sit behind tables and… talk.

    NBC has put its money where its mouth is, paying Christina Aguilera upward of $10 million to come back and judge the new season of “The Voice.” They’ve given handsome paychecks, if not as much, to the other judges as well.

    What Fox has shelled out for the “X Factor” judges pales in comparison. Paula Abdul was paid $2.5 million for the last season, according to another knowledgeable insider, and she was announced at the 11th hour.

    She was also fired, as were judge Nicole Scherzinger and host Steve Jones.

    “X Factor” is already recording its audition phase, but won’t need the judges until the end of May.

    Fox wouldn't comment. Spears' camp wouldn't comment. Simon Cowell's camp wouldn't comment.

    But what the network wants is a big piece of news to present to advertisers at their upfront sales presentations on May 14.

    'Michael Jackson The Immortal,' Kanye West & Jay-Z Top Most Lucrative Concert Tours

    Michael Jackson may have passed away, but that doesn't mean his name -- and music -- aren't bringing in millions at the box office.

    "Michael Jackson: The Immortal," Cirque du Soleil's tribute to the late singer brought in an astounding $2,362,502 over the past three months -- more than any other touring concert act.

    This comes as good news for Michael Jackson's estate, after hackers stole the entirety of his musical catalog from Sony's computer systems earlier this week.

    Kanye West and Jay-Z's "Watch The Throne" tour came in second, earning $1,902,032 at an average ticket price of $112.94 per ticket.

    Pollstar, an online trade publication that monitors concert sales and reported the numbers, told The Huffington Post that the figures are updated weekly and are based on approximately three months worth of data, meaning that the data released this week covers sales from late November to today.

    "Michael Jackson: The Immortal" wasn't the only Cirque du Soleil show to make it on the chart. Cirque's productions "Dralion" and "Quidam" came in third and fourth on the chart, respectively. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band rounded out the top five with $753,644 in sales.

    All told, the three Cirque shows netted an impressive $4.4 million dollars.

    Other notable acts in Pollstar's Top 20 include Blake Shelton who debuted on the list at the ninth spot with $367,522 in box office earnings. Miranda Lambert's tour earned $314,295, Lady Antebellum brought in $294,995 and punk band Rise Against rounded out the top fifteen with $148,490.

    The entire Pollstar Top 20 Concert Tours list is available below, as reported by the Associated Press:

    Breather for John Abraham. gets bail in rash driving case

    Bollywood actor John Abraham has been released on bail, after being detained by the police on charges of rash and negligent driving. In April 2006, the actor had run into two pedestrians while riding a motorbike in the Khar Danda area, Mumbai.

    Bandra court sentenced him for 15 days imprisonment on Friday afternoon, for which the actor sought bail. The bail plea was heard in Mumbai High Court today.

    The bail was reportedly granted to the actor against Rs. 20,000. Now, he can aslo appeal at the upper court to squash the 15 day custody pronounced by the Sessions Court.

    Earlier, In October 2010, the Bandra Metropolitan Magistrate Court had sentenced the actor to 15 days imprisonment in the same case. However, Abraham had filed a plea against the same.

    Kahaani: A heart-pounding work of staggering creativity

    Kahaani is an absolutely remarkable film for three reasons. First, it is the tautest, most involving thriller to have come out of Hindi cinema in years. Second, it is a stunningly shot city film, made inestimably more memorable by the simple move of stepping out of supremely overused Mumbai streets and increasingly familiar Delhi locations into a startlingly cinematic Kolkata. And third, it contains another bravura performance from the marvellous Vidya Balan, stepping back into the arc lights, even as the thunderous applause for The Dirty Picture continues to ring in her ears (and ours).

    As Vidya Venkatesan Bagchi, a woman who arrives in Kolkata distressed and seven months pregnant, to search for a husband who has gone missing, Balan demonstrates yet again how immense the possibilities are for a talented actress who can get beyond the Bollywood preoccupation with looking glamorous on screen. Just as she filled out Silk’s ample curves with ease, giving us a glimpse of a sexuality that is joyous, libidinal and free, Balan in Kahaani embraces with grace and fullness the traditionally kept-out-of-sight body of the heavily pregnant woman.

    The pregnant female body has always been in plain view, but I cannot think of another instance when it has been so unapologetically present, at least on the Hindi film screen, as it is in Kahaani. As a recent piece in Open magazine points out, Sujoy Ghosh has been preoccupied with the transformative power of motherhood for quite some time. His first film, the light and breezy Jhankaar Beats (2003), was a more or less all-boys film but featured a pregnant Juhi Chawla as the calming, strong presence in a rather confused male universe.

    HC notice to RPSC over old scheme in RAS exam

    The Rajasthan High Court has issued show cause notice to the Rajasthan Public Service Commission and the state authorities for not implementing the news scheme in the upcoming state civil service examinations as being done by the UPSC and other public service commissions of several states.

    Taking cognizance of a petition filed by six candidates of the RAS examination wherein it was said many states including Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, UP and Himachal Pradesh among others have done away with the old system of examination, Justice M N Bhandari issued the notice to the state authorities.

    Madan Mohan Meena, counsel for petitioners, said, "In 2011, UPSC and many states have replaced the several choices of subjects available in prelims as also in mains examinations with two compulsory papers of GK and General Aptitude in prelims and certain compulsory papers in mains exam. Despite having taken a cabinet decision, the state government is conducting the RAS-2012 exam with old scheme."

    Meena highlighted that the government order dated May 18, 2011 to do away with the multiple subject scheme was taken in order to avoid scaling and uneven marks obtained by candidates appearing from different subject combinations, resulting in multiple litigations.

    Chaar Din Ki Chandni: Movie Review

    Chaar Din Ki Chandni is a comeback film of sorts. It marks the comeback of names like Anita Raj, Chandrachur Singh and Harish. Huh! Also it's the return of Yamla Pagla Deewana director Samir Karnik in familiar and familial North Indian territory. Plus it's the close comeback of the eternal Bollywood setting of an extended joint family in a marriage backdrop.

    The story falls in pretty conventional zone where Veer (Tusshar Kapoor) gets his girlfriend Chandni (Kulraj Randhawa) home during an impending family wedding. Apprehensive that his Rajasthan Royal father (Anupam Kher) won't approve of the Punjabi kudi, he merely introduces her as a journalist friend. Her parents (Om Puri, Farida Jalal) are forced to pose as marriage decorators. Evidently what follows is a comedy of errors.

    There is an overflow of the usual-suspect characters from a spying mamaji, a gay wedding planner, a battalion of Sardars to three brothers of Veer who fall for Chandni. And by the time Puppy Sardar (Tusshar Kapoor again as a Sardar) comes into plot, you realize that the film is more or less a watered-down version of Yamla Pagla Deewana.

    The good part however is that director Samir Karnik doesn't waste the entire first half in establishing the love story between the lead pair (like in Yamla Pagla Deewana). Mercifully, much of the unneeded exercise is cut short with the couple already being in love. Chandni's charm takes center-stage in the first half while Puppy Singh's farce takes over the second half. Thankfully the marriage setting isn't blown out of proportion and remains only as the backdrop.

    But the film turns frail particularly in the department that you expect it to excel. Being a comedy, the humour should have been the highpoint though it ranges from silly to stupid ones. Though not downright slapstick, the gags could have been more original. Some jokes are stretched beyond their expiry date while others are plain unexciting. The laughs induced are more due to the energy of actors than the film's sense of humour. Also the Tom and Jerry kinda action finale was pretty-much avoidable.

    Kraft Cream Cheese Ads Pulled From ABC Series

    Kraft has since issued this statement to The Huffington Post:

    As part of a larger multi-show media buy on ABC-TV, there were some spots included in the rotation for the new "GCB" series. It's customary to advertise on premiere episodes due to their large viewership like Philadelphia Cream Cheese did this week.

    The brand has decided to redirect advertising to other programs with an established audience. Although we received a few consumer complaints, this decision was not linked in any way to the content of this particular show.

    EARLIER: Kraft has lost faith in "GCB." According to TMZ, Kraft has pulled its Philadelphia cream cheese ads from the new ABC series.

    "Philadelphia has decided to pull its advertising from 'GCB,'" a Kraft rep told TMZ. "We have received a few complaints from consumers and their opinions about our advertising are important to us."

    Based on the book "Good Christian Bitches" by Kim Gatlin and starring Kristin Chenoweth, Annie Potts and Leslie Bibb, ABC's "GCB" (Sundays at 10 p.m. EST) has been met with controversy ever since its pilot stage. The show was produced using the book titled, but was tweaked to "Good Christian Belles" before simply being called "GCB." The acronym title proved to be a challenge while promoting the new nighttime soap.

    Prior to its premiere, "GCB" riled religious groups, and continues to do so. In April 2010, before the show was even ordered to series, critics started bemoaning the name.

    Christian publisher Tessie DeVore told Fox News that the title portrays Christians in a bad light.

    "I find the title offensive. I don’t think those two words should be combined," DeVore said. "A show like this can damage perceptions [of Christians in this country]."

    New York City Councilman Peter Vallone is the most recent vocal critic. He's called for viewers to boycott "GCB" and for ABC to change the name of the series.

    “The fact that ABC considers this sort of language and this sort of title is something that would even be considered for a TV show is really a sad statement about how low we have sunk," Vallone told the New York Daily News.

    Interviewing Invisible Children’s CEO After ‘Kony 2012′ Film Goes Viral

    Make Joseph Kony famous. That is the goal of a 30-minute video produced by the nonprofit organization Invisible Children. The video, released just two weeks ago, has already received more than 38 million views and counting between Vimeo and YouTube, and has drawn lots of attention - both good and bad - to its cause. Trending Now spoke with CEO Ben Keesey in an exclusive interview where he gave us an inside look at how the video became so viral so fast, and responded to criticism over the organization's finances and its solutions to the conflict in Uganda.

    The documentary follows filmmaker Jason Russell in his pursuit to end the conflict in Uganda by capturing Joseph Kony, the leader of the rebel group the Lord's Resistance Army, his personal army of kidnapped children.

    Invisible Children says that Kony has gone unnoticed for his crimes against humanity because the American government does not see him as a direct threat to American foreign policy or interests. Invisible Children feels the injustice against the children has gone on for far too long, and the group wants to put a stop to it.

    The organization decided to raise Kony's international profile so American politicians would take notice. The goal is to make Joseph Kony famous through making the documentary and having everyone possible, primarily college students, share the story of the tragedies. Using social media, word of mouth, posters and awareness rallies, Invisible Children has aimed to have Kony captured by the end of 2012 and to restore peace and prosperity to communities in Central Africa.

    While awareness and support of the Invisible Children's movement has increased by the millions, it has been met with some controversy, including accusations that the organization is providing an idealistic and overly simplistic solution to an incredibly complex problem. Some have also pointed out that there are other people committing crimes against humanity and also other countries, like Sudan and Somalia, that are in need of support and funding just as much as Uganda.

    In addition, public financial records indicate that only 32 percent of the money raised last year went to direct services to help the children affected by the LRA. The other 68 percent went to things like staff salaries, film production, and travel costs. Plus, even though Invisible Children is advocating for a peaceful resolution in bringing Kony to justice, it is not opposed to direct military intervention.

    Nokia Has Home Court Advantage With Nokia World 2012

    On Tuesday, Nokia announced that it will be holding its annual Nokia World conference on home turf for the first time since the conception of the event in 2006. Set to take place in Helsinki, Finland, the conference will be happening in a city that was just dubbed the World Design Capital of 2012 by the International Council of Societies Of Industrial Design.

    Nokia World 2012 will be taking place on September 25 through the 26th, which is interesting timing given that the Windows Phone 8 ‘Apollo’ update is set to touch down at the end of this year; Nokia will almost certainly be showing off, or at the very least discussing its plans for the new software update during the event. It’s only right that they do, it is a conference centered around the company’s latest products.

    The event isn’t open to the general public, but it is to bloggers (among analysts, carriers, developers, partners, and Nokia employees of course), so there definitely will be coverage about what the company discusses during the event. Let’s just hope that there’s less Symbian, and more Windows Phone in Nokia’s future.

    'I Love You': Have You Said It By Accident?

    There comes a time in a relationship when three words can mean a new level of trust and intimacy or profound embarrassment. It's a moment immortalized in pop culture everywhere from Rachel and Ross on “Friends” to the more platonic relationship between Paul Rudd and Jason Segel’s characters in “I Love You, Man.”

    With all the pressure around these three words, they are bound to come out a the wrong time, and Glamour’s 2012 Guy survey found that a full 50 percent of men admitted to saying “I love you” by accident (i.e., before they meant to), with the biggest “excuse” being “it just came out” (56 percent). Being drunk at the time (23 percent) and saying it during sex (13 percent) rounded out the top three reasons for premature confessions of devotion.

    There was another question that got a “yes” from over half of survey-takers: Saying “I love you” first. 56 percent of the men surveyed by Glamour said that in past relationships, they’ve been the first to say those three words. A study published in the June 2011 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology produced similar results; researchers at MIT surveyed 100 undergraduates and 47 heterosexual couples and found that in two thirds of relationships, men were the first to say “I love you,” and often think about saying it a full six weeks before the women in the relationship.

    But the results of the MIT study also showed that those three words may have a different meaning for men and women: Men were happier to be told “I love you” if they hadn’t yet had sex with their partner, while women were happier if their partners confessed their love after a sexual relationship had developed. Those findings suggested to researchers that men associate the phrase with physical fidelity and women see it more as a sign of emotional intimacy and commitment. "Men may be more impulsive in the way they express love, but what love means to men and what love means to women may be very different," study co-author Josh Ackerman, assistant professor of marketing at MIT Sloan School of Management, said in a press release.

    Jessica Sanchez 16-Year-Old's Rendition Stuns 'American Idol' Judges

    Gutsy "American Idol" contestant Jessica Sanchez took on Whitney Houston's biggest hit, delivering a performance that awed the show's judges.

    When host Ryan Seacrest asked the panel to name Wednesday night's top two singers among the 13 finalists, Steven Tyler was ready.

    "Jessica Sanchez and Jessica Sanchez," Tyler said.

    The 16-year-old San Diego high school student's assured version of "I Will Always Love You" was "just amazing. I don't even know what to say," Jennifer Lopez exclaimed during the performance show.

    "Jessica, you may be the one. You just made 40 million people cry," Tyler said (adding a dose of hyperbole by roughly doubling the show's biggest Wednesday night audience for the season so far).

    Randy Jackson didn't hold back either, calling Sanchez "one of the best talents in the whole country."

    On the Fox show's 400th episode, the men tackled Stevie Wonder's catalogue and the women choose from Houston's hits, a tribute to the singer who died Feb. 11, on the eve of the Grammy Awards, at age 48.

    "I Will Always Love You" was played at the conclusion of Houston's New Jersey church funeral last month.

    The "American Idol" finalists performed as the Fox show marked its 400th episode. In a twist, the male and female singers who rank lowest in the audience vote will be announced Thursday and the judges will decide which of the two will be bounced.

    Others who impressed the judges included Joshua Ledet, 19, of Westlake, La., with his version of "I Wish"; Hollie Cavanaugh, 18, of McKinney, Texas, with "All the Man I Need," Colton Dixon, 20, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., with "Lately," and Phillip Phillips, 21, of Leesburg, Ga., with "Superstition."

    Areosmith frontman Tyler offered Phillips an intriguingly enigmatic review.

    "You're a very interesting character, man. You got a lot of `fuhgeddaboutit' in your voice. There's no words for it. You just are. You know what I'm saying," Tyler said.

    Skylar Laine's version of "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" was another standout.

    "You're a country girl .... But what you just proved, you can sing any song," Jackson told the 18-year-old from Brandon, Miss.

    Monkees Contemplate how to Memorialize Davy Jones

    The three surviving Monkees aren't planning to attend Davy Jones' funeral because it would likely bring too much unwanted attention to his family during their time of grief, the group's Micky Dolenz said Tuesday.

    He and fellow Monkees Peter Tork, and Michael Nesmith have talked of attending one of the memorials that Jones' family is planning to hold in New York and in the late singer's native England, Dolenz said. And he added he's considering organizing a memorial himself for Jones' friends in Los Angeles.

    Whether the surviving Monkees would perform at any of the gatherings, or at any other time in the future, is an open question.

    "The three of us, Mike and Peter and I, we have never worked together just as a threesome. Mostly it was Peter, David and I and then Mike would join us," Dolenz said of the band's periodic reunions over the years.

    "We've been talking, we've been communicating, but it's way too early, I think, to project or predict anything like that."

    A private family funeral will take place in Florida this week, Jones spokeswoman Helen Kensick said Tuesday, declining to give any further details. Planning for a family service in England and a public memorial in the U.S. were still under way.

    Dolenz said he wasn't surprised by the outpouring of public affection for Jones that followed his death from a heart attack last week at age 66.

    Lena Fokina The Russian “Baby Yoga” Guru

    Lena Fokina The Russian “Baby Yoga” Guru

    In early 2011, a shocking video went viral showing Russian “baby yoga” guru Lena Fokina recklessly twirling and swinging a tiny infant around.

    Babies as young as two weeks old were shown being flung around the therapist’s head, spinning by their wrists and ankles in her bizarre ‘baby yoga’ routine.

    In a short interview to a new video by a British media company Barcroft TV, the 51-year-old is seen teaching parents her techniques in Dahab, Egypt.

    Mothers are willingly handing their infants to Fokina and she swings them around then giving them to try themselves.

    In her videos, the babies can be heard crying and while most babies vomited during or after and were left screaming in tears, Fokina insists in her interviews that it is for their benefit.

    The qualified PE teacher says ‘baby yoga’ is beneficial, relaxing, strengthens their joints and helps babies develop fasters than others. “They are early readers, singers, talkers, swimmers. You haven’t seen anything like it anywhere!” she told DadWagon.com in an interview.

    She continued, “It’s very good for babies and not dangerous at all. Some babies cry at first, but they begin to enjoy it”.

    “Most people think young babies can only lie on a bed, eat, and cry. But babies are born with natural reflexes, which we can use to help them develop physically and intellectually”.

    “I work with parents from across Europe. I hope soon I will be working with a family in England. I think there are a number of open-minded parents there whose babies could benefit from my work.”READ MORE

    Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy wins first ever Oscar award for Pakistan

    In what appeared to be a positive and courageous omen for all Pakistanis, Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy has won the first ever Oscar award for Pakistan for her documentary ‘Saving Face’ at the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday.

    While receiving the world’s prestigious ward, she observed, “I want to dedicate this award to all the heroes working on the ground in Pakistan and to all the women in the country who are working for a change. Do not give up as this is your dream”.

    ‘Saving Face’ is a 52-minute documentary which talks about the plight of women subjected to acid attacks, and a doctor who comes to Pakistan to treat them and give them hope.

    Due largely to its heart-wrenching subject as well as the facts that its producer is not from a country known for making many quality films, ‘Saving Face’ has been one of the more talked about nominations at the event.

    The Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy documentary follows British plastic surgeon Dr. Mohammad Jawad, who returns to Pakistan to help victims of acid burns. The documentary follows one woman as she fights to see that the perpetrators of the crime are imprisoned for life.READ MORE

    “London Paris New York” Recovers 7.5 cr in First Week

    The Fox Star Studios & Rose Movies fresh rom-com, London Paris New York, released on 3rd of March is a delightfully unconventional movie, as acclaimed trade analyst and critic Taran Adarsh puts it. With a steady but encouraging opening, the movie has managed to collect over 7.5 crore in the opening week.

    Unlike usual Bollywood rom-coms that have a hotch potch of characters, London Paris New York relies heavily on conversational relationship of two individuals in three meetings. The leading couple of the movie, Ali Zafar & Aditi Rao are the only major characters which makes this movie something more than an average standard rom-com. The film’s deviation from the ordinary, shorter length and refreshingly new concept is already getting thumbs up from fans & critics. Last week Karan Johar, Abhishek Bachchan and Hrithik Roshan tweeted about the film calling it “a movie to fall in love with”. The film’s music, directed and produced by Ali Zafar, is also talk of the town with 3 songs already listed in top 10 charts.READ MORE

    Vidya Balan celebrates national award by visiting abuse victims in UAE

    Dubai, Mar 8 (ANI): Vidya Balan, who recently received a national award for her performance in 'The Dirty picture', visited the Dubai Foundation For Women And Children on the eve of International Women's Day.

    Instead of basking in the glory of her first national awards, the 34-year-old actress chose to shine a light on the needs of abused women with her visit her DFWAC.

    Balan, who is in the UAE to premiere her film 'Kahaani', spent the afternoon listening to women who are recovering from abusive relationships and human trafficking at DFWAC, a Dubai government-supported shelter.

    "I salute you. You are very courageous and you have shown tremendous strength and maturity far beyond your age," Gulf News quoted her as saying.

    During those moments, the 'Guru' star was a woman who was trying to understand and empathise with the difficulties faced by another human being.

    While the visit to DFWAC was not part of Balan's promotion for 'Kahaani', the woman-centric film finds the actress playing the role of an abandoned, pregnant woman with only her own conviction for support.

    "She is a strong character in the film, she is a woman like you.

    "There will be subtitles, so you can also enjoy the movie - you must see it," she said.

    Balan, who had earlier revealed that she found her strength in the film industry "because the power lies in making my own choices", saluted the spirit shown by the two girls.

    "On the eve of Women's Day, my salute goes to these two girls I interacted with and to millions all over the world who have not let their circumstances become their biggest handicap. It takes a lot of courage to step out of the situation," she added.

    Osama Bin Laden Dead: Al Qaeda Leader Reportedly Spent Last Weeks In A House Divided

    Osama bin Laden spent his last weeks in a house divided, amid wives riven by suspicions. On the top floor, sharing his bedroom, was his youngest wife and favorite. The trouble came when his eldest wife showed up and moved into the bedroom on the floor below.

    Others in the family, crammed into the three-story villa compound where bin Laden would eventually be killed in a May 2 U.S. raid, were convinced that the eldest wife intended to betray the al-Qaida leader.

    The picture of bin Laden's life in the Abbottabad compound comes from Brig. Shaukat Qadir, a retired Pakistani army officer who spent months researching the events and says he was given rare access to transcripts of Pakistani intelligence's interrogation of bin Laden's youngest wife, who was detained in the raid.

    Qadir was also given rare entry into the villa, which was sealed after the raid and demolished last month. Pictures he took, which he allowed The Associated Press to see, showed the villa's main staircase, splattered with blood. Other pictures show windows protected by iron grills and the 20-foot high walls around the villa.

    Qadir's research gives one of the most extensive descriptions of the arrangements in bin Laden's hideout when U.S. SEAL commandos stormed in, killing bin Laden and four others. His account is based on accounts by an official of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency who escorted him on a tour of the villa, the interrogation transcription he was allowed to read, and interviews with other ISI officials and al-Qaida-linked militants and tribesmen in the Afghan-Pakistan border region.

    The compound where bin Laden lived since mid-2005 was a crowded place, with 28 residents — including bin Laden, his three wives, eight of his children and five of his grandchildren. The bin Laden children ranged in age from his 24-year-old son Khaled, who was killed in the raid, to a 3-year-old born during their time in Abbottabad. Bin Laden's courier, the courier's brother and their wives and children also lived in the compound.

    The 54-year-old bin Laden himself seemed aged beyond his years, with suspected kidney or stomach diseases, and there were worries over his mental health, Qadir said he was told by ISI officials and an al-Qaida member he interviewed in the border regions.

    Network Says Airing Pro-Palin Movie Opposite HBO's 'Game Change' Isn't Political

    The ReelzChannel television network says it scheduled a pro-Sarah Palin documentary on the same weekend as HBO's "Game Change" debut strictly for business considerations, not political ones.

    "The Undefeated," a Palin documentary by conservative filmmaker Stephen K. Bannon, will have its television premiere on Sunday. It will come 23 hours after HBO opens "Game Change," based on the 2008 campaign book by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, and starring Julianne Moore as Palin.

    Stan Hubbard, ReelzChannel CEO, said he licensed "The Undefeated" for the same reason that his network aired "The Kennedys" miniseries last spring after it was dropped by the History channel – to draw attention to a nearly 6-year-old network with a low public profile. ReelzChannel is in 62 million homes, a little more than half the country.

    "For a young network, public relations is important to us, which is why we hunt for opportunistic things," Hubbard said.

    Hubbard said he found the former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate a fascinating figure, but he wasn't trying to lionize her.

    "If HBO wanted to swap movies this weekend, I'd do that in a second," he said.

    Palin supporters have attacked "Game Change," although it's unclear whether any of them has seen it in advance. "The Undefeated" maker Bannon called it a "fictionalized hit-piece" and has praised ReelzChannel's "courageous" decision to air his movie.

    "Game Change," co-starring Woody Harrelson and Ed Harris, actually strives for a balanced portrait, showing Palin overwhelmed at times after being thrust onto the presidential ticket and lashing out at some McCain aides but connecting with audiences and performing on big stages better than many critics and supporters expected.

    "The Undefeated" focuses first on Palin's life as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, as that state's governor and on the 1998 campaign.

    Most Popular Free Apps For iPhone, iPad: Apple Reveals Biggest Downloads Of All Time

    After a very brief countdown, and with the next iPad just days away from its release, Apple recently passed 25 billion apps downloaded on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, and as part of the celebration, it has released a list of the 25 most downloaded iOS apps for both the iPad and the iPhone of all time.

    You can download all of these super popular apps in iTunes here (if you haven't already!), but if you're just looking to browse, we've got the list right here. Here, for example, are the top 25 free iPhone apps (with download links, for your convenience):

    1. Facebook
    2. Pandora Radio
    3. Words With Friends Free
    4. Skype
    5. The Weather Channel
    6. Google Search
    7. Google Earth
    8. Angry Birds Free
    9. Shazam
    10. Netflix
    11. Paper Toss
    12. Twitter
    13. Movies by Flixster
    14. Bump
    15. PAC-MAN Lite
    16. Flashlight.
    17. Unblock Me FREE
    18. Temple Run
    READ MORE

    New contract emotional for Texans' Foster

    A day after signing a five-year contract extension worth more than $20 million guaranteed, the enormity of that deal and what it means for Arian Foster and his family finally caught up with one of the NFL's best running backs.

    When asked about hardships he and his family endured when he was a child during a press conference to formally announce his new, $43.5 million deal with the Houston Texans, Foster became emotional and briefly stopped the press conference as he described what was probably the lowest point of his childhood.

    “The straw that broke the camel’s back,” said Foster, “was when I saw my mother . . . she pawned her wedding ring to give us . . . excuse me . . .”

    Foster teared up. After a brief pause, he continued. “She pawned her wedding ring to give us some food that night,” he said. “I told myself that I wanted to do something with my life."

    "That’s why I don’t complain too much. At the end of the day, we’re all people and we just want to smile. When we were growing up and it was tough, that was one thing my family always had — we smiled.”

    Foster then explained why he was never publicly bothered over the past two years despite being obviously underpaid relative to his stature among NFL backs. Foster earned $525,000 last season, which is a bargain for the Texans considering Foster ran for 1,224 yards (fifth in NFL) and 10 touchdowns in 2011.

    “When you start comparing yourself to another man’s mirror,” Foster said, “that’s when those negative thoughts start creeping in. My journey isn’t anybody else’s journey.”

    MSNBC Hosts Grieve Over Kucinich Loss In Ohio

    "That's amazing," a shocked Rachel Maddow reacted to the news that Dennis Kucinich lost his primary race on Super Tuesday. Kucinich lost his district after Ohio redrew their Congressional lines, leaving him to run in a nearby district against an incumbent Democrat.

    "That means that there's not going to be a Dennis Kucinich in Congress anymore, which is almost hard to believe. He has been a singular force for his, not only for his ideological position but he's just been such a character," Maddow lamented.

    "He was the dependable guy with the progressive community. He'll be missed," Al Sharpton said.

    "He's a guy that you could always count on when it came to a universal healthcare conversation, or when it came to getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan and also middle-class issues and also he was good on labor," Ed Schultz said.

    Whose Yoga Is it, Anyway? The Dispute Over Ashtanga

    Right off Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, Connecticut, there’s an old, dilapidated building with a leaky roof that once housed a radio station. The building is an odd sight because Greenwich Avenue isn’t your average Main Street: lined with exorbitantly expensive stores, it’s the center of this famously moneyed enclave for New York’s financial elite. But the old radio station is being completely renovated, no expense spared, and in April it will open its doors as a modern yoga studio—and not the kind with stinky incense and smelly bodies, but rather with space, light, and a stylish boutique. The studio will bear the name Jois Yoga, in honor of Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois, an eminent yoga teacher whose many students called him Guruji, and whose death on May 18, 2009, occasioned lengthy obituaries in such important newspapers as The New York Times and London’s Guardian.

    The money behind the new studio comes from Sonia Tudor Jones, whose husband, 57-year-old Paul Tudor Jones II, runs the multi-billion-dollar hedge-fund empire Tudor Investment Corp. Tudor is one of the oldest and most respected hedge funds—its flagship fund, Tudor BVI Global, has averaged annual gains of 21 percent over its 25-year history, according to The Wall Street Journal—and while very little about it is public, Forbes has estimated Paul Tudor Jones’s net worth at $3.2 billion.

    Jones is also a noted philanthropist, the founder of the Robin Hood Foundation, the oh-so-stylish charity for the hedge-fund set. The Joneses live in Greenwich. This will be his wife’s fourth Jois studio, or “shala” in yoga lingo, and that’s only part of her far-flung project. In partnership with Pattabhi Jois’s daughter and grandson and a friend, San Diego-based entrepreneur Salima Ruffin, she’s also launched a Jois line of yoga clothes, and she is setting up charities to bring yoga to everyone, from charter schools in Florida to villages in Africa. Ruffin likes to say that Sonia is the “Mother Teresa of yoga.”
    READ FULL STORY

    Your Most Creative Time Of Day Is Not When You Think

    A bus company in China has launched a new “safe driving” campaign by suspending bowls of water over their drivers. To avoid getting wet, drivers must drive gently. In today’s technology-obsessed world, this solution is elegantly primitive. You might imagine that this simple yet ingenious idea was conjured by someone functioning at their very best, that such “aha insights” come when innovators are at their peak.

    Not so. A recent study by Mareike Wieth and Rose Zacks suggests that innovation and creativity are greatest when we are not at our best, at least with respect to our circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms determine whether you are a “morning-type” person or an “evening-type” person, and are often measured with a short paper-and-pencil test called the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. Circadian rhythms drive daily fluctuations in many physiological processes like alertness, heart rate and body temperature. Recent research indicates that these rhythms affect our intellectual functioning too.

    Numerous studieshave demonstrated that our best performance on challenging, attention-demanding tasks - like studying in the midst of distraction - occurs at our peak time of day. When we operate at our optimal time of day, we filter out the distractions in our world and get down to business.

    In a study I conducted, for example, participants were given three related cue words (e.g., SHIP OUTER CRAWL), and were required to find their common link (SPACE). When misleading distractors were presented with the cue words (e.g., SHIP-ocean OUTER-inner CRAWL-baby), those tested at non-optimal times were more likely to be misled by the distractors and showed lower solution rates. Those tested at peak times were not affected by the distraction. In this and related studies, peak-time benefits are most robust when distraction would disrupt our thought processes and cause errors.

    But distraction is not all bad, and Wieth and Zacks have demonstrated that we can use our increased susceptibility to distraction at off-peak times to our advantage. In their study, they asked participants to solve analytic problems and insight problems at peak or off-peak times. Analytic problems generally require people to “grind out a solution” by systematically working through the problem utilizing a consistent strategy. Here is a classic analytic problem: “Bob’s father is 3 times as old as Bob. They were both born in October. 4 years ago, he was 4 times older. How old are Bob and his father?” No innovation or creativity necessary to solve this problem; one simply has to work it out mathematically.

    'Hunger Games' Gets 'Muppets' Parody Treatment For 'Muppets' DVD Release

    To celebrate the release of "The Muppets" on Blu-Ray and DVD, Jason Segel, Kermit, Miss Piggy and the rest of the crew have returned for a "Hunger Games" parody trailer.

    Joining the ranks of "Twilight" parody posters and "Saw" spoofs, the "Hunger Games" meets "Muppets" trailer features an ominous "Hunger Games" voice over, warnings like "Get ready to feel the hunger," and images of Miss Piggy eating doughnuts and looking suspiciously like Effie Trinket.

    Earlier this week, Segel announced he would not be returning for a "Muppets" sequel.

    "My goal was to bring the Muppets back," the screenwriter and star told Collider. "And I did that leaving them in very good hands, my writing partner and James Bobin the director. I did what I set out to do, and now I wanna pursue more human-related projects."

    "The Muppets" will be released on Blu-Ray and DVD on March 20.

    Related on HuffPost:

    Actress Explains Feelings On Use Of 'Vertigo' Score In 'The Artist'

    Kim Novak is clarifying why she used the word "rape" to describe how she felt about "The Artist."

    The 79-year-old "Vertigo" actress, who will be honored next month at the TCM Classic Film Festival, said during a phone interview Monday that hearing the score from the Alfred Hitchcock film used in the recent Oscar-winning homage to the silent-film era reminded her of the same feelings she experienced when she was raped as a child.

    "It was very painful," said Novak. "When I said it was like a rape, that was how it felt to me. I had experienced in my youth being raped, and so I identified with a real act that had been done to me. I didn't use that word lightly. I had been raped as a child. It was a rape I never told about, so when I experienced this one, I felt the need to express it."

    Novak, who played the dual role of both a suicidal trophy wife and a morose working girl opposite Jimmy Stewart in the 1958 thriller, said in a statement released in January by her manager that she "wanted to report a rape" and that the filmmakers of "The Artist" had no reason "to depend on Bernard Herrmann's score from `Vertigo' to provide more drama."

    Novak's comments drew criticism from rape crisis groups, who noted that plagiarism was not the same as a sexual assault. Other actors have similarly been chastised for misusing the word "rape." Johnny Depp and "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart both issued apologies after they compared having their photos taken to being raped in respective interviews.

    "I never reported my real rape, so I felt the need to report this one," said Novak, who left Hollywood in the 1970s for Big Sur, an isolated section of California coastline, before eventually relocating to Oregon. "I felt that someone needed to speak up because the music has been taken advantage of too much. I hope that in the future, maybe somehow it will do some good."

    Michel Hazanavicius, the writer-director of "The Artist," which won five Academy Awards last month, including best picture and original score, responded to Novak in January, noting that the film was "a love letter to cinema" and that he loves "Bernard Herrmann, and his music has been used in many different films, and I'm very pleased to have it in mine."

    Randy Moss To Saints? New Orleans GM Admits Veteran WR Worked Out For Team

    New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis says the club has held a workout with veteran receiver Randy Moss, who is trying to make a comeback after spending a year out of football.

    The Saints are not releasing details about the 35-year-old Moss' workout, but New Orleans may be in the market for a receiver this offseason because two of quarterback Drew Brees' regular targets, Marques Colston and Robert Meachem, are entering free agency.

    The 6-foot-4 Moss last played in the NFL in 2010, a turbulent season for him in which he bounced from New England to Minnesota and then to Tennessee.

    His best season was with New England in 2007, when he caught 98 passes for 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns.

    The 6-foot-4 Moss last played in the NFL in 2010, a turbulent season for him in which he bounced from New England to Minnesota and then to Tennessee.

    Rahul Gandhi: He came, he saw, was Conquered

    Rahul Gandhi owned up to the Congress debacle in Uttar Pradesh but promised to stay the course in the state for the party's revival.

    "I led the campaign from the front, I take the responsibility," he said in a press appearance outside 10, Janpath on Tuesday evening. He stepped forward to take responsibility for the loss amid a scramble among Congressmen to insulate him from any blame for the UP humiliation. The ring-fencing had started no sooner had the results confirmed that Samajwadi Party had swept the state and Congress had come a poor fourth.

    Rahul blamed the decimation on the "party's weak fundamentals" in UP and conceded the weakness would continue till the organization was strengthened. Complimenting Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav, the Congress heir apparent said the mood was clearly for the main opposition party.

    He, however, added that the defeat would not lessen his interest in UP. "I promised the people of UP that I will be seen with the poor, on the roads and fields. My work will continue. My efforts will be to re-erect the Congress in UP."

    Rahul's brave decision to face the cameras came amid mounting criticism that the party was trying to shield him from the responsibility of defeat. The implications of the UP debacle can be serious for Rahul's fledgling political career as the party positions him for the top job at the Centre in 2014 elections.

    While the young leader made a mark in the 2009 polls, carving out a niche "youth factor" among the electorate, it has been a rough ride for him since. His mission of reviving Congress in the Hindi heartland suffered a setback when Congress was trounced in Bihar despite him leading the charge. A similar fate in UP threatens to dilute the belief in his leadership and charisma. His bold experiments with party nominations also bombed in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

    Selena Gomez Bikini: Singer Tweets Poolside Photo

    Is life imitating art for Selena Gomez? The 19-year-old stripped down to her bikini to catch some Florida sun during a little down time while filming her forthcoming flick, "Spring Breakers."

    "Need sun again," Gomez tweeted, along with a photo of herself sporting a multicolored bikini -- with matching hair to boot -- and sipping on a refreshing smoothie.

    Gomez is in Florida to film the teen film alongside co-stars James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Heather Morris. There's no doubt that the girl gang is having a blast filming the comedy in the sunny state.

    But what does her beau, Justin Bieber, think about his girlfriend sharing the scantily clad photo? He must not be too upset. The 18-year-old reportedly just purchased a $10.8 million mansion in the Hollywood Hills -- a love nest for himself and Gomez, according to the U.K.'s Daily Mail.

    Enrique Iglesias Reveals Why He Won’t Marry His Girlfriend Of 11 Years

    They may one of the rare long-lasting and relatively low drama celebrity couples, but singer Enrique Iglesias and his girlfriend, tennis player Anna Kournikova, won't be exchanging rings any time soon, if ever.

    In a recent interview with Parade, the 36-year-old Latin singer explained why he called Kournikova his "wife" at a concert in Russia last year, yet hasn't popped the big question. He told the magazine, "It was just meant to be sweet in the moment. I honestly didn't mean to confuse people. I thought it'd be easier for the audience to understand than if I said "my girl."

    [Related: 17 5-Minute Marriage Makeovers]

    But why not make an honest woman out of Kournikova after dating for 11 years? Iglesias admitted, "I've never really thought marriage would make a difference. Maybe it's because I come from divorced parents, but I don't think you love someone more because of a piece of paper. And nowadays, it's not taboo to have kids and not be married. What makes a difference is that you're a good parent, period."

    In that case, could children be coming sooner than marriage for the superstar pair? The couple first met when Iglesias hand-picked Kournikova, then 20, to play his love interest in his incredibly steamy 2001 music video for "Escape". Since then, there have been multiple rumors of secret marriage and separation, but despite whatever really happened, the couple is still together today.
    READ MORE

    Parents Forget Child, 3, at Chuck E Cheese, Find Out on Evening News

    Parents of a 3-year-old girl had some explaining to do after they forgot their daughter at a Chuck E Cheese and did not realize it until they saw her picture on the evening news.
    The girl, named Harmony, was left behind at the theme restaurant in Bel Air, Md., after she attended a large party with her parents. According to a report from the Harford County Sheriff's Office,  both of Harmony's parents, who share custody, assumed the girl had gone home with other relatives.
    A restaurant manager alerted sheriff's deputies around 8 p.m.  that the girl had been left alone  after Harmony approached a staff member to say  she was thirsty.
    Unable to locate the 3-year-old girl's parents, the deputies asked local news media to put Harmony's picture on the evening news.
    Shortly after Harmony's picture showed up on the 11 p.m. newscast, multiple phone calls came into the Sheriff's Office, including calls from the girl's  parents. After police determined that Harmony's abandonment was inadvertent, Child Protective Services released her to her mother, and no charges are expected to be filed.
    Calls to the Harford County Sheriff's Office from ABC News were not immediately returned.
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    Debbie Harry Mistaken For Lindsay Lohan

    Blondie singer Debbie Harry, 66, caused a stir on Sunday morning, when she was rushed by photographers trying to snap a photo of 25-year-old actress Lindsay Lohan.

    According to Page Six, photographers mistook Harry for Lohan, with her platinum blond bangs, aviator sunglasses and black hooded sweatshirt.

    Despite their 41-year age difference, Harry did in fact look quite similar to Lohan, who two days earlier left the same hotel wearing similar sunglasses.

    We can't say we're too shocked by the paparazzi's mistake. Lohan's face looks radically different as of late and she's also been looking like 49-year-old Victoria Gotti's twin for some time.

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