Alyssa Funke, a straight-A student at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, committed suicide last month after being bullied and harassed online over her choice to appear in pornography. Local police have said they don't plan to press charges against anyone who taunted Funke.

Funke, 19, had recently appeared in a porn film at the website CastingCouch-X. According to KMSP, after former classmates from her high school in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota, discovered the video, they began sending her abusive messages through Twitter and Facebook.
Her last tweets before her death were on April 14 and 15, appearing to mock those harassing her online:

On April 16, Funke completed suicide at a boat landing on Big Carnelia Lake, 26 miles from River Falls and 9 miles from Oak Park Heights.

KMSP reports Funke's family did not want to speak on camera, but said they believe the cyberbullying played a significant role in her decision to end her life. The Washington County Sheriff's Office told the station that it does not think the taunts rise to the level of criminal harassment. The investigation is still ongoing.

The Daily Dot reports that her family launched The Alyssa Stop Bullying Fund, which raised $165 in the 19 days it was active.

Funke's death follows the widely covered harassment of Belle Knox, a Duke University freshman who appeared in pornographic films and was harassed by students on campus after she was publicly identified. Knox had even appeared on the same couch for the same website. But she became very open about her porn career in spite of what Knox has referred to as "a culture of slut-shaming and rape apology."

Many porn actresses say they struggle to protect their privacy. One former college student who was outed several years ago on her campus for an amateur porn even asked The Huffington Post not to identify the school she attended, out of concern it would lead to further harassment online.

Sofia Vergara sure looks ready for summer.

Vergara models a leopard-print bikini, a cutout swimsuit and other summery attire in the latest ads for her eponymous Kmart collection. In the bikini ad, the 41-year-old "Modern Family" star channels a sultry vibe wearing her hair in tousled waves and posing against a background of lush greenery.

The brunette beauty first launched her Kmart line back in 2011, and she has done quite a bit since then. Last month, she debuted her first fragrance, Sofia by Sofia Vergara, on the Home Shopping Network.

Miley Cyrus obtained a temporary restraining order Friday against an Arizona man who was recently detained by police while trying to meet the singer-actress.

A Los Angeles judge granted Cyrus the stay-away order against Devon Meek after Cyrus' lawyers filed court documents stating that Meek, 24, believes the singer is communicating to him through her songs.

Los Angeles police arrested the man from the southeastern Arizona city of Sierra Vista on May 16, and he was placed in a psychiatric hospital, where he remains. Meek has said he will continue to try to meet Cyrus once he is released, according to filings by Cyrus' attorneys and a police detective.

Meek was arrested outside a property he believed is owned by Cyrus, but the documents don't specify the location.

Detective Rosibel Smith wrote in a sworn statement that Meek told officers they should shoot him in the head if he couldn't meet Cyrus.

Smith wrote that a police officer who interviewed Meek "informed me that Mr. Meek stated that when he is released from the hospital, he will not stop seeking Ms. Cyrus and that he will continue to go to Ms. Cyrus' residence until Ms. Cyrus accepts him or he dies."

A hearing to extend the restraining order for three years is scheduled for June 16.

There is no declaration from Cyrus in the filing. The pop star rose to fame as the star of the TV show "Hannah Montana" and has recently postponed several concerts while she recovers from her representatives have said is an allergic reaction to antibiotics.

Lana Del Rey joined the Kardashians for Kimye wedding celebrations in Versailles, France on Friday, May 23. Reports that Del Rey would perform had been swirling for months after a 50-piece orchestra played her hit "Young & Beautiful" when Kanye West proposed to Kim Kardashian in San Francisco in October. E! News reports that Del Rey performed three songs for the wedding party, including "Summertime Sadness."

Giancarlo Giammetti, the honorary president of Valentino, posted photos of Del Rey's performance and of her with the Kardashian-Jenners. He wrote, "Magnificent voice @lanadelrey #kardashian #versailles #fun #wedding #reallove"

Gunmen armed with heavy weapons including rocket propelled grenades on Friday attacked the Indian Consulate in Afghanistan's Herat province during which three attackers were killed, top Indian officials said.

However, TV reports further claimed that the fourth gunman has also been killed by the security forces.

All the diplomatic staff were safe.

Three gunmen were killed, one by ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) and two by Afghan police, out of four attackers who struck the Consulate which houses two buildings, Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Amar Sinha said.

PM-designate Narendra Modi spoke to Amar Sinha and assured all help.

Modi also spoke to Afghan President Hamid Karzai and thanked him for the efforts of Afghan forces in thwarting the attack.

"President Karzai & I talked about Consulate attack in Herat.

He assured me he will do everything to protect India's Missions in Afghanistan," Modi tweeted later.

He also praised the consulate staff in Herat and thanked the security forces for thwarting the terror attack.
Afghan security forces watch a house burn at the site of a clash between insurgents and security forces at the Indian Consulate in Herat
Afghan security forces watch a house burn at the site of a clash between insurgents and security forces at the Indian Consulate in Herat

Karzai is among the leaders expected to attend Modi's swearing in as prime minister on Monday, May 26 .

In a pre-dawn assault, the gunmen attacked the building which houses the residence of Consulate General, Sinha said, adding that there were nine Indians in the mission apart from local Afghans.

One attacker was killed while climbing the wall to enter the premises of the consulate, Sinha said.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said, "India's Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan attacked.

 Afghanistan has experienced a rise in the Taliban attacks as foreign troops plan to withdraw from the war-torn country by the end of the year.

 In August last year, a failed bombing against the Indian Consulate in Jalalabad city near the border with Pakistan killed nine people, including six children.

Lenovo has announced a price cut for the mid-range Vibe X smartphone, which will now be available at Rs. 22,999.
The Lenovo Vibe X was launched at Rs. 25,999 (translating to a Rs. 3,000 price cut) December last year as the first Vibe smartphone to reach the Indian market.

The smartphone has a premium polycarbonate body and an advanced mould, laser-engraved 3D tactile finish. One of the highlights of the device is its super thin frame measuring 6.9mm. It weighs 121 grams. The Vibe X at launch ran Android 4.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box.

The Vibe X sports a 5-inch full-HD display that has a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels and a pixel density of 440ppi, sitting under a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screen bevelled at the edges. The phone is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core MediaTek (MTK 6589T) processor, has 2GB of RAM, and offers 16GB of inbuilt storage.

The Lenovo Vibe X features a 13-megapixel auto-focus rear-facing camera with a back-illuminated sensor and an LED flash. The phone also features a 5-megapixel front-facing camera that comes with a wide-angle 84 degree lens. It includes Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AGPS and 3G connectivity options. The Vibe X is backed by a 2,000mAh battery. The smartphone supports Micro-SIM, instead of regular SIM size, and measures 144x74x6.9mm in dimensions.

On Tuesday, Lenovo also announced Android 4.4 KitKat updates for the Vibe X and the Vibe Z smartphones. The Chinese handset maker revealed that the update for both smartphones would be rolled out in a phased manner starting from the last week of May.

The Android 4.4 KitKat update for Vibe X brings security enhancements and bug fixes, and a revamped UI with lesser icons and new incoming call interface. It also brings various camera fixes such as efficient auto focus and white balance capabilities for clearer and sharper images. The company has also claimed that the update will boost the Vibe X's power management for improved battery utilisation.

After a string of teasers, Panasonic has finally pulled the wraps off its newest smartphone dubbed P81. The Panasonic P81 is company’s first octa-core priced at Rs 18,990. The device is now available for Rs 17,999  via  Snapdeal. The online retailer promises to ship the device in two business days.

The P81 poses a sleek at 7.9mm profile and follows the phablet trend with a 5.5-inch IPS display with 720p resolution. Just like most of the mid-range smartphones entering the Indian market, it comes with dual SIM functionality. It comes powered by an octa-core processor that clocks at 1.7GHz coupled with 1GB RAM. The chipset isn’t specified, but considering the price point and octa-core capability, it could be Mediatek.

On the camera front, one can expect a 13-megapixel rear snapper with auto-focus and LED flash, and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It gets 8GB onboard storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card slot. The device runs on older 4.2.2 Jelly Bean flavor of Android, and also gets a layer of Play Life UI.

Other connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth 3.0 A2DP. The device will also support FM radio. All of this will be fuelled by a 2500mAh battery.

The device comes packed with app freebies worth Rs 9,900, and accessories worth Rs 2000 along with a leatherette design.

An emotionally charged Narendra Modi on Tuesday said people have voted for "new hope and aspiration" and he would try his best to live up to their expectations after he was unanimously elected the leader of the BJP parliamentary party.

BJP leader and the NDA prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi receives a bouquet from newly-elected BJP Members of Parliament as he arrives at the Parliament building in New Delhi. (AFP ...

BJP president Rajnath Singh arrives in Parliament in New Delhi. (AFP photo)

BJP leader and the NDA prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi gestures as he arrives at the Parliament building in New Delhi. (AFP photo)

Bharatiya Janata Party senior leader Lal Krishna Advani arrives for the BJP parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi. (AP photo)

Newly-elected BJP Member of Parliament Varun Gandhi arrives in Parliament in New Delhi. (AFP photo)

Newly-elected BJP Member of Parliament and Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal arrives in Parliament in New Delhi. (AFP photo)

Bharatiya Janata Party senior leader Lal Krishna Advani arrives in Parliament in New Delhi. (AFP photo)

Newly-elected BJP Member of Parliament and Bollywood actress Hema Malini arrives in Parliament in New Delhi. (AFP photo)
He expressed his gratitude to the leaders of the party and specially thanked party patriarch LK Advani and president Rajnath Singh for giving him their "blessings".

"We are here in the temple of democracy. We will work with all purity... not for the designation but for the people of the country. Work and responsibility are the biggest things," Modi told the gathering.

Referring to his humble background, Modi said it was an ode to Indian democracy and its founding fathers that he was standing there, all set to be the new PM.

"Today I'm standing before you as the son of a poor man. This is the strength of democracy."

Modi said the recent election result had increased people's faith in democracy and there is a "new hope" among people that this dispensation can fulfill their aspirations.

"The new government will dedicate itself for the poor, crores and crores of youth and for the safety and security of the mothers and sisters, those in the rural areas, oppressed and the deprived," he said.

"I will try to live up to expectations of people," he said and promised to present a report card of his government to the people in 2019.

"This is the time for new hope and strength." Modi said in 2019 he will meet the MPs again with a report card.

Referring to the nature of the verdict, he said if it had been a hung or a fractured verdict then one can say that people had vented their anger against the government and that it was anti-establishment.

"But by giving BJP an absolute majority they have voted for hope and trust. People have voted for hope and faith. and I will do everything to fulfil their aspirations," he said, adding that he is a man full of optimism.

"I want to assure the people of the country that there is no need for pessimism going by the past bad experience... I am a very optimistic man and only an optimistic man can bring optimism in the country."

During his 30-minute acceptance speech, 63-year-old Modi broke down when he referred to LK Advani's mention that he had done a favour to the party by taking up the responsibility.

"Can serving the mother be a favour? A son is only dedicated to serve the mother... The favour has been done by the party," he said addressing the newly-elected MPs of the party in the historic Central Hall of Parliament.

The PM-to be also took the opportunity to praise the work of the past governments, saying every government and its leaders have contributed to the welfare of the country and he will carry forward whatever good they have done.

He also invoked former PM and BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee saying it would have been an icing on the cake had the ailing leader been present among them.

Modi, who led the saffron party to a spectacular victory in the Lok Sabha elections, was earlier elected as the leader amid chants of "Bharat Mata ki jai" and a standing ovation.


BJP president Singh announced Modi as the leader of the BJP parliamentary board after Advani proposed the name of "popular" and "famous" leader.

"This is a historic moment in the politics of India," said Rajnath Singh.

Murli Manohar Joshi seconded the proposal with a sense of "pride" and "joy" and Sushma Swaraj hoped that Modi will be a "famous" prime minister.

Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Venkaiah Naidu and Nitin Gadkari also supported the proposal for electing Modi.

Advani, who embraced Modi after he was chosen as the leader of BJP parliamentary party, got emotional as he greeted the Gujarat strongman.

The election was an important formality before Modi approached President Pranab Mukherjee to stake claim to form the new government.

According to reports, Mukherjee congratulated Modi and invited him to form the government.

Before that, a 15-member delegation of the NDA, led by Advani, called on Mukherjee on Tuesday afternoon to convey to him that Modi has been elected as the leader of the alliance.

The NDA delegation comprised of BJP president Singh and senior party leaders Advani and Joshi.

Leaders from alliance partners included Akali Dal's Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh, TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu, Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray, LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan and Neiphu Rio of Naga People's Front.

Other BJP leaders who were part of the NDA delegation included Swaraj, Jaitley, Naidu, Gadkari, Ananth Kumar and TC Gehlot.

After the meeting, BJP chief Singh told reporters that the Modi government will be sworn-in on May 26. ?

According to reports, as the race for key posts in the Modi government intensified the BJP president may get the home portfolio while Arun Jaitley could be the new finance minister.

Reports also said that Joshi could be chosen as the defence minister and Advani could be asked to guide the party.

Amid a flurry of meetings, Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar also paid a visit to Modi in New Delhi on Tuesday morning.

On Monday, hectic consultations were on in the BJP for the second consecutive day ahead of the government formation in New Delhi. A stream of leaders met Modi, Singh and senior RSS functionaries.

Swaraj, who is tipped to be one of the four top ministers of the next government, reportedly conveyed her readiness to work in a "respectable position" in his team.

The PM-designate, however, has not revealed anything about who his cabinet colleagues will be.

"He is hearing everyone out and will make his mind known at the right time," a BJP leader considered close to Modi said.