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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scorecard | Match in Pics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

While sitting around lamenting our millennial lives, a friend of mine shared this morsel of wisdom she'd gotten from an older acquaintance. It was something like, when you're young you have time and energy, but no money. When you're middle-aged, you have energy and money, but no time. And when you're old, you have time and money, but no energy.

Such is the quagmire of youth. While we're getting bombarded with messages telling us to YOLO, to "dance like nobody's watching," and love like we've never been hurt before -- we're busy dealing with unemployment, wondering how to pay for our weddings, and how to lower our astronomical student loan payments.

And the thing about having more energy -- well, I can't vouch for that. Consensus among my 20-something friends is we're tired. All.the.time. We're juggling young, new relationships, 60-hour workweeks in many cases, and the pressure to maintain the illusion of having "a life."

Truth be told, many of us are looking forward to aging, and getting to a point where we've passed most of life's major hurdles -- not spending our entire paychecks on the newest anti-aging serum to help us cling to our exponentially fading youth. Here's what we're looking forward to in older age:

1. Two words. Senior discounts. Because there's no I-still-live-with-my-parents discount or student-loan-repayment- discount.

2. Not worrying as much about things will "turn out." After 50 or so, I'm guessing most major questions of life have been answered. Will I find the right life partner? Will I have kids? Will everything be okay?

My 65-plus father once told me that when he looks at young folks he feels sheer pity. Not what I was expecting to hear. But they're fit, healthy, and able-bodied I said confusedly. True, he agreed. But they just have so many hurdles ahead of them that they can't even imagine. There are so many uphill battles they have yet to face. I'm confident I've already faced the worst of my problems, he said. Let's hope he's right.

3. More mature relationships (hopefully). As a young dater or novice boyfriend/girlfriend, everything is so much more fragile and every fight leaves you wondering if you're headed for a breakup that will cause the devastation of a nuclear bomb in your heart.

I can't wait to celebrate my 30th or 40th wedding anniversary with someone I've been through thick and thin with. Someone who has essentially watched me grow up. That's the sort of intimacy that easily trumps the passion and fireworks of a budding love.

At middle age, we all face the fact that our place in the world is evolving as we get older and our bodies and faces change. Narcissists are confronted with the decline of their sense of importance in the world and the fading of their good looks in a way that can be particularly devastating to them. There may be a frantic grasp at staying young by narcissists who have lived their lives trading on their physical appearance to be relevant and noticed. It happens on blogs and in the media as (more often than not) women try to keep the attention they've always craved through plastic surgery, overt sexuality, provocative words and images and more. In some cases, it's not sexy at all - it's sad and desperate.

According to the Mayo Clinic, narcissism is:

...characterized by dramatic, emotional behavior, which is in the same category as antisocial and borderline personality disorders.
Some of the symptoms of narcissism include:

Believing that you're better than others
Fantasizing about power, success and attractiveness
Exaggerating your achievements or talents
Expecting constant praise and admiration
Believing that you're special and acting accordingly
As you can see, narcissists live in a fantasyland of their own sense of exaggerated self-importance. When the world acknowledges them as young beauties, they are given the kind of attention the believe they deserve without having to do much to attract it to them. As they grow older, the loss of attention can wreak havoc. Because they hold a mirror up to the world to see who they are, this lack of attention can very well obliterate their self-worth.

Narcissists are among the most difficult people with whom to have a relationship, be it personal or professional, because no matter what you do or say it isn't enough to feed their never-ending desire for admiration and applause. They expect to be praised simply for showing up, and watch out if you don't respond the way they think you should to their slightest effort. Narcissists are exhausting, and beware the narcissist whose anger is focused your way:

The anger of narcissists...can be more demeaning. Their criticism evolves from their conviction that others don't meet their lofty standards-or worse, aren't letting them get their own way. "Narcissistic injuries," or wounds to the ego, often pave the way for narcissistic rages, which can be passive-aggressive or planned out, as well as sudden. They are above you and you have displeased them and probably deserve punishment they will dole out. - Psychology Today

Justin Bieber recruited rapper Blake Kelly for his new song "Broken" which made its debut this weekend. The first track the young Biebs has released since his recent arrest, "Broken" has the 19-year-old singer addressing the drama, singing, "I guess they want a reaction / I ain't gonna give it to 'em." Bieber then sticks it to his haters, crooning, "I cannot be broken / like I know you were hoping."

In I Don’t Even Understand How In The Hell This Could Ever Happen news, The Ghana News Agency is reporting that a man and a woman renting out a “guest house” (which I guess is probably the equivalent of a cheap motel) near a public market in Sunyani, Ghana became, uh, stuck, when the man could not remove his penis from the woman’s vagina following intercourse. Hooooo boy. From Graphic Online:

An attendant at the guest house told the GNA on condition of anonymity that the two booked the room for 30 minutes but when the time elapsed they failed to come out. He said he knocked at the door but heard some unusual sound from the room and informed some traders in the market.

“When we forced the door open we saw the unexpected as the two lovers were lying on the floor in torment,” the attendant said. Some of the market women said the woman was a trader from Berekum who sells soap every market day.

Some of them attributed the cause of the incident to a curse placed either on the man or the woman and added that rituals had to be performed before they could be separated.

So that sounds like a sexy, fun time. I mean, obviously any news outlet reporting that rituals needed to be performed to remove a curse that super glues your genitals together needs to be taken with a grain of salt — but we also know there are legitimate medical oddities out there, such as the man with 132 pound nutsack, Sex Sent Me To The ER, and you do not even want to know what kind of freaky sh*t they have at Philadelphia’s Mutter Museum. So, suspending all disbelief, what do you guys think? Did she have some kind of super-suctioney vagina like a finger trap or did he have a penis shaped like an umbrella? These are VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS we need to be asking. Got theories? Leave ‘em in the comments, because I for one would love to hear them.

A 15-year-old Pennsylvania girl was charged Thursday as an adult in the death of a 14-year-old boy.

Amber Hellesten faces charges of murder, aggravated assault and simple assault for the stabbing of Azim Chaplin, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.

The charges stem from a Feb. 11 incident in Point Breeze. Police say Hellesten, who reportedly lived down the street from Chaplin, stabbed him once in the chest at about 8 p.m. that night. The blade from the knife pierced the boy's heart and he was transported to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where he was admitted in critical condition.

Witnesses at the scene allegedly identified Hellesten to police as the individual who stabbed Chaplin.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, citing unnamed police sources, reported Chaplin was stabbed during an argument with Hellesten and other kids. Tasha Jamerson, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, would not confirm that report. She told The Huffington Post the cause of the stabbing is "still under investigation."

Authorities took Hellesten into custody the night of the stabbing and charged her with attempted murder.

"When she was charged with attempted murder, directly after the stabbing, we charged her as an adult because of her actions and because she was 15," said Jamerson.

Pennsylvania law prohibits charging anyone under the age of 15 as an adult in an attempted murder case. At 15, Hellesten met the standard.

With the death toll already at 50 and rising in two days of violence, clashes in Kiev, Ukraine, show no signs of slowing down, despite President Viktor Yanukovych's announcement of a truce on Wednesday evening. Though the protests have persisted for nearly three months, the bloodiest days of unrest have come this week after both Russia and the European Union maneuvered to further influence the former Soviet state.

A multitude of videos circulating the Internet show the outrageous levels of violence in the Ukrainian capital. In one video from Radio Svoboda, Radio Free Europe's Russian service, a riot policeman with an unmistakable AK-47 assault rifle fires off the screen.

The video then cuts to footage of a sniper in the prone position, flanked by other police. Eventually, they all scamper out of frame.

In a Sky News video, another riot police officer fires his AK-47 as he retreats down a street.

It's unclear what he's firing at, though the news anchor suggests some sort of "firework" went off above the police.

 Ukraine's opposition leaders signed an EU-mediated peace pact with President Viktor Yanukovich on Friday, winning a raft of concessions in a delicate deal to end violence that killed at least 77 people and turned the capital into a battle zone.

By nightfall, opposition leaders who signed the deal were addressing peaceful crowds from a stage in Independence Square, which for the past 48 hours had become an inferno of blazing barricades, where protesters were shot dead by police snipers.

But the crowd was still defiant, holding aloft open coffins of slain demonstrators and making speeches denouncing the opposition leaders for shaking hands with Yanukovich.

If it holds, the deal - hammered out with the mediation efforts of the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland - would mark a victory for Europe in a tug-of-war with Moscow for influence in the divided ex-Soviet state of 46 million people.

But it remains to be seen whether violence can be halted and whether a lurch away from Moscow will cost Ukraine a $15 billion Russian financial lifeline it needs to stave off bankruptcy.

Under pressure to quit from mass demonstrations in Kiev, Russian-backed Yanukovich agreed to create a national unity government, change the constitution to reduce his powers and leave office early for new elections.

"There are no steps that we should not take to restore peace in Ukraine," the president said in announcing his concessions before the agreement was signed. "I announce that I am initiating early elections."

Within hours, parliament voted to revert to a previous constitution slashing Yanukovich's prerogatives, sacked his interior minister blamed for this week's bloodshed and amended the criminal code to pave the way to release his rival, jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

EU leaders and the White House praised what European Council President Herman Van Rompuy called a "necessary compromise". Moscow made grudging comments that fell short of endorsing the deal. The European envoys signed the document as witnesses, but a Russian envoy did not.

That envoy, Vladimir Lukin, acknowledged that Moscow had fallen behind the EU in the latest diplomacy: "The EU representatives were in their own way trying to be useful, they started the talks.

"We joined the talks later, which wasn't very right. One should have agreed on the format of the talks right from the start," Lukin was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

Auto major Tata Motors today announced cut in prices by up to Rs 1.5 lakh across its product portfolio following excise duty reduction announced in the interim Budget.

The price reduction across passenger vehicles is in the range of Rs 6,300 to Rs 69,000, depending on the model, while the cut in commercial vehicles portfolio is in the range of Rs 15,000 to Rs 150,000, Tata Motors said in a statement.
"The price reduction is in the light of excise duty cut on vehicles and the company is passing on the excise reduction to the customers," a Tata Motors spokesperson said.

The reduction is with immediate effect, she added.

The company's passenger vehicle portfolio comprises models from entry level hatchback Nano to multi utility vehicle Aria. Besides, the company sells a range of commercial vehicles, including buses.

In the interim Budget 2014-15, Finance Minister P Chidambaram had announced reduction of excise duty on small cars, scooters, motorcycles and commercial vehicles to 8 per cent from 12 per cent earlier; 24 per cent from 30 per cent on SUVs; 24 per cent from 27 per cent on large cars and 20 per cent from 24 per cent in mid sized cars.

Earlier during the week, various car makers including Maruti Suzuki India (MSI), Hyundai Motor India, Honda Cars India, Volkswagen, Mahindra & Mahindra, Fiat and Nissan had also announced price cuts.

Christina Aguilera is pregnant with her second child.

Less than a week after announcing her engagement to boyfriend Matt Rutler, Us Weekly is reporting that The Voice coach is expecting baby number two.

The couple met in 2010 on the set of Aguilera’s film, “Burlesque.”
Christina Aguilera is engaged — and expecting.

A week after announcing that boyfriend Matt Rutler had proposed, the singer has more happy news to celebrate.

Aguilera, 33, and Rutler, 29, a film producer, are set to welcome their first child together, PEOPLE confirms.

The couple met on the set of Burlesque, the 2010 film they both worked on.

Keep up with Christina Aguilera in the pages of PEOPLE Magazine by subscribing now.
“They’re very much in love and are really excited to take this next step!” a source close to the pair tells PEOPLE.

The Voice coach is already mom to Max Liron, 6, her son with ex-husband Jordan Bratman.

I'm not exactly sure who Katy Cocktease is supposed to be. I'm going with Cleopatra or somebody Egyptian. I suppose it ties in with one of her little pop ditties or something or maybe I'm missing out on a new wave of scarab inspired fashion. Nevertheless, I was mostly checking out her legs. Yes, Katy can cocktease even with her special gams, not quite as exceptional perhaps as her bodacious bosom but nevertheless, the worked out stems of a woman who prances the stage for a living.

Someday, when Katy reveals herself in her entirety, as I have  foreseen in visions, maybe you'd call them masturbation fantasies, we shall see the entire package and her nickname will change. Until that time, it's all about trying to peek up her skirt at awards show acts. Hey, it's an honest living.

That was the question on Kylie Jenner's mind when she posted a bikini photo to Instagram Wednesday (Feb. 19). In the pic, the 16-year-old wears a black two-piece and dark, oversized sunglasses while in a grassy backyard.

"So.. Is it summer yet?.." she captioned the image, which has since gotten almost 700,000 likes.

It has been some months since Jenner shared a swimsuit snapshot and it's unclear when this one was taken. But after a winter of polar vortexes, we could all certainly use a little sunshine.

It appears that instead of working on a new album, Taylor Swift is learning to perfect a new craft.

The "Red" singer has been spotted hitting up a dance studio almost every day this week, sporting ballerina-like outfits as she makes her way in and out of the building. Swift, 24, has ditched her typical leggings and oversized sweatshirt look for leotards, tights and ballet skirts.

Not to mention she switched up her dance style directly after changing up her appearance -- the normally long-haired blonde is now a short-haired beauty.

No one is surprised that Miley Cyrus' "Bangerz" tour pushes the limits of performance artistry, but people are starting to wonder if she's maybe taken things a bit too far this time. Cyrus' recent tour antics are making her MTV Video Music Awards "Blurred Lines" performance look tame and family-friendly.

"Bangerz" has all the twerking, straddling and Bill Clinton-scandal-mocking that a person could want, but not everyone's happy about it.

In fact, many parents are so upset with Cyrus' antics that they want the entire "Bangerz" tour to be shut down. MusicFix reports that Cyrus' management team has been inundated with complaints about the performance, saying that it is just too racy and inappropriate for young fans. The show doesn't have a rating of any kind, so children of all ages can see it if they are accompanied by a parent. We send our regrets to any preteens who have had to watch Miley straddle a flying hot dog, stuff a thong in her mouth and simulate oral sex on a Bill Clinton impersonator while accompanied by mom and dad.
Many parents have responded to the show's reviews by posting their tickets for sale on Ebay and StubHub, while others are demanding refunds and refusing to attend. One miffed parent reportedly even contacted Cyrus' record bosses at RCA, to say that his or her family walked out of a performance, unwilling to subject their 9-year-old child to a "porn show."

“Miley’s management have been flooded with complaints, mainly from parents, since her tour began last week in Canada with calls for the entire tour to be axed," a source told MusicFix.

Apparently, the entire team behind the tour has been called for an emergency meeting to strategize after learning that several U.S. arenas are considering dropping her act.

All we can do for now is pick our jaws up off the floor and wait for the next chapter of "Bangerz" drama to unfold.

Bursting from the shadow of her adored teammate, Adelina Sotnikova gave Russia its first gold medal in women's Olympic figure skating.

While much-heralded Julia Lipnitskaia was stumbling, the 17-year-old Sotnikova soared. When she won the free skate Thursday at the Sochi Games, she denied South Korea's Yuna Kim from defending her title and confirmed Russian command of the sport once more.
"This is the happiest day in my life," Sotnikova said. "I simply stepped on the ice today and realized how much I like what I'm doing and skated really good."

The Russians have won three figure skating gold medals at these Olympics: team, pairs and women's.

Only this latest one was a surprise. A huge surprise.

Katy Perry unveiled the video for "Dark Horse" on Thursday, and boy, do we have questions. Lots of them. Like: Why? Why is anything that happens in it happening?

If you haven't watched, it appropriates ancient Egyptian culture and symbolism, and, well, that's about all we can tell you. We could pretend like we have all the answers, except we don't have a single answer. So here are a lot of questions raised by "Dark Horse."
Katy Perry proved she was ready for a perfect storm on Thursday, dropping the music video to her latest single, "Dark Horse" (featuring Juicy J). The visuals are like, what? A nod to "Cleopatra"? A spoof of "Avatar"? Some random parody of Michael Jackson's "Remember The Time"? All of the above? None of the above? Watch below?

A local beauty queen has died of a gunshot wound, becoming the fifth fatality from Venezuela's political unrest, as imprisoned protest leader Leopoldo Lopez urged supporters to keep fighting for the departure of the socialist government.

Tensions have risen in Venezuela since Mr Lopez, a 42-year-old Harvard-educated economist, turned himself in to troops on Tuesday after spearheading three weeks of often rowdy protests against President Nicolas Maduro's government.

The latest victims of the unrest included college student and model Genesis Carmona, 22, who was shot in the head at a protest on Tuesday in the central city of Valencia. She died later in a clinic.

College student and model Genesis Carmona (EPA)
"How long are we going to live like this? How long do we have to tolerate this pressure, with them killing us?" a relative, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.

"She only needed one more semester to graduate," he added of Carmona, who had been studying tourism and had won the 2013 Miss Tourism competition in her state.

Three people were shot dead in Caracas after an opposition rally a week ago, and a fourth person died after being run over by a car during a demonstration in the coastal town of Carupano. Scores of people have been arrested or injured.

State television channel VTV said the mother of one its employees died while being rushed to hospital in Caracas. VTV said she suffered a heart attack while the ambulance carrying her was stuck in gridlock due to opposition supporters blocking roads.

"We cannot underestimate those fascist groups whose boss is behind bars," Mr Maduro said in a nationally televised speech late on Wednesday. "I'm not playing with democracy. I do not accept that they challenge the Venezuelan people and our Constitution."

Speaking in Mexico, US President Barack Obama criticized Mr Maduro's government for arresting protesters and urged it to focus on the "legitimate grievances" of its people.

Instead of "making up false accusations" against three US diplomats expelled this week, he said, Venezuela's government should release detained protesters and engage in a real dialogue. "All parties have an obligation to work together," Mr Obama said.
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 Ukraine's pro-European opposition sought last minute changes to a deal with Russian-backed President Viktor Yanukovich intended to resolve the former Soviet republic's political crisis, but EU mediators said they still expect an agreement on Friday.

The German and Polish foreign ministers were in Kiev to try to broker an end to the worst violence since Soviet days amid a stand-off between riot police and anti-government protesters who have occupied a central square for nearly three months.

The sprawling nation of 46 million with a shattered economy and endemic corruption is at the center of a geopolitical tug-of-war between Russia and the European Union.

Diplomats said a compromise drafted in all-night negotiations involved appointing a transitional government, with a reformed constitution by September reducing presidential powers, and fresh elections by the end of the year.

Whether such a gradual transition would be acceptable to grassroots activists who want Yanukovich out now was unclear.

"This is just another piece of paper. We will not leave the barricades until Yanukovich steps down. That's all people want," said Anton Solovyov, 28, an IT worker protesting in the central square.

A senior EU diplomat said the president and opposition leaders were expected to sign the deal on Friday, even though the opposition still wanted some changes.

Earlier, police said in a statement that anti-government militants fired on security forces near the central Independence Square, scene of a three-month-old protest vigil.

However, there was no independent confirmation of such an incident and no report of casualties.

The square, known as Maidan or "Euro-Maidan", appeared peaceful, with thousands of demonstrators chanting anti-government slogans interspersed with patriotic singing.

After the visiting ministers suspended talks at dawn, the presidential press service said an agreement with the opposition would be signed at noon (1000 GMT) but it gave no details. That time passed with no word of a signing.

Sonam Kapoor, who is sporting a bikini onscreen for the first time, is flattered by the reactions of her fans.

"I’m very delighted with the feedback I’ve been getting  from the time the pictures came out. It’s a simple shot that has become a huge talking point. I am happy that fans have loved it," says the actor, who had once vowed never to wear a two piece on the big screen.

"Sonam has experimented a lot with her clothes, but she was keen to know how her fans would react to her bikini look. As soon as the promo was released, many fans shared it on their social networking accounts," says a source close to the actor.

Interestingly, around two years ago, the actor had said that she would never wear a bikini as she does not have a perfect body to carry it off. "I will never wear a bikini on screen, because I am not confident enough. I know that I will not look good. I don’t have the best body," Sonam told PTI in 2012. - See more at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/my-bikini-shot-has-become-a-talking-point-sonam-kapoor/article1-1184978.aspx#sthash.jYcAabts.dpuf

India's Congress party president Sonia Gandhi's has filed a new motion to dismiss a human rights violation lawsuit against her by Sikhs for Justice, a New York based human rights group.

In a reply memorandum filed in the district court of New York's eastern district, Gandhi's lawyers said the plaintiffs had unjustly argued for "unlimited extraterritorial jurisdiction and corporate liability to reach the tragic events of 1984 in India, and hold an innocent Gandhi liable.

Saying that "two wrongs don't make a right," the motion said the plaintiffs "fail to attribute actual acts or omissions to Gandhi".
The plaintiffs complaint was also devoid of any "factual content that allows the court to draw the reasonable inference that the defendant is liable for the misconduct alleged," they said.

US federal court for the Eastern District of New York had in Sep 2013 issued summons against Sonia Gandhi on a complaint filed by SFJ and some victims of anti-Sikh violence in India in November 1984.

The group has sought compensatory and punitive damages against Gandhi for her alleged role in shielding and protecting Congress party leaders including Kamal Nath, Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler and Amitabh Bachchan from prosecution for their alleged role in the 1984 violence.

If you had never heard about Russian figure skater Evgeni Plushenko until the start of the 2014 Sochi Olympics then you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. You might be wondering why the crowd in Sochi was so absolutely stunned by his withdrawal from the Olympic men's short program and the subsequent announcement of his retirement on Thursday.

Rest assured, Plushenko is more than deserving of the attention. Not only did his early performances in Sochi help Russia win the inaugural gold medal in the Olympic team figure skating competition but they also earned him an unprecedented fourth Olympic medal in his fourth Olympic appearance.

That final gold medal capped off an incredible figure skating career that spanned 17 years -- pretty much unheard-of longevity in the sport.

In honor of the Russian legend's amazing run, we rounded up 11 of his most noteworthy moments on the ice.

1997: At the age of 14, Plushenko, already with a solid triple axel in his arsenal, won the Junior World Championships.

1998: Plushenko won the bronze medal at his first World Championships at the elite level at age 15. After winning a silver medal at his first European Championships, he was rightly heralded as a rising teen phenom. The following year at the Worlds, he climbed to second place, just behind his Russian rival Alexei Yagudin. He became the youngest male skater to earn a perfect 6.0 mark at the age of 16.

2000: Plushenko defeated Yagudin at the European Championships. Despite finishing out of the top three at the World Championships, he established himself as a major contender. Look at that sensational quad jump!
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"This isn't evolution. It's an abomination," Morgan Freeman informs Johnny Depp in the new trailer for "Transcendence." It looks like the velvet-voiced sage is going head-to-head with the "Pirates of the Caribbean" star in the forthcoming artificial-intelligence thriller. Depp plays Dr. Will Caster, a researcher who's working to create a sentient machine that surpasses human intelligence. Naturally, he's up against a motherload of opposition. When Caster faces death and wants to become a part of that machinery, even his wife (Rebecca Hall) and best friend (Paul Bettany) think he's gone too far.

"Transcendence" opens April 18. It's directed by Wally Pfister, who is known for his cinematography work on Christopher Nolan's movies. Watch the new trailer below.

Well, here's the first teaser trailer to see how he did. Starring Johnny Depp, the actor takes the role of Dr. Will Caster, whose creation of sentient machine puts him at risk from anti-technology extremists who inadvertently set the researcher on a dangerous path towards, you guessed it, transcendence. It's a fascinating premise by Jack Paglen from his 2012 Black List script, and while Pfister is making his feature debut, he isn't too far away from his frequent collaborator Christopher Nolan who is executive producing this one.

Thoughts? Share 'em below. Co-starring Rebecca Hall, Kate Mara, Paul Bettany, Morgan Freeman and Cillian Murphy, "Transcendence" happens on April 18, 2014. Watch below plus two more teasers featuring more narration and less footage!