Thailand’s week of antigovernment demonstrations entered a dangerous and volatile phase on Sunday after shootings involving rival political camps left at least four people dead and more than 50 wounded.

 Many areas of Bangkok, the sprawling metropolis that is a major hub of commerce and travel in Southeast Asia, remained unaffected by the demonstrations. But the shootings and the increasingly provocative moves by protesters spread fears that unrest could move beyond the pockets of the capital where protests — and violence — have raged.

As protesters traveled through the city by motorcycle and on foot Sunday, vowing to shut down additional government buildings, Bangkok’s largest shopping malls, which normally teem with visitors on weekends, hastily announced that they were closing their doors for the day.

Nearly 3,000 soldiers began arriving in the capital to shore up key government buildings.

Protesters are pursuing the quixotic goal of ridding the country of the influence of Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire tycoon and former prime minister whose political party has captured the allegiance of voters in the countryside, winning every election since 2001. The protesters say they are frustrated with the dominance of Mr. Thaksin and are disillusioned with the current democratic system. They have proposed an alternative to the country’s democracy, an ill-defined people’s council made up of representatives from many professions.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who is Mr. Thaksin’s youngest sister, repeatedly said over the weekend that she was open to discussions with protesters but that she would stand firm.

“I will remain here,” she told reporters Saturday, her voice cracking with emotion. “I will not flee anywhere. I may be a woman, but I have the courage to face all possible scenarios.”

One of the original, and still the best, busty Brits of all-time Lucy Pinder is back with another ridiculously busty photoshoot for the latest issue of Nuts. And it doesn’t matter how many of these shoots I see of Lucy, I’m still blown away by her every single time. For a grumpy old blogger like myself, she reminds me why I got into this business in the first place: to spend even more time looking at pictures of hot busty chicks like Lucy without having to leave my mom’s basement. What can I say? It’s not just a job, it’s a calling.

Lucy Pinder Lingerie Goodness Photo

 BJP today downplayed its own stand on Article 370 giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir, saying it should be debated whether the constitutional provision has been beneficial for the state and even hinted that it may give up its demand for abrogation if such a view emerges.

Addressing his first rally here after being named the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi said his party wanted a discussion on various aspects of the issue.

He echoed views expressed by BJP President Rajnath Singh, who earlier even told the 'Lalkar' rally that if Article 370 proved to be beneficial, his party would stand by the measure.

It is a departure from BJP's position seeking complete abrogation of the Article giving special status to J-K in the Union of India.

Referring to the provision, Modi said that women had not been given equal rights in the state unlike in other parts of the country.

"If Omar (Abdullah) married outside Kashmir, his rights of being a citizen remain whereas his sister Sara loses the right for the same. Is this not discrimination against the women in the state," he asked, while referring to the Chief Minister's family.

Taking on the Centre for its China policy, the Gujarat Chief Minister claimed that China had been distributing free SIM cards to villagers along the border with India.

"I want to ask whether our Telecom Ministry can't provide the same," he said.

Modi also spoke about "non-implmentation" of the 73rd Amendment providing financial powers to Panchayats and took a veiled dig at the ruling National Conference, saying, "Those who talk about autonomy are not ready to provide the same to their own elected local bodies."

He accused the state government of indulging in corruption and said the Prevention of Corruption Act is applicable everywhere other than Jammu and Kashmir.

"For 60 years they talked about separate state (autonomy) but what did people get? Nothing and there is no accountability also...In the name of separate state, they encouraged separatism.

Sharon Stone is one seriously foxy lady. The 55-year-old wowed in a black floor-length gown at the opening ceremony of the 13th Marrakesh International Film Festival in Morocco yesterday (Nov. 29) where director Martin Scorsese presented her with an award.

"What is the definition of stardom, not fame, but true stardom?" Scorsese asked the audience, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "Sharon is brilliant, extremely talented, fearless, charming, funny and absolutely wild, and she's a true star. When she walks in a room the energy changes," he said.

Selena Gomez halftime show performance reviews have been mixed. This particular Selena Gomez halftime show took place on Thanksgiving Day during the Dallas Cowboys game. During the performance she wore a red leather bodysuit that a lot of people have been talking about on Friday (Nov. 29). Some of those comments on a Huffington Post article have been very flattering, but others have used their anonymity to attack her singing.

One person using the username "Mike_Mcdougall" stated, "Her lip synch was hilariously obvious. No live performance is that crystal clear." Another commenter under the username "spkmky" took their rudeness a step further as they stated, "Wow so young and already starting to become a chunky monkey." It's not too surprising that someone would make a comment like that anonymously and hide their identity from other people on the internet.

It wasn't all negative, though, as many people have noted positive aspects of the performance. User "Tim_Osborne posted, "I wish that people would get off Selena's back.She is young,beautiful,stays classy unlike Miley Cyrus and rather you like her music or not which I don't she is still successful at it." Another person named "karen_wenzel" stated, "if I had a daughter, i'd want her to admire Selena G, instead of miley. At least Selena knows that being vulgar isn't a good thing, and this outfit is way better than anything miss m has done lately."

The Selena Gomez halftime performance has definitely created a debate about the pop music princesses out there and which ones are doing things that they should be proud of partaking in. It's clear, though, that Gomez has the talent to keep selling records to her millions of fans.

Sharon Osbourne is nothing if not an open book so it should come as no surprise she agreed to talk about her private lady parts on British television.

Osbourne was a guest on BBC's "The Graham Norton Show" yesterday (Nov. 29) in an episode that is set to air Dec. 7, and when Norton complimented her about her looks, she revealed she had undergone numerous procedures to maintain her youthful appearance. Osbourne then admitted to getting her "vagina tightened," saying it "was the worst" and "just excruciating."

Ozzy's flame-haired half also spoke about her husband's most recent relapse, moving out of their joint home, selling all of his cars and what eventually brought them back together.

 Jane Kean, best known as Ed Norton's beleaguered wife Trixie on a TV revival of "The Honeymooners," has died. She was 90.

Kean, of Toluca Lake, died Tuesday at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank where she was taken after complications from a fall.

Her niece, Deirdre Wolpert, confirmed the death Thursday.

Kean began a decades-long career of music and comedy at 16, when she appeared in her first Broadway show and worked for years in musical theater.

But she is best known for playing Trixie the 1966 TV revival of Jackie Gleason's hit show.

Kean was born in Hartford, Conn., on April 10, 1923.

In addition to Wolpert, she is survived by a stepson, Joseph Hecht Jr., his family and Wolpert's husband and two children.

Cricketer Dinesh Kathik has found his match in star squash player Dipika Pallikal as they got engaged in a private ceremony at a city hotel here.

The 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman found his lady love, Pallikal, 22, after both ended up training under the same fitness coach here.

After a one-year courtship, both decided to get engaged at the ITC Chola last week. Though Karthik could not find a berth for himself in the South Africa bound squad, yet, the Tamil Nadu batsman celebrated the occasion with a crafty 133 against Saurashtra in a Ranji Trophy match here on Friday.

The sport stars exchanged rings at Taj Grand Hotel in Chennai.

This is an alliance that is set to see cricket meet squash.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik and squash star Deepika Pallikal got engaged.

Karthik, 28 missed out on the Indian squad for South Africa as the selectors decided to go with Wriddhiman Saha as a reserve for skipper MS Dhoni but on the personal front the cricketer looks great with him all set to tie the knot with Pallikal, 22.

The duo met through their common fitness coach and for Karthik who went through a long and painful divorce proceduce the new happiness with Pallikal was like a heaven send.

A picture of the loving couple together after their engagement has gone viral with wishes pouring in for them from fans and well wishers.

Sexual frustration impairs the health of fruit flies and causes premature death, according to new research.

Scientists found that male flies who were stimulated to mate but prevented from doing so, had their lives cut short by up to 40%.

Those allowed to copulate not only lived longer but suffered less stress.

The research is published in the Journal Science.

In the experiment, the flies were put in close proximity to genetically modified males who had been altered to release female sex pheromones.
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    We immediately observed that they looked quite sick very soon in the presence of these effeminised males”

Dr Scott Pletcher University of Michigan

These hormones are used by flies to judge whether a potential mate is nearby, so when males secreted this sexually charged scent, it instantly aroused other males.

But crucially, they were not able to mate.

The flies that were tantalised but denied any action showed more stress, a decrease in their fat-stores and had their lives cut short dramatically.

"We immediately observed that they looked quite sick very soon in the presence of these effeminised males," explained Dr Scott Pletcher at the University of Michigan, US, co-author of the research.

The common fruit fly has a very short life of about 60 days. This makes them an ideal organism to study aging as the genes that regulate a fly's lifespan have been found to closely parallel those in humans.

Tehelka founder Tarun Tejpal, accused of sexually assaulting a junior colleague early this month, and was granted interim bail till 10 am on Saturday by a Goa court.

Tejpal cannot be arrested till the court in Panjim finishes hearing his plea for anticipatory bail on Saturday. The public prosecutor is expected to argue against the bail when the hearing begins.

High drama ensued soon after the plane landed and reporters travelling in the flight directed their cameras and mikes at him. Outside, scores of BJP activists waved black flags and demanded his arrest.

Even as Tejpal's family members urged the reporters to stop filming him, he reportedly told them "the entire matter had been "blown out of proportion" and the complaint by the journalist was "motivated".

"I have nothing to hide," he said.

But his lawyers were reprimanded by a judge when they pointed to the "political conspiracy" behind the allegations during the hearing on his bail application.

"I am concerned with the crime, not the political remarks that were made later. Did the young girl make the political remarks?"

The judge also censured a junior lawyer of Tejpal's defence team for naming the journalist.

Before Tejpal's arrival in the state, the Goa police said they are seeking his custody for interrogation as they believe he has been trying to avoid them.

A police team, which raided his house in New Delhi in a bid to arrest him, returned empty handed after they failed to find him.

 At Delhi airport, where he showed in public for the first time after Goa police booked him, he told reporters, "I got the summons yesterday. So I am going to Goa."