Toni Braxton turned to ice creams, sad movies after marriage split

London, May 18 (ANI): Once a six-time Grammy winner, Toni Braxton’s career took a downward spiral while her weight shot up following her divorce with husband Keri Lewis.

The star resorted to watching sad movies and eating ice cream after her marriage broke down.

The singer parted ways with Lewis, her husband of eight years and father of her two children, last November (09).

Braxton admits her life took a down turn spiral after the break-up and she packed on the pounds as she comforted herself with sweet treats and Renee Zellweger”s movie Bridget Jones”s Diary.

“I turned to Bridget Jones and Rocky Road ice cream when my marriage ended. I”d watch the film, cry and sing All By Myself and eat a massive tub every day for two months. I gained 12 pounds. It was hard to wean myself off it,” The Daily Express quoted her as saying. (ANI)

Liam Gallagher to make a film on Beatles’ drug years

London, May 8 (ANI): Former Oasis singer Liam Gallager is set to make a movie on Beatles and their drug years.

Gallagher, who is a huge fan of the band, has bought the screen rights to the book The Longest Cocktail Party – the diary of Abbey Road regular Richard DiLello, who worked with the Fab Four between 1967 and 1970.

In the book, DiLello talks about the break up of Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison in 1970. It tells of stoned conversations and how the band had regular access to illegal drugs, reports The Daily Star.

Gallagher is still searching for a screenwriter and director, as well as actors to portray the band.

Liam and partners at Revolution Films will launch the project during the Cannes Film Festival, which starts next week. (ANI)

Teachers sue paper over Facebook photos

Two teachers are taking legal action against a southern Queensland newspaper for publishing photographs of them taken from the social networking site Facebook.

The Warwick Daily News published an article last month with photos showing the teachers posing in schoolgirl uniforms.

Solicitor Rebecca Jancauskas says the story vilified the teachers.

“The global publication of this story has caused our clients incredible distress and has damaged their personal and professional reputations immeasurably,” she said.

“They’re now a laughing stock in their local community, their students and their peers view them very differently and their professional lives hang in the balance while Education Queensland decide the outcome of their investigation.”

Ms Jancauskas says the case will have wider ramifications for social media sites.

“I think it raises interesting issues that need to be determined, whether it be by a court or by a government, which is do user generated sites such as Facebook have the legal status of a modern day diary or personal correspondence?” she said.

Militants killed in J-K encounter identified as Pakistani nationals

Srinagar, Mar 31 (ANI): The militants killed in the encounter with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir”s Rajouri district have been identified as Pakistani nationals.

The security personnel have also recovered a diary that disclosed their identity as Abu Zarar, Abu Abdullah, Abu Shoaib and Abu Osama.

The security personnel have also found the food supplies that the militants brought with them. All of them have Pakistani registration marks, which further makes it clear that they all had come from Pakistan.

It is suspected that they came in groups from Pakistan and later split in three teams as three encounters were witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir”s Rajouri district in the last 48 hours.

Four militants and three security personnel were killed in the exchange of fire in Rajouri district that lasted nearly 12 hours.

The second encounter that took place at Dharamshall came to an end with terrorists fleeing back to the Pakistani side of the LoC; a police official was injured in the encounter.

Meanwhile, it has been reported that the encounter between security forces and militants is on in Jammu and Kashmir”s Kolian area. (ANI)

Colin Firth named Best Actor at Venice film festival

London, Sep 14 (ANI): Colin Firth has got the award for Best Actor at this year’s (09) Venice Film Festival.

The Brit star was honoured for his portrayal of a mourning professor in ‘A Single Man’ at the Sept 12 ceremony.

The ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ star gave his speech in Italian.

He told the assembled audience the award was “possibly the greatest honour of my life,” reports The Daily Star.

Israeli war film ‘Lebanon’, which is shot almost entirely inside an Israeli tank, was handed the prestigious Golden Lion award.

The best director honour went to Iranian-born Shirin Neshat for Women Without Men. (ANI)

Manchester City stadium ‘target of loner’s Columbine-style massacre plot’

London, Sep.8 (ANI): A teenage loner accused of plotting a Columbine-style gun massacre at his school also considered targeting Manchester City’s stadium.

According to The Sun, Matthew Swift, 18, was said to have sent his idea in a computer message to 16-year-old co- accused Ross McKnight.

A jury at Manchester Crown Court heard how he told McKnight: “I was thinking of targets to attack – like the City stadium.”

Both teens allegedly plotted a killing spree at Audenshaw High School, Manchester, on the tenth anniversary of the Columbine massacre.

Swift also wrote in a diary: “I cannot wait for Judgment Day. It is going to be awesome.” he friends deny conspiracy to murder and to cause explosions.

The trial continues. (ANI)

Manipur police personnel behind Imphal bomb attack

Imphal (Manipur), Sep 6 (ANI): In an astonishing revelation, the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) was involved in a bomb attack at a private hospital in Imphal, leaving Manipuris flabbergasted.

It is reported that militants gave Rs 5000 to an IRB rifleman to set off a grenade at the Chamber of Commerce Hospital at Thangal Bazaar in Imphal that left three persons injured.

The rifleman was identified as T. Munal, and has been apprehended by the police.

“There will be a strict control room exclusively for the commandos, so that the control room will have details about their duties and there will be a general diary which will give record of what all activities they are doing. With this sort of things and a little more check, I think with that we should be able to weed out those black sheep,” said Y. Joykumar Singh, The Director General of Police (DGP) of Manipur.

T. Munal was posted at the Battalion headquarters at Khuman Lampak in Imphal and was allegedly involved in several other attacks carried out in the state.

Munal has disclosed that a cadre of KCP (MC) militant outfit had given him the hand grenade.

The incident has shocked the people in the state. They condemned the act.

“Security forces protect us but if they do such things, the people of Manipur will be no more. We condemn the act,” said Zathlingthang, a local.

“They are here to protect the people and a rifleman committing such crime is condemnable act. The people of the state are suffering because of such crimes,” added Khomi, another local.

Meanwhile, reacting to the involvement of state police personnel in the incident, Union Home Secretary G.K Pillai, who was on a visit to assess the overall law and order situation in the state, urged the state government to bring transparency in the recruitment of constables.

“If constables come into the police force on merit, you will get a much better, more efficient police force. Complain has come that some of the people who have been recruited did not undergo adequate screening of some of them. Screening would be done by the Manipur police to remove all the undesirable elements from the state police forces,” Pillai said. (ANI)

Rajnath stays mum on Jaswant, says Advani will continue to lead BJP

Shimla, Aug 21 (ANI ) : Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) President Rajnath Singh, on Friday refused to take any questions from the media on the issue of expulsion of former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh from the party and said L.K Advani will continue to lead the party “forever.”

” Advaniji will lead the party for longer time.”

Addressing the media at the end of the three-day Chintan Baithak here, Singh said “Don’t bring up the old issues again, and I told whatever I can on day one.”

Singh said the members attending the Chintan Baithak had decided to be tough on the ideological and individual discipline of party leaders and workers.

He urged party leaders and workers to adopt a model life style in their public as well as personal life.

Singh also said the BJP has decided to stick to its core ideology of cultural nationalism as said in the ideological draft of “Integral Humanism.”

Integral Humanism is a draft of five speeches made by Jan Sangh President Din Dayal Upadhyaya. The BJP adopted Integral Humanism as its philosophy in place of Gandhian Socialism at Party’s National Executive of 1984 held at Kolkata.

The analysis of party’s performance on all the fronts made at the Chintan Baithak would be discussed at a general secretaries meeting soon.

He also said that the party would constitute a committee to draft the “road ahead” map for the party, which would be placed before party’s National Executive in September – October.

” I will call a meeting of senior leaders and all general secretaries to discuss the analysation made here, and a committee will be formed to prepare a road map draft for the party, which will be placed before the national executive,” Singh said.

Singh also rebuffed allegations of any leakage of the draft of the party’s performance.

“Both Bal Apte and Ram Lal were assigned to analyse the party performance based on the reports given by various state units, and accordingly they put their views before the meeting. And they brought all the points in their diary and no draft was prepared, “Singh explained.

Considering RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s suggestion to give preference to youngsters, Singh said : ” The meeting considered the sarsnghchalkji’s statement and decided to give preference for youngsters from Mandal level to the Central level.”

Rajnath read out the points of the resolutions adopted by the meet, which states, (1) The BJP will be committed to the ideology of cultural nationalism and Integral Humanism, (2)Stress on expansion of party’s geological and social base, (3) Preference to women, youths, farmers in party leadership (4) Strengthening NDA, (5) No compromise on discipline (6) Role model administration by the party’s governments at the state level, (7)Constructive and aggressive opposition at the centre and (8) Leading model life by leaders and workers of the party.

Singh said no one is responsible for party’s debacle, ” No one is responsible for election debacle. If at all any one is responsible, its Rajnath Singh, I owe my responsibility being party chief.” (ANI)

Renee Zellweger sports skinny look ahead of ‘Bridget Jones’ film

London, Aug 20 (ANI): American actress Renee Zellweger was spotted looking super-skinny at the premiere of her new movie, though she may later have to put on the pounds for her role as Bridget Jones.

Zellweger, 40, who was at the premiere of ‘My One and Only’ in New York, was seen wearing a figure-hugging black satin dress that accentuated her bony shoulders and muscular calves, reports the Mirror.

The actress had to pile on pounds when she previously played the part of the hapless singleton in Bridget Jones’s Diary.

The next instalment is expected to be based on the weekly columns, written by author Helen Fielding, about 40-something Bridget’s attempts to have a baby, and filming is expected to egin end of next year. (ANI)

Murdered Indian Australian woman’s jewellery, diary missing, says her mother

Brisbane (Australia), Aug.19 (ANI): The mother of murdered Indian Australian woman Neelma Singh today told a Brisbane magistrate’s court that a sapphire given to her by her boyfriend Max Sica, and a diary were missing from the home where her body was found in 2003.

The Courier Mail quoted Neelma’s mother Shirley Singh as telling the Brisbane Magistrates Court that she noticed items of Neelma’s jewellery, a diary and photos of her with a previous boyfriend were missing when she was escorted through the house by police several days after the bodies of her children were found in April 2003.

Shirley Singh was giving evidence at the committal hearing for Massimo “Max” Sica, 38, who is accused of murdering Neelma Singh, 24, her brother Kunal, 18, and sister Sidhi, 12.

Singh also described being escorted through the house by police and seeing “red marks” coming from her childrens’ bedrooms.

The hearing continues. (ANI)

Middle-aged Brit women like to read books about sex

London, July 7 (ANI): Middle-aged women in Britain like to read books about sex, according to a new survey.

In the poll involving 2000 women between 45 and 60, 35pct said that romantic fiction was the most popular genre.

Two-thirds said that they liked raunchy scenes in novels, and more than half described sex in books as “titillating”. further 10 per cent said that they actively chose books that had lots of sex scenes.

The survey commissioned by moisturiser brand Astral showed that 33 pct of the respondents liked crime and mystery novels, while other novels were 31 per cent.

Reference books were the least popular, of which cookbooks were favourites.

“This research shows that reading for pleasure is still an incredibly popular pastime for women,” the Telegraph quoted Dr. Trisha Macnair, a spokeswoman for Astral, as saying.

“It’s great to see most people read at least a book a month, with some getting through two or three books a week.

“However, I am surprised to see just how many women liked sex scenes in books, with most telling us that there was a strong titillation factor,” she added.

Top 10 books women would take to a desert island, according to the survey:

1 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding (20 per cent)

2 Atonement – Ian McEwan (14 per cent)

3 Harry Potter (any book) – J K Rowling (13 per cent)

4 The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger (9 per cent)

5 Murder on the Orient Express – Agatha Christie (8 per cent)

6 The Other Boleyn Girl – Philippa Gregory (8 per cent)

7 The Life of Pi – Yann Martel (7 per cent)

8 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks (7 per cent)

9 Notes on a Scandal – Zoe Heller (7 per cent)

10 Memories of a Geisha – Arthur Golden (6 per cent) (ANI)

Bradley Cooper spotted enjoying ‘romantic date’ with Renee Zellwegger

New York, July 02(ANI): Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Aniston’s link-up rumours came to end after the actor was spotted on a romantic date with another Hollywood beauty, Renee Zellwegger.

The ‘Hangover’ actor and Zellwegger enjoyed a dinner at the Italian restaurant Antonucci.

Apparently, The ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’ star found Cooper extremely funny and sweet.

When a restaurant patron told the actress she had a cute date, she giggled, “He’s sweet, really sweet,” the New York Daily News reports.

Both stars also tried to make sure that their conversations were not overheard and avoided the paparazzi by leaving the restaurant separately.

The actress was overheard saying, “Do you mind if I go first? I’ll see you in a little bit.” (ANI)

Sree nominates Noirin for eviction from Big Brother House

London, Jul 1 (ANI): As contenders in reality television show ‘Big Brother’ fight to stay on and not get evicted, Sree went into the Diary Room and nominated Irish beauty Noirin to be evicted.

Sree had been sucking up to Noirin at every opportunity, and even praised about her to Big Brother.

“I lover her, I do fancy her, I want to be with her,” the Sun quoted him as saying.

“More than anyone in this BB house she is the lady who attracts me through her internal beauty.

“But she’s the first woman shouted at me in my whole life,” he said.

The sneaky student was himself nominated by Noirin for eviction.

“I think he did fancy me at the start, but now I think he’s using me as a weapon,” she told BB.

“I’ve had friends like that before – they’re like fr-enemies,” she added.

With five nominations, Sree is up for eviction, along with Freddie – the bookies’ favourite to win the entire show – who was nominated seven times. (ANI)

‘Angry’ Kate Moss ‘drowns boyfriend’s new songs in swimming pool’

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London, June 22 (ANI): Kate Moss reportedly hurled her rocker boyfriend Jamie Hince’s laptop, which contained new songs of his band The Kills, into the swimming pool during a spat./pp
The couple were said to have been spending a romantic weekend together when the fight took place. /pp
The supermodel allegedly ended up throwing Jamie’s manbag into the pool, leaving him to leap into the water in a vain attempt to recover his non backed up tunes./pp
Kate and Jamie were having a romantic weekend in her countryside pad when things spiralled out of control, the Mirror quoted a source as saying. /pp
They started bickering out of nowhere and the row quickly escalated. She stalked off outside and, before he had a chance to react, Kate grabbed his bag and hurled it into the pool. Unfortunately it contained his laptop, BlackBerry and personal diary./pp
Jamie was speechless. He waded into the water to fish the bag out, and tried to resuscitate the laptop – removing the hard drive and shoving it into an airing cupboard./pp
He whacked the BlackBerry under the hairdryer and left his diary out to dry over a radiator, the source added./pp
The source continued: Jamie was absolutely livid and kept yelling, ‘Why would you do such a f*****g stupid thing?! You’re acting like a fishwife!’/pp
But apparently the pair made up after the row, for the source added: After much grovelling from Kate, they kissed and made up – and even saw the funny side of it. Kate’s buying him a new computer. (ANI)/p

1 litre of milk can generate 1 kg of CO2

Washington, May 29 (ANI): In a new research, scientists have determined that each litre of milk produced in New Zealand can generate nearly 1kg of greenhouse gases – about 85 percent of it on-farm.

According to a report in NZPA (New Zealand Press Association), each litre of milk produced causes the emission of greenhouse gases equivalent to 940g of carbon dioxide, meaning New Zealand’s leading diary Fonterra’s 15 billion litres of milk would produce nearly 15 million tonnes of carbon.

On the farm, 59 percent of those emissions are methane, 17 percent are carbon dioxide, and 24 percent are nitrous oxide.

Processing and manufacturing accounts for 10 percent of total emissions, and distribution accounts for 5 percent of total emissions.

Specific products that are concentrated, such as the iron-binding protein called lactoferrin which sells for 500,000 dollars a tonne, can require up to 14,000kg of milk to make a single kilo f lactoferrin and will have a huge carbon footprint. (ANI)

Packed diary makes Simon Cowell feel trapped

London, May 26 (ANI): Media mogul Simon Cowell has said that his hectic work agenda makes him feel trapped.

Cowell revealed that the agenda makes him feel hollow, as his every move is planned beforehand.

The American Idol judge has very little free time as he jets across the Atlantic to film the series while juggling his work on U.K. talent contests the X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent.

“The last time I felt that way was when I looked at my diary and realised I had the next 18 months planned. I could tell you where I was going to be every day – which city, what time and almost what I was going to eat. That really depressed me. I thought, ‘You can’t escape from this,” The Daily Star quoted Cowell, as saying.

“You can’t think, ‘I want to take the next two months off to clear my head,” Cowell added. (ANI)

Ruskin Bond celebrates his 75th birthday

Mussoorie, May 20 (ANI): Ruskin Bond, a stalwart of children’s literature, celebrated his 75th birthday with children here on Tuesday.

The famed writer who wrote more than hundred short stories, essays, novels in his writing career of forty years, chose a bookstore to celebrate his platinum birthday.

School children from various schools have presented Bond with flower bouquet and many other gifts. In return, Bond blessed them with autographs.

School children were delighted on being a part of the birthday function of Bond, who has written more than thirty books for children.

“We felt very nice. We have gathered here to celebrate Ruskin Sir’s birthday,” said Himani, a student.

On the occasion, Bond also revealed about his upcoming book.

“I am writing “Diary of the School Master”. Its is a funny book, ” said Bond, whose stories are predominantly set in Garhwal.

Born in 1934, Bond is known for writing simple, calm, humourous and satirical stuff.

His most famous books include “A Flight of Pigeons”, “Delhi Is Not Far” and “Vagrants in the Valley”.

Whereas his acclaimed short stories collection include “Time Stops at Shamli”, “Night Train at Deoli” and “Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra”.

Besides this, Bond has also edited two anthologies, “The Penguin Book of Indian Ghost Stories”, and “The Penguin Book of Indian Railway Stories”.

Bond was awarded the Padma Shri in 1999 for his contribution to children’s literature. (ANI)

Eminem still hoping lost Spears notebook shows up

Washington, May 18 (ANI): American rapper Eminem has revealed that he is still looking for his lost Britney Spears notebook, as it contains a collection of lyrics and song ideas that he had penned down.

Eminem, 36, had written some of the best rhymes in the Spears fan journal for what was to become The Marshall Mathers Album, but he lost it before he had the chance to take it to the studio with him.

“It had five or six songs in it and I never got it back. (It had) all of my ideas. Some of them I remembered, but most of them were gone,” Contactmusic quoted him as saying.

The singer also revealed that fans and critics alike had been trying to dupe him into thinking that they had found the diary over the years.

“People were putting Britney Spears notebooks, like, with fake lyrics in it, and stuff like that, on the Internet, and whatever, but I never found it,” he added. (ANI)

Paris Hilton makes £7.5M a year

London, May 9 (ANI): Paris Hilton earns a whopping 7.5 million pounds in a year, it has been revealed.

The hotel heiress pocketed a whopping 15million pounds in 2006 and 2007 just from promotional work, reports the Mirror.

The socialite has also disclosed that she doesn’t keep a diary, and instead googles her name to see where she’s been and where she’s supposed to be.

The revelations came in line with Paris facing a lawsuit of 5.5 million pounds over claims that she failed to promote the DVD release of her 2006 movie ‘Pledge This!’

According to Miami firm Worldwide Entertainment Group, Hilton’s inaction directly led to the film turning out to be a financial flop.

However, her lawyers have said that she is the “busiest person on the planet”, and that’s why she doesn’t have a diary. (ANI)

Paris Hilton has never seen a phone bill in her entire life

London, May 8 (ANI): Hotel heiress Paris Hilton revealed that she had never seen a phone bill in her entire life during the pre-trial hearing for a court case in Miami, US.

The suit against her was filed by the makers of her flop 2006 film ‘Pledge This!’ who are seeking 5million pounds in damages, claiming that Paris failed to promote the film adequately.

Legal papers for the hearing describe her as the “single busiest person on the planet”, and reveal that she’s “never seen a phone bill in her entire life”.

According to reports, Paris drew a blank when she was questioned by lawyers about her mobile phone usage and calls from the producers.

“With my phone I never know, because I lose it all the time,” the Sun quoted her as saying.

“I’ve never seen a phone bill of mine in my life,” she added.

Asked who received her bills, Paris replied: “Does it say? I don’t know. I’m assuming, like, whoever pays my bills. I just feel bad. This is my first time looking at a phone bill.”

Paris was later asked whether she had any diary with her past business meetings and appearances, upon which she said that she used the Internet to see where in the world she had been.

“I don’t know. I’ll just look around, just press my name and Google it and see,” she said.

Upon being asked about her responsibilities as the film’s executive producer, Paris said: “I’m not sure what a producer does, but – I don’t know, help get cool people in the cast.”

She denied any wrongdoing, and claimed she promoted the film at every opportunity. (ANI)