Ramesh Bhatkar accused in Rape Charges

A leading Marathi actor, Congressman and four others were booked by the Wanowrie police. They have allegedly been named in the rape of a 17-year-old girl.ccording to the Pune police, with whom the girl's mother lodged a complaint Tuesday night, Naidu lured the girl by promising her a break in the movies and raped her at his farmhouse last March. She was taken, it was alleged, to Bhatkar's residence in Kothrud area of Pune in August, where the actor solicited sexual favours.

The girl was let off from the flat after she raised an alarm, the complaint said. Ramesh Bhatkar has been booked under IPC 354, police added.

Wanna Stop Smoking - Here are a few tips to help U Quit

Here a few tips that might Help you to Quit Smoking

• Make a list. Write down why you want to stop smoking.
• Pick a good time to quit. Avoid times when you will be under a lot of stress, especially holidays.
• Throw out all cigarettes, ashtrays and lighters from your home and car.
• Consider changing your daily routine. For example, take a different route to work or school.
• Drink lots of water, eat a balanced diet and get plenty of sleep and avoid alcohol.
• Get support. Tell family, friends and coworkers that you are going to quit. Ask that they not smoke around you or
• leave cigarettes out where you can see them. Maybe even get one of them to quit with you.
• Be aware that you may not quit on the first try. Most smokers need a few practice runs to quit for good. Be patient,........but persistent.
• Be prepared for difficult situations and side effects. Some may experience depression, irritability and headaches.
• Talk with your health care provider. Consider getting help by attending cessation classes and using medications.
• Keep busy! Exercise every day, even if it’s just going for a walk. Make a list of what you are going to do instead of smoke. Do something you enjoy!
  

Some Good Articles on the Net on Tips to Quit Smoking

12 Ways To Quit Smoking- Health- >>
Today renew your pledge to quit smoking...If you have tried to quit smoking and failed before, take comfort in the fact that most smokers fail several times ...>> Indiatimes

Quit Smoking - How to stop smoking
The health benefits when you quit smoking are immediate and substantial. Almost immediately, a person's circulation begins to improve and the level >> Vibranthealthnow.com

Don (Telugu) Movie Review

Oniondosa Reports : Below average,not a film expected from Nagarjuna. Story,screenplay,choreography,music,direction,acting chesina Lawrence majority of the departments lo fail ayyadu.Story is routine.Screenplay is predictable.Style undhi kani substance takkuva.Quantity undhi kani quality ledhu. Asalu comedy ledhu,okka comedian kuda e cinema lo kanipinchadu.

"Don lives up to its expectations. The hard work of the hero, director and the heroine and the entire crew has paid off. This Don is different from expectations and has some refreshing story twists and taking.

On the whole this is a neat and full family entertainer which can be watched with the entire family except for two scenes where Anushka is Sexplosive." >> TeluguPoint

Well, it does come with a glossy package, but the content unfortunately is surely to disappoint even Nagarjuna’s hardcore fans. However, Nagarjuna still makes his fashion statement by wearing pristine white chikan kurta pyjamas. But we would vote for the golden paisley patch on his jeans in Mudde pettu song to be the most copied style, this clubbing season! >> IndiaGlitz

Deepika Padukone and Yuvraj Singh

The heat is on between Deepika and Yuvi! reports HTTabloid - Exerpts:

Now, it can be confirmed . Deepika Padukone and Yuvraj Singh are happening BIG-time. Dhoni and Ranbir are out of the race. Yuvi threw his 26th birthday bash on Wednesday at the Enigma disco in Marriott. Deepika and Yuvraj were stuck like Siamese twins. And when it came to cutting the birthday cake.. Deepika was still glued to our cricketer.

Yuvi fed the first piece of cake to her. Then she fed the first piece of the cake to him. Seems, nothing remains to be disclosed now....


Meanwhile in another news Timesnow.tv reports "Actress Deepika Padukone on Thursday denied the rumours of engagement with Yuvraj Singh, the cricketing hero and a left-handed batsman in the Indian cricket team at an event in Delhi.

While the entire film and cricketing world has been busy speculating the man in tinsel town’s newest queen Deepika Padukone's life, the lady has gone out and clearly stated her single status.

Sania Mirza's Ad. in Mosque evokes protest

Hyderabad, Dec 11 The shooting of a commercial advertisement featuring tennis star Sania Mirza at the historic Mecca Masjid here has sparked a row with the minorities welfare department seeking a report from the mosque officials.

The ad was shot Monday without the permission of the department, which is responsible for the upkeep of the 17th century mosque. The shooting also evoked protest from the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), a powerful Muslim political party in the Muslim-majority old city.

MIM and some locals objected to the shooting and Sania Mirza's participation in it.

The advertisers had informed the police about the shooting and Sania's arrival but did not bother to take permission from the minorities welfare department. The police reportedly used mild force twice to disperse locals objecting to the shooting.

The mosque employees said the attitude of some of the members of shooting unit was also objectionable. They were reportedly wearing shoes when they entered the mosque and pushed away a mosque watchman who tried to stop them.

Sheikh Karmeeullah, the district minority welfare officer, Hyderabad, has sought a report from the superintendent and manager of the mosque on the incident.

Khaja Nayeemuddin, superintendent of the mosque, said he had no information about the film shooting. The two-hour shooting was over before the mosque custodians could reach the spot.

The mosque officials pointed out that the shooting of films and commercials was not permitted in the mosque premises.

MIM has protested to the minorities welfare department. "This is an attack on the sanctity of the mosque and it has hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims," said MIM legislator from Charminar Ahmed Pasha Khadri.

He said while Sania was free to act in any commercial, the mosque could not be used for such activities.

The mosque, located in the heart of the city, is a major tourist centre. Tight security is in place at the mosque since the May 18 bomb blast that killed nine people. Muslims constitute 40 percent of the city's seven million population.

Kingfisher Calendar 2008 is out

MUMBAI: The Sixth edition of the award winning 'Kingfisher Swimsuit Special' (2008) was unveiled by Bollywood actor John Abraham along with UB Ltd Chairman Dr Vijay Mallya amidst a host of celebrities from the world of fashion, business and celluloid here on Sunday. Shot by ace photographer Atul Kasbekar, the calendar features seven models.

This year's swimsuit special has some of the finest and most luxurious brands in the world including La Perla swimwear from their special 'India inspired line', shoes by Jimmy Choo, sunglasses by Roberto Cavalli, watches by Watches of Switzerland and accessories by Christian Dior.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Mallya said this year's calendar has been shot against splendid landscapes in India. With locales ranging from mysterious land of Ladakh to the emerald isles of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, from the magnificient palaces of Udaipur to the sandy beaches of Goa, the calendar 0encapsulates the ethereal Indian beauty.>> More

Fried food may increase cancer risk in women

London, Dec 4 Consumption of fried, grilled or roasted food may double the chances of women getting cancer, a study by Dutch researchers has found.

The study found that women who ate more acrylamide - a chemical produced when the food if fried, grilled or roasted - appeared to be more at risk of cancer, reports the online edition of BBC News.

The experts added that other factors could also be to blame but advised people to avoid overcooking when baking, frying or toasting carbohydrate-rich foods.

The scientists said those who ate 40 micrograms of acrylamide a day - equivalent to half a pack of biscuits, a portion of chips, or a single packet of crisps - were twice as likely to fall prey to cancer as compared with those who ate much less acrylamide. source IANS

One Laptop per Child date extended upto Dec. 31

One Laptop per Child Give One Get One Program extended to Dec. 31

One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing every child in the world access to new channels of learning, sharing and self-expression, is extending its recently launched Give One Get One program beyond the initial two-week limited time offer through December 31, 2007, in the USA and Canada. The extended period gives people more time to participate in this unique giving program and support the mission of One Laptop per Child.

On November 12, OLPC launched the Give One Get One program for individuals in the USA and Canada to support the OLPC Foundation by paying US$399 for two XO children’s laptops – the buyer gets one laptop and the other is given to a child in the developing world. The donated laptops will go to children in such countries as Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti, Mongolia and Rwanda.

“In the past 10 days, we’ve experienced an outpouring of support from the public that is truly gratifying and encouraging,” said Nicholas Negroponte, founder and chairman of One Laptop per Child. “Because so many people have asked for more time to participate either individually or in order to organize local and national groups to which they belong, we have decided to extend Give One Get One through the end of this year. During this extended period we will solicit input and transition to a program of giving only at the beginning of 2008. We want as many people as possible to have the opportunity to act upon the giving spirit of the holiday season.”

$200 of the Give One Get One contribution is tax deductible as a charitable donation. Give One Get One donors also get access to one year of complimentary T-Mobile HotSpot Wi-Fi access, which is available at more than 8,500 locations throughout the United States.

In addition, XO laptops can be purchased for educational purposes and in quantities of 100-999 at $299 each, 1000-9999 at $249 each, and 10,000 and up at $199 each.

To date, donations to the Give One Get One program have averaged US$2 million per day.

To learn more and participate in the Give One Get One program, go now to http://www.laptopgiving.org or call 1-877-70-LAPTOP (1-877-705-2786).

About One Laptop per Child

One Laptop per Child (OLPC at http://www.laptop.org) is a non-profit organization created by Nicholas Negroponte and others from the MIT Media Lab to design, manufacture and distribute laptop computers that are sufficiently inexpensive to provide every child in the world access to knowledge and modern forms of education. The XO laptops are rugged, open source, and so energy efficient that they can be powered by a child manually. Mesh networking will give many machines Internet access from one connection. The pricing goal is $100.

Source : PR-USA.net

One Laptop per Child - Recent Head Lines

Orders to One Laptop surge (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Despite slower-than-expected sales and tough competition from commercial rivals, the One Laptop Per Child Foundation is enjoying a surge of new orders.

Nigerian keyboard firm sues One Laptop per Child (The Register)
No hugs and kisses for XO Laptop The One Laptop Per Child foundation is being sued over its XO laptop keyboard design by the Nigerian-owned, Massachusetts-based firm, Lagos Analysis Corp.…


One Laptop Per Child facing Patent Lawsuit (Addict 3D)
One Laptop Per Child facing Patent LawsuitOne Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Association has been sued by a company based in Massachusetts which is claiming that their Laptop is infringing on their patented technology.Lagos Analysis Corp.

One Laptop Per Child orders surge (Boston Globe)
Despite slower-than-expected sales and tough competition from commercial rivals, the One Laptop Per Child Foundation of Cambridge is enjoying a surge of new orders.

BCCI's IPL creates furor in Cricket Australia

AUSTRALIAN cricket is on the verge of the game's biggest split since Kerry Packer launched World Series Cricket 30 years ago.

Cricket Australia (CA) has responded angrily to 11 of the nation's top players - including captain Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee and Adam Gilchrist - signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to play in the Indian Premier League's Twenty20 tournament in April and May. A letter signed by chief executive James Sutherland warned the players that he will not grant consent for them to play in the ICC-sanctioned competition. He also claims that they signed the agreement without consulting their employer, Cricket Australia. >>> Read Complete news

In another news by Sydney Morning Herald, Adam Gilchrist insists Australia's cricketers are not trying to be "rebels" and will toe the company line when it comes to playing in the Indian Premier League.

The Test vice-captain confirmed today he was one of about a dozen top-level players to receive a letter from Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland warning them against playing in next year's lucrative IPL Twenty20 tournament without CA's consent.

Gilchrist denied he or any other player was trying to bend the rules of their CA contract by signing a memorandum of understanding with the IPL, and insisted any such tournament would always come second to playing international cricket. Read complete news

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Jessica Sierra arrested - Jailed again

Former "American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra was arrested in Tampa today after a drunken confrontation with police and onlookers.

Recent Head lines on "Jessica Sierra"

Detienen a Jessica Sierra, ex finalista de American Idol (El Paso Times) TAMPA, Florida, EE.UU.—Jessica Sierra, ex finalista del programa televisivo de concurso American Idol, fue encarcelada el sábado en la mañana después de enfrentarse ebria con policías y peatones, dijeron las autoridades.

Not Celebrity Relapse? Sin... (Akron Beacon Journal) Not Celebrity Relapse? Singer Jessica Sierra, who was one of the finalists on American Idol the year that Carrie Underwood won, is among the participants in Celebrity Rehab, a VH1 show depicting various semi-stars undergoing detox and treatment.

Former Idol finalist jailed after dispute with police (Sun-Sentinel) Former American Idol finalist Jessica Sierra was jailed early Saturday and held without bond after a drunken confrontation with police and onlookers, Tampa police reported.

Former American Idol finalist Jessica Sierra jailed in Tampa, Fla. (Canadian Press via Yahoo! News) TAMPA, Fla. - Former "American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra was jailed early Saturday after a drunken confrontation with police and onlookers, authorities said.

TAMPA, Fla. - Former "American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra was jailed early Saturday after a drunken confrontation ... (WIBW-TV Topeka) The arrest comes less than two weeks after she pleaded no contest to charges of battery and possession of cocaine. Sierra, 22, was charged Saturday with disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest and violating conditions of her parole on earlier felony battery and possession charges.

Former American Idol finalist Jessica Sierra jailed (WINK TV Southwest Florida) 'American Idol' Finalist Jessica Sierra Jailed Again (Gay Wired) By L. A. Vess Former top-10 American Idol finalist Jessica Sierra is back in jail again this weekend after another run in with police. The 22-year-old was arrested on Saturday on charges of disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest and violating her parole.