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Holly Madison attends a keg tapping at Hofbrauhaus for Oktoberfest.

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Apple 'genius' Steve Jobs dies from cancer

SAN FRANCISCO: Apple's visionary co-founder Steve Jobs died from cancer Wednesday at 56, a premature end for a man who revolutionized modern culture with ubiquitous inventions like the iPod and the iPad.

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today," the California-based gadgetmaker said in a statement from its board of directors.

"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve."

Tim Cook -- who had been handling Apple's day-to-day operations since Jobs went on medical leave in January, and was made CEO in August -- led the praise for the Silicon Valley legend.

"Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor," he said.

"Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

Apple turned its home page into a tribute to Jobs, posting a large black-and-white photo of the bearded high-tech maestro in his trademark black turtleneck and small round glasses. The only caption: "Steve Jobs, 1955-2011."

When a user clicks on the photo, they are taken to Cook's message in remembrance of Jobs, who died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Apple fans were invited to share their thoughts, memories and condolences by sending messages to rememberingsteve@apple.com. The rest of the website and store remained accessible.

Jobs' family also issued a statement, saying he had died surrounded by his relatives.

"In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family," it said.

"We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve's illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories."

Born on February 24, 1955 in San Francisco to a single mother and adopted by a couple in nearby Mountain View at barely a week old, Jobs grew up among the orchards that would one day become the technology hub known as Silicon Valley.

He was just 21 and Steve Wozniak 26 when they founded Apple Computer in the garage of Jobs's family home in 1976.

Under Jobs, the company introduced its first Apple computers and then the Macintosh, which became wildly popular in the 1980s.

Jobs was elevated to idol status by ranks of Macintosh computer devotees, many of whom saw themselves as a sort of rebel alliance opposing the powerful empire Microsoft built with its ubiquitous Windows operating systems.

Jobs left Apple in 1985 after an internal power struggle and started NeXT Computer company specializing in sophisticated workstations for businesses.

He co-founded Academy-Award-winning Pixar in 1986 from a former Lucasfilm computer graphics unit that he bought from movie industry titan George Lucas.

Apple's luster faded after Jobs left the company, but they reconciled in 1996 with Apple buying NeXT for $429 million and Jobs ascending once again to the Apple throne.

Apple went from strength to strength as Jobs revamped the Macintosh line, revolutionizing modern culture and launching a "post-PC era" in which personal computers give way to smart mobile gadgets -- the iPod, iPhone and the iPad.

His passing will raise doubts over whether the Cupertino, California-based company can continue its dominance in the hugely competitive technology sector.

Jobs is survived by his wife Laurene, with whom he had three children. He also had a daughter with a woman he dated prior to marrying. (AFP)

MQM back in govt

KARACHI: For the umpteenth time, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement has rejoined the federal and provincial governments and decided to help the Pakistan People’s Party solve the many problems that ail the country.

At a joint press conference with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad announced on Wednesday night that Muttahida ministers would resume their responsibilities.

He added that the chief minister would decide portfolios for MQM ministers.

The MQM left the coalition on June 27 in protest against the postponement of elections on two seats of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

Most of the portfolios held by 14 MQM ministers in the provincial cabinet before June 27 were subsequently allocated to other MPAs. The MQM also had one adviser to the chief minister.

However, in the federal cabinet, the three ministerial positions held by as many Muttahida MNAs were not handed over to others.

The press conference was preceded by 90-minute negotiations where the finishing touches were put to the agreement — unexplained, like previous deals — between the PPP and the MQM.

President Asif Ali Zardari, MQM supremo Altaf Hussain and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani were consulted by the governor.

Standing around the chief minister and the governor were Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Shah, Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wasan and Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani of the PPP and Dr Farooq Sattar, Dr Sagheer Ahmad, Adil Siddiqui and Waseem Aftab of the MQM.

Governor Ibad said that Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik — whom he praised along with Babar Awan for his peacemaking role — was supposed to attend the press conference, but could not do so on account of some other engagement.

He said the president — whose Aug 19 remarks on challenges facing Pakistan were alluded to — and the prime minister remained in contact with the MQM chief, who decided in the national interest to help the government face the challenges.

Without explaining why, Governor Ibad said the decision to rejoin the ruling coalition was a difficult one for the MQM. Read more

Miranda Kerr Pulls Mom Duty Between Runway Shows at Paris Fashion Week

Miranda Kerr has been hard at work, walking runway after runway at Paris Fashion Week. But the Victoria's Secret Angel and new mother still has to make time for mom duties between shows.

Kerr and husband Orlando Bloom welcomed Flynn Christopher back in January, and she told People that backstage at those glamorous runway shows she has to pump breast milk for her growing boy. “I’m still breastfeeding so I have to express milk and send it back to him, and then try and see him on my breaks,” Kerr, who walked for Chanel on Tuesday, said.

Kerr walked for Stella McCartney on Monday, and it helps that McCartney, with an infant daughter of her own, can relate. Read more at zimbio

Kirsten Dunst recalls Von Trier ‘meltdown’

Cover) - EN Movies - Kirsten Dunst has blasted her Melancholia co-stars for not helping when Lars Von Trier had a “meltdown” at the Cannes International Film Festival.

The Danish director became a “persona non grata” at the event after he called himself a Nazi and said he “sympathised” with Hitler while there in May.

The comments came during a press conference for his movie Melancholia, which Kirsten stars in.

She was sitting alongside him during the incident and was amazed that the movie’s other stars didn’t step in sooner to help Lars.

“Well yeah, you could see my face. I was choking, because I'm watching a friend having a meltdown. And what he's saying is horrendous in a roomful of press. He was asked an inappropriate question [about his family] and his response was to make a joke about it. But no one laughed and he just kept unravelling,” she told British newspaper The Guardian.

“That's what I don't understand. There were a lot of us sitting there. There was Stellan [Skarsgard], John [Hurt], Charlotte [Gainsbourg]. And no one said something. No one wanted to help. I was the only one to lean in to Lars and get him to stop. And, of course, I'm the one person that people would love to rope into that situation. They'd love to mess with me.”

Paul Bettany appeared in Lars’ 2003 movie Dogville, and has openly admitted he didn’t enjoy the experience. He implied Lars doesn’t let actors getting fully involved with the process of shooting, but Kirsten had no problem with the director.

“I've felt like a puppet on films before and have been really frustrated and angry. I mean, Lars might see himself as some master manipulator, but that's not how he comes across. I mean, most of the scenes were improvised and he doesn't even say much. How can that make me his puppet?" she asked.

© Cover Media

This Articel Orignaly Published at Film-News uk

Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum Among CMT's Artists of the Year

CMT has named Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley and Taylor Swift its Artists of the Year. The network will honor the performers in a 90-minute special, CMT Artists of the Year, on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 9 p.m.

The network ranked the artists by album sales, country radio airplay, concert sales gross, and user activity on CMT.com, including video plays, searches and artist page views. It then narrowed its list to the top performers across all categories.

According to CMT’s data over the past 12 months, the artists named have collectively received more than 2.7 million spins of their current songs; sold more than 9 million copies of their current albums; sold more than 20 million individual downloads of their current singles; and have attracted 10.2 million video streams, in addition to topping both the touring and CMT.com charts. Keep Reading at Hollywood Reporter

Stewart Confirms 'real-Life Romance With Pattinson Is Obvious'

Actress Kristen Stewart has finally confirmed her romance with Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson, insisting it's "so obvious" they are a couple off screen.

Stewart and British hunk Pattinson portray lovers in the hit vampire film franchise, and they have been romantically linked away from the cameras since the first Twilight film hit cinemas in 2008.

They have persistently dodged questions about their real-life relationship until now - Stewart accidentally let slip the news during a recent photoshoot for Britain's GQ magazine, when she was asked if she was planning to explore more of the U.K. while filming upcoming movie Snow White andThe Huntsman.

She replies, "(Yes), because my boyfriend is English".

Stewart and British hunk Pattinson portray lovers in the hit vampire film franchise, and they have been romantically linked away from the cameras since the first Twilight film hit cinemas in 2008

Stewart failed to realise she was due to be interviewed by a reporter for the publication the following day, and subsequently admitted, "I neverwould have said that if I knew you were interviewing me".

But the private star eventually let her guard down, conceding it's hardto keep her personal life private when both she and Pattinson are in thepublic eye.

She says, "So much of my life is so easily Googled. I mean, it's like, 'Come on guys, it (their relationship) is so obvious!'" Stewart claims they only kept the news quiet because they didn't want to blur the line between fantasy and reality for fans of the Twilight series. Read more at Female First uk

Girlfriend recalls 'coughing' as Jackson lay dying

LOS ANGELES: A cocktail waitress and friend of Michael Jackson's doctor Conrad Murray recounted Tuesday how she heard mumbling and coughing while on the phone to him at around the time the singer was dying.

Sade Anding testified that Murray called her at 11:51 am on June 25, 2009, when she was in Houston and he was at Jackson's rented mansion, trying to help the star get to sleep.

About five or six minutes into the conversation she realized that Murray was no longer answering, and the sound became muffled, as if the telephone was in a pocket.

"I said 'Hello, Hello,' and I didn't hear anything. I pressed the phone to my ear," she told the LA Superior Court. "I heard mumbling of voices and I heard coughing," she added.

She listened to the muffled noises for about three to four minutes before hanging up, she said, adding that she tried twice to call him back, but got no answer.

Murray is accused of involuntary manslaughter over the singer's death, allegedly by administering an overdose of the powerful sedative propofol while trying to help Jackson with his insomnia.

The trial has already heard from paramedics who arrived at Jackson's Holmby Hills mansion at 12:26 pm after receiving a 911 call at 12:21 pm - about 20 minutes after the mysteriously-ended phone call with Anding. (AFP)

Angelina Jolie to take on new UN refugee role

GENEVA: Angelina Jolie will be taking on a new role in the world's most acute refugee crises, the American actress and United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said on Tuesday.

UNHCR sources told Reuters they expected her to be named Special Representative on the Afghan refugee situation, to help resolve the fate of 2.7 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran. But a representative for the actress said there was no final agreement.

Jolie, who has served for 10 years as goodwill ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and donated $5 million to its aid operations, declined to be specific, telling reporters: "We are looking at a few countries in the world.

"We're hoping to discuss it in the next few weeks but we want to research it properly and do it well," she said after addressing a meeting of UNHCR's Executive Committee in Geneva.

Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said Jolie would become "our special envoy mainly for the most dramatic refugee situations that require a lot of advocacy" and help mobilise strong international support.

"We will be asking you to do more and more in this regard," he said.

The UNHCR later issued a statement saying that her expanded role had not yet been finalised. "A number of countries are under consideration and discussions are ongoing with relevant authorities regarding Ms. Jolie's additional role," it said.

The US-based Endeavor Group, which represents Jolie, told Reuters: "There is no agreement. Nothing is final."

"VULNERABLE YET RESILIENT" REFUGEES

The Oscar-winning Jolie said refugees whom she had met during her 40 field missions for UNHCR in hotspots from Pakistan to Kenya were "among the most vulnerable and yet the most resilient people in the world".

"My personal experiences with UNHCR have been moving, sometimes heartbreaking, but always rewarding and unforgettable," she said.

Jolie, who makes her directorial debut with the Bosnian wartime romance film "In the Land of Blood and Honey", due to be released in December, has six children.

On recent UNHCR missions to Malta and Tunisia, she met families who had fled their native Somalia only to be uprooted again by fresh conflict in Libya, she said.

"I tried to imagine what it must have been like for a mother with children. To risk her life at sea trying to get to Europe from North Africa," she said, noting that some smugglers had been known to throw women and children overboard.

During a visit in March to the Afghan village of Qala Gadu, north of Kabul, where girls' schools and teachers remain targets of violence, a girl named Sahira pledged to complete her studies through to the age of 18 if the actress helped build a school.

"It's not hard to say yes, knowing that as an Afghan, her word is her bond. An education is her basic human right and she should not be denied it any longer. Sahira is the future of Afghanistan."

"After decades of displacement and many years of war, we are entering a defining moment for Afghanistan," Jolie added.

The Sept. 20 killing of Burhanuddin Rabbani, Kabul's chief peace negotiator, derailed efforts to forge dialogue with the Taliban to end the 10-year war and raised fears of a widening of Afghanistan's ethnic rifts.

Although millions of Afghans have returned home in the past decade, Pakistan and Iran still host 1.7 million and 1 million Afghan refugees, respectively, according to the agency.

Jolie made a surprise appearance on Monday night at the UNHCR's ceremony to honour a Yemeni aid group credited with rescuing thousands of Somali refugees who arrive in Yemen each year.

Miami-based Colombian pop icon Juanes performed his hits "It's Time to Change" and "Camisa Negra" (The Black Shirt). Norway's Sivert Hoyem, vocalist of the rock band Madrugada, sang "Prisoner of the Road", a ballad about fleeing violence. (Reuters)

World Snooker Championship shifted to India

KARACHI: International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF) World Snooker Championship schedule to be held in Mahnama (Bahrain) has been shifted to India.

According to statement of Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) issued on Tuesday the event was shifted to Indian city of Banglore from Bahrain, due to crisis in parts of the Middle East.

The IBSF however have slashed the events of Masters plus 40 and the women competition due to unavoidable circumstances.

Duration of the event has also been cut to 6-days and the event will be held from November 28 to December 3.

All member countries of the IBSF have been invited to participate including Pakistan. The last date of entries is set as November 10, 2011.

The IBSF Annual General Meeting will be held on December one, PBSA said.

This Articel Orignaly Published at The News pk

Swift Has Nightmares About Writer’s Block

Source: www.wenn.com

Amanda Seyfried: no more famous lovers

Amanda Seyfried claims only lesbians are immune to Justin Timberlake's charms.

The actress worked alongside the star for new movie In Time. She formed a close bond with Timberlake on the set of the movie, and understands why he has so many admirers.

While Seyfried has a great deal of respect for the singer-and-actor, she admits she doesn't envy his celebrity status.
"Oh, only a lesbian or a straight man could resist the Trousersnake," Seyfried joked in an interview with the British edition of Glamour.

"Justin really is unique, but he has a difficult life. I mean, he can't walk down the street anymore and that's such a shame because freedom is everything."

The 25-year-old is no stranger to the limelight herself.

She has had high-profile romances with Dominic Cooper and Ryan Phillippe. Seyfried has confessed she struggled with the attention that came with dating the hunky ex-husband of Reese Witherspoon.

"Dominic and I were together for such a long time so the coverage was always positive, but when you've just started seeing someone and that person is really famous, it is more of a story," she explained.

"When I was with Ryan, people followed me so much more, and that's probably one of the reasons that I'm not looking to date someone who's famous now."

Read more on Smh

Men find brown-haired, blue-eyed woman most attractive

The popular saying, "gentlemen prefer blondes", no longer holds weight, as a new study has found that they, in fact, overwhelmingly opt for brunettes.

Social network site Badoo polled 2,000 men to find out the features they find most attractive in the opposite sex.

Far from men finding blondes the most sexually attractive, the study found that more than 60 percent said they preferred raven-haired beauties to their blonde counterparts.

A third of all those polled said they find brown hair the most attractive, while 28.6 percent said they liked black - making up a total of 59.7 percent over all preferring dark-haired girls.

Those gentlemen who indeed do prefer blondes made up just 29.5 percent of the vote, while redheads came in as the least popular, with just 8.8 percent of men voting for them.

The study also found that men do not prefer women with a model-like physique.

Actually, the largest majority looked for an "average" dress size of 12 to 14 in their perfect woman, with only 10 percent looking for a size 6 to 8.

When it comes to eye colour though, a massive 40.2 percent of men prefer blue eyes to any other colour.

"I was amazed that blonde hair and size 8 did not top the list," the Daily Mail quoted Lloyd Price, from Badoo, as saying.

"Magazines are full of skinny blonde models, so it is nice to see that in reality guys prefer the girl next door look," he added.

Source: Mid-day

Olivia Wilde Is Now Legally Single

The world has been graced with yet another beautiful single lady, now that Olivia Wilde's divorce is all done and settled.
E! News confirms that a Los Angeles County judge has signed off on her final divorce judgment from her marriage to Italian prince Tao Ruspoli.

Wilde filed for divorce from the Los Angeles-based documentary filmmaker and flamenco guitarist on March 3, 2011, citing irreconcilable differences. According to her petition, the couple had been married for eight years and separated on Jan. 1, 2011. Read more on Eonline

Pitt Realised Drop in U.s. Popularity After Death Threat

Brad Pitt found out about America's plunge in popularity during a trip toAmsterdam, when he was threatened by drunk locals after they heard his U.S. accent.

The Hollywood hunk was in Holland filming Ocean's Twelve in 2004, when his homeland was being led by President George W.

Bush and was fighting two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

But the perception of America had changed

And Pitt reveals he was stunned and scared to find how negatively many other nationalities had come to view Americans during a late-night bike ride in Amsterdam.

He tells Total Film, "I remember when we were filming Ocean's Twelve inAmsterdam and it was strange to me because, you know, we're used to being American and people wanted to come here for the opportunities. But the perception of America had changed. "I get a bike wherever I go and I was on this pedal bike, riding around.

I had left the guys and was going for a midnight bike ride around Amsterdam and there were some guys coming out of a bar.

They were trashed, having a good time. Read more at Female First uk

Paris launches electric car-sharing scheme

Paris is launching its first car-sharing project as it aims to clear its traffic-clogged boulevards.

The backers hope the scheme will be a major boost for electric vehicles.

The Autolib system is intended to build on the success of the Velib bicycle-rental service, similar to that operating in many European cities.

A two-month pilot project will allow motorists to hire the battery-powered Bluecar for 30 minutes at a cost of four to eight euros.

Membership of the Autolib scheme will cost from 10 euros a day up to 144 euros a year.

The cars are being provided by entrepreneur Vincent Bollore and manufactured by the Italian designer Pininfarina, famous for sculpting Ferraris and Maseratis.

They will have a range of up to 250 km before a recharge, which will take about four hours. Read mroe at BBC

Pakistan players face 'spot-fixing' trial

LONDON: Three Pakistan Test players go on trial in London on Tuesday charged with spot-fixing during a match against England last year, allegations which rocked the world of cricket.

Former captain Salman Butt, prodigal talent Mohammad Aamer and star bowler Mohammad Asif are due to appear at Southwark Crown Court charged with conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat.

The players' agent Mazhar Majeed will go on trial alongside them charged with the same offences, which carry maximum sentences of seven years and two years in prison respectively.

The charges relate to allegations of deliberately bowling no-balls during England's fourth Test against Pakistan at Lord's in London in August 2010.

The allegations were made by the Rupert Murdoch-owned News of the World tabloid, which was closed down in July this year when it became engulfed in the phone hacking scandal.

At the time of the alleged offences, Butt, 26, was captain of Pakistan's Test side and had won plaudits for his leadership.

Asif, 28, was the team's senior pace bowler, while teenage left-arm swing bowler Aamer, 19, was regarded as one of the hottest properties in world cricket.

Majeed, from south London, is a sports agent with a history of working with Pakistan players.

Detectives raided the Pakistan team hotel in London as part of their investigations following the News of the World story.

The cricketers were outside Britain when summons were issued and they returned voluntarily.

A separate and independent International Cricket Council anti-corruption tribunal, sitting in Doha in February, banned the three players for a minimum of five years each.

Butt was banned for 10 years, with five suspended. Asif was banned for seven years, two of which were suspended, with Aamer handed a five-year penalty.

All three have filed appeals against their bans at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.

This Articel Orignaly Published at AFP, The News Pk

Pakistan doing more than its share, says Khar

WASHINGTON: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said in an interview aired on Sunday that Pakistan was doing more than its share in fighting the Frankenstein of terror created jointly by many world powers, including the United States.

She argued that instead of casting aspersions on Pakistan, its US-led allies should do their share of the burden in the common struggle. She cautioned against alienating the Pakistani people with “incorrect, biased” statements against her country, which has done the most and suffered the most in the common struggle against terrorists operating in the Afghan border region. She also called for more engagement and not disengagement between counterterror partners, the US and Pakistan. “This Frankenstein was not created by Pakistan,” she pushed back at the claim that it was Pakistan which produced terrorists. “This Frankenstein was financed and assisted by many world powers including that of the US,” she said appearing in CNN’s GPS programme.


Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2011.

Kapil blasts Tendulkar's 100th ton hype

NEW DELHI: Former India great Kapil Dev has slammed the media's obsession with Sachin Tendulkar achieving 100 international centuries, saying the focus should be on the team's performances.

During India's recent tour of England, speculation reached fever pitch about Tendulkar reaching the landmark figure.

But the star failed to fulfil his fans' hopes and was left stranded on 99 hundreds -- 51 in Tests and 48 in one-day internationals.

India were blanked 4-0 in the Test series, conceding their number-one ranking to the hosts, and also lost the one-dayers 3-0.

"You seem more keen about Sachin's 99 hundreds and not about how we are going to win the next series," Kapil said while delivering the Dilip Sardesai lecture in memory of the former Test batsman in Mumbai on Thursday.

"I am not saying don't give credit to individual performances, but the country should come first.

"Everyone knows Sachin has 99 centuries, but how many know which of those have ended in victories? Out of Sachin's 99 hundreds, 60 have ended in wins. If anyone reports that I'll be happy.

"We have to change our mindset. If we lose the match, what's the use of statistics? To hell with that!"

Kapil, 52, regarded as one of the best all-rounders of his era, claimed a then-world record 434 Test wickets, besides taking 253 one-day wickets, before quitting the game in 1994.

He also scored 5,248 runs in Tests and 3,783 in one-dayers.

Kapil, who became India's first World Cup-winning captain in 1983, also blamed tight scheduling for the team's disastrous show in England.

The Indian players figured in the lucrative Twenty20 Indian Premier League (IPL) a few days after winning the World Cup in April before leaving for the West Indies and England tours.

"The players did not get time to unwind and enjoy their World Cup victory. They had worked four years for it. But they just got four days before the IPL began," Kapil said.

"They should have got more time to enjoy the moment. If you don't give time to unwind, you lose the passion to play. That's what happened in England."

Kapil also wanted players to be paid more for representing the country than their IPL franchises.

"How can you give more money to play for a club and not for playing for the country?" he said.

Kapil, who played 131 Tests and 225 one-dayers over a 16-year career, wanted the burden on seamers to be reduced in order to avoid injuries, like the ones to current spearheads Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel.

"The cricket board should understand how much burden the fast bowlers can take," he said. "They can't bowl for 365 days." (The News Pk)