Wajid Doess Not Want To Appear Before Abbottabad Commission

Seeing the fate of Haqqani Wajid Shams Ul Hassan fears to come to Pakistan. He is High Commmissioner of Pakistan, he must feel his responsibilities as Pakistani. If he is so sick that he can not travel to Pakistan , then how is he discharging his duties efficiently?. He must resign then. All the missions of Pakistan outside are just enjoying life getting salaries in foreign currencies and doing nothing for Pakistan and the nation. All of them need to be changed and newly honest diplomats be appointed, who can make soft image of Pakistan in the foreign countries.
Pakistan's High Commissioner in UK Wajid Shamsul Hassan has said that he could not come to Pakistan due to his worsening health so he would not be able to present himself before Abbottabad Commission.
In a letter written to Abbottabad Commission, Wajid Shamsul Hassan said that he could not travel to Pakistan because he is not feeling well.
The Commissioner has been made party by the commission of Abbottabad commission.
He said that he was ready to give his stance via video conference. However, Abbottabad Commission refused to record his statements via internet conference.

Iranian Film "A Separation" Hoping For Oscar Award

Hollywood has often criticized Tehran for stifling movie-making, but the acclaimed film "A Separation" is breathing life into Iran's hopes for a rare Oscar success.
Released in the United States on Friday after a year of award wins, Iranian director Asghar Farhadi's morally complex look at two contemporary Tehran families could earn Iran's first foreign language Oscar nomination since 1998. "A Separation" began 2011 as the first Iranian movie ever to win the prestigious Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival in February. It went on to win best foreign language film awards from the U.S. National Board of Review and New York Film Critics Circle, and a Golden Globe nomination.
Farhadi told Reuters that recognition in the West had been gratifying and that he hoped the Oscar buzz will inspire filmmakers in other parts of the world. "Under difficult conditions you can make films," he said. "If filmmakers from my country can make it to the Oscars, this can be an important message for other filmmakers."
If "A Separation" makes it to the foreign language Oscar short-list of five on January 26, it will be the first Iranian film to be nominated since "Children of Heaven" in 1998.
The film scored a rare 100 percent positive score on U.S. aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes this week, putting it among the best movies -- in any language -- of 2011.
Just three months ago, Hollywood organizations representing writers, directors, actors and the group that awards the Oscars, issued a sharply-worded statement lending their support to jailed Iranian filmmakers.
Those included the house arrest of director Jafar Panahi and the imprisonment of actress Marzieh Vafamehr.
Farhadi has managed to mostly avoid clashing with Iran's conservative censors with his specialty of character-driven dramas, the type of movies that put family politics over state politics. "On the one hand, when you've been born and raised there, you know inside yourself, without having to consciously think, you can go after this subject, can't go after the other," Farhadi told Reporters.
He said filmmakers in Iran address prohibited subjects the way they always have -- in the form of subtext.
Despite his protests to the contrary, some critics say that is exactly what Farhadi does with "A Separation," a domestic drama about a couple, Nader (Peyman Maadi) and Simin (Leila Hatami), going through a divorce.
Living with his father, an Alzheimer's patient, Nader hires Razieh (Sareh Bayat) to look after the old man. In an altercation, Nader accuses Razieh of neglect and physically expels her from his home. She later suffers a miscarriage and, before a court, holds Nader responsible.
Many critics see the movie as a comment on class differences. Some see it as a critique of Iran's byzantine justice system. And others see it as a clash between modernity and tradition.
Farhadi prides himself on presenting audiences with questions instead of answers. In doing so, he said, "A Separation" offers few targets for censors to aim at.
"I don't think that this form of character development actually has an effect on the gaze of the censorship," Farhadi said.
But by gaining recognition on an international level, circumstances could easily change. Last year, while accepting an award for his previous film "About Elly," Farhadi expressed empathy for fellow filmmaker Panahi. That led to a two-week halt in production on "A Separation."
The reproach failed to chasten Farhadi. A few months later in Berlin he openly wished exiled actress, Golshifteh Farahani ("About Elly") could return to her homeland. "I feel it's my duty to speak out," he said. "We're all part of a community."
Farhadi could be more vociferous on behalf of his colleagues but that would require self-exile. It's an option he has little interest in pursuing.
"For Iranian filmmakers, the conditions that exist notwithstanding, it's better to make their films in Iran," he said. "Because we know that culture, it's best to, as long as possible, work there."
While Farhadi believes the limitations he has grown used to can inspire greater creativity, eventually they have the opposite effect.
Nevertheless, he criticizes fellow Iranians who emphasize state censorship in order to promote their movies abroad, saying they are as morally culpable as the government officials who censor them.

In An Historic Timezone Switch Samoans Will Jump From Thursday To Satureday

Samoans go to bed Thursday and will wake up on Saturday in an historic timezone switch which the Pacific island state's prime minister says will take the country forward to a more prosperous future.
Samoa currently sits to the east of the international date line which runs through the middle of the Pacific meaning that it is 11 hours behind GMT and is one of the last places on Earth to see the dawn.
At midnight Thursday Samoa will become instead one of the first places to experience the new day, omitting Friday December 30 entirely and jumping 24 hours ahead to Saturday as it moves west of the dateline.
The move will bring the Pacific island nation in line with regional economic powerhouses Australia and New Zealand, both of which are also home to large expatriate Samoan communities.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said the move made business sense and offered tourism opportunities. "We've got to remember that over 90 per cent of our people emigrate to New Zealand and Australia. That's why it is absolutely vital to make this change," he told the Samoa Observer in the countdown to the midnight switch.
At present Samoa is 23 hours behind Australasia and loses two commercial days a week with its main trading partners. "While it's Friday here, it's Saturday in New Zealand and when we're at church Sunday, they're already conducting business in Sydney and Brisbane," Tuilaepa said.
Speaking from Apia on Thursday to Radio New Zealand when it was Friday in Wellington Tuilaepa said the change would also remove the confusion in travel times for tourists who arrive in Samoa and "keep thinking of the New Zealand and Australian time zones".
But the change is throwing up a few unusual consequences. Among Samoa's 200,000 people there are 767 births registered on December 30 and 43 marriages, and people are being told to celebrate this year on either December 29 or 31.
Guests staying in Samoan hotels this week will not be expected to pay for a day that does not exist, but a government edict tells employers they must still pay staff for the Friday that never was.
Tuilaepa sees future tourism opportunities with neighbouring American Samoa, a mere 77 miles (125 kilometres) away, which will remain to the east of the dateline.
"So you can have two birthdays, two weddings and two wedding anniversaries on the same date on separate days in less than an hour's flight across without leaving the Samoan chain," he said.
Samoa's move forward to align with its trading partners is in effect a 119-year leap backwards, reversing a change made in 1892.
Then, it went from west to east of the dateline to align itself with the United States and Europe, its key markets at the time.
Tuilaepa has already introduced changes to bring Samoa into line with Australia and New Zealand, enacting a law in 2009 that meant cars switched to driving on the left-hand side of the road, rather than the right.
The intent, he said then, was to make it easier for the 170,000 Samoans living in Australia and New Zealand to send used cars back home to their relatives.
Samoan businesses have welcomed the latest move and the additional exposure it will give them in New Zealand and Australia, as well as their developing interest in Asian markets. "A lot of the business we deal with is in New Zealand or Australia and the fact we are now exploring the Asian market so this change imposed by the government is fully endorsed," Chamber of Commerce president Namulauulu Sami Leota told Television New Zealand.
The most recent dateline change was enacted by Kiribati, which moved the marker to the east in 1995 to end a historical anomaly that saw it straddling the line, leaving different parts of its territory on different days.

ISI Says It Will Seek Guidance From Parliament But No Compromize On National Security Be Done

Senior officials of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) have told Senate committee on defence that they will continue seeking guidance from the parliament, but will never compromise in the matters of national security.
A meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production was held at ISI Headquarters on Thursday under the chairmanship of former Senator Lt-Gen (r) Javed Ashraf Qazi. The meeting was attended by Senators Raja Zafarul Haq (of PML-N), Haji Adeel (ANP), Tahir Hussain Mashadi (MQM) and PPP Senators Sardar Ali Khan and Faisal Raza Abidi. But Senator Raza Rabbani and Professor Khurshid Ahmad did not attend the meeting as they wanted holding the meeting at the Parliament House.
ISI Director General Ahmad Shuja Pasha briefed the committee about the mission, working and activities of ISI regarding war against terrorism.
Sources said that the members of committee were briefed about the tribal areas, important issues of frontiers, situation of Afghanistan and policy about war or terrorism and also briefed about the activities of army in violent area of KPK, while the progress of ISI and challenges faced by country for the protection of national security were also discussed in the meeting.
According to a private TV channel, the ISI officials told members of the standing committee that ISI has played a major role in the war against terrorism. They said that peace in the region is only possible when militancy is eliminated. They added that the impression of ISI’s intervention in political affairs was unfounded.
The Parliamentary Committee on National Security Chairman Senator Raza Rabbani and Parliamentary Leader of Jamaat-e-Islami in Senate Senator Professor Khurshid Ahmad had already excused attending the meeting and they did not attend the meeting at ISI Headquarters as they wanted holding the meeting at the Parliament House and had informed the committee chairman about their decision.
When a news agency contacted Prof Khurshid, he said the committee principally decided that the meetings would be held in the Parliament House, adding “We do not want any clash with any institution. According to the custom, the meeting should be held in Parliament House… Parliament House is the best venue for such briefings”.
Senior officials of ISI said that they will continue seeking guidance from the parliament regarding the matters of national security. However, they said no compromise would be made against national security.

Arabian Countries Are Filling The US Banks With Dollars

The Us economy is provided blood by the Arabian countries. The billion of dollars they have in the Us banks. The billion of dollars they spend on the military equipments and arsenals help developing the US arms manufacturing industries. The arms industry manufacture modern weapons and test on Muslims. In other words Muslim countries provide money to kill Muslims. Who are the owners of Banks, commerce and weapon industries? Those who are the worst enemies of Muslims. United Arab Emirates purchases arms worth of billion dollars. To whom the Palestinians go for complaint? Only Allah is there to help them. It is just flattering of USA not to touch these countries and do not exploit the sentiments of masses for revolutions like Tunisia, Libya or Egypt. If today , Arabian countries stop helping the USA monetarily US economy will crash in no time.
The White House said on Thursday a $29.4 billion deal to sell Boeing-made fighter jets to Saudi Arabia's air force would support more than 50,000 US jobs and give the American economy a $3.5 billion annual boost.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the government to government deal included production of 84 new aircraft and upgrades to 70 existing aircraft as well as munitions, spare parts, training, maintenance and logistics.
"This agreement reinforces the strong and enduring relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia, and demonstrates the US commitment to a strong Saudi defense capability as a key component to regional security," Earnest said in a statement from Hawaii, where President Barack Obama is vacationing.

Pakiatani TV Anchors Who Present Shows Against ISI And Pak Army Are Not Patriotic

When the friends and colleagues used to say that a private Pakistani TV channel that telecasts corruption stories and misdeeds of the government institutions, is on the pay-roll of Jewish lobby, Raw and CIA, I did not believe because this was the only channel I have been watching for news and exclusive news stories. Though it might be an exageration in the blame but now i am sure they were right to greater extent. When a minister of Pakistan called them Indian agents I was annoyed too. But, I am sure they are working on Indian agenda. Any threat they receive they allege ISI. An institution that is working in the best interest of the nation is disliked by India, USA and Israel. The person who endorse the blames of our enemies can not be called a patriotic Pakistani. The US authorities describe," ISI a terrorist organization at par with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban." If a Pakistani agrees with this statement and endorses it he can he be a patriotic one.
As far as disclosing the corruption scandal of Pakistani political leaders or those of bureaucracy it is correct more than hundred percent. But talking against those personnel who provide relief to the people during natural disasters, earth quicks and floods and take care of nation in every difficult moment who bear every bullet from enemy on their chests and due to whose courage we are safely and calmly sleeping in our homes, who sacrifice their lives in bomb blasts curbing terrorism, who save country from corrupt politicians otherwise the remaining Pakistan would have not be exiting till now, and due to their fear the enemy of Pakistan since day 1 can not dare to attack Pakistan, is neither fair nor nor within the limits of patriotism. Be Pakistani love Pakistan. Peace cannot be retained through slogans like "Amn ki Asha. People like these would definetely say army is highly paid out of Pakistani's taxes. Ok would the people like these allow to kill them for million of dollars?". The Pakistan you see today is due to their struggle and sacrificers not due to bogus, fake and so-called democracy.

Elderly Who Take Better Than Junk Foods Are Sharp Mentally

Elderly people with higher levels of certain vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids in their blood score better on mental acuity tests than those who eat junk food, a new study has shown.
The study published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, also showed that eating better could help reduce the brain shrinkage commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease. "This approach clearly shows the biological and neurological activity that's associated with actual nutrient levels, both good and bad," said Maret Traber, a principal investigator at the Linus Pauling Institute and study co-author.
Researchers at the institute at Oregon State University conducted the study, one of the first of its kind, along with scientists at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
The study, carried out among 104 people at an average age of 87, specifically measured a wide range of blood nutrient levels instead of basing results on food questionnaires, which are less precise and less reliable. "The vitamins and nutrients you get from eating a wide range of fruits, vegetables and fish can be measured in blood biomarkers," Traber said. "I'm a firm believer these nutrients have strong potential to protect your brain and make it work better."
Researchers noted the positive effects of high levels of vitamins B, C, D and E, as well as the healthy oils most commonly found in fish, on mental quickness and brain size.
Those with a higher intake of trans-fats commonly found in fried foods, fast foods and other less healthy diet options did not perform as well on cognitive tests.
Researchers found that while age and education affected performance on the cognitive tests, nutrient status accounted for 17 percent of the variation in scores, and 37 percent of the differences in brain volume.
Of those who took part in the study, seven percent showed a vitamin B12 deficiency, and 25 percent did not have enough vitamin D in their systems.
Scientists tested 30 different nutrient biomarkers. In addition, 42 participants had MRI scans to measure their brain volume. "These findings are based on average people eating average American diets," Traber said.
"If anyone right now is considering a New Year's resolution to improve their diet, this would certainly give them another reason to eat more fruits and vegetables."
Study co-author Gene Bowman of the Oregon Health and Science University added while results needed to be confirmed, "it is very exciting to think that people could potentially stop their brains from shrinking and keep them sharp by adjusting their diet."

Latest Corruption Status Of Different Deparments In Pakistan

Judiciary has stepped up into the 4th position from 6th in the previous year in terms of corruption, while land administration department has got the first position on the list of country’s most corrupt institutions, according to the National Corruption Perception Survey 2011, released by the Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) on Wednesday.
According to the report the police department has taken the second spot while the Power sector has dropped to the 5th rank from 2nd. Taxation slipped to the 3rd rank from its previous 8th position, while Customs and Tendering and Contracting departments have shown alarming increase in the corruption trend.
It is pertinent to mention here that for the first time military has been included in the survey and it was the least corrupt department after education in the year 2011. Police had topped all the previous years’ surveys but the Land Administration has crossed them and the factor of the ‘Land Mafia’ was one of the big reasons for this increase.
The annual survey report was released at Karachi Press Club in a press conference by TIP Chairman Sohail Muzaffar, along with TIP Advisory Committee chairman Syed Adil Gilani. This year’s survey has been conducted by Gallup Pakistan. Sohail Muzaffar cited the delay in punitive action by the state organs against the corrupt elements in corruption cases like Pakistan Steel, NICL, Punjab Bank, Rental Power Plants, KESC, PIA, Railway and Wapda as the main reason for the rise in corruption levels.
Sohail informed that judiciary is confronted by deliberate defiance in implementing Supreme Court orders and delay in punishing corrupt persons by the judiciary is one of the causes of lower ranking of judiciary. He said that they have released the reports to tell the government and the people that which is the most corrupt department and it should not be taken into personal context or any political intention. “We are trying to help out the government by showing them the corrupt sections in them, now it’s up to the government how it cleans them”.
On the inclusion of military in the survey, the TIP chairman said, “We have not included it in the survey, Gallup itself has added military and they have not put railways in the survey”. He said the military should not be placed before the education in the rank because according to him military is less corrupt than the education.
He added that Gallup agreed late to conduct the survey, “No one was ready to conduct the survey, the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) which conducted the previous year’s survey refused to conduct it this year. We had short time and Gallup agreed in the last”, said Muzaffar.

The Thal Project Of Underground Coal Gasification Is Full Of Technical Faults

The Thar Project of Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) team, having no experience of gas plant, is working against the principles of common understanding, logical approach and established engineering practices, which may lead the scheme to collapse totally.
The professional chemical engineers and petrochemical experts have raised serious concerns on Thar Project of Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), saying that its pilot project is full of technical faults. ‘The huge energy and petrochemical potential of Thar is wholly dependent on the success of its pilot project and if non-technical management of this plan did not remove the flaws, the country would ultimately be deprived of the huge underground assets for ever’, they said. ‘You can imagine if any pilot project fails only due to lack of knowledge and expertise what can happen. This is going on here in this project and they want to make this project a failure so no other company would invest and get the true benefits for this nation’, they observed.
The experts, seeking anonymity, have urged the authorities concerned to stop the non-technical management of Thar Coal Project to play with the resources and money of people of Pakistan. ‘Usually, every oil & gas company first do rigorous tests on oil and gas wells to characterise the gas and oil composition and then build the facility which is going to be a multi-million dollar facility. This is the very first step but in UCG the team of project do not know anything what is coming out of the gas and they want to build a facility. They are only spending lot of money and then they say the pilot project was not successful’, experts stated. According to them, the UCG Thar Coal Project invited bids in Feb 2011 for supply of gas dehydration facility and there are lot of technical flaws in their concept paper which they call it invitation to bid.
The companies commented that it is not going to work and proposed the phase-wise approach. But the selfish team of Thar project does not want to listen to this scheme, they said.
In Sept 2011, UCG Thar Coal Project team re-invited the bids again with a 180 degree change in its own design which was relatively better than the previous, they added. ‘There were three competitors, two Pakistanis and one Chinese. Chinese quoted a price of 3.8 million dollars but the project management inclined to offer the project to Chinese company’, they further said.
Experts are worried and concerned that if this UCG pilot project fails nobody is going to explore and harness the potential of Thar for Pakistan at least in the near future and keep Pakistan in darkness for ever. ‘This is a real hazardous plant containing explosive and toxic gases. To ensure the safety of plant you need to have proper automatic isolation and depressurizing system and this is based on engineering and not just supply of few equipments. Chinese have the worst safety records in process plant safety. Hydrogen sulfide the most lethal gas above 10 ppm can lead to fatality. If the plant is not properly designed as per standards and codes you are playing with the life of plant personnel which of course will be Pakistanis. Hydrogen again is the most explosive gas and even a friction can lead to hydrogen bomb explosion. Without proper safety isolation and steps they are going to explode the plant. Chinese company has not considered even the life line of plant which is the flare header or vents. They are playing with the lives of people in that area. Without shutdown system they cannot even stop the feeding gas to the plant’, they said.
‘For the pilot projects you go with the best equipment and people to make it happen. You don’t do any optimisation and the value engineering at the piloting stage. If it goes wrong and fails the project may stop and it seems UCG wants to do this’, experts stated.

Pregnant Women Did Not Lower Odds Of Daibetes With Exercise

Pregnant women who exercised regularly during the second half of their pregnancies did not lower their odds of developing pregnancy-related diabetes in a new clinical trial.
Researchers in Norway found that when they randomly assigned 855 pregnant women to either exercise three times a week or to stick with regular prenatal care alone, the exercisers were no less likely to develop gestational diabetes.
By the third trimester, seven percent of the exercise group had been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, versus six percent of the comparison group.
The findings were surprising, according to lead researcher Signe N. Stafne of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.
For the general population, exercise is considered an important part of preventing and treating type 2 diabetes the common form of diabetes that most often arises during middle-age or later.
It's possible, Stafne told, that exercise does not have the same effect on gestational diabetes that it does on type 2.
But even if that's true, Stafne pointed out, there are still reasons for pregnant women to get moderate exercise: including their overall health and keeping their weight gain within the recommended limits.
It's estimated that up to 14 percent of pregnant women worldwide develop gestational diabetes, in which blood sugar levels rise too high. The condition goes away after childbirth, but it does raise the risk of certain other pregnancy problems like having an abnormally large baby, which may require a cesarean delivery.
Women with gestational diabetes are also at greater-than-normal risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
While exercise can curb people's risk of type 2 diabetes, it has not been clear whether it can stave off gestational diabetes.
So for the new study, reported in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, Stafne's team randomly assigned 855 pregnant women to either join a supervised exercise program or just continue their usual prenatal care.
All of the women were in their 18th to 22nd week of pregnancy. Those in the exercise program took an hour-long class once a week for 12 weeks doing low-impact aerobics, plus strengthening and stretching exercises. They were also given an at-home workout to do twice a week.
In the end, the exercise program showed no effect on gestational diabetes rates.
But an obstetrician not involved in the study cautioned that the findings do not mean exercise is no help to pregnant women.
A key issue is that only 55 percent of women in the exercise group actually stuck with their routine, said Dr. Rita W. Driggers, director of the maternal-fetal medicine fellowship program at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.
What the study more clearly shows is that it's hard to get pregnant women to exercise regularly, Driggers told just as it's hard to get people in general to exercise, she noted.
She also pointed out that only 13 percent of the women in the study were exercising at a moderate to high intensity three times a week when they entered the study. And that's the level the exercisers were asked to adopt.
It might have been asking too much for many women, according to Driggers.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggests that healthy pregnant women try to be active with moderate activities like walking for 30 minutes a day on most, if not all, days of the week.
One possible explanation for the new study's results, Stafne said, is that starting exercise in the second trimester is too late. "It could be that exercise before pregnancy and in early pregnancy is more important, due to the metabolic changes that occur in early pregnancy."
The women in this study were also at relatively low risk for gestational diabetes because they were in the normal weight range, on average, when they entered the study.
A study focused on overweight and obese women -- who are at increased risk of gestational diabetes might find different results, Stafne said.
In general, the researcher noted, more studies are needed to figure out how to best lower women's risk of pregnancy-related diabetes. "There are still many unanswered questions regarding gestational diabetes and the prevention of it," Stafne said.

The First Program Of Dating Show Was "The Dating Game" In 1965 In The USA

The new version of reality show in the USA was Dating Show and its first program The Dating Game was presented in 1965.In the program a girl used to ask different questions from the 3 boys hidden behind the curtain. On the basis of answer to her questions She could select a boy and went on dating with him. Another program of this kind "The Newly Wed Program" was initiated in 1966. Newly wedded couple in this program questioned each other to know how much mental harmony they have.This program became controversial as several times new couple quarreled with each other and and divorced occurred between them.
The real reality show was "An American Family". The original routine matters of a family were presented in the show. The show ended with divorce in husband and wife in twelve th program. This program was popular among the Americans and it was presented from January to March 1973. The reality show that gained international fame was "Big Brother" which was started in 1999. The media tycoon John De Mole conceived the idea of this show. His company shot the TV series of Big Brother program. In this program a group of males and females live in a house having no contact with the world and performed his/her daily routine jobs. However, hidden cameras recorded their activities. These people attempted to win the prizes so that not to expelled from the house.
In the Pak-India sub continent the first reality show on the pattern of those of Britain and the USA was "Coke Pop Stars" that started on channel 5 in India during 2002. The aim was to bring new artists on the fore front. Then Ametab Bachans's reality show "Kaun Banay Ga Karor Pati" got famous. Actually this was the copy of American program "Who Wants To Be Millionaire" (Bachan's program has the same meaning in English as that of American's"). After that it seemed that flood of different reality shows gripped the Indian TV networks. however, all the programs copy the western shows. At present in India "Indian Ideals" "Kaun Banay Ga Karor Pati" "Big Boss" (the Copy of Big Brother), "Just Dance". "Jhalak Dikhla Jaa" and "Saray Ga Ma Pa" are the famous reality shows.

Veena Gained Her Objective And Restored Her Fading Fame With Nude Photo Shoots

Pakistani starlet Veena Malik, who made a splash in the Indian showbiz industry last year with her stint in reality TV ‘Bigg Boss 4,’ regrets the latest controversy that stirred her nation.
The actress has confessed that she has made a mistake by posing for FHM magazine but has categorically denied going nude.
However, according to her, the magazine cheated on her by tampering with her images.
Talking to a daily, Veena said, “Yes, of course, both the images were morphed. My upper portion was covered with tattoos. I think if I could rewind this time, I would like to delete. I feel cheated.”
“But we all make mistakes, I have made a mistake, learned from it and want to move on,” she added.
Reportedly, Veena’s father had disowned her following the news that shamed him utterly and also called in for severe action against her. “It has been tragic and traumatic, really sad. It has been very difficult,” the tainted actress said.

Present And The Past Of TV Reality Shows

The program presented on different TVs channels that has no written script and common people can participate in the show. As the whole environment of the show is natural and the dialogues and talks of the participants are extempore, so it has been called "Reality Show". Usually the winner from the participants is awarded. These special TV program began with the American Program "Candid Camera" The worker linked to the program practically joked with the participants and the hidden camera used to record all the activities of the program. This program got very popular and still now its popularity did not decrease. The first TV program of Candid Camera was presented on August 10, 1948.
An important turn in the history of Reality Show took place in 1948 too, when American Talent Hunt Show "The Original Amateur Hour" started. The purpose of this program was to search for new talent in the fields of acting, dance, singing and other sections of fine arts. The artists presented their skills of arts and and the people were asked to give about their comments about the best performer through telegrams, cards or telephones to the host of the program. The artist who remained on top for a year was awarded with the prize of $2000. In 1950 another kind of reality show program "Game Show "got popularity. This kind of first show was American Program "Beat The Clock". In this program the participants had to solve an enigma in a specific time or had to complete a game. The winner was awarded.

5783 Voting Members Will Select Nominees For Oscar Awards

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Tuesday sent out Oscar ballots to its members, who will select the nominees for Hollywood's top film honors.
The academy's 5,783 voting members must cast their ballots by January 13 to determine the Oscar nominations, which will be announced on January 24.
The Oscar statuettes will be handed out at the 84th Academy Awards ceremony, which will be held on February 26 at Hollywood's Kodak Theater.
Oscars veteran Billy Crystal has stepped in to host this year's Academy Awards show, after actor Eddie Murphy pulled out following a row over a producer's anti-gay comments.
Crystal has hosted the top Hollywood awards show eight times before. He last hosted the event in 2004.

Indian Parliament Passed Anti-Graft Bill

India's government pushed a landmark anti-graft law through parliament Tuesday, setting up a possible confrontation with supporters of a hunger-striking activist opposed to the bill.
The law, creating a powerful ombudsman to probe corruption among senior politicians and civil servants, was passed by a voice vote after the government acceded to a number of amendments proposed by the main opposition party.
The vote was an important victory for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's administration after a series of legislative setbacks had seen it battling accusations of policy drift. But not everything went the government's way.
A bid to grant the new bill constitutional status was defeated in what Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee described as a "sad day for democracy."
There was no immediate reaction from veteran anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare who began a three-day public fast in Mumbai Tuesday morning to push his populist campaign's demands for the bill to be revised and strengthened.
Several thousand Hazare supporters had pledged to take part in a campaign of civil disobedience if the legislation was passed in its draft form.
The main points of contention had focused on the ambit of the ombudsman's office and its powers of investigation.
The government bill offers only limited jurisdiction over the prime minister and requires the ombudsman to put any criminal probes in the hands of the government-controlled Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Hazare and a number of opposition parties wanted the ombudsman's office to have its own, independent investigative team.
During a heated debate in parliament, Premier Singh had insisted that such a move would be tantamount to creating a separate, unelected executive that was unaccountable to parliament or the Indian people. "Let us not create something that will destroy all that we cherish, all in the name of combating corruption. Let us remember that the road to hell is paved with good intentions," he said.
"In endangering democracy, we will only be unleashing the forces of chaos and anarchy where reason will give way to emotion," he added.
His remarks were in part aimed at the Hazare campaign which in August had brought millions onto city streets across India in a spontaneous outpouring of anger and frustration with the endemic graft blighting their daily lives.
While many see a new national hero in Hazare, his critics see an unelected autocrat who has sought to bend parliament to his will with a series of emotive hunger strikes.
The status of his latest protest was in some doubt Tuesday evening, after concerns over the 74-year-old's health led some senior aides to ask him to call off his fast.
Earlier in the day, around 10,000 flag-waving Hazare loyalists had cheered the activist as he arrived in a garlanded truck at the hunger strike venue an open recreation ground in Mumbai normally used for rock concerts. "The government is betraying us... the entire country," Hazare told the crowd. "We will not step back whatever the odds are, even if it means that we may have to go to jail," he added.
Singh's administration, which has been tainted by a series of high-profile corruption scandals, had a lot riding on the ombudsman bill.
The mass demonstrations triggered by Hazare's campaign earlier in the year had forced a review of the bill's initial draft and observers said another climb down on the government's part would have been very damaging politically.

Anna Hazare Began His Three-day Hunger Strike

The anti-corruption movement leader and social activist Anna Hazare began his three-day hunger strike on Tuesday demanding a stronger version of the ombudsman (Lokpal) bill than the one being debated by Parliament.
The veteran activist reached Juhu beach, an hour late at 10 am and meditated in front of a bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi. A decorated truck then ferried Anna from Juhu to MMRDA grounds. At the Ramada Inn hotel, Anna saluted Chatrapati Shivaji's statue on the way while waving out to the crowds.
Compared to the last rally held during the second August Kranti movement, only 20 percent of the crowd turned up at Juhu beach on Tuesday. Anna supporters' in Mira-Bhayander and Vasai-Virar regions reached MMRDA grounds to show their support.
Hazare, who is suffering from a viral infection, arrived at the fast venue along with his close aides Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Manish Sisodia to a thunderous applause and slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Vande Matram'.
Hazare began his fast shouting slogans of 'Vande Matram' and 'inqilab zindabad'.
However, there was high drama on way as around 20 men blocked his convoy and showed him black flags. The convoy of Hazare, on way to Mahatma Gandhi's statue on Juhu beach, was briefly stopped by the protesters carrying black flags and national tricolour and shouting "Anna Hazare murdabad".
The day at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi started with a trickle of Anna supporters making their way into the grounds. While the morning crowd stood at close to 1000-1200 odd people, the crowd is expected to increase by afternoon.
Meanwhile, 79-year-old Gopal Rai from Ghaziabad sat at the grounds, steadily working on his charkha (cotton-weaving machine). "I have not left my charkha for a single day since I was 10 years old and it reminds me how to overcome poverty. We need to stand up for what we believe in and we must be united to fight against corruption," explained the retired government employee.
Amid patriotic songs, the crowd broke into impromptu dancing and singing, giving a festive touch to the morning at the grounds.
Team Anna has raised the pitch by pointing out "four non-negotiable" demands for calling off their jail bharo agitation which included provision for an independent investigating agency for the anti-corruption ombudsman.

It Seems That Nawaz Sharif Will Be Left With Nisar And Shahbaz Sharif

The speed with which the PML(N) members are defecting and joining PTI, Nawaz Sharif will have solo flight in the next election. But it is also a great lesson for Imran Khan. The re known journalist and columnist Ayaz Amir who won his seat from Chakwal with a significant lead and the best friend and old Muslim League's member,former chief minister of Khyber PK and Parliamentary leader of PML(N) in national assembly Sardar Mehtab Abbasi aswell as the president Sidth Muslim League Ghaus Ali Shah would join PTI. However, Ayaz Amir wants assurance from Imran Khan for his ticket from Chakwal while for Sadar Ghulam Abbas from Tala Gang. It would be of course a great shock for Nawaz Sharif.
But Imran Khan has to think would he be able to bring the change for which he is promising with the Pakistanis daily. Imran Khan you are the future prime minister of Pakistan , because the experienced old politicians know the way of the blowing of the wind priorly. They are joining you for their own interests not that of nation. Would you be able to uproot corruption with the team of corrupt politicians. Though not all but some corrupt people are joining you. Imran Khan, till your address at Minar e Pakistan it was expected that you are determined to change the fate of Pakistan But now the people you have gathered around you it seems difficult to bring some positive change in the fate of Pakistanis. One person can doing nothing but dedicated and sincere team is a must for doing the job. Even if you come to power Imran Khan the change in Pakistan seems near to impossible. Nawaz Sharif is not a corrupt politicians but he failed due to his corrupt people. Imran Khan , However the mission you have been working for must not be lost. You are the last hope for Pakistanis if you could do nothing then nobody would be able to do. Imran Khan you have three former foreign ministers with you, who will be the foreign minister of Pakistan in your cabinet?

Memo Is Not A Piece Of Paper As Federation Says---Chief Justice

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, while hearing the memo scandal case, in his remarks said, “Pakistanis are a living nation, they do not tolerate the matters written in the memo, federation considers it only a piece of paper, then why was such a key-meeting held in the prime minister house, why was the resignation taken from Haqqani and why did the prime minister order an investigations?”
Submitting the replies on behalf of the federation, Attorney General said that a meeting relating to the memo issue was held on November 22 at the prime minister house where Haqqani gave his resignation, which was approved the very next day and thereby a notification was issued. Haqqani had offered to resign earlier also, he said.
Attorney General further said that the prime minister had ordered for an investigation into the memo scandal on November 22.
Chief Justice asked when the federation calls the memo a mere piece of paper, but on this piece of paper a meeting of the president, prime minister and army chief was held and the prime minister ordered an investigation.
Why was the resignation taken from Haqqani, chief justice enquired.
Chief Justice said both the accuser and those falling within the purview of this accusation want investigations.
Mansoor Ijaz is still firm on his stance and he has provided Black Berry’s photographs in his reply.
The entire nation stands united on making no compromise relating to the country’s security, integrity, sovereignty and independence.

Traumatized Children May Be Treated In Virtual World One Day

Doctors in a domed laboratory in Canada are designing a virtual world where they hope to one day treat traumatized children with colorful avatars using toy-like medical gadgets.
Sensory stimulation could be used to make a burn victim feel she is encased in a block of ice. Three-dimensional images of a child's bedroom at home could make him forget he is in a hospital. "You could take a child suffering from burns and put him in a polar environment, crossing the threshold of reality, to dull his pain," said Patrick Dube, who is leading a team of medics from Montreal'sSainte-Justine hospital and software engineers at the Society for Arts and Technology. "We know that cognitive illusions have an effect on the perception of pain," he said.
At the Satosphere, an 18-meter-wide (60-foot) dome originally designed to provide spectators with a 360-degree view of art projections, the team has set up a hospital room, or "living lab", to try out new treatment ideas.
The dome, touted by Satosphere president Monique Savoie as a "cinema for the 21st century," is a scion of the Circle-Vision theatre unveiled at the 1967 International and Universal Exposition's Bell Pavilion in Montreal. "We can, through multiple projectors, create immersive environments that integrate not only walls, but also the furniture in a room," Dube said.
Another tool being tested by the doctors would allow them to give medical gadgets the appearance of fantastical, non-threatening toys.
Children would in theory be able to familiarize themselves with "scary" medical instruments, like syringes, easing common fears over medical tests and treatments.
In the hands of a little girl, a syringe is transformed into a storybook rocket. "I'm no longer scared of injections," said Maxime, 11, the daughter of one of the researchers.
The researchers are also looking into avatars that could one day allow doctors and nurses to communicate with children traumatized by sickness or a crippling accident, who may not be comfortable opening up to an adult.
Such high-tech puppetry might be used to build a child's confidence or help re-socialize them. The person controlling the avatar from another room could ask a child to mimic its movements as part of physical rehabilitation.
The ultimate aim is to apply the technology to help the children "overcome their fears and discover things about themselves," said Patricia Garel, head of Sainte-Justine's psychiatry department. "There's enormous potential in our discipline, but we're still at a very early exploratory stage."
Virtual communication and video games are known to sometimes have a negative impact on the socialization of children, particularly the most emotionally fragile, who might shut themselves in.
But Garel insists that if the tools are used correctly they could carve a virtual path back to normal life.

Some Interesting And Amazing Events About Christmas Traditions

*---In the Democratic Republic of Czechoslovakia a virgin girl if wants to know whether she can marry next year or not, she stands at the door of her house on the eve of Christmas backing toward door. She throws her shoe over her shoulder to her back side. If the major part of the heel of her shoe is toward the door indicates that she will remain virgin next year too. If the front part of the shoe is toward the door she concludes that the time has come to marry.
*--- In the city of Caracas in Venezuela the young boys wearing wooden shoes go to church while skating on the eve of Christmas. Meanwhile all the surrounding roads are closed for vehicular traffic.
*--- In Japan sending red colored Christmas cards are prohibited as red color is considered the symbol of death.
*---- In Spain on December 08, a tree stem is made hollow and on other side of it a face is painted and then different food item are entered in the hollow stem through the face on the stem, till December 25. Then on the evening of December 25, all the foods item are taken out from the stem and all family members hold prays.
*--- According to a German tradition at the last time some pieces of vegetables or pickles are hidden in the shape of green balloon in the Christmas tree. The person who finds these things is awarded and it is taken that his next year will be good for him.
*--- In Italy on the eve of Christmas a dish composed of seven kinds of fish is prepared.
*--- To decorate the Christmas tree with light bulbs was conceived by Edward Johnson the assistant of bulb inventor Edison. By this his invention got a world wide fame.
*--- In Britain in 1551 the church goers were made bound to go on foot on the eve of Christmas with out using any vehicle. Though this law is not followed now but it is existing.
*--- Christmas celebrations were banned from 1647- 1660. This ban was imposed by a Oliver Kromovelle, who belonged to ancient faction "Pureton" He ruled Britain nearly 5 years.
*--- The largest ice statue was made by the people of Maine state of the USA on the eve of Christmas. Its height was 113 feet.
*--- The largest Christmas tree was kept in the Washington shopping mall during 1999. Its height was 221 feet.
*--- In Poland locust or the net of locust is kept in the Christmas tree. As it is said that locust or big grass hopper had woven blanket for Jesus Christ.
*--- The Xmas word for Christmas evolved from the Greek word X that is abbreviated for Christ in Greek language.
*--- Christmas word has been taken from the old English word "Cristes Maesse".
*--- The first idea of decorating the Christmas tree was presented by christian missionary Martin Lother (1483-1546).

Woman's Lung Cancer Is Not Linked To Number Of Children She Has

A woman's lung cancer risk doesn't appear to be linked to the number of children she has, although some scientists had thought hormonal changes during pregnancy might protect against the disease.
That's according to a new report that sums up 16 previous studies on the topic, which researchers have explored to get a better understanding of lung cancer and possible treatments.
If lung cancer in women were tied to hormones the same way some breast cancers are, for instance, similar drugs might be effective against both diseases, said Jessica K. Paulus, who worked on the analysis.
So far, however, studies haven't agreed on whether or not pregnancies and by extension hormones play a role in lung cancer.
That was also clear from the new work, said Paulus, of Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. "If you look at the component studies, they are all over the map," she told, adding that she and her colleagues had hoped to be able to explain that variation. "We came up relatively empty-handed," Paulus said. "It makes it difficult to interpret our findings."
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the US, according to the American Cancer Society.
The disease is rare in younger adults, but becomes more common as people grow old. Overall, the risk of getting lung cancer is about one in 13 for men and one in 16 for women. But these overall numbers include smokers, whose risk is many times higher than that of non-smokers. "Both active smoking and exposure to second-hand smoking are some of the strongest risk factors for lung cancer," said Paulus. "Quitting smoking and quitting soon is associated with reducing your risk of lung cancer."
Despite the new findings, Paulus added that a link between childbirths and lung cancer still can't be ruled out. She said she hopes a more in-depth analysis of the existing evidence including detailed data on each woman might help close the issue.

Saint Basil's Cathedral (Russia)

Onion-shaped and colorful church having 9 minarets is situated in Moscow in Russia. Located in Red Square is central church or cathedral. It has beautiful rainbow colors inside and internal walls have the engraved pictures relating to ancient age. Constructed in 1555 this church had been included in the list of World Cultural Heritage in 1990. According to tradition this was constructed by two persons "Burma" and "Poslinik Bakolo" The order of construction of church was given by Ruler of Russia the Ivan -IV. This ruler was also called Ivan the Terrible. Ivan IV was the first ruler who used "Zar" for himself. According to tradition Saint Basil (1468-1552) had directed the first Zar of Russia to build a church here because there was a church on the location before. Therefore Zar Ivan ordered to construct a church. During the construction Saint Basil died and after sometimes remains of underground church were found. Impressed by this Zar Ivan not only named the church after Basil but he was buried on this site. Saint Basil was cobbler by profession and it was said that he used steal things of rich person and divided among the poor.When he went to Zar Ivan for directing the construction of the church he was with naked body but he had hidden his body with iron chains. Zar was impressed by him and ordered for the building of church. It is interesting to note that Zar Ivan had made all the those persons blind who took part in constructing the church so that no other church be built like this. So this is one of its kind in the whole country.
*--- Bargos Cathedral (Spain):-
Named after the Bargos city of Spain this church has unique status due to a vast area and Gothic architectural design. Dedicated to Bibi Mariam this was built by king Ferdinend III and after 9 years of construction worship began here. However, for 2 centuries decoration and renovation process remained continued.The front external portion is constructed in French Gothic architectural design while other parts of the church have prominently German Gothic Design. The minarets are 85 feet high. Having artistic beauty and masterpiece of design the Bargos Cathdreal was enlisted World Cultural Heritage in 1984 by United Nations.

Chinese Blow Off Stress By Massive Pillow Battle

A whirlwind of pillows bearing the names of bosses and teachers filled the air as hundreds of Chinese gathered to blow off stress in Shanghai, staging a massive pillow battle.
The annual event marked its fifth year with such a surge in interest from stressed young office workers and students that organizers held two nights of pillow fighting before Christmas Day and plans another for Dec 30. "Nowadays there are many white collar workers and students that are facing huge pressures at work and at school, so we hope to give them an outlet to release their stress before the end of the year," said Eleven Wang, the founder and mastermind behind the epic pillow fights.
Hundreds of Chinese gathered to blow off stress in Shanghai, staging a massive pillow battle. "Sometimes we have pressure on us by our bosses, teachers and exams, so today we can go crazy. Everyone will get to write onto the pillows the names of their bosses, teachers and exam subjects, and enjoy and vent to the maximum," he added. "After releasing the stress, we can once again face our daily life with joy."
Pillows were handed out at the door as participants entered, then emotion stoked by a rock concert, with many on the floor of the huge event space rocking and waving their pillows in time to the music.
Pillows filled the air, with many combatants opting for throwing rather than using them to whack opponents. A few hapless participants shielded their heads with as many pillows as they could hold, but most ventured eagerly in to the fray.
Gamely persons said they enjoyed the experience even though they ended up as targets rather than attackers. "I don't know who pushed me, but all of a sudden I was in the pile of pillows, where I became the target of many people, and was beaten by all sorts of people," said university student Zhu Shishan.

US Security Think Tank WEbsite Hacked

U.S. security think tank Strategic Forecasting Inc (Stratfor) said its website had been hacked and that some of the names of corporate subscribers had been made public.
Stratfor said the breach came from an unauthorized party, while activist hacker group Anonymous claimed responsibility. "As a result of this incident the operation of Stratfor's servers and email have been suspended," the Austin-based company said in an email on Sunday.
Hackers claiming to be the group Anonymous said they had obtained around 4,000 credit card details, passwords and home addresses on Stratfor's private client list, which was posted on information-sharing website Pastebin.
Anonymous, reported to be a loose-knit group of hackers, became famous for attacking the companies and institutions that oppose WikiLeaks and its founder Julian Assange.
Anonymous has also been linked to attacks on the websites of the Play Station store, the Church of Scientology and governments around the globe that it considered oppressive.
Stratfor, which describes itself as a provider of strategic intelligence for business, economic, security and geopolitical affairs, said it was "working closely with law enforcement in their investigation and will assist them with the identification of the individual(s) who are responsible"