Angelina Jolie: wanted again

Timur Bekmambetov seems prepared to defy all sense of consistency in order to enable Angelina Jolie to revive her role as Fox for the sequel to "Wanted". Viewers of the first film will no doubt remember the beautiful actress' rather spectacular death right at the end. She took a bullet to the head in broad daylight. However, Bekmambetov, who is directing again, has told MTV that he and his scriptwriters have "found the reason for her to come back" and that it will involve the baths of wax seen in episode one.

Anyway, is it strictly necessary for the laws of plausibility to be adhered to for a film like "Wanted 2"? For people who liked the original, it was probably less down to the depth of the script and more for the depiction of violence and, to be fair, the high visual quality. For those who didn't like it, no doubt they will abstain from the sequel anyway, with or without Angelina.

source: arabia.msn.com

So called "free media" SILENT on SAAD KHAN tragic death

In their quest to produce a western-style adventure and thrill-based reality show in Pakistan, but poor, substandard and possibly lack of safety arrangements led to the death of its participant Saad Khan, victim’s cousin Mansoor Khan told Aarpix.

Saad lost his life during the recording of the reality show when host Amina Sheikh (model for Clear Shampoo) challenged him to an underwater performance contest. Saad Khan apparently lost his control and shouted for help but lack of safety and lifeline measures failed to rescue him and the young man, a father of four lost his life, report said.

The blame goes to the producers (sponsors?) of the show Unilever Pakistan and Mindshare, for hiring such a sub-standard team and having made cheap arrangements that became the cause of the death, said Aarpix.

To what extent the private TV channel where the reality show was to be run is involved in its making is also not clear.

For now, the mainstream media has rejected to air any such news as they get a fair amount of advertising revenues from Unilever, Aarpix commented, adding, the spokespersons of the two companies have been shamelessly calling the incident a mere accident.

Mansoor Khan, the cousin of the victim has demanded that “all concerned people of Unilver Pakistan and Mindshare must be put behind bars.” He wants that the culprits who gambled with the life of his cousin must be brought to justice.

It is not known if the commonly practised concept of establishing life and accident related insurances for participanting individuals and workers of the reality show were in place during its filming and recording. No independent verification of the said report has been possible yet.

Meanwhile, details of the unfortunate incident continue to tweet on the internet sociables like Twitter, Facebook, etc..

COURTESY: despardes.com

Kerry-Lugar Bill to be approved by September

ISLAMABAD: Former US vice Secretary of State for South Asia, and Economic and Developmental Aid for Pakistan, Rabin Raphael has announced that the Kerry-Lugar Bill would be approved by the American Senate by September.

Talking to media on Friday after round table talks in the American Embassy, he said that his appointment for managing the affairs in Pakistan pertained to oversee a coordinated disbursement of aid supplied to Pakistan under USAID and Kerry-Lugar schemes.

He said the reason for disbursement of non-military aid to Pakistan was to help Pakistan attain economic and developmental prosperity, help restructure the much damaged energy sector, cater to health, education, construction of highways and provision of basic facilities to masses.

He strongly refuted the notion of appointing an American inspector general to monitor the execution of American aid disbursement; however, he stressed for increased transparency, sincerity and honesty coupled with sheer objectivity in utilizing this aid; which was also the prime reason for his current visit, and stressed for enhancing the accountability process.

Answering a question about the 5-year $1.5 billion annual, Kerry-Lugar aid for Pakistan, he assured that it would be approved by the American Senate in September.

Also assuring the approval of reconstruction zones’ bill for FATA and tribal areas, he said that these bills would also be approved, and assured minimizing any non-developmental expenditure in these projects.

He expressed his deep affirmation that he would strive for better relations with Pakistan, and see to the full compensation for Pakistan’s daring struggle in the war against terrorism.—Online

Jackson death ruled as homicide

he death of Michael Jackson was homicide due to intoxication by anaesthetic, an LA coroner has said.

The singer died in June from cardiac arrest at his home in Los Angeles.

The powerful anaesthetic Propofol and Lorazepam, a sedative, were the "primary drugs responsible for Mr Jackson's death", the report said.

Police have interviewed his doctor, Conrad Murray, but he has not been named as a suspect. He has strenuously denied any wrongdoing.

"The cause of death was established as acute Propofol intoxication," the coroner's report said.

"The manner of death has been ruled: Homicide," it adds. In the US, the crime of homicide includes manslaughter.

A cocktail of drugs - including Midazolam, Diazepam, Lidocaine, Lorazepam and Ephedrine - were detected in his body, the report said.

The full toxicology report remains sealed, at the request of the LA Police Department and the city's district attorney.

An initial affidavit by the city's chief coroner had said that lethal levels of Propofol were judged to be the cause of Jackson's death.

According to those documents, Jackson's doctor told police he had been giving the singer the drug as part of his treatment for insomnia.

But, he said he had been concerned Jackson was becoming addicted to the drug and had been trying to wean him off.

The singer's remains will be buried on 3 September at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, a suburb of Los Angeles, in a private ceremony.

The burial was initially scheduled to take place on 29 August - on what would have been Jackson's 51st birthday.--BBC--

India Jinnah book ban challenged

A former leader of India's opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has challenged the decision by an Indian state to ban his book.

The BJP government in Gujarat banned Jaswant Singh's book on Pakistan's founder, Mohammed Ali Jinnah.

Mr Singh has filed a case in the Supreme Court challenging the ban. He was expelled from the party last week.

The state said it banned the book for "defamatory references" to India's first home minister Vallabhbhai Patel.

The late Mr Patel is a political icon in his home state of Gujarat.

Described often as the "Iron Man of India", Mr Patel played an important role in the country's independence and the integration of the different states in the Indian union.

Jaswant Singh said he was "saddened" by the ban.

"The day we start banning books, we are banning thinking," he said.

The book examines the role of Congress party leader and the country's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Mr Patel in the partition of India in 1947.

Mr Singh writes that Mr Patel was "far off the mark" in many ways with his projections about the division and future of India.

The BJP dissociated itself from the book and sacked Mr Singh from the party.

Jaswant Singh is a 71-year-old party veteran who has served as finance and external affairs minister in BJP cabinets.

The book has been selling well both in India and Pakistan.