Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.
An Indonesian cult head accused of leading his followers in wild orgies and giving sermons in his underpants was arrested Thursday and faces charges of "lewd acts" and insulting religion, police said.
Agus Noro, the head of the Satria Piningit Weteng Buwono sect, turned himself in early in the morning after a three-day hunt, Jakarta police spokesman Zulkarnain told AFP.
Noro, who is called Agus Imam Solihin or "leader of the faithful" by followers, is alleged to have had sex with his disciples and instructed them to have group sex while he watched in the sect's mansion outside Jakarta.
"We're investigating him based on a report made by a female follower named Kartiningsih on January 26. She complained that Noro had asked her to massage him and touch his genitals," Zulkarnain said.
"She was also made to have sex with him, while her husband and followers watched," he added.
"Lewd acts" and insulting religion carry jail terms of up to nine years and seven years respectively, Zulkarnain said.
"If our investigations prove that he carried out lewd acts, we'll name him a suspect and hand him over to the court," Zulkarnain said.
"He has about 40 followers, all adults. At the beginning, Noro told them to pray and carry out religious recitations. After several months, he told them he was God and that they didn't have to do that any more," Zulkarnain said.
Noro gave religious sermons wearing only his underpants and told his disciples they would be taught "Kamasutra" sex techniques to use in the afterlife, former follower Eko was quoted as saying by news website Okezone.
"We just obeyed like we'd been hypnotised," Eko said.
Police described the sex guru, believed to be in his 40s, as looking "cool... just like youngsters nowadays," with dyed brown hair and fair skin, the website reported.
Gordon Brown will be hoping the Chinese Premier injects some of his country's cash into the British economy when the two men meet to discuss the global financial crisis.
Wen Jiabao's visit to the UK is part of something his government is calling a 'Journey of Confidence' - a whirlwind tour of Europe to promote trade and investment.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Wen talked up China's role in reviving international fortunes: "We are full of confidence. The harsh winter will be gone and spring is around the corner."
Over the past two decades, China has transformed itself from a drab Communist state to the planet's third largest economy, with 1.3 billion consumers hungry for the fruits of capitalism.
But while people and governments in the West are burdened with debt, the Chinese are careful savers.
Chinese households have one of the highest savings rates in the world - 30%, compared to about 1% in Britain, and close to zero in the US.
That is why some people think if the Chinese can now be coaxed into spending their hoarded wealth, they will be key to resuscitating the global economy.
For his part, Mr Brown has made it clear he wants to do business with the Chinese leader while he is in town.
And both men agree the world must stave off protectionist trade policies and defend globalisation in the midst of the crisis.
China is set to spend a £400bn government stimulus package, most of which will go into building new infrastructure like roads and airports.
During Mr Wen's stop in Berlin earlier this week, two German companies inked deals with China in the transportation sector.
Mr Brown will be hoping that British companies can also get a piece of China's stimulus pie.
But there are others who see China in a different light: as the cause of the financial crisis.
China's two decade-long boom has been fuelled by exports - as the country transformed itself into the world's manufacturing hub.
The country exports far more than it imports and it has generated a massive trade surplus, with a flood of foreign currency pouring into the country.
China's foreign exchange reserves now total nearly US$2 trillion.
It has used much of that money to buy American debt - mainly Treasury bills issued by the US government.
There are some who argue China's effective line of credit to the American economy was the cause of the mortgage bubble - and therefore the credit crunch.
America's new Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner accused China of "manipulating its currency" - that is, unfairly depressing the value of the yuan so as to promote exports, thereby creating an ever bigger imbalance in trade.
In Germany, the Chinese Premier defended his country's exchange rate policy, telling reporters: "China is not to blame for this."
There are many experts who disagree with Mr Geithner.
"It is better to believe that there is some sort of conspiracy in Beijing to make Chinese manufacturers and exports wildly and unfairly competitive and put the poor American worker out of business," said Professor Willem Buiter, of the London School of Economics.
"All that is economic gobbledygook."
But if the new US administration is unfairly using China as a scapegoat, it is still unclear how it can save the world from the financial crisis.
The country has its own money worries - slowing economic growth, a slump in exports and rising unemployment.
As exports fall, Mr Wen and his government are trying to replace it with domestic consumption - getting people and companies to spend.
But that will not be easy in the face of China's woefully inadequate social security and public healthcare and with many of its citizens still living in grinding poverty.
Heavenly King Andy Lau was seen wearing a ring on his right ring finger when he was in Guangzhou to promote his new movie "Look for a Star". Lau explained that it is purely a promotional tool, but also said he will not spend his entire life being a single man.
"Please be assured that the day (of marriage) will come. I will not live in solitude all my life. I'm very afraid of spending the rest of my life alone. I have never done anything bad, so I believe god will take care of me," he said.
Marriage of the 48-year-old celebrity has been a limelight of his personal life throughout his years of being in the entertainment scene. Lau has been rumored to have dated Carol Chu, a Malaysian, for over 20 years.
Lau added that the ring he was wearing at the event was sponsored and he has to wear it every time he is promoting the movie. "I have to return it to them every time I'm done with it. They refuse to give it to me," he said.
Lau, who acted as a wealthy man, courageous in pursuing his love, revealed to have not met or done anything romantic in real life. "Perhaps I entered showbiz too early in my life; I'm always busy everyday and am always pursuing something. I always do romantic things in movies, but in reality, I think I've never really done anything romantic. I've not found real romanticism in my actual life yet. At this point of time, I think romanticism is not about doing something, but being together with someone I love and waking up to see her everyday."
International superstar Jackie Chan revealed to his habit of washing his own undergarments and socks in the hotel rooms whenever he travels, and also brings home the hotel soap provided!
This is not an act of "kiasu-ism", but of saving the earth and reducing wastage. Chan swears off disposable toiletries and insists on finishing a bar of soap once used.
"I usually stay in the presidential suite whenever I travel; however I will wash my own undergarments and socks everyday when I return to my room. I will also inform the chamber maids that they do not have to change my bed sheets and towels everyday," he said.
Chan was in Singapore last week for a go-green initiative. He took the chance to share his ways of saving the environment.
"Some people dispose the toothbrush and soap after using once or twice. It's a waste. My habit is that once I un-wrap the soap which the hotels provide, I will carry it along with me until I finish using it. As long as items are provided free of charge, everyone will just use as much as they can; I always tell the hotel staffs, they should consider charging people for the items they use, so that they will think twice before using," he added.
To save water, Chan says the production team and stuntmen will visit the washroom together and get in queue. "The last one flushes!" he laughed.
Also, whenever he has a concert, he will remind the audience to take away their water bottles at the end of the concert. "Artistes make their appeal and the audience usually will respond to the call. That is the power of celebrities," Chan said.
Sexy bedroom photos of Hong Kong top model Gaile Lai, girlfriend of Heavenly King Leon Lai, are currently spreading on the Internet. The source of these photos was pointed to the Facebook account of female photographer Eydie Tai. Lai is known to be bold in taking provocative photos which had been published on tabloids.
Tai, who shot Sammi Cheng's album cover photos, uploaded photos she had taken of 40 top models which include Lai, Balia Chan and Lisa S, onto her personal Facebook account and set the privacy level of photo album to "Everyone", whereby anyone with or without a Facebook account can view the photos.
Judging from the background of the series of 43 photos, it is believed that they were shot at the models' private apartments.
In the photos, Lai was seen in alluring poses, sitting and lying on her bed filled with plush toys, dressed in sexy lingerie; another photo featured her biting her lips provocatively, in a tank top, seeming without her bra on, sitting on a flush toilet.
According to reports, Lai was stunned and helpless when she learnt that her photos had been spread via her photographer's Facebook account. Apparently, the photos were uploaded without permission.
According to reliable source, Tai has excellent socializing skills and knows many top models and celebrities. In addition, she is one of the very few female photographers in showbiz; many female stars have thus more comfortable working with her.
The doom and gloom might be spreading as Britain descends into recession - but some things are remaining buoyant.
The number of 'boob jobs' have increased by 30% in the past year, according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons.
In total, more than 34,000 surgical procedures were performed in 2008.
Despite the credit crunch, people are shelling out thousands of pounds for perfection.
Nigel Mercer, consultant plastic surgeon and president of Baaps, said: "These figures indicate that, despite the beginnings of a financial downturn last year, the public's interest in aesthetic surgery remained strong, especially in regards to specific procedures."
Nicola Sanderson, 40, from Preston, had implants after breast-feeding and losing two-and-a-half stone during a traumatic split from her husband.
She said: "I didn't feel attractive with sagging, deflated breasts. I am absolutely thrilled with the result. I am now much more in proportion.
"The beauty of it is that no one has really noticed - even my four-year-old daughter. I just have bags of confidence now. "
There has also been a boom in the number of men who are happy to splash their cash on surgery.
The most common procedure for men is the nose job , but brow lifts and 'moob jobs' - male breast reductions - are becoming increasingly popular.
It is evidence that while surgery used to be the domain of the rich, famous or vain, it has moved into the mainstream.
Rajiv Grover, consultant plastic surgeon and Baaps secretary, said: "This year we have recorded a dramatic rise in a number of procedures."
The number of people having liposuction and eyelid surgery has fallen - possibly because non-surgical alternatives are now available.
If the global economy fails to recover in 2009, the housing bubble or credit crunch may not be to blame. It could be a lack of fire.
Chinese fortunetellers say fire _ one of the five elements mystics believe form the basis of the universe _ is essential to financial well-being. And fire is nowhere to be found in the mythology of this coming Year of the Ox, the Chinese lunar year that begins Monday.
"Fire is the driving force behind economic growth. Without it, the market lacks momentum," said Raymond Lo, a Hong Kong master of feng shui, the ancient Chinese practice of trying to achieve health, harmony and prosperity through building design, the placement of objects and auspicious dates and numbers.
Chinese soothsayers see a deepening recession, millions more losing their jobs, and stocks and home prices continuing to fall. That's more or less in line with what some economists are predicting, but some fortunetellers are throwing in other dire predictions _ massive earthquakes, rising U.S.-Russian tensions and trouble for President Barack Obama.
Obama, born in the Year of the Ox, is taking office in a particularly bad year for his Chinese astrological sign. The ox sign is in direct conflict this year with a traditional Chinese divinity called the "God of Year," considered a bad omen. Obama also is the 44th president, a number the Chinese deem extremely unlucky, because "four" is pronounced the same as "death" in Chinese.
"The new U.S. president is not having good luck this year. His honeymoon will only be short-lived," said fortuneteller Alion Yeo, predicting Obama may even face impeachment in his first year in office. "The Year of the Ox looks slightly better and less dire than last year, but it will still be bumpy."
Yeo also predicted that the U.S. mortgage crisis would worsen and the stock market would plunge to new lows.
But Malaysian numerologist Weng Shi Ming suggested Obama's birth year would offset his bad luck. Weng said the symmetry of 1961 is "the perfect mix of ying and yang," rendering Obama "immune to the effects of 44."
The ox, one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, symbolizes calm, hard work, resolve and tenacity. According to legend, the ox allowed the cunning rat to ride on its head in a race to determine the animals' order. Shortly before the ox crossed the finish line, the rat leaped off to claim victory. The Year of the Rat was marked in 2008.
Among the world's luminaries born in the Year of the Ox: former U.S. President Richard Nixon (1913), former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (1925), Princess Diana (1961), and Hollywood actors George Clooney (1961) and Richard Gere (1949).
The lunar new year is the biggest annual festival for ethnic Chinese, who make up about one-fifth of the world's population. It is a time of lavish spending, when loved ones exchange "hong bao," or red envelopes stuffed with money. But this year's festivities will likely be more subdued amid the economic slump.
"What's important is that the family has a good time. There's no need to overspend," said Ooi Lee Mui, a Malaysian housewife shopping in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown, where the season's gold lanterns and bright-hued flowers bedecked streets and stores.
Joey Yap, a feng shui expert in Malaysia, saw no economic recovery before 2010.
"It will be a daunting year. We haven't really reached the peak of the problems yet," Yap said. "We haven't tasted the main dish, and will most likely experience it during the second half of the year."
But feng shui master Lo saw a glimmer of hope. The combination of two elements changes every lunar year, and this time it's two earths, the element that represents harmony and peace. Not since 1949, when the world order was settling down after World War II, has an Ox Year seen two earth signs.
"It is a year for healing ... from the turbulent time the world has experienced," Lo said.
Indian cinema audiences can finally see what the rest of the world has been jumping up and down about.
But even before Slumdog Millionaire had been released in Indian theatres, it was already causing some controversy over its title.
A small crowd demonstrated in the centre of Mumbai where the film is set, claiming the word "slumdog" was insulting about those living in the city's teeming slums.
Others are complaining the film exploits the poor people around which the story is based.
But more typically, the low-budget film which has clinched ten Oscar nominations has generated huge excitement and pride in the home of Bollywood.
It has seen the first ever triple Oscar nomination for an Indian.
Lodestar Rahman was nominated for Best Original Score and two of his numbers were shortlisted for Best Original Song.
The film has a British director - Danny Boyle - and its screenplay was written by a Briton - Simon Beaufoy of Full Monty fame - but it showcases a string of known and lesser known Indian actors.
The music is composed by an Indian (Rahman) and the bestselling novel on which the film is based is authored by an Indian, Vikas Swarup.
"We absolutely never imagined this," Anil Kapoor, who is one of the film's stars told Sky News. "This is great for India."
A few miles away from the glitz and the glamour, a real-life Slumdog Millionaire is still basking in his unexpected good fortune.
Vishal Netke is a rickshaw driver. He lives in a one-room home in the Borivili area of Mumbai with his wife, his mother and his eight year old son.
He used to earn an average of around fifty rupees a day (about 70p) after paying off the loan for hiring the rickshaw as well as other medical debts.
That was until he landed a spot on the tv quiz show, Das Ka Dum.
By answering eight questions correctly, he won a million rupees (about £12,500) - and transformed his life.
He was able to wipe out all his debts and buy a string of luxuries for his family including a microwave oven, an LCD tv and a fish tank of which he is very obviously proud.
"Who would have thought a rickshaw driver would be able to do this," he said.
"I learned everything I know from driving my rickshaw and talking to my passengers.
"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I have had it."
The money is all spent and he is still living in the same one-roomed home but he now owns his rickshaw and all his earnings go straight to him rather than to moneylenders.
"I have been very very lucky," he says with a grin.
Save the Children work in 130 slums in Delhi helping 11,000 children.
The family of a 20-year-old Brazilian model who is fighting for her life after having her hands and feet amputated have urged her supporters around the world to keep praying for their daughter.
A blog created to provide updates on Mariana Bridi da Costa's condition says the model's stomach had to be removed during the last surgery due to internal bleeding.
"Continue praying for her. The doctors are doing everything that is humanly possible to save her, but only God can really save your (sic) life," says the most recent post by Renato Lindgren.
Da Costa's boyfriend, Thiago Simoes, told the G1 news Web site that Bridi fell ill on December 30 and was initially misdiagnosed with kidney stones.
When her condition worsened she returned to hospital where doctors determined she was suffering from a severe urinary tract infection.
By then, Bridi was also suffering from septicimea, a blood infection that limited the supply of oxygen to her extremities.
The condition forced doctors to amputate first her hands and then her feet.
Her father, Agnaldo da Costa, is said to have told Folha de S Paulo newspaper that "the concern is over her life."
The executive director of Miss World Brazil, Henrique Fontes, issued a call for blood donors.
According to the blogsite, Bridi has a rare negative blood type. By Tuesday, it said more than 100 people had donated blood in her name.
News of Bridi's condition spread quickly throughout Brazil and then worldwide.
A message on her Web site said that the volume of traffic to the Web site had caused it to crash, and that the site had received more than 15,000 hits in two days.
"The whole world, I repeat, the whole world is touched by the case of Mariana."
The message said they had received "emails of solidarity from all corners of the world: Australia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, France, Italy, USA, Russia, etc.. "
Bridi's family and friends have urged people to keep praying for Mariana's survival. "Mariana is (a) warrior and will win this battle."
In 2007 and 2008, Bridi came fourth in the quest to find Miss World Brazil, representing first the coastal town of Guarapari and then the town of Sergipe.
She also came fourth in the Face of the Universe competition held in South Africa in 2007. And last year she won the award for the best body in the Miss Bikini International competition held in China.
R&B sensation Rihanna's world tour faces the axe in Malaysia because she is deemed too sexy.
The country's conservative Islamic party have called for the 20-year-old American to be banned for her provocative stagewear.
They say Rihanna's skimpy outfits from her "Good Girl Gone Bad" tour would be an insult to Asian values.
But even if the Umbrella star reined in her sexy clothing, it seems global politics also threaten her chances of playing the Southeast Asia federation on February 13.
The Pan-Malaysian Islamic party (PAS) has led protests against the US over its support for Israel.
One of the party's youth leaders warned potential concertgoers that buying tickets would help boost America's war chest.
"Whether Rihanna realises it or not, we know that the taxes she has paid also contributed to the war in Gaza," Kamaruzaman Mohamad told Malay newspaper the Star daily.
The event was "akin to insulting Eastern culture, belittling local artistes, internationally causing losses to the country's economy and supporting Israel's war policy," he said.
Kamaruzaman urged authorities who hand out concert permits in the country to block the application.
The concert's sponsor told the daily that Rihanna has agreed to follow local regulations for her performance but did not give details.
Rihanna (real name Robyn Rihanna Fenty) is not the first big star to face such flack.
Last year, US singer Beyonce scrapped a planned concert in Malaysia due to protest fears.
In 2006 the Pussycat Dolls were slapped with a £2,000 fine for falling foul of the country's decency laws.
Police chiefs have received a dressing down after spending £170,000 of taxpayers' money to arrest a stripper 22 times for impersonating an officer.
University student Stuart Kennedy, 25, has spent 123 hours in police custody since his first arrest in March 2007.
He has faced charges including possession of an offensive weapon - his truncheon and a fake CS spray - and for allegedly fixing a blue flashing light to his car.
But none of the cases against him have resulted in a successful prosecution, and the latest case collapsed in court last week after prosecutors dropped the charges.
That came after his arrest while driving home from a club in Aberdeen dressed in full police uniform.
He said he had been forced to flee the bar fully clothed after being threatened by an angry boyfriend.
Mr Kennedy says his portrayal of a peeling policeman, Sergeant Eros, is helping him pay his way through university.
But Colin Menzies, the Assistant Chief Constable of Grampian Police, defended his force's pursuit of the stripper in blue.
He was quoted as saying the force had a "duty to investigate all instances when reports of alleged criminal behaviour are received".
He added: "I am, however, extremely disappointed that the force and our officers have come in for such criticism when I believe they have acted proportionately and with the greater interests of the community we serve at heart throughout."
But Labour's Justice spokesman Richard Baker said: "I don't see this as serving effectively as a deterrent and people regard this more as ludicrous than as a serious matter."
Kaka decided Monday to stay with AC Milan, ending talks over a record-breaking transfer bid from Manchester City reported to be worth about $150 million.
Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, AC Milan's owner, returned from Middle East peace talks in Egypt and met for 1 1/2 hours with team vice president Adriano Galliani, then made the announcement on Italian television.
"For Kaka, money isn't everything," Berlusconi said in a telephone interview with "Processo di Biscardi." "When I heard he preferred to stay, that he hadn't thought about losing a chance for a higher salary and that he put the values of the club, friendship and fans affection above all else, I said, `Come on,' and we hugged."
The 26-year-old Brazilian midfielder, FIFA's player of the year in 2007 after leading AC Milan to the European Champions League title, is under contract with the Italian club through 2013. His actual name is Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite.
Earlier, a group of about 500 fans protested outside Milan's downtown offices, lighting flares and chanting "Don't sell Kaka!"
Afterward, about 50 fans moved toward Kaka's home and chanted, "Stay with us, Ricardo," to which Kaka replied by approaching a window with a Milan jersey in hand and beat his hand three times on his heart, sending the fans into delirium, the ANSA news agency and Gazzetta dello Sport's Web site reported.
Eventually, a worker at Kaka's house went outside and asked the fans to quiet down because they were disturbing Kaka's child. The fans said they would leave if they could see their idol once more. Kaka obliged and approached his window again and the fans left.
Manchester City was bought in August by an Abu Dhabi consortium and is seeking to become one of Europe's top clubs.
"Following a meeting in Milan today, the club felt that it was unlikely that the two parties could reach common ground for an agreement," City said. "The discussions reached only a preliminary stage and the player was not involved at any time. No commercial terms were framed."
Scandalous photos of Adam Cheng's daughter, Winnie Cheng, had been exposed by netizens. 19-year-old Winnie posted photos of her partying and kissing 19 different men on her blog, one of which was taken in bikini. After the photos were exposed, Adam merely replied, "It's not a big deal to be in bikini."
Photos of Winnie kissing two different men on Christmas night last year in Hong Kong were splashed on tabloids. According to sources, Adam was furious over photos of her daughter's frivolous behavior and sent her off to college in England immediately, hoping she will mend her moral integrity. Being out of sight of her parents, her life took for a more exciting, amorous turn.
The photos were mostly self-taken on the streets, beach, night clubs, public toilets, buses and even on the bed. Occasions varied from Halloween parties to private theme parties. Among them include a set of beach photos, part of them believed to be taken in the public bathroom at the beach. Winnie, dressed in bikini, was seen in the arms of a topless tattooed man, kissing.
"What's the big deal about being in bikini? She's almost 20 years old and do not need us to meddle in her life. More importantly, she's pretty. I will remind her to be careful; don't post photos online," Adam replied.
Winnie is the elder daughter of Adam and his current wife Koon Ching-wah; they have a younger daughter, Cecily. Joyce Cheng is his daughter with late ex-wife, Lydia Sum.
US actress Pamela Anderson has appealed to the authorities in India's financial capital Mumbai not to put down nuisance stray dogs, instead calling for them to be sterilised.
"It is well established that killing stray dogs is not a permanent solution to controlling their populations," the former "Baywatch" star said in a letter to the municipal commission of Greater Mumbai.
"Dogs cannot use condoms, but with the municipality's help, they can be 'fixed' -- painlessly, quickly and permanently," she added in the letter made public by activist group the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
There are thought to be some 70,000 stray dogs in India's financial and entertainment capital and there are widespread concerns about their role in spreading disease, including deadly rabies.
Anderson's letter, which cited World Health Organisation and Animal Health Board of India support for mass sterilisation, comes after a legal ruling here to destroy nuisance dogs.
Expressing her concern at the court decision, the 41-year-old star called instead for civic authorities to promote a sterilisation programme for stray dogs as well as those adopted and bought from animal shelters and pet shops.
Anderson's stance was supported by the Mumbai-based charity Welfare of Stray Dogs, which has been carrying out mass sterilisation of stray dogs since 1989.
Its chief executive, Abodh Aras, told AFP: "It's not only Pamela Anderson but a lot of children have also been writing to the commission saying that one should have the policy of sterilisation rather than killing stray dogs.
"Killing has proved to be ineffective in terms of bringing down the stray dog population and human rabies death. It's not just from the dog point of view but also from the human point of view."
Mass killing of stray dogs was implemented by India's British colonial rulers in the 19th century.
But by the early 1990s the policy was stopped as it was found to be ineffective in controlling the dog population and reducing human rabies deaths.
An attempt was made to revive the practice in 1998 but was rejected while the latest bid is currently subject to an Indian Supreme Court ruling due in the coming weeks.
India has so many dogs roaming its streets because of its high numbers of slum and street dwellers, who often keep the animals as pets, plus a large amount of garbage, which provides readily accessible food for scavenging mutts.
Zimbabwe unveiled a 100 trillion dollar note Friday in the latest grim measure of its staggering economic collapse, heightening the urgency of a new round of unity talks set for next week.
Veteran leader Robert Mugabe and opposition chief Morgan Tsvangirai are set to hold talks Monday with key regional leaders in a bid to salvage a four-month-old unity accord, which has yet to be implemented.
The stalemate over disputed elections last year has only fuelled the economic and humanitarian crisis that has impoverished the country, leaving nearly half the population dependent on food aid as a cholera epidemic sweeps the country.
The Reserve Bank announced in the government mouthpiece Herald newspaper a series of trillion-dollar denominations to keep pace with hyperinflation that has left the once-dynamic economy in tatters.
The new 100,000,000,000,000 Zim-dollar bill would have been worth about 300 US dollars (225 euros) at Thursday's exchange rate on the informal market, where most currency trading now takes place, but the value of the local currency erodes dramatically every day.
The move came just one week after the bank released a series of billion-dollar notes, which already are not worth enough for workers to withdraw their monthly salaries.
Inflation was last reported at 231 million percent in July, but the Washington think-tank Cato Institute has estimated it now at 89.7 sextillion percent -- a figure expressed with 21 zeroes.
When Mugabe took power at independence from Britain in 1980, the Zimbabwe dollar was equivalent to the British pound.
For years, the nation's farms, schools and health care were considered a model for Africa. Now 80 percent of the population is in poverty, 1.3 million are living with HIV, five million depend on food aid, and more than one million others have fled overseas.
A breakdown in basic sanitation and water has spawned a cholera epidemic that has killed 2,100 people since August and shows no sign of slowing.
Despite the ever-worsening crisis, Zimbabwe is locked in a political limbo following elections last March, when Tsvangirai won a first-round presidential vote and his Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) seized a parliamentary majority for the first time.
The MDC victory was greeted with a wave of political attacks that Amnesty International says left more than 180 people dead -- mostly opposition supporters.
Citing the violence, Tsvangirai pulled out of a run-off election in June, allowing 84-year-old Mugabe to claim a one-sided victory condemend by western powers.
Former South African president Thabo Mbeki brokered a power-sharing deal signed September 15, but the rivals have yet to agree on how to form a unity government, while attacks and arrests of MDC members have continued.
Hoping to salvage the deal, South Africa's new President Kgalema Motlanthe plans to fly to Harare on Monday with Mbeki and Mozambican President Armando Emilio Guebuza to mediate new talks.
"They will focus their discussions on the outstanding matters in the implementation of the global agreement," Motlanthe's spokesman Thabo Masebe told AFP in Johannesburg.
Tsvangirai told reporters Thursday that he remained committed to the unity accord. "All I lack is a willing partner," Tsvangirai said.
But he said he was not willing for talks to drag on indefinitely.
"At some point we will have to decide whether it is worth going into this government or not," he said.
Early reports suggest that a bird strike caused a jet plane to crash in the Hudson River near Manhattan today, leaving questions about how a little flying animal could down a big airliner.
More than 200 people have been killed worldwide as a result of wildlife strikes with aircraft since 1988, according to Bird Strike Committee USA, and more than 5,000 bird strikes were reported by the U.S. Air Force in 2007. Bird strikes, or the collision of an aircraft with an airborne bird, tend to happen when aircraft are close to the ground, which means just before landing or after take-off, when jet engines are turning at top speeds.
The incidents are serious particularly when the birds, usually gulls, raptors and geese, are sucked into a jet engine and strike an engine fan blade. That impact displaces the blade such that it strikes another blade and a cascade can occur, resulting in engine failure.
A 12-pound Canada goose striking an aircraft going 150 mph at lift-off generates the force of a 1,000-pound weight dropped from a height of 10 feet, according to Bird Strike Committee USA.
Today's incident, which occurred just after US Airways flight 1549 (an Airbus 320) had taken off with more than 150 passengers and crew members from LaGuardia Airport in New York, en route to Charlotte, N.C., involved a flock of geese, according to CBS News. Reports indicate no deaths or serious injuries as of this writing.
Large aircraft are certified to be able to keep flying after impacting a 4-pound bird, however 36 species of birds in North America weigh more than this, according to the committee. Even smaller birds, such as starlings, can cause engine failure.
The greater the difference in the speed of the plane and the bird, the greater the force of the impact on the aircraft. The weight of the bird is also a factor, but the speed difference is a much bigger factor.
Flocks of birds are even more dangerous as they can result in multiple strikes.
Delicate birds, delicate aircraft
Dale Oderman, associate professor of aviation technology at Purdue University in Indiana says birds can be very dangerous to aircraft, particularly in the first several thousand feet after take-off, where the birds are flying.
"Obviously, geese or another large bird would be much more hazardous than a little black bird," Oderman said. "The speed at which the two are moving causes the bird to get ingested into the engine. And the engine is very delicate to withstanding a major impact."
He added: "It just shuts the engine down."
Basically, if the birds get too close to the engine's intake, it's like a vacuum - the birds just get sucked in.
"The initial stages of a jet engine are made up of a lot of compressor blades. Those aren't very big and they can be very easily damaged," Oderman told LiveScience. "Even if one of those things breaks off, then the one blade will go through the rest of the engine and it's like shrapnel to the engine."
And in the case of the Hudson River crash, the birds apparently took out both engines.
"Apparently in this particular case it seems both engines were hit. If it was a flock of birds they flew thought it wouldn't be a surprise to me," Oderman said.
Airports, Oderman said, take several precautions to keep planes safe from birds. For instance, they often don't plant many trees nearby, as these are nesting areas for birds. Since La Guardia is right on the water, he noted, there are a lot of water birds around.
Bird strike remains
Bird strikes are on the rise, according to the committee. After a bird strike in the United States, the remains, called snarge, are sent to the Smithsonian Institution's Feather Identification Laboratory to identify the species, according to WikiPedia.
Bird and other wildlife strikes to aircraft result in more than $600 million in damage a year, according to Bird Strike Committee USA. Five jet airliners have had major accidents involving bird strikes since 1975, the committee says. In one case, about three dozen people died.
NASA worries about bird strikes, too.
During the July 2005 launch of Discovery on mission STS-114, a vulture soaring around the launch pad impacted the shuttle's external tank just after liftoff. With a vulture's average weight ranging from 3 to 5 pounds, a strike at a critical point on the shuttle - like the nose or wing leading thermal protection panels - could cause catastrophic damage to the vehicle.
NASA put safety measures into place in 2005 to reduce the odds of bird strikes with the shuttle. The agency particularly wants to avoid bird strikes to the shuttle's fuel tank that could damage the heat shield during launch and landing.
For instance, NASA has a special during launch countdown where they can stop to wait for birds to pass. And during landing, NASA has a sound cannon that they fire to make sure the runway is clear from birds to make sure shuttle isn't damaged during landing.
Manners maketh the businessman, with a global survey finding Americans and Britons to be the most easily insulted by lack of workplace etiquette, while Australians are among the most offensive.
The survey, by Australian-based international office space provider Servcorp, listed the top five most offensive workplace behaviors as not saying hello or good morning, not offering office guests a beverage, speaking loudly across the room, using swear words and taking calls on mobile phones.
The use of stationery without permission and asking colleagues about their personal lives were also deemed insulting.
The poll then revealed the United States and Britain to be the most sensitive nations in the world, despite 60 percent of respondents believing Japan has the strictest work etiquette.
English and American businessmen were also more easily offended than their colleagues in the Middle East, Japan and China, nations with cultural traditions spanning centuries.
Almost 25 percent of Australians, however, thought it was perfectly acceptable to swear -- something the majority of Japanese and Middle Easterners found deeply offensive.
Nearly all Australians polled also said they would not think twice about addressing their boss by their first name, something Chinese business people found very rude.
Australians also regularly talk loudly at work, take personal calls and ask too many personal questions, the survey showed.
"Being aware of potentially offensive behavior is a key factor to Australian business success abroad," Taine Moufarrige, Servcorp's executive director, said in a statement.
"Australians are very natural in their business style, perhaps more so than any other country in the world," she said, adding that the survey, which was sent to some 700 businesspeople in 13 countries, was commissioned to help Australians.
The survey found that although they are not easily offended, Australians were more ticked off than their international colleagues by business people who don't buy drinks and who don't offer guests beverages.
Copyrights of the sexually suggestive photos of Zhang Ziyi and her Israeli fiancé Vivi Nevo on the Caribbean island of St Barts has been bought over by a "mystery man", in an attempt to halt further proliferation of the photos over various media. It is speculated that this "mystery man" is one with great financial power and is likely to be Vivi, who is an international venture capitalist.
A Los Angeles-based paparazzi agency captured Zhang sunbathing topless and Vivi touching her intimately, instantly sparking debates over Zhang's demeaning behavior as an Asian woman.
A company by the name of A-link, which apparently owns the distribution rights of Zhang's photos in Asia, said, days ago, a mystery man had bought over the exclusive copyrights for the series of photos for Taiwan, Japan, Korea and America. For three months between Jan 9 to Apr 9, media in the four countries are not allowed to buy or publish the related photos. Particulars of the buyer and the price paid are to remain confidential.
Vivi, known to be the doting boyfriend with riches, is speculated to be the "mystery man" who bought the photos; however, Zhang has yet to verify this rumor.
A-link revealed that it is a high price to pay for copyrights of these photos for distribution in four countries and such case is rare. It is also said that the copyrights of these photos for distribution in China and Hong Kong will be bought soon.
BEIJING in faraway provinces, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The children were snatched in the southern city of Yueyang in Hunan province, the Beijing News said. The crimes had been committed since September, it added without saying how many children had been taken.
Thirteen people have since been arrested.
Most of the children were two or three and were sold in Yunnan, Sichuan or Fujian provinces, the newspaper said. The children were sold for prices ranging from 860 yuan .
One child was abandoned when it was found to be a girl, the newspaper said.
In 2007, China launched a nationwide crackdown on slavery and child labour after reports that hundreds of poor farmers, children and mentally disabled were forced to work in kilns and mines in Shanxi province and neighbouring Henan.
In April last year, thousands of children in southwest China were sold into slavery like "cabbages" to work as labourers in more prosperous areas such as Guangdong, newspapers reported earlier.
Since the late 1970s, China has restricted most families to one child. Experts say a traditional preference for boys, especially in rural areas, is leading to a growing gender imbalance stemming from aborted or abandoned baby girls.
An Australian state is offering internationally what it calls "the best job in the world" -- earning a top salary for lazing around a beautiful tropical island for six months.
The job pays 150,000 Australian dollars (105,000 US dollars) and includes free airfares from the winner's home country to Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland's state government announced on Tuesday.
In return, the "island caretaker" will be expected to stroll the white sands, snorkel the reef, take care of "a few minor tasks" -- and report to a global audience via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates.
The successful applicant, who will stay rent-free in a three-bedroom beach home complete with plunge pool and golf buggy, must be a good swimmer, excellent communicator and be able to speak and write English.
"They'll also have to talk to media from time to time about what they're doing so they can't be too shy and they'll have to love the sea, the sun, the outdoors," said acting state Premier Paul Lucas.
"The fact that they will be paid to explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, swim, snorkel and generally live the Queensland lifestyle makes this undoubtedly the best job in the world."
Lucas said the campaign was part of a drive to protect the state's 18 billion Australian dollar a year tourism industry during the tough economic climate caused by the global financial meltdown.
"Traditional tourism advertising just doesn't cut it sometimes and we are thinking outside the box by launching this campaign."
Queensland Tourism Minister Desley Boyle said some people might question whether it was risky to let an unknown person become an unofficial tourism spokesperson for the state.
"I think the biggest risk will be that the successful candidate won't want to go home at the end of the six months," she said.
"This is a legitimate job which is open to anyone and everyone."
Applications are open until February 22. Eleven shortlisted candidates will be flown to Hamilton Island in early May for the final selection process and the six month contract will commence on July 1.
Job-seekers can apply on .
Taiwanese artiste, Rene Liu revealed that she was a toilet cleaner before becoming personal assistant for singer Bobby Chen, and she shared the work with Asian superstar Takeshi Kaneshiro.
Liu revealed that the wages she received as Chen's assistant was as little as S$500. She spent three years beside Chen observing and learning, while she awaits an opportunity. Her talents were later discovered by director Sylvia Chang who first casted her in movie "Siao Yu".
In her early years in the industry, Liu had to do everything, including washing the toilet. "There was also another person who had to wash the toilet. And he is the superstar who is famous across China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan, Takeshi Kaneshiro. Basically we shared the work; one of us did Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while the other did Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays," Liu revealed. She said that though it was a tough period, it was a fulfilling one.
Liu also denied rumors which said she is quitting showbiz. She explained that she will be undergoing a knee operation and needed time off from work to recuperate; but that did not mean she is retiring from showbiz.
A well-known "marriage fanatic" she is, Liu is still a far cry from her own wedding. She revealed that though there is someone wooing her, she does not fancy him and is also not dating at the moment.
An ice-skating coach who was pronounced brain dead after a haemorrhage gave birth to a daughter two days later.
Jayne Soliman, who was 41 and worked in Bracknell, Berkshire, collapsed suddenly at home.
She was airlifted to Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital where doctors managed to keep her heart beating long enough to deliver her baby daughter by caesarean section.
Little Aya Jayne is being monitored by intensive care doctors at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.
Bracknell Ice Skating Club, where Mrs Soliman worked, has issued a statement expressing their sadness over what happened to the popular coach.
The message on their website reads: "It is with great regret and immense sadness that we have to inform you that coach Jayne Soliman died suddenly on Wednesday afternoon as a result of a brain haemorrhage.
"The baby is very small but doing well. Our prayers are with her."
Mrs Soliman was a professional skater who had competed in international galas.
She was only 25 weeks pregnant at the time of the haemorrhage.
Doctors said it was caused by an aggressive tumour which had struck a major blood vessel.
Mrs Soliman was given large doses of steroids to help the child's lungs develop and gave birth to a baby girl weighing just over two pounds.
David Phillips, a friend who was with her when she died, told the Southern Daily Echo: "To Jayne, becoming a mother was the best thing in the world that could have happened to her."
Paying tribute to the skater, club secretary Edna Boden told the paper: "It is such terrible news and a sad loss to the skating community.She was a long-standing and very popular member of the club.
"She took part in all the shows. We are absolute devastated. But it's such good news about her daughter."
Mrs Soliman's funeral took place at the weekend at the Jamia Masjid mosque in Reading, Berkshire.
Bathing suit season is a bit far off, which means it’s the perfect time to start developing the flat, sexy tummy you swear you’ll work on every year. Even if you loathe crunches, you’ll love the following easy, no-equipment moves. Work a few of these moves into your exercise routine three times a week (easing them in minimizes soreness), and then after two weeks, do them all together in one session. Then don’t be surprised if you find yourself surfing the web for bikinis, preparing to reveal your sleek new abs surfside.
Plank pose
Balance on toes and forearms (or palms) for up to a minute, pulling belly button to spine and keeping back straight.
Standing bicycle
Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands clasped behind head and elbows pointed out to sides. Straighten left leg as you lift right leg, knee bent, thigh parallel to floor. Keeping knee lifted and steady, twist torso toward right. Return to start. Repeat on other side for one rep. Do 10 reps.
Side winder
Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands clasped behind head and elbows pointed out to sides. Lift right leg to side, knee bent, thigh parallel to floor. Keeping knee lifted, bend torso to right side, bringing elbow and knee toward each other. Do 10 reps; switch sides; repeat.
Seesaw
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, hands on hips. Lift right leg, knee bent, thigh parallel to floor with foot flexed. Straighten right leg, pressing heel toward floor, as you lean torso backward. Return to knee lift position and repeat five times. Switch sides and repeat.
Forward bend
Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, arms overhead with palms facing in. Lift right leg, knee bent, thigh parallel to floor. Keeping knee lifted and arms raised, bring torso and knee toward each other as close as you can. Return to start; switch sides and repeat for one rep. Do 10 reps.
A 14-year-old girl who was raped by three youths on Christmas Eve kept the incident to herself because she did not want to spoil her family's Christmas.
The attackers threw the girl to the floor and raped her separately as she was walked home across fields in Hattersley, Manchester.
But she reported the attack more than two weeks later, believing it would have ruined the festive holiday for her relatives.
Detective Constable Barbara Offord said: "This poor schoolgirl was flung to the ground and raped by three youths.
"She has had to live with this all over Christmas and New Year before telling us about it over this weekend.
"We can only imagine the horrors that have been replayed over and over in her mind since then.
"The people who did this are little more than animals - they attacked a young girl on her way home on the day before Christmas."
The victim saw a woman walking her dog nearby and police believe she may have vital information about the incident.
Despite the horrific nature of the assault, the schoolgirl managed to give a detailed description of her attackers.
The first was under 5ft tall, overweight and about 13 or 14-years-old. He was wearing a black tracksuit and black gloves.
The second man was about 18-years-old, 6ft tall and skinny and was wearing a grey jacket, black tracksuit bottoms and a black scarf pulled up over half of his face.
The final attacker was aged 15 or 16, about 5ft tall with a skinny build. He wore a black tracksuit with white trainers and a black balaclava.
Detective Constable Offord said: "This happened on Christmas Eve when most people are rushing around planning for the following day.
"Remember back before Christmas - what were you doing on December 24? Did you see something but dismiss it at the time because you had Christmas Day on your mind?
"Anything you remember could help us put these three behind bars."
See a penny, pick it up, it may be worth a thousand bucks.
Noted coin dealer Scott Travers announced three years ago he had released three rare and valuable pennies into circulation, but none of the coins has been reported found.
"Not only does it appear that these three pennies are out there waiting for someone to cash them in for a pretty penny, there are lots of others that are just like them that are out there," said Travers, author of the book "One-Minute Coin Expert."
In a bid to encourage a new generation of coin collectors, Travers parted with the three one-cent coins in April 2006.
He put the first - a 1914-D Lincoln cent valued at $300 - toward a pretzel at a vendor outside the Nasdaq offices at 4 Times Square.
Days later, Travers spent a 1909-S V.D.B. Lincoln cent valued at $1,000 on a bottle of water he purchased at a different vendor in Times Square. He then walked a block to a newsstand and dispensed a 1908-S Indian Head cent worth $250.
In the weeks after his high-profile stunt, seven people came forward saying they found the $1,000 coin Travers gave up.
"The coins were real, but none of them was mine," Travers said.
The bonanza, Travers said, demonstrated an important point: There are countless coins worth big money that are just waiting to be discovered on sidewalks and streetcorners, and in pants pockets and piggy banks.
"There really are big dollars to be made in small coins," Travers said. "With these hard times, people are really nickel-and-diming it and to be able to make a pretty penny from one that doesn't look so pretty is an extraordinary accomplishment."
Consumers can get more information about how to authenticate their coins at money.org, the Web site of the American Numismatic Association.
The two tied the knot under magnolias filled with white roses Saturday at an ultra-private ceremony at the Church Estates Vineyards in Malibu, Calif., Usmagazine.com can confirm. Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am was among the guests.
Around 5:09 p.m., attendees were overheard saying that the two had wed; cheers were also heard outside the estate.
Look back at Fergie's weight ups and downs leading up to her wedding.
Fergie , 33, wore a fitted, white ruched, corseted wedding gown with a mesh tulle overlay, spaghetti straps and a long train designed by Dolce & Gabbana. The singer -- whose veil was also made by the designer -- was draped in millions of dollars worth of one-of-a-kind diamonds by H.Stern.
Duhamel, 36, also wore Dolce & Gabbana, as did the bridesmaids (in black dresses) and groomsmen (in black suits and white ties).
The two exchanged H.Stern rings, with each band engraved with special personal messages by the bride and groom. Her engagement ring had a round, 4-carat brilliant cut diamond set amid other diamonds, with colors ranging from white to cognac. A narrow colored diamond wedding band was designed to match. Duhamel's ring was made of 18K white gold with a brush finish.
The singer (real name: Stacy Ferguson), and Duhamel have been dating since 2004 after Duhamel confessed to In Style that she was his celeb crush.
"I had read in a magazine that he had a naughty dream about me," Fergie told Playboy last year. "All my friends knew about him because he had been a soap opera star. I'm not into soap operas, but they told me, 'You gotta go out with him. Do it for the group. Take one for the team.'
"Time went by, and I saw on the schedule that we were taping a show called Las Vegas, and I thought, 'Is this the show he's on?'" she went on. "We met, and I said, 'I read you had a dream about me.' He said yeah, and I asked, 'Was it good?' He said it was. So we hit it off."
He popped the question in late 2007.
Of wedding plans, Fergie told USA Today, "I have a big stack of wedding magazines, and I've never picked one up before in my life."
Duhamel recently told Entertainment Tonight that plans were "all going great. It's fun, actually. We're both really excited about it, and it will be good."
Last month, Fergie told Blender married life won't be so different for them.
"We're practically married, anyway," she said. "I'm madly in love with him. He understands how to treat a woman and give me respect."
Prince Harry has been embroiled in a fresh race row after a video showing him using racist insults was obtained by The News Of The World.
The newspaper reports that the tape was made by the third in line to the throne during his Army training.
It says the prince is heard calling one Asian trainee "our little Paki friend".
The newspaper reported that the videotape was shot by the prince as he was about to embark on training as a combat helicopter pilot in an airport for their flight to Cyprus.
Panning around the floor, over his bored or sleeping fellow trainees, he says: "This is luxury. And here is our first example of possibly how to admin yourself (meaning take care of yourself and your kit) in the terminal awaiting the RAF."
Focusing on his colleagues, Harry comments "Now that is bad admin, bad admin" before it tracking over and zooming in on an Asian cadet yards away.
"Anybody else around here?" he asks. "Ah, our little Paki friend... Ahmed."
In a separate incident, the 24-year-old is heard calling another officer cadet who is jokingly wearing a veil on his head a "f***ing raghead".
The video, shot in 2006, also shows the Prince joking about his grandmother the Queen - who is Commander in Chief of the British Army - in front of other cadets.
With his Army friends watching on, he is filmed making a joke call to her, saying: "Granny I've got to go, got to go, send my love to the Corgis and Grandpa."
He signs off by saying in front of them: "I've got to go, got to go, bye. God Save You... yeah, that's great."
Referring to the use of the word "Paki", a statement from Clarence House said: "Prince Harry fully understands how offensive this term can be - and is extremely sorry for any offence his words might cause.
"However, on this occasion three years ago, Prince Harry used the term without any malice and as a nickname about a highly popular member of his platoon.
"There is no question that Prince Harry was in any way seeking to insult his friend."
It added that he was using the term "raghead" to mean "Taliban" or "Iraqi insurgent".
Inayat Bungawala, of the Muslim Council of Great Britain, told Sky News that the remarks were "very, very disappointing".
"Many Muslims will be very disappointed that someone like that has used this kind of language and he really neeeds to come out with a clear statement distancing himself from this," he said.
A senior Ministry of Defence (MoD) official told Sky News: "This sort of language is not acceptable in the modern army."
A spokesman for the Equality and Human Rights Commission said it would investigate.
The spokesman said: "These appear to be disturbing allegations and we will be asking the MoD to see the evidence, share their investigation with us and their plans for dealing with it."
The commission has been working with the MoD to deal with racism in the armed forces.
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