Battle for Jackson's fortune begins

So, who gets Michael Jackson's riches?
His mother took the first step Monday when she petitioned the Superior Court of California to be named the administrator of the late singer's estate. Katherine Jackson said in the filing she was acting to ensure Michael Jackson's three children are the beneficiaries.
It's the opening salvo in a complicated battle for a fortune that includes a lucrative music catalog of the King of Pop's own hits, the rights to songs by the Beatles, and the Neverland ranch that could one day be a tourist attraction.
There's even an elaborate video production, dubbed the "Dome Project," that was overseen by Jackson and finished two weeks before he died.
The high stakes and array of people involved will likely make the fight far more convoluted than recent high-profile squabbles over the estates of singer James Brown and ex-Playboy playmate Anna Nicole Smith.
"There's no doubt that there's going to be a big battle," said Alexis Martin Neely, a Los Angeles-based estate attorney. "It's going to be very messy and I don't see anything comparing to this."
Complicating matters is that few, if any, people know all the details of the reclusive entertainer's financial affairs. His mother's filing, for example, declares that Jackson died "intestate," or without a will. But that is in dispute. Another person with knowledge of Jackson's business matters told The Associated Press last Friday that there is a will, which would take precedent in court. That person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the material.
Becoming an estate administrator "puts a vast amount of power in one person's hands," said Roy Kozupsky, a lawyer with Smith, Gambrell & Russell. The person would have the power to sell assets, make deals and determine how to pay off creditors, he said.
At stake is Jackson's 50 percent ownership in Sony/ATV Music Publishing, a company itself estimated to be worth $2 billion; Jackson's own recordings and songwriting rights, which could be worth more than $150 million; and his joint ownership of the Neverland ranch.
Katherine Jackson said in her filing she intends to use the estate's assets for "the exclusive use of the decedent's (Jackson's) three children." But the filing could also be the first move in contesting the validity of a will, if there is one, Kozupsky said.
Jackson, who died Thursday at age 50, left behind three children: son Michael Joseph Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11; and son Prince Michael II, 7. The youngest was born to a surrogate mother, while the first two were born to ex-wife Deborah Rowe.
The list of potential parties seeking a piece of Jackson's estate is long, ranging from financial firms to the companies involved in his planned comeback. Among them is AEG Live, the concert promoter that booked Jackson for 50 sold-out performances at London's O2 arena starting next month.
AEG Live reportedly gave Jackson a $20 million advance, which it may seek to recover from the estate. AEG Live declined to comment.
How much AEG can recover will likely depend on the wording of insurance policies it took out and whether they included protection against "medical conditions or another event," said Mary Craig Calkins, a partner at Howrey LLP who handles insurance recovery cases for TV and film productions.
The promoter took out about $18 million in insurance through Lloyd's of London, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment.
A big part of determining what the estate is worth — and how much it owes in taxes — will depend on how much Jackson owed to creditors. Estimates put the tally around $400 million.
The federal government will be able to collect around 45 percent in tax on the value of the estate's assets, minus its debts and administration costs including attorney fees.
It appears that the most valuable assets will likely remain in the estate's control.
The Sony/ATV stake and 100 percent of Mijac, the company that controls Michael Jackson's own music, were held in a trust whose beneficiaries are Jackson's children. That trust is safe from creditors, said Al Malnik, its former trustee and Jackson's business adviser from 2002 to 2005.
"The assets were protected through the trust against creditors," Malnik said Monday.
Jackson used those assets as collateral to secure $200 million in loans from Bank of America in 2001. He then refinanced several times. Malnik said the loan total reached $275 million by the time he quit as trustee in 2005. Fortress Investment Group LLC, which took control in 2005, sold the loans off entirely "over a year ago," said company spokeswoman Lilly Donohue.
It is unclear who holds the loans now, but one candidate is Colony Capital LLC, a Los Angeles real estate firm owned by billionaire Thomas Barrack, which also set up a joint venture with Jackson to own Neverland, the 2,500-acre property in Santa Barbara County that once included amusement park rides and zoo animals.
Barrack had lunch with Jackson brothers Jackie, Jermaine and Tito on Saturday at Neverland.
Jackson's estate is still growing through record sales and songwriting rights.
So far this year, some 297,000 of his albums have sold in the U.S., and that's not including last week, when sales spiked in the wake of the singer's death. Jackson's existing works will continue to sell well, said Keith Caulfield, senior charts manager for Billboard magazine.
"He's good for at least a half a million albums a year," Caulfield said.
Songwriting rights also keep earning revenue. Jackson wrote many of the songs he recorded including "Beat It," "Bad," and "Black or White."
For the past three years, Jackson has ranked among the top-earning 100 U.S. songwriters for royalty payments collected by Broadcast Music Inc.
"Michael Jackson is the number one international songwriter in the world for BMI. He is it," BMI chief executive Del Bryant said, adding that use of the singer's songs outside of the U.S. earn more than $1 million dollars annually just for Jackson's share of the royalties.
Warner-Chappell Music, a division of Warner Music Group Corp., is Jackson's music publisher, meaning it promotes use of his songs and lyrics in commercials and TV shows. Jackson's own works, plus scores of song rights he purchased, gross several million dollars per year.
Jackson also owns the master recordings of his own albums such as "Thriller" and "Bad" and had a distribution deal with Sony, according to a person familiar with his finances, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the material.
The surge in interest in his music could inflate the value of assets held by his estate, and the tax bill owed to the U.S. government.
"Unfortunately due to his demise, the value of these entities has increased substantially," Malnik said.

Jackson Nanny was blamed for sheikh lawsuit

Michael Jackson's former nanny GRACE RWARAMBA has opened up about the late star's financial problems - insisting he tried to blame her for his recent financial rows with an Arab Sheikh.The Thriller hitmaker, who passed away on Thursday (25Jun09), settled a multi-million dollar lawsuit from Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Khalifa, the second son of the king of Bahrain, last year (08) - after he accused the star of reneging on a deal to record a new album and write an autobiography. The Sheikh also claimed to have bankrolled Jackson's lavish lifestyle when the star fled to Bahrain after he was acquitted of child molestation charges in 2005. Rwaramba, who looked after the singer's three children until her recent dismissal, insists Jackson had no concept of money management and involved her in the Sheikh scandal by allegedly asking to use her bank account for cash donations from his wealthy benefactor. She says, "(The Sheikh) said he was sending money to Michael through my account. He sent $1 million. Then another $35,000. "Katherine (Jackson's mother) needed money too. So Michael told me to give her my ATM card. She was cashing out of the machine every day. I checked it. "When Abdullah sued Michael last year, Michael said in the beginning, ‘Oh, I never got money from him.’ He tried to frame me that I took the money." Rwaramba then appealed to Jackson's mother to help resolve the situation - insisting America's Internal Revenue Service (IRS) could jail them all over the scandal. She adds, "I said, ‘You, Michael and I we will all go to jail! You know that we didn’t report to the IRS about that gift.’ I told her I had all the documents. That worked. She immediately called Michael and he stopped denying he knew about the money."

Jacko’s ex-wife seeks kids’ custody

The late Michael Jackson’s ex-wife Debbie Rowe is seeking full custody of the couple’s children. The King of Pop passed away at the age of 50 on June 25 after a cardiac arrest apparently caused by an overdose of painkillers. Soon after his death Jackson’s elderly mum Katherine and Debbie were set to launch into a bitter fight for custody of his children.While Katherine was looking after Prince Michael Jnr, 12, Paris, 11, and seven-year-old Prince Michael II in Los Angeles, Debbie had apparently signed away her parental rights in return for a house and a multi-million dollar lump sum. Jackson family lawyer Brian Oxman said Katherine would probably care for them long-term. “She loves them dearly,” British tabloid the Sun quoted him as saying.However, Debbie-who is the mother of Prince Jnr and Paris-had told a friend that she wanted full custody of the youngsters, just two days before Jacko’s death. The friend revealed, “Debbie threw a fit, saying she was sick of the way Michael was bringing the children up. She said she was going to go for full custody of them. She said she was quite prepared to go all the way and fight him in court for it.”Last December, Debbie, 50, went to lawyers after Jacko’s biographer claimed that the star was suffering from a chronic lung condition and had just months to live. She asked for more access to her children, saying, “I’m their mother and they need me.”The pal added, “Michael’s mother is almost 80, Debbie doesn’t want them to lose their father and then their grandmother.” Prince Michael Jnr and Paris were born during Debbi’s three-year marriage to Jacko in the 1990s. Prince Michael II — nicknamed ‘Blanke’ — was born later to a surrogate mother.
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Jackson doctor questioned over death

The doctor who was with MICHAEL JACKSON when he died is reportedly talking to police in connection with the tragedy.The King of Pop suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in Holmby Hills, California on Thursday morning (25Jun09) and was pronounced dead that afternoon, after being rushed to UCLA Medical Center. He was aged 50. In emergency call tapes it appears the singer was in the care of his personal doctor, cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray, who was desperately attempting to revive Jackson by performing CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). And the medic has now been pulled in by cops who want to question him about the circumstances surrounding Jackson's death, according to Sky News. Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Police Chief Charlie Beck tells the website, "LAPD did talk to the doctor initially but an extensive follow-up interview wasn't carried out, so we have to do that now." Jackson family lawyer Brian Oxman claimed the singer had been guzzling prescription painkillers and anti-anxiety pills in the months before his untimely death. He said, "I did warn him about the drugs, but I am sorry I didn't warn him enough. I am going to wait until I get the toxicology report, and if his death has something to do with drugs, I am prepared to name names of doctors who prescribed them." And Jackson's former producer and friend Tarak Ben Ammar is now claiming the star had previously been a victim of "charlatan doctors". Ammar tells Britain's The Sun newspaper, "It's clear to me the criminals in this affair are the doctors who treated him throughout his career - who destroyed his face and gave him medicine to ease his pain. "He was a hypochondriac and one never really knew if he was sick because he had become surrounded by charlatans who were billing him thousands of dollars' worth of drugs, vitamins."

Jolie wants to be president

Angelina Jolie wants to run for president of the US. The 'Changeling' actress is so "stirred" by her humanitarian work for the United Nations, she is reportedly planning to get into politics.
A friend told the Daily Express newspaper: "Angelina has admitted she's getting bored with Hollywood. She said she's now got her sights set on Washington.
"She is passionate about people's rights, war and justice and thinks she can get more hands-on and make even more of a difference by getting into politics. She admires President Barack Obama and thinks she could make a big difference too if she were in his position."
The 34-year-old star - who raises six children, Maddox, seven, Pax, five, Zahara, four, Shiloh, three, and 11-month-old twins Vivienne and Knox with partner Brad Pitt - has now set her sights on becoming the first woman in the White House.
The friend added: "I would place a huge wager on her becoming the first female president within the next 20 years. When Angelina sets her mind on something, she goes all out to do it.
"She's very determined and gets very stirred by her UN work. She is well respected for her humanitarian work and I'm sure she would make as many waves if she moved fully into the political world."
Angelina Jolie wants to run for president of the US.
The 'Changeling' actress is so "stirred" by her humanitarian work for the United Nations, she is reportedly planning to get into politics.
A friend told the Daily Express newspaper: "Angelina has admitted she's getting bored with Hollywood. She said she's now got her sights set on Washington.
"She is passionate about people's rights, war and justice and thinks she can get more hands-on and make even more of a difference by getting into politics. She admires President Barack Obama and thinks she could make a big difference too if she were in his position."
The 34-year-old star - who raises six children, Maddox, seven, Pax, five, Zahara, four, Shiloh, three, and 11-month-old twins Vivienne and Knox with partner Brad Pitt - has now set her sights on becoming the first woman in the White House.
The friend added: "I would place a huge wager on her becoming the first female president within the next 20 years. When Angelina sets her mind on something, she goes all out to do it.
"She's very determined and gets very stirred by her UN work. She is well respected for her humanitarian work and I'm sure she would make as many waves if she moved fully into the political world

Prince William holidays incognito with lover!

It was Kate’s idea, and she used the names to book them into a private holiday home as a birthday treat for Prince William, who just turned 27, reported the tabloid The Sun.
However, the private party turned a bit crowded, when Wills' brother Harry, 24, decided to tag along with a bunch of pals. The romantic dinner plans were shelved, and instead there was booze flowing on the beach.
William and Harry knocked back beer and cider and played football before setting up a fire. William and Kate then watched the sun set, reports the tabloid.
According to a source: "They have been staying at private house under the assumed name Mr and Mrs Smith. "It’s quite funny really that they feel they need to go to such great lengths to keep their visit a secret — but I suppose it adds to the romance." Incidentally, dad Prince Charles and Camilla also famously used to refer to themselves in code as Fred and Gladys.The group then reportedly headed down to the south Cornish coast to the home near the medieval town of Fowey. The source said: "William and Harry spend a lot of time in Cornwall in summer. They love it. They are mad about surfing and can go to secluded beaches where they can go surfing largely unnoticed.
But this time word quickly spread they were in the area." Kate’s picnic plans also had to take a backseat as the rugby-mad princes decided to find a place to see the Lions take on South Africa. The brothers stunned onlookers at the Royal British Legion club when they turned up to watch the game there. A shocked club member told the tabloid: "Normally you'd have to be a member to get in - but you can't turn royalty away."
Wills, however, spent yesterday afternoon playing tennis with Kate. He and Harry then proceeded to RAF Shawbury in Shropshire, where they are training to be helicopter pilots.

Bullock's 'Proposal' woos date crowds with $34.1M

Movie audiences accepted a proposal from Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, who scored the summer's first big romantic comedy hit.
Bullock and Reynolds' "The Proposal" took in $34.1 million to open as the weekend's No. 1 movie, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Disney flick delivered the biggest opening ever for Bullock, nearly double that of her previous best of $17.6 million for the 2007 paranormal thriller "Premonition."
Bullock stars as a ruthless publishing executive who coerces her put-upon assistant (Reynolds) into a fake marriage so she can avoid deportation back to her native Canada.
"I think the market was ready for a really fun, broad romantic comedy," said Mark Zoradi, president of Disney's motion-picture group.
"The Proposal" took over the top spot from the Warner Bros. bachelor-party comedy "The Hangover," which slipped to second place with $26.9 million. A surprise smash hit, "The Hangover" raised its total to $152.9 million.
Disney's animated adventure "Up" was No. 3 with $21.3 million, lifting its total to $224.1 million and following Paramount's "Star Trek" as the second movie of 2009 to cross the $200 million mark.
Debuting in the fourth spot with $20.2 million was Sony's caveman comedy "Year One," starring Jack Black and Michael Cera as Neanderthals on a road trip after they are banished from their village.
It was summer's second big-name comedy set in prehistoric times to take a back seat to a wedding-themed romp. Will Ferrell's "Land of the Lost" opened at No. 3 in early June, the same weekend "The Hangover" pulled off a No. 1 upset.
"June is officially comedy month at the theaters. Comedy is really ruling things," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.
Woody Allen's latest comedy, "Whatever Works," had a strong start in limited release, hauling in $280,720 in nine theaters for an average of $31,191 a cinema. That compares to an average of $11,163 in 3,056 theaters for "The Proposal" and $6,684 in 3,022 cinemas for "Year One."
Released by Sony Pictures Classics, "Whatever Works" stars Larry David as a misanthropic New Yorker who forges unlikely relationships with a conservative Southern family (Evan Rachel Wood, Patricia Clarkson and Ed Begley Jr.).
While some of June's comedies performed well, the month generally has been a downer for Hollywood, which tore through the first part of the year with a record box-office pace.
Revenues this weekend were up slightly compared to the same period a year ago, but that followed three straight weekends of declining box-office receipts.
For the year, revenue remains up a solid 10 percent, though summer ticket sales are dead even with last year's, Dergarabedian said.
That should turn around this coming weekend with the debut of the blockbuster sequel "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," which industry analysts say could deliver the year's first $100 million opening.
Paramount's "Transformers" sequel got off to a big start in Great Britain and Japan, where it opened this weekend in advance of its U.S. debut Wednesday, pulling in $14.1 million in Britain and $5.8 million in Japan.

Danish-Swedish drama best film at Shanghai

The Danish-Swedish drama "Original" won best picture at the 12th Shanghai International Film Festival, with its male lead Sverrir Gudnason named best actor for playing the soul-searching son of a mentally ill mother.Reading from the citation, jury president "Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle called the debut feature film of Antonio Tublen and Alexander Brondsted "a light, touching and subversive study of mental illness that is both compassionate and never sentimental."Accepting his trophy, Gudnason, who plays a character who tries to stop pleasing others, yelled in delight and said, "This is the best thing that anyone has ever given to me and it's going to keep me going on."The jury said "this young actor's brilliant, sensitive, and humorous performance is absolutely mesmerizing."Simone Tang was named best actress for another Danish film, "Aching Hearts," about the relationship of two high school sweethearts. Presenting the award during Sunday's ceremony, another juror, veteran American actress Andie MacDowell said, "It was a beautiful performance." The jury citation praised Tang for "control and clarity of complex emotions."A tearful Tang said making the movie, which was shot over three years, "was really the best experience of my life so far."Julius Sevcik was named best director for the Czech film "Normal," the study of a serial killer in the 1930s."This is a big honor especially because of the directors who are on the jury," Sevcik said.The jury grand prix went to the Tibet-set film "The Search," about a director who is drawn into the search for a missing man when he auditions actors for his new movie. The jury prize went to the China-Hong Kong-Taiwan co-production "Empire of Silver," the story of the scion of a banking empire in 19th century China.The organizers also presented lifetime achievement awards to American music legend Quincy Jones and veteran French actress Isabelle Huppert. Both artists addressed the audience in rudimentary Chinese, with Jones playfully saying "wo de piao liang bao bei" — "all my beautiful children."The 76-year-old composer, whose career encompasses jazz, film scores and pop music, also revealed on stage that he had accepted an invitation from Chinese composer Tan Dun to help write the theme song for the Shanghai Expo in 2010."I'm very, very proud of that. I intend to come back and back and back," Jones said.He also praised the intellectual curiosity of the university students he met in China, saying, calling them "the most unbelievable kids I've ever met."The Italian film "We Can Do That," about a former businessman who manages a work cooperative staffed by mental patients, won best screenplay. France's "Nowhere Promised Land" clinched best cinematography and the South Korean drama "Rough Cut" was honored for the best music score.

Cheryl cole plans style overhaul

Cheryl Cole is going to radically change her fashion style in order to compete with fellow fashion concious 'X Factor' judge Dannii Minogue.Cheryl Cole is planning a style overhaul.The Girls Aloud singer is reportedly planning a radical change of image after becoming worried about being upstaged by her fellow 'X Factor' judge Dannii Minogue, who debuted an edgier look at the show's first auditions last week.A source said: "Cheryl was taken aback when she first saw Dannii's new look. She knew that she'd had a new haircut but she was shocked when she saw her complete style makeover. It's a total departure for her - and she looks great."Cheryl wants something a bit sharper now. She's telling people she wants to 'de-Barbie' herself." Cheryl is planning to update her style ahead of the British TV series' return in August and is demanding a new make-up artist.The source added: "She has already consulted her hair stylist Julien Guyonnet already and wants something a bit fresher and modern, with fewer extensions."Cheryl and Dannii shared a hair stylist and make-up artist last series, but Cheryl has insisted this year that they have separate ones as she feels they often ended up looking too similar. This year, she really wants to stand out."

Madonna's star power in Malawi

Eliza Manyoza, a banana vendor in Malawi's colonial-era capital Zomba, says she has never heard a Madonna song. She only knows the American pop icon as an "adopter" of orphaned children.
"I am told she is a nice woman who wants to help our children," Manyoza, 39, told AFP, with her nine-month-old baby strapped at her back and balancing a basket of bananas on her head.
She knew that Madonna had adopted David Banda, a toddler the star met at an orphanage three years ago, but had just learned of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal's decision to grant her a second adoption of a girl named Chifundo "Mercy" James, who let Malawi Friday to join the singer in London.
"That's great news and very nice of her," Manyoza said. "But how many children can she take out of Malawi? Where are the rich Malawians who should be adopting their own children and not leave it to Madonna?"
Her sentiments echo those heard around the country, where Madonna has sparked a global debate about the merits of international adoption.
Malawi is a particularly grim case study in the plight of orphans.
One of the poorest nations in the world, the government says 1.5 million children have been orphaned by AIDS -- a figure that represents nearly 10 percent of the total population.
Manyoza lives in the slums of Chikanda, a shantytown on the edge of this British colonial town, where 12 orphanages have opened -- many in just the last two years.
Hundreds more are spread across Malawi, a country the size of New York state.
"We have reached a crisis point and Malawi does not have the resources to deal with the problem," said Cyrus Jeke, an official at the ministry of women and child development.
Madonna has established her own charity Raising Malawi, which has built a state-of-the-art hostel at Home of Hope in Mchinji -- the orphanage where she first saw her adopted son David among the 500 children cared for there.
She has also built a day-care centre at Consol Home, a charity which looks after 10,000 orphans in scores of villages outside the administrative capital Lilongwe.
Rights activist Undule Mwakasungura laments the fact that a foreign celebrity had to step in to raise awareness about orphans.
"It's the primary responsibility of the state to provide for orphaned children," he said.
Government should use tax revenue to "care for these children instead of abandoning them to the wishes and devises of celebrities," said Mwakasungura, who chairs the Human Rights Consultative Committee -- a network of 85 local rights groups.
Boniface Mandere, an official of the nation's leading child rights body Eye of the Child, said Malawi has financial resources to help vulnerable children.
"What we lack is wisdom of how to use those resources. It's about commitment. We need to pump more resources to social services," he said.
Plan Malawi, an international charity focussing on children, applauded Madonna's good intentions, but urged her to do more to lobby governments and businesses to strengthen community structures on the ground, Plan adds.
"The challenges facing our orphans and other vulnerable children can be handled with a strong social protection structure," said Mcdonald Mumba, Plan's children's rights advisor.
Such questions about why the government has not done more to care for the nation's children reverberate through the country, casting a particularly harsh light on the political classes and the wealthy.
"It all shows Madonna saw that the question of orphans is a serious issue which needs addressing," Manyoza said.
"But where are the rich Malawians? Where are the rich politicians? Where is the government? Madonna will not manage alone even though she has a lot of money."

Cannes-winning Philippine director shuns mainstream

Philippine director Brillante Mendoza may have won international honours, including the best director award at the recent Cannes film festival, but in his own country his movies go largely unseen.
But Mendoza, 48, doesn't mind. He prefers to have his movies on the local art house and university circuit, leaving the larger cinemas to show the syrupy romances and wacky comedies that local movie studios churn out.
"I'm not ready to go mainstream. I am not comfortable in mainstream movies," he told AFP in an interview.
Winning the best director award at the Cannes international film festival in May for his dark, independent film, "Kinatay" has landed him on the front pages of newspapers and on TV talk shows.
Nevertheless, Mendoza said there are no plans to distribute his movie commercially in this country -- and he even doubts it would find much of an audience.
Foreign critics have assailed Mendoza's movies for their unrelenting focus on squalor and violence but he has also won praise for his unflinchingly realistic depictions of life on the margins of society.
"Kinatay"-- called "The Massacre" by the Cannes press -- tells the grim story of a rookie cop who witnesses the brutal dismemberment of a prostitute by a gang led by corrupt policemen.
Mendoza's films usually deal with people on the seamy side of Philippine life -- prostitutes, petty criminals, slum residents.
In a Manila shanty town where some scenes were filmed, not far from Mendoza's home, residents testify to the realism of "Kinatay".
"This is all true to life, this kind of thing really happens," said slum resident William Belleza as he scrounged for scrap to sell. He played a similar role in Mendoza's movie.
This is the reality of life in his impoverished homeland, Mendoza said, adding: "These slums -- this is what you see everyday."
"Kinatay" is based on the experiences of a criminology student he met while doing research on one of his earlier movies.
"This is based on a true story. It's not the kind of film where you will go out of the cinema saying, 'I enjoyed the film, I feel good about it.' It is a disturbing film," he said.
"The Filipino audience is not ready for this kind of material. I have to accept that most of my films are not being watched in the Philippines. They are used to Hollywood and the commercial movies," he said.
Mark Meily, chairman of the Directors' Guild of the Philippines, said Mendoza's success may not have an immediate effect on the country's wider movie industry but he feels it will eventually bring international attention to Philippine film makers.
"What he did is introduce a new form of Asian cinema," Meily said.
"There will be more people introduced to Filipino films," in the same way the world became aware of South Korean movies, he said.
Meily, who has done both art films and commercial movies, noted that global attention for South Korean art films eventually segued into more attention for the country's commercial movies.
"Mendoza is an inspiration but I don't think we will see more films like his in the near future. That is his own style," he said.
Mendoza said the Cannes award will make it easier to get financing from the foreign producers and film foundations that sponsor his work.
But for now, he said, "I am just trying to savour the moment.
"There is a lot of attention but in a week or two, everything will be back to normal".

Beckham to move to London

David and Victoria Beckham are looking for a house in London.The superstar couple, who already own a mansion in Hertfordshire dubbed 'Beckingham Palace', are keen to splash out on a second home in the UK.A source said: "Victoria and David have business interests in London. They want somewhere more convenient than Hertfordshire."The pair have instructed estate agents to compile a list of suitable properties for them to view.David, 34, and Victoria, 35, have also been looking at schools in the UK capital for their three sons - 10-year-old Brooklyn, Romeo, six, and four-year-old Cruz.The house-hunt has sparked reports David could return to his home country to play soccer.The 34-year-old athlete is currently signed to Los Angeles Galaxy - where he still has three years left on his contract - but has admitted he would love to play in Europe, following his recent loan to Italian club AC Milan.David has been linked to a number of English teams, including London sides Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.David and former Spice Girl Victoria are currently enjoying a luxury family holiday in Nice, France, with their kids and their parents.It is believed the couple will discuss David's career and a possible move.

Disney Princess talks emmys and Jennifer Hudson

Anika Noni Rose must have wished upon a star, because her dream really came true. Ms. Rose is the starring voice in Disney's upcoming animated flick The Princess and the Frog.
"It's the most thrilling thing," says Rose, the Tony Award winner who you're likely to remember from her work as Lorrell opposite Jennifer Hudson and Beyoncé in Dreamgirls. "It's been a dream of mine since I was a little itty-bitty person to be a Disney voice."
It's also a history-making flick, with Disney's first African-American princess…
It must be a pretty intense feeling knowing you're the first African-American princess.
It's pretty amazing. For me, it means even so much more, because I have a nephew who is only 3 years old, and I will be the first princess he sees.
Are you hoping for a White House screening of the movie?
I'm ready! I mean, you look at those two little girls and they are the most beautiful creatures. You want to run up and hug them.
Let's talk about The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Did you read the books before getting the part of Grace Makutsi?
I had! I had read about three of the books, just randomly someone gave them to me and was like, "I think you'll like these."
What was it like filming in Botswana?
It was fantastic. Director Anthony Minghella] had us there a lot longer than we needed to be. I was there for two months, but I only shot for 12 days. I was living in a hotel that used to be someone's house. The fact that he allowed me to be there for that amount of time really allowed me to take in what was around me.
You've won a Tony, were part of the Oscar-winning Dreamgirls and now there's Emmy buzz for No. 1 Ladies'. Are you like a good luck charm or something?
I do have to say that I'm very honored that HBO has decided to push it forward for this, because it's such a labor of love. It's nice to have someone standing behind you saying, "Look at this, pay attention to this, we love what they did."
Do you know yet if there's going to be a second season?
We don't know. I've gotten to the point where it doesn't worry me. About four or five years ago, I would have been like, "Ahh," but now I really feel like things don't always work out the way you plan, but they always work out.
Your No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency costar Jill Scott just had a baby, and your Dreamgirls costar Jennifer Hudson is pregnant. Have you offered to babysit for them already?
What is that? Everybody is popping out little ones. I'm just ready to bite a foot and a thigh. I love a baby thigh and foot in front of me so much.
How do you think they'll be as moms?
For a baby to come into a home where they are wanted, and they are wanted before they got there, that's a wonderful thing.
I've been a Jennifer Hudson fan since before Dreamgirls.

Jet Li now a Singapore citizen

Chinese action star Jet Li has taken up Singapore citizenship and bought a property in the city state worth nearly 20 million Singapore dollars (14 million US), according to a report Wednesday.The Business Times did not say when the Beijing-born star took up his new nationality or bought the upmarket property. It did not give its source.Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) would not confirm the newspaper report when contacted by AFP for reasons of confidentiality.A Beijing-based staff member at Li's One Foundation contacted by AFP declined comment.Li is the latest Chinese star to have taken up Singapore citizenship, following in the footsteps of leading actress Gong Li, who shot to fame with her roles in "Farewell My Concubine" and later "Memoirs of a Geisha." Gong Li, who is not related to Jet Li, became a Singapore citizen last year.

bluebird

Box office in grip of Hangover

Raucous adult comedy "The Hangover" was the top weekend earner at the North American box office, edging out animated feature "Up" for a second consecutive week, preliminary figures showed Sunday.The critically acclaimed, low budget "Hangover," about a Las Vegas bachelor party which goes awry, hauled in 33.4 million dollars, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.The comedy just beat out runner-up flick "Up," Disney Pixar's movie about a grumpy balloon salesman who realises his dream to travel to South America, which earned 30.5 million.Subway hostage thriller "The Taking of Pelham 123," starring John Travolta in the role of the villain, claimed the third place spot. The action flick, a remake of a 1970s Hollywood classic, earned 25 million dollars.Comedy sequel "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" came in fourth, taking in 9.6 million dollars, while "Land of the Lost" starring comedian Will Ferrell, was fifth with 9.2 million dollars in sales.Debuting in sixth place was family flick "Imagine That" starring Eddie Murphy as the workaholic father of a precocious daughter with a penchant for picking stocks, which earned 5.7 million dollars.In seventh was science fiction blockbuster "Star Trek," which earned 5.6 million dollars in its sixth week of release."Terminator: Salvation," starring Welsh-born actor Christian Bale in the post-apocalyptic role of a resistance leader fighting power-hungry machines, came in eighth with 4.7 million dollars in ticket sales.In ninth was "Angels and Demons" -- the sequel to the hit 2006 thriller "The Da Vinci Code" -- which grossed 4.2 million dollars.Gruesome horror flick "Drag Me To Hell" came in 10th with 3.9 million dollars in ticket sales.

Foxx: 'Berry kiss was a joke'

Jamie Foxx has brushed off critics of his impromptu kiss with Halle Berry at a recent U.S. awards ceremony - insisting their lip lock was a prank conjured up by the actress.
Foxx presented the sexy star with the ‘Hottest Girl On the Planet’ award at Spike TV's 2nd Annual Guy's Choice Awards in Los Angeles last month, and they shocked the audience with a passionate on stage embrace.The actor/singer is still mesmerised by their steamy session, but insists he didn't step out of line by kissing the star - who shares a 15-month-old daughter, Nahla, with partner Gabriel Aubry.
Foxx explains, "It was a joke. First, I want to let everybody know that I respect Halle Berry and I respect her relationship. But after she won the Oscar, Adrien Brody came up and laid a little tongue on her. So she decided to get me back, which I didn't mind at all."And the Ray star admits he was so nervous before pulling Berry's prank, he nearly backed out at the last second.He adds, "I almost froze but I said, 'Think quick Foxx,' and I got into it... she really gave it to me and I appreciate that."

Mercy’s dad wishes Madonna well

Malawian man who claims to be the father of pop star Madonna's newly adopted daughter told AFP on Sunday that he has given up his fight to block the adoption, and said he wished the singer well.Malawi's Supreme Court on Friday granted Madonna's adoption of Chifundo James, whose name means "Mercy". Lawyers are now preparing travel documents so the three-year-old girl can join her new family."Truly, I wish her well, but I only ask Madonna to look after my daughter Chifundo properly. She must grow knowing that her father still lives in Malawi," James Kambewa told AFP in an interview.He said he was "definitely disappointed" with the court ruling.The court in Malawi listed Mercy's father as "unknown" and said that she was born to a 14-year-old mother who died three days after giving birth.Kambwea, 24, said that he believed the infant had died with the mother in 2006, until he saw newspaper reports that Madonna was seeking to adopt her."I was misinformed that my girlfriend Mwandida and her daughter died in 2006," Kambewa said.Kambewa said he has never seen the child, except in newspaper photos.Madonna first met Mercy at Kondanani orphanage in the southern Malawi district of Thyolo, 30 kilometres (20 miles) from the commercial capital Blantyre, during her first visit to the poor southern African nation in 2006.She has already adopted another Malawian child, David Banda, and has said that she wanted him to have a sibling from his home country.Yohane Banda, David's father, said he was "happy my son will have a Malawian sister." "The court has been kind to Madonna... she deserves Mercy and the girl needs a better life than that offered at an orphange," Banda, told AFP by mobile phone from his rural village in Mchinji, in central Malawi."We need more kind-hearted people like her to help the plight of orphans in this country," he said.Malawian officials said the country of 12 million people had two million vulnerable children, with 1.5 million of them orphaned after both parents died of AIDS.

SYDNEY

Britney gets more son access

Britney Spears has won increased custody of her children.
The 'Womanizer' singer, who has two sons, Sean Preston, three, and two-year-old Jayden James, with her ex-husband Kevin Federline - is allowed to have the kids more than 50 per cent of the time while she is on tour.
Gossip website TMZ reports: "Lawyers for Britney and Kevin Federline have filed docs with the family law Commissioner Scott Gordon, stating they have reached a new temporary custody arrangement."
Britney is currently completing her 'Circus' world tour and the new agreement will be effective during the rest of June, July and August.
The pair's lawyers have reportedly agreed which days each of them will spend with the boys.
When Britney's series of shows ends later this year, custody will return to a 50/50 split.
It has previously been claimed Britney could only see her children while touring if Kevin - who won primary custody of the kids after 27-year-old Britney's breakdown last year - agreed.
She was even said to be paying him $4,000 a week to travel with her so she could be near the boys.

Slumdog kid gets out of slum

That makes one less real-life slumdog for the young cast of Slumdog Millionaire.
Filmmakers this week began to make good on their much-publicized pledge to purchase homes for the child actors who appeared in the Oscar-winning film, buying a one-bedroom Mumbai apartment for the family of 10-year-old Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail.
The house hunt was ramped up in recent weeks after the illegal shacks of both Ismail and 9-year-old costar Rubina Ali's family were bulldozed over in a government sweep of their slums.
The deal was completed earlier this week as the Jai Ho Trust, set up by director Danny Boyle and producer Christian Colson with the purpose of educating and housing the young stars, provided the $50,000 to purchase the home.
"We signed the papers on Monday," a spokesman for the trust said. "We have the keys and we will hand them to the family."
The 250-square-foot apartment, located in a suburb north of Mumbai, will be transferred from the trust and put in Ismail's name when he turns 18, with the caveat that the property will only be handed over if he completes his schooling.
Incidentally, this is the second home purchased for Ismail's family in recent weeks. The government's Maharashtra Housing Authority Development Agency recently purchased a slightly smaller 180-square-foot apartment for the boy's family in the Malvani district of Mumbai.
A spokesman for the Jai Ho Trust said that the family was welcome to keep both apartments, though a government official said that the state-provided housing, which both actors' families complained were too far away from the children's schools, will likely be canceled.
The trust is still searching for a home for Ali.

Miley sparks split reports

Miley Cyrus has reportedly split from Justin Gaston.
The 'Hannah Montana' star and the underwear model - who have been dating since last year - have said their "goodbyes" and are now both trying to get over the break-up.
Giving an indication of how she's feeling, Miley, 16, wrote on her popular Twitter page: "'my heart is in two... and its all because of you.' a song i am starting to write."
While Justin, 21, wrote: "Haven't been this miserable in a long time."
Miley recently revealed she and Justin would be spending time apart as she worked on the new 'Hannah Montana' TV series as well as going on tour in September.
She said: "He's got his own thing going on. But I am just continuing to work hard and definitely have the whole tour going on and my clothing line and the movie."
The singer-and-actress recently spoke of her admiration for Justin.
She said: "The best thing that's happened to me in a long, long time has been meeting Justin, because he's the most respectful and selfless person I've ever known."

rose

Donald Duck celebrates 75 eventful years

He is the most curmudgeonly character in a star-studded Disney menagerie that includes Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Pluto.Donald Duck -- the irrascible but unflappable waterfowl -- is preparing to be feted in grand fashion, as he turns 75 years old Tuesday.From the beginning, fabled cartoonist Walt Disney envisioned Donald Duck as a foil to Mickey Mouse, his good-as-gold, animated star created a half-dozen years earlier.While goody-two-shoes Mickey was most appealing to children, Disney sought to create in Donald Duck a more piquant character with adult appeal -- and succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.In his 75 years, his feathered anti-hero has tried his hand at more than 100 different professions, but failed at them all. Donald always seems to be short of cash and make a habit of lurching from one misadventure to the next.But no matter how often thwarted and how deeply humiliated, Donald Duck forges on -- which is what has made him such a big hit with his legions of fans."He's a loser, not a quitter, and he'll go down fighting," wrote the Disney company in its description of the beloved character on their website.Known for his barely decipherable speech and his penchant for running afoul of the other Disney characters, Donald, beneath it all, has a heart of gold, another quality that has charmed adoring fans over the decades.The prickly but long suffering duck made his celluloid debut on appeared on June 9, 1934 in a short animated feature called "Little Wise Hen," a movie fable fashioned on the "Little Red Hen" fairy tale about a chicken who finds that help is scarce when she tries to recruit workers to plant and harvest her corn crop.He had his first starring role in 1937 as a troubadour "Don Donald" a short film set in Mexico in which he appears with "Donna Duck" -- who shows up in later films re-baptised as his steady sweetheart "Daisy." Over the years, he's been honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and impressions of his webbed feet grace the sidewalk near Hollywood's famed Grauman's Chinese Theatre, alongside Tinseltown's other top stars.And -- the achievement that probably would please Donald most -- he has appeared in 128 films -- more than his nemesis Mickey Mouse.His extended family also has come to have a loyal following, including his trio of rambunctious nephews -- Huey, Dewey and Louie -- offspring of his sister Della Duck and his crotchety Uncle Scrooge.Donald's fame goes clear around the world. Fans know him in Denmark as Anders And, in Indonesia as Donal Bebek and in Italy as Paperino.While Mickey Mouse often enjoys top billing in the US, in much of Europe -- especially among Germans -- it is Donald Duck who is the undisputed star."Just as the French are obsessed with Jerry Lewis, the Germans see a richness and complexity to the Disney comic that isn't always immediately evident to people in the cartoon duck's homeland," wrote literary critic and translator Susan Bernofsky in the Wall Street Journal last month."When it comes to voicing the hidden and not-so-hidden truths and tastes of German society, the philosopher with a beak is hard to beat," wrote Bernofsky, noting that Donald's German incarnation -- humming Wagner melodies and spouting Schiller poems -- is somewhat more philosophical and intellectual than the cartoon character familiar to most Americans.Meanwhile, legions of loyal fans have launched a contest for the best birthday portrait of the trouserless bird in the sailor jacket.The winner's depiction is to be displayed later his year at the Anaheim, California Convention Centre next to Disneyland."What do you give a duck that has everything on his 75th birthday? You let the ones who love him most offer this most sincere form of flattery, of course," said Steven Clark, head of the Disney fan club "D23"."Disney fans are some of the most passionate and creative people anywhere, and we can't wait to see their fun and imaginative depictions of our feisty, yet lovable, leading duck!"

Angelina Jolie planning wedding

Angelina Jolie has reportedly decided to wed Brad Pitt in an effort to quash rumours their relationship is under strain.Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are set to marry.The 'Changeling' actress - who raises six children with Brad, her partner of four years - has reportedly decided to make their relationship official in a bid to quash rumours they are on the rocks.A source told Britain's Sunday Mirror newspaper: "Usually it's Brad who wants to talk marriage. But this time it was Angelina. An aide sent them all the clippings about their 'relationship problems' and Angelina said it was probably best if they married and put an end to the speculation. Brad's face lit up, he was thrilled."The pair are said to be waiting for a break in their schedule, but could tie the knot in the summer.They are planning a ceremony in New Orleans - where they spent lots of time while Brad, 45, was filming 2009 movie 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' - and will involve their children "in a big way".It was recently claimed Brad - who has previously been married to Jennifer Aniston - had told Angelina, 34, he did not want to have more children with her unless they tied the knot.A source said at the time: "He definitely wants to get married before they have any more babies. He needs to know Angelina is really committed to him. Becoming Mrs. Pitt would give him that answer."Last week, the couple issued a statement insisting their relationship was strong following rumours they had split.Marrying Brad would be Angelina's third trip down the aisle - she has previously wed actors Johnny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton.

Whitney's comeback album set for fall

LOS ANGELES: Our long national musical nightmare is over. Mariah Carey's, on the other hand, is just beginning.
After years of promised but undelivered singles, career-derailing reconciliations with Bobby Brown and, most recently, a string of potential-filled high-profile public appearances with Clive Davis, Whitney Houston has finally made good on her vow for a comeback, setting a Sept. 1 release date for her couldn't-be-more-anticipated new album.
"The wait is over," an announcement on the six-time Grammy winner's official website reads, as it ticks down the days (89 to go), hours, minutes and seconds until fans can get their hands on a copy of the still untitled record (it was previously referred to as Undefeated), the seventh studio album of her career.
Houston's first single, the Diane Warren-penned "I Didn't Know My Own Strength," is expected to be in radio rotation by the summer. No track listing has been released, though it's been rumored for months that the album may also include a duet with R. Kelly.
Houston's last album of original material, Just Whitney, was released in २००२.

'E3 bodes well for videogame lovers

Videogame makers at E3 this week shrugged off the dismal economy, debuting supercharged sequels to blockbuster titles and play that is increasingly social and active."All three publishers showed strong," said Scott Steinberg of videogame and gadget website Digital Trends, referring to Electronic Entertainment Expo line-ups touted by competing console makers Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony."The gamers are probably the ones that are going to win in the end."Publishers of hit videogame titles such as "Assassin's Creed," "Mass Effect," and "God of War" demonstrated sequels with intriguing story lines, stunning graphics, and game play tuned with feedback from fans.A second installment in 2K Games "BioShock" set in a fictional undersea world called "Rapture" spins off the original gripping tale and adds online multi-player features that were among E3 trends.Videogames once designed as solo experiences are increasingly using Internet connections to link players and immerse them together in virtual worlds where multiple players can be allies or enemies."BioShock 2" multi-player features let people customize the abilities of characters and then battle in modes including "survival of the fittest" and team civil war, according to 2K senior producer Melissa Miller."Imagine going into a match where someone can be just as creative as you are, and how that changes your game play," Miller said after demonstrating the title."That is what we think is truly special about the multi-player component."A "MAG" war videogame poised for release will let as many as 256 online players, divided into units, battle against each other simultaneously."We are seeing games become more of a group exercise with a lot more chances to experience games with friends, and social networking," Steinberg said."Games are actually bringing people together instead of splitting them apart"Videogame makers continue to court girls, seniors and others considered "casual gamers," players other than young men fanatic about action and shooter titles.Titles geared for girls include fashion, cheerleading, and charm.A "Bayonetta" action videogame features a fierce heroine pitted against a formidable villainess.Sony is working with entertainment giant Disney to pair a "Hannah Montana" videogame with a lilac PSP handheld playing device.Girls are prime buyers of Nintendo DS handheld videogame devices, and Ubisoft's line of "Imagine" titles for the gadgets have been hot sellers in with that demographic.E3 abounded with exercise, sports, and dance videogames that people play by moving their bodies instead of just their thumbs. Nintendo pioneered the revolution with the release in 2006 of Wii consoles with motion-sensing controllers. Traditional controllers on consoles such as Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 feature toggles and buttons players manipulate to dictate actions of videogame characters. Nintendo rivals Microsoft and Sony both said at E3 they are working on motion-sensing controllers for their videogame consoles, signaling the trend toward active game play is likely to intensify. A Project Natal prototype for Xbox 360 combines cameras and face and voice recognition software to let players control game play with natural body movements. "For every two people now playing there is one more just waiting to jump into the game," Nintendo global president Satoru Iwata said, citing a study of done by the Japanese firm. Videogame hardware and software sales boomed last year despite a global financial crisis but have fallen in recent months. Industry insiders at E3 remain optimistic. "Over the past year, our industry has done well in this uncertain economic climate," said Xbox vice president John Schappert.

Bollywood producers call off protest

Bollywood's biggest labour union said Thursday its members would refuse to work in Australia until attacks on Indian students there ceased.Two Bollywood movies - including one by Bollywood's largest producer, Yash Raj Films -- were to be shot in Australia this month."None of our associate members will work in Australia until the racism issue is resolved," Dinesh Chaturvedi, head of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE).FWICE, which represents 250,000 workers, including actors, lighting and sound technicians, camera operators and dancers, issued a notice to all Bollywood producers announcing the boycott.It was the latest snub by Bollywood over a wave of assaults on Indian students which have strained diplomatic relations between India and Australia.Last weekend, Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan rejected an honorary doctorate from a Brisbane university, in protest against the attacks on Indian students.Three recent Bollywood box-office hits -- Salaam Namaste (Greetings), Chak de India (Go India) and Heyy Baby -- were shot extensively in Australia.The union's announcement came a day after another attack on an Indian student was reported in Australia.Police said a 21-year-old Indian student was confronted Tuesday by five men in a college campus car park in the suburbs of the southern city of Melbourne, where many of the attacks have taken place.They demanded money and cigarettes from the man, then attacked him when he refused to comply, with one slashing him across the chest with a weapon believed to be a box cutter, causing minor lacerations.The issue came to world attention late last month when student Sravan Kumar Theerthala was left comatose after being stabbed with a screwdriver by gatecrashers at a Melbourne party.Many of the most serious cases occurred in Melbourne, where police estimate Indians account for about 30 percent of all robbery and assault victims.India's media have dubbed the attacks "curry bashing," and newspapers have been splashed with headlines such as "Australia, land of racists."The Australian government has called in the former head of Australia's elite Special Air Service (SAS) regiment to lead a task force examining the attacks.

Astronauts found to suffer space headaches

Astronauts who have no history of bad headaches can be prone to disabling attacks while in space, a phenomenon that suggests "space headaches" deserve a medical category all of their own, neurologists said on Tuesday.Contrary to prevailing theories, headaches in space are not caused by motion sickness, they said.Instead, the problem could lie in an increase in blood flow to the head, causing painful pressure on the brain.A team led by Alla Vein at the Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands asked one female and 16 male astronauts aged from 28-58 who had stayed aboard the International Space Station (ISS).Nine had taken part in short missions of 11 days on average, and eight had taken part in long-duration trips, averaging just under 202 days.Twelve of the 17 astronauts reported 21 headaches. Nine headaches occurred during launch, nine during their stay at the ISS, one during a sortie outside the station and two during landing.Two-thirds of the headaches were of moderate intensity, and most of the others were mild. Six percent were severe. One astronaut described feeling so unwell that the only solution was to roll up in a sleeping bag and spend most of the day sleeping.But none of the astronauts had any history of recurrent headaches on Earth. All had been tested and found to be in excellent health before their flight.In addition, none of the headaches appears to have been caused by motion sickness, whose symptoms are typically nausea, vomiting and vertigo. Only two of the headaches, both of them occurring during launch, matched international criteria for migraines.Asked to describe the headache, the astronauts mostly said the symptoms were "exploding" or "heavy feeling." This chimes with previous research which shows that blood volume in the upper body is redistributed when a body floats in zero gravity, the doctors believe.A shift of blood towards the brain could cause a painful increase in pressure within the skull, suggests the paper. Zero gravity is linked to inadequate oxygenation of the body, and this could also be a "plausible trigger," it adds.Astronauts are traditionally reluctant to reveal all the physical complaints they experience in space, partly out of fear that this may prevent them from making future missions on medical grounds. In this case, the respondents were guaranteed anonymity.The high number of reported episodes suggests space headache "is a common and often isolated, disabling complaint," says the paper.It should be classified as a separate category among headaches attributed to "disorders of homeostasis," it believes. Homeostasis means the body's ability to regulate itself in response to changes in the external environment.The study appears in the June issue of a specialist journal, Cephalalgia.

Best Freinds forever

Himalayan News Service
KATHMANDU: If you are of the opinion that keeping a dog as a pet is merely for security purpose then you are wrong. There are more than 150 species of dogs around the world, with their own individual character by nature. Though generally, dogs are considered as guards many of the species are more of a friend to their masters. So, at times people can enjoy the company dog to get rid of tiredness and escape from loneliness. “Dog is a social animal like us. So, we should not be its owner but their guardians. Dogs should be treated as one of the family members,” opined Suresh Shah, Managing Director, Mt Everest Kennel Club, stressing that dogs are good friends to people if they are treated well. According to Shah, there are many breeds of dogs, which are tamed for their better companionship rather than security or else purposes. Namely - Japanese Spitz, Labrador Retriever, Pug, Dachshund, Cocker Spaniel and Golden Retriever are some of the breeds, which are mostly liked in Nepal and abroad. Japanese SpitzJapanese Spitz is one of the most popular breed in Nepal. It is the most loved, white, fluffy breeds. Basically, Spitz is around 12 inches high and 5 - 10 kilograms of weight with a long, pure white coat, and a magnificent plumed tail. It is an indoor pet, which enjoys playing inside room. Though the breed is considered to be a companion animal, it is an effective home protector too. As its name suggests, its place of origin is Japan. Labrador RetrieverIt is one of the most popular breeds of dogs in the world. These days Labrador is getting popular among Nepalis as well. This dog is also called as Labrador and Small water dog. Though originally they were used as gun dogs, these days it is taken as one of the best companion dog. The maximum height of this dog ranges from 21 and 1/2 to 22 and 1/2 inches while it weighs from 25-34 kilograms. Generally, Labrador is found in yellow, black and mid-brown colours. Originally, Labrador are from the Great Britian.PugPug is yet another popular breed of dog best known for its companionship. Unlike other dogs it has wrinkly, short-muzzled face. The original use of Pug was companion and still it is considered to be one of the best companion dogs. Normally, a Pug stands to a height of 10-11 inches and weighs 6-8 kilograms. This dog is found in various colours like apricot, fawn, black and silver. Pugs are originally from China. “Dogs could be a better companion as long as its master takes it as a friend,” said Shah adding, the owner must be a dog lover to seek companionship from the dog. Shah added no matter how friendly a dog is by nature, if its owner does not treat it well then it is not fair to expect the dog to be friendly with you as well. “Dogs can’t speak like us but they have similar emotions like us. They do have human feelings, which they express accordingly with situations. Dogs are more faithful than human these days,” shared Shah adding, the more one gives company to a dog, the more it will return to its master

Teen model escapes 'abusive' Malay prince

Presi Mandari/ AFP
JAKARTA: A teenage US-Indonesian model has returned to her family in Indonesia with tales of abuse, rape and torture at the hands of a Malaysian prince, after her dramatic escape with the help of Singapore police.Manohara Odelia Pinot, 17, told reporters she was treated like a sex slave after her marriage to Tengku Temenggong Mohammad Fakhry, the prince of Malaysia's Kelantan state, last year.Her mother, Daisy Fajarina, said she would press charges against the 31-year-old prince, and blamed the Malaysian and Indonesian governments for trying to cover up the alleged abuse."The things I've been afraid of were revealed to be true. Manohara has suffered physical abuse. She's got several razor cuts on her chest," Fajarina told AFP on Monday."No parent could be silent if their child was treated in such a barbaric way."The Malaysian government had ignored her pleas for access to her daughter and had blocked her from entering the country, she said, while the Indonesian embassy had said that Manohara was fine with her new husband.But the young woman -- a well-known socialite in Jakarta -- said her life at the royal palace involved a "daily routine" of rape, abuse, torture and occasional drug injections that made her vomit blood.She said she was usually held under guard in her bedroom at the palace and was injected with tranquilisers whenever she complained."I am still traumatised by all that happened and it has left an impact on me," she told reporters in Jakarta on Sunday, after escaping the royal family during a trip to Singapore over the weekend."Sexual abuse and sexual harassment were like a daily routine for me, and he did that every time I did not want to have sexual intercourse," she was quoted as saying in The Jakarta Globe."I could never think a normal man could do such things," she said, adding: "Some parts of my body were cut by a razor."The teenager whose fairy-tale wedding to a prince captured the imagination of Indonesia said she would be tortured if she did not appear to be happy when she attended social functions with Fakhry."Every time I went for events they forced me to smile and would torture me if I did not do what they said," she told the press conference.She said she secretly called Singaporean police and pleaded for help after the royal family took her to the city state when they accompanied Fakhry's father, Sultan Ismail Petra Shah II, for medical treatment."The police told Fakhry that he would be held in jail if he did not let me go. No one could force me against my will in Singapore and I knew I had a chance to escape," she said.The model once voted as being among Indonesia's "100 Precious Women" said she escaped her guards by pushing the Singapore hotel elevator's emergency button.They were reluctant to chase her because they knew the scene would be captured on security cameras.She blasted the Indonesian embassy in Malaysia, saying: "They made it worse by telling lies, saying that I was fine while I was suffering in Kelantan."A spokesman for the Indonesian foreign ministry insisted the embassy had done everything it could to help Manohara and said the government would assist her if she wanted to file charges against her husband.Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the government would not investigate the claims."I think this is more of a personal matter. To date we have not been dragged into it, so we want to leave it as it is," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.Malaysia's royal rulers used to enjoy immunity from criminal and civil charges but the privilege was removed in 1993.There has been no comment from the Kelantan royal family.Manohara's lawyer, Yuri Darmas, said she would have a medical examination to back up her allegations of abuse."We need one to two days to gather evidence before we file a lawsuit to the Malaysian police," he said, adding that he intended to pursue both criminal and civil lawsuits against the prince.Manohara has already filed for divorce, her mother said.