8 baby corpses find shocks French town

A small French town was in shock. French nursing assistant Dominique Cottrez has admitted suffocating eight newborn babies because she did not want more children and wished to avoid seeing a doctor for contraception, a prosecutor said.

The 45-year-old woman was charged with murder on Thursday after the new owners of her parents' former home at the weekend found the remains of two newborns buried in plastic bags in the garden as they planted a tree.

The skeletal remains of the other six infants were later found dumped, also in plastic sacks, in the garage of the mother's current home, according to AFP.


  

'Psychic' Octopus Paul predicts Spain win in World Cup final

World Cup phenomenal celebrity Paul the "psychic" octopus has predicted a Spain victory in the final against the Netherlands.

It looks like it's not going to be a Dutch treat. Eat your heart out all you Oranje fans. I wouldn't bet a wooden shoe against the Spaniards.

But Paul has got to watch his back as well if he's not going to end up in a frying pan. His job as a soothsayer has made him some enemies.

The celebrated eight-legged oracle has so far predicted correctly all six Germany games in this 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

If Spain truly beat the Netherlands at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg on Sunday, it will be the first time in their history to win the top prize in world football after years of underachievements.

On Friday, according to reports from Oberhausen in Germany where Paul resides, he very quickly plumped for Spain by scooping up the morsel in the Spanish box. The octopus 'reality show' was carried live on national German TV and watched all across Europe.

In Spain, the reaction was swift. The best-selling sports daily website Marca.com ran the headline: "The octopus Paul makes us champions".

Earlier, the two-year-old mollusc medium also said that Germany, his country of residence, would defeat Uruguay in the third-place play-off game on Saturday.

In the now familiar routine, two boxes were lowered into his tank, each containing a morsel and the flags of the two opposing teams.

The tentacled tipster went straight to the Spanish box, wrenched open the lid and gobbled the tasty morsel.

Apprehensive observers feel the art of football predicting has become a dangerous job for the English-born clairvoyant cephalopod with some bitter German fans threatening to turn him into sushi after he predicted a semi-final defeat for the German team.

There were also calls in Germany for Paul to be roasted with lemon juice and olive oil or turned into a plate of paella, the BBC reported.

Paul's home, an aquarium in western Germany, has received death-threat emails saying "we want Paul for the pan," said entertainment supervisor Daniel Fey, according to AFP.

"Since yesterday our colleagues have kept a very close eye on Paul," Fey added.

With ominous signs that Paul may end up on a plate, no less an authority than Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luiz Rodriguez Zapatero has hinted at octopus bodyguards.

"I am concerned for the octopus ... I am thinking of sending him a protective team," joked Zapatero on Radio Cadena Ser.

Meanwhile, it was reported that Spanish Industry Minister Miguel Sebastian has called for Paul to be given an "immediate" free transfer to Spain to "ensure his protection." Would Real Madrid or Barcelona be interested in signing Paul for next season as a forecaster?

During the semi-final match between Spain and Germany, witnesses reported that some sections of the 350,000-strong crowd watching the game on giant screens sang anti-octopus songs. The honour of Paul's mother was called into question, according to witnesses.

Paul's celebrity status as a World Cup forecaster is expected to be his last because in octopus terms he will become a pensioner at the ripe old age of two-and-a-half.

According to cephalopod experts, octopuses generally live three years at the latest. - MK/Goal2010sa

   Octopus and squid ink cookies (16 cookies).(Recipe)(Brief article): An article from: Art Culinaire

Actress Gong Li and husband divorce

China's most famous actress, Gong Li, has divorced her Singaporean husband after 14 years of marriage, with speculation that she may return to China. 

Gong, 44, renounced her Chinese citizenship and became a Singaporean in 2008 causing widespread dismay in China.

The actress was married in 1996 to Singaporean Ooi Hoe Seong, the former chief executive in Asia of British American Tobacco. The couple are rarely seen in public and it is not known whether they have any children.

A Chinese newspaper, the Soutern Metropolis Entertainment Weekly, has reportedly confirmed through her agent, Zeng Jingchao, that the couple have now divorced.

According to some media reports, there have been speculation that the Chinese actress may have become romantically attached to American actor John Cusack who co-starred with her in a recent film.

Gong Li shot to fame in a series of films directed by Zhang Yimou in the 1990s, including "Red Sorghum", "Raise the Red Lantern" and the Hollywood film "Memoirs of a Geisha".

She was heavily criticised, however, for ending Zhang's marriage with a subsequent affair. - MM

    

World Cup kick-off marred by Mandela family tragedy

South Africa celebrated the kick-off Friday of the first ever World Cup tournament to be held on the African continent but the nation's icon Nelson Mandela, now 91, had to cancel his appearance at the opening ceremony in front of 90,000 at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg.

The reason: His 13-year-old great granddaughter, Zenani Mandela, was killed in a car crash after attending Thursday's night World Cup kick-off concert in Soweto.

According to a statement from the Nelson Mandela Foundation, "Zenani was travelling in a car returning from the World Cup Kick-Off Concert at Orlando Stadium when the accident occurred. There was only one car involved and no one else was injured."

The Mandela Foundation said the family had asked for privacy. Zenani, who celebrated her birthday two days ago, was a granddaughter of Zinzi Mandela, Nelson Mandela and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's daughter.

Ex-wife Winnie was also in the car.

The driver had been arrested and police were investigating a case of culpable homicide.

Meanwhile, South Africa played Mexico to a 1-1 draw in the World Cup opener in front of a raucous and emotional home crowd.

The Bafana Bafana, ranked No. 83 in world football standing, had a dream start when Siphiwe Tshabalala put them in the lead in the 55th minute. Mexico, ranked 17th in the world, managed to equalize 24 minutes later with a Rafael Marquez goal.

In the other later Group A match between France and Uruguay, the result was 0-0 which means all four teams in the same group have a point each.

Is Bret Michaels replacing Simon Cowell as Idol judge?

SPECULATION is rife that Poison band rocker Bret Michaels will be replacing Simon Cowell as a judge on the Fox singing talent show "American Idol".

Acerbic British judge Cowell said farewell to his last "Idol" season last month. He has been searching for a new judge to replace him on the panel in the next series and has revealed that Michaels could be the likely candidate.


Recently Entertainment website PopEater.com asked its readers if they had to pick either Madonna, Bret Michaels, Diddy or Howard Stern for Cowell's spot - who would they choose?

(All four have either spoken out or been rumoured for the position.)

More than 42K voted in PopEater.com's poll, and 50 percent chose Michaels, with second place going to Stern, who garnered 19 percent of the vote. The Poison rocker has hinted that his future lies with "Idol" and it appears now to have confirmed that an "offer" had materialized.

Bret Michaels with "Idol" finalists Casey James

PopEater.com has reported Michaels as saying: "That offer has already been made, and we're just trying to consider putting everything in. I've got a VH1 show I'm shooting called Life As I Know It, which will air in the fall.

"Then it would either be Rock Star at the beginning of the year, or I'd start Idol (and) then we'll start shooting when they start their season again.

"I'd be honoured to do it. I feel there's one area I shine in, it's giving musicians unbelievable advice. When you talk about being a judge, Simon did an amazing job. He cut to the chase with his brutal honesty. Mine would be less brutal and with more advice along with the judging.

"Fans would be blown away by the advice. I would love to do it and I could give killer advice."

Michaels, who was recently hospitalized suffering from brain hemorrhage, took the Idol stage for a duet with finalist Casey James during the season's finale on May 10 and was an instant hit with the studio audience who gave him a standing ovation as he walked out to sing "Every Rose Has Its Thorn".

Global outcry over Israeli raid on Gaza aid ships

The deadly Israeli raid Monday on a convoy of Gaza aid ships in which at least 10 people were reported killed has sparked global shock and outrage.

The fallout from the bloody ending to the high-profile Freedom Flotilla aid mission to blockaded Gaza is heaping worldwide condemnation on Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short his visit to Washington as Tel Aviv scrambled to contain the fallout.

According to AFP report, most of the dead were Turkish.

Turkey, once Israel's closest Muslim ally, has recalled its ambassador and frozen military ties with the Jewish state.

United Nation chief Ban Ki-moon was "shocked" by the Israeli assault on the convoy which was carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinia activists through international waters.

Latest reports say the Freedom Flotilla has been directed to the port of Ashdod and more than 80 activists had been arrested.

The convoy was carrying more than 700 passengers who were on a mission to deliver aid to Gaza which had been under an Israeli blockade since 2007.

New Plans To Plug Gulf Oil Well

There's no end in sight yet as thousands of gallons of oil spew uncontrolled into the Gulf of Mexico each day.

Reports estimated that at least 20 million gallons are now believed to have leaked into the ocean since BP-leased Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20 and sank. Eleven workers were killed in that incident.

After many efforts to stop a gushing oil well in the Gulf have failed, BP plans a new approach while the White House sends more resources.

The British oil giant has acknowledged failure in its "top kill" attempt to plug the underwater well. Company officials said it could take a week to implement the next bid -- placing a cap over the leak.

The disaster has already closed stretches of coastal fishing waters, endangering the seafood industry and tourism, and threatening a catastrophe for Louisiana marshes, home to many rare species, according to news reports.

Taiwan's Singing Wonder Lin Lands Sony Music Record Deal

What have Lin Yu Chun and Susan Boyle both got in common? Well, both have won fame for being singing sensations.

Now Taiwan's singing wonder Lin has signed a major worldwide record deal with Sony Music Entertainment on May 13, thus joining the Scottish spinster in the same record company.

Lin, also popularly known as "Little Fatty", will release his debut album in July this year, according to an AFP report. The album will contain songs in Chinese and English.

Sony Music did not confirm whether 'I Will Always Love You' would be added to his new album or not.

Lin instantly gained worldwide repute due to his rendition of Whitney Houston's "I will Always Love You" after it got featured on YouTube.

The YouTube video clip went viral and attracted more than 10 million viewers on the Internet.

The chubby 24-year-old singer with the Beatles-style hairdo was first spotted on a Taiwan reality show called "Avenue to Stardom". Surely, Lin was on the right track!

Just like the 49-year-old Boyle who was discovered on "Britain's Got Talent" reality show and who released a best-selling album in 2009, Lin rode on his publicity and made his presence felt on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" while on a tour of the US.

Like Boyle, Lin too failed to win in the talent show. On his appearance, Lin was quoted as saying: “In order to get success, one does not have to be good-looking and smart. What is required is being yourself and try your best”.

> Will stardom come to new 'Susan Boyle'?

Solo Sailor Girl Sails Into History

UPDATE MAY 15:  SYDNEY  – Australian schoolgirl sailor Jessica Watson sailed into history Saturday  (May 15) as a noisy pink-bathed crowd welcomed her home as the youngest person to sail around the globe solo, non-stop and without help, AFP reported.

Tens of thousands of people took to the harbour and lined the foreshore to celebrate as Watson, 16, crossed the finish line in her bright pink yacht, ending a remarkable 210 days at sea. 

Teen sailor Jessica in home stretch

Australian teen adventurer Jessica Watson is coming into the home stretch in her 34-ft yacht Ella's Pink Lady with a new record waiting for her as the youngest person to sail around the world, nonstop and unassisted.

The plucky teenager will be heading towards Sydney Harbour, expected to be on May 2, weather permitting, to a hero's welcome. She will be celebrating her 17th birthday on May 18.

If Jessica succeeds she will take the title from fellow Australian Jesse Martin, who was 18 in 1999,  when he girdled the globe on his own and without stopping or getting help.

An April 13 posting on the sponsored Jessica Watson website by Amanda Lulham of the Daily Telegraph says Jessica on Monday had passed the 20,000 nautical miles of sailing on her own - another extraordinary milestone for the teenager.

The Ella's Pink Lady was reported entering Australian waters over the weekend. Jessica's parents, brother and sister flew overhead in a small plane to greet her, according to her April 12 posting on her official blog.

"Even though all I could see was a small plane way overhead, it was still really cool. Mum reckons that Ella's Pink Lady and I looked really small between the swell, which seems strange to me because Ella's Pink Lady is my whole world at the moment!" she says.

Jessica also mentioned an electrical storm the "worst I've seen at sea yet".

She says: "Even though I could hardly see it through the icy cold sideways rain, the lightning was striking the water nearby much too close for my liking. The wind gusted pretty high too.

"Other than the lightning storm, the weather's still been really unsettled with almost constant rain, squalls and a messy sea. Luckily the wind hasn't been too strong though. Progress has been good and even with all this gloomy grey stuff, I'm happy as Larry and mostly staying dry, thanks to my snug dodger," says Jessica.

Earlier on Saturday, Ella's Pink Lady sailed over the green line on the chart and into Australian waters, according to a post on April 10.

"But we've still got a long way to go and over the next week we will pass under the Great Australian Bight and head south to Tasmania," says the post.

"It's very likely that I'll pass back over the green line out of Australian waters again. It's weird being so close, but still having so many miles to cover."

Jessica explains that she didn't take a short cut through the Bass Strait but instead went south of Tasmania because the Strait is full of shipping and islands which would mean a few days with very little or no sleep for her.

Watson's parents were criticized for allowing her to make the journey on her own. Critics were concerned that any ocean rescue operation would cost thousands of dollars and place her life in jeopardy.

However, Jessica eventually silenced most of the critics after a test run to New Zealand and several solo journeys in Australia proved she's capable of doing the job. She has been sailing since she was eight.

Jessica started her long journey from Sydney. She sailed towards the equator in the mid-Pacific Ocean, went under South America, then across the south Atlantic Ocean to the southern tip of South Africa and east across the Indian Ocean towards home.

Meanwhile, Earth Times reported that Jessica might not hold on to her title for long if she wins it because Abby Sunderland, a US citizen four months her junior, left Mexico in February in pursuit of Martin's record.

Abby is the latest scion of the Sunderland family to set out around the world. She became the youngest person to sail single-handed round Cape Horn on the tip of South America last month. Her brother Zac made the trip when he was 17.

[Photos via YouTube]

Polish president killed in plane crash

World leaders expressed shock at the horrific plane crash Saturday in Smolensk, Russia, that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski, his wife, and much of the nation's ruling elite. All 96 people on board did not survive the tragic crash.

Russian news agencies said pilot error had come under immediate suspicion.

AFP reported the Tupolev Tu-154 jet was carrying Kaczynski and his wife, the military chief of staff, central bank governor, deputy foreign minister, members of parliament and other top officials to a ceremony for thousands of Polish troops massacred by Russian forces in World War II.

Kaczynski was the identical twin brother of former prime minister Jaroslaw. He was on his way to attend commemorative ceremonies for the Katyn massacre, which decimated Poland's military and intellectual elite 70 years ago.

It was reported the crash occurred three days after Putin and his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk, together attended a memorial for the victims of the massacre at Katyn.

The Putin-Tusk meeting there was seen as a huge symbolic advance in Russia's often thorny relations with Poland.

Poland went into mourning with this horrific tragedy on Saturday.

Will stardom come to new 'Susan Boyle'?

Susan Boyle, Cai Hua Tian Ma (Sweet Cauliflower Mama) and Lin Yu-chun have something in common - they don't have the looks but, boy, can they sing!

We already know a lot about Scottish spinster Susan who became a singing sensation after she was discovered on Britain's Got Talent show last year. Her debut album sold millions and we can say she's got it made.

Recently two other singing talents - one from Shanghai, China and the other from Taiwan - were discovered and videos of them on YouTube became the rage.

Cai Hua Tian Ma, as she is known, sells chicken at the market stall. She belts out English gospel songs with amazing grace and pulls in the crowd.

That was how the middle-aged woman with two pigtails was discovered and a video clip of her singing in front of a market crowd was posted on YouTube and overnight, the video pulled in more than 46,000 hits. Maybe more by now.

Apart from English gospel songs, she also sings Maria Callas and Mariah Carey numbers as well as local folk songs and Chinese opera.

While Cai Hua Tian Ma has restricted her singing at her chicken stall, Taiwanese Lin revealed his singing prowess on Taiwan's Avenue to Stardom talent show on April 9.

Known as "Little Fatty", the round-faced Lin sings like a soprano and wowed everyone with his rendition of Whitney Houston's hit "I Will Always Love You".

Lin, 24, soon discovered that a video clip of his performance
appeared on YouTube and in no time, racked up more than 2 million hits as people started to call him "Taiwan's Susan Boyle". No doubt, the hits will keep coming for a while.

One viewer on YouTube commented: "I got goose bumps."

AFP reported that Lin was "shocked" by the great attention he has received and cited him as saying: "I'm really moved and happy that people like my performance of Whitney's song. . .I'm honoured to be compared to Susan Boyle."

Lin, who works part-time at a musical instrument shop in Taipei, may well be on his way to stardom and nobody is going to laugh at Little Fatty again.

China's new 'Susan Boyle'

A middle-aged woman who is a chicken seller in Shanghai has been hailed as the Chinese Susan Boyle by netizens. China's singing discovery is nicknamed Cai Hua Tian Ma (Sweet Cauliflower Mama).

Susan Boyle, from Scotland, gained fame and millions of admirers since she wowed the judges on Britain's Got Talent show last year with her rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream" from the musical Les Miserables.

Cai Hua Tian Ma's rendition of an English gospel song on video clip, posted on YouTube, has become the latest hit among Web users in China.

Cai Hua Tian Ma made her first public appearance on the Internet when a patron at a market in Shanghai where she works, recorded a clip of her singing to the customers at her chicken stall, according to Malaysian Mirror.

The patron uploaded the video clip on the Internet on April 1 and within days, the video which was shown in various popular websites in China, has attracted more than 46,000 hits.

Cai Hua Tian Ma is seen on video with her hair tied into two pigtails and dressed in a red shirt with a Hello Kitty apron. Some netizens mistook her for the late Hong Kong billionaire Nina Wang.

Cai Hua Tian Ma, it is learnt, hails from a remote village in Anhui. She has no professional training in music. She cannot even read out all the 26 letters of the alphabet.

Apart from English gospel songs, she also sings Maria Callas and Mariah Carey numbers as well as local folk songs and Chinese opera.

"Brokenhearted" Night for Idol Finalist Didi Benami

AMERICAN IDOL Season 9 Top 10 chugged along. This week the show rode on the R&B/Soul train and there were a few surprises. It was like a roller coaster ride for some of the contestants, writes Sebastian Lee in the news website Malaysian Mirror.

It was a brokenhearted night for 23-year-old LA waitress Didi Benami who became the third finalist to reach the end of the road on Wednesday when she got the least amount of votes. She was in the bottom three with 20-year-old Tim Urban and 17-year-old Katie Stevens.

On Tuesday's competition show, the judges felt Didi (left) was "old-fashioned...off key" and didn't do justice to Jimmy Ruffin's "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted."

While Randy Jackson thought she "didn't get it" with the song, Simon Cowell said "it was like swimming in jelly". Kara DioGuardi told her bluntly:  "It's overdone, girl. . .you lost your way."  And so it was.

Unlikely stayer Tim Urban, who was nicknamed "Teflon Tim", sang Anita Baker's "Sweet Love" without setting the house on fire. Randy said "it felt so pedestrian". Kara told Tim he "took the soul out of the song." A frustrated Simon Cowell told Tim sacastically: "It doesn't matter. You're going to smile, and they will vote for you, and you'll be back next week."

True enough, the Texas college student with the floppy-hairdo once again rode his luck and moved on to the next round. . .obviously smiling while tearful Didi bid farewell.

In her farewell performance, Didi sang Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon (Will You Ever Win)" again and although Simon kindly said it was "far better" than her performance the night before, she didn't get the "save" vote from the judges.

Tsunami threatens the Pacific

Tsunami warnings were posted around the Pacific, including the US state of Hawaii, Japan and Russia following Saturday's massive earthquake of 8.8 magnitude that struck the Chilean coast early in the morning.

The quake is one of the world’s most powerful in a century, according to experts.

More than 300 people were reported killed as the powerful quake toppled buildings and triggered tsunamis that ravaged a port town and threatened Pacific coastlines as far away as Japan, according to a Reuters report.

Chile’s capital of Santiago, about 200 miles (320 km) north of the epicenter, was badly hit.

The international airport was closed for at least 24 hours as the quake destroyed passenger walkways and shook glass out of doors and windows, Reuters reported.

Prof Faces Murder Charge in University Shooting

Yet another shooting and more deaths. This time a woman biology professor was facing murder charges after three staff members were killed and three injured in a shooting spree at the University of Alabama in Huntsville on Saturday.

Amy Bishop (picture), dressed in jeans and a pink sweater, was seen being driven away by police after the incident. She was shaking her head in disbelief.

AFP reported that she murmured to local TV station WHNT-TV as she climbed into the vehicle: "It didn't happen. There's no way. They're still alive."

The shooting allegedly happened after Bishop discovered several months ago she had been denied tenure at the university, which would have secured her job in the biology faculty, according to AFP.

The three slain faculty members were identified as Gopi Polia, the chair of the biology department; Maria Ragland Davis, a professor of biotechnology; and Adriel Johnson, a professor of physiology.

In the first six weeks of this year alone several shootings have already been reported around the country.

Last month, eight people were killed in Virginia by a lone gunman. And in early January a disgruntled employee at a Missouri plant of Swiss power company ABB went on a rampage shooting dead three people and wounding five others, before killing himself.

Monster Quake Magnifies Haiti's History of Misery

Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince was described as "flattened" by a devastating earthquake that struck on Tuesday (Jan 12). CNN reported a Haitian government official as saying that the 7.0-magnitude quake may have killed more than 100,000.

Reports coming in indicated that three million people, about one-third of Haiti's population, were affected by the quake.

This is the country's worst quake in two centuries, destroying Haiti's presidential palace which was the most beautiful building in the capital and many other buildings in the city, including the UN headquarters here.

Aids are pouring in from many countries. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the United Nations plans to release $10 million in aid immediately.

Meanwhile, the World Bank had pledged another $100 million. CNN reported that President Obama promised a "swift, coordinated and aggressive" response from the United States.

Xinhua news agency reported that China was preparing to send a 50-member rescue team, including three sniffer dogs. China has 125 peace-keeping police in Haiti, but no diplomatic ties with the country, Xinhua reported.

The Haiti quake set the Internet abuzz as news seekers flocked to Twitter for more immediate information. Web surfers also scoured blogs to get the latest.

Nick Caistor of the BBC News writes:

"Haiti appears to have had more than its fair share of chaos, poverty and natural disasters. And, as has happened so often in the nation's past, just when the situation was getting better, a fresh catastrophe struck."

Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere.

> Haiti Quake News Updates

> BBC News Live Coverage

> BBC News: Eyewitnesses speak of devastation

Nexus One - A Smart Move by Google?

 Although Google and Apple appear to have very different market strategies - one sells phones, the other sells ads - the Nexus One smartphone, which was officially unveiled on Tuesday at Google's Mountain View headquarters, is seen as a game changer by some market analysts.

"Google's Nexus One is the first Android phone that may make Apple nervous because it does a few things better than the iPhone," Walt Mossberg at the Wall Street Journal says on his Personal Technology video.

However, the New York Times cited Forrester Research analyst Charles Golvin as saying that "It looks like a really cool phone, but it is not a game changer."

According to an NYT report, SearchEngineLand's editor Danny Sullivan said: "It would have been nice to see them roll out something really unique...It is more evolutionary than revolutionary."

Opinons differ, but the Nexus One aka the "superphone" looks like a serious competitor to Apple's iPhone. Most analysts are looking at a scenario where Google and Apple are on a collision course.

It remains to be seen how the marketplace pans out in the coming months.

The Nexus One is seen by analysts as a move to ensure Google remains relevant as people search the Web using mobile phones rather than typing queries into a PC.

If indications are true to form, Google is apparently setting its sight on the hardware market, starting with the much anticipated Nexus One which it will sell exclusively to consumers through its new online store.

On the one hand, Google is already facing a grudge match with old-school media baron Rupert Murdoch over the contentious issue of copyright and payment for online content.

Now, on the hardware front, Google's plan to sell the Nexus One on the Web could affect sales of Apple's iPhones and the Cupertino company is not expected to sit tight and not do anything while Goog intrudes into its territory.

According to a NYT report following the unveiling of the Nexus One, Apple has announced that it had acquired mobile advertising start-up Quattro Wireless, indicating that it has plans to attack Google's core advertising business. A tit-for-tat scenario looms large.