| IMF chief put on suicide watch Posted: 18 May 2011 12:56 AM PDT 
WASHINGTON: International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been placed on suicide watch in his New York City jail cell four days after his arrest for allegedly sexually assaulting a hotel chamber maid. Strauss-Kahn, 62, who was a leading contender for the next French presidential election, is under 24-hour surveillance in protective isolation at New York's Riker's Island jail, ABC News reported. He has been made to wear a special jumpsuit, which lacks excess material or strings that an inmate could use to harm himself, and is designed to prevent inmates from concealing any objects, it said. Meanwhile, his alleged victim is still reeling from the attack she says took her completely by surprise, the news channel said citing a close friend. "She was still crying today," the friend was quoted as saying. "She was completely devastated. I was the first person she called." The alleged victim, a housekeeper at New York City's Sofitel Hotel, called the friend from the emergency room at St. Luke's Hospital, where she was examined by doctors and questioned by New York Police Department detectives Saturday night after the alleged attack. "She called me and said, 'Something really bad happened,'" he said. He described his friend, an immigrant from West Africa and the mother of a 15-year-old girl, as a "good Muslim" and "not the kind of woman to attack a man." "She didn't understand why he did such a thing," he said, adding that he believed in the US judicial system and that she would testify against Strauss-Kahn. She is being held at a safe but undisclosed location, he said. |
| World's biggest gold ring now worth $3 million Posted: 18 May 2011 12:53 AM PDT 
DUBAI: The value of a 63.856 kg, 21-carat gold ring on display in Dubai has shot up due to the spiralling price of the yellow metal, its owner has said. The ring, which has a Guinness Book of World Records certificate for being the world's biggest gold ring, is on display at the Deira Gold Souq (market) in Dubai. According to its owners, its value has multiplied several times over the years, due to the record gold price now. It is studded with 5.1 kg worth of precious stones from Signity Middle East and its creation was supported by the World Gold Council. "While it cost $547,000 to make the ring in the year 2000, the current value is worth over $3 million. This is the world's biggest gold ring and we have displayed it on behalf of Taiba, the Saudi Arabian jewellery maker who made this unique piece in 2000 when the gold price was only $250 per ounce," Kanz Jewellers Managing Director Anil Dhanak said. "Now the value of gold has gone up to $1,500 per ounce, so you can imagine how much fortune the idle gold ring has brought to its owner," Dhanak told Emirates 24/7. "The ring is currently owned by Taiba, but we have displayed it to promote much smaller wearable rings. This ring has inspired many gold enthusiasts to buy replicas," he said. The Najmat Taiba ring has a 2,200-mm perimeter, a 700-mm outer perimeter, a 490-mm inside diameter, 500-mm width on its back and 250-mm width on the ring bottom. It has 615 Swarovski stones embedded in it. Fifty-five workers worked 45 days continuously for 10 hours a day to make this piece. |
| Sex scandal IMF chief facing 74 years in jail Posted: 17 May 2011 08:57 AM PDT 
IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was behind bars in New York last night after being denied $1m (€ 705,000) bail by a judge who heard details of his alleged brutal sexual attack on a hotel chambermaid. The head of the IMF, who faces up to 74 years behind bars if convicted of a series of sex crimes, was remanded in custody as a "flight risk" after prosecutors said he would flee to Europe "just like Roman Polanski", the film director who has spent 32 years as a fugitive from the US. It was a crushing blow for the man who was until recently being considered a front-runner for the French presidency and who oversaw world finance. Looking tired, with a light stubble and wearing the same clothes as on Sunday, he listened as prosecutors told a Manhattan Criminal Court judge they were investigating whether he may have engaged in similar conduct once before. Defence lawyers denied the charges against their client. But as they did so, a French journalist yesterday added to the allegations against him by announcing that she was considering taking legal action for an alleged attack in 2002. Tristane Banon (31) said that she had not made the formal accusation before because she had been persuaded by her mother -- a Socialist politician -- to say nothing. It was Mr Strauss-Kahn's (62) first appearance in court since he allegedly sexually assaulted a chambermaid who came to clean his room at the Sofitel in Times Square. He was pulled off an Air France jet on Saturday, minutes before it left for Paris. He was supposed to be in Brussels, musing with fellow members of the global elite on how to spend the hundreds of billions of euro that were at his disposal just 48 hours earlier. Instead, at 10.50am yesterday he was led into the drab room 130 at Manhattan Criminal Court and placed beside a drug dealer who delivered takeaways for Texas Fried Chicken. When it came to his turn, Mr Strauss-Kahn was remanded in custody. He was formally charged with six crimes relating to the alleged sexual attack. Like every other defendant, he was made to stand and have his irises scanned to ensure he was not an impostor. The judge set Friday as the next date for the case. Graphic details were described by prosecutors. They alleged Mr Strauss-Kahn shut the door of his hotel room to prevent the maid from leaving. The judge's order that Mr Strauss-Kahn should be kept in custody in New York raised further questions about his future. The IMF board was due to meet informally yesterday for an update on its managing director. His second in command, John Lipsky, has already been put in charge in Mr Strauss-Kahn's absence. In an unpublished interview only two weeks before his arrest, Mr Strauss-Kahn suggested he could imagine a scenario in which he might be set up for rape. Conspiracy theories abounded in France yesterday after the publication of a curiously premonitory interview in the newspaper 'Liberation'. In court yesterday Judge Melissa Jackson was told by prosecutors how Mr Strauss-Kahn "sexually assaulted and attempted to forcibly rape" the 32-year-old maid, an African immigrant and mother. Graphic John McConnell, an assistant district attorney, outlined six charges in graphic detail. The maid immediately alerted colleagues, gave a "detailed and powerful" account, and selected Mr Strauss-Kahn from an identity parade, Judge Jackson was told. The woman underwent tests at a local hospital. "The findings during that examination corroborate her account," Mr McConnell said. Mr Strauss-Kahn had, prior to the hearing, consented to a DNA test. Mr McConnell said Mr Strauss- Kahn should be denied bail as he had "no incentive to stay in this country and every incentive and resource to leave", with an "extensive network of contacts around the world". Washington had no extradition arrangement with Paris, he added. - Jon Swaine in New York Irish Independent |
| Emotional sex to woo your lady love Posted: 17 May 2011 08:43 AM PDT 
A lot has been said about the ideal way to prepare your woman for a steamy night of passion. From indulging in prolonged foreplay to hitting the passion-pinnacle to merely kissing and cuddling to arouse your lover ...here are a few traits of the perfect ' love- maker. ' Most lovers tend to ignore the fact that for a satisfying act of love-making, the base work has to emanate from a woman's brain. You' ll be surprised to know that without even the slightest form of touching you can make your woman experience a sense of heightened arousal that is usually synonymous with physical intimacy. ' Emotional sex' is as gratifying as ' physical sex. Making your lady love experience the same rush of passion without even a single touch is definitely possible but requires a high degree of understanding between the couple. Sex expert Dr. Mahinder Watsa says, "Sex starts in the brain, much before it culminates in the bed. Especially in women, the brain needs to be geared up emotionally for a satisfying communion as it is an equal player like the body in the game of love." On the other hand, it is also known that for men ' lovemaking' involves getting physically close, while women dig emotional intimacy. "The 4Ts in Trust, Time, Talk and Touch - form the foundation for passionate love making," states Dr. Watsa, adding, "The fourth T cannot be successful until you have done the required ground work using the first three Ts." To prepare for a passionate grand finale, indulge in some ' emotional sex' triggered off by first three Ts - Trust, Time, Talk. Here' s all that you can do to prepare your lady love for some ' emotional sex' that will surely lead to some hot and steamy action between the sheets. It might appear too much of an effort, but once she' s just there you' ll have enough time to bask in the glory of your success. So, get started... Work on your attitude The preparation for a sexual session can often leave one exhausted, so it' s important that you have the right romantic attitude. "A man with a romantic attitude won' t mind testing his limits to woo his lay love," says Priya Bakshi, a relationship expert adding, "He would have the heart to shower all his love, affection, care and passion on his lady." Remember that without a romantic attitude, even the most lavish dinner dates and exquisite presents appear unimpressive and superficial. So, if you are ' head over heels' in love with your gal, be amorous and shower her with unlimited and unconditional love and affection. Communicate your feelings and bond on common areas of interest. Do what it takes to make her feel loved This goes beyond kissing and cuddling. Sometimes surprisingly enough, feelings that even the priciest of diamonds fail to express to your lover can be conveyed through a small personalised love note. Find out how your lady wants to be wooed. What leaves her speechless? What renders her in a bad need of a tight hug from you? And what makes her want to melt in your arms? A walk in a moonlit garden, listening to her without interruption or maybe just looking at her every now and then with eyes full of love and admiration for her...can be the simplest, yet trickiest moves to seduce her senses! It is all about time! Observe her... After years of being together, most of us start taking our partners for granted. Why does that happen? Answers Bakshi, "It often happens that partners get so tied up in their hectic schedules that giving a patient glance to their better half or taking the time to shower her with compliments become rare, thus leading to a loss of sexual desire at times." So, if you want to tickle her mood the right way, start noticing the slightest changes in her appearance. Open your heart and shower her with compliments every now and then, without waiting for special occasions. Speak your mind... Men have a tendency to assume that their girlfriend/wife knows how and what they feel about them, how much they love and care for them. But what they fail to realise is the fact that putting words into their thoughts often, will only make their partners feel adored. "I realised the magic of words on the day when casually while sipping our bed tea, I told my wife that she was great in bed last night. Not only could I see that blushing, but surprisingly enough she prepared herself the whole day so as to give me another memorable experience the following night. There was everything from flowers, wine and chocolates and her ofcourse," relates Madhur Gupta, a Mumbai-based marketing professional. So, get out of the cocoon of ' she knows it all' and share what you love about your girl explicitly and you are bound to see her shunning all inhibitions and getting ready to have another round of sex with you. So, go ahead and try the magic of ' emotional sex' to make her long for you and yearn for your touch. |
| Top 5 relationship lies Posted: 17 May 2011 08:42 AM PDT 
Be it an agony aunt or a best friend...everyone has a set of ' expert' relationship-advice to dole out to you. But more often than not, these ' tried and tested' words of wisdom fail to work in real life situations. We try to dig the truth straight from the horse' s mouth, as relationship experts admit the lies... False advice # 1: ' Honesty is the best policy in love.' Absolute honesty and the utmost trust make the foundation for a long-lasting relationship – this one is the chart-toppers when it comes to the most common relationship advice. Reality: White lies become the saviour. Maintaining 100% honesty and transparency in a relationship is like aspiring for a ' fairy land' . Whether to safeguard your own interest, or to avoid hurting your partner, white lies often become a ' blessing in disguise.' "Altering the truth or substituting it with white lies has nothing to do with wrong intentions. It' s all about checking, balancing and adapting to a particular situation," says relationship expert, Kamal Khurana. "Full truth that seems irrelevant in a particular situation or may apparently hamper your relationship is better kept under wraps, until specifically asked for," adds Khurana. Sometimes white lies are any day a better option! False advice #2: Never sleep over a fight! "As a part of the regular advising sessions, my mom emphasised on thrashing out all issues before sleeping. The habit of hitting the sack with a mind bogged down with frustration and anger ends up ruining the next day and in turn spoiling the relationship," shares Madhumita Ganguly, a Delhi-based advertising professional. But the reality is different. Reality: Sleep can only suppress the issues to pop up again. Sleeping might appear as an ideal solution to a fight, but psychologist Aroona Broota says it' s actually impractical and impossible to resolve an issue before sleeping. Usually, before retiring to the bed, both partners are exhausted with the day' s work. And in such a state you cannot expect your sleepy and crotchety partner to give you due attention. Hence, there' s no question of figuring out a solution. Aroona says, "The issue deserves patience and due attention. So, don' t try to resolve them at night, but at the same time, don' t forget the issue either. Decide a time to resolve it the other day and sleep. Sleep eases your anger and will leave you with a better frame of mind the next day. Take time out from your schedule and meet at a place out side your home and solve the issue forever, rather than sleeping over it every time it erupts." False advise # 3: No ' sorries' and no ' thank you' s' in love! When actor Salman Khan penned the rule of ' Pyar mein no ' sorry' and no ' thank you'" in the 90s romantic flick Maine Pyar Kiya, it seemed everyone took it a tad too seriously. And soon the age-old mannerisms of saying a meaningful sorry after a fight or a hearty thank you for partner' s effort went straight out of the window, with a cover-up that love is way deeper than mere petty ' thank-yous and sorries'! Reality: Apologising and acknowledging your partner' s effort does make a difference. It' s time to get real and get back to those nursery lessons that highlighted the importance of sorry and thank you. Fights and arguments do happen, but not apologising shows that you are taking your partner for granted and might give rise to ego-hassles in the long run. "I thought my husband would understand that I was feeling guilty for our fight but, somehow I didn' t feel the need of saying sorry. But that spoilt the situation further," shares Smita Kathuria, a Mumbai-based bank executive. Psychologist Aroona says, "Good manners work everywhere. Saying sorry and thank-you should come as naturally as washing your hands when they get dirty. These are not just words, but the testimony of the fact that you are realising and assuring your better half that you'll amend the wrong. The the lack of it simply shows your casual approach towards a relationship. False advice # 4: Any time is good time to have a baby. Whenever the personal equation between partners tend to go topsy-turvy, mommies and grannies come to the fore with the typical advice – plan a baby. The birth of a baby is often related to a fresh lease of life in a stagnating relationship. It is thought that the baby will fill up the void in a couple' s life making them forget their mutual differences. Reality: Baby at the wrong time can make it worse! "Coming of a baby when the parents don' t feel the need to have a child together can be disastrous," says relationship expert, Arvinder Kaur, adding, "Parenting is a highly specialized and serious business. Until the parents clear the emotional mess between them and are financially ready, the baby should ideally wait. Else, their woes will get multiplied and the brunt will be borne by the baby, who will be many times exploited as a bait and bargaining device to keep the marriage intact." False advice # 5: Marriage is not only about sex. Thanks to gruelling urban schedules, sex is the last thing on a modern couples' mind. With due respect to the age old suggestion – ' spending time together is important' , they often consider sex to be too much of an effort and find a happy escape in heart-to-heart talks. Reality: Marriage means being together and you can' t find a glue better than sex. Well, you need not make love every night, but at the same time, you cannot take it completely out of your schedule! "It has to be a priority," says Arvinder. "Sex allows your partner to make the most intimate contact with you, which strengthens bonding. Sex in any form – caressing, holding, love making or having intercourse, is the most important exercise in vulnerability, which also lends physical comfort. The frequency of intercourse may come down with age, health factors and time, but for a healthy marriage you cannot negate the existence of having regular sex". |
| Bomb found ahead of queen's Dublin trip Posted: 17 May 2011 08:40 AM PDT 
DUBLIN: Irish soldiers defused a bomb near Dublin overnight ahead of a visit by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II scheduled to start on Tuesday, Irish police and the military said. "A viable explosive device was found on a bus yesterday evening in Maynooth," near Dublin, a police spokesman said, adding that police had been tipped off by an anonymous call. The device was defused by the Irish army, he said. An Irish defence forces spokesman confirmed that an army bomb disposal squad had made safe "a viable improvised device" early Tuesday at Maynooth in County Kildare. "We can't give any details about the device but it was viable. It was on a bus and by the time our team was called in the bus was evacuated and parked at a bus stop," the spokesman said. "The device was made safe in situ," he added. The queen's visit, the first by a British monarch to Ireland since independence since 1922, is surrounded by a massive security operation amid the threat of Irish republican terrorism. British police said they had received a bomb threat for central London from Irish dissident republicans on Monday. |
