Yet another 'Fritzl' has emerged in Brazil. A 54-year-old father locked up his daughter and repeatedly raped her for 15 years.
tags brazil fritzl, man raped daughter, fathered seven children, incest, sexual abuse, farmer, imprisoned, captive, wife Besides subjecting her to the most brutal and grotesque form of sexual abuse, the man also made her bear seven of his children.
The man identified as Pereira, a farmer from Pinheiro village in Brazil's Maranhao state has been arrested and faces charges of setting up a private prison, rape, neglect and abuse. According the the police, he held his daughter captive and raped her since the time she was 12 years old. The man's wife had left the family many years back, the police officers are quoted as in a Xinhua report. The seven children that the victim gave birth to are now aged between two months to 12 years and were left naked and unattended. The Xinhua report added that the policemen had trouble communicating with the children as they were all illiterate. The cases of incest and sexual abuse by fathers reminds the world of the shocking case of Austrian engineer Josef Fritz, who kept his daughter prisoner for 24 years and fathered seven children with her, which has usage of 'Fritzl' as a synonym for sexually abusive fathers.
US judge jails Cuba spying couple. Federal prosecutors said the couple shared an admiration of the Cuban revolution
A US judge has sentenced a retired State Department worker to life in prison without the possibility of parole for spying for Cuba.
Walter Kendall Myers' wife Gwendolyn was also sentenced to 81 months for helping her husband steal US secrets. US District Judge Reggie Walton said the pair deserved heavy punishment for betraying the United States. Mr Myers, 72, had access to top-secret US government information and admitted spying for Cuba for three decades. The couple shared Cuba's communist ideology and an admiration of the Cuban revolution, according to federal prosecutors.
Cuban covert agents Mr Myers, who is the great grandson of Alexander Graham Bell, was contacted by the Cuban intelligence service to be a covert agent. He recruited Ms Myers in 1979, and the two married three years later. Mr Myers said he stole secrets, but had no intent to harm the United States. Judge Walton said he was "perplexed" how Mr Myers could think he was not hurting US, considering the level of antagonism between the two countries. "The Cuban people feel threatened," said Mr Myers in a 10-minute explanation to the judge of his conduct. Adding that Cubans had "good reason to feel threatened" by the US. Myers was known as Agent 202, while his wife was Agent 123, according to court documents. The couple were originally arrested in June 2009, following an undercover FBI sting operation. The two asked to be sent to prisons near one another so their six children and seven grandchildren could visit more easily.
(CNN) -- A proposed health curriculum in Helena, Montana, public schools has riled up some parents who say it starts teaching students about sex far too early. Several hundred parents in the mountain state's capital packed a school board meeting earlier this week to debate the 62-page proposal. It includes four pages of charts listing what elements of human sexuality should be introduced at which grades. "Ninety-five percent, if not 99 percent, is really, really good stuff," Helena parent Brian Ackerman told HLN's "Prime News." But he added, "It's not something we can attach 100 percent agreement with all of the committee members." The proposed curriculum guide is part of a broad range of health courses that also teach nutriition, disease prevention, anatomy and environmental health. It would teach students as early as second grade that using anti-gay slurs is hurtful and teach children in older elementary grades about sexual harassment and abuse. Students would be told as early as kindergarten to properly name body parts. The concept that people "can love people of the same gender and people of another gender" would be introduced in first grade, though homosexual relationships aren't discussed until fifth grade. Fifth-graders also would learn that sexual intercourse "includes but is not limited to vaginal, oral, or anal penetration." Teachers would start discussing pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and drugs and alcohol with middle-schoolers, while high school students would learn about sexual orientation and the "legal implications" of some decisions. Ackeman, who has two elementary-age daughters and a third approaching kindergarten, said parents should be told "who decided this, when did they decide it and how did they decide it?" "We really haven't seen where that age-appropriateness comes from," he said. In addition, he said the district has not figured out how to implement the program. "There isn't any sort of implementation in place right now that says this is how we're going to teach this," Ackerman said. Bruce Messinger, Helena's school superintendent, said the guide was drawn up by a committee that included parents, teachers and administrators. That committee used local practices and examined national guidelines, including those put out by the American Academy of Pediatrics, he said. "It establishes that between the ages of kindergarten through grade 4, vocabulary would be introduced so a student has an understanding," Messinger said. "It doesn't specifically say what would happen." Implementation plans will be developed later, he said -- and if parents object, he added, "They have a right to opt out." The last school board meeting drew not only critics but supporters. And Cathy Areu, publisher of the Latina women's magazine Catalina and a former high school teacher, told HLN the standards sound defensible and age-appropriate. "It sounds like they are teaching body parts and things that are facts of life," Areu said. "I feel more comfortable with my daughter learning about this in a classroom than from a boy in the hallway."
STORY HIGHLIGHTS * Helena, Montana, schools are considering a health curriculum that includes sex education * It would start in early years -- kindergartners would be told to properly name body parts * Some parents say it starts teaching students about sex far too early * School officials say parents could always opt out if they object
Some people say bigger women look more real than the pouty models typically seen in fashion ads.
If you missed the new Lane Bryant commercial with the full-figured lingerie model confidently strutting the pluses of her plus-sized figure, it's not your fault. Some networks decided the spot was too sexy to air. In my opinion, the ban on this Lane Bryant spot is a big step forward for plus-sized women everywhere. The fact that a TV network would find this Lane Bryant spot far more sexually enticing than Victoria's Secret spots -- which air all the time -- simply shows they're acknowledging the extreme sexiness of voluptuous women! Oh, and by the way, I'm not just saying all this right now because I'm 35 pounds heavier than I've ever been in my life, due to the fact I'm due to give birth to new life -- a baby boy in August. Although I must say it's been interesting to have this new life lens, living as a highly curvy pregnant woman and shopping in plus-size clothing stores, instead of the more petite clothing stores where I normally go.
Oprah.com: The best pants for your body type I must confess that at first it was a difficult transition, entering into a bulkier body. At the beginning of my weight gain, I'd experience many days of feeling oddly self-conscious-verging-on-insecure. In particular, I found myself worried my beau might start to find me less sexy. But I'm happy to report he finds me just as sexy -- even highly sexy -- as I sit here on my newly padded tushy writing this article. Out of curiosity I showed him the Lane Bryant spot of the plus-size lingerie model to gauge his male-o-meter reaction about her sexiness. He enthusiastically complimented the model, explaining how her strong appeal had just as much to do with how confidently she carried herself as it did with the babe-alicious curves she was carrying. Basically, he felt this model looked like she was a "real woman" -- and highly happy about it.
Oprah.com: Get your sexy back makeovers! Interestingly enough, when I showed this Lane Bryant spot to friends here in New York and on my Facebook wall, comments like "real woman," "real beauty," "authenticity" and "self-love" kept popping up. Basically, most people, including myself, seem to agree -- a woman's sexiness has mostly to do with her realness, authenticity and demonstrated self-love...rather than her clothing size.
Oprah.com: 5 things that make you sexy Indeed, I believe a big reason the Victoria's Secret spots aren't as sexually threatening to the TV networks is that these waify women don't seem real or authentic. Instead, they're a more plastic representation of highly unattainable beauty. Even the models' pouty facial expressions are plastic. And I'm sure most people would agree: A woman's confident, sparkly smile is far sexier than lips pursed in a posed pout! The good news: There's a growing trend these days for companies and magazines to embrace the authenticity of real women as the standard for beauty and sexiness, and even to hire nonmodels as models. Here in New York City, a mecca for uber-skinny women, Donna Sonkin, a recognized holistic health expert, has created a new specialty of coaching. She's now helping women to embrace what she calls a pursuit of "healthful thinness" versus "brittle thinness," which she is seeing far too often on the streets of New York and in her practice.
Oprah.com: The self-esteem repair kit "Interestingly enough," Sonkin says, "the real beauty of healthful thinness comes from eating real foods like real organic butter, real whole milk and meat which comes from naturally raised grass-fed animals. If you try to diet with lots of diet soda, non-fat foods -- or foods with lots of chemicals -- you will ironically create extra beauty problems. You'll get digestion and skin problems and look bloated, less youthful, less glowing instead of looking vibrant, sexy and radiant, which is what real beauty is all about." Alexis Wolfer, founder and editor-in-chief of The Beauty Bean, is also doing her part to encourage real beauty. Her Beauty Bean website features Makeup Free Mondays where she prompts women to proudly post photos of themselves cosmetic-free.
Oprah.com: The science of being sexy "Real beauty is what we real women look like without professional fashion and hair stylists -- and certainly without the use of Photoshop," says Wolfer. "I want my beauty site to shed light on what defines this real beauty and promote self-confidence rather than unattainable standards of beauty that lead to low self-confidence, as well as eating disorders both of the restrictive and binge-eating kind." Stephanie Dolgoff, author/blogger of Formerly Hot, is also doing her part to promote self- love for one's real beauty -- specifically to women in the post-40 set. "I noticed when I entered my 40s, men would ask me if I 'had the time' -- and really just want to know the time," Dolgoff says. "So I started to explore how I felt about my changing appearance in my site and book. Basically, Formerly Hot is about looking at the unvarnished truth about getting older -- the good, the bad and those unexpected bitch-slaps that still seem to come out of nowhere -- even if you're relatively well adjusted to the fact that you're not forever 21. Personally I've found there are distinct upsides to being a formerly. For example, I used to feel like a composite of other people's opinions. Now, I'm comfortable with who I am, and that other people's opinions are, well, just their opinions. Here in my 40s, I'm happier than my younger self ever could have imagined."
Oprah.com: 11 ways to feel beautiful without makeup! I totally relate to what Dolgoff shares. I have to say, I'm far happier now as a plus-sized, pregnant, over-40 gal than as the skinny 20-something me who was constantly weighing myself and then weighing in with a harsh opinion if I didn't like the numbers on the scale. From this distance of time and maternity, I can now see how the more I used to worry about my sexiness, the more I was creating a self-fulfilling less-sexy prophecy -- as well as a less-happy prophecy. Together we need to do something more as a society to change unrealistic expectations for female thinness and beauty. And to do so, we need to start early on by telling young girls (and young boys!) that a girl is appealing and attractive not simply because of how she looks to the world, but how she looks at the world -- her beliefs, values, passions, insights. A girl isn't simply beautiful for how fabulous her boobs and thighs are, but for all the fabulous things she does -- and who she is! I can tell you now, I'm going to raise my soon-to-be son to view girls that way. Happily, I know my beau is the type of man who will enthusiastically send the same message.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Author says her husband, friends see bigger women as "real women"
Says "A girl isn't simply beautiful for how fabulous her boobs and thighs are"
Argues it's also how she looks at the world -- her beliefs, values, passions, insights.
Blogger: I've found there are distinct upsides to being a formerly hot woman
July 16, 2010 -- Updated 0113 GMT (0913 HKT) (CNN) -- The death toll from a tropical storm that tore through the Philippines this week has doubled.
The country's National Disaster Coordinating Council reported Thursday that 36 people died from Tropical Storm Conson. The previous death toll, reported Wednesday, was 18. More than 40 people remained missing as of late Thursday, the council said. The tally of damaged houses also increased from 500 to 11,230. More than 900 houses have been destroyed. Conson, known locally as "Basyang," started as a typhoon before weakening to a tropical storm and making landfall late Tuesday. At least four children died from the storm, including three who were struck by falling trees, authorities said. The storm is expected to move northwest of the Philippines by Friday morning. Conson is likely to move into southern China on Friday, but the Joint Typhoon Warning Center is predicting little or no intensification before landfall there.
tags: iit jee results, 2010, ba architecture, design, online, cut off marks, registration number, admit card, indian institute technology, published
New Delhi, Jul 16: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) has announced the results of the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) for BA Architecture/ BA Design for the academic year 2010.
The results was published online on Friday, Jul 16.
Students will be required to enter their 7-Digit JEE-2010 registration number followed by the first four characters (excluding blanks but including initials) in the name printed on their admit card. Cut-off marks also can be accessed online Here
Afghanistan's 'Oprah' helping to heal country's wounds.
(CNN) -- She's a sexy celebrity with millions of fans, including U.S. President Barack Obama. With flashy music videos and a performance at the White House this past March, Mozhdah is a singing sensation and a model. And her latest achievement is becoming the host of a popular -- though controversial -- television talk show. But if you don't know who she is, you're probably not an Afghan. Mozhdah Jamalzadah is an Afghan superstar in a country still struggling with war and a battle between ideologies and cultures. Born in Kabul, Mozhdah was only five when her family fled to Canada. "When I was growing up, my parents were like, 'don't ever forget where you're from. And don't ever forget your people because you're one of the lucky ones,'" she says. And she didn't forget. The singer, in her mid-20s, came back to Kabul seven months ago where she is now caught between two very different worlds. "I was an emotional mess when I came here and I realized I might not want to go back (to Canada)," she says, sitting inside an armored vehicle driving along the streets of Kabul. "But then I have my life over there too," she says reminiscing about her family and friends in Canada. Including one furry friend. "I miss my cat so much," she says laughing. Mozhdah is a self-proclaimed nerd who loves both of her countries, got her feminist ideology from her father and her best friend is her mother. She says that all she wants to do is make a difference in Afghanistan. On this day Mozhdah is making her twice a month trip to a local orphanage. Many of the children here don't even know how big of a star she is, they're just happy that someone remembers them.
I'm not the type to get scared too easily but when the issues get really intense, there are a lot of people who are going to get annoyed by me. --Mozhdah Jamalzadah
Mozhdah holds their hands and asks them about their studies. And the children read her poems and sing songs in gratitude. With the help of a local bank, Azizi Bank, Mozhdah is able to bus more than 100 children and their teachers to a high-end restaurant in the heart of the city for a luxurious lunch overlooking the capital. "Children are very much abused here," Mozhdah explains about Afghanistan. "Women are very much abused and looked down upon here. And those are the issues that we're trying to tackle." Sensitive cultural issues that are generally not talked about openly in this conservative Islamic society are challenged on her show "Mozhdah." Likened to an Afghan "Oprah" by some, Mozhdah is using her show to try to help Afghanistan progress. "What I want to do is tackle really serious issues within the family because I think the family is the foundation to a better nation," she says. Mozhdah mixes both entertainment and education. "What we try to do is we try to mildly bring the issues up and you know, mix it up with a song," she says with a giggle. Mozhdah and her producers say that some within the Afghan government are not happy with Mozhdah's more liberal political views and western-inspired clothing. "That freedom that you have over there in the western world. The freedom of speech, the freedom to dress the way you want, the freedom to express yourself the way you want. You can't do any of that here." Although the Taliban have never threatened Mozhdah, she says she has received many threats from other hardliners within the government and society. "There were threats that I got, through Facebook, through YouTube. One was: 'someone should put a bullet through her head and stop her from doing this, she's a disgrace to our nation,'" she says. The government once stopped one of her shows from airing after watching the promotions because she wasn't wearing a headscarf -- although not against Afghan law, it is considered out of line to many conservatives in the country. "I guess they realized if I was going to be the host of a show within Kabul and not wear a headscarf, it may start a new trend. Girls might get the courage not to wear the headscarf," she says jokingly, making light of the situation. Although Mozhdah is mindful of her dress she says she will continue to talk about the tough issues. This week's shows are about divorce -- a taboo topic in Afghanistan. And although she is a bit nervous about the reaction the traditionalists may have, she feels strongly about educating the Afghan population. This includes bringing in a marriage expert to answer questions and having actors role-play a family going through a divorce. "I'm not the type to get scared too easily but when the issues get really intense, there are a lot of people who are going to get annoyed by me," she says. "And if they get annoyed, it's not the States or Canada where I'd get a threat and call 911 and file a complaint. That's not how it works here. If they want to get rid of you, they get rid of you." This is a grim reality she chooses to live with because Mozhdah refuses to give up. She says that most Afghans, after decades of war, just want some kind of change. "They've never had the chance to grow or evolve and they're dying to." Mozhdah hopes that she can be even a small part, of that change.
