Sandra Bullock to adopt again?

Sandra Bullock may adopt again.
The 49-year-old star has reportedly begun filing paperwork to adopt another child to give her three-year-old son Louis - whom she adopted in 2010 as a newborn - a sibling to grow up with.
A source told National Enquirer magazine: 'Being a mum means more to her than anything - her Oscar, her career, her fame, her fortune. She was born to be a mum. She has a son and soon she may have a daughter.'
The 'Gravity' actress' first adoption took four years to complete and much like that experience, pals close to Sandra insist she isn't looking for special treatment despite her worldwide fame.
The insider told National Enquirer magazine: 'Just because she's rich and famous doesn't mean that Sandra expected, wanted or got any preferential treatment. That is not her style.'
Perhaps a sign the Oscar-winning star may be adding to her brood, pals claim she has cleared her schedule for the next year - except a voice role in new animated comedy 'Minions'.
The source added: 'Other than that, she just has a tiny handful of projects that haven't even made it to the script stage yet. Her schedule is wide open

Google Nexus 5 first official picture

It's official: the Google Nexus 5 is the next Android flagship smart phone, and its costs $349. That's no rumour -- the image above is the first official picture straight from the horse's mouth, as the Big G accidentally reveals the Nexus 5 early.

The new phone appeared on Google Play today, only to be quickly yanked from view. Here's the link, if you're interested. The listing carried the tagline "Capture the everyday and the epic in fresh new ways", suggesting the Nexus 5 and its Android 4.4 KitKat software have some cool camera tricks up their sleeve.

$349 works out at £215, but it remains to be seen if that is indeed the UK price. 

The other thing the listing doesn't confirm is the Nexus 5 release date. Whether this early unveiling was a genuine accident or a tantalising leak to drum up excitement, it's clear the new phone must be just days away. A host of crazy rumours have thrown up various dates, but it looks like an announcement next week is definitely on the cards.

Next week is a big one for the gadget world. On Tuesday morning Nokia unveils a range of new Lumia devices in Abu Dhabi, then the same evening in San Francisco Apple announces what will probably be a new iPad. CNET is live at both events, so stay tuned for the first pictures, videos and hands-on first impressions.

Malala and Abeer: The difference in the narrative told by the West

Yes Malala is a hero. And a victim. But Abeer is no less. Why give the West the power to shape our narrative? Why not shape it ourselves. PHOTO: OMAR GILANI

Have you heard of Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi?

Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi was a 14-year-old Iraqi girl who lived in a house to the southwest of Yusufiyah, a village to the west of the town of Al-Mahmudiyah, Iraq. She lived a middle-class life with her 34-year-old mother Fakhriyah Taha Muhsin, 45-year-old father Qasim Hamza Raheem, two brothers and younger sister, six-year-old Hadeel Qasim Hamza.

Though not much is known about Abeer, one can imagine her childhood; playing with rag dolls, following her mother as she made khameeri rotis and tossing one pebble after another in a stream running near their house.

When the US invasion of Iraq took place, Abeer’s father continued to permit his sons to attend school but kept Abeer home due to security concerns. Neighbours later recalled that she wasn’t allowed to do much other than assist her mother in the chores and tend to their vegetable garden.

Their house was only 200 meters away from a US traffic checkpoint, and the neighbours later remarked that they often observed the soldiers watching Abeer and smiling at her. One of her brothers stated that during a search of the house, a US soldier ran his finger down Abeer’s cheek. On another occasion, her mother told her relatives that she had seen the soldiers giving the thumbs up signs to Abeer.

On March 12, 2006, five soldiers walked to Abeer’s house, and separated her from her family. They shot the parents and sister dead, and proceeded to rape Abeer before killing her. They then burnt the house down, and pretended that Sunnis had set off the fire.

Later on, the crime was uncovered and the perpetrators arrested. The mastermind of the crime admitted on record that he didn’t think Iraqis were humans.

Abeer was going to school before the US invasion but had to stop going because of her father’s concerns for her safety. She probably had high hopes of studying and becoming a professional. Her father’s commitment to education is evidenced by the fact that he insisted his sons continue going to school even after the invasion had begun.

Abeer wanted to study and wanted to go to school but was stopped from doing so by men with another agenda.

Does her story sound familiar?

Malala wanted to study, wanted to go to school but was stopped from doing so by men with another agenda.

Both suffered, but while Malala was picked up by the West as a champion against the Taliban, Abeer’s story was erased out of history books. Where Western journalists took pains to writeMalala’s story in detail, invite her to receptions, give her awards, even help her write a book, the story of another girl yearning for an education was discussed nowhere.

I don’t want to take the spotlight off of Malala. She is a brave girl and one we are all proud off. Her eloquence, innocence and valour are all admirable. But while applauding her stance, we need to wonder why Malala has been made a hero and Abeer’s story hasn’t even merited one front page story.

Yes Malala is a hero. And a victim. But Abeer is no less.

Why give the West the power to shape our narrative? Why not shape it ourselves.

Hop aboard: Kangaroo shuts Australian airport

Kangaroo shuts Australian airport. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

SYDNEY: An injured kangaroo shut down part of Melbourne Airport on Wednesday after it hopped through the busy terminal and into a drug store.

Police in the southeastern Australian city secured the store before wildlife workers tranquilized and captured the animal.

Given the name Cyrus, after one of his rescuers, the male eastern grey kangaroo was injured by a vehicle on a nearby road before making his way to the airport’s second level.

Cyrus was now in veterinary care, said Karen Masson, the chief executive of Wildlife Victoria.

The terminal is near bushland frequented by groups of kangaroos, with some ending up stranded in the airport’s parking lot several times a month.

“We get calls,” Masson said. “There are a lot of ‘roos out there.”

Zimbabwe man jailed for 15 years for poisoning elephants

Zimbabwe man jailed for 15 years for poisoning elephants. PHOTO: FILE

HARARE: A Zimbabwe court on Wednesday sentenced a poacher to more than 15 years in prison for poisoning and killing elephants with cyanide, the fourth such conviction in the country in a month.

The court in the western town of Hwange also found Akim Masuku, 26, guilty of illegal possession of ivory, handing down a total jail term of 15-and-a-half years, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority said in a statement.

The accused still faces separate charges for cyanide possession and for contravening environmental laws, wildlife officials said.

The case comes a day after the Parks and Wildlife Authority said 100 elephants had been killed by cyanide for their ivory in a single national park in just over a month.

“One hundred elephants have died in Hwange National Park due to cyanide poisoning and 12 people have since been arrested and four have been convicted and sentenced,” it said.

Masuku’s co-accused Norma Ncube, 18, is set to appear in court on October 30.

Three other poachers were in September sentenced to a minimum of 15 years each for poisoning 81 elephants.

They were also ordered to pay $600,000 to the wildlife authority for killing the animals.

Officials have given villagers living around the park until the end of October to hand over any cyanide they might have or risk arrest.

There are more than 120,000 elephants roaming Zimbabwe’s poorly policed national parks.

Elephant tusks and other body parts are highly prized in Asia and the Middle East for ornaments, as talismans and for use in traditional medicine.

Waar beats domestic box office record with opening day take of Rs11.4m

Waar opened on 42 screens across the country. PHOTO:PUBLICITY

KARACHI: The most anticipated movie of the year, Waar, opened on the first day of Eidul Azha on 42 screens across Pakistan and beat the box office record for an opening day take of Rs11.4 million.

With Rs11,397,930 in ticket sales, Waar broke the previous record set by the Shahrukh Khan-starrer Chennai Express, which had mustered around Rs9 million on the first day of exhibition earlier in the year.

Figures from all the 42 screens on which the Shaan-starrer Waar opened have not yet come in and the overall tally for the action film is expected to rise further. The film cost $2.5 million to make and is expected to be distributed in 25 countries.

Waar, which has seen most cinemas booked out for the entirety of its opening week, is expected to rake in Rs55 million in its first week on current trends. If it manages to do that, it will beat Chennai Express’ all time high first week take by a few millions. It will also make it the highest grossing domestic film of the year, out-earning the other blockbuster, Mein Hoon Shahid Afridi, which earned Rs55.4 million.

Waar’s first week on the box office has been helped by the unusually long Eid holidays and a weekend immediately afterwards.

'Transformers 4' director Michael Bay attacked on set in Hong Kong

American director and producer Michael Bay. PHOTO: REUTERS

HONG KONG / LOS ANGELES: American director and producer Michael Bay was attacked in Hong Kong on Thursday during filming for the latest installment of his “Transformers” action movies, but he said he brushed off the incident and continued filming.

Two brothers surnamed Mak, aged 27 and 28, approached Bay on the set during filming for the American science fiction film and the younger brother demanded payment of 7,980 pounds, a police spokeswoman told Reuters.

Bay said in a post on his website that the man was a vendor who was inconvenienced by the shoot and wanted more money than the “fair price” vendors were paid.

“I personally told this man and his friends to forget it we were not going to let him extort us,” Bay wrote, adding that the men returned about an hour later, one wielding a “long air conditioner unit.”

As a discussion ensued in a busy area of Hong Kong island, the elder Mak walked up and assaulted the director, the police spokeswoman said. The elder brother then attacked three police officers who tried to intervene, she added.

“He walked right up to me and tried to smack my face, but I ducked threw the air unit on the floor and pushed him away,” Bay said on his website. “That’s when the security jumped on him.”

The younger brother was arrested on suspicion of blackmail and assault, while the elder Mak was also arrested on suspicion of assault, the spokeswoman said.

Bay sustained injuries to the right side of his face, although he declined to seek treatment, she said, adding she did not believe his injuries were serious.

Paramount Pictures, the film’s distributor, said Bay was unhurt and that no one in the cast or crew was injured.

“Transformers: Age of Extinction” is scheduled to be released in June 2014 and stars Mark Wahlberg and Nicola Peltz. It was not known whether the film’s stars were on set during the attack.

“The director ducked and wrested the air conditioner from his attacker, preventing what could have been a serious accident,” Paramount said in a statement. “The company’s security team quickly stepped in and subdued the assault.”

Filming continued after the dispute. Bay said, “We had a great day shooting here in Hong Kong.”

When Reuters visited the scene after the assault, the film crew and others working on the set declined to comment.

The three police officers were treated in hospital for minor injuries, while the younger Mak asked to be taken for treatment, saying he did not feel well.

Also arrested at the scene was a third man surnamed Chan.

All three are in custody and police are investigating.