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Marlon Brando was a `monster', claims ex-wife (Go To Top)

          London: He might have been the proverbial Godfather for many, but Hollywood legend Marlon Brando was a monster and a cruel and unforgiving father to his own son, if his ex-wife is to be believed. According to The Mirror, Brando's British first wife, Anna Kashfi, will make contact with their troubled son Christian only now after Brando's death as he spent years keeping the mother and son apart. "The world may be mourning the loss of a brilliant actor but personally he was a monster. The only good that's come out of his passing is that Christian and I can now meet again openly as mother and son and I can give him some of the love that has been missing all these years, " she was quoted as saying. Christian's dysfunctional upbringing came to the forefront when he shot dead his half-sister's boyfriend in a drunken state and was jailed for 10 years. Brando blamed himself as a bad parent during the trial, but prevented Anna from seeing Christian at court. He returned all her letters and rejected her requests to see Christian. "The last time I spoke with Marlon was eight years ago and he snarled 'Leave Christian alone, don't visit him in prison or when he gets out," she added.

`Virgin' Branson now goes `Nudie' (Go To Top)

          Sydney: Virgin airlines chief Richard Branson it seems has a fetish for all things unconventional, just like the name of the latest company called Nudie that he plans to acquire. According to the Herald Sun, the privately held boutique juice manufacturer is to be acquired by the publicly owned Pulp Juices in which Branson has a 20 percent stake. Sir Richard was reportedly keen on the acquisition because of the Nudie brand and its fit under the Virgin aegis. According to Signature Brands chairman Ian Duffell the existing Signature shareholders would receive a pro-rata entitlement in the new juice company to be floated within a year. Signature will also look to acquire another wine company to fill the gap in its portfolio under the deal.

Arnie's cigars enjoy huge political patronage (Go To Top)

          London: Just like in movies, Arnold Schwarzenegger has managed to create a fan club in the political arena too, this time though, through his cigars. According to a report in The Scotsman, Schwarzenegger's personal label cigars have a huge political patronage in California and are popular amongst smokers and non-smokers alike. His cigars have reportedly become the lucky mascots for the legislators who even save the cigars as keepsakes or pass them on to friends. "It's not a status thing. It's more like you know when someone's been to the governor's office when they have a cigar in their hand," assemblyman Greg Aghazarian was quoted by the report as saying. Aghazarian admitted that though he himself did not smoke due to asthma, yet the cigars helped him break the ice with constituents. Schwarzenegger's fondness for cigars is well known in the political circuit. Earlier this year he had converted the state Capitol's interior courtyard into a "smoking plaza".

Posh and Becks are planning a baby girl  (Go To Top)

          London: Victoria and David Beckham are set to put behind their troublesome past and work on their marriage while on a break in Morroco. According to The Sun, David Beckham is yet to come to terms with England's defeat in Euro 2004 and Posh is helping him to get over it. "It is the first time in his career when his performance on the pitch has been so severely criticised - and he is relying on his wife to get him through," a friend of the couple was quoted by the paper as saying. "They have talked about having more children and would be thrilled if they had a little girl. A new baby would be a great way for them to put their troubles behind them and start a new life together in Spain," he added.

How Kiera Knightley lost and found her breasts (Go To Top)

          London: Hollywood beauty Kiera Knightley may have gained a finely honed physique for her role as a warrior queen Guinevere, but apparently "lost" her breasts in the process. "I went up a whole dress size and it was all muscle. But my breasts just disappeared," Ananova quoted the actress as saying. Knightley, who plays Guinevere in the movie "King Arthur", engaged in weightlifting, boxing, sword fighting, horse back riding and took archery lessons to build her muscles. Knightley has now stopped all workouts and has reportedly got her assets back. "I've stopped working out since then and now they're back," she said.

Kabbala rabbi calls Madonna slut (Go To Top)

          Washington: Shmuley Boteach, rabbi and author of 'Kosher Sex', is in the limelight for demanding that Rabbi Phillip Berg, the head of the LA-based Kabbalah Centre, dump Madonna as their principal spokesperson. He has even called the `Material Girl' a slut. According to The New York Post, Boteach bumped into Madonna's director husband Guy Ritchie recently at `Solo', the new kosher restaurant in Madison Avenue, and it wasn't a pleasant encounter. "They were eating there at the same time (not together) and Guy was definitely giving Shmuley what Kabbalists call 'the evil eye'. It was like the showdown at the OK Corral," revealed an onlooker.

Royals soften towards Spencers (Go To Top)

          London: In what is being seen as a softening of relations, the British Royal family and the Spencers will make their first joint public appearance after seven years at an official ceremony to unveil a fountain in memory of the late Princess Diana. According to The Daily Mail, the Queen will deliver a speech after unveiling the fountain located in Hyde Park. Diana's brother Earl Spencer will join the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and Princes William and Harry for the event. Diana's sisters are also expected to be present. The British Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell will also give a speech during the ceremony, which will be followed by a meeting with the chief architect Kathryn Gustafson and a reception. The members of the Royal family will also meet the public following the ceremony.

Seer predicts Hillary Clinton will run for President in 2008 (Go To Top)

          New York: Former US First Lady and New York Senator Hillary Clinton will make a bid for the US Presidency in 2008, according to a clairvoyant based here. The New York Daily News quoted the seer, Carmen Harra, as having earlier predicted that Hillary would enter the US Senate. Carmen also said that Hillary will face a female Republican candidate. "There's someone younger than Hillary, 10 years younger, 12 years younger, that is not so well-known at this point. Geographically, she is from the South," Harra was quoted as saying. The Senator's campaign advisor, Pamela Hayes, had introduced Harra to Hillary. The seer has also advised Jennifer Lopez, Candice Bergen and Courteney Cox Arquette.

Fans believe Caviezel is real Christ (Go To Top)

          London: Movie actor James Caviezel has got innumerable requests to perform miracles by Mexican fans who believe that he is the real Jesus Christ. Caviezel, 35, who played the role of Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson's `The Passion of the Christ', received the requests while on a week-long tour of the east Mexican State of Veracruz. According to Ananova, Mexican newspaper Reforma reported that dozens of residents from Mexican villages asked Caviezel to heal the sick and perform other miracles as he toured the state. "The belief of these people really moved me. It was a shock for me to see how they came up to me to ask for my help," the report quoted Caviezel as saying. "I had to explain to them that I was only an actor, and wasn't really the son of God," he added.

George Clooney takes Italy by storm (Go To Top)

          New York: Italy is being currently rocked by the George Clooney mania. According to The New York Post, the actor is in the country for the filming of the movie `Ocean's Twelve ,' along with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Brad Pitt. "All the actors have been staying at Clooney's mansion on Lake Como.But the crowds outside the house got so carried away that the village priest had to be brought in to beg his flock to leave Clooney alone," a source was quoted by the report as saying. However, such appeals have not succeeded in deterring the fans, and eventually the mayor had to issue an order banning the people from standing on the pavement outside his mansion or parking their cars nearby.