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Headmaster shields students from evil Harry Potter

     London: Kids might be crazy about Harry Potter, but a school scrapped a Harry Potter day because a churchman complained children were being led into "areas of evil". According to The Mirror, children at Holt Primary School in Skellingthorpe, Lincs, had planned to dress up as witches and wizards, and learn how to make pretend spells and potions to celebrate the launch of the sixth book in the JK Rowling series. But the day was cancelled after the school received a letter from a local rector concerned pupils would get the wrong idea about witchcraft. "I alerted the school to the fact they were walking into an area a couple of steps from real evil. The children were being told it was just a bit of fun, but there is an evil reality out there. I come across people from time to time who have been quite damaged by forces of evil," Rev Richard Billingshurst was quoted as saying.

Pink Floyd guitarist creates 'operatic history' (Go To Top)

     London: Pink Floyd guitarist, Roger Waters has completed his first opera after 16 years. According to The BBC the opera titled, Ca Ira features Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel and other classical music stars and is an "operatic history of the French Revolution". It is due to be released on CD in September and will be performed in concert in Rome later this year. Waters began working on Ca Ira in 1989 when songwriter Etienne Roda-Gil approached Waters with his libretto. "He wanted to know if he could use my old songs. I looked at it and sort of fell in love with it... after six weeks I had a demo that was over two hours long. It's actually very melodic and it's unashamedly emotional. So, if the intellectuals of the modern opera world are catty about it, so be it," Waters was quoted as saying.

Bill Gates is clueless about burqas (Go To Top)

     Washington: Microsoft Chief Executive Bill Gates seems to have developed a keen interest in Pakistan's culture, lifestyle and religion, and is curious to know at what age Muslim women start wearing a "burqa". When the world's youngest MCP (Microsoft certified professional) Arfa Karim (10), a Pakistani girl, met him at his office in Seattle, he asked her at what age Muslim women start wearing the "Hijab". During the 10-muinute long meeting, Arfa read out a poem to Bill Gates and extended an invitation to him to visit Pakistan. The Microsoft chief reportedly accepted the invitation and said that he would visit Pakistan in the near future. Arfa even asked him to stay at her residence rather than becoming a state guest and he was quoted as saying as "Oh, it would definitely be fun". "I am very glad that I met with Bill Gates. He is a great guy; very simple, very friendly and very humble," the girl later told The News. Arfa is currently on a US visit sponsored by the Microsoft in recognition of her achievements in computer literacy at such a young age.

Oscars rules tightened to ensure fairplay (Go To Top)

     Washington: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has banned its members from hosting Oscar nominated films, unless that member is directly connected to the film or its studio. This,it says,is because doing so gives those films an unfair advantage over others and also detracts the members from promoting the quality of the films themselves, reports The Hollywood Reporter. It has also urged academy members with private screening facilities, to be similarly non-partisan. "For the handful of our members who have their own projection system, we'd still say, please don't [screen nominated films] during the voting period," Zap2it quoted Sid Ganis, the Academy's chairman of the executive committee of PR, as saying.

Osbourne's home may turn tourist Mecca (Go To Top)

     Washington: Rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon are finding it so difficult to sell their Los Angeles home that they are considering it turning it into a tourist attraction. The reality TV family have been trying to sell their 11 million dollar property for months so they can move to a more private Beverly Hills house, but they are finding it hard to convince buyers to put up with all the fans who collect outside their gates, and hence are thinking about opening it to tourists. "Sharon and Ozzy are becoming very frustrated that they cannot sell their house. Fans are always turning up outside to have a look around and the place has become a regular stop on Los Angeles tourist trips. Sharon is now desperate to vacate as soon as possible. She believes that if the house doesn't sell in the next month she and Ozzy will open it as an Osbournes attraction. It could be a money-spinner given the number of people who already show up for a gawp and knock at the door", Contactmusic.com quoted a source as telling British newspaper The Sun.

Rod found God, claims Penny Lancaster (Go To Top)

     London: Rod Stewart has found God, if his pregnant fiancee Penny Lancaster is to be believed. According to The Mirror, she believes this happened after he thought over whether to propose to her and if they should have a child. "Rod was asking God to show him a sign," she was quoted as saying. She added that the turning point came with the 9/11 atrocity in New York. "After the tragedy we began going to church a lot. Wherever we were on tour, if there was a church and the door was open, we'd go in and have a prayer. One thing I'd pray about was to ask that Rod would see the light and realise I was true and real," she added. "He told me the first sign came the Christmas before last. He woke one morning and said to himself, 'I'm in the best place I've ever been'. Something told him that this was it. I was the one," she concluded.

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