Boss ties bonuses to booze

Booze for bonuses ... a boss in China tied his staff's annual bonuses to their alcohol tolerance. Source: Supplied

ONE boss surprised his employees by handing out bonuses based on who could best drink him under the table.

An employee surnamed Zhang from Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, China, said that his boss placed a pile of money on the table saying that people would get their bonuses based on how much they drink.

"Men were given 500 yuan ($92) for a shot of liquor, 200 yuan for a glass of red wine and 100 yuan for a beer. Women were given twice as much money for consuming the same amounts," Zhang told the Global Times. "We worked hard all year only to learn our bonuses would be decided by our alcohol tolerance. It was absolutely unfair to people who can't drink much."

The boss said that the company's business success was rooted in employees being able to hold their liquor with clients.

Many employees became drunk. Mr Zhang said those with high alcohol tolerance could pocket over 10,000 yuan, while others had to settle for 1000 yuan.

"I couldn't get a bonus if I didn't drink, but it is bad for one's health to drink too much. Everyone ended up drinking and some people vomited," said Mr Zhang, who described the unusual bonus system as "unreasonable and inhumane."

Legal experts said there are no laws related to the distribution of year-end bonuses, which is determined at the discretion of employers.

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Lawrence to sign deal with Dior

Dior-ama ... A white gown with black bands worn to the Golden Globes sparked endless online memes. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Source: AFP

'AMERICAN Hustle' star Jennifer Lawrence is set to sign a multimillion dollar deal with Dior for a three-year partnership.

The deal between the Hollywood star and the Paris fashion house is worth between $15 and $20 million, and the talks are being brokered through her agents at CAA, the New York Post reports.

Lawrence became a spokeswoman for Dior in 2012, after starring in the first Hunger Games film, and Dior creative director Raf Simons said of Lawrence at the time: "I was ... struck by her incredible on-screen presence in these blockbuster films, but also ... by her powerful interpretations of subtler, more rounded characters."

Soon after, the actress was appearing in a campaign for Miss Dior, and creating memorable awards-show moments in Dior designs. At last year's SAG Awards, the Silver Linings Playbook star wore a tiered blue gown, and when she rose to pick up her best actress honour, a panel of fabric was accidentally exposed. Many viewers believed the dress "fell apart," but its designer explained it was the gown's "tulle and satin" layers that were revealed, and, "It was not ripped and there was no malfunction."

The actress got even more attention in Dior when she later fell up the stairs at the Oscars in a gorgeous fit-for-Hollywood white Dior frock.

On the awards circuit this season, a full-length white gown with black bands worn to the Golden Globes for American Hustle sparked endless online memes.

Reps for Dior, CAA and Lawrence had no comment. But a Hollywood source said, "There's no signed deal, but Jennifer's had a great relationship with Dior to date, and is open to the idea of continuing a partnership. But there's no deal in place."

Accident-prone ... Jennifer Lawrence falling up the stairs at the Oscars in a white Dior frock. Picture: Robyn Beck/AFP

Previous spokeswomen for the brand have included Marion Cotillard, Natalie Portman, Charlize Theron and Mila Kunis.

Read more at the New York Post.

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Mayor: 'No gays live in Sochi'

No gays in the village ... Anatoly Pakhomov, mayor of Sochi, says that no gays live in his city despite the fact that there are two gay bars. Source: AP

THE mayor of Sochi, host city for the Winter Olympics, says there are no gay people in the city.

Anatoly Pakhomov, a member of President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party, was asked by the BBC whether gay people had to hide their sexuality in Sochi.

"No, we just say that it is your business, it's your life. But it's not accepted here in the Caucasus where we live. We do not have them in our city," he said.

When challenged, the mayor admitted that he was not certain there were no gay people in Sochi: "I am not sure, but I don't bloody know them."

Opposition leader Boris Nemtsov jumped on the comments, pointing out that there are two gay bars in Sochi.

"As far as I know there are several gay clubs in Sochi," Mr Nemtsov said. "How do they survive? Why they are not bankrupt?"

Meanwhile, it appears that there are no gays allowed at Winter Olympics sponsor Coca-Cola either. 

The company has come under fire for banning the word 'gay' being printed on the side of its cans by people wanting to personalise their drink in a South African promotion.

That is bad news for the likes of track and field star Tyson Gay and actress Marcia Gay Harden.

Coke has banned the word 'gay' from being printed on its cans. Source: Supplied

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said homosexuals would be welcome in Sochi for the Olympics but said, "just leave the children alone".

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Ex-first lady: 'Don't worry about me'

'Don't worry' ... Valerie Trierweiler tried to shrug off the furore over her split from French President Francois Hollande on a trip to India. Picture: INdranil Mukherjee/AFP Source: AFP

IN HER first public appearance since the French president broke up with her, Valerie Trierweiler bristled when asked about her future during a charity visit to India and said, "Don't worry about me.''

Ms Trierweiler did not address the scandal directly during a news conference with the aid group Action Against Hunger. But in response to a reporter's question about how she feels about her future life, Ms Trierweiler, 48, said she was not sure what the years will bring.

"I don't know,'' she said in some of her first public comments since the scandal erupted earlier this month. "I have time, there are some years to come. I will see bit by bit. For now I am not foreseeing anything. In any case, don't worry about me.''

She acknowledged that her days as first lady were over, but she refused to talk about her accomplishments in the role.

"I don't know if it's for me to judge, or for you,'' Ms Trierweiler said in French. "I was there for 19 months. I was able to discover people whom I hadn't known. I understood that you can be useful, and in being useful to others you can be useful to yourself.''

Earlier, Ms Trierweiler spent the day cuddling children in a public hospital in Mumbai.

The former first lady arrived in Mumbai on Sunday evening on a long-planned trip that has provided her with an escape from the scandal. She has been a subject of intense media interest after being hospitalised earlier this month with what aides described as shock and the blues following a tabloid's publication of photos it said proved President Francois Hollande was having an affair with an actress.

Charitable ... Valerie Trierweiler visits a patient during her visit to a hospital in Mumbai, India. Picture: AP

On Saturday, Mr Hollande announced their seven-year relationship was over. On Monday, the link to Ms Trierweiler's first lady page on the presidential website was shut down.

The two were not married.

As reporters followed Ms Trierweiler's every move in Mumbai, French TV switched to coverage of Hollande's trip to Turkey, with one all-news channel showing a banner on the screen reading "First Trip of a Single President.''

Ms Trierweiler, a career journalist who has three children from a previous marriage, said it was agonising to see children suffer.

"I cannot stand that these children have fewer chances than others,'' she said. "We should give the same chances to all. We have (here) children who suffer from malnutrition. That is why I am here today.''

After the hospital visit, Ms Trierweiler posted a photograph of a mother and child in a message on her Twitter account that read: "Alongside ACF (Action Against Hunger) in India to fight malnutrition. A child dies of hunger every 30 seconds.''

She also posted a message thanking the staff of the French presidential palace for their "devotion.''

Ms Trierweiler's chief of staff, Patrice Biancone, told The Associated Press that her office as first lady would be formally eliminated Wednesday.

"These last few days have been difficult. But today, she is serene,'' he said on Sunday.

The head of Action Against Hunger said Trierweiler planned to commit herself to humanitarian work. peMeanwhile in France, Hollande is facing a wave of discontent over his economic policies.

On Sunday, some 17,000 people marched through central Paris to denounce the country's high taxes, high unemployment and economic stagnation. His public approval rating stands at about 30 per cent. Some 250 people were arrested and 19 police officers injured after the protest degenerated into violence.

In an interview published on Sunday and conducted before he split with Ms Trierweiler, Mr Hollande renewed his plea for privacy. He told Time magazine that "private life is always, at certain times, a challenge. And it has to be respected.''

Mr Hollande has never married. He and Ms Trierweiler became a couple in 2007, after he ended a more than a two-decade relationship with the mother of his four children, former presidential candidate Segolene Royal.

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Google buys mystery company for $575m

Secretive ... DeepMind, the mysterious artificial intelligence company just bought by Google for $575 million. Source: Supplied

GOOGLE has shelled out $US500 million ($575 million) for a mystery artificial intelligence company founded by a 37-year old former chess prodigy.

Google only confirmed the deal once website Re/code asked about it but did not reveal the price paid for the company, DeepMind.

DeepMind has only a landing page for a website where it describes its business as building learning algorithms for simulations, e-commerce and games. Profiles on LinkedIn indicate the company is about three years old.

Google chief executive Larry Page led the deal personally.

DeepMind was founded by researcher Demis Hassabis together with Shane Legg and Mustafa Suleyman.

Mr Hassabis, who is on leave from University College London, has investigated the mechanisms that underlie human memory.

Artificial intelligence uses computers for tasks normally requiring human intelligence, like speech recognition or language translation.

An AI source told re/code that DeepMind was "the last large independent company with a strong focus on artificial intelligence," and said it competed with companies like Google, Facebook and Baidu for talent.

Google, like other tech giants such as Facebook, are anxious to develop systems that work like the human brain.

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What do you get for your millions?

This can all be yours! Mandalay House at Airlie Beach, is up for sale. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

PROPERTY is on the rebound, with confidence at a three-year high, a mega-mansion in Airlie Beach up for sale and investors snapping up bargains at a blue-ribbon auction on the Gold Coast.

The Property Council-ANZ Property Industry Confidence Index for the quarter to March found national property industry confidence had jumped eight points from the December quarter, reaching a high of 140 points - the best in three years.

And the owners of this Airlie Beach mansion are hoping to cash in on the trend; the asking price of $25 million would make it one of the most expensive homes ever sold in the state.

The new-found optimism was also evident on the Gold Coast yesterday, where crowds gathered at the Gold Coast Turf Club for The Event Auction.

This can all be yours! Mandalay House at Airlie Beach, is up for sale. Picture: Supplied

The Ray White Surfers Paradise Group sale, now in its 21st year and arguably Australia's biggest, had a clearance rate of 52 per cent last night, with $17.5 million worth of property selling under the hammer.

More than 100 properties went on the chopping block, from luxury homes at Sanctuary Cove to cheap units in Surfers Paradise.

Ray White Surfers Paradise boss Andrew Bell said several of the properties that went under the hammer yesterday commanded prices above the reserve.

This can all be yours! Mandalay House at Airlie Beach, is up for sale. Picture: Supplied

Back up north, it will take deep pockets to secure the 4200sq m Mandalay House at Airlie Beach. That buys you a marina big enough for two 21m yachts, a helipad, climate-controlled wine cellar with dining for 12, six king-size bedrooms, nine bathrooms and an infinity pool overlooking the Whitsundays.

The $25 million would not be a record, however, pipped by the $28 million that former AFL player Tony Smith achieved for his Gold Coast mansion several years ago.

Inside Mandalay House at Airlie Beach. The property is up for sale. Picture: Supplied

nside Mandalay House at Airlie Beach. The property is up for sale. Picture: Supplied

The view from Mandalay House at Airlie Beach. The property is up for sale. Picture: Supplied

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Mum on trial for overheating deaths

Accused ... Mother Heather Jensen is on trial for homicide after the deaths of her 2- and 4-year-old sons. Picture: KKCO11-TV

A MOTHER whose children died after she locked them in the car with a heater running, while she had sex in another vehicle, is on trial for homicide.

Prosecutors say Heather Jensen, 25, carried out a "death sentence" against her two young sons when she locked then in the hot car, Fox 31 Denver reports.

The charges against Ms Jensen include criminally negligent homicide, child abuse resulting in death and false reporting.

"Ms Jensen created the situation that caused her children to die," prosecutor Danielle Lewis said in opening statements.

Her defence says her actions should be assessed with regard to her low IQ, her youth and the fact her husband died six weeks earlier in a car accident.

"It was a tragedy, but it was an accident. It was not a crime," said public defender Elsa Archambault.

Ms Jensen sobbed loudly as her trial opened last week in Mesa County District Court, Colorado.

'Devastating year' ... Heather Jensens's husband Eric, with sons Tyler and William. Picture: Facebook

Ms Jensen's sons, William, 2, and 4-year-old Tyler, died on November 27, 2012. She told her new live-in boyfriend she was taking the boys to play in the snow and drove them to a snow park, where she met up with a male friend to have sex in the car park.

At first, she left the two boys in the car with the heat on and the doors unlocked.

After about 30 minutes, Tyler opened the door and Ms Jensen returned him to her car, gave him a mobile phone to play with and secured the child locks before returning to her friend.

The children are said to have spent 90 minutes in the car, where an investigation revealed temperatures could have reached 60 degrees Celsius. Both boys died from hyperthermia.

Ms Jensen's defence attributes her poor decision making to her low IQ of 76, which makes her borderline developmentally disabled.

A boyfriend also told investigating police that Ms Jensen had smoked marijuana the day before the children died.

In the three months leading up to the deaths, she had failed court-ordered drug tests three times, the Daily Sentinel reports. The testing was tied to a March 2012 arrest for domestic violence. Her husband Eric had told police Ms Jensen became violent after he confronted her about spending time with friends who supplied her with painkillers Vicodin and Percocet.

Seeking justice ... Heather Jensen's former in-laws Robert and Diane Mathena. Picture: CBS Denver

Now her husband's parents, Robert and Diane Mathena, are seeking justice.

"It's been horrible for us, a devastating year and a half that's for sure," Mr Mathena told CBS Denver. "Don't want to see her anymore. I want her out of our lives.

Following the deaths of her sons, Ms Jensen also violated the terms of her probation and left Colorado for Florida, to be with her family.

"I believe it would be a great opportunity for me to start my life over again in Florida, and being surrounded by all my family who loves me to help me get through the losses I've had in this past month," Ms Jensen wrote in the letter to a Mesa County judge. "And I would greatly appreciate it if you will let me move on with my life in Florida."

Ms Jensen's request was denied and she was arrested at her mother's home in North Fort Myers, Florida on January 16, 2013.

The jury deciding the case was made up of 10 women and five men, but a judge removed one of the jurors from the trial when he found out she added a witness from the trial as a friend on Facebook, CBS Denver reports. The trial is expected to run for nine days.

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Lawrence's dress inspires 'lookalikes'

Jennifer Lawrence's dress inspired many to follow suit, including Arrow star Colton Haynes. Source: Supplied

JENNIFER Lawrence's Golden Globes dress has already become a meme with many poking fun at the American Hustle star's outfit choice.

Lawrence, who won the best supporting actress award for her role in American Hustle, turned heads with her choice of dress.

The Oscar winner always wears Christian Dior but this year's selection had the internet wondering if they owned the same dress.

Others wondered if she had got her inspiration from Ariel's DIY sheet dress from "The Little Mermaid."

Apparently, a number of stylish pets were also rocking Lawrence's look.

The dress was overshadowed by others including Margot Robbie's sexy white dress, Olivia Wilde's dazzling sheath and Mila Kunis' metallic gown.   However Emma Watson's dress also proved to be a big talking point. 

Many stars switched out of their Golden Globes gowns to attend various after-parties.

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Kidnapped son rejects mother

High price ...Ye Jinxiu's 17-year hunt for her kidnapped son cost Ye her marriage, home and family. Picture: Ed Jones Source: AFP

THE 17-year hunt for her kidnapped son cost Ye Jinxiu her marriage, home and family. And when she found her boy, now a grown man and stranger, he wanted nothing to do with her.

Now 59, homeless and alone again, Ye roams the streets of Fuzhou on China's east coast helping other parents search for their children, devoting her failing health to what she knows is largely a lost cause.

Tens of thousands of children, most of them boys, are believed to be stolen each year in China. Most are sold within the country to meet demand fuelled by a one-child limit, traditional preference for sons, virtual immunity for families who buy them and, as parents like Ye complain, apathetic police.

"Having a child kidnapped is worse than having your heart torn out,'' she said, gazing at a huge canvas she had laid out by a bus stop, printed with "missing'' adverts and chubby-cheeked faces. "If someone rips your heart out it takes one second, you die and you're not aware anymore,'' she said.

"If your child is kidnapped and not found, then every day as soon as you wake up, your heart hurts from thinking.''

China does not publish figures on how many children are seized per year but said it rescued 24,000 in the first 10 months of 2013, probably a fraction of total cases.

Many are stolen in the poorer interior and sold to families on the wealthier eastern seaboard, particularly provinces such as Fujian where Ye lives, said Deng Fei, a Beijing-based journalist who helps locate children.

Kidnap victims ... Pictures of missing children are displayed by Ye Jinshou on the streets of Fuzhou. Picture: Ed Jones

Tens of thousands might be kidnapped every year and sold for tens of thousands of yuan each, he said, cautioning that estimates were rough. On a popular website dedicated to the cause 14,000 families have posted notices looking for lost ones.

Children in rural areas are especially vulnerable, as two in five live apart from their parents, who have migrated elsewhere for work and often left feeble grandparents in charge.

Police have sometimes refused to open cases because the low chance of cracking them might hurt their performance record, and they have resisted pursuing families who buy, Mr Deng said.

Also feeding the trade is the sale of children - sometimes by those most entrusted to protect them.

In December a doctor in northern Shaanxi went on trial for selling seven infants after convincing parents to give them up because of supposed serious illnesses, state media said.

Reports two months earlier said a couple in Shanghai sold their daughter to buy an iPhone. They claimed they wanted to give her a better life, with a wealthier family.

On a mission ...Ye Jinxiu is helping other parents search for their children, devoting her failing health to what she knows is largely a lost cause. Picture: Ed Jones

Yang Jing, a 35-year-old mother from southwestern Sichuan, told AFP she has spent 13 years trying to retrieve her son after he was sold to a richer couple in Jiangsu - by her husband.

"They told me it didn't count as kidnapping ... because the father gave him away,'' she said.

Ms Ye, in Fuzhou, said she criss-crossed more than 10 provinces after her then six-year-old boy disappeared in 1993, collecting rubbish, washing dishes and borrowing to pay her way, and sleeping in parks. She nearly died, she said, before her husband begged her to stop and finally left.

She claims she found the trafficker's home by 1995 but authorities only acted after years of pressure. In 2000 three men were sentenced to at most three years' jail and a decade later police found the son, Lu Jianning, she said.

The night before their reunion Ms Ye could hardly sleep.

But her son did not even hug her. He stayed for a year while she took on more debt to pay for his schooling.

Then he disappeared, and he has not contacted her in two years.

`"I don't regret looking for him. How he lives his life is up to him,'' Ye said. "When your child goes missing you can't stop looking.''

She lays out her canvas in quiet places where police do not bother her and hands out fliers filled with youthful faces.

Two were brothers, "Dou Dou'' and "Yuan Yuan'', kidnapped as infants on the same day in 1991. A short-haired girl abducted on her way home from kindergarten in 2010 was described as "wearing a black-and-white cotton jacket when last seen''.

Some passers-by paused to scan the descriptions. One, surnamed Zhen, blamed the government for failing to help the rural poor. ``If they didn't have to move to the city, they could take care of their kids and there would be less kidnapping,'' he said.

Ms Ye's struggle has cost her her health - she coughs blood and can hardly see - and she owes relatives "so much money that I'm afraid to go home'', she says.

But, she said: "Just thinking about these cute kids breaks your heart.

"I found my kid but other parents haven't found theirs, and I can't stop looking.''

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Miranda goes Kerr-mando at Globes

The pants under Dior worn by Emma Watson lead the best and worst of the Golden Globes red carpet looks.

MIRANDA Kerr went commando, Lady Gaga snogged her BF, Taylor Swift and Sofia Vergara let loose - welcome to the Golden Globe after parties.

While the Australian supermodel did not attend the awards ceremony, she certainly turned heads with her dress at the InStyle and Warner Bros afterparty.

GOLDEN GLOBES PICTURES: ALL THE RED CARPET ACTION

BEHIND THE SCENES PICTURES: WHAT WENT ON AT THE GLOBES

Kerr rocked up in a sexy, backless dress with a thigh-high split from Pucci.

Clearly going commando, Kerr's dress was held together at the side with just some gold chains.

She was alone, but Orlando Bloom - who she recently spilt from, made a short appearance at the same party.

Miranda Kerr turns heads at the 15th annual InStyle and Warner Bros. Golden Globes after party. Picture: AP Source: AP

Meanwhile, Modern Family star Sofia Vergara switched her strapless Zac Posen gown for a more revealing gown that put her in full party mode.

Sofia Vergara makes a costume change for the 15th annual InStyle and Warner Bros. Golden Globes after party. Picture: AP Source: AP

Social media fans posted their own findings of Vergara on Twitter.

Emma Watson, who also changed from her ceremony outfit which was a unique dress-pant hybrid outfit, which has divided fans across the world.

LOVE OR LOATHE EMMA'S GOLDEN GLOBES LOOK?

A less surprising wardrobe choice ... Emma Watson arrives at the 15th annual InStyle and Warner Bros. Golden Globes after party. Picture: AP Source: AP

Raising eyebrows ... Actress Emma Watson at the 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Channing Tatum and his wife, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, wasted no time cutting the rug to the sounds of Lionel Richie.

Channing Tatum, left, and Jenna Dewan at the 15th annual InStyle and Warner Bros. Golden Globes after party. Picture: AP Source: AP

Other guests at the InStyle bash included Vanessa Hudgens, Kaley Cuoco and her new husband Ryan Sweeting, Uma Thurman, Jon Voight, Tom Hanks, Olivia Wilde, Amy Adams who shared an intimate moment with her fiance Darren Le Gallo when she arrived for photographs.

Darren Le Gallo, left, and Amy Adams arrive at the 15th annual InStyle and Warner Bros. Golden Globes after party. Picture: AP Source: AP

At the Weinstein Company & Netflix 2014 Golden Globes afterparty, Taylor Swift ditched her gown for a demi-sheer cocktail length black dress by Julien Macdonald with strappy black heels, which she had already debuted at the InStyle and Warner Bros party.

Taylor Swift arrives at the 15th annual InStyle and Warner Bros. Golden Globes after party. Picture: AP Source: AP

She was seen at the bash with her brother Austin Swift which sent Twitter fans into a spin again after he went to the ceremony with her.

Singer Taylor Swift and Austin Swift attend The Weinstein Company & Netflix's 2014 Golden Globes After Party. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

Swift partied into the night with friends, including U2's Bono.

Taylor Swift and musician Bono attend The Weinstein Company & Netflix's 2014 Golden Globes After Party. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

Twitter fans also circulated photos of her cutting loose.

Other stars to stop by included Heidi Klum, and Australian actress Naomi Watts was in a posse with husband Liev Schreiber, Bradley Cooper and Harvey Weinstein himself.

Star power ... Producer Harvey Weinstein, actors Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber, and Bradley Cooper attend The Weinstein Company & Netflix's 2014 Golden Globes After Party. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

Meanwhile, the makeshift tent outside the Beverly Hilton Hotel was another star attraction.

Idris Elba, Kevin Spacey, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts and P. Diddy, among others, gathered to munch on sushi and dance to classic R & B at the Weinstein-Netflix post-Globes party.

Kristen Chenoweth, Steve Coogan, and Taylor Schilling and other stars from Orange is the New Black also joined the party, AP reports.

Actors Kevin Spacey and Julia Roberts attend The Weinstein Company & Netflix's 2014 Golden Globes After Party. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

Kevin Spacey, Julia Roberts, and Kristin Chenoweth attend The Weinstein Company & Netflix's 2014 Golden Globes After Party. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

At the NBC/Universal Party, Breaking Bad and Michael J. Fox Show star Betsy Brandt spotted having an animated conversation on the couches.

The hot couple of the night at this party were Lady Gaga and her boyfriend Taylor Kinney, who stars on Chicago Fire. The couple were both seen kissing and photos of their snog went viral on social media.

Golden Globes co-host Amy Poehler proudly took her Globes gong to the after party too - where she was still celebrating the win after she also got a snog in with Bono after her name was read out.

Comedy star Amy Poehler and co-host wins a Golden Globe award herself, grabbing U2's Bono for an hilarious kiss before her acceptance speech.

Seal it with a kiss ... Actress Amy Poehler attends the Universal, NBC, Focus Features, E! sponsored by Chrysler viewing and after party. Picture: Getty Source: Getty Images

At the HBO Party, Chris Pine and Australia's Wolf of Wall Street star Margot Robbie had entered the event through a side door.

Pine was seen drinking a martini, and entire Girls cast were working the room.

Martin Scorsese, Jonah Hill, Chris Noth and Josh Charles arrived together.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and her husband Brad Hall were also there.

All class ... Julia Louis-Dreyfus arrives at the HBO Golden Globes after party Picture: AP Source: AP

While Rob Lowe, with his jacket off, spent time eating and texting, EW reports.

Root vegetables were all the rage at the HBO party with a special emphasis on brussels sprouts and cauliflower.

Rob Lowe, left, and Sheryl Berkoff arrive at the 15th annual InStyle and Warner Bros. Golden Globes after party. Picture: AP Source: AP

Also spotted were Gwendoline Christie and Emilia Clarke from Game of Thrones, and director/actor Mike White.

Diane Keaton had changed out of her tuxedo into a plaid tie and checkered shirt with a beret. Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was also in the house, partying and posing with the likes of Helen Mirren.

Helen Mirren, left, and Mike Tyson arrive at the HBO Golden Globes after party. Picture: AP Source: AP

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Maid, 11, tortured with chillies

'Torture' ... An 11-year-old maid has complained she was forced to eat chillies, which were also applied on her body as punishment.

INDIAN police have arrested a trader for allegedly torturing an 11-year-old maid who was forced to eat chillies which were also rubbed on her body, an official said Monday, in the latest abuse of domestic servants.

Sarjil Ansari, a 38-year-old napkin seller, was arrested at the weekend and his wife Farhat was being questioned, said an investigating police officer in Thane district neighbouring Mumbai.

The couple bought the girl in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh for 15,000 rupees ($272) from her parents about a year ago on the pretext that she would be well looked after and given a better education, the officer said, declining to be named.

"They used to regularly torture and beat up the girl. The girl complained that she was forced to eat chillies, which were also applied on her body,'' he said. This would happen when she urinated out of stress or fear, he added.

"Often the family would turn up the volume on their home music system to muffle her cries for help.''

Local media reported that the couple rubbed chillies on the girl's genitals as punishment, but the officer said he was not aware of the claim.

He said police were alerted when neighbours notified them about possible mistreatment of the girl, whose tasks included cleaning and looking after the couple's baby, despite her own young age.

The girl is now in the care of a local non-governmental organisation, and a case will be registered against the couple once the investigations are completed, the officer said.

The case is the latest of alleged abuse of domestic servants in in India, where thousands of workers, often children trafficked from remote and poverty-stricken states, toil for long hours in homes with almost no legal protection.

In October last year, a teenage girl working as a maid in New Delhi was hospitalised after being rescued from a home where campaigners said she war slashed with knives and mauled by dogs.

In 2006 India passed legislation banning employment of children under 14 in households, roadside eateries and hotels, but the law is widely flouted in the country of 1.2 billion people.

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Women receive womb transplants

Innovation ... A Swedish research team practices ahead of operations to transplant nine wombs at the Sahlgrenska Hospital in Goteborg, Sweden. Picture: Johan Wingborg Source: AP

NINE women in Sweden have successfully received transplanted wombs donated from relatives and will soon try to become pregnant, the doctor in charge of the pioneering project has revealed.

The women were born without a uterus or had it removed because of cervical cancer. Most are in their 30s and are part of the first major experiment to test whether it's possible to transplant wombs into women so they can give birth to their own children.

Life-saving transplants of organs such as hearts, livers and kidneys have been done for decades and doctors are increasingly transplanting hands, faces and other body parts to improve patients' quality of life. Womb transplants - the first ones intended to be temporary, just to allow childbearing - push that frontier even farther and raise some new concerns.

There have been two previous attempts to transplant a womb - in Turkey and Saudi Arabia - but both failed to produce babies. Scientists in Britain, Hungary, the US and elsewhere are also planning similar operations but the efforts in Sweden are the most advanced.

"This is a new kind of surgery," Dr Mats Brannstrom told The Associated Press in an interview from Goteborg. "We have no textbook to look at."

Dr Brannstrom, chair of the obstetrics and gynecology department at the University of Gothenburg, is leading the initiative. Next month, he and colleagues will run the first-ever workshop on how to perform womb transplants and they plan to publish a scientific report on their efforts soon.

He said the nine womb recipients were doing well. Many already had their periods six weeks after the transplants, an early sign that the wombs are healthy and functioning. One woman had an infection in her newly received uterus and others had some minor rejection episodes, but none of the recipients or donors needed intensive care after the surgery, Brannstrom said. All left the hospital within days.

None of the women who donated or received wombs have been identified. The transplants began in September 2012 and the donors include mothers and other female relatives of the recipients. The team had initially planned to do 10 transplants, but one woman couldn't proceed due to medical reasons, university spokesman Krister Svahn said.

The transplant operations did not connect the women's uteruses to their fallopian tubes, so they are unable to get pregnant naturally. But all who received a womb have their own ovaries and can make eggs. Before the operation, they had some removed to create embryos through in-vitro fertilisation. The embryos were then frozen and doctors plan to transfer them into the new wombs, allowing the women to carry their own biological children.

The transplants have ignited hope among women unable to have children because they lost a uterus to cancer or were born without one. About one in 4500 girls are born with a syndrome, known as MRKH, where they don't have a womb.

Fertility experts have hailed the project as significant but stress it's unknown whether the transplants will result in healthy babies.

The technique used in Sweden, using live donors, is somewhat controversial. In Britain, doctors are also planning to perform uterus transplants, but will only use wombs from dying or dead people. That was also the case in Turkey. Last year, Turkish doctors announced their patient got pregnant but the pregnancy failed after two months.

"Mats has done something amazing and we understand completely why he has taken this route, but we are wary of that approach," said Dr Richard Smith, head of the UK charity Womb Transplant UK, which is trying to raise 500,000 pounds ($916,000) to carry out five operations in Britain.

He said a womb transplant was like a radical hysterectomy but it requires taking a bigger chunk of the surrounding blood vessels to ensure adequate blood flow, raising the risk of complications for the donor. Smith said British officials don't consider it ethical to let donors take such chances for an operation that isn't considered life-saving.

Smith said the biggest question is how any pregnancies will proceed.

"The principal concern for me is if the baby will get enough nourishment from the placenta and if the blood flow is good enough," he said.

All of the women who received womb transplants will need to take anti-rejection medicines, but Smith said data from women who have received kidney transplants doesn't suggest their babies are at any increased risk from the drugs.

Dr Brannstrom said using live donors allowed them to ensure the donated wombs were functional and didn't have any problems like an HPV infection.

Doctors in Saudi Arabia performed the first womb transplant in 2000, using a live donor, but that uterus had to be removed after three months because of a blood clot.

Dr Brannstrom said he and his colleagues hope to start transferring embryos into some of their patients soon, possibly within months. The Swedish researchers and others have previously reported successful uterus transplants in animals including mice, sheep and baboons, but no offspring from the primates were produced.

After a maximum of two pregnancies, the wombs will be removed so the women can stop taking the anti-rejection drugs, which can cause high blood pressure, swelling and diabetes and may also raise the risk of some types of cancer.

Other experts said if the operations are successful, womb transplants could be an alternative for women who have few choices.

"What remains to be seen is whether this is a viable option or if this is going to be confined to research and limited experimentation," said Dr Yacoub Khalaf, director of the Assisted Conception unit at Guy's and St. Thomas' hospital in London, who was unconnected to any of the womb transplant projects.

Lise Gimre, 35, who was born without a womb, said she thought many women with the MRKH syndrome would be interested if the operation proves to be safe and effective. Ms Gimre runs an organisation for women with the syndrome in Norway.

"If this had been possible when I was younger, no doubt I would have been interested," she said. Ms Gimre, who has two foster children, said the only option for women like her to have biological children is via surrogacy, which is illegal in many European countries, including Norway and Sweden.

Dr Brannstrom warned the transplants might not result in children but remained optimistic.

"This is a research study," he said. "It could lead to (the women) having children, but there are no guarantees ... what is certain is that they are making a contribution to science."

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Cannibal eats man 'who killed wife'

Christian militia in the Central African Republic capital of Bangui attack a dead Muslim body. Courtesy iTele.

A MAN who calls himself Mad Dog and ate a man's flesh says he was seeking "revenge" against Muslims after they killed his pregnant wife and family.

Ouandja Magloire was part of a Christian mob who attacked a Muslim in the Central African Capital of Bangui.

The BBC reports that Magloire spotted his victim sitting on a minibus and decided to follow him. Eventually he had 20 young people with him forcing the bus driver to stop. The mob then dragged the man off the bus, beat and stabbed him before setting him on fire.

Footage shows Magloire eating the man's leg. He says it was revenge for a Muslim killing his pregnant wife, sister-in-law and her baby.

A number of people got footage of the attack but no one intervened to save the man.

"One of the individuals took hold of an arm and went and bought some bread and starting chewing on the flesh, along with his bread," eyewitness Jean-Sylvestre Tchya said. "The scene made many people vomit, and some cried out in horror."

Michel Djotodia, the first Muslim to rule the Christian-majority nation, stepped down as president on Friday as his Seleka rebels were accused of targeting Christian civilians, leading to the creation of self-defence groups known as anti-balaka.

Amateur footage shows a mob in the Central African Republic who attacked and killed a Muslim man with at least one of them eating his flesh.

Those groups have in turn been accused of atrocities against members of the Muslim minority.  Looting erupted throughout the city after Mr Djotodia's resignation with crowds breaking down the doors of shops, many of them belonging to Muslims.

So far the violence has claimed around 1000 lives in the past month.

Another witness to the cannibalism, Alain Gbabobou, said he saw a man pick up the head and wrap it up carefully, saying he would "feast on it'' later.

"F***ing country!'' said a young Muslim man who gave his name only as Fathi, shaking his head in bewilderment as he gazed upon the body of a man whose face was crushed by rocks in an attack on a mosque.

"We believed Djotodia's resignation would be a peaceful solution for everyone,'' he said, adding his former Christian friends had sent him a text message, warning: "Now it's your turn. It's impossible to live with Muslims."

Acts of cannibalism are rare in the Central African Republic, where sectarianism is a recent development.

Amateur footage shows a mob in the Central African Republic who attacked and killed a Muslim man with at least one of them eating his flesh.

Former colonial power France has sent military intervention and an African peacekeeping force has on hand to try and stem the violence.

Alexandre-Ferdinand Nguendet, speaker of the country's provisional parliament and interim president, vowed that the "anarchy'' that has gripped the country would be swiftly brought to an end.

And he issued a stern warning to warring militiamen from the mostly Muslim Seleka group and the anti-balaka Christian fighters set up to oppose them.

Speaking at a police headquarters in the capital Bangui, he said: "To the ex-Seleka, to the anti-balaka and the lovers of looting, I'm giving you a severe warning: The party is over.''

Mr Nguendet, whose parliament has been charged with finding a new transitional president within two weeks, declared: "The chaos is over, the pillaging is over, the revenge attacks are over.''

The return of soldiers and police to duty was another encouraging sign for the Central African Republic after weeks of horrific sectarian violence.

The United Nations' special representative to the country, Babacar Gaye, appealed to the population "to maintain calm and show maturity following the resignations."

The cannibalism reports are reminiscent of Jean Bedel Bokassa, who ruled the Central African Republic between 1966 and 1979, and was accused of eating human flesh, incorporating it in meals for visiting officials and feeding slain opponents to animals.

With AFP

 

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Brynne spent lonely Xmas 'in bed, in a ball'

Brynne Edelsten is reportedly staying in Australia to build her television career. Picture: APL Photography Source: Supplied

Geoffrey Edelsten, with wife Brynne, at last year's AFL Brownlow's. Picture: Jason Edwards. Source: News Limited

THE former manager of Brynne Edelsten has revealed the socialite's plans to pursue her TV career in Australia, amid news of her separation from millionaire husband, Geoffrey Edelsten.

John Scott, who handled Brynne's affairs until December 31 last year and who remain "the best of friends", told news.com.au that while she is devastated by the breakup, Brynne plans to remain in her adopted homeland to build her profile.

He confirmed the personality spent Christmas Day "in bed, in a ball, just absolutely devastated".

"It's pretty sad, separation is always difficult," Mr Scott said.

"From what I know about her intentions, she's made a good living here. Even though she doesn't have her family here, she has a close circle of friends she considers family.

"I'd find it pretty unusual if she were to pick up and head back to the US".

While Brynne's new manager, Rob Menzies, declined to comment on the state of affairs, he did confirm the second series of the former cocktail waitresses reality show, My Bedazzled Life, will return to Australian screens on Channel 7 this year.

"The show is going ahead as planned, there's no changes to anything at the moment," he said.

Meanwhile Mr Scott, who had spoken to Brynne "several times today", added the show, based on Brynne's lavish lifestyle, was set to screen in the first half of 2014.

Channel 7 have confirmed that Series 2 is currently in post production.

Brynne Edelsten's personal tour of her and Geoffrey's opulent Melbourne apartment.

Mr Scott noted that New Idea's report of the separation caught camp Edelsten "by surprise" and the pair were holding off on an announcement until they had "come to an agreement with the settlement".

"I've spoken to him [Geoffrey] as well, they are both in shock the news has broken.

"Both of them are really sad, they are two people who care greatly for each other and unfortunately they just couldn't continue".

It is reported the pair started experiencing problems after news broke of a flirtation between Geoffrey and another woman nearly two years ago.

Brynne Edelsten is without the support of her mum, Mariel Gordon and two sisters, Kelsey Gordon, 14 (L) and Aislyn Gordon, 12 (R). Source: News Limited

In an embarrassing turn of events for the couple, Geoffrey was reportedly involved with a New Jersey woman during a short, three-day getaway in Florida in March 2012.

He showered her, whom he met on an online dating site, with gifts including cash, a Louis Vuitton handbag and a return flight to Florida.

Mr Menzies told news.com.au Brynne had "nothing to discuss at the moment" and warned against believing "everything you read".

He added Brynne might have something to say "in the next couple of days".

It hasn't been a great start to the year for either camp, with Geoffrey filing for bankruptcy in the United States, where he is reportedly in $18.2 million debt.

Brynne Edelsten talks fashion, TV shows and high heels withLuke Dennehy

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