Latest News And Events Around The World

Lindsay Lohan jailed for 90 days

Gowri Shankar — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:44:48 +0000

TROUBLED LINDSAY LOHAN wept as she was sentenced to 90 days in jail last night.

The Mean Girls star, 24, violated her probation for a 2007 drink-driving charge by repeatedly missing alcohol education classes.She insisted she did not realise she was breaking the order and that her work schedule had stopped her attending regularly.

I have tried to do the best I can. I really did think I was doing what I was supposed to do, and I mean it with all my heart

Shocked ... Lindsay at the hearing

Jesus Christ Face seen on Google Earth

Gowri Shankar — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:05:57 +0000

INTERNET fan Zach Evans told yesterday how he found Jesus – on Google Earth.

The 26-year-old recognised Christ’s image as he trawled the map site looking for holiday destinations.The bearded messiah can be seen clearly in satellite pictures of a field on farmland near Puspokladany, Hungary.

Sales assistant Zach, of Southampton, said: “I’m not a religious person looking for images of Mary or Jesus in everything, but this is obvious.”Last week nurse Alex Cotton, 38, spotted the face of Jesus in a drainpipe stain in Coventry.Toby Elles, 22, from Salford, Manchester, has found it burned into pan fat.It was in the grain of an Ikea toilet door in Braehead, Scotland, and on a burnt iron in Massachusetts.(Read More…….)

Underwear Bomb Revealed as Terror Suspect Warns More Attacks Coming

Gowri Shankar — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:50:02 +0000

Undated: The underwear which contained an explosive packet used on a failed plot to blow up Northwest Flight 253.

Photographs of the charred remains of explosives sewn into underwear allegedly worn by 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on a Detroit-bound Christmas flight were revealed Monday.

The bomb, seen for the first time, is reported to have contained a six-inch pack of highly-explosive powder called PETN sewn into the briefs, weighing about 80 grams.According to ABC News, a government test with 50 grams of PETN blew a hole in the side of an airliner — the same amount carried by so-called shoe bomber Richard Reid over Christmas in 2001.

A global search for accomplices in the Detroit airliner plot is under way after an Al Qaeda group based in Yemen claimed responsibility for the operation and the would-be bomber was reported to have said that more attacks were being planned.

Obama defends war as he picks up Nobel Peace Prize

Gowri Shankar — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:59:24 +0000

President Barack Obama has said the US must uphold moral standards when waging wars that are necessary and justified, as he accepted his Nobel Peace Prize.

Dec. 10: Nobel Peace Prize laureate President Obama delivers the Nobel Lecture during the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in Oslo City Hall (Reuters).

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, distinguished members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, citizens of America, and citizens of the world: I receive this honor with deep gratitude and great humility. It is an award that speaks to our highest aspirations — that for all the cruelty and hardship of our world, we are not mere prisoners of fate. Our actions matter, and can bend history in the direction of justice.

And yet I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated. (Laughter.) In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage. Compared to some of the giants of history who’ve received this prize — Schweitzer and King; Marshall and Mandela — my accomplishments are slight. And then there are the men and women around the world who have been jailed and beaten in the pursuit of justice; those who toil in humanitarian organizations to relieve suffering; the unrecognized millions whose quiet acts of courage and compassion inspire even the most hardened cynics. I cannot argue with those who find these men and women — some known, some obscure to all but those they help — to be far more deserving of this honor than I.

But perhaps the most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the Commander-in-Chief of the military of a nation in the midst of two wars. One of these wars is winding down. The other is a conflict that America did not seek; one in which we are joined by 42 other countries — including Norway — in an effort to defend ourselves and all nations from further attacks.Still, we are at war, and I’m responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land. Some will kill, and some will be killed. And so I come here with an acute sense of the costs of armed conflict — filled with difficult questions about the relationship between war and peace, and our effort to replace one with the other.

Now these questions are not new. War, in one form or another, appeared with the first man. At the dawn of history, its morality was not questioned; it was simply a fact, like drought or disease — the manner in which tribes and then civilizations sought power and settled their differences.And over time, as codes of law sought to control violence within groups, so did philosophers and clerics and statesmen seek to regulate the destructive power of war. The concept of a “just war” emerged, suggesting that war is justified only when certain conditions were met: if it is waged as a last resort or in self-defense; if the force used is proportional; and if, whenever possible, civilians are spared from violence.

Of course, we know that for most of history, this concept of “just war” was rarely observed. The capacity of human beings to think up new ways to kill one another proved inexhaustible, as did our capacity to exempt from mercy those who look different or pray to a different God. Wars between armies gave way to wars between nations — total wars in which the distinction between combatant and civilian became blurred. In the span of 30 years, such carnage would twice engulf this continent. And while it’s hard to conceive of a cause more just than the defeat of the Third Reich and the Axis powers, World War II was a conflict in which the total number of civilians who died exceeded the number of soldiers who perished.In the wake of such destruction, and with the advent of the nuclear age, it became clear to victor and vanquished alike that the world needed institutions to prevent another world war. And so, a quarter century after the United States Senate rejected the League of Nations — an idea for which Woodrow Wilson received this prize — America led the world in constructing an architecture to keep the peace: a Marshall Plan and a United Nations, mechanisms to govern the waging of war, treaties to protect human rights, prevent genocide, restrict the most dangerous weapons.

In many ways, these efforts succeeded. Yes, terrible wars have been fought, and atrocities committed. But there has been no Third World War. The Cold War ended with jubilant crowds dismantling a wall. Commerce has stitched much of the world together. Billions have been lifted from poverty. The ideals of liberty and self-determination, equality and the rule of law have haltingly advanced. We are the heirs of the fortitude and foresight of generations past, and it is a legacy for which my own country is rightfully proud.And yet, a decade into a new century, this old architecture is buckling under the weight of new threats. The world may no longer shudder at the prospect of war between two nuclear superpowers, but proliferation may increase the risk of catastrophe. Terrorism has long been a tactic, but modern technology allows a few small men with outsized rage to murder innocents on a horrific scale.

Moreover, wars between nations have increasingly given way to wars within nations. The resurgence of ethnic or sectarian conflicts; the growth of secessionist movements, insurgencies, and failed states — all these things have increasingly trapped civilians in unending chaos. In today’s wars, many more civilians are killed than soldiers; the seeds of future conflict are sown, economies are wrecked, civil societies torn asunder, refugees amassed, children scarred.I do not bring with me today a definitive solution to the problems of war. What I do know is that meeting these challenges will require the same vision, hard work, and persistence of those men and women who acted so boldly decades ago. And it will require us to think in new ways about the notions of just war and the imperatives of a just peace.

We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth: We will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes. There will be times when nations — acting individually or in concert — will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified.I make this statement mindful of what Martin Luther King Jr. said in this same ceremony years ago: “Violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: it merely creates new and more complicated ones.” As someone who stands here as a direct consequence of Dr. King’s life work, I am living testimony to the moral force of non-violence. I know there’s nothing weak — nothing passive — nothing naive — in the creed and lives of Gandhi and King.

But as a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation, I cannot be guided by their examples alone. I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake: Evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda’s leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force may sometimes be necessary is not a call to cynicism — it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason.

I raise this point, I begin with this point because in many countries there is a deep ambivalence about military action today, no matter what the cause. And at times, this is joined by a reflexive suspicion of America, the world’s sole military superpower.

Mysterious Giant Spiral Dominates Norway’s Sky

Gowri Shankar — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:42:18 +0000

A mysterious giant spiral of light that dominated the sky over Norway on Wednesday has stunned experts — raising the possibility of an entirely new astral phenomenon.

Stunning ... mystery light glows in the sky

Thousands of awe-struck Norwegians bombarded the Meteorological Institute to ask what the incredible light — which could be seen in the pre-dawn sky for hundreds of miles — could possibly be.

Phenomenon ... unexplained sighting

Theories have ranged from a misfired Russian missile, meteor fireball, never-before-seen type of northern light, black hole and even alien activity.

Blue tail ... stunned Norwegians

Witnesses across Norway all described seeing a spinning “Catherine wheel-style” spiral of white light, centered around a bright moon-like star. A blue “streaming tail” appeared to anchor the spiral to earth, before the light “exploded” into a rotating ring of white fire.

Mystery ... missile theory

Sightings of the spiral spectacle, which lasted for two minutes, were reported as far north as Finnmark to Trondelag in the south.Chief Scientist Erik Tandberg, at the Norwegian Space Centre, said that he too was “totally amazed” by the spiral.He agreed with many other experts that the spiral pattern could have been caused by a missile from Russia — something the Russian military have strongly denied.

Astonishing ... spinning UFO

Adolf hitler Image Gallery

Gowri Shankar — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:46:42 +0000

The Uninvited-Michaele and Tareq Salahi

Gowri Shankar — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:53:51 +0000

WASHINGTON — The attention-hungry couple that crashed the Obama administration’s first state dinner admitted to a friendly Pentagon official that they went without a confirmed invitation — just in case they got approved at the last minute.Tareq and Michaele Salahi claimed a dead cell phone battery prevented them from hearing a voicemail earlier that day advising them they did not make the guest list.

The Salahis gave that account in an e-mail sent just hours after last week’s dinner to Pentagon official Michele Jones, who had tried to get them invited. A collection of e-mails between the Salahis and Jones was obtained Tuesday night by The Associated Press from a source who got them in manner that confirmed their authenticity.

Tareq & Michaele at the White House State Dinner

Vice President Biden & Michaele!

The White House Marines welcome Michaele to the State Dinner

Tareq, Vice President Biden & Michaele

AR Rahman ( who sings JAI HO from Slum Dog Millionaire) & Michaele & Tareq Salahi

President of Pepsi World Wide Indra Nooyi with Michaele..

President Barack Obama greets Michaele and Tareq Salahi during a receiving line in the Blue Room of the White House before the State Dinner with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India.

Obama: 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan by summer

Gowri Shankar — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:29:02 +0000

West Point, New York (CNN) – President Obama said Tuesday that the deployment of 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan is part of a strategy to reverse the Taliban’s momentum and stabilize the country’s government.

The new deployment over six months will bring America’s troop strength in the country to more than 100,000, in the fight against Taliban militants.Mr Obama also urged America’s allies in Nato to send more troops.Defending the war, he insisted there were no parallels with Vietnam and that world security was at stake(More News).

President Barack Obama announced Tuesday he was dispatching 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, accelerating a risky and expensive war buildup, even as he assured the nation that U.S. forces will begin coming home in July 2011.

We will continue to advise and assist Afghanistan’s security forces to ensure that they can succeed over the long haul. But it will be clear to the Afghan government and, more importantly, to the Afghan people that they will ultimately be responsible for their own country, Obama said.Obama also leaned heavily on NATO allies and other countries to join in escalating the fight.

We must come together to end this war successfully, the president said. For what’s at stake is not simply a test of NATO’s credibility. What’s at stake is the security of our allies, and the common security of the world.

The World’s Most Powerful People By Forbes

Gowri Shankar — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:21:53 +0000

1.barack obama

How powerful is he? Let's count the ways: Presides over world's largest, most innovative, most dynamic economy; commander-in-chief of planet's richest, deadliest military; finger on button of nuclear arsenal containing more than 5,000 warheads; head-of-state of world's sole superpower; his Democrats have majorities in both U.S. House and Senate; recently awarded Nobel Peace Prize, apparently for general awesomeness.

2.hu jintao

Paramount political leader of more people than anyone else on the planet; 1.3 billion Chinese, some 70% in their prime working years of ages 15 to 64 powering world's low-cost workshop, transforming nation. Biggest buyer of U.S. debt avoided Chinese meltdown during financial crisis with massive stimulus package to encourage domestic spending. "Coming-out party" at 2008 Beijing Olympic Games showcased young, modern, harmonious society; reality often quite different—few political, religious, press freedoms; brutal suppression of Tibet; refusal to acknowledge Taiwanese independence. Still, credible estimates have China poised to overtake U.S. as world's largest economy in 25 years—although, crucially, not on a per-capita basis.

3.vladimir putin

Prime Minister might as well be known as Czar, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russians. Vastly more powerful than his handpicked head-of-state, President Dmitry Medvedev. Presides over one-ninth of Earth's land area, vast energy and mineral resources. Former KGB officer unafraid to wield his power; invading Georgia, cutting off natural gas supplies to Ukraine or Western Europe (again). Declared nuclear power has veto on U.N.'s Security Council. The anti-Obama: "I'm deeply convinced that constant change is not for the better."

4.ben s bernanke

Former chairman of Princeton's economics department and noted Great Depression scholar now guiding world's largest economy through Great Recession; has overseen massive growth in Fed's balance sheet, from less than $900 billion in liabilities in August 2008 to more than $2.1 trillion today. With federal funds rate now effectively 0%, the so-called Bernanke Doctrine calls for using monetary policy to stave off deflation. "The U.S. government has a technology, called a printing press, that allows it to produce as many dollars as it wishes at essentially no cost."

5.Sergey Brin and Larry Page

If knowledge is power, maybe information is too. Brainy duo met in Stanford computer science Ph.D. program, now trying to put all the world's information at your fingertips. Known for collecting best and brightest young tech talent at Mountain View, Calif., "Googleplex"; employees encouraged to spend one day a week on personal projects; company often named "Best Place To Work" in America. Google guys' combined net worth of $30.6 billion would place them third on the Forbes 400. Yet despite professed intentions to "do no evil," Google is blamed in some quarters for decimating traditional publishing, journalism. Brin: "Some say Google is God, others say Google is Satan."

6.carlos slim helu

World's third-richest man is dominant economic force in Mexico, personal fortune equivalent to some 2% of Mexican GDP. Telecommunications monopolist: His Telemex owns 90% of Mexico's fixed telephone lines; his TelCel has 90% of wireless market. Also head of group dedicated to improving Mexico's roads, energy infrastructure, water supply. New focus, media: Last fall snapped up 7% stake in the New York Times Co., largest after Sulzberger owner-family. "I think it's perverse to believe there shouldn't be strong companies in poor countries."

9.abdullah bin adbul aziz al saud

Absolute ruler of desert kingdom that contains the world's largest crude oil reserves, two holiest sites in Islam. State-owned oil producer Saudi Aramco most profitable company on Earth, earns more than $200 billion a year, has reserves of 260 billion barrels or 25% of planet's known supply. Ultimate succession unclear: 85-year-old king's official heir is 81-year-old Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud. In 2006, established committee of senior princes to ensure smooth transition in the event both become incapacitated.

10.william gates

Richest man in the world monopolized, transformed software business. More than 85% of world's hundreds of millions of computer users stare at, struggle with, Microsoft products on daily basis. Second act: Saving the world. Still Microsoft chairman, but now devotes day-to-day to his Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, the largest charity on Earth with $34 billion endowment. Foundation devoted to reducing hunger, improving education and fighting diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS.

11.pope benedict

Spiritual leader is highest earthly authority for 1 billion souls, or about one-sixth of planet's population; runs Catholic Church, world's oldest, largest multinational. A staunch traditionalist, unbending on reproductive matters, yet conservatism comforting to many.

14.warren buffett

Greatest value investor of all time shrewdly profiting from global financial crisis; snapped up stakes in Goldman Sachs, General Electric during darkest days of 2008; opponent of inherited wealth has bequeathed vast majority of $40 billion fortune to buddy Bill Gates and his Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. "Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful."

17.hillary clinton

Not president, but now more popular. Latest Gallup poll gives Clinton a six-point approval rating lead over her boss. Former junior senator from New York is now earth-shaker as U.S. Secretary of State. Tough job, though: Must deal with two foreign wars, resolve Israeli-Palestinian conflict, improve America's image abroad, tame Iran, North Korea and husband.

20.michael bloomberg

Spent record $90 million of personal fortune to extend NYC mayoral term limit and eke out victory. Forecasts predict NYC's tax revenues will fall 28%—nearly $7 billion—in 2010. On bright side, world's 17th-richest man can afford to take $1 salary. Owns 88% of financial data and news outfit Bloomberg L.P.—and now, BusinessWeek. Doled out some $800 million to charity in last five years. Doesn't hold back: "You know what you should do is go out and make a billion dollars first, and then run for office."

27.gordon-brown

Previously longest continually serving Chancellor of the Exchequer in the U.K. (1997-2007) in recent history, Brown presided over good old days for Labour party: low inflation and unemployment. Finally moving out of former Prime Minister Tony Blair's shadow in 2007 should have put a smile on the dour Scot's face. But subprime mess and Blair's Middle East legacy took care of that. Gained plaudits for global social justice efforts, though. Recently insisted the Labour party was "not done yet." U.K. voters decide in June.

30.james sdimon

White knight in vilified industry. Modern-day Count of Monte Cristo: Former mentor Sandy Weill fired him from Citigroup, now JPMorgan chief has last laugh. Citi still on life support while JPMorgan netted $3.6 billion last quarter, up from $527 million the year before. Practiced elbow-rubber, major player in financial reform. Visits buddies Rahm, Obama almost once a month. "I am far more concerned about my country ... than my company." Spoken like someone pondering a next move—say, to Washington.

31.bill clinton

limit. Otherwise I would have stayed until I was carried away in a coffin. Or defeated in an election.\”"]

No longer president, not yet first gentleman, but still commands powerful role on global stage. Recent mission to North Korea to free U.S. journalists demonstrated enduring influence (or expendability).

36.manmohan singh

Soft-spoken Sikh economist won landslide re-election victory despite sharp slowdown, poverty and non-Hindu faith. Credited with transforming India's quasi-socialist economy into world's second-fastest-growing. As finance minister (1991-1996), abolished cumbersome "Licence Raj" requirements and opened up India to foreign investors and outsourcing. From the "fences make good neighbors" file: "We all know the epicenter of terrorism in the world today is Pakistan." Has nuclear arsenal at disposal.

37.osama bin laden

Saudi-born terrorist most powerful person in the world unable to use a cellphone. Despite infrequent communications, persistent rumors of his death, symbolic power undiminished: Impressionable youths continue to self-detonate in his name; casus belli of two U.S.-lead wars costing over $1 trillion.

38.syed yousaf raza

Less powerful than bin Laden—can't find him in his own country. Oversees Pakistan's fledgling civilian government, ceded responsibility for tracking down terrorists to military. Busy fending off Obama, Taliban, al-Qaida, deposed militant groups. A little defensive? "We want stability in the region. We ourselves are a victim of terrorism and extremism." Still has keys to Pakistan's nuclear arsenal.

39.dalai lama

Tibetan exile keeps China honest. Despite endorsements of U.N., Hollywood and Nobel Committee, efforts to win "meaningful autonomy" from Beijing failed. Will soon leave negotiating table, but role as spiritual leader intact. Preaches non-violence, but His Holiness is no pushover. Accused China of turning Tibet into "hell on Earth;" urged U.S. to address wealth gap: "Huge gap, rich to poor. This is unhealthy." Uphill battle ahead—Beijing reportedly hatching plans to pick his successor.

44.mukesh ambani

Personal net worth of $19.5 billion makes him seventh-richest man in the world. Oversees Reliance Industries, India's most valuable company by market cap, despite stock falling 40% in past year. Inherited business from late father, but infamous scuffle with brother Anil led to split of assets. Anil controls financial services, mobile phones; Mukesh's influence more widespread. Has hand in oil exploration, refining, textile manufacturing. Thanks to regulations barring big box retailers from India, Mukesh's Reliance Retail is snapping up large share of organized retail market; connecting Indian farmers to supermarkets, hastening delivery of fresh dairy, produce. Uphill battle ahead: Wal-Mart lobbying Prime Minister Singh to allow foreign investment in multi-brand retail. Meanwhile, on the home front: busy building world's first $1 billion home.

45.oprah winfrey

Viewership may be slipping, but Oprah can still make a best-seller. Or a President. Took home $275 million last year; more than Dick Fuld, Ken Lewis and John Thain combined, yet still loved by world. Her first tweet sent Twitter traffic up 43%. Rumors she will be taking her 49 million viewers a week with her to her O.W.N. network when her syndication contract with CBS expires in 2011.

46.benjamin netanyahu

Second-term hawk insists he's committed to permanent Palestinian peace treaty. Time could be ripe: Syria, Hamas willing to play; Iran's influence diminished, other Arab states could be coaxed into recognizing Israel. But his refusal to freeze Jewish settlements in West Bank and Jerusalem has Palestinian President Abbas questioning sincerity, threatening to boycott re-election. Adding salt to wounds: currently fighting United Nations report accusing both Israel and Hamas of war crimes.

50.dawood ibrahim kaskar

Son of a police officer now India's most wanted man. As boss of Mumbai-based organized crime syndicate D-Company, reputedly oversees international drug trafficking, counterfeiting, weapons smuggling. Suspected al-Qaida associate; U.S. declares him a global terrorist, U.N. tried to freeze his assets. Prime suspect in 1993 Bombay blasts that killed 257 people and wounded 713. Rumor has it he's hiding out in Pakistan, protected by appearance-altering plastic surgery as well as friends in Pakistani intelligence community.

55.lakshmi mittal

The Indian Andrew Carnegie heads ArcelorMittal, world's largest steel company. Net worth of $19.3 billion makes him world's eighth-richest. Generous to charities and to himself: Kensington, London, residence one of world's most expensive private homes, earned moniker "Taj Mittal." Bromance with former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair exposed in 2002 "Garbagegate," when Mittal reportedly sought Blair's help in cash-for-influence bid for Romanian state steel mills.

56.nicolas sarkozy

Campaigned on clean government, deficit reduction, free markets; now mired in scandal (cultural Minister recently admitted to paying for sex with Thai boys), socialist-style spending. Recently made pledges to check the power of international banks, impose on bonus payments. In 2008, made singer Carla Bruni his third wife; former model reportedly boasts several inches in height over the diminutive president.

59 ratan tata

The 71-year-old head of the Tata Group—conglomerate with interests in everything from tea to steel—is India's best brand ambassador. His 2007 acquisition of Anglo-Dutch steel maker Corus and auto brands Jaguar, Land Rover signaled global ambitions. In 2008, made automotive history debuting $2,500 Tata Nano, the world's cheapest auto. Calls Nano "The People's Car"; in nation of a billion, environmentalists call it eco-disaster.

Empire’s sexiest men in 2009

Gowri Shankar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:34:38 +0000

1 Johnny Depp

Why is he right on top? Well, he's the one star who's got everything. Lean, sinewy body, attractive shoulders, a dashing smile isn't all. He's goofy, loopy, with a hint of androgyny. And his talents are numerous. And he makes no show about it ever. That's enough to have us hook, line and sinker.

2 Robert Pattinson

He came. We Saw. He conquered. We fell like nine pins when we laid eyes on him as the incredibly good-looking but doomed Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire. And with Twilight, we surrendered without a whimper.

3 Robert Downey Jr

This man has been waltzing in and out of hearts and transient minds thanks to rehab. But we're glad he's back with Iron Man. Now stay put, Downey Jr, and we'll show you the love of a life time!

4 Brad Pitt

The 'Bra' from Brangelina makes it into the top 5. Yes, we're still unhappy that he keeps a low profile. Why deny us of the visual pleasure, Pitt. Yes, Jolie is hot. But we like you too. And his most recent appearance in Inglorious Basterds is no salve. That handlebar moustache just doesn't fly. We'll wait for him to show up in all his glory. In the mean time, the reruns of the Oceans series will have to suffice. Sigh!

5 Christian Bale

The middle spot is taken up by the one star we feel safe ogling at from a distance. Why the distance? Well, he even made the character in American Psycho oddly attractive. Now that can't be good. We've got a feeling if we get any closer to this hunk, things could get fatal. It's bad enough we're breathless every time we lay eyes on him.

6 Hugh Jackman

He's hands down the nicest star in Hollywood. He's so nice we can't even get ourselves to grudge his wife. We bet no star has an easy time envying his numerous skills ranging from singing to dancing as he's just too darn endearing!

7 George Cloney

His half-smirk is to die for! He may have had a pot-bellied pig for pet, he may fancy waitresses, but he's still George Clooney, the most eligible bachelor in tinsel town. Give him a bat mobile or give him some chips for poker, he'll still have us sighing over his quizzical frown. Yes, we attempted verse. That's how much we adore him!

8 Alan Rickman

Professor Snape from the Harry Potter franchise certainly isn't the hottest man around. And that's what makes him so desirable! Take a hint, boys. Women don't always go for chiseled abs and muscular arms. Sarcasm and a great voice work great too!

9 James McAvoy

would've thought the carrot top in The Last King of Scotland would make Forest Whitaker's skills take a back seat. This scrawny actor is just so incredibly irresistible with those soulful blue eyes. He's got us so hooked that we'll even swallow his lame role in Wanted.

10 Gerard Butler

With little less than a metre of cloth, a sword and shield, this Scott stormed his way into our heart in the Spartan action flick 300. We