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Slitheen For Sarah Jane 2007-09-06 New CBBC series The Sarah Jane Adventures will feature the return of some familiar Doctor Who enemies when it debuts later this month. The Slitheen, a family of scheming monsters first seen in Aliens of London / World War Three are back - and out for revenge. Following on from a successful special screened on New Year's Day, the ten-part CBBC series stars Elisabeth Sladen as investigative journalist Sarah Jane Smith. She'll be joined by young friends Maria and Luke plus new recruit Clyde. "It's great to be back enjoying Sarah Jane with some fantastic new adventures," Sladen revealed to the BBC's in-house Ariel magazine. "There's still so much more to find out about her after all these years." Executive Producer Davies added: "This is a wonderful opportunity, to use all our Doctor Who resources here in Cardiff for the making of a brand new drama for CBBC." Davies also said he hoped that brand new viewers would be attracted to the 'full-blooded' adventure series. Look out for the extensively updated Sarah Jane Adventures website, which will relaunch to coincide with the series. Doctor Who Wins Hugo 2007-09-03 Doctor Who has scooped its second consecutive Hugo Award - widely considered to be the Oscars of the Science Fiction world - at the 65th World Science Fiction Convention held in Yokohama, Japan over the weekend. In the presentation on Saturday 1 September, The Girl in the Fireplace, an episode from series two written by Steven Moffat and directed by Euros Lyn, was named Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. This is Moffat's second Hugo, having picked up the same award for The Empty Child and The Doctor Dances in 2006. Steven travelled to Japan's Nippon 2007, the 65th World Science Fiction Convention, to collect the award. "Best thing about winning a (second) Hugo, is that it's for Doctor Who," Steven told us. "Cos years ago, when I was a tiny little Doctor Who fan, I bought this American magazine called Starlog. It was all about Star Wars and Star Trek (whatever those are) but the reason I bought it was in a tiny box in the corner it said "Doctor Who"! "And I was so excited that this big important American magazine had an article about my favourite show! And it broke my heart. Because in the article it said "In all fairness Doctor Who is unlikely ever to win a Hugo ... "Two Hugos, I've got!! Two Hugos for Doctor Who!! And I'd say more, but I'm off to the Starlog offices to dance around and flick v-signs." "Steven Moffat broke our hearts and thrilled us in his romantic, witty, terrifying script, The Girl In A Fireplace and I'm delighted the episode has won the prestigious Hugo Award," added Executive Producer and Head of Drama, BBC Wales, Julie Gardner. "It's a great honour for Doctor Who to have won this award for a second year." Doctor Who Series Five 2007-09-03 After months of media speculation, the BBC can confirm that the BAFTA award-winning Doctor Who will return for a fifth series in Spring 2010. Viewers are in for a treat this Christmas, as a special episode starring David Tennant and Kylie Minogue will be broadcast on BBC One in December 2007. Series Four, which went into production in July 2007, will hit UK screens in Spring 2008, followed by a special episode for Christmas 2008. In 2009 Doctor Who will return with three specials starring David Tennant, with Head Writer, Russell T Davies. The full-length fifth series will transmit in 2010. Jane Tranter, Controller, BBC Fiction, says: "Doctor Who is one of the BBC's best loved and most successful dramas. Its journey over the past three series has been one of the most ambitious and exciting that we have had, and I'm delighted to be able to confirm not only three exciting specials for 2009, but a fifth series in 2010. " Menna Richards, Controller, BBC Wales, says: "The success of Doctor Who is a fantastic tribute to the dedication and expertise of the production team at BBC Wales who have worked on the project from the outset. This announcement is marvellous news for all involved, and more importantly for the programme's amazing fan base and audience. BBC Wales is looking forward to producing the fifth series." Following the critically acclaimed season three finale, the BBC has announced that Catherine Tate is set to return to the TARDIS for the complete 13-week run of series four, reprising her role as Donna from the 2006 Christmas special. Freema Agyeman, who won praise for her portrayal of Martha Jones in series three, is also set to return mid series four. Raccoon parts left on doorsteps in Salem 2007-08-25 A self-proclaimed high priestess of Salem witches and a second person were accused of tossing raccoon parts on the doorsteps of businesses, allegedly as part of a Wiccan community feud. Sharon Graham, 46, and a fellow Wiccan, Frederick Purtz, 22, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of littering and malicious destruction of property. Graham also was charged with intimidating a witness. They were accused of putting a raccoon head and entrails on the doorsteps of Angelica of the Angels and the Goddess' Treasure Chest in May. The historic seaport, famous for holding witch trials in the 17th century, has an active Wiccan community and thriving witch-related tourism. David Gavegnano, a lawyer for Graham, and Sean Wynne, a lawyer for Purtz, both denied that their clients had anything to do with the incident. They also argued that at any rate, the malicious destruction charge wasn't valid because the storefronts weren't permanently damaged. A witness, Richard Watson, told police he accompanied Graham, Purtz and other people when they put the raccoon remains on the doorsteps. He said Graham hoped to frame a Wiccan businessman who had fired Graham from a psychic telephone business last spring. Watson also said Graham had a disagreement with the owners of the two targeted businesses over proposed regulations that would limit the number of psychics who come to the city during the Halloween season. He said he was told the group had found the raccoon dead. Gavegnano declined to comment on Watson's accusations Thursday. Wynne told The Boston Herald said there were likely "internal issues within the Wiccan community," but the tossing of raccoon entrails may be a "bastardization" of Wiccan practice because the religion doesn't condone harming others. Queen rocker finally awarded PhD, 30 years on 2007-08-25 Queen guitarist Brian May was on Thursday awarded a doctorate, more than 30 years after he first began studying a highly specialised area of astronomy. May first started his thesis -- titled, "Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud" -- at Imperial College London in 1974, but abandoned it when Queen's prospects began to brighten. He finally dusted off his notes last year and handed in his 48,000-word doctoral thesis about three weeks ago to Imperial's head of astrophysics Professor Paul Nandra. "I'm feeling rather joyful. I cannot tell you how much of a weight off the mind it is," May said after his assessors approved of his thesis and he passed an oral exam. "What matters is that this stands up in the future and that there are no holes in it." He plans to celebrate his new title -- he will now become Dr Brian May -- by having a private meal with friends and family but will not be presented with his qualification until a ceremony at London's Royal Albert Hall next May. The guitarist, who famously played the national anthem on the top of Buckingham Palace at a party for Queen Elizabeth II's golden jubilee celebrations, has not completely neglected astronomy during his musical career. He recently co-wrote a children's science book with astronomer Sir Patrick Moore, and last month received an honorary doctorate at Exeter University in southwest England. Tim Burton's ex ordered to revise suit 2007-08-23 Tim Burton's ex-girlfriend was ordered Wednesday to revise her lawsuit against the movie director after a judge ruled it didn't sufficiently support claims that Burton had backed out of a promise to financially support her. Lisa Marie, an actress who appeared in several of Burton's films, sued last December, alleging Burton used fraud to cheat her out of assets he promised to share with her during their nearly 10-year, live-in relationship. Burton said he and Marie would "combine their efforts and earnings and would share equally any and all" accumulated property, her lawsuit claimed. When Burton suddenly ended their relationship, Marie claimed she was referred to an attorney who convinced her to agree to a contract with the director. By signing it, she said, she gave up the right to make further claims to his assets. She also accused the lawyer of secretly acting on Burton's behalf. Court papers filed by Burton's attorneys countered that the director gave Marie $5 million to sign the contract, which released him from any further claims to his assets. He contended that if she wanted to rescind the deal she was obligated to return the money. Superior Court Judge Teresa Sanchez-Gordon said Marie's complaint didn't sufficiently support her allegation that Burton used fraud to cheat her out of assets. The judge gave her attorneys 10 days to revise the action. Burton directed Marie in "Ed Wood," "Mars Attack!" and "Planet of the Apes." German returns "cursed" stolen Pharaonic carving 2007-08-22 A German has handed in a package containing part of a Pharaonic carving to Egypt's embassy in Berlin, with a note saying his stepfather had suffered a "curse of the Pharaohs" for stealing it, Egypt said on Wednesday. The note said the man felt obliged to return the carving to make amends for his late stepfather and enable his soul to rest in peace, Egypt's Supreme Council for Antiquities said. The stepfather had stolen the piece while on a visit to Egypt in 2004 and on his return to Germany suffered paralysis, nausea, unexplained fevers and cancer before dying recently, the anonymous man said in the note. The Egyptian embassy in Berlin had sent the fragment back to Egypt by diplomatic pouch and it had been handed over to the Supreme Council for Antiquities, where a committee of experts was trying to ascertain its authenticity, the statement said. The belief in a curse that strikes down anyone who disturbs the tombs or mummies of ancient Egypt's Pharaohs has been around since the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 and the subsequent death of the excavation's financier Lord Carnarvon. Sen. Leahy lands role in Batman movie 2007-08-20 Holy Beltway, Batman! Sen. Patrick Leahy has a part in the next Batman movie. "I don't wear tights," the Vermont Democrat said. Leahy's scene was filmed this summer for "The Dark Knight" and involves Batman, played by Christian Bale, The Joker, played by Heath Ledger, and Alfred Pennyworth, played by Michael Caine. The longtime Batman fan would reveal little about his role other than he is called the "distinguished gentleman." "It's a pretty tense scene," said Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "It's going to be a very interesting one." He's done voice-overs on Batman cartoons, written the preface for a Batman book and had small roles in the last two Batman features. He said he will donate his earnings from the film to the Kellogg-Hubbard children's library in Montpelier, where the senator got his first library card. "The Dark Knight" is scheduled to be released next summer. Woman faces charges after yelling chants 2007-08-16 A 42-year-old woman who describes herself as a Wiccan faces charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after neighbors complained she was disturbing them with chants around a bonfire she had built 10 feet from her home. Capt. Mike Babe said Brenna K. Barney of Waukesha told police they were infringing on her religious beliefs since she was performing a ritual under the new moon. But Babe said that, in addition to the criminal charges filed Tuesday in Waukesha County Circuit Court, police might also give Barney a ticket alleging negligent handling of burning materials. Neighbors called police shortly after midnight Tuesday and, after an officer arrived, he heard the woman yelling in the backyard and found her wearing headphones, a T-shirt and underwear, the captain said. An officer tried to get her attention by shining a flashlight on her but she continued yelling her chants, Babe said. He said Barney at one point poured lighter fluid on the fire, in which she was burning rubber car mats and a cooler. Barney refused to cooperate with police and was belligerent, and her breath smelled of alcohol, Babe added Four officers were sent to the scene and arrested her, the captain added. Wicca is a nature-based religion based on respect for the earth, nature and the cycle of the seasons. Korean fake stem cell line enclosed real breakthrough: study 2007-08-16 While faking the first human embryo-cloned stem cells, disgraced South Korean scientist Hwang Woo-Suk in 2004 unwittingly created the first human stem cell derived by parthenogenesis, US scientists said Thursday. An analysis of Hwang's work published Thursday in the monthly Cell Stem Cell by Kitai Kim and George Daley of the Children's Hospital Boston Stem Cell Program, shows that the stem cells Hwang obtained contained genetic material only from the donor egg and had not been cloned from a human embryo. Hwang and his team "unwittingly created something entirely different - the world's first human embryonic stem cell to be derived by parthenogenesis," the two US researchers said in a press release. "We now know that the Korean's first supposed nuclear transfer-derived stem cell line was actually derived from the woman's egg alone," said Daley. Parthenogenesis is a method of reproduction, common in plants and in some reptiles, in which the female can generate offspring without the contribution of the male, through artificial activation of unfertilized eggs. Parthenogenesis in mammals is seemingly very difficult. In cloning, the nucleus of an egg is replaced with the nucleus from a cell in a different body to produce, theoretically, genetically identical embryonic stem cells. That is what Hwang claimed he did in 2004. A year later however Hwang confessed that his entire body of research on stem cells, which was published in the journal Science, had been faked. French teen detained over Harry Potter 2007-08-08 French police briefly detained a 16-year-old who posted an unauthorized translation of the latest Harry Potter book online, a prosecutor said Wednesday. The high school student from the southern city of Aix-en-Provence was picked up Monday based on a complaint from police in Paris, said Aix Prosecutor Olivier Rothe. The boy was released Tuesday after questioning. Rothe said judicial police in Paris were conducting an investigation and that the boy could face charges for violating intellectual property rights. The boy had apparently compiled the entire translation of J.K. Rowling's 759-page "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" himself, but was not thought to have sought any commercial profit from the unauthorized work, Rothe said. It was available online within days of the July 21 release of the English original. Police later shut down the site where the boy posted the translation. The publishing house Gallimard, which has published the Potter series in French and is to release the official translation of "Deathly Hallows" on Oct. 26, would not comment on the case before consulting with company lawyers. Marie Leroy-Lena, spokeswoman for official Harry Potter translator Jean-Francois Menard, said he is still working on the translation of "Deathly Hallows," since he only received the official English version when it was released two weeks ago. Fans in several countries have already posted unofficial translations of the book online, including in China, where publishers fear it could lead to counterfeit books in a country where piracy is rampant. In France, the daily Le Parisien revealed how the final installment of "Harry Potter et les reliques de la mort" — as it is called in French — ends, in a small article which it printed upside down, so readers wouldn't have the ending thrust on them unknowingly. Worldwide, the Potter books have sold more than 325 million copies, have been translated into at least 64 languages, and have been spun off into a hit movie series. Bad Thai cops to endure Kitty shame 2007-08-06 Thai police officers who break rules will be forced to wear hot pink armbands featuring "Hello Kitty," the Japanese icon of cute, as a mark of shame, a senior officer said Monday. Police officers caught littering, parking in a prohibited area, or arriving late — among other misdemeanors — will be forced to stay in the division office and wear the armband all day, said Police Col. Pongpat Chayaphan. The officers won't wear the armband in public. The striking armband features Hello Kitty sitting atop two hearts. "Simple warnings no longer work. This new twist is expected to make them feel guilt and shame and prevent them from repeating the offense, no matter how minor," said Pongpat, acting chief of the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok. "(Hello) Kitty is a cute icon for young girls. It's not something macho police officers want covering their biceps," Pongpat said. He said police caught breaking the law will be subject the same fines and penalties as any other members of the public. "We want to make sure that we do not condone small offenses," Pongpat said, adding that the CSD believed that getting tough on petty misdemeanors would lead to fewer cases of more serious offenses including abuse of power and mistreatment of the public by police officers. Hello Kitty, invented by Sanrio Co. in 1974, has been popular for years with children and young women. The celebrity cat adorns everything from diamond-studded jewelry, Fender guitars and digital cameras to lunch boxes, T-shirts and stationery. Potter's magic can't beat Chinese pirates 2007-07-26 Harry Potter might possess the powers to vanquish evil wizards -- but not Chinese pirates. Bootleg English-language copies of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," J.K. Rowling's latest and last novel in her super-selling series, have been appearing on the streets of Beijing -- testimony to local pirates' ability to churn out copies of any in-demand entertainment in the blink of an eye. "It's been selling really well, especially with foreigners," said one hawker watching over several dozen copies near the Xiushui or 'Silk Street' market, a magnet for pirate goods. "Do you want to buy this as well?," he asked, holding out what claimed to be DVD copies of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the newly released film. "You'll get a discount for the two together." The softback copy of Rowling's novel, cleanly printed on slightly rough paper, costs 40 yuan ($5.30) -- 30 after bargaining -- while a legitimate copy sells in local bookstores for 210 yuan for a British edition and 218 for the U.S. version. China has promised to wipe out pirate producers who have become a sore point in trade ties with the United States and Europe. But the piles of freshly printed Potter were a reminder of how far Beijing is from realising that pledge. U.S. copyright industry companies claim bootleggers cost them $2.6 billion in sales in China in 2005. On Chinese streets, pirate DVDs can cost as little as $1, much less than legitimate copies sold in wealthy countries. The hawker, who would not give his name, said most of the buyers were Westerners. "Chinese people will wait for the Chinese version to come out. That won't be long," he said. The Chinese translation of Rowling's latest book is due out in about October. Indian kids at graveyard school face nightmares 2007-07-12 Scores of Indian children attending a school located in a graveyard were having recurring nightmares about ghosts and have appealed to authorities to shift them from the site, officials and residents said. "I have stopped going to school after many dead people walked out of their graves and came into my dreams, ordering me to reach school on time," said six-year-old Raqib Ansari. This week, hundreds of children at the school in the eastern state of Bihar, accompanied by their parents, marched to the office of a senior district official, asking for the school to be shifted away from the Muslim graveyard. About 200 children study in the makeshift school set up several years ago after authorities refused to donate land for a school in Kohari village, 200 km (125 miles) southwest of the state capital, Patna. Some parents say their children's sleep and health is being affected by dreams of ghosts. "They used to play and study together and finish their lunch boxes while sitting on top of concrete graves but now the ghosts have come to haunt them at night and they are falling ill," said one father, Riyazuddin Ansari. "We have no choice as the nearest other school is at least four hours away," he said by phone from Kohari. There are more than 100 tombs in the graveyard but dozens of fresh graves -- most of them shallow -- have been dug in recent months, further crowding the burial ground. Authorities in densely populated Bihar said they were trying to provide new land for the school. "Maybe the dead are not enjoying the noise inside the graveyard any more, but we are looking into the matter," said Ram Yash Singh, a village council official. Ethiopia unveils new find of ancient fossils 2007-07-11 Ethiopian scientists said on Tuesday they have discovered hominid fossil fragments dating from between 3.5 million and 3.8 million years ago in what could fill a crucial gap in the understanding of human evolution. Ethiopian archaeologist Yohannes Haile Selassie said the find included several complete jaws and one partial skeleton and were unearthed in the Afar desert at Woranso-Mille, near where the famous fossil skeleton known as Lucy was found in 1974. "This is a major finding that could fill a gap in human evolution," he told a news conference in Addis Ababa. "The fossil hominids from the Woranso-Mille area sample a time period that is poorly known in human evolutionary study." Researchers say the area, about 140 miles (230 km) northeast of Addis, boasts the most continuous record of human evolution. Last year, an international team of scientists unveiled the discovery of 4.1 million-year-old fossils in the region. Lucy, the most famous find, lived between 3.3 million and 3.6 million years ago. But Yohannes said Afar had yielded early hominid fossil remains spanning the last 6 million years. "This has placed Ethiopia in the forefront of paleoanthropology," he told reporters. "Ethiopia is known to the world as the cradle of humankind." Man beats peacock he says was vampire 2007-07-01 A peacock that roamed into a fast-food restaurant parking lot was attacked by man who vilified the bird as a vampire, animal-control authorities said. Beaten so fiercely that most of his tail feathers fell out, the bird was euthanized, said Richard Gentles, a spokesman for the city's Center for Animal Care and Control. "It's just unbelievable that someone would do something to a poor, defenseless animal and do it in such a cruel fashion," he said. The peacock, a male several years old, wandered into a Staten Island Burger King parking lot and perched on a car hood Thursday morning. Charmed employees had been feeding him bread when the man appeared. He seized the iridescent bird by the neck, hurled it to the ground and started kicking and stomping the creature, said worker Felicia Finnegan, 19. "He was going crazy," she said. Asked what he was doing, she said, the attacker explained, "'I'm killing a vampire!'" Employees called police, but the man ran when he saw them. Authorities were looking for the attacker, described as being in his teens or early 20s. It was not clear how the bird made his way to the Burger King, but a Staten Island resident who raises peacocks said he had given some to a person who lives near the restaurant. ABC movie critic Joel Siegel dead at 63 2007-06-30 Joel Siegel, a longtime movie critic for "Good Morning America" who was famous for his weekly, often humorous reviews, died Friday, ABC officials said. He was 63. Siegel, who got his start at the network by working for New York affiliate WABC-TV, had battled colon cancer, the station said. "Joel was an important part of ABC News and we will miss him," ABC News President David Westin said in a statement. "He was a brilliant reviewer and a great reporter. But much more, he was our dear friend and colleague. Our thoughts and prayers are with Joel's family." Siegel was known for his sense of humor, movie acumen and sharp judgment. He never let an actor off the hook if the performance was lackluster. "The appeal of Matthew McConaughey has long evaded me both as a pinup and as an actor," Siegel said in his review of 2006's "We Are Marshall." "His constant ticks, bad hair and strained syntax as a coach fumble what should have been the tragic and inspirational story of the rebuilding of Marshall University's football team after a devastating plane crash." Dave Davis, president and general manager of WABC-TV, said Siegel loved to poke fun at uninspiring movies. "No one had more fun writing about a bad movie than Joel," Davis said. ABC anchor Charles Gibson said Siegel knew how to tell a story. "He had an inexhaustible supply of stories — most funny, many poignant, all with a point or a punch line," Gibson said. Born in Los Angeles on July 7, 1943, Siegel graduated cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles. After college, he started writing for The Los Angeles Times, where he reviewed books. He landed in New York City in 1972 and worked as a reporter for WCBS-TV. He also hosted "Joel Siegel's New York" on WCBS Radio. Four years later he jumped to WABC, cementing his reputation as a film critic over the next three decades. In 1981, he joined "Good Morning America" and became a regular as the network's entertainment editor, easily recognizable by his thick mustache and glasses. In addition to five New York Emmy Awards, he received a public-service award from the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, and was honored by the New York State Associated Press Broadcasters Association for general excellence in individual reporting. Survivors include his son, Dylan, and wife, Ena Swansea. Court camera captures strange image 2007-06-19 A strange image captured by a surveillance camera at the First Judicial District courthouse downtown has left sheriff's deputies, lawyers, clerks and judges scratching their heads. ADVERTISEMENT Some think it's a ghost. Others suggest it's a reflection from a passing car or possibly a piece of fluff from a cottonwood tree. "I don't know what it is, but I think it's neat that it showed up on a Friday," said Sally Saunders, assistant to District Judge Stephen Pfeffer. "Now we have something to talk about." Santa Fe County Deputy Alfred Arana first noticed the image when he arrived at the courthouse Friday morning and began reviewing surveillance video from the night before. Sgt. Vanessa Pacheco arrived a half hour later and was asked by Arana to watch the video. "It's something unexplainable," Pacheco said. "I don't believe in ghosts so I don't think that's what it is." The video shows a bright spot of light coming from either the roof or near the courthouse's back door. It moves toward the west across the front bumper of a parked police before leaving the frame. Perhaps the most bizarre part is that the light appears to cast shadows. Courthouse workers debated whether it might have been a reflection. But some said the angle of the sun wasn't right and a large tree shades most of the area. Arana said the footage was clearer when he first watched it than when it was replayed over and over Friday. He said he had no idea what the camera captured. Deputy Anthony Maes said it was a ghost. "What makes us think we're the only beings on this planet? It's too weird," he said. Maes said he thought it might be the ghost of convicted murderer Andy Lopez, who took nine people hostage at the courthouse in February 1985 before being shot by a deputy as he peeked out the back door. Candy Sisneros, a clerk, said her husband, a sheriff's deputy, used to work in the courthouse at night when the county's dispatch center was there, and he used to hear footsteps, doors opening and closing and elevators going up and down. Jude Torres has worked at the court house as a janitor for four years and said he sometimes hears noises at night. He said the noises mainly originate from the same side of the building where the light was seen. Earl Rhoads, a public defender, thinks the image is that of a drifting cottonwood seed. "I'm not willing to say it's proof of paranormal activity," he said. "I think it's totally explainable." Link to courthouse video: http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/63222.html 'Mrs. Grace' sees her future in jail 2007-06-19 A fortuneteller now sees her future — and it involves 18 months behind bars. Grace Uwanawich, also known as "Mrs. Grace," was sentenced this week in Maryland after admitting that she defrauded clients by convincing them to hand over tens of thousands of dollars so that she could crush destructive curses. "This is beyond fortunetelling for entertainment purposes," Montgomery Assistant State's Attorney Carol Crawford said Monday. She compared Uwanawich to a "leech" who drained money from vulnerable middle-aged women. "I promise in Jesus' name I'm not going to do this again," Uwanawich said before being sentenced to 18 months in jail. "I know it sounds like I'm using Jesus. I am ashamed." Uwanawich, whose plea deal includes nearly $257,000 in restitution to four former clients, has been in trouble with the law before. She was arrested in Chester County, Pa., and later in Philadelphia during the 1990s in connection with similar scams, court records show. But the punishment Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Eric M. Johnson imposed appeared to be the most severe Uwanawich has faced, Crawford said. Prosecutors say the fortuneteller's clients included a 57-year-old Poolesville woman who gave Uwanawich more than $160,000 in cash and property over the course of a year. Their relationship began at a shopping mall, when Uwanawich approached the woman, who was depressed, and handed her a flier promoting her psychic powers. During meetings at Uwanawich's Chevy Chase apartment, the woman was told that she and her family had a curse that dated to the building of the Great Wall of China. The evidence came in the form of an egg Uwanawich cracked that had blood, hair and an awful smell. Authorities said Uwanawich stopped giving the woman appointments after wiping out her bank accounts, maxing out her credit cards and tricking her into buying a Mercedes Benz that she never got to drive. Space pioneers wanted for 520-day Mars experiment 2007-06-19 The European Space Agency (ESA) on Tuesday called for applications for one of the most demanding human experiments in space history: a simulated trip to Mars in which six "astronauts" will spend 17 months in an isolation tank on Earth. Their spaceship will comprise a series of interlocked modules in an research institute in Moscow, and once the doors are closed tight, the volunteers will be cut off from all contact with the outside world except by a delayed radio link. They will face simulated emergencies, daily work routines and experiments, as well as boredom and, no doubt, personal friction from confinement in just 550 cubic metres (19,250 cubic feet), the equivalent of nine truck containers. Communications with the simulated mission control and loved-ones will take up to 40 minutes, the time that a radio signal takes to cross the void between Earth and a spaceship on Mars. Food will comprise mainly the packaged stuff of the kind eaten aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The goal is to gain experience about the psychological challenges that a crew will face on a trip to Mars. Four of the crew will be Russian, and two will come from countries that are members of ESA, agency and Russian officials said at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget. In all, 12 European volunteers are needed. A precursor 105-day study is scheduled to start by mid-2008, possibly followed by another 105-day study, before the full 520-day study begins in late 2008 or early 2009. Backup for the two volunteers taking part in each of these simulations means that 12 Europeans are needed. "The selection procedure is similar to that of ESA astronauts, although there will be more emphasis on psychological factors and stress resistance than on physical fitness," ESA said in a press release. Men and women who think they have the right stuff can download the application form on (http://www.spaceflight.esa.int/CallforCandidates). The terrestrial Mars-stronauts will not get much glory for their confinement, nor will they get particularly rich. They will get paid 120 euros (158 dollars) a day, said Marc Heppener of ESA's Science and Application Division. Viktor Baranov of Russia's Institute of Biomedical Problems, where the experiment will take place, said his organisation had received about 150 applications, only 19 of which came from women. "The problem is that it is very difficult to find healthy people for this kind of experiment," he said. Assuming that Mars and Earth are favourably aligned, with their closest distance of 56 million kilometres (35 million miles), it would take 250 days to get there, 30 days spent on site to conduct experiments and 240 days for the return, said Baranov. A trip to Mars is not an early prospect. The United States has set plans to return to the Moon by 2018 and later head to Mars, but without setting a date. The trip is fraught with many technical challenges, many of which are outranked by the question of keeping the crew healthy and sane. China censors "Pirates" for "vilifying Chinese" 2007-06-15 China has censored part of the latest instalment of hit Hollywood movie "Pirates of the Caribbean" for "vilifying and defacing the Chinese", the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday. The role of Hong Kong star Chow Yun-Fat, who plays pirate lord Captain Sao Feng, had been slashed in half to just about 10 minutes of screen time, the report said. It cited local magazine The Popular Cinema as saying: "The captain played by Chow is bald, his face heavily scarred. He also has a long beard and long nails, whose image is still in line with Hollywood's old tradition of demonising the Chinese." "Chinese censors also cut Chow's line in which he states 'Welcome to Singapore' because it hints Singapore is a land of pirates ...," Xinhua added. It quoted Zhang Pimin, deputy head of the film bureau of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, as saying the cuts had been made "according to the country's relevant regulations on film censorship" and "China's actual conditions". The cuts "will not impair either the continuity of plot or the image of characters," said Zhang, declining to provide more details. Still, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End", has already performed well at the Chinese box office, Xinhua added, earning 1.18 million yuan (78,550 pounds) on its first day in Shanghai alone. This is not the first time a Hollywood film has angered the Chinese censor. Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning "The Departed" ran into trouble due to its mention of a Chinese plan to buy military equipment, government sources told Reuters earlier this year. But censorship on the big screen has little impact in China, where pirated, uncut versions of the latest movies can easily be bought on the street for around $1. Half of China's local officials superstitious 2007-06-12 More than half of China's local officials believe in fortune telling and other superstitions banned among Communist Party members, media said on Tuesday. According to a survey of officials at township level, more than 52 percent believed in reading faces and stars, predicting dreams and "qiu qian" -- casting lots at a temple to tell their fortune, the Democracy and Law newspaper said. "When officials face great pressure at work, but cannot find a way to let it out and have nothing else to turn to, they turn to superstition," the newspaper cited a political researcher, Cheng Ping, who conducted the survey, as saying. Concerns about losing their jobs and power, and also worries among corrupt officials about being caught also prompted more believers of superstition, Cheng said. One senior official moved his ancestor's tombs thousands of miles to the foot of the famed Tian Shan mountain in the north-western region of Xinjiang in an attempt to improve his career prospects, Chinese media reported last month. "Public officials, especially Communist Party ones, should have a scientific perspective and believe in Communism, not superstition," Cheng said. China is now Communist in name only after three decades of market reforms which along with breakneck growth have brought income disparities, widespread corruption and an ideological vacuum. Disney to sign Bollywood animation pact: WSJ 2007-06-11 Walt Disney Co. is set to announce a joint venture with India's Yash Raj Films to make animated films voiced by Indian movie stars, the Wall Street Journal said in its online edition on Monday. In Mumbai, a spokeswoman for Yash Raj declined comment on the specifics of the report, but said a press conference was scheduled for Tuesday and that it concerned Disney. The report said the venture will make at least one animated film per year. A spokeswoman for Disney did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Disney is looking for a bigger share of India's rapidly growing media and entertainment market. Last year it bought Hungama, a Hindi-language childrens' entertainment channel from UTV Software Communications Ltd. and also took a 14.9 percent stake in the broadcaster. Japan's Potter translator may face back taxes 2007-06-11 Harry Potter's Japanese translator could use a little magic in her dispute with tax authorities. Yuko Matsuoka, who has translated and published the global best sellers, has been feuding with Japanese tax officials over nearly $29 million (14.7 million pounds) in income they say she failed to declare. Matsuoka, 63, has said she is a resident of Switzerland, but Kyodo news agency said on Tuesday that authorities in Japan and Switzerland had determined that she effectively lived in Japan through 2005, quoting sources close to the case. Japanese tax officials want her to pay more than 700 million yen (2.9 million pounds) in back taxes on 3.5 billion yen of undeclared income for three years up to 2004 because she was involved in publishing in Japan and frequently spent time there, Kyodo said. Matsuoka could also face back taxes for 2005, Kyodo added. Japanese tax officials declined to comment, as did Matsuoka's Tokyo publishing house Say-zan-sha Publications. Matsuoka was quoted as saying in a statement that her "good faith" had been recognised by authorities in both nations. "My mission and joy in life is to bring the fantasy of the Harry Potter series to many millions of young readers in Japan, not to encourage fantasy by commenting on such sensationalist figures," Kyodo quoted her as saying. Matsuoka beat Japan's big publishing houses to win translation rights for the Harry Potter books after reading the first book through the night. Her feat transformed Say-zan-sha Publications, which her late husband founded, from a struggling publisher run out of her apartment into a full-fledged company. The fifth "Harry Potter" film will premiere in Japan later this month. Film producer says more Shreks to come 2007-06-10 Galvanized by the success of "Shrek the Third," Jeffrey Katzenberg says the tale of the green ogre who married a princess will continue. "More Shreks are coming!" producer Katzenberg, flanked by "Shrek" stars Cameron Diaz, Mike Myers and Justin Timberlake, said at a news conference in Berlin on Friday. Katzenberg said there will be a half-hour animated TV special, "Shrek the Halls," featuring the Shrek characters' versions of holiday traditions. As for the plot of the fourth installment of the "Shrek" movie franchise, Katzenberg would only reveal that Shrek will have to come to terms with something difficult in his past. The DreamWorks animated blockbuster opens in Germany on June 21. Timberlake, who voices the future King Arthur, said his favorite moment while working on "Shrek the Third" was listening to director Chris Miller do the voices of the animated cast. "He can actually do every voice," said Timberlake. "He does a pretty good Mike (Myers). He can't do a very good Shrek, but he can do a good Mike doing Shrek, so it was a lot of fun to work with him." DreamWorks is a unit of DreamWorks SKG Inc.

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