Girl Dubbed ' The Next Steve Job' Captivates Mexico.

Twelve year old Paloma Noyola listens to instructions during a two-day National 

Mental Math Calculation Championships at the Technologic of Monterrey campus, 

in Mexico City, on Oct 28, 2013.

MEXICO CITY: Mexico has found a new heroine: A 12-year-old math whiz from a state plagued by drug violence who was dubbed "The Next Steve Jobs" by a US magazine. The youngest of eight children from a modest family, Paloma Noyola was thrown under the media spotlight since Wired magazine featured the black-haired girl on its cover two weeks ago.

She has appeared in national newspapers and on cable news, redubbed "La Nina Jobs" -- "The Jobs Girl" -- with photographers and cameramen chasing the girl nicknamed after Apple's late founder. This week, she travelled from her hometown of Matamoros, in the north-eastern state of Tamaulipas, to the hustle and bustle of Mexico City for a mental math competition.

 "I'm very happy. If you want it, you can do it," said Noyola. With so much attention on the girl, Tamaulipas state officials who flew in with her shielded Noyola from the press pack. She sat alone at a large table and was whisked away after the contest organised by the Tecnologico de Monterrey university ended. But she did not win the contest.

Last year, the girl whose school lies next to a dump across the US border wowed the country when she scored the maximum 921 in the national standardised exam, the best in Mexico. Her father died of lung cancer last year and her family earns an income from selling scrap metal and food in Matamoros, a city tormented for years by a turf war between the Zetas and Gulf drug cartels.

Minimally invasive education While Noyola made the cover of Wired, it was her teacher's radical methods that featured prominently in the magazine's story. Sergio Juarez Correa, 32, saw his entire class's Spanish and math scores dramatically improve after he implemented a new approach, allowing students to tap into their own curiosity and self-learning to solve problems.

Juarez Correa took inspiration from the "minimally invasive education" concept of Sugata Mitra, a professor of educational technology at Britain's Newcastle University. While Noyola garnered attention for acing the national exam last year, nine other students scored more than 900 in the math test. The school is located in a "punishment zone" for education, dubbed that way because no professor wants to be there due to the high level of crime and dismal infrastructure.

The school lacks basic services such as running water, drainage or a telephone line -- an all-too-common problem in Mexican classrooms. "If Paloma had the same opportunities or open doors as Steve Jobs, she probably would be a genius in this subject," Juarez told AFP. Two of Noyola's classmates disappeared midway through the school year without anybody knowing why.

"The Mexican education system is like a bus with broken seats, wheels in bad shape and a broken engine that must climb a hill," Juarez said. The education system of Latin America's second economy ranks last among the 34 nations of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development. President Enrique Pena Nieto, who took office in December, pushed through an education reform in a country where less than half of high school students are expected to graduate.

Juarez lamented that the government's reform lacks plans to improve school infrastructure. The Wired article noted how his school lacked computers.

Boy Arrested With Gun In Class.

For illustration purposes only

BOOKS, notebooks, pens and a fully loaded, semi-automatic gun. The first few items are standard classroom material, but not the last -- which is why a 15-year-old boy at Toronto's Jarvis Collegiate Institute ended up under arrest, according to police.

Officers went into the teenager's classroom around 1:15 p.m. Friday and arrested him on charges that included unauthorized possession of a firearm, careless storage of ammunition and carrying a concealed weapons.

He is set to appear in court at Toronto's Old City Hall on Saturday morning, police said. According to its website, Jarvis Collegiate Institute is the oldest secondary school in Toronto, having been founded in 1807.

Celebrating The Festival Of Light.

Deepavali is celebrated everywhere today

HAPPY Deepavali! Happy Diwali! Happy Diwali? What? Have you ever wondered what Diwali is about? Deepavali or Diwali is certainly the biggest and the brightest of all Hindu festivals. It's the festival of lights (deep = light and gavali = a row i.e., a row of lights) that's marked by four days of celebration, which literally illumines the country with its brilliance, and dazzles all with its joy.
Each of the four days in the festival of Diwali is separated by a different tradition, but what remains true and constant is the celebration of life, its enjoyment and goodness. Historically, the origin of Diwali can be traced back to ancient India, when it was probably an important harvest festival. However, there are various legends pointing to the origin of Diwali or 'Deepavali.' Some believe it to be the celebration of the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu.


Whereas in Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Mother Kali, the dark goddess of strength. Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshiped in most Hindu homes on this day.
In Jainism, Deepavali has an added significance to the great event of Lord Mahavira attaining the eternal bliss of nirvana. Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers.
Nevertheless, the actual legends that go with the festival are different in different parts of India. In northern India and elsewhere, Diwali celebrates Rama's return from fourteen years of exile to Ayodhya after the defeat of Ravana and his subsequent coronation as king; In Gujarat, the festival honours Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth; In Nepal Diwali commemorates the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon king Narakaasura; In Bengal, it is associated with the goddess Kali.
The significance behind Diwali varies amongst the different states of India. While the stories may differ, they all celebrate the triumph of good over evil! For some Hindus, Diwali also marks the end of the calendar year. Diwali is perhaps the most well-known of the Hindu festivals. Today, millions of Hindus all over the world are celebrating Deepavali, it is one of the most eagerly awaited and widely celebrated Indian festivals. They decorate their homes with lanterns; but why?
What is the symbolism behind that? Those lanterns signify God's light, penetrating through the ignorance and sin of our daily lives. They signify the divine light, shining its way through this mundane world.



A home bathed in light is a home in which anger, pain, and ignorance are being dispelled; it is a home that is calling to God. The light of Diwali should be within us. It should symbolize the personal relationship between God and our families. It should not be so we attract attention from passing cars, or so we are the envy of the neighbourhood.
Let the light penetrate inward, for only there will it have lasting benefit. One piece of cotton soaked in ghee, lit with a pure heart, a conscious mind and an earnest desire to be free from ignorance is far "brighter" than 100 fashion deepaks, lit in simple unconscious revelry. Diwali also marks the New Year. For some, the day of Diwali itself is the first day of the new year, and for others the new year's day is the day following Diwali. But, for all this season is one of heralding in the New Year.
In the joyous mood of this season, they clean their homes, their offices, rooms, letting the light of Diwali enter all the corners of their lives. They begin new diaries and calendars. It is a day of "starting fresh." The day begins with most people visiting the temple to obtain blessings from the Hindu gods. Following that, they visit friends and family and exchange gifts and Indian sweets.
Since buying gold jewellery is considered very auspicious on this day, the women dress in their finest Indian attire and head to the jewellers in the afternoon. At night, the houses in India are lit up with diyas (small oil lamps) and the skies, with colourful fireworks. What makes it fun is that these are not professional displays - Instead, everyone creates their own show by lighting up their favourite crackers. The young ones stick to the sparklers, while the older ones brave it out with the louder, more powerful fireworks.
The commotion continues late into the night until every very last firecracker has exploded. Anyways, enough facts. Those who love to watch the festival advertisement are yet to recover from the good old days of watching Muniandy Chinnadorai and his ‘wannabe’ friends decked in their rapper garbs to party, only to panic upon catching a glimpse of his grandmother.

Firefighters On Strike In Britain Walked Away From Fire Scene.

Firefighters in England and Wales have staged a fresh strike in a row with the government over pension ages. The walkout between 18:30 and 23:00 GMT by Fire Brigades Union members will be repeated on Monday for two hours.

Ministers have described the strike as completely unnecessary and damaging to the reputation of firefighters. The strike began as a large scrapyard fire was tackled in Dagenham, east London, but the fire brigade said "contingency" crews were at the scene. The cause of the blaze in Dagenham is not yet known. Twenty fire engines were sent to the scene and it led to a voluntary recall of striking FBU staff in the capital. An agreement was in place for all striking staff who would normally be on duty to be recalled in the event of a major incident, but the FBU said the way the London Fire Brigade had enacted it had "breached" the agreement.

London Fire Commissioner Ron Dobson maintained the recall was valid and had been issued because of the size of the fire and the resources needed to deal with it. "The FBU have told firefighters not to follow the recall notice. They claim the recall is not valid because there is no risk to life. There is no reference to risk of life in the agreed protocols to implement a major incident," he said. 'Way forward'The latest action comes after a four-hour stoppage last month, followed by an abandoned strike when an agreement to the two-year dispute was anticipated.

The union wants assurances about terms of employment in view of government plans to raise the retirement age for firefighters from 55 to 60. The FBU says it fears firefighters will be made redundant if they fail fitness tests and are unable to find other work in the fire service. But the government says firefighters have been offered similar fitness principles to those the FBU accepted in Scotland and its proposals offer them one of the most generous pension schemes in the public sector.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack told BBC Radio 5 Live's Stephan Nolan show: "[Going on strike] is not something any of us want to do. "We have tried to avoid this dispute. We have tried to avoid strike action for three years. But what is the alternative if you have a government who won't listen or won't negotiate?" He said plans to make firefighters work until the age of 60 were "unworkable" and any pension scheme should take that into account.

'Be sensible'The FBU said it had timed the strike to avoid Bonfire Night and the Saturdays on either side. Fire Minister Brandon Lewis said: "[Firefighters] are courageous people, they deserve a good pension scheme. We believe we've put that in place. We think it is completely unnecessary for them to call a strike at this time. "To the general public I would say there are good contingency plans in place right across the country and if they have an emergency call - a 999 call - they will get an emergency response."

Peter Dartford, the vice-president of the Chief Fire Officers Association, said individual authorities and fire and rescue authorities would have business continuity plans in place but services "will have to prioritise calls, and obviously those that involve a threat to life will be given the highest priority". The government's chief fire and rescue adviser, Peter Holland, said "people shouldn't be alarmed" by the strike but urged them to "be sensible"

 Industrial action has been avoided in Scotland through talks with the Scottish government, although there is no final agreement in place as yet.

"Hanya Risik", Tiada Majlis Bertunang- Almy Nadia?

PETALING JAYA: Keluarga kepada Almy Nadia tiada masalah untuk menerima pelakon Fizz Fairuz yang berhasrat melamar wanita itu minggu hadapan walaupun sebelum ini Fizz pernah melalui kontroversi putus tunang dengan isteri orang.

Almy Nadia atau nama sebenarnya Almy Nadia Aminuddin Shah, 27, berkata, ibunya Roshida Hashim, 45, juga sudah bersedia menanti rombongan keluarga Fizz dari Pahang ke kediaman mereka di Balik Pulau, Pulau Pinang. “Keluarga akan terima Fizz... mereka tak ada masalah dalam hal itu. Insya-Allah, majlis merisik ini akan diadakan pada minggu hadapan. 

arikhnya... biarlah Fizz sendiri yang beritahu. Biar keluar daripada mulutnya,” kata Almy ketika dihubungi mStar Online di sini pada Khamis. Almy berkata, menurut perancangan awal hanya majlis merisik sahaja diadakan tanpa majlis pertunangan kerana bimbang pelbagai perkara tidak elok akan berlaku. Almy memberitahu agak fobia dengan peristiwa lalu yang dialami oleh Fizz, 34, apabila dia bertunang dengan seorang wanita di Pahang yang rupa-rupanya isteri orang. 

“Kalau boleh kami tak mahu bertunang walaupun orang Melayu menganggap pertunangan itu sebagai adat yang perlu diikuti. "Peristiwa yang lepas sebenarnya menjadi pengajaran. Almy takut sangat benda-benda macam tu,” ujarnya yang kini sibuk di lokasi penggambaran drama bersiri Gadis Saza. Kedua-dua pasangan itu dijadualkan akan mendirikan rumah tangga pada awal tahun hadapan.

Terdahulu, Fizz Fairuz atau nama sebenarnya Mohd Fairuz Zainal Abidin, 34,pernah menimbulkan kontroversi apabila melangsungkan pertunangan secara rahsia dengan seorang wanita di Kuantan, Pahang pada 10 Februari lalu. Bagaimanapun pertunangan itu menjadi kecoh apabila seorang lelaki muncul dengan mendakwa wanita berusia 26 tahun itu adalah isterinya yang dinikahi di Thailand.

Two men gunned down in Athens near Golden Dawn office

Two men were killed and another person seriously injured Friday in a shooting outside the Athens party offices of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party, police said. The dead victims were aged 22 and 25, police said, without giving details on their identities or political affiliation.

The pair were hit by three bullets each in the head and chest. One of the victims was killed instantly while the second succumbed to his injuries in hospital, according to the health ministry. Local Greek media reported that the two were members of Golden Dawn. The party had planned a meeting in the Athens suburb of Neo Iraklio on Friday night, where the shootings took place.

Officers from police anti-terrorist units rushed to the scene and immediately cordoned off the surrounding area. The injured victim was taken to hospital, according to police sources. According to police, two unknown assailants parked their motorbike close to the local offices of the Golden Dawn party, before approaching the victims, firing and then fleeing on the bike.

Greece's public order minister Nikos Dendias expressed his "sadness for the death of the young men". "We will not allow our country to become a place to settle scores,' added Dendias. Government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said the assassins would be pursued "relentlessly". A statement from Golden Dawn published on its website denounced the attack and said "the government had refused to grant police protection to the party despite threats" against its members.

The shooting comes just weeks after the indictment of six Golden Dawn lawmakers for their involvement in a "criminal organisation" as part of a crackdown launched against the party.

Three of them, Golden Dawn leader Nikos Michaloliakos, deputy party leader Christos Pappas and party MP Yiannis Lagos, are being held in a high-security Athens prison on charges of running or belonging to a criminal group.
Parliament last week suspended state funding to the party as "the leader... or a tenth of the elected members are under investigation for constituting or participating in a criminal organisation" Golden Dawn is Greece's third-most-popular party, with 18 seats in parliament. Formerly on the fringe of Greek politics, the group boosted its popularity by tapping into widespread anger over immigration and austerity reforms in debt-wracked Greece, which is slogging through its sixth year of recession and where youth unemployment stands at 60 percent.
Authorities began a crackdown on the far-right group following the killing of a leftwing musician by a self-confessed neo-Nazi. The September 18 murder of hip hop artist Pavlos Fyssas by a Golden Dawn supporter triggered public outrage, putting pressure on Greek authorities to take action against the party. Court documents have linked Golden Dawn to two murders including that of Fyssas, three attempted murders and numerous assaults.
Witnesses have also testified that senior party members were involved in migrant beatings, extortion and possible arms smuggling. A number of police officers have also been arrested in connection with the investigation for allegedly aiding the group or turning a blind eye to its activities.

Rocker Lou Reed died doing tai chi, says widow

Late US rocker Lou Reed breathed his last breath "looking at the trees" while doing tai chi, according to his widow. The influential 71-year-old songwriter and musician died Sunday of complications from a recent liver transplant.

In a letter titled "For Lou Reed" posted Thursday on the website of the "The East Hampton Star," Laurie Anderson recalled her husband's final moments at the couple's house in the village of Springs, New York. "Last week I promised Lou to get him out of the hospital and come home to Springs. And we made it!" wrote Anderson. 

"He died on Sunday morning looking at the trees and doing the famous 21 form of tai chi with just his musician hands moving through the air." Anderson, herself a singer and performer, said Reed was a tai chi master and spent his last days "being happy and dazzled by the beauty and power and softness of nature." Tai chi is an ancient Chinese tradition that helps reduce stress and anxiety and is often described as "meditation in motion," according to the renowned Mayo Clinic.

Seen as the godfather of punk, Reed and the Velvet Underground -- the band he formed with Welsh musician John Cale in 1965 -- influenced generations of rock bands such as The Who, REM, Nirvana and Sonic Youth. "Lou was a prince and a fighter and I know his songs of the pain and beauty in the world will fill many people with the incredible joy he felt for life," Anderson wrote. "Long live the beauty that comes down and through and onto all of us."

Police probe motive after deadly LA airport shooting

A gunman opened fire with an assault rifle at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), killing a security agent, creating scenes of chaos and causing widespread flight disruptions. Panicked travelers scrambled to escape after the shooter, identified as 23-year-old Paul Anthony Ciancia, blasted through a security checkpoint at the airport.

Ciancia then walked calmly through the terminal seeking further victims, and was eventually stopped by police who shot and wounded him. The dead agent was the first Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employee killed in the line of duty since the group was set up following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The lone gunman, who reportedly had a grudge against the TSA, also wounded seven people in the firing rampage. But he was still carrying plenty of ammunition when he was arrested, said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. "There were more than 100 more rounds that could have literally killed everybody in that terminal today," he said, praising airport police.

"If it were not for their actions, there could have been a lot more damage," he said. While reports suggested Ciancia -- who was shot multiple times before he went down -- was a disgruntled loner, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it could not rule out terrorism. The shooter opened fire shortly after 9:00 am in a crowded terminal of LAX, the country's third-biggest air transport hub.

He "came into Terminal Three, pulled an assault rifle out of a bag and began to open fire," said Patrick Gannon, head of the airport police. "He proceeded up into the screening area . . . and continued shooting," he said.

Security camera footage that aired on TV showed people diving to the floor at the sound of gunfire and scrambling to escape the terminal. Police chased the gunman to near a Burger King restaurant where they "engaged him in gunfire... and were able to successfully take him into custody." The TSA, which employs screeners and guards at airports, confirmed that one of its employees had died. "Multiple Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) were shot, one fatally," said a TSA statement.

The FBI later named the shooter, and said that he was a Los Angeles resident who came originally from the eastern state of New Jersey. Police found a note on the gunman voicing "disappointment in the government," a law enforcement official told the Los Angeles Times newspaper, adding that family and friends indicated he could be suicidal.

It appeared that Ciancia targeted TSA agents exclusively. During the shooting spree, which lasted less than 10 minutes, he approached a number of people cowering in the terminal and pointed his gun at them, asking if there "were TSA." If they answered "no," then he moved on, the Times reported, citing witnesses who said he cursed the TSA repeatedly.
Brian Adamick, 43, said he saw a wounded TSA worker, with a bloodied ankle, board a shuttle bus helping passengers escape. "It looked like it was straight out of the movies," he said. Some 750 flights were disrupted after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a national ground-stop. Although there was no indication that other people were involved in the attack, the FBI said it could not rule out terrorism. "It would be premature to comment on a motivation at this time and joint investigators have neither ruled out terrorism, nor ruled it in," said an FBI statement.
In Washington, President Barack Obama was kept up to date on the shooting. "Obviously, we've been monitoring it and we're concerned about it," Obama said. This being Los Angeles, a number of celebrities were caught up in the action. Filming of an episode of the hit TV show "Mad Men" underway in nearby Terminal Four was halted, a crew member wrote on Twitter. Actor James Franco posted a "selfie" picture of himself on a plane stopped on the tarmac by the incident.
"Some s** tbag shot up the place," he wrote in the first of a series of tweets, ending some five hours later with a more relieved message: "WE'RE OUT! - everyone was calm."

ANAK NORANIZA IDRIS, ALFEEQ HAIQAL JADI FINALIS MISTER PLANET 2014

Walaupun bidang yang dipilih Mohd Alfeeq Haiqal Mohammad Fauzi, 20, anak bongsu kepada penyanyi Noraniza Idris agak berbeza dengan latarbelakang ibunya, kecenderungannya dalam dunia peragaan serta menghabiskan masa di gim melayakkan Alfeeq Haiqal mewakili Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur untuk pencarian Mister Planet Malaysia 2014.

Ketika ditemui, Alfeeq Haiqal yang kini seorang freelance fitness trainer atau pelatih kecergasaan di sekitar Lembah Klang itu telah merancang untuk memberi kejutan kepada ibunya itu yang sedia maklum mengenai minatnya dalam menyertai pertandingan sebegini. “Sehingga ke hari ini, saya belum memberi tahu dia(Noraniza Idris) mengenai perkara ini kerana ingin membuat kejutan kepadanya.

Dia akan mengetahuinya pada malam ini jika dia dapat hadir pada acara memperkenalkan finalis yang dianjurkan oleh penganjur Mister Planet Malaysia 20134 di Upstairs Club, Cheras. “Daripada dulu dia mengetahui minat saya dalam bidang peragaan dan lakonan malah dia memang menyokong minat saya kearah itu jadi saya rasa dia tidaklah akan sangat terkejut,”cerita Alfeeq Haiqal mengenai rancangan untuk memberitahu ibunya mengenai kejayaan menjadi finalis Mister Planet Malaysia 2014.

Julung kali diadakan di negara ini, Mister Planet Malaysia 2014 dianjurkan oleh Malaysian United Nations Pageant dibawah kelolaan Azman Bosri mencari idola jejaka tempatan untuk bertanding di Mister Planet 2014 di Filipina tahun hadapan dengan 60 perserta daripada seluruh dunia. Alfeeq Haiqal telah mendapat sokongan teman-teman yang dapat melihat kebolehannya dalam bidang seni antaranya dunia lakonan. Berbekalkan wajah dan keyakinan diri, dia cuba untuk percaya pada kelebihan yang dimilikinya itu sebagai senjata serta penguat semangatnya didalam pertandingan ini.

“Saya pun tak tahu kelebihan saya berbanding peserta lain tetapi saya harus percaya dengan apa yang saya miliki dan keyakinan yang tinggi untuk membuatkan kita tampil menyerlah. Keyakinan diri sangat membantu mengawal setiap gerak langkah kita dan saya cuba untuk tidak kehilangan sepanjang pertandingan ini. “Sedikit sebanyak saya buat juga research di Internet mengenai pertandingan seumpama ini dan juga pertandingan ratu cantik bagi melihat contoh-contoh soalan yang seringkali diajukan kepada peserta acara sebegini,”tambahnya yang mengaku masih solo dan tiada sebarang masalah untuk menerima komitmen bercinta dalam masa terdekat.

Tidak meletakkan sebarang jolokan atau title, menjadi finalis sudah membuka mata anak kepada penggiat muzik tradisional dan irama Malaysia ini untuk mengembangkan bakatnya dalam dunia seni terutamanya dunia lakonan.

CHERYL SAMAD, EZAD LAZIM MASING-MASING DAPAT BABY PEREMPUAN!

Perkahwinan pengacara Cheryl Samad bersama jejaka keturunan Cina, Ng Ping Ho yang dibina dua tahun lalu bertambah bahagia apabila pasangan ini baru saja menerima kedatangan orang baru dalam hidup mereka pada 18 Oktober 2013.

Difahamkan, Cheryl sudah selamat melahirkan bayi perempuan pada hari Jumaat dengan menamakan anaknya itu Stella. Berita gembira ini baru saja dikongsi Cheryl petang semalam di laman instagram miliknya. Selain Cheryl, penyanyi Ezad Lazim juga telah mengumumkan berita gembira yang sama yang mana dia turut dikurniakan seorang bayi perempuan

 Menurut sumber, isteri Ezad bernama Nor Azeana Ramli telah selamat melahirkan bayi tersebut secara pembedahan di Hospital Ampang pada petang Rabu lalu iaitu 29 Oktober 2013. Admin diberitahu, bayi perempuan itu masih lagi di bawah kawalan rapi kerana ia dilahirkan tidak cukup bulan. Namun, berat bayi tersebut adalah 1.7 kilogram.

Apapun, Admin doakan agar anaknya itu sihat dan berada dalam keadaan stabil. Di kesempatan ini, Admin ucapkan tahniah kepada Cheryl dan Ezad kerana dapat puteri dalam keluarga mereka.