Palestinian woman says locked in bathroom for 10 years

RAMALLAH: A 21-year-old Palestinian woman has told authorities she was locked in a bathroom for the past decade by her father, who let her out only in the dead of night so she could clean their house.

“People are monsters,” Baraa Melhem said her father would tell her, according to a social worker dealing with the case.

Palestinian police said they freed Melhem from the small bathroom of a home in the West Bank city of Qalqilya on Saturday after an anonymous tip.

Her father, who holds Israeli citizenship, was arrested and handed over to Israeli authorities. He was presented before an Israeli court Wednesday, an Israeli police spokesman said.

Melhem told Voice of Palestine radio that when she was 11, her father confined her to the toilet and did not allow her to go to school or see her mother, whom he had divorced.

She was beaten with a baton and metal wires and given only one blanket to keep her warm, said the social worker, Hala Shreim.

“The bathroom was only 1-1/2 meters big, it was like a cell,” Shreim said.

According to a statement issued by Palestinian police, the father, citing a “family dispute,” admitted to locking up his daughter and feeding her mainly bread.

Melhem told Voice of Palestine that her father used to shave her hair and her eyebrows, and allowed her to shower only once a month. He would let her out of the bathroom every night at 1 a.m. to clean the house until 4 a.m., she added.

Melhem’s father, the social worker said, often encouraged his daughter to commit suicide.

“Her only consolation was a radio which kept her connected to the world,” Shreim said.

The young woman has now been reunited with her mother.

“She told me that she loves life and has to live,” Shreim quoted Melhem as saying. AGENCIES

Faruk Kabir – Rukhsar to host grand wedding reception

They married secretly a year ago. Now exactly a year later, filmmaker Faruk Kabir and his actress-wife Rukhsar are under fire for having kept family and friends in the dark about their marriage. Buckling under the pressure of outrage, the two have decided to host a belated reception for all their friends and family.

Says Faruk, “Only my sister and mother and her two close friends were present at the Nikaah. Rukhsar lost her beloved grandmother and then her mother before the marriage. And her father can’t travel. So she had no real family at the wedding. I think we owe it to our close relatives friends and colleagues in the film industry to have them share in our moment of joy.”

Faruk Kabir says he decided to reveal his secret marriage with actress Rukhsar on an impulse.

Says the director of Allah Ke Banday, “We got married on 23 March 2010 at a wedding that was only attended by my parents and sister. We didn’t even invite any of our closest friends. She had some issues to resolve and we thought it would be best to wait. I was also embroiled in delays and financial crises while shooting Allah Ke Banday. She has been a part of my life for six years now. So everyone in the family knew about her existence in my life. We decided to make it public on an impulse. I just spoke about it on Facebook and it caught on.”

Faruk’s greatest joy and relief is the fact that his mother and wife get along like a house on fire.

“Fortunately no fire in the house at all. They are more like mother and daughter than daughter-in-law. I’ve suddenly become the outsider in our home. They spend all their time making plans from which I am excluded. They go shopping together and they don’t even tell me,” grumbles Faruk good naturedly. Faruk’s sister Sonobar Kabir who is a singer-actress is also deeply bonded to Rukhsar.

Esha Deol learns direction and editing on sets of Tell Me Oh Khuda

By the end of her re-launch film Tell Me Oh Khuda, Esha Deol is a skilled film technician. Says Esha, “Throughout the making of Tell Me Oh Khuda, I was learning on the job. Today I am ready to direct. But I first need to build my position as an actress.”
Says Esha, “I’ve learnt plenty on the technical side of filmmaking during Tell Me Of Khuda. But it’s a bit early for me to change lanes.”
Esha who become a bit of recluse, is ready to strike back. Her home production Tell Me Oh Khuda is being put together by Esha’s mom Hema Malini and Esha frame by frame to make sure the re-launch is just right.
While Hema confirms that Esha is indeed sitting on the film’s editing, Esha admits, “I’m helping mom out. Yeah I am sitting on the editing. Throughout Tell Me Oh Khuda, I was an assistant. I’ve learnt so much from behind the camera. Now I’m learning how to edit. So this film has been a perfect training ground for me.”
Esha doesn’t rule out the possibility of direction.
One advantage of a home production is, you can learn on the job. Esha Deol is not just the leading lady of her mother Hema Malini’s production Tell Me Oh Khuda, she’s also the assistant director and her mother’s chief technical advisor.
“I know I can direct a film anytime,” says Esha who celebrated her birthday in November with a theme party.
Says Esha, “Everyone was supposed to dress up in the 1980s style. It was great fun. Usually I am not the party-party kind. But for the last year because of my involvement with our home production, I’ve been so cut off from all my friends I just decided to re-connect with them for my birthday.”

Esha Deol learns direction and editing on sets of Tell Me Oh Khuda

By the end of her re-launch film Tell Me Oh Khuda, Esha Deol is a skilled film technician. Says Esha, “Throughout the making of Tell Me Oh Khuda, I was learning on the job. Today I am ready to direct. But I first need to build my position as an actress.”
Says Esha, “I’ve learnt plenty on the technical side of filmmaking during Tell Me Of Khuda. But it’s a bit early for me to change lanes.”
Esha who become a bit of recluse, is ready to strike back. Her home production Tell Me Oh Khuda is being put together by Esha’s mom Hema Malini and Esha frame by frame to make sure the re-launch is just right.
While Hema confirms that Esha is indeed sitting on the film’s editing, Esha admits, “I’m helping mom out. Yeah I am sitting on the editing. Throughout Tell Me Oh Khuda, I was an assistant. I’ve learnt so much from behind the camera. Now I’m learning how to edit. So this film has been a perfect training ground for me.”
Esha doesn’t rule out the possibility of direction.
One advantage of a home production is, you can learn on the job. Esha Deol is not just the leading lady of her mother Hema Malini’s production Tell Me Oh Khuda, she’s also the assistant director and her mother’s chief technical advisor.
“I know I can direct a film anytime,” says Esha who celebrated her birthday in November with a theme party.
Says Esha, “Everyone was supposed to dress up in the 1980s style. It was great fun. Usually I am not the party-party kind. But for the last year because of my involvement with our home production, I’ve been so cut off from all my friends I just decided to re-connect with them for my birthday.”

Man shaves wife’s head in Hyderabad

Staff Report

HYDERABAD: A pitiless person shaved off his wife’s head and subjected her to severe torture over some domestic dispute in Hyderabad.

The affected woman, Akbari, staged a protest in front of Hyderabad Press Club along with her disabled father, Abdul Sami.

She said that her first husband died after which she married to another man, Liaquat Ali.

Akbari said: “My husband forcefully took my saving of Rs200, 000 but when I asked for return of my money, he and his mother assaulted me”.

“He shaved off my head, broke my finger and gave me divorce.” Trend Pk

Naushehro Feroze: Woman gives birth to four children

Staff Report

NAUSHEHRO FEROZE: A woman has multiplied family’s Eid delights by giving birth to four children at same time in a village on second day of Eid.

According to details, a 35 years old woman Laal Khatoon has given birth to four baby girls in village Doro in the outskirts of Naushehro Feroze.

All under weight babies have taken birth through an operation but the mother and four baby girls are in fine condition.

The weight of the one new born baby is five pounds and the three others have four pounds each.

Both parents are very happy on the birth of four daughters. Trend Pk

Yemeni police arrests two women in bomb plot

SAN’A: Yemeni police arrested two women on suspicion of mailing a pair of bombs powerful enough to take down airplanes, officials said Saturday as details emerged about a plot aimed at the U.S. that exploited security gaps in the worldwide shipping system.

Investigators were scouring Yemen for more suspects tied to al-Qaida’s affiliate in the country, and several U.S. officials identified the terrorist group’s top explosives expert in Yemen as the most likely bombmaker.

On Saturday, Yemeni officials announced the arrest of a woman and her mother in connection with the plot. The two were not identified but a defense lawyer who has been in contact with the family, Abdul Rahman Barham, said the younger woman was a 22-year-old engineering student in her fifth year at San’a University and that her mother was 45.

Yemen’s president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, said late

Yemeni police arrests two women in bomb plot

SAN’A: Yemeni police arrested two women on suspicion of mailing a pair of bombs powerful enough to take down airplanes, officials said Saturday as details emerged about a plot aimed at the U.S. that exploited security gaps in the worldwide shipping system.

Investigators were scouring Yemen for more suspects tied to al-Qaida’s affiliate in the country, and several U.S. officials identified the terrorist group’s top explosives expert in Yemen as the most likely bombmaker.

On Saturday, Yemeni officials announced the arrest of a woman and her mother in connection with the plot. The two were not identified but a defense lawyer who has been in contact with the family, Abdul Rahman Barham, said the younger woman was a 22-year-old engineering student in her fifth year at San’a University and that her mother was 45.

Yemen’s president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, said late

Poet Sahir Ludhianvi’s 30th death anniversary today

Staff Report

KARACHI: Today marks the 30th death anniversary of Sahir Ludhianvi. He was a popular Urdu poet, Hindi lyricist and songwriter. Sahir Ludhianvi is his pseudonym. He won the Filmfare Award twice, in 1964 and 1977, and in 1971 was awarded the Padma Shri. Due to a massive heart attack, he died on October 25, 1980.

Sahir Ludhianvi was born into the wealthy family of a Muslim Gujjar as Abdul Hayee on March 8, 1921 in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. His mother’s name was Sardar Begum. Sahir’s parents had an estranged relationship.

In 1934 when he was 13 years old, his father remarried for the second time. At that time, his mother decided to leave her husband, forfeiting all claims to financial assets. Sahir’s father then sued his mother for child custody, but lost.

He threatened to make sure Sahir did not live with his mother for very long, even if

Poet Sahir Ludhianvi’s 30th death anniversary today

Staff Report

KARACHI: Today marks the 30th death anniversary of Sahir Ludhianvi. He was a popular Urdu poet, Hindi lyricist and songwriter. Sahir Ludhianvi is his pseudonym. He won the Filmfare Award twice, in 1964 and 1977, and in 1971 was awarded the Padma Shri. Due to a massive heart attack, he died on October 25, 1980.

Sahir Ludhianvi was born into the wealthy family of a Muslim Gujjar as Abdul Hayee on March 8, 1921 in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. His mother’s name was Sardar Begum. Sahir’s parents had an estranged relationship.

In 1934 when he was 13 years old, his father remarried for the second time. At that time, his mother decided to leave her husband, forfeiting all claims to financial assets. Sahir’s father then sued his mother for child custody, but lost.

He threatened to make sure Sahir did not live with his mother for very long, even if

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