QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution, reposing confidence in Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani.

Balochistan National Party-Awami Parliamentary Leader and provincial minister Syed Ehsan Shah tabled the resolution.

The chief minister, who has been facing opposition within his own party since the Supreme Court interim ruling in Balochistan law and order case, was also present in the house.

The apex court had observed that the provincial government had lost its constitutional authority.

Acting speaker Matiullah Agha chaired the assembly session. Earlier, Senior Minister Maulana Abdul Wasay tabled a unanimous resolution in the house. The resolution said that worsening law and order situation in the province was a conspiracy of internal and external elements. It said the people were suffering due to the law and order and it was incumbent upon the house to review the situation.

The resolution called for joint line of action and solidarity to improve the situation.

Opposition members, PPP provincial president and minister Mir Sadiq Imrani and Minister for Quality Education Jan Ali Changezi didn’t attend the session.

Speaking in the house Wasay said “ we want continuity of democracy and survival of Constitution, we will fight with those elements that try to stop us from fighting for the rights of people,” he said.

“There is nobody in this house who demands UN or US guarantee for his own country,” the minister noted.

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly unanimously passed "The Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill‚ 2012" (RFCE) moved by Yasmeen Rehman.

The bill provides for free and compulsory education to all children of the age of five to sixteen years and ten percent quota in all the private educational institutions has been reserved for poor children besides penalty up to Rs50,000 or six months imprisonment provided in the bill. The bill has already been passed by the Senate.

Speaking on the occasion‚ Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Shah said that the free and compulsory education for children is the basic priority of the government. He expressed hope that after the passage of the bill, provinces will also follow suit and make legislation accordingly.

Six bills were also introduced in the National Assembly today. The bills are: "The Control of Narcotics Substances (Amendment) Bill‚ 2012‚ "The Pakistan Psychological Regulatory Authority Bill‚ 2012"‚ The Pakistan Food Security for Poor People Bill‚ 2012"‚ The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill‚ 2012"‚The Protection and Welfare of Khawaja Saras Rights Bill‚ 2012"‚ "The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill‚ 2012".

ON BOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT: The US commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, is under investigation for "inappropriate" emails to a woman linked to the sex scandal involving former CIA director David Petraeus, a defense official said Tuesday.

The revelation represented yet another stunning turn in a widening scandal that has jolted Washington only days after the re-election of President Barack Obama, with lawmakers vowing to get to the bottom of case.

The Pentagon official told reporters the FBI had uncovered a trove of 30,000 pages of correspondence between Allen and Jill Kelley, a key figure in the scandal that brought down the storied former general and CIA chief. Petraeus resigned abruptly last week over an extramarital affair with his biographer Paula Broadwell.

Kelley, of Tampa, Florida, had alerted the FBI to receiving threatening emails earlier this year that were eventually traced to Broadwell. The FBI then found emails between Broadwell and Petraeus that revealed their affair.

The senior US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters traveling with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta there was a "distinct possibility" the Allen emails were connected to the Petraeus investigation.

Panetta said in a statement that his department was informed by the FBI on Sunday about the case and that he had referred it to the Pentagon's inspector general for investigation. He said Allen would remain in Kabul as the commander of NATO-led security forces but that he had asked the Senate Armed Services Committee to delay action on Allen's pending nomination to be NATO's supreme allied commander.

Panetta praised the general's work in Afghanistan, saying his leadership has been "instrumental" in securing progress in the war against Taliban insurgents. However, Panetta said he requested that the Senate committee move promptly on the nomination for Allen's successor in Afghanistan, General Joseph Dunford. It remained unclear what allegations Allen faced, and officials declined to comment as to whether the Marine general was accused of using his work email to communicate with Kelley or had disclosed any classified information. "It's far too early to speculate on what the IG (inspector general) might find," the same defense official said.

"There is enough concern that we believe it was a prudent measure to take appropriate steps to direct an investigation and notify Congress," he said. "We need to see where the facts lead in this matter, before jumping to any conclusions whatsoever." He added that Allen insisted on his innocence.

"General Allen disputes that he has engaged in any wrongdoing in this matter," he said. Kelley, a "social liaison" to an air force base in Tampa, had a longstanding family friendship with Petraeus but no official status in the military. Both Petraeus and Allen served in Tampa, home to US Central Command, which Petraeus led before taking over as commander in Afghanistan in 2010.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said Tuesday that the government has devised a comprehensive mechanism to curb tax theft by identifying potential tax evaders and bringing them into net to improve revenue collection.

He was talking to media persons after inaugurating the 3-day 18th Annual General Meeting and Conference of Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE).

The three day (13-15 November) conference titled, "Economic Reforms for Productivity, Innovation and Growth" has been organized by PSDE in collaboration with Pakistan Instituted of Development Economics with an aim to provide the economists a platform to share their knowledge about economic issues and help find their solutions.

The federal minister said that the government has established a databank that would help it identify, with evidence, the tax evaders on the basis of their consumption of resources and lifestyle.

He said that credible way of implementation would be ensured and now the government would not just suffice on issuing the notices but would go for proper implementation.

He said that it would also seek support within the society by sensitizing the people to take this issue as national issue.

Earlier, speaking at the conference, the federal minister said the tax collection ratio has increased by 21 percent as Rs.350 billion additional revenue has been collected in the Financial year 2011-12, which is a highest tax growth in the history of Pakistan.

The federal minister said, this year the focus would be on expanding income tax base while the government during the past year had specially focused on sales tax and had brought about many changes in the overall system.

Federal Minister for Finance, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, while talking about the overall economic challenges said, the country had been successful in achieving high growth rates in the past but could not transform these growth spurts into long term tends.

Even in the times of high growth, the common people were not benefited of this, so it is imperative for economists to think over it.

He said that the businesses of the country also failed to help the country integrate globally by promoting export industry.

The third challenge, he said, has been the growing size of government which continues to grow on and on.

Political instability was another factor that harmed the economy, he said and added that no government in the past had ever been changed

smoothly which not only resulted in politically loss but also caused great damages on economic front.

He said that his was the crucial for economists to find how to ensure inclusive growth.

Talking about the performance of the government, the federal minister said that growth rate is expected to remain at 4 percent during the current fiscal year, which was decreased by 2 percent of GDP due to

floods which caused damage of $10 billion.

He said that the government has completed about 650 projects worth Rs.3000 billion during the past four years.

Shaikh said that the government had laid down strong foundations for the prosperous future of Pakistan and "new Pakistan is taking shape."

Institutions are independent in their domain as the Bank of Pakistan, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Competition of Pakistan, Courts and other institutions including media are independent, which is a positive development towards bright future.

He said that democracy is back on track, constitution has been restored, parliament is strengthened, provinces were made autonomous and a good political culture has been created.

The federal minister said provinces have been provided Rs.5000

billion to manage their affairs while additional Rs.1000 billion have been provided after the National Finance Commission award.

The government did not forget the poorest of the poor as three million vulnerable families were provided social safety net under Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

The federal minister said that the programme was now being modified

to help the poor stand on their feet.

The minister said, when the current government assumed power, the economic growth momentum was slowed down while the GDP was at 2 percent in 2008 with inflation touching the highest 25 percent.

The country's stock marked was literally closed while there was big burden on current account and fiscal discipline and the foreign exchanges were reduced as low as $5 billion.

The value of rupee was also depreciated from Rs60 to Rs80 against dollar while there was no increase in electricity generation capacity and above all the law and order situation was deteriorated.

It was this situation when the government had to take hard decisions and go to International Monetary Fund for loan under a standby agreement.

Meanwhile, speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor PIDE and President PSDE, Dr. Rashid Amjad said that the country needed to grow at 8 percent to accommodate its youth adding the economy needed not only to grow at high rate but inclusive growth was required.

He said that structural changes were required to ensure strong institutions and macroeconomic stability that would ultimately lead the country towards economic development, progress and prosperity.

He lauded the government measures of introducing 18th, 19th and 20th amendment in the constitution and also appreciated opening of

trade with India.

However, he said that the government should have focused on enhancing tax to GDP ratio and improve energy sector.

Among others, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission of Pakistan, Dr. Nadeem-ul-Haq, Secretary Finance, Wajid Rana and Advisor to Finance Ministry, Rana Asad Amin were also present on the occasion. (APP)

OTTAWA: The launch for the new BlackBerry 10 platform will be held January 30, as smartphone maker Research in Motion tries to regain traction against surging rivals.

The Canadian firm said Monday the launch "will happen simultaneously in multiple countries around the world."

The struggling tech firm will unveil two new smartphones as well as the BlackBerry 10 operating system, aimed at regaining momentum against smartphones from Apple and those using Google's Android operating system.

"In building BlackBerry 10, we set out to create a truly unique mobile computing experience that constantly adapts to your needs," RIM chief executive Thorsten Heins said.

"Our team has been working tirelessly to bring our customers innovative features combined with a best in class browser, a rich application ecosystem, and cutting-edge multimedia capabilities. All of this will be integrated into a user experience -- the BlackBerry Flow -- that is unlike any smartphone on the market today."

The launch comes with RIM, once the dominant smartphone maker, rapidly losing market share.

RIM's stock price has fallen to its lowest level since 2003, and in June the company shed 5,000 staff or 30 percent of its workforce.

According to research firm IDC, BlackBerry's market share continued to sink, falling to just over four percent of the worldwide market by the end of the third quarter, as Android garnered 75 percent.

The BB10 itself was to have been launched in late 2010, but the company in June announced a delay, a move which means it will miss the critical holiday shopping period.

If it fails to impress, observers are predicting the end of RIM.

Heins, who was brought in at the start of the year to replace RIM founders Jim Balsillie and Mike Lazaridis and turn around the company, announced last week that BB10 encryption has been certified as secure for use by government agencies and others dealing with sensitive information.

The announcement aimed at RIM's traditional key business and governmental customers, came after the Pentagon ended its exclusive deal with RIM to supply its vast workforce with Blackberry smartphones.

Another government agency, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, also said it was dropping the Blackberry device altogether in favor of Apple's iPhone.

The US military and intelligence agencies have long preferred the Blackberry due to security concerns and had worried that Apple, Android and other smart phones lacked sufficient safeguards.

But the technology has advanced and Pentagon officials said innovative applications available on other smartphones could be useful for different units or offices.

Recently, RIM showcased its success in emerging markets, but analysts noted that the company is initially losing money in this push for market share.

Unmoved by the BB10 launch announcement, they are keeping their valuations of RIM unchanged, for now.

"We believe BB10 may be able to generate traction, but only as a Tier-2 device or even a Tier-3 device, in line with the current BB products," said Northern Securities analyst Sameet Kanade.

Jeffries Group noted that RIM will also see increased competition from Microsoft entering the fray with its Windows 8 operating system, "attempting to establish W8 as the third mobile ecosystem."

The two new BB10 devices, one with a QWERTY keyboard and one with a touchscreen, according analysts, will offer a catalogue of new applications, including games, productivity, social, lifestyle and leisure, multimedia and published content, as well as apps designed for business and enterprise use.

Messages, notifications, feeds and calendar events will be organized in a "hub" that can be checked "with a simple gesture" while working on other applications.

Users will also be able to keep personal applications and information separate from work data.

More than 50 carriers are currently testing the new device, and more are expected in the coming weeks.

DHAKA: The ever-reliable Shivnarine Chanderpaul and opener Kieran Powell hit stubborn hundreds to give the West Indies a commanding start in the first Test in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Chanderpaul remained unbeaten on 123 for his 26th Test century while Powell notched 117 for his second to help the West Indies to an imposing 361-4 at close on the opening day after Darren Sammy won the toss and opted to bat.

The 38-year-old, who joined Powell at the stroke of lunch on 106-3, not only played a calm knock but also guided his young colleague to reverse Bangladesh's early advantage on a slow turning Shere Bangla stadium pitch.

Chanderpaul, ranked fifth in the world, added an invaluable 125 runs for the fourth wicket with Powell before strengthening the West Indies position during an unbroken 130-run partnership with Denesh Ramdin who was 52 not out at close.

Bangladesh had looked good in the first hour when debutant off-spinner Sohag Gazi, opening the attack with the new ball, dismissed Chris Gayle (24) and Darren Bravo (14) before paceman Shahadat Hossain knocked Marlon Samuels for 16.

But Powell and Chanderpaul avoided any further loss, taking the West Indies to 223-3 at tea.

Powell reached his century with a sweep off left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan for his 15th boundary before he was bowled by Gazi who finished with 3-97. Powell hit 18 boundaries and a six during his 178-ball stay.

Chanderpaul, playing his 145th Test, was equally resolute as he completed his hundred with a four and single off Nasir Hossain. He has so far hit 17 boundaries off 195 balls.

Earlier, Gayle greeted Gazi with aggression, smashing the first and fourth ball of the match by Gazi for big sixes before clobbering two fours off Hossain to threaten Bangladesh's bowling attack.

But Gazi soon had revenge, having the flamboyant opener caught at long-off in his fifth over.

Bravo added 42 for the second wicket before miscuing a drive off Gazi and was caught at point to leave the West Indies at 74-2.

Like Bangladesh the West Indies handed a debut to a young spinner in the form of 23-year-old left-armer Veerasammy Permaul.

The second and final Test will be played in Khulna from November 21. (AFP)

LOS ANGELES: The puppeteer behind the "Sesame Street" character Elmo has taken a leave of absence from the children's television show to contest allegations, disputed by the performer and producers, that he had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old boy, the show's production company said on Monday.

New York-based Sesame Workshop said in a statement that its own inquiry, including interviews with the now 23-year-old accuser, concluded that claims of underage sexual conduct against puppeteer Kevin Clash were unsubstantiated.

Clash, 52, the voice of Elmo for nearly three decades, acknowledged a past relationship with his accuser but said in a statement that the allegations against him were "false and defamatory."

"I am a gay man. I have never been ashamed of this or tried to hide it," Clash said.

"I had a relationship with the accuser. It was between two consenting adults, and I am deeply saddened that he is characterizing it as something other than what it was," he said.

He went on to say he was "taking a break" from Sesame Workshop to deal with the situation. His publicist declined to discuss the matter further.

The Sesame Workshop statement said Clash was "taking actions to protect his reputation" and that Sesame Workshop has "granted him a leave of absence to do so."

Separately, Clash was disciplined for violating company policy "regarding Internet usage," which a Sesame Workshop executive described as using the company's email to carry on personal communications. The executive spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly.

Sesame Workshop said the allegations involving Clash came to its attention in June when the accuser first contacted the company by email.

"We took the allegation very seriously and took immediate action," the company said, adding that it met with the accuser twice and had "repeated communications with him." The company said it also confronted Clash, who denied the allegations.

Sesame Workshop was advised by its lawyers that "under these circumstances, there was no obligation" to notify police, and the company chose not to, the company executive said.

The official said the accuser and his lawyer had sought a settlement, but the company found "absolutely no evidence that the allegations were true."

'ABSOLUTELY FRAUDULENT'

The company went public with the matter on Monday only after receiving a query from celebrity news outlet TMZ.com, which said a source had furnished it with a copy of an email purportedly sent by Clash acknowledging that the relationship in question had begun when the accuser was 16.

"It's very curious (the accuser and his lawyer) told us they could not provide evidence, but suddenly they had it for TMZ," the executive said. "We believe it's absolutely fraudulent."

It was then that Clash asked for a leave of absence, and the company agreed, the executive said. "Kevin now really has to devote full time and attention to defending himself," she added. "He's hired a libel lawyer."

A lawyer for the accuser, who has not been publicly identified, did not immediately respond to a telephone request for comment.

Clash officially joined the "Sesame Street" cast in 1984, assuming the Elmo role that year.

The Elmo character debuted on the show in 1979. While Clash was the third performer to animate the child-like shaggy red monster, Sesame Workshop credits him with turning Elmo into the international sensation he became.

For now, producers promised that Elmo would remain on the show despite the absence of Clash, saying, "Elmo is bigger than any one person and will continue to be an integral part of 'Sesame Street.'" (Reuters)

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations and its partners have called for greater efforts to eradicate pneumonia, the number one killer of children under the age of five, as they marked the fourth annual World Pneumonia Day.

"We can't have the reductions in child mortality that we envisage without a concentrated, direct attack on the biggest enemy that children face," said the Chief of Health for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), Mickey Chopra.

The Day seeks to raise awareness of pneumonia as a public health issue and help prevent the millions of avoidable child deaths from the disease that occur each year. According to the UN World Health Organization (WHO), pneumonia, which is a form of acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs, kills an estimated 1.2 million children under the age of five years every year, more than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

A recent report by the UN Commission on Life-Saving Commodities for Women and Children, which is led by UNICEF and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), estimates that 1.56 million lives can be saved in five years by increasing the availability of the antibiotic amoxicillin, which costs about $0.30 per dose. Worldwide, vaccination coverage for pneumonia is at about 85 per cent, yet the poorest often miss out, according to UNICEF, which adds that unsanitary, overcrowded living conditions and lack of knowledge of how to protect themselves increase their vulnerability. Governments have to take the threat of pneumonia seriously and provide adequate vaccines, diagnostic services, treatment and healthcare, especially among the poorest, or this scourge will continue to rob the world of its children at the rate of almost 3,400 per day.

This is unacceptable, Dr. Chopra said. The failure to tackle pneumonia is a double failure, he added. "Not only are we allowing a treatable and preventable disease to wipe out over a million children a year, we are leaving to its mercy the very people who need help the most, the poorest of the poor."

World Pneumonia Day is organized by the Global Coalition against Child Pneumonia, a network of more than 140 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academic institutions, government agencies and foundations, including UN agencies. According to the Coalition, national leaders and donors must prioritize efforts and investments in proven interventions, including access to vaccines, proper antibiotic treatment, and improved sanitation, as well as the promotion of practices such as exclusive breastfeeding, frequent hand washing, and the use of clean cooking stoves to reduce indoor air pollution.

Several of these interventions also help address the second leading killer of children diarrhoea. "We know what to do, and we have made great progress, but we must do more. We must scale-up proven solutions and ensure they reach every child in need," said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who spearheads Every Woman Every Child, an umbrella movement that has leveraged more than $20 billion in new money for women's and children's health and aims to save 16 million lives by 2015.

NEW YORK: Pedometers have ticked off many miles since Leonardo da Vinci sketched his version, essentially a pendulum for walkers, in the 15th century.

While step counting will never be a magic fitness pill, experts say this most pedestrian of gadgets can put extra spring in an ambulatory routine.

"Just as a watch can't make a person be on time, a pedometer can't make a person active," said Dr. Barbara Bushman, an exercise specialist and personal trainer with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). "But it's a good tool for promoting physical activity."

Bushman said research has shown that in various populations, wearing a pedometer helps with weight loss, as well as encouraging focus on physical activity.

A summary of 26 different studies showed that pedometer users walked at least 2,000 more steps each day than nonusers, according to the Harvard Health Letter, produced by experts at Harvard Medical School. Also, using a pedometer helped them increase overall physical activity levels by 27 percent.

For most healthy adults, 10,000 steps per day is a reasonable goal, according to ACSM.

Bushman recommends pedometers as an adjunct to activity and notes that old-fashioned pedometers can be an inexact measure of exercise volume. Position also matters.

"Tilting, angling, placing it off the body or on a loose waistband can affect accuracy," she said, noting the devices don't pick up non-ambulatory activities, such as stationary cycling or rowing.

She did a study with third-graders who wore the pedometers to encourage them to be more active during recess.

"But they figured out if they just jiggled in the seat they could trick the counter," she said. "It did make them fidget more."

INCREASING FITNESS AWARENESS

To test the accuracy of a pedometer, Bushman suggests, count out 20 paces. If the counter reads within 18 to 22, it's considered a reasonably accurate step counter.

Gregory Chertok, a sport psychology counselor and fitness trainer at the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Center in Englewood, New Jersey, said studies show that just wearing a pedometer can increase fitness awareness.

"A pedometer is almost like a workout buddy, an ever-present truth teller," he said. "It provides constant, immediate feedback, and so acts as a behavior modification tool."

There is also the power of numbers.

"Most goals people set are measurable, numeric, so just having the number can encourage you to set your own goal," he said.

Chertok added that pedometers also help people realize that everyday activities, such as walking up stairs or through supermarket aisles, count toward that goal.

MONITORING PROGRESS

"Accountability is a big issue," Chertok explained, "accountability and social support."

Just as working out in groups increases exercise adherence, he suggests, a pedometer can be effective because people know they are being monitored, even if you're monitoring yourself.

To build a better pedometer, companies are moving from the spring-load, or old-fashioned, to microchip.

Garmin Ltd's 201 model is a wrist unit that uses GPS satellites to trace your outdoor workout. Besides showing speed, distance, pace, time and laps, it can even point you back to your starting place.

Using MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) technology, the technology in very small devices, Striiv is among the companies making pedometers that are smarter and contain no moving parts.

"It's the next generation," said Dave Wang, chief executive of the Redwood City, California-based company.

The new technology, he maintains, improves stepping accuracy to within one percent of every 100 steps on normal terrain.

Last month the company rolled out a free iPhone app that can be used alone or in conjunction with its Play Smart Pedometer that enables users to compete in various games and challenges via Facebook and email.

The new generation of pedometers can track running, and even climbing, but calories remain the final frontier.

"Calories are a little hard," Wang admits, although his pedometers do take a stab at it.

"We look at your height, your weight, your gender, your age, your cadence, your altimeter increase if you're walking up a hill," he said. "But at the end of the day ... it's a guess."

KARACHI: The echoes of gun shots did not die down even on Monday in the provincial capital, as eight more people lost their lives in various incidents of violence, pushing the death toll in three days to 44.

Unknown armed men opened fire near Yousuf Plaza when Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah rally marched from one direction while from the opposite side a funeral procession made its way to the graveyard. Four people were injured as marchers panicked and started running in all directions for safety. Some sustained bullet wounds while others received different injuries in the stampede.

Later, enraged people set three vehicles on fire.

Meanwhile, a man who sustained bullet wounds at Dau Minute Chowrangi, Surjani Town, expired at a hospital while another such victim who was injured in firing in Ancholi on Sunday also breathed his last at a medical facility today.

Police recovered a dead body of an unidentified youth from Orangi Town Number 11.5. To police, it appeared that he was first kidnapped and later killed by the abductors.

An individual who had suffered gun shot wounds at Bangla Bazar in Orangi Town succumbed to his injuries while another was killed by unknown armed men in Manghopir.

One Dr. Nisar was shot outside a clinic in Lee Market located in the Lyari area.

Earlier, two people lost their lives after coming under fire attack in Memon Goth. Police said personal enmity could be the cause of this incident.

LOS ANGELES: The new James Bond movie "Skyfall" swept North American box offices this weekend, crushing second-place animated feature "Wreck-It Ralph", industry estimates showed Sunday.

The 23rd episode of the spy thriller series -- and the third starring Daniel Craig in the lead role -- took in $87.8 million in its first weekend of release, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations.

"Wreck-It Ralph," the animated Disney film about a video game villain with dreams of becoming a hero, garnered $33.1 million, dropping from the top spot it held last week.

"Flight", starring Denzel Washington as a troubled pilot who crash-lands a plane and becomes a national hero, only to have his alcohol and drug problems made public, was third at $15.1 million.

In fourth place was "Argo," based on a true story about six Americans spirited out of Iran during the 1979-80 hostage crisis; the film directed by and starring Ben Affleck earned $6.7 million.

Next in the rankings was "Taken 2" -- Liam Neeson's return as ex-CIA agent Bryan Mills -- which stayed in fifth place with earnings of $4 million this weekend and $131.3 million since its release.

"Here Comes the Boom," a comedy starring Kevin James as a high school teacher intent on becoming a mixed martial arts fighter to raise money for his school, moved up to sixth place with $2.55 million.

The number seven spot went to the genre-busting, time-traveling "Cloud Atlas," in which Tom Hanks and Halle Berry each play six different roles set across a 500-year span. It took in $2.52 million.

"Pitch Perfect," a musical-comedy about a cappella singing groups, earned $2.5 million to move back into the top 10 in eighth place.

In ninth place was action film "The Man with the Iron Fists," starring Russell Crowe and set in feudal China, which took in $2.5 million.

Rounding out the top 10 was "Hotel Transylvania" about an overprotective vampire dad intent on guarding his adolescent daughter against a budding romance with a human boy. It earned $2.35 million.

Final figures are due out Monday.

LOS ANGELES: Pop star Justin Bieber and his girlfriend, Selena Gomez, a Disney actress and singer, have broken up, ending a relationship that made them one of Hollywood's most high-profile young couples, media reports said.

Bieber, 18, and Gomez, 20, disclosed their relationship in February 2011 when they appeared together at an Oscar night party after months of rumors of their dating.

E! Online late on Friday was the first to report the split, with other media outlets including US Weekly and People also saying the relationship was over. The reports cited unnamed sources close to the couple.

Representatives for Bieber and Gomez did not returns calls or emails on Saturday.

Bieber has released two No. 1 albums in just over a year - the holiday-themed "Under the Mistletoe" and his latest, "Believe." In September, he topped Billboard's "21 Under 21" list of top young musical acts. It was his second year in a row with the title.

Gomez rose to fame as a teenager in the Walt Disney Co television series "Wizards of Waverly Place" and has enjoyed success as a pop singer. (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES: Judy Garland's blue and white gingham dress from "The Wizard of Oz" sold for $480,0000 at auction on Saturday, Julien's Auctions said.

The price for the pinafore dress and white puffy-sleeved blouse that Garland wore throughout the 1939 film classic was in line with estimates from the Beverly Hills auction house, but below the sky-high figures paid last year for Hollywood costumes worn by Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn.

The buyer of the Judy Garland dress, made by MGM costume designer Adrian, was not identified.

Other highlights of the Hollywood Icons sale included a dress worn by Julie Andrews for "The Sound of Music," which sold for $38,400.

Prices have soared in recent years for top Hollywood costumes. Marilyn Monroe's white "subway dress" from the 1955 movie "The Seven Year Itch" sold for $4.6 million last year, and Audrey Hepburn's Ascot dress from "My Fair Lady" fetched $3.7 million.

Cake from two British royal weddings also fetched high prices. Julien's said that representatives of PawnUp.com led the bidding to obtain a slice of cake from Prince William's and Kate Middleton's 2011 wedding ($7,500) and from Prince Charles' and Princess Diana's 1981 nuptials ($1,375).

LOS ANGELES: Country-pop star Taylor Swift will ring in the New Year in the United States as the headline act on TV special "New Year's Rockin' Eve," which will feature a two-hour tribute to late host Dick Clark, organizers said on Friday.

Swift, whose new album "Red" racked up more than 1 million copies in first week U.S. sales, will perform live in New York's Times Square on December 31, just before the ball drops to bring in 2013.

The New Year's Eve music special for ABC television was hosted for four decades by legendary TV and music producer Clark before his death in April at age 82.

This year the show will be helmed again by Clark's recent co-host - "American Idol" host and radio DJ Ryan Seacrest - under the title "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest," ABC and dick clark productions said.

The evening will kick off with a two-hour tribute to the host of TV dance show "American Bandstand" that will feature clips of Clark's long career, and remembrances by musicians and industry celebrities.

The 5-1/2 hour show will also feature other musical guests, yet to be announced, and report on New Year celebrations around the globe. (Reuters)

LONDON: The accident-prone British thirty-something Bridget Jones is to return in a third novel next year, her creator Helen Fielding announced on Friday.

Fielding's first two books about Jones, written in the form of diaries chronicling the heroine's failed efforts to find love, lose weight and quit smoking, have sold more than 15 million copies.

They were adapted into two hit movies in 2001 and 2004, starring US actress Renee Zellweger as Bridget opposite Hugh Grant and Colin Firth as her rival lovers.

"The new novel is set in present-day London, with an entirely new scenario for Bridget," said Fielding.

"If people laugh as much reading it as I am while writing it, then we'll all be very happy."

Fielding, 54, first created the hapless Bridget for a weekly column in Britain's Independent newspaper in 1995.

Her novel "Bridget Jones's Diary" was published the following year, followed by the sequel "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" in 1999.

The character returned to Fielding's newspaper column in 2005 and 2006 with Jones falling pregnant by the dashing but unreliable Daniel Cleaver, played by Grant in the film adaptations.

Fielding said on Friday that her famous diary format, which opened each entry with a calorie count and number of alcohol units consumed, would be updated for the 2010s in the new novel.

"It's more like 'number of Twitter followers: 0'," she told BBC radio.

She revealed that Bridget will experiment with Internet dating, but remained tight-lipped about whether the third installment will feature Cleaver and Mark Darcy, his rival for Bridget's affections, played by Firth in the films.

"Some characters remain and some may have disappeared," Fielding said.

Dan Franklin, from publisher Jonathan Cape, said: "Great comic writers are as rare as hen's teeth. Helen is one of a very select band who have created a character, Bridget, of whom the very thought makes you smile.

"Like millions of others, I can't wait to see what's happened to her."

FRANKFURT: The MTV Europe Music Awards will rock Frankfurt's Festhalle concert venue on Sunday, with Barbadian R&B singer Rihanna leading the nominations and all eyes on Korean dance sensation Psy.

Psy's hit "Gangnam Style", which is up for the Best Video award, has been viewed more than 670 million times and received a record-breaking 4.9 million "likes" on Facebook since being released in mid-July.

The satirical video featuring Psy's horse riding-inspired dance has sparked a wave of copycat versions from Eton schoolboys to Californian lifeguards and has even caught the attention of United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon.

Psy will become the first South Korean artist to perform at the annual awards, one of the pop industry's biggest nights outside the United States, when he takes the stage on Sunday.

German model and presenter Heidi Klum, who this year filed for divorce from singer husband Seal, will host the awards and said she had been practicing her Gangnam moves in case she gets called on to dance.

"My kids are obsessed with the song, even though it's Korean and they have no idea what he's talking about," she told reporters ahead of the event.

Klum, who comes from the town of Bergisch Gladbach just two hours away from the 2012 host city, is also looking forward to some home comforts.

"I'll be eating a lot of German food," she said, adding jokingly that she would probably eat too much schnitzel and "gain a few pounds."

Despite being billed as the Europe Music Awards, the vast majority of nominees are traditionally North American, and 2012 is no exception.

Alongside Psy, acts due to take the stage at the show include country singer Taylor Swift, 14-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys, the Killers and Carly Rae Jepsen.

"OLD WAYS" STILL COUNT

In a world where careers are so often launched by social media websites like YouTube, some young artists said there was still a role for more established platforms such as MTV and mainstream television.

American indie-pop band fun., who are up for three awards, hit the big time after the song "We Are Young" was featured in an advert for Chevrolet during the U.S. Superbowl.

"I don't think that you can ever replace the impact that music videos have," the band's guitarist Jack Antonoff told Reuters when asked about the importance of MTV against social media channels.

"I think the more that social media takes over, the more importance you put upon the old ways."

MTV said this week that it had become the first company to reach one million followers on Instagram, the fast-growing photo-sharing application developer.

Heading the nominations is party-loving Rihanna, with nods in six categories, including Best Song and Best Video for "We Found Love".

Following close behind with five nominations is country star Swift, and other top nominees include Justin Bieber and Katy Perry, with four each, while Lady Gaga, who cleaned up last year with four prizes, is in the running for three awards.

Rihanna is favorite for Best Song and Best Female, according to odds offered by British bookmakers William Hill, while Gangnam Style is tipped to win Best Video.

The EMA awards were last held in Frankfurt in 2001. Last year's awards in Belfast attracted 23 million viewers on all platforms and 158 million votes worldwide.

Following are the main nominations in 2012:

BEST SONG: Carly Rae Jepsen/Call Me Maybe; Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris/We Found Love; Gotye/Somebody That I Used To Know; Pitbull feat. Chris Brown/International Love; fun. feat. Janelle Monáe/We Are Young

BEST NEW: Rita Ora; fun.; One Direction; Lana Del Rey; Carly Rae Jepsen

BEST FEMALE: Rihanna; Katy Perry; P!nk; Taylor Swift; Nicki Minaj

BEST MALE: Justin Bieber; Kanye West; Flo Rida; Pitbull; Jay-Z

BEST POP: Justin Bieber; No Doubt; Katy Perry; Taylor Swift; Rihanna

BEST LIVE: Taylor Swift; Lady Gaga; Jay-Z & Kanye West; Green Day; Muse

BEST HIP HOP: Jay-Z & Kanye West; Nas; Rick Ross; Drake; Nicki Minaj

BEST ROCK: Linkin Park; Green Day; Muse; The Killers; Coldplay

BEST ELECTRONIC: David Guetta; Swedish House Mafia; Avicii; Skrillex; Calvin Harris

BEST ALTERNATIVE: Jack White; The Black Keys; Arctic Monkeys; Florence + The Machine; Lana Del Rey

BEST VIDEO: M.I.A./Bad Girls; Lady Gaga/Marry The Night; Katy Perry/Wide Awake; Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris/We Found Love; PSY/Gangnam Style. (Reuters)