Nairobi — Criminals wanting to become lawmakers?
It's no big deal in the Indian state of Bihar, where about 28 per cent of the candidates contesting assembly polls are facing criminal charges that include murder, extortion, kidnapping and robbery, a new study says.
"The collective data or figure of different political parties revealed that 446 of 1,607 candidates in the fray for four phase polls of 243 assembly constituencies, which come to 28 per cent of total number, are facing criminal cases," T. Shastry, chairman of a non-governmental organisation called Association for Democratic Reforms, said.
In the last assembly battle in February, of the 1,528 candidates fielded by main political parties, 454 had criminal cases pending in courts. And of the 243 winners, 102 were accused in one criminal case or the other.
She is only 24, a celeb and a criminal? She has been on probation five times and in jail three times.
Actress Lohan Lindsay hoped 2011 would give her time to rebuild her troubled life after her legal saga last year, when the courts confined her to months of rehab until early January.
Her attorney Shawn Chapman Holley has received a fresh round of bad news about her client's new charge -- felony grand theft; she is accused by a trendy Venice, California jewellery boutique of stealing a $2,500 necklace from their shop last month.
Conviction could bring a maximum sentence of three years behind bars.
And since Lohan remains on probation, the charges could mean immediate jail time for probation violation.
While the case was under investigation, the actress apparently claimed that the necklace she is accused of swiping was loaned to her - and that, unbeknownst to LiLo, her stylist simply forgot to return it in time. You can bank on them to go smiling all the way.
The bloated banks of East Africa could take a leaf or two from Project Merlin's book.
In the Uk, the institutions we love to hate will lend about £190 billion ($304 billion) to businesses this year -- including £76 billion ($121 million) to small firms -- in addition to curbing bonuses and revealing some salary details of their top earning executives.
The Bank of England will monitor whether loans targets are being met. Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Lord Oakeshott resigned after the agreement was announced. The peer branded the deal as "pitiful."
Playing golf, thinking of family - that's my Tiger!
You had better believe this. It comes from the horse's, no, the tiger's mouth! Golf's former number one player Tiger Woods told CNN, in an exclusive interview, that to be around his family is the "greatest thing in the world."
Woods has shared the parenting of his two children Sam and Charlie since divorcing Elin Nordegren, his wife of six years, in August 2010 after admitting to transgressions in his private life following reports of extramarital affairs.
And though this year much of his focus will be on trying to regain his crown as the world's top-ranked golfer, Woods said he cherishes the time with his children more than anything else in his life, even golf.
