New York, Jan 15 : A bar in Austin, Texas, which has been running a `Stripper Idol' competition, has been sued by the producers of the `American Idol' show.

The bar has been running its `Stripper Idol' contest ever week, in which patrons dance topless for a cash prize of 500 dollars, but FremantleMedia North America, which owns the popular TV show, wants it to quit.

According to The Dallas Morning News, FremantleMedia cited in its lawsuit that the contest is a trademark violation, and wants to stop the contest at Palazio Men''s Club in Austin and to seize its profits.

Vienna - Vienna's Jewish community on Thursday called for the suspension of a local Islamic preacher who has called Israel a "beast" for its military actions in Gaza.

"If a rabbi talked like that in a house of the Jewish community, he would lose his job within a second," community chairman Ariel Muzicant told national broadcaster ORF.

Imam Adnan Ibrahim said in a sermon on January 9 that "Israel is the real beast, Israel is the criminal," according to a report by the newspaper Der Standard.

Seoul - The chief executive of leading South Korean steel company POSCO tendered his resignation Thursday, amid a darkening outlook for the world's fourth-largest steelmaker, a statement said.

Despite an earnings increase in 2008 of 38 per cent due to higher global sales prices, the company warned of production cuts and earnings decreases this year.

Chief executive Lee Ku Taek is to leave the firm in February, saying that he wished to make room for a new leadership at the firm.

Lee said that the business environment has become erratic due unstable currency and raw material prices.

Washington, Jan 15 : O. J. Simpson's former criminal attorney, Robert Shapiro, has revealed that he thinks the retired American football player is a sociopath.

Shapiro, who had led the "Dream Team" in 1994-95 that got Simpson acquitted of double murder, was asked about his former client at Mickey Rourke's party.

"He's a sociopath," Fox News quoted him as saying.

Shapiro was told that F. Lee Bailey was still defending Simpson, who is presently in prison, though not for murder, and also asked if he had always thought Simpson was a sociopath.

London, Jan 15 : Vladimir Putin has a reputation for being something of a tough man, but now the Russian Prime Minister has shown his softer side by turning his hand to art.

His debut painting pays tribute to Ukrainian folklore and will be auctioned for charity at the weekend.

Painted with pastels, Putin's artwork depicts a wintery night sky seen through a peasant''s window framed by traditional lace curtains embroidered with beads and red stitching.

London, Jan 15 : In pursuit of comfort amid the ongoing credit crunch, Japanese residents are increasingly turning to stress-relieving pet robots, which resemble real pet cats and dogs.

Made by Sega Toys Co, the Dream Pet range of robotic domestic animals is especially designed to replicate the appearance and behaviour of pet cats and dogs.

The sales of the toys rose 30 per cent between October and December last year, as compared to the same months the previous year.