London, April 14 : Jacqui Smith’s house in Nunhead, South London, became a target for pranksters on Monday when they fixed a blue plaque to it, in order to shame the British Home Secretary over her vast expenses claims.

The plaque was glued on by arts magazine publisher Joseph Wade.

Modelled on English Heritage ones to mark a famous person’s address, it describes Jacqui as “best known for claiming expenses for her barbecue and husband’s porn films.”

The Home Secretary stays in a room at the house her sister owns, and calls it her main residence.

Colombo - Tamil rebels Tuesday called for an unconditional permanent ceasefire as a precondition to peace talks with the Sri Lankan government. The call from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) came as the Sri Lankan security forces maintained a two-day halt in its military operations in the north of the country coinciding with traditional New Year celebrations observed throughout the country.

Washington, April 14 : ‘Top Chef’ beauty Padma Lakshmi has revealed that she likes to sleep in the nude.

The Indian American, who has stripped down to her birthday suit for Allure, revealed in an accompanying magazine interview that she’s very confident about her body and likes to sleep in the buff when she’s on her own.

"I tend to sleep in the nude. I''m an innately tactile person and a very sensual-leaning woman. You have to use the word ''leaning'' or it sounds like I''m boasting! When I''m in my own private space, I do spend time with very little on,” she told Allure.

Singapore - Singapore's central bank on Tuesday eased monetary policy for the second time since 2003 by effectively devaluing the currency as the government forecast a record economic contraction this year, the Straits Times reported. The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) re-centred the currency's secret policy band at the existing level of its trade-weighted index, a move economists estimate could imply a devaluation of anywhere between 1 and 3 per cent.

Lima - Seven children aged between 11 and 14 years and two teachers died when a bridge they were crossing collapsed in the Andean district of Cora Cora, in Ayacucho province, officials said. The tragedy left 53 other people injured, 14 of them in critical condition.

The 100-metre bridge was said to be poorly maintained, and collapsed as children and teachers from three schools were crossing. The victims fell as far as 80 metres down into a precipice, officials said.

Authorities acknowledged that many of the mountainous country's bridges are in states of disrepair.

Bangkok (Thailand), Apr. 14 : Thailand’s opposition United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), which is also known as the `Red Shirt’, has ended its standoff outside Government House here against the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Two red-shirt core leaders, Veera Musikhapong and Suporn Uttawong, surrendered to police on Tuesday after they told their protesting supporters to disperse.