London, Mar. 25 : A pact between the Pakistan Government and the Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM), a Pakistani militant organisation with Wahabi and Deobandi leanings, has allowed the Taleban to take control of emerald mines in the Swat Valley.

According to the BBC, emeralds of international quality are produced in these mines, and they have now been taken over by the Taleban following a ceasefire between TNSM-affiliated militants and the government.

London, Mar 25 : Scottish singer Annie Lennox has revealed that she finds the music industry "vile" and that she had withdrawn from the limelight to protect her kids.

Lennox, 54, believes corruption abounds in the business in which she made her name and it has taught her to trust very few people.

"The music industry is a bloody nightmare," the Daily Express quoted her as saying.

London, Mar 25 : Burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese has revealed that she will forever be grateful to her tattoo artist for rejecting a design she had come up with for her face.

Von Teese, 36, had wanted to have a star tattooed on her left cheek, but the parlour employees refused and instead agreed to give her a beauty spot in its place.

London, Mar 25 : The "hit first, ask questions later" attitude shown in Arnold Schwarzenegger''s movies is being aped by teenagers and feeding in to the knife crime epidemic, a leading psychologist has warned.

Professor Kevin Browne said even those youths not driven to violence become "desensitised" making them more likely to be "bystanders" if they witness an attack.

London, Mar 25 : Liquor baron and owner of the Bangalore Royal Challengers, Vijay Mallya, has said that he would have preferred England to host the second season of the Indian Premier League.

The Twenty20 competition was moved out of India because of a clash of dates with general elections and the IPL organisers sealed a deal to organise the event in South Africa.

"To be honest, I would have preferred England to South Africa," the Daily Express quoted Mallya, as saying.