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China has detained a top security official for passing sensitive information to the United States in the highest-level spy case involving the two countries since the 1980s, reports said.

Citing an unnamed "person with knowledge of the case," The New York Times said the official, who was arrested earlier this year, was believed to be an employee in the Ministry of State Security, China's main intelligence agency.

Hong Kong's New Way magazine said the detained official was a secretary to a vice minister at the ministry.

The vice minister, who was not named, has also been suspended from duty, the New Way report said.

"What is unbelievable is that the person involved in this spy case is a secretary to a vice minister who is handling China's top secrets, which means all the confidential documents sent to the vice minister pass through the secretary first," the magazine said.

"The incident has caused the concerns and worries of Chinese top leadership, and (President) Hu Jintao has ordered an investigation to get to the bottom of the matter," the magazine said, adding that Hu was "shocked and angry."

The magazine said the official was recruited by the CIA when he studied in the United States.

New Way described it as the highest-level spy case involving China and the United States since China's Yu Qiangsheng defected in 1985.

The United States and Chinese governments have not given any hint publicly of the discovery of the spying suspect. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, visiting Oslo on Friday, declined to comment on the reports.

The unnamed official was detained around the time that the Communist Party was dealing with a fragile moment in relations with the United States, The Times noted.

In February, a former Chinese police chief drove to the US consulate in Chengdu to present evidence allegedly linking the wife of a top Communist Party leader, Bo Xilai, to the killing last year of a British businessman.

The police chief, Wang Lijun, was escorted to Beijing by officials from the Ministry of State Security after spending a night in the consulate.

It is unclear what kind of information the detained Chinese official is suspected of having given to the United States and whether that information had compromised any operations by the Chinese government, The Times said.

A senior US administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the detention came during the same period as a series of investigations begun after the revelations in the Bo affair, the report said.

The investigations, authorized by China's top leaders, have expanded beyond Bo to the Ministry of State Security and now include allegations of improper use of the security services by various Chinese officials and corruption, The Times noted.

It was not clear that the espionage case was related in any way to the other investigations, the report said.

"There is clearly some very intense stuff going on with the security ministry," the paper quoted the unnamed official as saying. "It's hard to tell exactly, but it's clearly maneuvering going on after Bo."

The reports came amid a growing strategic rivalry between the China and the United States, particularly in Asia.

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told a summit in Singapore earlier Saturday that the United States would shift the bulk of its naval fleet to the Pacific by 2020 as part of a new strategic focus on Asia.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  — More than 1,200 firefighters are battling the nation's largest wildfire that has charred acre after acre of timber and brush in rugged mountains and canyons of southwestern New Mexico, shrouding parts of the region in smoke.

The blaze maintained its rapid growth Friday through what New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez termed "impossible" terrain, as forecasters predicted thunderstorms and dry lightning that could spark even more fires.

Fire authorities said the blaze in the Gila National Forest — the largest on record in New Mexico as well as the country's biggest current blaze — had burned through 340 square miles, or 218,000 acres, of terrain.

Firefighters conducted more burnout operations in an effort to corral the erratic blaze that has injured six people, the fire's incident management team said. None of the injuries was serious.

The fire was about 15 percent contained. Fire information officer Gerry Perry said most of the resources were being focused on the northern and western ends of the fire.

"The wind situation looks a whole lot better, but we're still expecting that we're going to be busy," he said.

The extended forecast called for more hot, dry weather.

So far, the fire has destroyed a dozen cabins and eight outbuildings.

Perry said the fire is close to the community of Mogollon, but the threat is not imminent since firefighters have been working to protect the structures there by clearing debris and applying special fire-resistant wraps.

It's too early for the ecologists, soil scientists and hydrologists to get on the ground to start assessing the damage, but members of the incident management team have estimated that a majority of the fire has left behind moderate and minimal fire scars.

Officials closed the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument on Thursday due to smoke generated from the fire. The National Park Service said the closure will remain in effect until conditions improve.

The wildfire near the Arizona border is fueling experts' predictions that this is a preview of things to come across the West as several states contend with a dangerous mix of wind, low humidity and tinder-dry fuels.

Martinez viewed the fire from a National Guard helicopter Thursday and saw the thick smoke shrouding some of the steep canyons that are inaccessible to firefighters. She said that there was no way they could directly attack the flames in the rugged areas of wilderness.

Looking at a blanket of smoke stretching for miles, Martinez used words like "daunting" and "enormous," fitting since fire managers said the blaze could smolder until the region gets significant rainfall.

"It's going to keep going up," she said of the acreage burned. "Be prepared for that."

THATHA PIRA, Pakistan — After six years of abuse, Allah Rakhi was walking out of her marriage when her husband struck again. Snatching a knife, he sliced off her nose. "You're no longer beautiful!" he shouted.

He then slashed at her foot — brutal punishment for leaving the house without his permission.

"A woman is only a woman inside the home, outside she's a whore!" he yelled at Rakhi as she lay bleeding on the dusty street just outside her home.

That was 32 years ago.

All that time, Rakhi hid her disfigured face under a veil. Then in March, a surgeon took up her case. He cut flesh from her ribs and fashioned it into a new nose, transforming her life.

While the details of every case of violence against Pakistani woman differ, many are based on a concept of "family honor." Women can be targeted for suspicion of an affair, wishing to divorce or dressing inappropriately. Hundreds women are murdered each year because of mere suspicions.

The nose is considered the symbol of family honor in Pakistan — explaining why a woman's nose is often the target of spousal abuse. A popular plea from parents to children is "Please take care of our nose," which means, "don't do anything that tarnishes the reputation of the family."

Rooted in tribal ideas that a woman's chastity is the property of the man, honor killings are practiced in much of the Arab world and South Asia. They have also been carried out by immigrants from those regions to the West.

Pakistani courts have a history of letting off offenders or giving them only light punishment, assuming the cases get to trial at all.

Rakhi's husband, for example, served just 10 months in jail before being released in exchange for a commitment to pay her medical bills. He never did.

Accurate statistics on the extent of honor crimes are hard to come by, because many cases go unreported or are settled out of court under pressure from the families of the victim and the attacker.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said that in 2011, at least 943 women were murdered, nine had their noses cut off, 98 were tortured, 47 set on fire and 38 attacked with acid.

Efforts to introduce stronger laws to increase punishments for violence against women have been blocked by an Islamist political party which publicly supports the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan. The party, Jamiat Ulema Islam, is a member of the ruling coalition.

The lower houses of parliament passed the bill, but the JUI is preventing its passage through the upper house.

"We will never let it happen," said JUI senator Maulana Ghafoor Haideri, who said the bill was an attempt to "Westernize" Pakistan. "It will ruin our family institutions," he said.

Shad Begum, a Pakistani right activists who received the U.S. International Woman of Courage award from first lady Michelle Obama this year, said firmer laws and better enforcement are the only solution to violence against woman.

"Our leaders need to take a firm stand," she said. "If a man makes a woman a victim, or makes an 'example out of her' as he believes, our courts should also make an example out of him."

Rakhi was attacked when she was 19, after being married at 13. Despite being illegal, child marriages remain common in parts of Pakistan.

Following the attack, she worked to support herself and her daughter, painting flowers on pots in a factory and buying and selling clothes in markets across the country, all the time hidden behind a veil.

"I died every moment," Rakhi said in her three-room mud and brick house in a village hidden among the wheat fields of Pakistan's Punjab province.

Rakhi's husband divorced her soon after he was released from prison, she said.

In a bizarre twist, the 51-year-old woman now lives again under the same roof as him — something she claims as a "victory," but also perhaps points to her poverty and lack of alternatives.

Rakhi's son persuaded her to return home, anxious for her to have a more comfortable life.

On a recent visit, the husband scooted out of the house as Rakhi welcomed a reporter, and he did not made himself available for comment.

She said she never stopped hoping for a new nose, but doctors were unwilling to operate because she suffers from hepatitis C, a liver condition that can complicate surgery.

It was her daughter who gave her the chance. She was working in the capital, Islamabad, at an institute that provides training for woman recovering from having acid thrown on their faces. She introduced Rakhi to the Acid Survivors Foundation, which put her in touch with a surgeon.

Dr. Hamid Hasan took her case for free. Asked why he would take the chance, he answered, "Her pleas. Her tears."

At a follow up appointment last month, Hasan touched the scars where the stitches once were on her nose and forehead.

Rakhi winced slightly, and smiled as the surgeon took his hands away.

Hasan said her positive attitude was important for the other operations she must undergo in the coming months.

"Thank God I did not commit suicide," Rakhi said. "Life is a blessing!"

PHOENIX  - Police searched on Friday for clues to the suspected theft of a rare, first-edition copy of the Book of Mormon, valued at $100,000, that was reported stolen from a suburban Phoenix bookstore over the Memorial Day weekend.

 The authorities said they were in the early stages of an investigation into the disappearance of the 1830 leather-bound volume, which its owner said has became a must-see artifact for young Mormons worldwide before embarking on church missions.

 "At this time we have no specific information of the whereabouts of the book," said Detective Steve Berry, a Mesa, Arizona police spokesman. "I don't think it's a big secret the book was there. But I don't think everyone knows how valuable it is."

 The Book of Mormon is a foundational, holy text of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The 588-page book missing since Monday is one of only 5,000 copies ever printed, said its owner, bookstore owner and proprietor Helen Schlie.

 The Book of Mormon was published in 1830 by church founder Joseph Smith, who claimed the manuscript came from his translation of an ancient "reformed Egyptian" text engraved on golden plates he found buried, with the guidance of an angel, in a stone box near his home in New York state.

 Schlie, who bought the first-edition print in the late 1960s, told Reuters that she discovered the book was missing when she went to retrieve it for two missionaries visiting from Asia. The women wanted to take a picture with it.

 Such requests are common. The cramped store, overflowing with books, has a special area set aside for people to take pictures with the famous text. Emotional reactions to touching the book are common, she said.

 Schlie, 88, said she was stunned when she went into her office, opened the bottom draw of an unlocked file cabinet where the book was kept in fireproof box, and the volume was nowhere to be found.

 "I still can't believe it," she told Reuters. "It's been so much a part of my life for years, and now it's gone. It's been a shock."

 Schlie, a convert to the Mormon faith whose store is a block away from a large Mormon temple in downtown Mesa, sparked controversy in 2005 when she started to sell framed pages out of the book for between $2,500 and $4,000.

 She has said her intention was to earn enough money to open an ice cream parlor that would generate revenue for Mormon youths to help pay for their missions and perhaps future education.

 About 50 pages were sold before the weekend disappearance of the book, whose total value Schlie puts at about $100,000. All that remains in her possession at the moment is a single framed page, from Chapter 5.

 Schlie said it was important for the book be returned, so it can "finish its mission."

 "Someone said the person who took it should read it, ponder it and then return it. That sounds right," she said.

"Rock of Ages" is about a small town girl and city slicker guy trying to make it big in 1980s era Hollywood — and the wild, sex and rock 'n' roll atmosphere they become part of along the way. With scenes in strip clubs with pole dancing and Tom Cruise's glam metal rock star character, Stacee Jaxx, having his way with groupies, you wouldn't think anything was off-limits in the film but Julianne Hough, who plays  Sherrie Christian, says one of the scenes she filmed with Cruise was so racy it ended up on the cutting room floor.


The actress says that when her boyfriend Ryan Seacrest visited the set, he got an eyeful. "He did come on set a couple of times and he was like, 'Wow, this is a little sexy!'" the 23-year-old actress tells Interview. "There was one scene we did that ended up not making it into the film, but it was a really great dance-and-vocal number — 'Rock You Like a Hurricane.' It was in the strip club, and I gave Tom a lap dance in the scene. The movie flowed better without it, so I understand why it got edited out, but at the same time, I'm like, 'Wait a minute. I got to do that, and it's not even in the movie?'"

Having been raised conservatively in Utah, Hough talked about what her father will think about her role — a kind-hearted aspiring singer who takes a job as a stripper to pay the bills. "I think it would be a lot harder for him if it wasn't a musical," she tells the magazine. "If it were a dramatic film where I'm stripping and it's for real — taking off my clothes and doing things. My dad understands that — my family, I should say, understands that — because it's a performance."

Besides, the worst of it did end up on the cutting room floor. "For the scene I did with Tom that got cut out, I was in a bra and underwear, basically giving him a lap dance, so my father will probably like that scene getting cut out."


Hough also talked about working with megastar Cruise, having grown up watching him on the big screen. "I think my generation will always look at him as Tom Cruise, the movie star," she tells Interview. "The thing about Tom is that he's super-cool, and whatever nerves I had going into a scene with him, afterwards he would say how funny it was or what a great job I did. So that really made me feel confident. But at the same time, my first scene with him was when my character, Sherrie, meets him for the first time and he says that she has a perky heart as he's grabbing her chest, so that was definitely pretty real."

The film, directed by Adam Shankman ("Hairspray"), also stars Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand, Bryan Cranston, Paul Giamatti, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mary J. Blige, Malin Akerman, and Diego Boneta. It hits theaters June 15.

Christian Bale may not be ready to hang up his Batman suit, after all. Time and again, the star of the Christopher Nolan-directed "Dark Knight" movies has said that the third installment of the Batman trilogy will be his last.

Fans have been having a hard time saying goodbye. "The Dark Knight Rises," out this summer, is said to be the last of the Bale-Nolan dynamic duo. And Bale has steadfastly given  no reason for hope. In November, when the movie wrapped, he said, "Everything's finished. It's me and Chris (Nolan) -- that will be the end of that Batman era."

But maybe the Batman era will live on.

In an interview with Empire magazine, the actor leaves an opening, however small, that another movie could be in his future. He tells the publication, "My understanding is that this is the last one. I think it's appropriate, I think it's going out at the right time. But ... if Chris came to me with a script and said, 'You know what? There is another story' then I would love the challenge of making a fourth one work."

But in the same interview it doesn't sound like Nolan is exactly on board. He says, "What drew me to Batman in the first place was Bruce Wayne's story, and that he's a real character whose story begins in childhood. ... That, for me, became a three-part story. And obviously the third part becomes the ending of the guy's story."

But what if the guy's story is re-invented -- in, say, a Justice League movie? In the hit "The Avengers," Robert Downey Jr.'s "Ironman" served as the familiar character in Marvel's group movie. Perhaps Bale could be persuaded to bring his caped crusader to the DC Comics' book version of its team superhero project. The "Justice League" could include Bale's Batman, along with Superman, Green Lantern, and even Wonder Woman. At least, superfans of DC Comics can always hope.

And hope springs eternal -- searches on Yahoo! have surged for "Justice League Movie" with the success of "The Avengers."

Joss Whedon, who directed "The Avengers," was recently asked how to make a Justice League picture work —- something that has been discussed for years. Whedon joked, "Call me," adding, "It's enormously difficult to take very disparate characters and make them work. DC has a harder time of it than Marvel because their characters are from an old, bygone era where characters were bigger than we were. Marvel really cracked the code in terms of 'Oh, they're just like us.' Marvel really started with 'Iron Man.' I think you need to use that as your base."

Let's hope someone at Warner Bros. has the batphone on speed-dial.

Before I spoke with David Hasselhoff, aka "The Hoff," I knew what most people know about the man: He's a world-famous celebrity known as much for his starring roles in "Baywatch" (1989) and "Knight Rider" (1982) as he is for his German-pleasing music and passion for cheeseburgers. But now that I've had the chance to speak with The Hoff about his upcoming horror-comedy "Piranha 3DD," I know something else: The Hoff is really funny.

I laughed throughout our candid phone conversation. I laughed while he told me about the emotionally gutting preparations he undertook to play the part of himself. I laughed when he poeticized the difference between David Hasselhoff and The Hoff. I laughed while he explained that his fan base would be disappointed if they saw him in bed with just one woman. And I laughed when I found out that the essence of The Hoff is sushi.


Of course, all this laughter is right in check with the tone of the film -- a sequel to the gore and flesh fest "Piranha 3D" (2010) -- which promises "twice the terror" and "double the D's." One thing it certainly has is Hasselhoff, which should make you want to "get on your Hoff Train and take a ride" to your local theater when "Piranha 3DD" opens Friday.


Adam Pockross: Mr. Hasselhoff, how did you prepare to play Mr. Hasselhoff?

David 'The Hoff' Hasselhoff: I went into a deep trance, and every night I meditated, and I read David Hasselhoff's book to try to find out who he was about. I spent probably two days eating cheeseburgers. I also prepared by looking at old "Baywatch" episodes that he was in. And then I talked to his children, Taylor-Ann and Hayley, and spoke to them at length about what it's like living with their father. And then I visited the Berlin Wall and saw exactly the part where he cracked that exact spot. I stood on the wall for a while and I cried, because it was so emotional.

Then I went onstage with the director, and we did some emotional recall where you lie down and you go into your childhood memories. Like, 'If you were David Hasselhoff, what would have been your first big toy?' And it was a go-kart that came to me, like in 'Knight Rider.' It was really weird. And, 'What was your favorite thing?' It was the beach, and I was like, 'Wow!' So, that's how I did it.

And I think it worked because I was able to play David Hasselhoff, and kind of get to the essence of him, especially with the line, 'Holy f---, I'm old.' That was a hard line for me to do because I don't feel old, and I never say the word 'holy' and 'f---' together. I've said 'f---,' but never 'holy f---.' But that was the hardest part, to say, 'Holy f---, I'm old.' But I got to do it. And then also, I did get some blood in my eye when I was making the film, but the best part about it was I just kept going. And the director said, 'God, that's fantastic!' And if you look really closely, you'll see me trying to clear my eye during the movie.

AP: You're a pro. No doubt about it. So, you say you got to the essence of David Hasselhoff? In a sense you were born to play this part. So what is the essence of David Hasselhoff?

The Hoff: The essence of David Hasselhoff is … mostly sushi. I think that without sushi there would be no David Hasselhoff, because sushi is like the perfect way of describing the insights of David Hasselhoff. He is like a protein, clean and easy. That's how I feel about myself. I feel I'm protein, I'm clean, and I'm very easy to eat.

AP: That is a remarkable combination.

The Hoff: Thank you.

AP: Did you make sushi out of any piranhas?

The Hoff: No. The piranhas on the set were disgustingly stupid and not real, similar to the breasts on a lot of the girls. … In fact, the piranhas were actually more attractive than a lot of the girls, because the girls were laying there in blood and half-eaten, and not eaten in a nice way. It was horrible. But I had to endure it. It was a very tough shoot for me.

AP: It sounds very difficult. Did your experience on "Baywatch" prepare you for this?


The Hoff: No. Nothing prepared me for this movie. And I'll never be the same ever again. Nothing. Especially when I watched the movie and they used a lot of outtakes that I didn't know we even made. The movie was over, and the movie was not over, and the movie wasn't over for about a year and a half. And it just kept going on. So I think every stupid outtake that I did was left in the movie.

AP: Were there any lines you were embarrassed by?

The Hoff: No, nothing. Nothing embarrasses me.

AP: You've never uttered an embarrassing line in your life?

The Hoff: No. The hardest line that I ever had to say in my life was, 'I'm David Hasselhoff.' And that was in 'Sponge Bob', and I couldn't figure out how to say it. So I had the director come over and give me a line reading, which was really kind of demeaning and humiliating, but he did give me the line.

AP: What was so difficult about phrasing that line?

The Hoff: I couldn't say it. And that's the truth. I could not. 'How the f--- do I say this line?' 'Well, you say it like you're a superhero: "I'm David Hasselhoff!"' So I said, 'Oh OK. I'm David Hasselhoff!' It was just too funny.

My problem is people seem to laugh at me, but the one that laughs harder than anybody is me. I mean, I laugh at everything and I laugh at things that are supposed to be drastic and 'Oh my God.' It's like my manager doesn't want me to do 'Chelsea Lately.' I said, 'Why not? What's wrong? Come on. I'm going to have a blast. Who cares?' Once you realize life isn't fair and it's a bit of a joke, then you can get on your Hoff Train and take a ride.

AP: Is there a difference between David Hasselhoff and The Hoff?

The Hoff: The Hoff has taken over David Hasselhoff. David Hasselhoff really doesn't know who he is anymore. Everywhere I go, it's The Hoff. I did a video with Train. And the guy, his name is Pat, the lead singer, he says, 'Should I call you Hoff or Mr. Hoff or…' I said, 'No. You should call me "The."' So, I'm The now.

AP: Well, that doesn't sound confusing at all.

The Hoff: Yeah, The.

AP: Now The, did you compose the song that you sing in this film?


The Hoff: We made that song up on the spot! We had a keyboard. You can have a little keyboard on your little iPhone, right? So we're playing on the keyboard, and we just started hitting these notes. The director was Clu Gulager's son. What is the director's first name, John? I can't remember. John Gulager?

PR Lady: Yes, John.

The Hoff: And Clu Gulager was like a superhero to me when I was growing up. Clu Gulager was Billy the Kid. You wouldn't even remember him. And I thought it was the coolest thing ever. And John really had a take on, 'Let's play your character really real, you know, like you really believe this.' So, we just sat there and started singing, 'Love hunter … hear what I say. Love hunter … two chicks for me.' And we just made that up. And I said that all I require for the scene is two girls. I cannot have just have one girl. My reputation will be over. And they wanted them naked, but I said, 'No. If they're naked then no one will watch me.'

So, we made sure that the girls were clothed. But in the end, I kind of wished they were naked because they were really pretty.

AP: Are you a fan of the genres and, if so, what are your five favorite horror movies?

The Hoff: Well, 'Exorcist' is No. 1. I think 'Cape Fear' is No. 2. 'The Shining' is No. 3. The one with Sissy Spacek, was it 'Halloween'?

AP: 'Carrie.'

The Hoff: 'Carrie'? Yeah, 'Carrie.' Oh God, 'Carrie!' And then the other one for me was 'Jaws.'

AP: Yeah, very horrific, similar to "Piranha 3DD," but without the double D's really.

The Hoff: I think when they look back, you'll see 'Citizen Kane,' 'The Seventh Seal,' '2001,' 'Gone With the Wind,' and then 'Piranha 3DD.' It will definitely be there. There is no question about it. I'm hoping to be in the sequel. I've already heard that it could be called 'Piranhas on a Plane,' which could be really interesting.

What would Hermione think? The proper British "Harry Potter" alum Emma Watson has gone bad for her new movie, Sofia Coppola's "The Bling Ring." Think tattoos, oversized sunglasses, and burglary.

The movie is based on the true story of a group of rich, celeb-obsessed Los Angeles teens who break into the homes of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Rachel Bilson, among others. For inspiration, the Ivy Leaguer turned to the small screen to steal the style of -- who else -- reality TV queen Kim Kardashian.


The star told Entertainment Weekly, ''I just watched a ton of reality TV." She added, "I was doing an English course [at Brown University]. So I would go from reading Virginia Woolf to [watching] Kim Kardashian. I kind of loved it, this mix of superhigh and superlow culture. I think it was a nice balance.'' That's probably the first time that Kardashian has been mentioned in the same sentence with Woolf -- but, sadly, not in a good way.

If Watson is a mite tiny to carry off Kardashian's curvy look, the first official photo from the movie shows her doing an admirable job channeling a Beverly Hills fashion victim, draped in a white fur vest and skinny jeans, and cradling a ginormous handbag. As the Insider points out, "The picture looks straight out of 'The Hills.'"

Another photo, tweeted by Watson, shows her looking totally unrecognizable and especially trashy in a pink sweatsuit with one of three tattoos peeking out below her drawstring waist. Not to worry, those tats are temporary. But the actress seems committed to making her reality star look-alike as real as possible.

After a dismal May jobs report, U.S. stocks had their worst day in 2012, erasing the gains for the year and touching lows for a number of benchmarks.

 The S&P 500 index fell nearly 2.5 percent to 1,278 as the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell over 2.8 percent to 2,747. The Nasdaq had its worst start to June on a point basis ever. The Dow Jones industrial average fell over 2.2 percent to 12,117.

Paul Larson, chief equities strategist with investment firm Morningstar, said while investor anxiety has sprung from a number of sources of late, today's jobs report tipped the scales toward red.

 The Labor Department reported the U.S. economy added 69,000 jobs in May, fewer than the 150,000 many economists had expected, and the unemployment rate rose to 8.2 percent.

 Concern about Europe's debt crisis and whether Greece will leave the euro zone currency union have clouded the U.S. economic recovery for the past several months.

 "The market is on edge beacuse of that and today we find that the economic recovery here in the  United States while still progressing, is recovering quite anemically," Larson said.

For the second time in as many years, computer security experts have hailed the discovery of a new cyber weapon as one that could change the face of cyber warfare forever.

 Flame, publicly disclosed earlier this week and found in dozens of computers in Iran and the Middle East, is thought to be the biggest cyber espionage program ever, capable of recording just about everything that is done on an infected system, all while staying hidden from the user. Before that, Stuxnet, an offensive cyber weapon found in 2010, was reportedly powerful enough to cause physical damage to an Iranian nuclear facility - a feat that had never been accomplished before. Both of these cyber weapons, experts estimate, cost millions of dollars and many years in research and development, most likely under the direction of some nation's intelligence agency.


But as for how to get that advanced code loaded onto the right computers, some of the best hackers in the world may have been forced to rely on a decidedly low-tech but generally dependable ally: human carelessness.

 A super cyber weapon is no good if it can't get to the target networks and to do that sometimes requires a window to be left open by either a spy on the inside or, more commonly, regular rubes who don't realize they're opening their systems up to a world of hurt.

 As The New York Times reported today, in Stuxnet's case, the powerful worm had to get into the Iranian nuclear facility's system, but the system was air gapped - meaning it was not connected to any outside networks - so there was no way to hack it directly. Instead, someone would have to physically bring the worm in, either on purpose or without knowing it.

 "That was our holy grail," one of the people involved in the Stuxnet operation told The Times. "It turns out there is always an idiot around who doesn't think much about the thumb drive in their hand."

 According to Liam O Murchu, operations manager for the security response team at the U.S.-based cyber security firm Symantec and one of the first to analyze the Stuxnet code, that's likely just how it happened: Someone who had been tricked into downloading Stuxnet onto their personal computer unknowingly transferred the malware to a thumb drive and then, after heading to work at the supposedly secure Iranian facility, plugged the thumb drive into the internal network, letting Stuxnet loose to wreak its havoc - all without knowing a thing was wrong.


Similarly, reports by several international cyber security firms said that analysis of the Flame code suggests it's designed in part to be able to transfer secretly from one network to another by thumb drive as well.

 But carelessness when it comes to thumb drives is not reserved for overseas users. Last June, the Department of Homeland Security ran a test in which it secretly dumped computer discs and thumb drives into the parking lots of U.S. government buildings and private contractors, according to a Bloomberg report. The test found that 60 percent of people who picked up the devices plugged them into their office computers - potentially compromising the entire internal network. If the drive or CD had an official seal on it, the number shot up to 90 percent plugged in.

 Beyond thumb drives, O Murchu said one of the most popular ways hackers attempt to gain access to a network through human error is by spear phishing, a method in which the hacker specifically targets an individual and poses as a friend or colleague in an attempt to trick him or her into downloading a compromised file, usually in the form of an email attachment. It's this way that Duqu, another highly sophisticated espionage program believed to be closely linked to Stuxnet, was able to spread throughout computers in Europe when it was discovered last October, O'Murchu said.

 It's also the method the DHS said earlier this month was being used by a foreign power for months as they targeted the control systems for American gas pipelines. In November, the U.S. State Department reported it had experienced a 35 percent increase in "spear phishing and/or malicious email traffic" over just the year before.

 All this is evidence, O Murchu said, that attackers are increasingly relying on the "human aspects" of cyber attacks, rather than targeting the systems directly, and reiterates a mantra that O Murchu and some other cyber security experts have been repeating for years: no matter how sophisticated the attack or how capable the defenses, the weakest link in cyber security is often the human at the keyboard.

The soundtrack of Anurag Kashyap's Gangs Of Wasseypur is a strikingly flavourful and headily authentic collection of quirky music, writes Raja Sen.



The music review for Anurag Kashyap's magnum opus Gangs Of Wasseypur should have been up on Wednesday, but blame it on Sneha Khanwalkar.

The strikingly talented composer, working with Kashyap after having lent her musical voice to all three of Dibakar Banerjee's prior ventures, threw up a track about a third of the way into Wasseypur that derailed me entirely; a track I couldn't help but loop. But first, the start:

Jiya Tu is a bouncy track built on a riff repeated over and over pretty effectively, and while it seems ordinary at the start, the atmospherics are strongly flavoured and the track is versatile enough to make you wonder just how Kashyap might picture it.
I imagine it'll underscore a gunfight.

Track 2 is Hunter, the Chutney track, a folksy half-Calypso song which scores because of the racy lyrics about The Hunter's 'really long gun', but both song and words gain a lot more impetus when the song shifts gears briefly into Hindi. O Womaniya (Live) caught me by surprise -- primarily because of the vocal bellow it tees off with, and then that crazy O-Womaniya chorus rides in -- but the song doesn't, at first listen, impress as dramatically, perhaps (and ironically enough) because of the authentically unpolished voices.

And there it is that the album halts midway and I spend the rest of the day and night looping one song over and over. Keh Ke Loonga, introduced to me a night ago at a brilliant party, is even better in the cold harsh light of day, when you can observe Piyush Mishra's fantastic lyrics more closely.

Keh Ke Loonga -- something I'd roughly translate to I'll Tell You Before I Make You Bend Over -- gallops on a haunting, kicking bassline, with the reins handled by two singer-composers who get the words as perfectly as can be. Sneha herself sings along with old Kashyap fave Amit Trivedi, and both playfully coax Mishra's serrated-edged verse out of each other.

"Bicchhoo se honth kata ke / lori jehreeli ga ke." Vicious lines. Yet even if you don't hear a word, Khanwalkar outdoes herself with this one -- and the chorus is a smash. What a winner.

Bhoos starts off like an odd lament, and then segues abruptly -- and most entertainingly -- into a joyous folk ditty with genuine energy and frantic harmoniums. Piyush Mishra then shows up to dazzle with the wonderfully old-world Ik Bagal, a gorgeously metaphorical song about blanketing oneself from moonlight with rotis. It's a spectacular track, a lullaby that looks to a bright tomorrow. Timeless magic, this.

Bhaiyya, performed by The Musahar Of Sundarpur, is set to a trippy groove. Then comes Sneha again with Tain Tain To Tu, an irresistible, hypersilly track, an inspired bit of pure cacophony. The chin-chin highlights the rawness of Soona Kar Ke Gharwa, which flows nicely into the fun spoken-word start of Aye Jawanon. Womaniya is next, and while the bass thump is very welcome, the live version works better.

Manmauji is quite beautiful in its whimsy, channeling SD Burman even as the lyrics get frisky. Things get good and chartbustery with Loonga Loonga, and while it feels too long, the repeated Keh Ke Loonga chorus implies Kashyap will use it as a reprise or montage.

Humni Ke Chhodi Ke ends the album on a suitably folksy note.

Khanwalkar's worked hard on this extremely versatile album, and it bloody well shows. It's a strikingly flavourful and headily authentic collection of quirky music, often too grubby for our ears now used to such overprocessed pap. Granted, some of it seems too raw to appreciate at first go -- unlike Khanwalkar's deliciously accessible Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, for example -- but clearly Kashyap and Khanwalkar have prioritised authenticity and flavour above all else, and for this -- and the very scale of the album's ambition -- they must be commended.

Can't wait to see what Kashyap does with this bizarre, brilliant soundtrack, but till then we can loop Keh Ke Loonga a few dozen more times.

Director Rupert Sanders does an impressive job of weaving an old school fairytale with modern day sensibilities with his first film Snowhite And The Huntsman, writes Sukanya Verma.


'Someday my prince will come...'


I can still recall how the syrupy texture of Adriana Caselotti's fanciful aspirations, surrounded by seven attentive dwarves, filled up the cheerful frames of the Disney classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Snow White's romantic impulses are so deeply imbued in our psyche; you little expect her to be anything else but a frail and fair picture of adorability at its acutest.

Now to be fair, always the operative word in her case, to the Princess, she's only a child (seven in the original tale and not more than 13 in Disney's version) and it's unreasonable to expect her to do anything beyond wishful thinking. Too bad she wasn't born out of Hayao Miyazaki's imagination. Her original creators, Germany's Brothers Grimm, wrote the tale with little subtext but strong undercurrents of darkness, which even in its meticulously translated skin are hard to miss. Even Disney, known to create a child-friendly experience, is unrelenting in presenting the unsightly facet of the beauty-obsessed Queen/Witch.

But, what if, Snow White was held captive till she blossomed into a wilful adult, escaped the clutches of her ruthless step-mother, fashioned an action-packed fellowship that would make Tolkien smile (and Grimms' squee) and put off the need for any romantic gratification to achieve her mandatory target of a happily ever-after?

The possibility appears to have paid a visit to Writer Evan Daugherty and so he, along with co-writers John Lee Hancock and Hossein Amini weaves an old school fairytale with modern-day sensibilities that respects the enchantment of yore yet creates enough room to accommodate a brand new definition of 'fair.' The iconic elements remain unchanged -- a talking mirror with a final authority on good looks, a tempting apple that kills at first bite and, but of course, the CPR of every fairytale -- true love's first kiss.

There's something exciting to build upon here and director Rupert Sanders accomplishes quite an impressive bit in his first feature film. There are two ways of reimagining a classic fairytale. Either ridicules its very premise with humour, make light of it (as seen just a few weeks back in Julia Roberts-starrer Mirror, Mirror) or embrace in all seriousness and paint in the severest shades of grim.

Snow White and the Huntsman takes the latter approach but its kineticism isn't akin to the showy appeal of obvious blockbusters. The pace is unhurried, exchange between characters is meaningful and if you're paying attention, like the good dwarfs I spoke of above, Snow White's aggression will not seem abrupt, Huntsman's concealed tenderness will strike some chord and the Evil Queen's roots of resentment will open up to you albeit in hushed tones.


Queen Ravenna, played by Charlize Theron, with calculated frostiness and simmering sensuality, is a victim of her own insecurities. At an impressionable age, she was conditioned to believe her good looks are her lifelong weapon. And so she seeks it in permanence with black magic and bloody deeds.  Through fleeting flashbacks and telltale dialogues, Sanders makes an appreciable effort to humanise her somewhat. At the same, her pointy claws, murderous eyes, violent tone and creepy interactions with her creepier brother Finn (Sam Spruell) ensure she's above mercy. Theron's character, often begs for a little wryness, to lend it a dimension that's more than one.

Then again, Snow White and the Huntsman, doesn't really entertain any form of wit in its stern-faced spectacle. The lack of which is, to some extent, made up the glorious visuals it conjures, scene after scene. Whether the setting is a real spot of nature or technology-generated wizardry, magnificent treats welcome one's eyes. Be it the gloomy isolation of a cursed castle, eerie course of the fierce dark woods or the spellbinding enchantment of spotting a forest filled with trolls, fairies and mystical beasts, there's not one dull visual in this fantasy. Guess attractive packaging is a given in a subject whose very theme is the supremacy of beauty.

Speaking of which, Kristen Stewart is a pleasant face, whether you deem her gorgeous or otherwise is individual perception.  She portrays Snow White with awe and regard and embodies her goodness and spirit as her prime weapons. Survival is her nature; she comes back from the dead, doesn't she? Having seen her father's stabbed corpse and faced her Step-Mother/Ravenna's wrath, locked in a remote tower for years and years, she's developed the soul of a saint and the will of a shark.

Stewart realises she doesn't have the physicality of Angelina Jolie's Lara Croft nor the charisma of Charlize Theron. She plays it like a nervous, eager underdog on the offensive. Her show of bravado, unfortunately, comes a little too late in the day in a plot consumed by several twists, some ingenious ones too, and a tempo that should have accelerated in the third act.


As for the men on Snow White's side, there is no Prince or Charming. Instead you got -- the obligatory dwarfs (played by calibre like Bob Hoskins, Ray Winstone, Toby Jones) deliver the goods but aren't likely to replace the memory of Happy, Doc, Grumpy or Dopey. The Hunstman (Chris Hemsworth), with a meatier role and some groovy action to do, has a heftier share of the frame whereas the soft spoken Duke's son (Sam Claflin) has a few moments of his own before he's relegated to a friendly post. Naturally, Hemsworth wins this round. He throws in a Thor-like presence sans the arrogance, hygiene or hammer. Armed with an axe and gravelly baritone, he's the proverbial Teddy stuffed with consideration and compassion for Snow White.

But there's no time for mushy glances and melodious songs (alright, maybe a couple) for a battle has to be fought. Fair and square.

Prabhudheva's 'Rowdy Rathore' is a typical masala film, packed with romance, drama, melodrama and lots of action. The film is loaded with Tamil-style punch lines, slow motion action sequences where blood quietly trickles on to dusty ground and menacing-looking villains who live in a Ramgarh-styled (remember, Sholay) haunt.

The protagonist is a smart small time conman who is ready to mend his ways when he falls in love. Just when he is ready to turn over a new leaf, he runs into a small girl who thinks he is her father and some goons who are people vying for his blood. A few chases and some confusion later, we realize that Shiva (our conman) has been mistaken for Vikram Singh Rathore, an upright and courageous police officer.


Prabhudheva manages to blend the many ingredients that can spice-up this potpourri. However, too much time is spent on the back story. We would much rather see more of Rowdy Rathore than a long tragic flashback.

Akshay Kumar in a double role returns to the action genre after quite a while. He is definitely much better in this film than the over-the-top comic roles that he has been doing lately. There is ample display of the very voluptuous Sonakshi Sinha's curves. While she has little more to do than look good and gyrate to strong pelvic thrusts, she does justice to her role.

If you have a high threshold for mindless nonsense then you must go and watch this movie. Its Akshay Kumar's 'Dabangg', may be not as much fun but definitely watchable.