Worldwide alert on Microsoft browser

According to Breaking News from our Staff Reporter : MORE than 500 million internet users around the world are at risk from a major flaw discovered in Microsoft's Internet Explorer software that can give criminals access to personal details, including banking passwords and log-ins.

Microsoft Australia said yesterday it was "working around the clock" to fix the fault in the popular internet browser, used by about 70 per cent of net users worldwide, live news channel reports.

About 2 million people, most of them outside Australia, are believed to have fallen victim to the flaw after visiting apparently safe websites, and the problem threatens to sweep the worldwide web, Britain's Daily Mail reported yesterday.

The newspaper said that hackers in China were at the centre of the cyber attack, the most serious in the history of Microsoft's operating system.

Hackers are believed to have used the technology to steal computer game passwords, which can be sold on the black market in Asia and there are fears cyber criminals will exploit the flaw to steal passwords to gain access to internet bank accounts or send out spam emails.

Experts said that users did not have to download any files for their computers to get infected made the flaw in Explorer particularly dangerous.

In a statement released yesterday, Microsoft Australia said a vulnerability had been found to affect all versions of Internet Explorer. The statement said Microsoft teams had developed an "emergency patch", due to be released at 5am today, to protect customers from the problem.

"When the patch is released people should run, not walk, to get it installed," said Trend Micro advanced threat researcher Paul Ferguson.

"This vulnerability is being actively exploited by cyber criminals and getting worse every day."

He said Trend Micro had identified about 10,000 websites that had been infected with malicious software that can be surreptitiously slipped into visitors' unprotected Internet Explorer browsers to A security adviser to Microsoft Australia, Stuart Strathdee, said he could not comment on how many Australians had been affected, but said the impact had been minimal, with only a "small number" of users directly suffering. People who had activated their automatic security update would automatically receive the "emergency patch" as soon as it is available, he said.

Those who had configured their computers not to install updates should visit the security section of the Microsoft website: www.microsoft.com.au/security to download it, he said.

Microsoft rarely issues security fixes for its software outside of its regular monthly updates. The last occasions on which the company did were in October, and earlier last year.

Madonna-Ritchie-say-divorce-sums-Misleading

LONDON (Reuters) -Hollywood U.S. pop star Madonna and ex-husband Guy Ritchie said on Wednesday that a statement released on the singer's behalf detailing terms of their divorce was "misleading and inaccurate" reports.

Liz Rosenberg, Madonna's spokeswoman in New York, said on Monday the singer had given British film director Ritchie between 50 and 60 million pounds ($76-92 million) as part of their divorce.

Both Associated Press (AP) and Reuters reported the figures, but now the couple are distancing themselves from the accuracy of the details.

"We have tried to maintain a dignified silence regarding the details of our divorce for the last few months whilst accepting the obvious media interest," said a joint statement from the pair.

"A misleading and inaccurate statement, specifically in relation to the sums of money involved, was wrongly issued to AP this week," it added.

"The financial details of the settlement will remain private, save to say that both of us are happy with our agreement. Our primary concern, like any co-parents, is the care and well being of our children." Rosenberg said on Monday that custody arrangements for the couple's children had not been finalized.

Madonna and Ritchie have an eight-year-old son, Rocco, and three-year-old son David, adopted from Malawi. The singer also has a daughter Lourdes, born in 1996, from her relationship with fitness trainer Carlos Leon.

Madonna, one of the most successful singers of all time with estimated album sales of more than 200 million, was married once before, to actor Sean Penn, in the 1980s.

Madonna and Ritchie announced their split in October, nearly eight years after their wedding at Skibo Castle in Scotland.

Ritchie is a British film director who is making Hollywood blockbuster "Sherlock Holmes" starring Robert Downey Jr. as the Victorian-era super sleuth.

The couple's combined wealth has been estimated at about $525 million, but Madonna accounts for most of it.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato)

Tom-Cruise-Keen-to-act-for-his-kids

Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise wants to act in a film that his children can watch.

The actor wants to take a break from doing serious films.

According to latest news from our reporter Cruise admits he's keen to show off his acting talents in a movie that 13-year old Conor, 15-year-old Bella and 2-year-old little Suri, could enjoy.

"I'd like to. I don't have any right on the horizon.

I like those movies. Some are really great, and it would just be fun," he said.

The 46-year-old actor has lost weight and looked younger as he arrived at the premiere of his latest film 'Valkyrie'.

Cruise plays real-life Nazi officer Colonel Stauffenberg, the mastermind behind the last known assassination plot to kill Adolf Hitler during World War II.

The 'Mission Impossible' star is quite excited as he will be spending this Christmas with wife Katie Holmes and their 2-year-old daughter Suri in New York after he was persuaded by his wife to leave his LA home.

23-per-cent-polling-in-Jammu-&-Kashmir-till-midday

Srinagar/Jammu (PTI): Defying separatists yet again and braving severe cold conditions, an estimated 23.37 per cent of over 11.65 lakh electorate voted in 16 constituencies in the sixth phase of assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir till midday on Wednesday, which was by and large peaceful.

Barring detection of an IED at Mominabad in Janglat Mandi area and a symbolic protest by activists of Hurriyat Conference at Janglat Mandi and Khannabal in Anantnag district, the polling was progressing peacefully in six segments in Jammu region and 10 in Kashmir Valley, sources said.

Inderwal in Jammu region recorded the highest poll percentage of nearly 35 per cent, while Anantnag constituency in the Valley registered the lowest of 9.32 per cent, they said. Banihal recorded 29.5 per cent of polling, Ramban (29) Kishtwar (29.75) and Bhaderwah (26), Doda (22), Noorabad (32), Shangus (25.98), Bijbehara (25.98), Dooru (19.11), Kokernag (18.97), Devsar (18), Kulgam (18), Pahalgam (17.51) and Home Shalibug (15).

Upper reaches of Pir Panjal range experienced snowfall, while plains in the state were lashed by rain overnight resulting in a further drop in the temperature in the Valley this morning.

Electoral fortunes of 271 candidates, including two former chief ministers -- Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Ghulam Nabi Azad -- would be decidedon Wednesday.

As many as 20,000 additional security forces personnel and nearly 10,000 local policemen have been deployed at the polling booths for smooth conduct of polls, they said.

There are 1,268 polling stations in the 16 constituencies in Anantnag, Kulgam, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts.