Bingo Friendzy, Facebook’s first real-money gambling app, has been launched in UK.
Developed by London-based online gambling operator Gamesys, the Bingo Friendzy app allows users aged 18 and over to play games for cash prizes.
Facebook said only its UK members would be able to view the app.
The website’s largest gaming partner, Zynga, said it also planned to introduce real-money gambling versions of its games next year.
Bingo Friendzy, Facebook’s first real-money gambling app, has been launched in UK
A Facebook spokeswoman stressed Bingo Friendzy was not a joint venture, saying the game had been developed entirely by Gamesys.
“Real money gaming is a popular and well-regulated activity in the UK, and we are allowing a partner to offer their games to adult users on the Facebook platform in a safe and controlled manner,” she said.
Facebook intends to use age-gating technology to ensure under-18s and “vulnerable people” are unable to access the app.
The social network typically takes a 30% cut of transactions on its network, but would not confirm if that was the case with this title, saying it was “commercially sensitive information”.
Gamesys, one of the largest UK online gambling companies, operates the Sun Bingo and Heart Bingo, as well as the UK’s leading bingo-and-slots website Jackpotjoy.com.
In its press release, the company said users would have access to self-help tools to reduce the risk of gambling addiction, including the ability to set spending limits.
Facebook said the decision to launch a real-cash gambling app in the UK had been motivated by “a mature and very well-regulated gambling market”.
Gamesys’ gambling activities are licensed and regulated by the government of Gibraltar, allowing it to offer titles in the UK.
In the United States the situation with real-money online gambling is more complicated – the law currently forbids banks and others offering payment processing services to betting services targeted at US citizens.
Recent pictures appear to show Macaulay Culkin in anything but good health, as he feels the urge to be sick in public.
Macaulay Culkin was pictured looking pale and nauseous outside Chateau Marmont on Friday, in the first pictures of the 31-year-old since he denied claims in the National Enquirer that the former child star is “hooked on heroin”.
Macaulay Culkin, who now works as a DJ, was seen wearing grey jeans and a plait shirt.
The actor wore an unbuttoned black jacket and hid beneath a pair of shades, accessorizing with orange nail polish and a sprinkling of gold rings.
His blonde hair was flicked back and his stubble was growing out into a beard and moustache.
Macaulay Culkin was seen clutching his stomach as he looked ready to throw-up.
As Macaulay Culkin moved towards the bush, he leaned his head over the greenery and despite initially looking overwhelmed by the need to be sick, he just spat and cleared his mouth out instead.
After his momentary indiscretion, he walked to a friend’s car while puffing on a cigarette.
Macaulay Culkin has been plagued by rumors recently that he is on a downward spiral of drug addiction and has just “six months to live”.
The actor is rumored to be struggling against heroin addiction and addiction to painkillers.
His spokesperson was forced to deny claims published by the National Enquirer last week that the Uncle Buck star has a $6,000-a-month drug habit.
His representatives branded the tabloid article “ridiculously fictitious” and “insulting”.
The allegations said Macaulay Culkin regularly shoots up heroin and addictive painkiller oxycodone (dubbed hillbilly heroin).
The report went on to claim Macaulay Culkin turned his Manhattan apartment into a drug den.
The National Enquirer claims Macaulay Culkin’s alleged drug use intensified 18 months ago – around the time he split from long-term girlfriend Mila Kunis, who is now dating Ashton Kutcher.
Elton John is suing The Times for libel over articles he says falsely linked him to immoral tax avoidance.
In two articles by-lined “the secrets of tax avoiders”, the Times stated Patrick McKenna of Ingenious Media was Elton John’s former accountant.
Papers filed at the High Court said the article implied Elton John had been advised to engage in tax avoidance.
The Times has already published a correction, acknowledging that Patrick McKenna had never been the star’s accountant.
Elton John is suing The Times for libel over articles he says falsely linked him to immoral tax avoidance
However, Elton John’s lawyers described the correction, published on 22 June, as “wholly inadequate”.
They said the four-line apology did not have equal prominence to the original articles, which appeared on pages one and six of the newspaper, adding that it “deliberately ignored the defamatory impact” of the original article.
William McCormick QC stated in Elton John’s writ that the pop star was concerned about the effect of the Times articles on his charity work.
“The allegations are particularly damaging to the claimant’s reputation in the sphere of charity fundraising,” he said.
Elton John’s lawyers said the articles caused their client “severe damage to his reputation and personal distress and embarrassment” and they would be seeking damages for “the sense of insult and injury”.
In the original articles, published on 21 June, The Times had discussed the use of film finance partnerships arranged by Ingenious Media, where Patrick McKenna is CEO.
But last month, The Times issued a clarification: “We have been asked to make clear that the film finance partnerships arranged by Ingenious Media, whose CEO is Patrick McKenna, do not offer schemes of this type and they have not been involved in moving money offshore to avoid tax.
“It was not our intention to make such an allegation and we are happy to make the position clear.”
The Times and Elton John were not available for comment at the time of writing.
Composer Marvin Hamlisch, who wrote the scores for films and shows including The Sting and A Chorus Line, has died in Los Angeles, aged 68.
Family spokesman Jason Lee said the musician died on Monday after a brief illness.
Marvin Hamlisch wrote more than 40 film scores including his Oscar-winning score and title song for The Way We Were.
In total he won three Academy Awards, four Emmys, a Tony and three Golden Globes.
His publicist said he had been scheduled to fly to Nashville, Tennessee, this week to see a production of his latest hit musical, The Nutty Professor.
Directed by Jerry Lewis, the show is based on the 1963 comedy film of the same name. It is due to transfer to Broadway.
He was working on a new musical, Gotta Dance, at the time of his death and was scheduled to write the score for a new film about Liberace, Behind the Candelabra.
Starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, and directed by Steven Soderbergh, the HBO biopic is currently in production and is due out in 2013.
Composer Marvin Hamlisch, who wrote the scores for films and shows including The Sting and A Chorus Line, has died in Los Angeles, aged 68
Marvin Hamlisch’s scores for Broadway included A Chorus Line, which received the Pulitzer Prize, as well as They’re Playing Our Song, The Goodbye Girl and Sweet Smell of Success.
The organizers of the Tony awards paid tribute to Marvin Hamlisch and writer Mark O’Donnell – who has also died aged 58: “We’ve lost two greats: Tony-winners Marvin Hamlisch (composer of A Chorus Line) & Mark O’Donnell (Hairspray co-librettist). Rest in peace.”
His prolific output for films included original compositions and musical adaptations for Sophie’s Choice, Ordinary People, The Swimmer and Three Men and a Baby.
He also scored early Woody Allen films Take the Money and Run and Bananas.
Most recently, he worked on 2009’s The Informant!, starring Matt Damon and directed by Steven Soderbergh.
“Music can make a difference,” Marvin Hamlisch is quoted as saying on his official website.
“There is a global nature to music, which has the potential to bring all people together. Music is truly an international language, and I hope to contribute by widening communication as much as I can.”
Romantic drama The Way We Were (1973), which starred Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford, won Marvin Hamlisch Oscars for best original dramatic score and best original song. His adaptation of Scott Joplin’s music for The Sting won him a third Oscar.
He also co-wrote the hit song Nobody Does it Better, sung by Carly Simon, for the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, as well as Aretha Franklin’s R&B hit Break It to Me Gently.
“He was classic and one of a kind,” Franklin told the Associated Press on Tuesday.
“Who will ever forget <<The Way We Were>>?”
Marvin Hamlisch was a graduate of New York’s Juilliard School of Music and Queens College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.
His interest in music started early. He entered Juilliard at the age of seven. In his autobiography, The Way I Was, Marvin Hamlisch said he lived in fear of not meeting his father’s expectations.
“By the time Gershwin was your age, he was dead,” the Viennese-born musician told his son.
“And he’d written a concerto. Where’s your concerto, Marvin?”
In his teenage years, Marvin Hamlisch turned from recitals to songwriting. An early job in the theatre was as a rehearsal pianist for the Broadway production of Funny Girl with Barbra Streisand in 1964.
“Maybe I’m old-fashioned,” he told the AP in 1986.
“But I remember the beauty and thrill of being moved by Broadway musicals – particularly the endings of shows. The end of West Side Story, where audiences cried their eyes out. The last few chords of My Fair Lady. Just great.”
Marvin Hamlisch was principal pops conductor for symphony orchestras in Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Dallas, Pasadena, Seattle and San Diego.
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra said on Twitter: “We are shocked and saddened at the passing of our Principal Pops conductor, Marvin Hamlisch. We send our deepest condolences to his family.
“Hamlisch was a great musician and composer who in many ways revolutionized film, theater and popular song. He was a wonderful colleague.”
He was to be announced to the same position with the Philadelphia Orchestra and was due to lead the New York Philharmonic at its New Year’s Eve concert.
Marvin Hamlisch is survived by his wife of 25 years, Terre.
Pharmaceutical company Pfizer has paid the US government $60 million to settle charges alleging it paid millions of dollars in bribes to build its business in Europe and China.
Employees made the payoffs to secure sales contracts for Pfizer products, according to court filings.
Healthcare officials “improperly rewarded”, the Securities and Exchange Commission said.
The US drugs giant does not admit any guilt.
“Pfizer subsidiaries in several countries had bribery so entwined in their sales culture that they offered points and bonus programs to improperly reward foreign officials who proved to be their best customers,” said Kara Brockmeyer, chief of the SEC’s foreign enforcement division, which made the allegations.
Pfizer has paid the US government $60 million to settle charges alleging it paid millions of dollars in bribes to build its business in Europe and China
The countries involved are Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Serbia.
However, the SEC said Pfizer officials had not been aware of the payments, and that its good co-operation over the charges meant there was no need for criminal prosecution.
Pfizer first disclosed the misconduct to SEC and Justice Department officials in October 2004, and cooperated with the government’s investigation.
The charges against Pfizer were brought under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which bars publicly traded companies from bribing officials in other countries to get or retain business.
In the past five years, the Justice Department has investigated a number of pharmaceutical and medical device companies that operate overseas in connection with the law.
Last year, Johnson and Johnson agreed to pay $70 million to settle civil and criminal charges of bribery brought by the Department of Justice.
YouTube app is missing from the next version of Apple’s iOS6 operating system.
Apple said the app had been removed because its license to produce the program had expired.
The Apple-made version of the YouTube app has been a staple on the iPhone’s iOS since the device was first launched in 2007.
Apple said Google was developing its own version of the app which should appear soon.
The fourth test, or beta, version of iOS6 was released by Apple on 6 August. The final public version is expected to be ready in September prior to the rumored launch of a new iPhone.
YouTube app is missing from the next version of Apple's iOS6 operating system
Soon after the software was released many tech news sites noticed it lacked the YouTube app, even though the Apple-made version of this program has been available for years.
Not all YouTube functions have disappeared from iOS6 beta, said Apple in its statement, as users can still play video by visiting YouTube with a web browser. They can also still upload films to YouTube from a phone or tablet.
Financial terms of the licensing deal that let Apple create the YouTube app have not been disclosed.
Apple would not be drawn on whether it would be replacing the YouTube app with another pre-installed video sharing service. It has already taken a similar step with Google maps, as iOS6 will use its own mapping app.
No date has been given for when Google’s version of the YouTube app will appear.
“This is all about Apple removing Google from its operating system completely,” said Stuart Miles, founder and head of tech news site Pocket-lint. He wondered if the end result of this strategy would be for Apple to drop Google as its default search engine on iOS.
“In a couple of years you will just ask Siri for results and you will not care where that comes from,” he said.
Gaining control of the YouTube app was good for Google, he said, because it let it update and change the program as needed. It would also likely mean that ads would appear on clips.
“There’s no reason why you won’t start having pre-roll adverts, which is going to mean a worse experience for users.”
Below Paris’ 12million residents lay the remains of 6 million others – known as France’s Empire of the Dead, a world which is brought to life in a new documentary on CNN.
The Paris catacombs are a 200-mile network of old caves, tunnels and quarries and much of it is filled with the skulls and bones of the dead.
Much of the catacombs are out of bounds to the public, making it illegal to explore unsupervised.
But nevertheless, it is a powerful draw for a hardcore group of explorers with a thirst for adventure.
A tourist-friendly, legal entrance can be found off Place Denfert-Rochereau in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, near the Montparnasse district.
Here, visitors from all over the world can descend into the city’s dark and dank bowels for a whistle-stop tour of a small section of the catacombs.
The Paris catacombs are a 200-mile network of old caves, tunnels and quarries and much of it is filled with the skulls and bones of the dead
One visitor told CNN: “I think people are fascinated with death. They don’t know what it’s about and you see all these bones stacked up, and the people that have come before us, and it’s fascinating. We’re trying to find our past and it’s crazy and gruesome and fun all at the same time.”
The well-worn trail might be enough to satisfy the tourists, but other Parisians like to go further – and deeper – to explore the network.
The name given to the group of explorers who go into the cave network illegally and unsupervised is Cataphiles.
The top secret groups go deep underground, using hidden entrances all over the city. And they sometimes stay for days at a time, equipped with head lamps and home-made maps.
Street names are etched into the walls to help explorers navigate their way around the underground version of the city and some groups have even been known to throw parties in the tunnels or drink wine.
For catacomb devotees, the silence experienced deep in tunnels cannot be replicated anywhere else.
Urban explorer Loic Antoine-Gambeaud told CNN: “I think it’s in the collective imagination. Everybody knows that there is something below Paris; that something goes on that’s mysterious. But I don’t think many people have even an idea of what the underground is like.”
Those caught exploring unauthorized sections of the network could end up out of pocket. Police tasked with patrolling the tunnels have the power to hand out fines of 60 Euros to anyone caught illegally roaming the network.
A by-product of the early development of Paris, the catacombs were subterranean quarries which were established as limestone was extracted deep underground to build the city above.
However, a number of streets collapsed as the quarries weakened parts of the city’s foundations. Repairs and reinforcements were made and the network went through several transformations throughout history.
However it wasn’t until the 18th century that the catacombs became known as the Empire of the Dead when they became the solution to overcrowding in the city’s cemeteries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reacts awkwardly as a priest bows to kiss his hand during a visit to country’s northern Valaam Island.
Vladimir Putin visited a 14th century monastery on Valaam Island, but appears ruffled when a Russian Orthodox priest tries to kiss his hand.
The peculiar incident came during Vladimir Putin’s visit to the Holy Transfiguration Valaam Monastery on Valaam Island in the north of the country.
It was going smoothly at first as Vladimir Putin greeted believers outside a cathedral, and then shook hands with several Russian Orthodox priests.
Vladimir Putin reacts awkwardly as a priest bows to kiss his hand during a visit to country's northern Valaam Island
However, footage aired on Russian state television showed how a priest bowed and tried to kiss the leader’s hand before Vladimir Putin sharply withdrew his hand away and made a fist by the side of his head.
Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia as president or prime minister since 2000 and has projected a tough guy image, has enjoyed the support of Russian Orthodox Church leader Patriarch Kirill who gave him his approval during the head of state’s presidential election campaign this year.
Patriarch Kirill is also a key figure in the controversial Pussy Riot trial.
Team GB stormed to yet another cycling gold yesterday as the forlorn French said the British riders are hiding their “magic wheels” after the races.
Jason Kenny, 24, powered to victory over Frenchman Gregory Bauge in the men’s sprint in front of 6,000 baying fans.
It was Britain’s fifth track cycling gold out of seven events. There are hopes of three more today with Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton and Laura Trott all expected to win medals.
But yesterday the French team’s dejected director, Isabelle Gautheron, complained that the British stars are using “magic wheels”.
“We are asking a lot of questions: how have they gained so many tenths of seconds?” Isabelle Gautheron said.
“Have they found a new training process based on certain energy pathways? I am not talking about any illicit product, because anti-doping tests are so strong.
“We are looking a lot at the kit they use. They hide their wheels a lot. The ones for the bikes they race on are put in wheel covers at the finish.”
British cyclist Jason Kenny powered to victory over Frenchman Gregory Bauge in the men’s sprint in front of 6,000 baying fans
Last night Britain’s bemused cycling performance director Dave Brailsford said: “It’s interesting that people are starting to ask questions.
“It’s no different from when we raced the last three-and-a-half weeks at the Tour de France.
“It’s the same method, the same philosophy and essentially fantastic coaching which is the only secret weapon we possess.
“As far as the Olympic Games go, only two weeks are important – one week in Beijing, one week here. And we’ve peaked for both.”
Last week French President Francois Hollande taunted Britain for its lack of early gold medal success. But Team GB is now well clear of France in the medals table.
Bolton-born Jason Kenny was picked ahead of Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy, but emphatically beat seven-time world champion Gregory Bauge, the favorite for the title, to take the gold.
It was Jason Kenny’s second of the Games and adds to the one he won in Beijing. He is already being tipped for more medals at Rio in 2016.
“It’s amazing, I hadn’t even thought about it until we got on to that last ride and it suddenly dawned on me.
“The battle I had just to get here with Chris [Hoy] – I thought I’d better not mess this one up. Now I am really pleased to deliver for the team,” Jason Kenny said.
“It dawned on me that if Chris had been in my shoes there was no way he would have lost. It is a shame that we could not have two of us in here.
“He has that real killer instinct which is why he has so many medals.
“And my final ride was not that amazing if I am honest. I just let the crowd carry me home.”
Chris Hoy beat Jason Kenny in the 2008 final but after a rule change only one of them could represent Britain in London.
Within moments of Jason Kenny’s victory, Chris Hoy tweeted: “That was PHENOMENAL by Jason Kenny. So happy and proud of him, well deserved mate.”
Robert Pattinson is scheduled to give his first interview next week on August 15 since news of his cheating girlfriend Kristen Stewart surfaced.
Robert Pattinson, 26, is due to appear on ABC’s Good Morning America, with the breakfast show securing the deal over their rival TODAY show.
The televised appearance ties in with his promotions for Cosmopolis.
Robert Pattinson is also expected to attend the red carpet premiere in New York City two days prior to the interview.
The David Cronenberg film, also starring Samantha Morton and Juliette Binoche, is based on the novel of the same name by Don DeLillo.
It tells the tale of billionaire Eric Packer (R-Patz) as he rides across Manhattan in his limousine, while embarking on a path of self-destruction.
Robert Pattinson is scheduled to give his first interview next week on August 15 since news of his cheating girlfriend Kristen Stewart surfaced
Perhaps Robert Pattinson will relish the opportunity to focus on work, having been coping with the news that K-Stew cheated on him with Snow White And The Huntsman director Rupert Sanders.
Rupert Sanders, 41, has two children with British model Liberty Ross and has been photographed since the scandal still wearing his wedding ring.
Photographs emerged last month of Kristen Stewart in the arms of Rupert Sanders, crushing hopes that she would one day marry her Twilight co-star.
However, Robert Pattinson is reportedly coping well, taking timeout in Ojai, California, at Reese Witherspoon’s $7 million ranch.
Over the weekend he was spotted having “a few drinks and laughs” at a local country-western bar called Deer Lodge.
An employee of the bar told Radar: “I’ve been told by several people that Robert Pattinson was here enjoying the music with his friends.
“He seemed in good spirit. I wasn’t on that night so I didn’t personally see him, but several others did.”
Facebook has become such a pervasive force in modern society that increasing numbers of employers, and even some psychologists believe people who aren’t on social networking sites are “suspicious”.
The German magazine Der Taggspiegel went so far as to point out that accused theater shooter James Holmes and Norwegian mass murder Anders Behring Breivik have common ground in their lack of Facebook profiles.
On a more tangible level, Forbes.com reports that human resources departments across the country are becoming more wary of young job candidates who don’t use the site.
The common concern among bosses is that a lack of Facebook could mean the applicant’s account could be so full of red flags that it had to be deleted.
German magazine Der Taggspiegel pointed out that accused theater shooter James Holmes and Norwegian mass murder Anders Behring Breivik have common ground in their lack of Facebook profiles
Slate.com tech reporter Farhad Manjoo wrote in an advice column that young people shouldn’t date anyone who isn’t on Facebook.
“If you’re of a certain age and you meet someone who you are about to go to bed with, and that person doesn’t have a Facebook page, you may be getting a false name. It could be some kind of red flag,” he says.
Farhad Manjoo points out that these judgements don’t apply to older people who were already productive adults before social media became widespread.
The tech news site Slashdot summed up Der Taggspiegel’s story about social networking as “not having a Facebook account could be the first sign that you are a mass murderer”.
It points out that James Holmes, who is accused of killing 12 people and an unborn child and wounding 58 others at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, and Anders Breivik, who murdered 77 people with a car bomb and mass shooting, did not use Facebook and had small online footprints.
Anders Breivik used MySpace and James Holmes was reportedly on the hookup site Adult Friend Finder.
Psychologist Christopher Moeller told the magazine that using Facebook has become a sign of having a healthy social network.
Psychologists have noted that James Holmes, along with several noted mass murderers, have lacked any real friends.
And this is what the argument boils down to: It’s the suspicion that not being on Facebook, which has become so normal among young adults, is a sign that you’re abnormal and dysfunctional, or even dangerous, ways.
Natalie Portman couldn’t stop smiling as she was pictured dancing with her new husband Benjamin Millepied and walking around the grounds of the private residence in the Californian coastal town of Big Sur.
Natalie Portman’s elegant Rodarte gown was a stunning yet simple choice, modest with a high neckline, together with a tea-length cocktail hemline and sheer, full-length sleeves.
An insider told In Touch Weekly: “Her dress was stunning, not overly showy or revealing. Very much her own subtle and pretty personal style – she always has a hippie theme, whatever she does.”
The traditional Jewish ceremony, which took place after sundown on Saturday, was an intimate affair with just 60 of the couple’s family and closest friends in attendance.
Natalie Portman pictured dancing with her new husband Benjamin Millepied and walking around the grounds of the private residence in Big Sur
Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied exchanged vows in a Jewish ceremony under a chuppah in front of celebrity guests Diane Sawyer and director husband Mike Nichols, Ivanka Trump, Macaulay Culkin and Rashida Jones.
Having been a strict vegan since 2009, apart from a brief break during her pregnancy with son Aleph, Natalie Portman threw a vegetarian feast before the newlyweds let loose on the dance floor.
The source, who said the DJ played tunes until 2.30am, added: “Natalie looked so happy and was glowing. It was a beautiful day for her and Benjamin to celebrate with those they hold closest.”
Running alongside the Pacific Coast Highway, Big Sur, famous for its links to the Beat poets, is a sparsely populated town where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise from the Pacific Ocean.
Earlier this year a friend told In Touch magazine: “It’s one of Natalie’s favorite places – whenever she needs a break from LA she goes there.
“This wedding is for their closest friends and family. It will be a very relaxed affair. They’re not sending out invites. Natalie may not even buy a new dress.”
Ivanka Trump tweeted pictures of the coastline prior to the ceremony, and one of herself sat at a firepit at the estate, alongside the caption: “Driving to Big Sur with a lunch stop in Carmel. Heaven.”
And after leaving the wedding, she added: “2 weddings on opposite coasts in one weekend! Just landed in NY & am heading straight to ceremony number 2. A lot to celebrate this weekend!”
Natalie Portman, 31, met choreographer Benjamin Millepied, 35, on the set of Black Swan in 2009 and they got engaged in December 2010.
When Natalie Portman won the Best Actress Oscar for Black Swan role, she paid tribute to Benjamin Millepied, calling him her “beautiful love” and thanked him for giving her the “most important role of my life”.
Natalie Portman gave birth to their son Aleph in June 2011 and at this year’s Academy Awards there was speculation they had already tied the knot as they both wore bands on their wedding ring fingers.
Influential Australian art critic and writer Robert Hughes has died in New York after a long illness aged 74.
Robert Hughes made major contributions to the world of art and the telling of Australian history.
In 1980, Robert Hughes presented the landmark BBC TV series The Shock of the New – an insight into the development of art since the Impressionists.
The New York Times newspaper once described him as the most famous art critic in the world.
Robert Hughes died in the Bronx’s Calvary Hospital, his wife Doris said in a statement.
Influential Australian art critic and writer Robert Hughes has died in New York after a long illness aged 74
“He had been very ill for some time… Details of the funeral and memorial service will be advised in due course,” the statement added, without giving further details.
Australian lawmaker Malcolm Turnbull, who is married to Robert Hughes’ niece, tweeted shortly afterwards: “Farewell my dear old mate. Rest in peace.”
Born in Sydney, Robert Hughes became part of the 1960s generation that moved to Europe and the United States to seek out excitement and new careers.
He began writing for the Daily Telegraph, Spectator and Times, before moving to New York to become the art critic for Time magazine.
Although his relationship with his homeland was strained, he never gave up his citizenship.
In 1987, Robert Hughes wrote his international bestseller The Fatal Shore, examining the harsh life of convicts during early European settlement of Australia.
Outspoken, sometimes abrasive, Robert Hughes became a prominent supporter of Australia’s Republican movement.
Images of the surface of Mars taken by the Curiosity rover as it made its historic descent yesterday have now been released.
NASA has provided almost 300 thumbnails from a sequence of pictures that will eventually be run together as a color hi-def movie.
Visible in the timelapse is the heatshield discarded by the vehicle as it neared the ground.
It was the crane that finally settled the robot on to the surface.
A signal confirming the Curiosity rover had landed on Mars was received here at mission control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at 05:32 GMT (22:32 PDT Sunday).
Curiosity – also known as the Mars Science laboratory (MSL) – put down in a deep equatorial depression known as Gale Crater.
Pictures from the Mars Descent Imager (Mardi), even in their thumbnail form, have now allowed engineers to work out Curiosity’s precise position on the planet – a latitude of -4.5895 and a longitude of 137.4417.
Pictures from the Mars Descent Imager (Mardi), even in their thumbnail form, have now allowed engineers to work out Curiosity's precise position on the planet
The full set of high-resolution pictures from Mardi will take some weeks to downlink.
The mission team has also got its best view yet of Mount Sharp, the 5.5 km-high peak sitting in the middle of Gale.
This comes from a hazard avoidance camera mounted on the lower-front of the vehicle.
Ordinarily, hazcam pictures are very wide-angle in view and therefore distorted, but image processing software has been used to correct the geometry.
The mountain is the ultimate destination for this $2.5 billion mission.
Satellite data has indicated that sediments at the base of Mount Sharp were laid down in the presence of abundant water.
Curiosity, with its sophisticated suite of 10 instruments, will study those rocks to try to determine if ancient environments on Mars were ever favorable for life.
Released earlier on Monday was a spectacular shot acquired not by the rover but of the rover. This came from one of the US space agency’s satellites at the Red Planet – the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
MRO played a key role in Monday’s landing by recording telemetry from the robot as it approached the ground.
But NASA also tasked it with trying to get a picture of the new arrival. The rover is seen when still inside its protective shell.
Moments after this image was acquired, the vehicle would have dropped out of the capsule to ride its rocket-powered crane to the base of the crater. The resolution in the picture is such that it is even possible to pick out the discarded heatshield.
The mission team is now in its first full day of Martian operations (Sol 1). One of the key activities will be to deploy Curiosity’s high-gain antenna. This unit will allow the vehicle to talk direct to Earth, in addition to relaying data via satellites like MRO.
Another action planned for Sol 1 will be to get a color shot from the Mars Hand Lens Imager (Mahli).
This camera is mounted on the rover’s tool-bearing turret at the end of its robotic arm. The picture, which should be released on Tuesday, will provide the most detailed view of the rover’s surroundings to date.
US pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson say they will stop development of Alzheimer’s drug bapineuzumab, because it failed in two late-stage clinical trials.
Bapineuzumab, made by Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, was designed to halt build-up of plaque in the brain.
But it failed to improve cognitive or functional performance compared with a placebo in certain patients.
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, as well as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
An estimated 36 million people worldwide are believed to have dementia, including Alzheimer’s.
Bapineuzumab, made by Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, was designed to halt build-up of plaque in the brain
Both firms announced on 23 July that the first clinical trial of the intravenous (IV) version of bapineuzumab had failed.
In that study, patients with a gene that is associated with a greater risk of Alzheimer’s were tested.
But results with the group were largely the same as with those who did not have the gene, who were tested in the second study.
The second trial’s end means that additional studies on the IV version will not take place; however, Johnson and Johnson said a study of subcutaneous use would continue.
Some had predicted that the IV studies of bapineuzumab would fail because they were treating those whose brains were already damaged.
“One of the strong thoughts in the field is that you really have to treat people before they become demented,” William Thies, chief scientific officer of the Alzheimer’s Association told Reuters, adding that the announcement did not prevent the drug from being tested as a preventative.
And William Thies said that despite the trial’s failure, data from the experiment could still be useful.
“These studies are terribly important for us to learn about Alzheimer’s disease, and that part of the process is just starting as the data continues to be crunched in a variety of ways.”
Johnson and Johnson had agreed in 2009 to invest up to $1.5 billion in bapineuzumab.
In a statement, Steven Romano, head of Pfizer’s Medicines Development Group said they were “obviously very disappointed” with the trial’s outcome.
“We are also saddened by the lost opportunity to provide a meaningful advance for patients afflicted with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers,” he said.
A similar drug being developed by Eli Lilly, solanezumab, is also considered a long-shot to succeed, but results of the trials will not be available until later this year.
Flooding caused by torrential rain has paralyzed parts of Philippine capital, Manila, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes and closing schools, offices and the stock exchange.
Authorities said half of Manila had been hit by floods, with water up to waist and neck levels in some areas.
There were no new reports of casualties from these floods.
More than 50 people died after Typhoon Saola struck over a week ago, mostly in the north of the country.
The severity of the rain since Monday afternoon – in an already saturated city – has led officials to issue the highest level of alert.
Half of Manila had been hit by floods, with water up to waist and neck levels in some areas
Weather officials warn that the floods could get worse as the overflowing La Mesa dam, which holds back Manila’s main reservoir, spills more water.
“If we put it in a percentage, at least 50% of Metro Manila is flooded,” Jean Navarez, from the state weather service, was quoted by Agence-France Presse news agency as saying.
“There will be heavy rainfall for the next 24 hours. The floods will increase.”
For many Manila residents, these rains will be a reminder of the deadly floods caused by Typhoon Ketsana in 2009, which killed more than 400 people.
Residents living in slums and shanty-towns on low ground have taken shelter in community buildings.
Several key roads were impassable and power had also been cut in some areas, mostly as a precaution, officials said.
Rescue efforts are now underway to help stranded residents.
“As of now, it’s difficult to rescue the trapped residents, as we are battling strong currents with our life crafts,” police rescuer Eric Baran told Reuters news agency.
Sustained rains from Typhoon Saola have forced hundreds of thousands to leave their homes across the country, according to officials from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Ashley Gill-Webb has been charged with a public order offence after a bottle was thrown at the start of the men’s Olympic 100 metres final on Sunday night.
Ashley Gill-Webb, 34, from South Milford, near Leeds, will appear in custody at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on Monday afternoon.
A police spokesman said he was charged with intentionally causing harassment, alarm or distress under section 5 of the Public Order Act.
Ashley Gill-Webb, who is reportedly a father-of-two and a member of a local football team in South Milford, was arrested after the incident last night at the Olympic Stadium.
Dutch world judo champion Edith Bosch intervened after the incident.
She was standing close by when a green plastic drink bottle was thrown from the stands behind the start line.
Ashley Gill-Webb has been charged with a public order offence after a bottle was thrown at the start of the men's Olympic 100 metres final on Sunday night
Edith Bosch told Dutch television station NOS TV: “I had seen the man walking around earlier and said to people around me that he was a peculiar bloke.
“Then he threw that bottle and in my emotion I hit him on the back with the flat of my hand.
“Then he was scooped up by the security. However, he did make me miss the final, and I am very sad about that.
“I just cannot understand how someone can do something like that.”
Edith Bosch’s involvement was brought to public attention on Twitter, where she wrote: “A drunken spectator threw a bottle onto the track! I HAVE BEATEN HIM… unbelievable.”
LOCOG chairman Lord Sebastian Coe said it was “poetic justice” that the man happened to be sitting next to the Dutch judo star.
He said: “I’m not suggesting vigilantism but it was actually poetic justice that they happened to be sitting next to a judo player.”
He added: “Throwing a bottle on to the field of play is unacceptable. It’s not just unacceptable at an Olympic Games but at any sporting event and anybody who does that will be removed.
“There is zero tolerance for anything like that.”
A man had been heard shouting abuse before the bottle was thrown just as the runners were lined up in the starting blocks.
Speaking after the race, US sprinter Justin Gatlin, who won bronze, said: “It was a little distraction and I didn’t know what it was.
“But when you’re in those blocks and the whole stadium’s quiet you can hear a pin drop.”
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who won the race, said he had been unaware of the incident.
He said: “No, I keep hearing that. I don’t know who would have done that.”
Fellow Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake said: “I was so focused I didn’t see anything. I was so focused on just running to the line.”
Justin Gatlin said the incident had not affected the race: “You just have to block it out and go out there and do what you got to do.
“You can’t complain about that, the race went on and it was a great race.”
Victoria Beckham is often seen in over-sized sunglasses but never steps out in glasses she needs for being near-sighted because she feels too self-conscious about how they look.
“I do need to wear glasses but I haven’t found glasses that suit me or that I particularly like,” Victoria Beckham told WWD.
But fashion designer Victoria Beckham has now got round this problem by designing a range of glasses herself.
“I’ve always been quite self-conscious, so that’s why I’ve decided to do them myself,” she said.
Victoria Beckham launched her optical collection for spring/summer 2013 today.
Each piece in the collection is handcrafted in Italy and is distinctive as a Victoria Beckham design by a “V” tip at the end of each arm
The six styles, manufactured in partnership with Cutler and Gross, will go on sale at retailers at Silmo Paris from January 2013 costing from $470-$540.
The range will include aviator styles and large dark frames, some of which are unisex and others that are more feminine.
Victoria Beckham said her husband David is a fan of the heavy square frames which she also favors herself.
Each piece in the collection is handcrafted in Italy and is distinctive as a Victoria Beckham design by a “V” tip at the end of each arm.
Victoria Beckham, who is set to reunite with the Spice Girls for a special performance at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony, already sells sunglasses as part of her fashion label but this is her first venture into prescription glasses.
She said she’ll wear products from her own range from now on, joking “it’ll be nice to see where I’m going for once”.
Macaulay Culkin attended the wedding of Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied in Los Angeles on the weekend, it has been claimed.
Macaulay Culkin, 31, was allegedly present at the pair’s starlight ceremony, days after sensational reports emerged from the National Enquirer that the Home Alone star was a drug addict and “hooked on hillbilly heroin”.
Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied exchanged vows in a Jewish ceremony under a chuppah at 8:00 p.m.
Macaulay Culkin attended the wedding of Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied in Los Angeles on the weekend
According to Us Weekly, Natalie Portman and Macaulay Culkin have been “friends for years”.
Natalie Portman also co-starred in Black Swan with Macaulay Culkin’s former girlfriend Mila Kunis.
Macaulay Culkin’s trip to the coastal town comes as representatives were forced to issue a fiercely-worded denial over claims the Home Alone star has a $6,000-a-month drug habit this week.
Italian newspaper Il Giornale, owned by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, has caused controversy by printing a front page headline which said “Fourth Reich” above a picture of German chancellor Angela Merkel.
The picture in Il Giornale also showed Chancellor Angela Merkel raising her right arm in salute, a gesture associated with the Nazi salute used by Hitler’s followers.
The article, which was published on Friday, has heightened a bitter war of words between Italy and Germany over the handling of the ongoing Euro crisis.
The angry article attacked tough talking Chancellor Angela Merkel saying that her intransigence had brought “us and Europe to its knees” adding that “Italy is no longer in Europe but in the Fourth Reich.”
It went on to say: “In the First Reich, Germany also wanted the title Emperor of Rome and in the next two they used their own means again against the states of Europe, two world wars and millions of dead, obviously this was not enough to quieten German egomania.
“Once again it has surfaced but this time not with the use of cannon, this time it’s the Euro.
“The Germans believe it’s theirs and we have to submit, surrender, hand ourselves over to the new Kaiser Angela Merkel who wants to rule in our own house.”
Il Giornale, owned by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, has caused controversy by printing a front page headline which said “Fourth Reich” above a picture of German chancellor Angela Merkel
It is not the first time that Il Giornale has been at the centre of controversy with Germany – two months ago after Italy beat Germany in the Euro 2012 semi final they printed a picture of Chancellor Angela Merkel below the headline: “Ciao, ciao culona” which translates as “Bye bye lard arse.”
Last year it was alleged that Silvio Berlusconi, who stepped down as prime minister last November, had been taped calling the German leader “culona” although he has insisted they had a good working relationship and are still in touch – claims which have been denied in Berlin.
Germany has been at loggerheads with Italy over the handling of the ongoing Eurozone crisis and accusing Rome of not doing enough to get its finances in order to resolve the single currency problem which has been dragging on for two years.
Newspapers in Germany have repeatedly attacked the southern European economies of Greece, Spain and Italy for their poor performances and bail outs offered to them.
Il Giornale has repeatedly accused current Italian technocrat prime minister Mario Monti, of not doing enough to stand up to Germany, comparing him to Neville Chamberlain who famously declared in 1938 he had “secured peace in our time” after holding talks with Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler only for war to break out the following year.
In an interview with Germany weekly news magazine Der Spiegel, Mario Monti called on Chancellor Angela Merkel to show greater flexibility on how the European Union tackles the eurozone crisis and suggested there could be a backlash if this does not occur.
Chancellor Angela Merkel has repeatedly argued that the only way to restore confidence in the under-fire single currency in the long term is for eurozone countries to show budget discipline and concede sovereignty to achieve greater fiscal integration.
But Mario Monti said that “more flexibility” had to be given to eurozone countries who are trying to put their economic houses in order for Italy’s current policy of rigor and tough economic reforms to “have a future”.
He added that he had told Chancellor Angela Merkel he was very worried about “the growing resentment in the Italian parliament against Europe, against the euro and against the Germans”.
Mario Monti also added that leaders should not let themselves be tied down by the domestic agendas of their national parliaments in EU negotiations and said: “If governments let themselves be bound completely by the decisions of their parliaments without maintaining their own scope for negotiation, Europe is more likely to break up than it is to see closer integration.”
But within hours of the interview Chancellor Angela Merkel and German MPs hit back at Mario Monti.
Georg Streiter, a spokesman for the German leader, said: “The chancellor’s opinion is that we in Germany have always done well with the right balance between parliamentary support and the participation of parliament.”
While Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, said: “Parliamentary checks on European policy are beyond any debate. We need to strengthen, not weaken, democratic legitimization in Europe.”
Mario Monti is due to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel later this month in Berlin to again discuss the Eurozone crisis and today markets were positive as the spread between German and Italian bonds dropped.
Wikipedia was knocked offline on Monday due to two accidentally cut cables near a data centre in Florida.
The online encyclopedia and various associated services were inaccessible or extremely sluggish for over two hours on Monday.
A status web page showed various parts of the Wikimedia network as suffering performance issues.
Wikipedia ruled out any suggestion of malicious intent being behind problem.
Wikipedia was knocked offline on Monday due to two accidentally cut cables near a data centre in Florida
The two cables, which stretched between Tampa and Virginia, were broken for an hour and six minutes, the site said.
After the cables were repaired, it took another hour for basic service on Wikipedia to be restored.
Its mobile site appeared to unaffected, although the service’s API – application programming interface – continued to suffer problems even when the main site had been restored.
In an error message posted to the site, the Wikimedia Foundation reiterated its reliance on donations to fund its continued operation.
“The Wikimedia Foundation is a non-profit organization which hosts some of the most popular sites on the internet,” the message read.
“It has a constant need to purchase new hardware. If you would like to help, please donate.”
Despite its limited funding, the site is considered to have impressive reliability. Its last significant down time was deliberate – the site went “offline” for 24 hours in protest at proposed anti-piracy bills in the US.
The US government has settled its legal case against the iconic Gibson Guitar company over use of illegal timber from Madagascar in its instruments.
Nashville-based Gibson, whose products are used by artists in every genre of music, will pay a $300,000 fine and a $50,000 community payment.
Gibson admitted violating the Lacey Act, which requires firms to know that timber they use is legally obtained.
Deforestation is a huge issue affecting Madagascan wildlife such as lemurs.
Gibson’s premises were raided by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in 2010 and 2011, with agents impounding ebony and rosewood imported from Madagascar and India.
The US government has settled its legal case against the iconic Gibson Guitar company over use of illegal timber from Madagascar in its instruments
The FWS found evidence that an employee had told Gibson two years previously that its Madagascan imports might be illegal, but that the company had nevertheless ordered further stocks.
“As a result of this investigation and criminal enforcement agreement, Gibson has acknowledged that it failed to act on information that the Madagascar ebony it was purchasing may have violated laws intended to limit overharvesting and conserve valuable wood species from Madagascar, a country which has been severely impacted by deforestation,” said Assistant Attorney General Moreno following the settlement.
The ebony was mainly in the form of strips that would be fashioned into fretboards for guitars, mandolins and banjos.
Following the raids, environment groups urged the US Department of Justice to press its case and make a high-profile example of the guitar manufacturer.
But Gibson boss Henry Juszkiewicz said the issue was an example of the “over-reach” of government.
The case became a cause celebre in Tea Party circles, with right-wing politicians saying a US company should not be treated this way over environmental concerns.
The US Congress amended the Lacey Act in 2008 to tackle the continuing demand for hardwoods such as ebony in the face of evidence that much of the international trade was illegal.
The act is now one of the world’s toughest laws on the issue.
In March, the World Bank published a report indicating that the illegal timber trade was worth $10-15 billion per year globally.
Illegal logging in Madagascar became much more severe after the 2009 coup that brought Andry Rajoelina to power.
Conservation groups working in the country say enforcement of logging laws is virtually non-existent in many areas.
In addition to the payments, Gibson is withdrawing its claim to wood seized by the FWS, estimated to be worth more than $320,000.
The company has not yet commented on the settlement.
Take That singer Gary Barlow has confirmed that his fourth child with wife Dawn has died at birth.
In a statement, Gary Barlow, 41, said: “Dawn and I are devastated to announce that we’ve lost our baby. Poppy Barlow was delivered stillborn on August 4 in London.
“Our focus now is giving her a beautiful funeral and loving our three children with all our hearts.
“We’d ask at this painful time that our privacy be respected.”
Gary Barlow has confirmed that his fourth child with wife Dawn has been delivered stillborn
Gary Barlow and his 42-year-old wife, a former dancer, have been married for 12 years and have three other children – Daniel, 11; Emily, 10; and Daisy, three.
As a member of Take That, Gary Barlow has been part of one of Britain’s most successful pop bands, and also recently organized the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace.
Take That had been rumored to be taking part in the Olympic Games closing ceremony on Sunday.
Lamb of God’s frontman Randy Blythe has vowed to “fight to clear [his] good name” after being released on bail from a Prague jail.
Randy Blythe, 41, was in prison for a month while police investigated his role in the death of a fan who fell off the stage at a gig in the Czech capital in 2010.
On returning to the US, Randy Blythe said: “If it is deemed necessary for me to do so, I WILL return to Prague to stand trial.”
The rock singer said it would be “irresponsible and immoral” not to return for any trial.
good name” after being released on bail from a Prague jail”]
In a statement Randy Blythe said: “While I maintain my innocence 100%, and will do so steadfastly, I will NOT hide in the United States, safe from extradition and possible prosecution.”
Randy Blythe added that he sympathized with the family of the fan, to whom he referred as Daniel N, who had suffered “the indescribably tragic loss of their child”.
“I am a man,” he continued.
“I was raised to face my problems head on, not run from them like a petulant child.
“I feel VERY STRONGLY that as an adult, it would be both irresponsible and immoral for me not to return to Prague if I am summoned.”
Randy Blythe also thanked his supporters after being released on bail of 8 million Czech koruna.
The prosecution had requested that he be banned from leaving the country.
Randy Blythe was arrested when the band flew into Prague to play a gig, apparently unaware that there was an outstanding warrant for the singer’s arrest.
He was accused of pushing the teenage fan off the stage at the concert in 2010. The fan hit his head when he fell to the concrete floor and died of his injuries 14 days later.
Kim Kardashian’s latest get in shape plan is an invention all of her own – the “sex diet”.
As Kim Kardashian showed off her beach ready curves in Miami it emerged that she had honed them with the help of boyfriend Kanye West.
A close friend told the National Enquirer:“We jokingly refer to it as the sex diet. When one of us is having regular sex, that tends to burn calories and kill the appetite.
“Losing seven pounds in seven days means being a very naughty girl.”
Kim Kardashian showed off her beach ready curves in Miami
Kim Kardashian, 31, showed the results of her special workout as she stepped onto the beach in Malibu last week.
With her publicicst friend Jonathan Cheban at her side, Kim Kardashian walked in a black sarong, tied over a black and bright orange strappy bikini.
Kim Kardashian then shed the sarong for a dip in the azure waves, with Jonathan Cheban holding her belongings as he waited on shore. After her dip she showed him a few workout moves, doing some stretches on the beach.
Kim Kardashian’s weight has fluctuated over the years, with the petite 31-year-old oscillating between a gym honed taught figure and her more natural curvy shape.
Recent pictures of her in form fitting outfits have sparked speculation that she has added weight to her curves.
And according to the source that is just what she is aiming for.
“Kanye loves her curves and has told her repeatedly that she shouldn’t get too skinny,” they said.
“He’s always encouraging her just to be happy and healthy and do things for herself and not give in to peer pressure, which is why he doesn’t think she should lose weight.
“Kim was speechless, especially when he told her he missed her love handles. Kanye can’t understand why she has lost weight when she knows it’s not the look he likes.
“He thinks Kim should be doing everything to please him – not herself.”
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![Lamb of God’s frontman Randy Blythe has vowed to "fight to clear [his] good name" after being released on bail from a Prague jail](http://www.bellenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Lamb-of-God’s-frontman-Randy-Blythe-has-vowed-to-fight-to-clear-his-good-name-after-being-released-on-bail-from-a-Prague-jail.jpg "Lamb of God’s frontman Randy Blythe has vowed to fight to clear [his] good name after being released on bail from a Prague jail")
