More than one hundred students at Harvard University are being investigated for allegedly helping each other cheat in an exam, officials say.
Up to 125 students in one undergraduate course are suspected of sharing answers or plagiarizing.
Possible cheating was found in about half of exam papers handed in by the class, which has at least 250 students.
If confirmed, the scandal would be the biggest to hit the “Ivy League” of top US universities in recent memory.
More than one hundred students at Harvard University are being investigated for allegedly helping each other cheat in an exam
Suspicions were first aroused when a teaching assistant noticed several problems with the exam papers, including long passages of identical text in different students’ answers, the Associated Press reports.
The university has not named the course or class in question.
Possible punishments for students found to have cheated range from a first-offence warning to being excluded from the university for a year, according to the agency.
“These allegations, if proven, represent totally unacceptable behavior that betrays the trust upon which intellectual inquiry at Harvard depends,” the university’s president, Drew Faust, said.
Jay Harris, the dean of undergraduate education, stressed there was no evidence of widespread cheating at Harvard.
“The facts that are before us are that we have a problem in this one course,” Jay Harris told AP.
“Looking at the students we have and the work that they do, I would be loath to say this is something that represents Harvard students generally.”
Eight month old Blue Ivy Carter has been seen being fussed over by her very proud father, the legendary Jay Z, as they jet into Manhattan by helicopter.
Jay Z, 42, was spotted fretting like a mother hen over his cherubic quarry after they arrived into New York by helicopter.
The little darling had been fitted with ear protectors to ensure her delicate shell-likes weren’t damaged by the loud noise of the propellers.
But Jay Z, real name Shawn Carter still looked panicked by the experience, and could be seen peering with concern at his little girl.
Blue Ivy, who was wearing white (the mark of a rich child as it’s the worst color to keep clean) looked happy and content enough, her curls shining stunningly in the light.
Eight month old Blue Ivy Carter has been seen being fussed over by her very proud father, the legendary Jay Z, as they jet into Manhattan by helicopter
For years, Beyonce and husband Jay-Z were famously secretive about their lives, refusing even to acknowledge their relationship.
But it appears that the birth of daughter Blue Ivy has led to a new chapter in their lives, with Beyonce, 30, happily opening up her family album on Tumblr.
Beyonce revealed intimate snaps from behind the scenes of her public and private life, including an adorable picture of herself feeding Blue Ivy with a bottle while she guzzles dressed in a Watch The Throne T-shirt in honor of Jay-Z’s latest tour with Kanye West.
They come as she is about to star in a new documentary film about her life and career, a large step for Beyonce.
Another picture shows Beyonce screaming with laughter as her husband pushes her on a swing.
She wears a long flowing pink maxi dress which billows up around her as Jay-Z pushes, their dog at his heels.
Tori Spelling has welcomed baby boy Finn Davey, her fourth child with husband Dean McDermott.
Tori Spelling, 39, gave birth on Thursday evening to 6lb, 6oz Finn Davey.
The star announced the happy news on her website, writing: “Please join us in welcoming Finn Davey McDermott.”
The post was followed by a tweet on the star’s verified Twitter account, linking to a photo of a tiny hand clinging to her finger.
“It’s a boy!” she wrote.
Tori Spelling has welcomed baby boy Finn Davey, her fourth child with husband Dean McDermott
Tori Spelling confirmed she was expecting back in March – five months after the couple welcomed a daughter.
She posted a message on the micro-blog, writing: “Our family has some exciting and life changing news to share,” with a link to her website.
“Dean, Liam, Stella, Hattie, and I are beyond thrilled to announce that another little McDermott is on the way!”
“We feel truly blessed that another angel has found us,” she wrote.
Tori Spelling also posted a picture of her bump with her children’s hands resting on top of it.
In addition to 10-month-old Hattie, Dean McDermott and Tori Spelling, who married in 2006, are parents to five-year-old Liam and Stella, four.
Tori Spelling is also stepmother to Dean McDermott’s teenage son Jack, from a previous marriage.
The couple was out as late as Tuesday, with the mother-of-four showing off her blossoming bump on the red carpet for a kids’ event in Los Angeles.
Tori Spelling has previously insisted this pregnancy would be her last but admitted she was “sad” that she’ll never be expecting a child again.
She said: “I couldn’t be happier that I’m finally at the end and I get to meet the baby so soon, but I actually love being pregnant, so if it is my last, I’ll be sad never to be pregnant again.
“It’ll have been a precious moment in time and it’ll be over with, so it is sad.”
She also revealed her kids are looking forward to a time when she is not pregnant so that they can have pillow fights with her.
Tori Spelling said: “I got pregnant so quickly after I had Hattie that I think they’re just like, <<Oh, Mom’s constantly in a state of pregnancy>>.
“They say they’re going to be excited when I’m not pregnant anymore so I can have pillow fights again with them. That’s their big thing.”
“Once in a blue moon” is not just a phrase we use for those occasional treats or chores, but it is also a rare statistical quirk which occurs when a full moon occurs twice in a calendar month.
Sadly, the moon is not going to turn blue, and indeed the reason why we call it a “blue moon” is lost to history, although the Farmers’ Almanac would always note an occurrence during the 18th century.
Regardless, today, Friday, August 31, will be the first “blue moon” since March 2010 and there will not be another one again until July 2015 – so it’s time to get on with that list of things to do.
With a full moon occurring once every 29 days, and a month topping out with a maximum of 31 days, the combination is a rare one – occurring around once every two-and-a-half years.
Blue Moon is a rare statistical quirk which occurs when a full moon occurs twice in a calendar month
Sadly, we cannot expect the moon to take on a different hue. Barring volcanic eruption, it will remain as white as ever, unless clouds obscure the view.
If a volcano does erupt, then all bets are off, as ash in the sky has been known to play visual tricks with the sun and the moon.
When Krakatoa erupted in Indonesia in 1883 – where ash soared right into the upper echelons of the atmosphere, blue moons were reported around the world, for up to two years.
Krakatoa’s ash is the reason. Some of the ash-clouds were filled with particles about 1 micron (one millionth of a meter) wide – the right size to strongly scatter red light, while allowing other colors to pass.
White moonbeams shining through the clouds emerged blue, and sometimes green.
Blue moons persisted for years after the eruption. People also saw lavender suns and, for the first time, noctilucent clouds.
The ash caused “such vivid red sunsets that fire engines were called out in New York, Poughkeepsie, and New Haven to quench the apparent conflagration”, according to volcanologist Scott Rowland at the University of Hawaii.
Other less potent volcanos have turned the moon blue, too. People saw blue moons in 1983, for instance, after the eruption of the El Chichon volcano in Mexico. And there are reports of blue moons caused by Mt. St. Helens in 1980 and Mount Pinatubo in 1991.
According to NASA, the key to a blue moon is having in the air lots of particles slightly wider than the wavelength of red light (0.7 micron) – and no other sizes present. This is rare, but volcanoes sometimes spit out such clouds, as do forest fires.
Physics professor Sue Ann Bowling of the University of Alaska said: “On September 23, 1950, several muskeg fires that had been quietly smoldering for several years in Alberta suddenly blew up into major – and very smoky – fires.
“Winds carried the smoke eastward and southward with unusual speed, and the conditions of the fire produced large quantities of oily droplets of just the right size (about 1 micron in diameter) to scatter red and yellow light.
“Wherever the smoke cleared enough so that the sun was visible, it was lavender or blue.
“Ontario and much of the east coast of the U.S. were affected by the following day, but the smoke kept going. Two days later, observers in England reported an indigo sun in smoke-dimmed skies, followed by an equally blue moon that evening.”
The Pentagon announces it may sue former Navy SEAL Matt Bissonette, who has written a first-hand account of the May 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
The Department of Defense’s top lawyer has informed Matt Bissonette that he has violated agreements not to divulge military secrets.
He signed two non-disclosure forms with the Navy in 2007, the Pentagon said.
The book, No Easy Day, which was written under the pseudonym Mark Owen, is due to be released on September 11.
Matt Bissonette book, No Easy Day, which was written under the pseudonym Mark Owen, is due to be released on September 11
It was not reviewed ahead of publication by the Pentagon, CIA or the White House – and officials had warned that criminal charges could result from the improper disclosure of secret information.
The Pentagon’s general counsel, Jeh Johnson, wrote to the author on Thursday that his non-disclosure forms had obliged him to “never divulge” classified information.
The letter said: “In the judgment of the Department of Defense, you are in material breach and violation of the non-disclosure agreements you signed.”
The Pentagon is considering “all remedies legally available to us”, the letter added.
It was reported this week that No Easy Day contradicts the official story of the raid.
The book says Osama bin Laden was shot dead as soon as he looked out of his bedroom as SEAL’s rushed up the stairs, according to the Associated Press news agency, which has seen an advance copy.
But US officials have stated he was shot only after he had ducked back into the bedroom, prompting fears he might be grabbing a weapon.
The book also reveals that the commandos were not big fans of President Barack Obama, even though they applauded his decision to launch the operation.
Chinese dissident Wang Xiaoning, who was convicted of subversion charges with the help of evidence provided by Yahoo, has been released from jail.
Wang Xiaoning was freed early on Friday morning, his wife, Yu Ling, announced.
He who was detained in 2002, served his 10-year sentence in a Beijing jail.
Yahoo drew widespread criticism for providing information linking him to emails and political writings.
Chinese dissident Wang Xiaoning, who was convicted of subversion charges with the help of evidence provided by Yahoo, has been released from jail
Yu Ling said her husband was in “good health and fine spirits” but was not allowed to give media interviews under the conditions of his release.
She could not comment on his experience in prison, she added.
Wang Xiaoning, a former engineer, was prosecuted after posting pro-democracy statements online calling for an end to one-party Communist rule. He was jailed for “incitement to subvert state power”.
The case raised questions about whether internet companies should co-operate with governments that repress freedom of speech.
A human rights group filed a lawsuit in the US on behalf of several plaintiffs, including Wang Xiaoning and a Chinese journalist, Shi Tao, who was also jailed for 10 years in 2005.
Yahoo later apologized and paid an undisclosed amount of compensation to the families involved.
It also told the US congress that the company had been legally obliged to provide the information.
A court in Tokyo has ruled that Samsung Electronics did not infringe on patents held by Apple, which is the first victory for the South Korean company.
The patent was related to transferring media content between devices.
It comes after Samsung lost a key patent case in the US last week and was ordered to pay more than $1 billion in damages.
This is one of many cases brought to courts around the world by the two smartphone market leaders.
“We welcome the court’s decision, which confirmed our long-held position that our products do not infringe Apple’s intellectual property,” Samsung said in a statement.
Tokyo court has ruled that Samsung Electronics did not infringe on patents held by Apple
Tokyo District Judge Tamotsu Shoji dismissed the case filed by Apple in August, finding that Samsung was not in violation of Apple patents related to synchronizing music and video data between devices and servers.
On 24 August, a US court ruled Samsung had infringed Apple patents for mobile devices, including the iPhone and iPad.
The company has vowed to continue to fight against Apple saying it will appeal against the US ruling.
Apple is now seeking a ban on sales of eight Samsung phones in the US market.
On 6 December, US District Judge Lucy Koh, who presided over the initial trial, will hear Apple’s plea for an injunction against the Samsung phones, although it does not include the most recent Samsung phone to hit the market, the Galaxy S3.
Mitt Romney has accepted the Republican presidential nomination at the party’s convention in Florida where he has pledged to “restore the promise” of America.
Mitt Romney, 65, accused President Barack Obama of failing to deliver on his promises and presented his plan involving energy independence, cutting the budget deficit and creating jobs.
He also spoke of his Mormon faith.
The Obama campaign said Mitt Romney had been “no tangible ideas” and he “would take our country backwards”.
Mitt Romney will challenge the Democratic president in November’s election.
His speech was the climax of the three-day Republican convention, which correspondents saw as an attempt to show the human side of a candidate who is sometimes accused of being opaque and distant.
Mitt Romney began the most important speech of his political career by accepting the nomination that he was overwhelmingly awarded on Tuesday by thousands of delegates at the gala in Tampa.
It secured him the position that eluded him in his first presidential bid in 2008, when Arizona Senator John McCain became the Republican nominee.
“I wish President Obama had succeeded because I want America to succeed,” Mitt Romney said, in a speech that was watched by millions across the US.
He recounted details of his Mormon upbringing, with anecdotes about his family life and his parents’ loving marriage.
Mitt Romney talked about his own experiences as a father, apparently becoming emotional as he talked about the times when he and his wife Ann would wake up to find “a pile of kids asleep in our room”.
Mitt Romney has accepted the Republican presidential nomination at the party's convention in Florida
He also levelled a barrage of attacks at President Barack Obama: “The time has come to turn the page. Today the time has come for us to put the disappointments of the last four years behind us. To put aside the divisiveness and the recriminations.”
“Now is the time to restore the promise of America,” he added.
Mitt Romney vowed to create 12 million American jobs over the next four years and turn around an economy saddled with an 8.3% unemployment rate.
The presidential nominee also pledged to make the US energy independent by 2020, cut the national deficit and negotiate new trade agreements.
“I will begin my presidency with a jobs tour. President Obama began his presidency with an apology tour,” he said.
Mitt Romney accused the president of having “thrown allies like Israel under the bus”, while being too lenient with Iran.
“Under my administration, our friends will see more loyalty and Mr. Putin will see a little less flexibility and more backbone,” he said.
He brought the crowd to its feet when he pledged to repeal Barack Obama’s signature healthcare bill.
The event ended with the entire Romney family – his wife, five sons and their wives and most of his 18 grandchildren – on stage with him as thousands of balloons were released over the convention floor.
Republicans at the convention said they were confident of victory after the speech.
“It’s been great. It’s fired us up. We’re going forward. We’re going to make it happen,” one delegate said.
“This is just the cherry on the whipped cream, on the ice cream, and we’re going to win in November, and there’s no stopping it now. This is the wind that’s going to blow us into office,” said another.
But Barack Obama’s campaign manager Jim Messina said the address contained little substance.
“Much like the entire Republican Convention, Mitt Romney’s speech tonight offered many personal attacks and gauzy platitudes, but no tangible ideas to move the country forward,” he said.
“What he didn’t share were his actual proposals, which would take our country backwards.”
Appearing on stage earlier to pledge his support for Mitt Romney, Hollywood star Clint Eastwood raised eyebrows with an off-the-cuff monologue to an imaginary Barack Obama in an empty chair.
Referring to the president, Clint Eastwood told a rapturous audience: “When somebody does not do the job, you’ve got to let ’em go.”
Democrats have sought to depict Mitt Romney as a wealthy, elitist, tax-dodging, corporate raider and policy chameleon. Low favorability ratings have dogged him throughout his campaign and he trails Barack Obama in likeability.
To counter that image, the convention heard emotional testimonials about Mitt Romney’s work as a Mormon leader that left some attendees in tears.
One couple talked of how Mitt Romney had befriended and comforted their dying teenage son.
A woman recalled how the Republican’s “eyes filled with tears” when her premature baby daughter was close to death in hospital.
On Wednesday, Mitt Romney’s running mate, Paul Ryan, pledged a “turnaround” for America, while attacking Barack Obama.
But fact-checkers said there were a number of inaccuracies in the Wisconsin congressman’s address.
The job of softening Mitt Romney’s edges also fell to his wife, who brought down the house on Tuesday with a speech about their high-school romance.
According to experts, a growing number of young women are seeking vaginal rejuvenation.
The hour-long procedure which was originally popular with patients suffering from incontinence or a sagging of the vaginal canal following childbirth, is now more widely used for cosmetic purposes to either to enhance the appearance of the genitalia or boost sexual satisfaction.
While the average age of those requesting the surgery is between 30-45 some doctors are concerned the trend is causing teenagers to become increasingly “misled or confused” about what is normal.
In 2011 more than 2,140 U.S. women underwent vaginal rejuvenation, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery while the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons put the total at almost 5,200 in 2010.
Experts note such figures do not include the many procedures done by gynecologists.
According to experts, a growing number of young women are seeking vaginal rejuvenation
The growth comes despite a warning from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) in 2007 that strongly questioned the medical validity and safety of female genital cosmetic surgery which can cost between $2,500 and $12,000.
One of the major concerns is that many surgeons fail to explain risks, such as infections, scarring, pain and the loss of the very sensations some patients seek to enhance.
However many patients are more than happy to proceed with surgery, even when warned of the dangers, as they are sold on the idea of having a “designer vagina”.
WHAT IS VAGINAL REJUVENATION?
There are two main types of procedure available:
Laser Vaginal Rejuvenation
• For women who want to enhance or improve sexual gratification
• Most patients are women who have had children and experience vaginal relaxation
• The procedure enhances vaginal muscle tone, strength, and control
• Effectively decreases the internal and external vaginal diameters
• Builds up and strengthens the perineal body
Designer Laser Vaginoplasty
• Aesthetic laser enhancement for women who are concerned with appearance
• Sculpts and reduces the inner and outer labia
• Reduces excess skin
• Reduces thickness of the labia minora
• Pigmentation treatment to create uniform coloration
• Rejuvenates the relaxed parts of the vagina
• Augment any areas that are “flat” with transfer of fat from other areas
What better way to celebrate Labor Day than at Concord Mills during our Labor Day Super Sale starting on August 31st and running through September 3rd.
Be sure to stop by Guest Services in Neighborhood 4 to pick up a Super Sale flyer.
Labor Day Super Sale at Concord Mills
Gear up for the Labor Day Super Sale at Concord Mills! August 31st through September 3rd.
This year, Labor Day falls on Monday, September 3, meaning a full weekend of sales and super end of summer savings.
Take advantage of anywhere from 10 – 90% off regular prices at department stores, which each year lure customers away from beaches and backyards to help clear out inventory before the big, end-of-year holiday shopping season.
Summer may be almost over, but there are still hot bargains in store for shoppers at Labor Day sales, with deep discounts on furniture, fall clothing, jewelry, school supplies and, of course, the last of the season’s beachwear and patio furniture at the larger department stores like Macy’s, Target and Walmart.
If you’ve been putting off major purchases on laptops, electronics, back to school gear — or want to get a head start on early Christmas shopping – Labor Day weekend is the time to pounce at Dell, Best Buy, or at the local mall.
This year, Labor Day falls on Monday, September 3, meaning a full weekend of sales and super end of summer savings
Online, also don’t forget to seek out the discount codes and coupons that make Labor Day sales savings even more valuable.
Got the travel itch while summer is still in full swing? Think about jumping on last minute travel bargains at this time of year when (unlike, say, Memorial Day) airlines and summer resorts usually go begging.
Labor Day Sales 2012 – Check out what’s on sale at all major department stores with published flyers, coupons, and other discount and clearance sales information.
Labor Day Sales & Coupons – Browse dozens of retailers and department store sales offering deep discount sales codes and coupons with details on sale days and hours.
dealnews.com – A roundup of major Labor Day weekend sales including the hottest store events and discounts on clothing, furniture, laptops and home electronics.
Dealio – A great place to watch for the latest and greatest discount coupons, coupon codes and sales now going on at Macy’s, Target, JC Penny and other major department stores.
Back to School Sales – Major browsing for top bargains on back to school clothes, shoes, laptops, schoolbags and backpacks.
Over 60,000 people have been ordered to evacuate an area in the south-east of Louisiana because a dam has been damaged by Hurricane Isaac.
People live downstream of the Lake Tangipahoa Dam in Mississippi, which has been damaged but is currently intact.
Isaac, now a tropical storm, dumped huge amounts of rain in recent days.
Officials are worried the broken dam, some 100 miles (161 km) north of New Orleans, could add to a swollen river.
Tangipahoa Parish President Gordon Burgess told local broadcaster WWL that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal had ordered buses to the area to help evacuate residents.
Over 60,000 people have been ordered to evacuate an area in the south-east of Louisiana because a dam has been damaged by Hurricane Isaac
Over 7,000 National Guard troops, the US reserve armed forces, have been called into service across four states, the majority in Louisiana.
Bobby Jindal activated all Louisiana Guardsmen on Wednesday, which would bring total forces in the state to more than 8,000. They have helped rescue or evacuate more than 3,000 people in the state since the storm hit.
In the town of Amite, Louisiana, Police Chief Jerry Trabona said officers were going door-to-door to houses along the Tangipahoa River.
On Twitter, Louisiana officials quoted state Governor Bobby Jindal as saying Mississippi was considering a “controlled breach” of the dam to relieve pressure.
Although no longer a hurricane, Isaac still poses a threat to life because of storm surges, floods and tornadoes, the National Hurricane Center says.
At 13:00 local time, Isaac was 25 km (40 miles) south-west of Monroe, Louisiana, moving at 9 mph (15 km/h), according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm struck New Orleans on Wednesday, on the seven year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the region and killed at least 1,800 people in the Gulf Coast area.
Defence systems built to protect the city passed their first major test, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers.
But along the shores of Lake Ponchartrain, just north of the New Orleans, dozens of buses and high-water vehicles were sent to evacuate some 3,000 people as waters rose fast – it was waist-high in some areas, the Associated Press news agency reports.
In one of the hardest-hit areas, Plaquemines, local boatmen plucked people from the roofs of their homes, many of whom had remained believing they could ride out what seemed a far smaller storm than Katrina.
President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency in Louisiana and Mississippi, allowing federal funds to be released to local authorities.
By Thursday morning, more than one million residents of Louisiana and Mississippi were without power due to Isaac, according to the US department of energy.
Isaac is expected to move further inland over the next several days before breaking up during the weekend.
The storm killed at least 24 people as it passed over Haiti and the Dominican Republic earlier this week.
Singer Adele Adkins has taken to her Twitter account to deny that she has married her fiancé Simon Konecki.
Adele, 24, was reported to have said “I do” to her bearded partner after she was spotted wearing a gold band ring on her wedding finger back in July.
However, the British singer was clearly bored of reading the reports and decided to tweet her 9,094,078 followers, saying: “I’m not married…Zzzzzz.”
Adele’s denial comes after it was reported that she and Simon did marry in secret and that it was a “fabulous occasion”.
“They did get married, and I was present. It was a fabulous occasion,” a source told British media.
“Adele was dressed in a classic attire and Simon looked very smart and joyous.”
Adele Adkins has taken to her Twitter account to deny that she has married her fiancé Simon Konecki
If the wedding did go ahead, it would be the second marriage for entrepreneur Simon Konecki, who married fashion stylist Clary Fisher in 2004. The former couple has a daughter.
When he married Clary Fisher, a London College of Fashion graduate, he was a director of the EBS group, an investment holding company. He now runs his own eco-company White, hence the nickname “Swampy” given to him by friends.
Adele was introduced to her new husband by singer Ed Sheeran during a difficult period, when she was recovering from surgery on her vocal cords.
Their backgrounds could not be more different. While Adele was raised by her single mother and went to an inner-city primary in Tottenham, Simon Konecki was sent to Eton, where contemporaries included Tom Parker Bowles and Bear Grylls.
Simon Konecki’s parents live in a $1.5 million waterfront house in Florida, and his sisters went to public school Roedean.
News of the star’s alleged secret nuptials was first reported by U.S. magazine Life&Style who pictured the star on its cover wearing a black maxi dress revealing her baby bump in London last month with Simon Konecki.
A source told Life&Style: “Adele and Simon managed to keep the baby news a secret for so long that there are rumors they’ve already gotten married, too.
“She’s an old-fashioned girl and can’t wait to be part of a family unit. She just wants to focus on the baby and the man she loves.”
The pictures of Adele seen on the magazine cover are the first seen of the star since announcing her pregnancy in June via her website. There has been no updates to the site since then.
Adele enjoyed one of her last nights out before giving birth by having a quiet dinner at Eight Over Eight and window-shopping at Fulham Road’s antiques shops and bookstores.
“Adele was relaxed and calm, and she and Simon looked really great together,” an eyewitness tells Life & Style.
“She seemed very, very happy. She absolutely does have a pregnancy glow.”
Democrat fundraiser Michael Douglas is reported to be in discussions to play the famously conservative Republican U.S. President Ronald Regan.
Michael Douglas is being considered for the lead role in the Cold War drama, Reykjavik, which takes place over a few days in 1986, when Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met for peace talks in the Icelandic capital.
The film, which takes place against the backdrop of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, will be produced by Ridley Scott and have Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire director Mike Newell behind the camera.
Michael Douglas is being considered for the lead role in the Cold War drama, Reykjavik, which takes place over a few days in 1986, when Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev met for peace talks in the Icelandic capital
The $10 million political drama, which is scheduled to begin shooting in March in Germany, is still looking for a Mikhail Gorbachev.
It has been a busy year for Michael Douglas, 67, who was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2010 and underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Michael Douglas is currently wrapping up shooting on Behind the Candelabra, the Steven Soderbergh-directed movie based on the life of Liberace.
He stars as the flamboyant entertainer in the HBO film which also features Matt Damon, who plays his gay lover Scott Thorson,Rob Lowe, Dan Aykroyd and Debbie Reynolds.
Michael Douglas will also be starring in Last Vegas, a Hangover-style caper for the senior set, which costars Robert De Diro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline.
His wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, meanwhile will return to the big screen next year in Red 2, a sequel to the surprise-hit 2010 comic-book adaptation about a group of former black ops agents who reassemble when one of them becomes the target of an assassination plot.
NASA’s Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) space telescope has added to its list of spectacular finds, spotting millions of supermassive black holes and blisteringly hot, “extreme” galaxies.
The finds once lay obscured behind dust.
But WISE can see in wavelengths correlated with heat, seeing for the first time some of the brightest objects in the Universe.
The haul will help astronomers work out how galaxies and black holes form.
It is known that most large galaxies host black holes at their centres, sometimes feeding on nearby gas, dust and stars and sometimes spraying out enough energy to halt star formation altogether.
How the two evolve together has remained a mystery, and the WISE data are already yielding some surprises.
NASA's WISE space telescope has added to its list of spectacular finds, spotting millions of supermassive black holes and hot galaxies
WISE gives astronomers what is currently a unique view on the cosmos, looking at wavelengths of light far beyond those we can see but giving information that we cannot get from wavelengths we can.
Among its other discoveries, in 2011 WISE spotted in a “Trojan” asteroid ahead of the Earth in its orbit.
But with the latest results, WISE has come into its own as an unparalleled black hole hunter.
“We’ve got the black holes cornered,” said Daniel Stern of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), lead author of one of the three studies presented on Wednesday.
Dr. Daniel Stern and his colleagues used the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (Nustar) space telescope to examine the X-rays coming out of the black hole candidates spotted by Wise, presenting their findings in a paper to appear in Astrophysical Journal.
“WISE is finding them across the full sky, while Nustar is giving us an entirely new look at their high-energy X-ray light and learning what makes them tick,” he said.
The other two studies presented – one already published in Astrophysical journal and another yet to appear – focussed on extremely hot, bright galaxies that have until now remained hidden: hot dust-obscured galaxies, or hot-Dogs.
There are so far about 1,000 candidate galaxies, some of which can out-shine our Sun by a factor of 100 trillion.
“These dusty, cataclysmically forming galaxies are so rare WISE had to scan the entire sky to find them,” said Peter Eisenhardt of JPL, lead author of the paper describing WISE’s first hot-Dog find.
“We are also seeing evidence that these record-setters may have formed their black holes before the bulk of their stars. The <<eggs>> may have come before the <<chickens>>.”
The data from the WISE mission are made publicly available so that scientists outside the collaboration can also carry out their own studies, so the future will hold a wealth of studies from these extreme and otherwise hidden corners of the Universe.
Gorging yourself on as many burgers, chips and cakes as you like one day then eating fewer calories than you find in a cheese sandwich the next might sound like a worrying eating disorder.
However, this regime of chomping away to your heart’s content one day, and virtually starving yourself the next is the latest diet craze. It’s known as “intermittent fasting” or “alternate-day dieting”, and devotees insist the pounds just drop off.
The diet soared in popularity after featuring in a BBC2 Horizon documentary a few weeks ago by health journalist Dr. Michael Mosley. After a month eating normally five days a week and eating just 600 calories the other two days – known as the 5/2 diet – Dr. Michael Mosley lost nearly a stone, reduced his body fat by about 25% and improved his blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Scientific data seems to show that as well as helping to shift pounds, this alternate-day dieting can help us live longer and reduce the risk of diseases such as cancer, diabetes and even Alzheimer’s.
Now a book on the subject, The Alternate Day Diet, is on Amazon’s list of best-selling diet books, while on internet forums, fans of the plan are swapping tips for the best low-calorie meals for fast days.
However, the regime has drawn criticism from nutritionists who believe that any weight loss on the diet would not be sustainable – and claim that it could even trigger eating disorders.
“The idea that you have a very restricted diet on your <<fast>> days and can eat whatever you like on your <<feed>> days isn’t something I’m very comfortable with,” says Zoe Harcombe, author of The Obesity Epidemic book.
“I did this during my late teens and early 20s. It was called bulimia. My biggest concern is that it’s an approach that could encourage disordered eating in people who are prone to that sort of behavior.”
While every dieter will be used to hunger pangs, the side-effects of such extreme calorie restriction can be even more unpleasant.
“The body does its best to get us to eat,” says Zoe Harcombe.
“So if you’re only eating a quarter of the calories you need, you can expect to experience symptoms associated with low blood sugar. Anything from feeling light-headed and having shaky hands to feeling irritable and lacking concentration.”
Scientific data seems to show that as well as helping to shift pounds, alternate-day dieting can help us live longer and reduce the risk of diseases such as cancer, diabetes and even Alzheimer’s
The diet can also cause digestive problems. Followers are encouraged to up their water consumption on low calorie days.
If they don’t, they can find themselves constipated, with all the associated stomach cramps and bloating. Despite such concerns, many swear by the plan.
While the idea that you can eat anything on your free days sounds great – especially for dieters who struggle to stick to low-calorie eating plans long-term without falling off the wagon – many nutritionists believe that those on the alternate day diet could end up over-indulging on “feast” days, and actually put on weight.
However, Dr. Krista Varady of the University of Illinois in Chicago, one of the scientists involved in research into intermittent fasting, insists that this doesn’t happen.
“Our studies show that people end up losing weight because they can’t fully make up for the lack of food on the fast day on the feed day. And people in our studies didn’t binge. They only ate about 100% to 110% of their calorie needs.”
Opinion is divided on just exactly what a fast entails – some say you should eat nothing at all for anything from 17 to 24 hours, while others argue that you can have 500 calories, but they should all be consumed in a single midday meal.
Dr. Michael Mosley on the Horizon programme ate his 500 calories split over two meals, breakfast (ham and eggs) and dinner (steamed fish and vegetables), as he found that was the best way to avoid feeling hungry or deprived.
Nutritionists do agree that it is vital to eat nutrient-rich foods if you only eat 500 calories a day.
A brunch of kedgeree made from 100 g of smoked haddock, 50 g of wholegrain brown rice and a spring onion, and then a dinner of 100 g of grilled fillet steak with 100 g of steamed broccoli would give you a balanced diet and fall within the calorie restrictions.
It remains to be seen whether this is a long-term solution for those with weight problems, or is just another short-lived diet craze that will go the way of the Grapefruit Diet, the Cabbage Soup Diet, and other extreme plans women have subjected themselves to over the years.
HOW ALTERNATE DAY DIET CAN WORK
MONDAY
Anything you like
TUESDAY
Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled and a slice of ham (250 calories)
Lunch: Nothing
Dinner: 100 g (uncooked weight) skinless chicken breast, grilled, served with 150 g new potatoes, boiled, and 100g broccoli, steamed (259 calories)
WEDNESDAY
Anything you like
THURSDAY
Breakfast: Kedgeree made from 100g cooked smoked haddock, 50 g (uncooked weight) of wholegrain brown rice, boiled, and a spring onion (265 calories)
Lunch: Nothing
Dinner: 100 g fillet steak, grilled, served with 100 g wild rocket and 100 g carrots, boiled (242 calories)
Egypt’s President Mohammed Mursi has told a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Iran that the Syrian uprising is a “revolution against an oppressive regime”.
Mohammed Mursi, who is making the first visit to Iran by an Egyptian leader since 1979, said the movement had an “ethical duty” to support the uprising.
His comments sparked a walkout by the Syrian delegation.
Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Mr Mursi’s speech “incites continued bloodshed in Syria”.
Egypt has been holding the rotating NAM presidency and Mohammed Mursi was handing the duty over to Iran during his visit.
He used his speech to tell delegates of the 120-member body: “Our solidarity with the struggle of the Syrian people against an oppressive regime that has lost its legitimacy is an ethical duty, as it is a political and strategic necessity.
“We all have to announce our full solidarity with the struggle of those seeking freedom and justice in Syria, and translate this sympathy into a clear political vision that supports a peaceful transition to a democratic system of rule that reflects the demands of the Syrian people for freedom.”
Egypt's President Mohammed Mursi has told Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Iran that the Syrian uprising is a revolution against an oppressive regime
He compared the anti-government movement in Syrian to the Palestinians, saying they were both “actively seeking freedom, dignity and human justice”, and said Egypt was “ready to work with all to stop the bloodshed”.
Tehran’s hope for the summit was to show the West the Islamic Republic had plenty of friends elsewhere, but Mohammed Mursi’s comments would certainly have upset the hosts.
However, he says not everyone in Iran would have noticed, as one Iranian state TV channel mistranslated Mohammed Mursi’s words into Persian, giving the impression that president was actually speaking in support of the Syrian government.
Syria’s delegation walked out of the conference room when Mohammed Mursi began speaking, Egyptian and Syrian media reported. Iranian media said they had simply left to conduct an interview.
Walid Muallem said Mohammed Mursi’s comments “violated the traditions of the summit and are considered interference in Syrian internal affairs”.
He accused Mohammed Mursi of “inciting continued bloodshed in Syria”.
Mohammed Mursi’s visit was the first by an Egyptian leader to Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when Iran cut ties with President Anwar Sadat’s administration over its signing of a peace treaty with Israel.
After his speech, Mohammed Mursi met Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said the presidents had discussed bilateral ties and “emphasized the need to solve the Syria crisis via diplomacy and to prevent foreign intervention”.
Mohammed Mursi left Tehran shortly afterwards, Iranian media said.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who is attending the summit, said Syria was facing a long-term civil war, and warned that “those who provide arms to either side in Syria are contributing to the misery”.
“The situation cannot be resolved with the blood and the bodies of more than 18,000 people and counting. There should be no more bullets and bombs. I urge all parties in the strongest possible terms to stop the violence now,” he said.
Ban Ki-moon’s acceptance of Tehran’s invitation to the summit was described by the US State Department as “strange”, but the South Korean has not shied from drawing attention to the Iran’s human rights record, telling a press conference he had “serious concerns”.
Nuclear disarmament is also on the agenda of the talks and in his speech to delegates on Thursday, Ayatollah Khamenei said that, contrary to the view held in the West, Iran was “never seeking nuclear weapons”.
He said such weapons were “a major and unforgivable sin”, but that Iran would “never give up the right to peaceful nuclear energy”.
The ayatollah also criticized the “illogical” structure of the United Nations Security Council, saying it enabled the US to impose its “bullying manner” on the world, Reuters reports.
“The UN Security Council has an irrational, unjust and utterly undemocratic structure, and this is an overt dictatorship,” he said.
Ban Ki-moon responded to the ayatollah’s statement by calling on Iran to build confidence in its nuclear ambitions by co-operating fully with the Security Council over its nuclear programme.
He also rebuked Tehran for its hostility towards Israel, saying: “I strongly reject threats by any member states to destroy another or outrageous attempt to deny historical facts such as the Holocaust, claiming that another state, Israel, does not have the right to exist or describing it in racist terms.”
Miners arrested at Lonmin Marikana mine in South Africa will be charged later with the murder of 34 colleagues shot by police, an official has said.
A prosecuting authority spokesman said that 270 workers would be tried under the “common purpose” doctrine.
They were in the crowd which confronted the police, who opened fire, sparking a national outcry.
Police have not been charged because a commission of inquiry would investigate their actions, the spokesman said.
Miners arrested at Lonmin Marikana mine in South Africa will be charged later with the murder of 34 colleagues shot by police
Six of the 270 workers remain in hospital, after being wounded in the 16 August shooting at the mine owned by Lonmin, the world’s third biggest platinum producer, in South Africa’s North West province.
The other 264 workers are appearing in the Garankuwa magistrates court near the capital, Pretoria.
About 100 people are protesting outside court, demanding their immediate release.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesman Frank Lesenyego said they would all face murder charges – including those who were unarmed or were at the back of the crowd.
“This is under common law, where people are charged with common purpose in a situation where there are suspects with guns or any weapons and they confront or attack the police and a shooting takes place and there are fatalities,” he said.
Frank Lesenyego said the updated indictments had already been given to the defence and these would be formally delivered to the accused in court, starting on Thursday.
The conflict at the mine was triggered by a dispute over pay and union recognition, which has paralyzed operations for three weeks.
During a visit to the mine after the killings, President Jacob Zuma told workers he “felt their pain” and promised a speedy and thorough investigation of the killings.
Police said they started shooting after being threatened by large groups of miners armed with machetes.
Ten people, including two police officers and two security guards, were killed during the protests before the police shooting.
Doug Gotterba, John Travolta’s former pilot who claims he had a six-year affair with the actor is lifting the curtain on their alleged relationship.
So far unsubstantiated claims emerged in June Doug Gotterba had a long-term relationship with the actor in the Eighties – before his marriage to Kelly Preston.
Doug Goterba, 62, in an explosive new interview about their alleged affair, claims John Travolta admitted he “preferred men” shortly after his 1991 nuptials, according to The National Enquirer.
The former pilot, who began working for the Pulp Fiction star in 1981, has told the tabloid the pair began a sexual relationship shortly thereafter.
While John Travolta’s lawyers have strenuously denied a wave of similar allegations made against him by other parties, Doug Gotterba moved forward with the interview, recalling when, he says, the pair’s relationship took a turn.
He told the Enquirer: “We flew into Monterey, California, and went up to the Highlands resort in Carmel. We had a wonderful dinner with a fantastic bottle of merlot, and I got the sense I was being courted.
“As we walked from the restaurant back to the room, John suddenly said, <<Hey, would you like a massage?>>.
“I’d already prepared myself for something like that, so I said, <<Sure, why not?>>. I went back to his room, showered and came out wearing only a towel. John said, <<Okay, like, down here on the bed>>. He gave me a massage – and it turned into something else!
“John was gentle, but very passionate. The next day, he told me with a big smile on his face, <<I really enjoyed last night>>. And I told him, >>So did I!>.”
Doug Gotterba, John Travolta’s former pilot who claims he had a six-year affair with the actor is lifting the curtain on their alleged relationship
According to Doug Gotterba, the pair continued to see each other romantically for the next six years. During that time, he said, John Travolta enjoyed having multiple sexual partners and wanted to make a sex tape.
He claims the last time the pair saw each other was in 1992, a year after the actor married his wife, Kelly Preston.
Doug Gotterba recalled: “They’d just gotten back from the Church of Scientology’s Celebrity Center in Hollywood when I arrived and John asked me to go with him for a walk on the beach.
“We were making small talk when suddenly, I blurted out, <<So, John, tell me. Now that you’re married, do you still prefer men – or women?>>. He looked me straight in the eye and said, <<Well, Doug, I still prefer men!>>. I said, <<okay>>. And that’s the last time we saw each other.”
John Travolta’s sex scandal saga began in May, when the A-lister was hit with two lawsuits from male masseurs claiming the actor made sexual advances towards them during massages – though one claim was later withdrawn.
The actor’s one-time secretary Joan Edwards – who worked for the star from 1978 to 1994 – followed in June with allegations of an affair between John Travolta and Doug Gotterba.
It then emerged last month that author Robert Randolph has claimed in a lawsuit the actor and his attorney, Marty Singer, made false claims about his mental health in a bid to bring the writer’s credibility into question.
Marty Singer’s legal team managed to stop his book You’ll Never Spa in This Town Again – in which Robert Randolph made explosive claims he witnessed John Travolta engaged in sexual intercourse with other men at various bathhouses – from making it onto the shelves.
New claims continued to emerge, with various people coming out of the woodwork making similar allegations. And while John Travolta has not addressed the allegations directly, though his legal team in the past has strenuously denied them and have prepared to take legal action.
Marty Singer this month filed suit against cruise ship worker Fabian Zanzi, who in May made claims the actor sexually assaulted him aboard a 2009 cruise; the lawyer also said recently said the pair intend to sue Robert Randolph’s attorneys for malicious prosecution.
John Travolta, 58, has meanwhile put on a brave face.
He stepped out earlier this month at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s 2012 Installation Luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where he cavorted with fellow stars including Bradley Cooper, Dustin Hoffman and Steven Spielberg.
His wife, Kelly Preston, has stood by the actor, supporting him at public events while meanwhile enjoying time abroad with her husband and their 20-month-old Benjamin, in late July and August.
John Travolta and Kelly Preston share two children, Benjamin and Ella Blue, 11. Their eldest child Jett died in 2009 at the age of 17.
Giuliana and Bill Rancic welcomed their son Edward Duke into the world on Wednesday evening, via a surrogate mother.
Bill Rancic tweeted: “The <<Duke>> has landed! Edward Duke Rancic was welcomed into the world last night at 7 lbs 4 oz. G & I feel blessed beyond words…We did it!( sic)”
Giuliana Rancic, 37, told E! News: “Bill and I are blessed beyond words to welcome Edward into our lives.
“Thank you so much to everyone who supported us along the way. We are so in love with the little guy already!”
Edward was born at 10:12 p.m. and the baby’s umbilical called was cut by Giuliana and Bill Rancic moments before the held him ahead of anyone else.
Giuliana and Bill Rancic welcomed their son Edward Duke into the world on Wednesday evening, via a surrogate mother
The American entrepreneur and reality star tweeted the news of the surrogate going into labor yesterday afternoon.
“It’s game time,” Bill Rancic posted on his Twitter account.
The couple was in Denver by the surrogate’s side, where Giuliana Rancic was said to be delivering their son.
This week the couple had been enjoying an “epic” babymoon in Colorado, which included a “great” hike up Vail Mountain in Eagle County.
Earlier in the week Giuliana Rancic wrote on Twitter: “Great hike on Vail Mountain, amazing couples massage… Now, this is how to spend a babymoon!!! #heaven (sic)”
Bill and Giuliana Rancic also enjoyed a fly-fishing trip and indulged in an “epic” strawberry shortcake desert at Montana Ted’s restaurant.
Posting a picture of their calorific treat on twitter, the presenter wrote: “This is livin (sic).”
Earlier this month the couple revealed that they will be decamping across the country to join their surrogate in Denver in the run-up to the big day.
“We are officially on baby watch as of today,” reality star Bill Rancic told TooFab earlier this month.
“We’re in that three week zone,” he explained.
“We’re going to just chill out there until the little guy comes.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming him into the world because this little guy is certainly pretty special to us.”
Bill Rancic said he was feeling excited, but also a “bit nervous”.
“This is our first baby. If we weren’t nervous something would be wrong,” he explained.
“But more joy. We’ve had to travel a lot of different roads to get here.”
And he said his “little guy” probably saved his wife’s life, as the medical checks she underwent as part of her IVF lead to her early diagnosis of breast cancer.
“Had we not had the struggles with conceiving… she wouldn’t have gotten a mammogram for many years,” he explained.
“Her story and our story would’ve had a much different ending because the cancer would’ve spread.”
Bill and Giuliana Rancic struggled to conceive naturally, undergoing three failed cycles of IVF.
Then last year during her treatment Giuliana Rancic was diagnosed with breast cancer, putting their dreams of a family on hold.
She underwent a lumpectomy followed by radiation before undergoing a double mastectomy.
Following her recovery, the couple decided to use a surrogate mother to try for a baby, and were thrilled when their attempt ended in a pregnancy.
And Bill Rancic added that while the couple had a shortlist of names, it was going to be a “gameday decision”.
“Once we see the little guy and hold him in our arms, that’ll seal the deal,” so the baby must have looked like an Edward Duke.
Samsung’s Android and Windows-powered touchscreen devices have been unveiled at the IFA trade show in Berlin.
The new models include several firsts for the company: a Windows RT tablet; a Windows Phone 8 smartphone; and an Android-powered camera.
It also revealed an update to its Galaxy Note model – a so-called “phablet” that is larger than most phones, but smaller than most tablets.
The products are its first since losing a patent lawsuit to Apple in the US.
The South Korean firm faces paying its rival over $1 billion in damages related to several of its Android models, but has signalled it will challenge the ruling.
Samsung’s Android and Windows-powered touchscreen devices have been unveiled at the IFA trade show in Berlin
Samsung’s new line-up includes a 10.1 in (25.7 cm) touchscreen tablet which uses an ARM-based chip and the RT version of Windows 8.
It also revealed Intel-based models that are more powerful and run the full version of the system. The devices, which are branded as Slate or Ativ Smart PCs depending on where they are sold, function as hybrids – working either as standalone tablets or as laptops when added to keyboard docks.
They update its 2011 Slate models and follow a similar format to Asus’s Transformer hybrids.
In addition Samsung showed off the Ativ S – its first smartphone to run Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 8 Phone system. It features a 4.8 in (12.2 cm) display, making it one of the bigger models on the market.
There was only one Android-tablet announcement – the Galaxy Note 2. The device features a 5.5 in (14 cm) screen and is narrower and taller than its predecessor.
It also features a new Air View function. When a stylus is held about 1cm above its display, previews are triggered of on-screen objects such as the contents of a photo album or an email.
The news follows on from a recent announcement of another, larger Android tablet – the Galaxy Note 10.1.
One analyst said it was no surprise to see the firm covering so many bases.
“Samsung’s strategy is to make whatever the market needs,” said Ken Dulaney, vice president at the tech consultancy Gartner.
“They make a lot of products in a lot of categories rather than carrying out tons of market research.
“Their greatest strengths are engineering and manufacturing, and they use those strengths to sort out what the market wants. In contrast, American companies typically spend more time on pre-development research, and then rely more on marketing.”
Samsung’s other announcement was the Galaxy Camera.
The device is the second mainstream compact camera powered by Android to be announced in a week, following on from a release by Nikon.
It marks a new category of devices to use Google’s system, offering the opportunity to install photo editing apps and other third-party software on the machines.
Samsung’s model includes the option of using 3G or 4G data connectivity in addition to wi-fi, making it easier to upload pictures to social networks.
An Indian diplomatic bag has been found on Mont Blanc in the French Alps, close to where an Air India plane crashed 46 years ago.
The jute bag was recovered by a mountain rescue worker and his neighbor after some tourists spotted it on a glacier last week.
The Indian embassy in Paris told the AFP news agency that it would begin efforts to retrieve the bag.
The Air India plane flying from Mumbai to New York crashed in January 1966.
All 117 people on board died.
An Indian diplomatic bag has been found on Mont Blanc in the French Alps, close to where an Air India plane crashed 46 years ago
The bag recovered from the glacier has markings saying “Diplomatic mail” and “Ministry of External Affairs”, as the foreign ministry is called in India.
“Some tourists came and told us they had seen something shining on the Bossons glacier,” rescue worker Arnaud Christmann told AFP.
“We found pieces of the cabin, a shoe, cables – it’s a real dump up there!”
Arnaud Christmann said the diplomatic bag was “sitting as if someone had just placed it there”.
“We were hoping for diamonds or at least a few gold ingots. Instead we got some soaking wet mail and Indian newspapers,” he said.
“It’s not the sort of thing you find very often in the mountains – the mail’s going to arrive 46 years late.”
The bag has been handed over to the police in the town of Chamonix at the base of the mountain.
The Indian embassy in Paris said on Wednesday that it had not been informed of the discovery but officials would be looking into it to recover the bag.
China has agreed to buy 50 planes worth $3.5 billion from Europe’s Airbus.
The agreement is part of a slew of trade deals signed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the start of a two-day visit to China.
An agreement on Airbus plane assembly in China was also signed, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said on Thursday his country would continue to invest in the EU.
This is the first significant deal in China for Airbus, whose parent company is EADS, since a dispute between the country and the European Union over the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
China has agreed to buy 50 planes worth $3.5 billion from Europe's Airbus
Effective from 1 January this year, the ETS charges airlines for the carbon they emit.
China and other countries say the system is not fair, as it charges airlines for the full journey, not just over European airspace.
Following this in March, EADS chief executive Louis Gallois said Airbus was facing “retaliation measures” by China.
According to him, China had blocked firms from buying planes made by Airbus. Beijing did not comment on the allegation.
Angela Merkel is in China for the second time this year, as she tries to improve relations and drum up business for European companies.
She is being accompanied by several ministers, as well as top German executives.
Bilateral trade between Germany and China totalled about $180 billion dollars last year. That is nearly double what it was five years ago.
On Thursday, the two countries signed 10 further agreements, in the sectors of communication, energy, health and maritime co-operation, among others, Xinhua said.
Yahoo News has fired its Washington bureau chief David Chalian for saying White House hopeful Mitt Romney was “happy to have a party with black people drowning”.
Caught on an open microphone, David Chalian was discussing Hurricane Isaac, which hit Louisiana with the Republican convention under way.
Yahoo said the remark did not represent the company’s views and that it had apologized to the Romney campaign.
David Chalian said on Wednesday he was “profoundly sorry”.
Yahoo News has fired its Washington bureau chief David Chalian for saying White House hopeful Mitt Romney was "happy to have a party with black people drowning"
His gaffe came on Tuesday evening, as Yahoo News was preparing to begin its live coverage of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, in association with ABC News.
In a video posted on YouTube, the commentators can be heard discussing how Isaac, which has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, was bearing down on the US Gulf Coast.
As footage is broadcast of Mitt Romney and his wife Ann, one voice can be heard saying: “They’re not concerned at all.”
Laughter is heard in the background as David Chalian says: “They are happy to have a party with black people drowning.”
He later apologized on his Facebook page for “making an inappropriate and thoughtless joke”.
“I was commenting on the challenge of staging a convention during a hurricane and about campaign optics,” he said.
A Yahoo spokeswoman told the Associated Press: “He has been terminated effective immediately.
“We have already reached out to the Romney campaign, and we apologize to Mitt Romney, his staff, their supporters and anyone who was offended.”
Mitt Romney was officially selected as the Republican presidential nominee on Tuesday, the first full day of the convention, which started a day late amid concerns over Isaac.
Queen Elizabeth II has declared the London 2012 Paralympics officially open, during a spectacular opening ceremony watched by some 80,000 spectators.
Britain’s first Paralympic Games gold medallist, Margaret Maughan, 84, had the honor of lighting the cauldron.
Paralympics chief Lord Sebastian Coe told the crowd: “Prepare to be inspired, prepare to be dazzled, prepare to be moved.”
The Queen said: “The Games are returning to the country where they first began, more than 60 years ago.”
Earlier, athletes paraded around the Olympic Stadium, with Paralympics GB entering last to huge cheers.
The opening ceremony, co-directed by Jenny Sealey and Bradley Hemmings, signalled the start of 11 days of competition by 4,200 athletes from 164 countries, including more than 300 athletes from the home nation.
Queen Elizabeth II has declared the London 2012 Paralympics officially open, during a spectacular opening ceremony watched by some 80,000 spectators
Wheelchair basketball, shooting, swimming and track cycling are among the events set to feature on the opening day.
Lord Coe told the crowd at the east London stadium: “It is my great honor to say welcome home to the Paralympic Games.”
Eight members of the British under-22 wheelchair basketball team were given the honor of carrying the Paralympic flag into the stadium. It was raised by members of the armed forces, before the Queen declared the Games open.
British swimmer Liz Johnson, a medallist from Beijing 2008, wheelchair rugby judge Richard Allcroft and David Hunter, who is coaching the Paralympics GB equestrian team, each stepped forward to take the official oaths on behalf of competitors and officials.
At the close of the ceremony, 24-year-old Royal Marine Commando Joe Townsend – an aspiring Olympic triathlete, who lost both legs while serving in Afghanistan – descended on a zip wire into the stadium from the top of the nearby Orbit tower.
He handed the flame to David Clarke, a member of the Parlympics GB five-a-side football team, who passed the torch to Margaret Maughan, who won gold in archery at the 1960 Rome Paralympics.
She lit a tiny flame on the ground, igniting more than 200 copper petals. Long stems then rose towards each other to form a cauldron, signifying unity.
Like the impressive Olympic cauldron, it was made by designer Thomas Heatherwick, and 166 of the petals bore the names of competing nations at the London 2012 Paralympics.
Bradley Hemmings said it was “extremely spectacular and like nothing you have seen in previous ceremonies”.
The Paralympics GB athletes earlier entered the stadium to David Bowie’s Heroes, led by Peter Norfolk, the two-time Paralympic wheelchair tennis champion, who carried the union jack. He later described it as a “wow moment”.
In one heart-stopping moment during the show, six Paralympians and former competitors – including Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson – were flown into the stadium in golden wheelchairs.
Disabled ex-serviceman David Rawlins flew a twin-engined Tecnam P2006 light aircraft over the stadium to kick off the proceedings.
A sphere ignited the “big bang” – something which Prof. Stephen Hawking, a world-renowned physicist who has motor neurone disease, has written about extensively – to start the show and fireworks lit up the stadium.
Prof. Stephen Hawking and actor Sir Ian McKellen played prominent roles in the ceremony, which also featured a host of deaf and disabled artists, local children and performers newly-trained in circus skills.
Some 3,000 volunteers took part in the event, which organizers entitled Enlightenment and said was “profoundly about science and humanity”.
Throughout the ceremony, Prof. Stephen Hawking acted as a guide to Miranda – a character from William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, who was central to the show – while actor Sir Ian played Prospero, another character from the play.
Inspired by uncertain British weather, umbrellas were also a big theme in the ceremony, which was described as “both spectacular and deeply human” by organizers.
The Queen was welcomed by Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee, before the union jack was carried in by representatives of the armed forces.
It is the first time the monarch has officiated at the openings of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Teams from all 164 countries paraded into the stadium to music mixed and played by three London-based DJs.
The Paralympic torch began its journey in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, the spiritual home of the Paralympic Games, on Tuesday night.
It was carried by 580 torchbearers in total, and after being carried past some of London’s most famous landmarks, was used to light a scaled-down version of the Olympic cauldron.
The torch had earlier been delayed but Games organizers LOCOG confirmed the flame arrived at the stadium in time to light the cauldron.
More than 2.4 million tickets for events have already been sold, including half a million to overseas visitors.
In a statement released before she opened the Games, the Queen said: “It is with tremendous pride that the people of London and the United Kingdom welcome the world to the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
“We look forward to celebrating the uplifting spirit which distinguishes the Paralympic Games from other events, drawing on Britain’s unique sporting heritage.”
Paralympics in numbers
• 4,280 athletes from 166 countries are to compete throughout the 11 days of sport
• Over 2.4 million tickets have been sold so far – including half a million to visitors from abroad
• There are 503 gold medals to be won in 21 sports
