Home Blog Page 1052

Barack Obama makes tax offer to Mitt Romney

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Barack Obama makes tax offer to Mitt Romney

Barack Obama campaign has said if Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney releases five years of tax returns, they will drop the issue.

Mitt Romney, who has made public his 2010 taxes and plans to do the same with his 2011 returns, rejected the offer.

The former private equity chief said on Thursday he had never paid under 13% in taxes over the past 10 years, a much smaller rate than most US wage-earners.

Mitt Romney will challenge President Barack Obama in November’s election.

Obama campaign manager Jim Messina made the tax-returns offer to his counterpart, Matt Rhoades, in a letter on Friday.

Barack Obama campaign has said if Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney releases five years of tax returns, they will drop the issue
Barack Obama campaign has said if Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney releases five years of tax returns, they will drop the issue

“Governor Romney apparently fears that the more he offers, the more our campaign will demand that he provide,” Jim Messina wrote.

“So I am prepared to provide assurances on just that point. If the Governor will release five years of returns, I commit in turn that we will not criticize him for not releasing more – neither in ads nor in other public communications or commentary for the rest of the campaign.”

Releasing several years of tax returns has become a standard move in recent presidential elections.

And Jim Messina noted that the Republican candidate’s father, former Michigan Governor George Romney, had released 12 years of his tax returns during his own unsuccessful run for the presidency in 1968.

Matt Rhoades rejected the offer in an email that began: “Hey Jim, thanks for the note.

“It is clear that President Obama wants nothing more than to talk about Governor Romney’s tax returns instead of the issues that matter to voters, like putting Americans back to work, fixing the economy and reining in spending.

“If Governor Romney’s tax returns are the core message of your campaign, there will be ample time for President Obama to discuss them over the next 81 days.”

The candidate’s wife, Ann Romney, reiterated that they were “hiding nothing” in an interview with NBC News on Thursday.

“We have been very transparent to what’s legally required of us,” Ann Romney said.

“There’s going to be no more tax releases given.”

She added that releasing more information would only give their Democratic opponents more “ammunition”.

Mitt Romney has said he is following the example of Republican Senator John McCain, who released two years of returns in 2008 when running against Barack Obama.

He has said his critics would only distort his tax information if he divulged more.

Democrats have repeatedly questioned whether the former Massachusetts governor has something to hide about his estimated net worth of about $250 million.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has accused Mitt Romney of not paying taxes in some years – a claim denied by the Republican.

The top tax rate for wages in America is 35%, but taxes on capital gains are lower.

Some 44% of Americans believe that raising taxes on the wealthiest would help the economy, according to a Pew Research Center Poll last month. Just 22% said they believed the opposite.

The same poll suggested that Americans believed two to one that Barack Obama’s tax proposals would make the tax system more fair.

 

Lakhdar Brahimi confirmed as new UN Syria envoy

Roy Siemens
-
0
Lakhdar Brahimi confirmed as new UN Syria envoy

Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi has been appointed as the new UN-Arab League envoy for Syria, officials have confirmed.

Lakhdar Brahimi, 78, will succeed Kofi Annan, who resigned earlier this month after his six-point peace plan failed to achieve a meaningful ceasefire.

China was the first nation to give its reaction, promising to “co-operate positively” with Lakhdar Brahimi.

However, fighting has continued unabated in the northern city of Aleppo and the capital, Damascus.

Explosions were heard in a number parts of the Syrian capital overnight.

In Aleppo, government troops repulsed attacks by rebel forces near the airport on Friday, Syria’s state-run media said.

Rebel commanders also said they were fighting near the airport, telling the New York Times that their fighters had advanced to within metres of the airport fence.

The claims have not been verified independently.

Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi has been appointed as the new UN-Arab League envoy for Syria
Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi has been appointed as the new UN-Arab League envoy for Syria

Lakhdar Brahimi, whose appointment came a day after the UN called an end to its military observer mission, has held a long series of high-profile diplomatic posts.

As a senior Arab League official between 1984-91, Lakhdar Brahimi brokered an end to the Lebanese civil war, going on to serve as Algerian foreign minister between 1991-3.

Later, he was twice appointed as the UN’s top envoy for Afghanistan, from 1996-8 and from 2001-4. He has held similar roles for Haiti and South Africa.

A spokesman for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the UN welcomed Lakhdar Brahimi’s willingness to help stop “the violence and suffering in Syria”.

Announcing his resignation earlier this month, Kofi Annan had said he was unable to fulfill his role because of the growing militarization of the conflict, as well as the deadlock over the issue in the UN Security Council.

Russia and China have vetoed resolutions on the crisis three times, citing their opposition to any action which might be seen as regime change imposed from outside.

Co-operation was essential in order to find a peaceful resolution, said Lakhdar Brahimi.

“There is no doubt that I will be able to do strictly nothing if I do not have the support and if I do not have the co-operation of the Syrians,” he said.

But Lakhdar Brahimi also insisted diplomatic efforts should not be abandoned: “These missions have to be undertaken. We have got to try. We have got to see that the Syrian people are not abandoned.

“I might very well fail but we sometimes are lucky and we can get a breakthrough.”

At least 60 bodies were found earlier this week in the Damascus suburb of Qatana, activists said, following what the opposition described as a “massacre” by government forces.

A poor-quality video posted online showed what appeared to be the charred remains of dozens of people, many with their hands tied behind their backs.

Activists estimate about 20,000 people have died since anti-government protests erupted against the Assad regime in March last year. Tens of thousands of people have also fled the country.

 

Curiosity rover ready to zap Martian rocks

James J. Williams
-
0
Curiosity rover ready to zap Martian rocks

Curiosity rover is getting ready to zap its first Martian rock.

A small stone lying just to the side of the vehicle at its landing site on the floor of Gale Crater has been selected as a test target for the ChemCam laser.

The brief but powerful burst of light from this instrument will vaporize the surface of the rock, revealing details of its basic chemistry.

Dubbed N165, the object is not expected to have any science value, but should show ChemCam is ready for serious work.

“I’d probably guess this is a typical Mars basalt – basaltic rocks making up a large fraction of all the igneous rocks on Mars,” said Roger Wiens, the instrument’s principal investigator.

“A basalt, which is also common under the ocean on Earth, typically has 48% silicon dioxide and percent amounts of iron, calcium and magnesium, and sodium and potassium oxides as well. We’re not expecting any surprises,” said the Los Alamos National Laboratory researcher.

Curiosity rover is getting ready to zap its first Martian rock
Curiosity rover is getting ready to zap its first Martian rock

Curiosity touched down in its equatorial crater two weeks ago.

Its mission is to investigate the rocks at its landing site for evidence that past environments could have supported life.

The rover carries a suite of instruments for the purpose, but its Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) experiment has probably garnered most attention because nothing like it has ever been flown to Mars before.

ChemCam sits high up on the rover’s mast from where it directs a laser beam on to rocks up to 7 m (23 ft) away.

The spot hit by the infrared laser gets more than a million watts of power focused on it for five one-billionths of a second.

This produces a spark that the instrument observes with a telescope. The colors tell scientists which atomic elements are present in the rock.

ChemCam is going to be a key part of the process of selecting science targets during Curiosity’s two-year mission.

If the laser shows up an interesting rock, the vehicle will move closer and deploy its other instruments for a more detailed investigation.

Assuming the test with the 7 cm-wide N165 object goes well, ChemCam will move on to its first science target.

This will be rock exposed on the ground next to the rover by the rocket-powered crane used to lower the vehicle to the crater floor.

Exhaust from this descent stage scattered surface grit and pebbles to reveal a harder, compact material underneath.

The crane made four scour marks in the ground – two either side of Curiosity. These have been dubbed Burnside, Goulburn, Hepburn and Sleepy Dragon.

The names, all related to fire, are taken from ancient rock formations in Canadian North America.

Goulburn Scour will be zapped by ChemCam.

“There’s bedrock exposed beneath the soil with interesting patterns of color,” said John Grotzinger, Curiosity’s project scientist.

“There’re lighter parts; there’re darker parts, and the team is busy deliberating over how this rock unit may have formed and what it’s composed of. We’ll aim the ChemCam [at Goulburn Scour], as well as taking even higher resolution images.”

Curiosity has not moved since landing on 6 August (GMT). That is about to change.

The rover is going to roll forward briefly to test its locomotion system in the next few days. A reverse manoeuvre is planned, also.

Researchers want eventually to drive several kilometres to the base of the big mountain at the centre of Gale Crater to study sediments that look from satellite pictures to have been laid down in the presence of abundant water.

This journey to the foothills of Mount Sharp is going to have to wait a few months, however, because the science team intends first to go in the opposite direction.

Several hundred metres to the east of Curiosity’s present position is an intersection of three geological terrains.

Again, this location has been given a name – Glenelg. And, again, it is taken from the geology of North America.

The intersection is intriguing and a good place to compare and contrast with the bedrock exposed in Goulburn Scour.

In addition, it may provide access to older, harder rocks. These could make for a first opportunity for Curiosity to use its drill.

“Even though it is in the opposite direction from the path to Mount Sharp, it’s the one place we can go to capture a lot of the information that’s persevered in our landing [location],” said Prof. John Grotzinger.

 

 

Arctic Ramadan fasting dilemma when sun never sets

James J. Williams
-
0
Arctic Ramadan fasting dilemma when sun never sets

Practicing Muslims across the world are observing Ramadan. For one month, they are fasting between sunrise and sunset.

But what do Muslims do in a town where the sun never really goes down?

The town of Rovaniemi in Finland lies in a land of extremes.

At 66 degrees north it straddles the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland. During midwinter it is cloaked in total darkness. But in the summer it is bathed in daylight.

The long days pose a particular problem for fasting Muslims like Shah Jalal Miah Masud.

Shah Jalal Miah Masud, 28, moved to Rovaniemi – 830 km (515 mile) north of the capital, Helsinki – from Bangladesh five years ago to study IT. He has not had any food or water for 21 hours. And he laughs.

“It doesn’t get dark. It always looks like the same, the sun is always on the horizon and it’s quite difficult to get what the time is actually right now,” he says.

Practicing Muslims across the world are observing Ramadan
Practicing Muslims across the world are observing Ramadan

It is 11:00 p.m. in the evening and the sun has only just dipped below the horizon. The sky has turned a beautiful deep, rich blue. This is as dark as it will get, then the sun will rise again in five hours.

Shah Jalal Miah Masud says it is difficult to fast according to Finnish time and admits he is tired. But despite the hunger and fatigue, he says it is a pleasure to observe Ramadan during the long Finnish days.

There is another option which reduces the number of fasting hours – mark its duration by the rising and setting of the sun in countries far to the south of Finland. Dr. Abdul Mannan – a local Imam and president of the Islam Society of Northern Finland – says there are two schools of thought.

“The Egyptian scholars say that if the days are long – more than 18 hours – then you can follow the Mecca time or Medina time, or the nearest Muslim country time,” says Dr. Abdul Mannan.

“The other (point of view) from the Saudi scholars says whatever the day is – long or short – you have to follow the local time.”

Dr. Abdul Mannan says the majority of Muslims in northern Finland observe either Mecca’s fasting hours or Turkish time because it is the nearest Muslim country to Finland.

For Nafisa Yeasmin, a researcher at the University of Lapland, choosing when to fast has not been an easy decision. She moved from Dhaka in Bangladesh six years ago with her husband and two children.

Her spacious Scandinavian-style kitchen – full of white cupboards and wooden work surfaces – smells of frying onions, turmeric, chilli and cumin.

As she prepares her traditional iftar meal, she recalls her first Ramadan in Rovaniemi when she decided to fast according to Finnish daylight hours, going without food for up to 20 hours a day.

“It was very difficult to follow because in Bangladesh we are used to 12 hours’ daytime and 12 hours’ night-time,” she says.

“Then I thought, not any more. I have to follow Mecca’s timetable. But I’m a little bit worried whether Allah will accept it or not.”

Many Muslims come to Finland as refugees from all over the world, particularly Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Since 2001, Finland has accepted 750 refugees a year. New arrivals are often sent to live in towns like Rovaniemi in the far north in a government resettlement programmes.

In Rovaniemi the long days are not the only obstacle that fasting Muslims face.

No shop in this town of 60,000 sells halal food, which is prepared according to Islamic law. The nearest town, Oulu, that does is 300 km away. Another option is Lulea, across the border in Sweden.

Nafisa Yeasmin opts for Lulea, which is a six-hour round trip journey by car, with a shopping list full of items, including black chickpeas, dates, rice crackers and lots of halal meat.

Understandably, she has stocked up for the whole month of Ramadan. To make her point, she opens her huge white fridge – covered in her children’s school photos – to reveal all seven trays crammed full of frozen halal meat.

Yeasmin and Masud both enjoy life on the Arctic Circle and say local people are very welcoming and respectful of their religion.

But they say it is hard to be thousands of kilometres from home, family and friends during a major religious festival.

“We used to break the fast and share the iftar meal together. Now I do it on my own,” says Miah Masud.

“It’s like normal life here, no feeling of a festival. I feel like I’m missing something.”

60,000 Muslims live in Finland

• 1% of population is Muslim

• Tatar Muslims from Russia and Turkey brought Islam in the 1870s

• They worked as merchants in the Helsinki area, trading furs and textiles

 

German army’s crisis role widened to using weapons on the streets

Diane A. Wade
-
0
German army’s crisis role widened to using weapons on the streets

Germany’s army will in future be able to use its weapons on the country’ streets in an extreme situation, the Federal Constitutional Court says.

The ruling says the armed forces can be deployed only if Germany faces an assault of “catastrophic proportions”, but not to control demonstrations.

The decision to deploy forces must be approved by the federal government.

Germany’s army will in future be able to use its weapons on the country’ streets in an extreme situation
Germany’s army will in future be able to use its weapons on the country’ streets in an extreme situation

Severe restrictions on military deployments were set down in the German constitution after Nazi-era abuses.

The court says the military still cannot shoot down a hijacked passenger plane – fighter jets would have to intercept the plane and fire warning shots to force it to land.

After World War II the new constitution ruled that soldiers could not be deployed with guns at the ready on German soil.

The court has now changed that, saying troops could be used to tackle an assault that threatens scores of casualties.

The judges had in mind a terrorist incident involving armed attackers in public places.

German troops have been deployed abroad since the war, but it has been a gradual process.

German warplanes have been used in the Balkans and troops are on the ground in Afghanistan, protecting construction workers, but able to return fire if attacked.

 

The Pirate Bay and Isohunt say Google’s anti-piracy move brings them more direct traffic

Nancy Clayson
-
1
The Pirate Bay and Isohunt say Google’s anti-piracy move brings them more direct traffic

File-sharing websites The Pirate Bay and Isohunt claim the new way in which Google is organizing its search results will drive more direct traffic to their home pages.

Websites that have been flagged for aiding access to pirated content now automatically appear lower down on Google search lists.

The Pirate Bay and Isohunt both say that Google is not their main source of traffic in any case.

YouTube videos are also subject to the new rules, says the US search giant.

Isohunt’s owner had suggested that the Google-owned video clip site would be given preferential treatment because it was excluded from the firm’s Transparency Report list of sites that had provoked copyright removal requests.

A spokeswoman for Google said: “This update applies to all websites including our own – YouTube, Blogger, etc.”

Isohunt's owner had suggested that Google-owned video clip site YouTube would be given preferential treatment because it was excluded from its Transparency Report list of sites that had provoked copyright removal requests
Isohunt's owner had suggested that Google-owned video clip site YouTube would be given preferential treatment because it was excluded from its Transparency Report list of sites that had provoked copyright removal requests

However, since copyright flagging is just one of many factors which influence Google’s rankings, it is unlikely that it will have much impact on platforms dominated by user-generated content, such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Google added that material on YouTube which infringed copyright would be removed from the website completely “in accordance with the law” if it became aware of it.

The new search results are organized according to the number of factors, including the amount of “valid copyright removal notices” Google has received about individual sites.

Those with more notices are likely to appear lower down.

“That Google is putting our links lower is in a way a good thing for us. We’ll get more direct traffic when people don’t get the expected search result when using Google,” said The Pirate Bay in a blog post.

“The thing we don’t like with this is… they’re dictating terms.”

Gary Fung, owner of BitTorrent Isohunt, said that only 21% of its traffic came from Google.

“We have plenty of torrent links to non-copyright infringing content, and we’ll be adding 1.4 million more from the Internet Archive soon,” he wrote on an Isohunt forum.

Gary Fung also queried the validity of the removal notices which he claimed could be spammed.

Those wishing to protect their copyright on YouTube are encouraged to use a free tool called Content ID which digitally fingerprints their work and notifies them if it appears on the site, Google said.

The copyright holder can then decide whether to leave it, have the content taken down or make money from it by adding adverts.

 

Rio Olympics 2016 Theme Song Released: The Gods of Olympus Visit Rio de Janeiro

Clyde K. Valle
-
0

London Olympics 2012 has hardly even had time to enjoy its success and already Rio is attempting to steal its shine, earlier this week releasing the official theme song for the 2016 Olympics.

As can be expected, the new song and video showcase the typical laid-back, tropical style associated with the South American gem.

The Gods of Olympus Visit Rio de Janeiro, as the song is called, was written by Brazilian composers Arlindo Cruz, Roge and Arlindo Neto, and was performed by well-known Rio de Janeiro natives.

London Olympics 2012 has hardly even had time to enjoy its success and already Rio is attempting to steal its shine, earlier this week releasing the official theme song for the 2016 Olympics
London Olympics 2012 has hardly even had time to enjoy its success and already Rio is attempting to steal its shine, earlier this week releasing the official theme song for the 2016 Olympics

The clip follows several Greek gods as they visit the host city of the next Olympic Games, enjoying its inherent pleasures. As the lyrics reveal, “the gods fell in love with the city and didn’t want to leave.”

The song was released at the beginning of this week after Mayor Eduardo Paes, Governor Sergio Cabral, President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee Carlos Arthur Nuzma and several Brazilian athletes returned to the city with the Olympic flag.

 [youtube iw0YoemDEs4]

Ukraine chocolate museum opened in Akmescit

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Ukraine chocolate museum opened in Akmescit

History of chocolate is being re-told in Akmescit, capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in Ukraine, where a chocolate museum was opened.

Opened in 2008, the museum used 1,5 tons of Belgian chocolate to tell the story of chocolate.

It took 6 months to make chocolate paintings and statues in a bid to tell the story of chocolate from Mayas to up to date. Every piece in the exhibition is unique and handmade. The most interesting item of the exhibition was the chocolate waitress serving chocolate on a tray. The statue was inspired by Swiss painter Jean-Etienne Liotard’s painting. More than 200 kg white chocolate was used to make it.

History of chocolate is being re-told in Akmescit, capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in Ukraine, where a chocolate museum was opened
History of chocolate is being re-told in Akmescit, capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in Ukraine, where a chocolate museum was opened

The exhibition has Emperor Crowns, Faberge eggs, and portraits of Christopher Columbus and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The museum is most proud of the chocolate model of Akmescit train station.

Chocolate masters prepare special chocolates for visitors. After touring the museum, visitors can enjoy handmade sweets and chocolates.

 

Lady Gaga wearing a meat corset while performing in Bucharest

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Lady Gaga wearing a meat corset while performing in Bucharest

Lady Gaga first caused a stir when she wore a dress made entirely of meat to the MTV Video Music Awards in 2010.

Lady Gaga, 26, has raised the steaks once again by stepping out in a carnivorous creation as she performed in Bucharest, Romania, last night.

Taking to the stage in Piata Constitutiei Square, the singer showed off her voluptuous figure in a skimpy thong style corset, which appeared to be fashioned out of meat.

With matching ankle boots and fishnet tights completing the look, the Born This Way hitmaker showcased a more curvaceous figure than usual as she performed in front of 35,000 fans.

But the food-based fashion item wasn’t the only unusual look the star went for, with Lady Gaga also opting for a bizarre white ram’s head hat and matching futuristic dress at one stage during the gig, before changing into a black gothic-inspired creation.

Lady Gaga has raised the steaks once again by stepping out in a carnivorous creation as she performed in Bucharest, Romania, last night
Lady Gaga has raised the steaks once again by stepping out in a carnivorous creation as she performed in Bucharest, Romania, last night

However, it might have been that her choice of outfit made the New Yorker feel somewhat nauseous

According to onlookers, halfway through the performance, Lady Gaga had to leave the stage to vomit.

Lady Gaga told the crowd: “I went backstage and vomited, and I did not want you to see this… It happens to me sometimes.”

Despite her health ailment, Lady Gaga continued with the show, and at one stage even dragged a delighted young fan and his mother up on to the stage.

The star first wore a meat dress to the MTV Video Music Awards in 2010, before going on to pose in a beefy bikini on the cover of Vogue Hommes Japan.

And despite coming under fire from vegetarian campaigners for her controversial choice of clothing, the star explained her ensemble was aimed to make a statement about human rights.

Lady Gaga told Ellen DeGeneres in an interview: “Well, it is certainly no disrespect to anyone that is vegan or vegetarian.

“As you know, I am the most judgment-free human being on the earth. However, it has many interpretations but for me this evening.

“If we don’t stand up for what we believe in and if we don’t fight for our rights, pretty soon we’re going to have as much rights as the meat on our own bones. And, I am not a piece of meat.”

[youtube PIGdmbcapHA]

[youtube 2vfcGP2ECF0]

Jacob Zuma announces inquiry into Lonmin Marikana platinum mine killings

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Jacob Zuma announces inquiry into Lonmin Marikana platinum mine killings

South African President Jacob Zuma has announced an inquiry into violence at Lonmin Marikana platinum mine, calling the deaths there “tragic”.

Thirty-four people were killed when police opened fire on striking platinum miners on Thursday.

At least 78 people were injured in the confrontation.

President Jacob Zuma said he was “saddened and dismayed” at the “shocking” events and offered sincere condolences to all families who had lost loved ones.

He said: “We have to uncover the truth about what happened here. I have decided to institute a commission of inquiry. It will enable us to get to the real cause of the incident and derive the necessary lessons.”

The president said his thoughts were with the families of those who had lost their lives but also with the police “who have to intervene in difficult situations”.

President Jacob Zuma has announced an inquiry into violence at Lonmin Marikana platinum mine, calling the deaths there "tragic"
President Jacob Zuma has announced an inquiry into violence at Lonmin Marikana platinum mine, calling the deaths there "tragic"

Jacob Zuma added: “Today is not an occasion for blame, finger-pointing or recrimination. Today challenges us to restore calm and to share the pain of the affected families and communities. Today is about reminding ourselves of our responsibility as citizens.”

The president said it was a “cornerstone of hard-won democracy” to allow for peaceful protests, but added that today was “a day for us to mourn together as a nation – a day to start rebuilding and healing”.

Jacob Zuma had cut short his attendance at a regional summit in Mozambique to deal with the crisis.

He will later visit some of injured being treated in hospital.

Some of the strikers’ wives gathered near the mine on Friday, chanting anti-police songs and demanding to know what had happened to their husbands.

“Police, stop shooting our husbands and sons,” read a banner carried by the women, according to the Associated Press news agency.

A strike at the mine began a week ago and had claimed the lives of 10 people, including two police officers, before the incident on Thursday.

Police were then sent to break up 3,000 miners – some armed with clubs and machetes – who had gathered on a hillside overlooking Marikana to call for a pay rise of about $1,000  a month.

The circumstances that led police to open fire remain unclear, but reports from eyewitnesses suggest the shooting took place after a group of demonstrators rushed at a line of police officers.

Police, armed with automatic rifles and pistols, fired dozens of shots, witnesses said.

Police chief Riah Phiyega said officers “were forced to use maximum force to defend themselves”.

She said 259 people had been arrested on various charges.

The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) accused the police of carrying out a massacre.

“There was no need whatsoever for these people to be killed like that,” General Secretary Jeffrey Mphahlele told Reuters news agency.

The miners, who are currently earning between 4,000 and 5,000 rand ($484-$605), say they want their salary increased to 12,500 rand ($1,512).

South Africa is the largest platinum producer in the world and the dispute has already affected production.

Lonmin, the world’s third-largest platinum producer, has encountered similar labor disputes at the Marikana mine. In May 2011, the company sacked some 9,000 employees after a strike.

 

Gu Kailai trial: court will announce the verdict and sentence on Monday

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Gu Kailai trial: court will announce the verdict and sentence on Monday

The verdict in the murder trial of Gu Kailai, wife of former politician Bo Xilai, will be delivered on Monday, Chinese officials say.

Gu Kailai was tried for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood in Hefei city, Anhui province, on 9 August.

A court official told reporters Gu Kailai had not contested allegations that she killed Neil Heywood by poisoning.

Neil Heywood was found dead at a hotel in Chongqing in November 2011.

“On Monday the court will reconvene and announce the verdict and sentence,” Zhang Mingwu, deputy director of the information office of Anhui province, told AFP news.

Gu Kailai was tried for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood in Hefei city, Anhui province, on 9 August
Gu Kailai was tried for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood in Hefei city, Anhui province, on 9 August

A court spokeswoman said the verdict was scheduled for 09:00 local time, Reuters news agency reported.

Gu Kailai was tried along with her aide, Zhang Xiaojun, who was described by the court as an accomplice.

The two defendants face a possible death penalty if found guilty.

Analysts say given the reports a guilty verdict appears almost certain, but point to suggestions in state media that Gu Kailai may have been trying to protect her son as signs her case could be treated with a degree of leniency.

The scandal surrounding Ms Gu, herself a prominent lawyer, appears to have ended Bo Xilai’s political career.

Bo Xilai was the Communist party chief in the city of Chongqing but was sacked in March and is currently under investigation for unspecified “disciplinary violations”. He has not been mentioned in Gu Kailai’s case.

The trial and verdict come as China prepares to install a new generation of leaders at a once-in-a-decade congress to be held in the next two or three months.

Seven members of the nine-strong politburo Standing Committee are due to retire.

Bo Xilai was once thought to be a key candidate for promotion to the top leadership, but has not been seen in public since the investigation into his wife was announced.

 [youtube JdISXu-aJNk]

Pussy Riot jailed for two years for hooliganism

Sonia Pantiss
-
0
Pussy Riot jailed for two years for hooliganism

The three members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot accused of hooliganism have been jailed for two years after staging an anti-Vladimir Putin protest in a Moscow cathedral.

Judge Marina Syrova convicted the women of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred, saying they had “crudely undermined social order”.

The women say the protest, in February, was directed at the Russian Orthodox Church leader’s support for Vladimir Putin.

The US, UK and EU all criticized the sentences as “disproportionate”.

Prosecutors had been seeking a three-year jail sentence for the women.

Judge Marina Syrova said Maria Alyokhina, 24, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 29, had offended the feelings of Orthodox believers and shown a “complete lack of respect”.

“Tolokonnikova, Alyokhina and Samutsevich committed hooliganism – in other words, a grave violation of public order,” Judge Marina Syrova said.

Along with other members of their band, the women staged a flashmob-style performance of their song close to the altar in the cathedral on 21 February.

Judge Marina Syrova convicted Pussy Riot members of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred
Judge Marina Syrova convicted Pussy Riot members of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred

Their brief, obscenity-laced performance, which implored the Virgin Mary to “throw Putin out”, enraged the Orthodox Church – its leader Patriarch Kirill said it amounted to blasphemy.

Vladimir Putin was elected for a third term as president two weeks later.

Maria Alyokhina, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Yekaterina Samutsevich, watching Friday’s proceedings from inside a glass-walled cage in the courtroom, smiled as the widely predicted conviction was announced.

The judge then took three hours to read the verdict, before handing down “two years deprivation of liberty in a penal colony” for each defendant.

“Considering the nature and degree of the danger posed by what was done, the defendants’ correction is possible only through an actual punishment,” Judge Marina Surova said.

One man in the courtroom shouted “shame” at the sentencing, and there were chants and whistles from the band’s supporters outside.

Nadezdha Tolokonnikova’s husband, Pyotr Verzilov, said: “Russia’s image was quite scary even before [this]. What happened now is a clear sign that Russia is moving towards becoming more like China or North Korea.”

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny added: “They are in jail because it is Putin’s personal revenge. This verdict was written by Vladimir Putin.”

The defendants’ lawyer, Nikolai Polozov, said they would not appeal to President Vladimir Putin for a pardon. However, there will be a legal appeal against the verdict.

Amnesty International said the ruling was a “bitter blow” for freedom of expression in Russia.

EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and the UK’s Foreign Office criticized the severity of the sentences.

US state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said: “We urge Russian authorities to review this case and ensure that the right to freedom of expression is upheld.”

On Thursday, Nadezdha Tolokonnikova had said she was “not bitter about being in jail”. But, speaking through her lawyer on Twitter, she said: “Politically, I am furious.”

“Our imprisonment serves as a clear and unambiguous sign that freedom is being taken away from the entire country,” she said.

The women have been detained for the past five months.

Associated Press news agency said a number of protesters had been arrested outside the court before the sentencing was announced, including ex-world chess champion Garry Kasparov and opposition politician Sergei Udaltsov.

There were also pro-Pussy Riot protests in Paris, where demonstrators in Igor Stravinsky square chanted “Freedom”, and in Kiev, where women protesters sawed down a wooden cross in a central square.

Other shows of support took place in Belgrade, Berlin, Sofia, London, Dublin and Barcelona.

The band has also had vocal support from artists including Paul McCartney and Madonna, and from politicians.

Critics of the band have also been demonstrating, saying the stunt was an insult to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Igor Kim from Moscow said: “Shouting and screaming and spreading hate in Church is unacceptable and is contrary with Christian ethics.”

Valentina Ivanova, a retired doctor, told Reuters: “What they did showed disrespect towards everything, and towards believers first of all.”

One protester outside court in Moscow simply shouted: “Let Pussy Riot and all their supporters burn in hell.”

 [youtube 4OZS1U6zM_o]

Bikini waxing creates open wounds that are vulnerable to serious infection

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Bikini waxing creates open wounds that are vulnerable to serious infection

Medical expert Emily Gibson has spoken out about the various health risks that come with hair removal.

Family physician Emily Gibson, who also serves as a medical director at Western Washington University in Bellingham, said that removing the hair is like creating “open wounds” that are prone to infection and even sexually-transmitted disease, such as herpes, if in contact with another person.

She added that men are at risk of infection just as much as women.

In an article she wrote for KevinMD.com, she explained “that irritation is combined with the warm moist environment” and therefore becomes a breeding ground for infection.

Dr. Emily Gibson pinpointed A streptococcus, which, in extreme cases, can lead to organ failure, and staphylococcus aureus, which can cause pimples and boils as well as far more serious side effects, in particular.

She added that “freshly-shaved areas are also more vulnerable to herpes infections due to the microscopic wounds being exposed to virus”.

Emily Gibson said that she has seen cellulitis, a soft tissue bacterial infection.

“No matter what expensive and complex weapons are used – razor blades, electric shavers, tweezers, waxing, depilatories, electrolysis – hair, like crab grass, always grows back and eventually wins,” Dr. Emily Gibson wrote in the report.

“In the mean time, the skin suffers the effects of the scorched battlefield,” she continued.

The Independent reported that hair removal cost Americans $2.1 billion in 2011.

Despite the health risks, Dr. Emily Gibson noted the practice’s popularity: “The amount of time, energy, money and emotion both genders spend on abolishing hair some areas is astronomical.

“The hair removal industry, including medical professionals who advertise their specialty services to those seeking the <<clean and bare>> look, is exponentially growing.”

 

 

Gerard Depardieu accused of assaulting a motorist following collision in Paris

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Gerard Depardieu accused of assaulting a motorist following collision in Paris

Gerard Depardieu has been accused of assaulting a motorist following a collision in Paris.

Gerard Depardieu, 63, who hit the headlines last year for peeing on a plane, allegedly punched a driver in the face.

The motorist filed a complaint with the local prosecutor’s office on Wednesday accusing Gerard Depardieu of assault and battery following the alleged incident in the capital’s Sixth Arrondissement, near the Saint Sulpice Church.

After Gerard Depardieu’s scooter allegedly collided with the unnamed driver, an argument ensued.

The motorist claims the actor punched him in the face, leaving him injured.

Gerard Depardieu has been accused of assaulting a motorist following a collision in Paris
Gerard Depardieu has been accused of assaulting a motorist following a collision in Paris

An official from the prosecutor’s officer said: “There was a confrontation and the driver filed a complaint.”

Last August, Gerard Depardieu was in the headlines again after he was banned from an Air France flight for urinating in the aisle.

The actor was desperate for the toilet as the plane prepared to take off after he was told he would have to wait to use the bathroom.

Gerard Depardieu tried to urinate in a bottle, but it overflowed on to the floor. The flight ended up being delayed two hours while it was cleaned, and the actor was told he could not fly.

Explaining the scenario on CNN last year, he said: “I’m not a monster. I’m just a man who wants to pee.”

The bottle overflowed because, as he explained: “I am an elephant . . . I have a lot of pee.

“I don’t understand why she blocked the door.”

Asked if he was drunk at the time and if there was “any wine involved”, Gerard Depardieu, who co-owns a vineyard, replied: “No.”

A statement released by his companion on the flight, actor Edouard Baer said the actor “offered to clean up the mess”.

Edouard Baer also claimed: “Gerard is very sorry for what happened. He wanted to go to the toilet but he was forbidden because we were about to take off, so he was forced to do it on the plane in front of everybody.

“He has prostate problems and it was very worrying and humiliating for him. He was also stone-cold sober at the time. This is not the way he usually behaves.”

 

Connor Cruise tweets a snap of him and his sister Isabella

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Connor Cruise tweets a snap of him and his sister Isabella

Connor Cruise, Tom Cruise’ son, proudly posted a snap of him and his sister Isabella on his Twitter page last night.

Connor Cruise, who has just followed in his father’s footsteps with his first action film role, captioned the snap simply: “Me and my sister.”

The picture showed Connor Cruise, 17, posing with her arm around Isabella, 19, both teens grinning for the camera.

Isabella Cruise was casually dressed, wearing a slick of lipstick to brighten her look.

Connor Cruise proudly posted a snap of him and his sister Isabella on his Twitter page last night
Connor Cruise proudly posted a snap of him and his sister Isabella on his Twitter page last night

The aspiring artist has been spotted spending lots of time with boyfriend Eddie Frencher, a fellow Scientologist, recently.

The pair shares a modest apartment in the notorious Skid row district in Downtown Los Angeles and enjoys living a less famous life than her surname demands.

Meanwhile Connor Cruise has embraced the celebrity side of life, DJ-ing at Hollywood parties and now starring in a remake of Eighties teen action film Red Dawn.

He plays Daryl Bates in the movie, a member of armed resistance forces the Wolverines.

Tom Cruise and his ex-wife Nicole Kidman adopted Isabella in 1992, nine years before their separation, and added Connor to their family in 1995.

Since their parent’s divorce Connor and Isabella have remained with their father, being home schooled at his Los Angeles home, and are rarely seen with their mother.

Isabella and Connor are siblings to Suri Cruise, the daughter of recently divorced Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

 

Apple vs. Samsung patent trial judge says lawyer William Lee must be on drugs

Nancy Clayson
-
0
Apple vs. Samsung patent trial judge says lawyer William Lee must be on drugs

The judge in a patent trial involving Apple and Samsung has said iPhone maker’s lawyer William Lee must be on drugs if he thought she would accept his list of potential witnesses.

William Lee had named 22 people he wanted to rebut testimony given by Samsung’s choice of experts.

“Unless you’re smoking crack you know these witnesses aren’t going to be called” said Judge Lucy Koh.

William Lee replied: “Your honor, I’m not smoking crack. I can promise you that.”

The clash, reported by the Verge news site, took place close to the end of the trial after William Lee presented a 75-page document detailing the witnesses.

The judge in a patent trial involving Apple and Samsung has said iPhone maker's lawyer William Lee must be on drugs if he thought she would accept his list of potential witnesses
The judge in a patent trial involving Apple and Samsung has said iPhone maker's lawyer William Lee must be on drugs if he thought she would accept his list of potential witnesses

The judge had previously made it clear she wanted closing arguments to be presented next week. She has given each side a maximum of 25 hours to make its case.

Of that time Apple has less than four hours of witness testimony remaining on its clock, and William Lee said he honestly believed he could cover all the people he had named within that period.

The move could potentially have made it harder for Samsung’s legal team to prepare.

Samsung called on damages expert Michael Wagner shortly before the exchange, who said Apple had overestimated Samsung’s profit margins.

His evidence was intended to undermine the US firm’s claim that it was owed $2.5 billion in damages.

Under cross examination Michael Wagner acknowledged that his analysis had been based on data provided by Samsung as part of its response to Apple’s patent infringement accusations.

In addition to denying the allegations the South Korean firm is also pursuing its rival for royalty payments.

Judge Lucy Koh’s outburst is not the first time she has expressed anger at the two sides’ behavior in the case.

Earlier the judge chided Samsung’s lawyer John Quinn for approving a press release which publicized evidence she had ruled inadmissible in court.

She had also demanded each legal team write out their legal arguments after they wrangled over whether a witness should be allowed to present certain evidence, saying: “I don’t trust what any lawyer tells me in this courtroom. I want to see actual papers.”

Despite the potential large payouts involved in the case the firms’ share prices do not appear to have suffered.

Apple’s stock has closed at a record high of $636.34 after rising 6.9% since the start of the trial.

Samsung’s shares have gained 5.5% over the same period.

 

Paul Ryan admits he did ask for Obama stimulus cash

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Paul Ryan admits he did ask for Obama stimulus cash

Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan acknowledged lobbying the government for millions of dollars in economic stimulus money after twice denying he had done so.

Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan said he had forgotten that his office sent letters – with his signature – to the Energy and Labor departments asking for money from the stimulus program on behalf of two companies in his home state.

“They should have been handled differently, and I take responsibility for that,” Paul Ryan said in a written statement released only after he again denied requesting stimulus funds in an Ohio TV interview on Thursday.

Paul Ryan’s denial in an interview with Cincinnati’s WCPO-TV contradicted letters he wrote in 2009 to Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis seeking stimulus grant money for two Wisconsin energy conservation companies.

One of them, the nonprofit Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corp., later received $20.3 million from the Energy Department to help homes and businesses improve energy efficiency, according to federal records.

Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan acknowledged lobbying the government for millions of dollars in economic stimulus money after twice denying he had done so
Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan acknowledged lobbying the government for millions of dollars in economic stimulus money after twice denying he had done so

“After having these letters called to my attention I checked into them, and they were treated as constituent service requests in the same way matters involving Social Security or Veterans Affairs are handled,” Paul Ryan said in a statement late Thursday.

“This is why I didn’t recall the letters earlier.”

Paul Ryan’s denial came as new audio surfaced of Ryan telling Boston’s WBZ Radio two years ago that he “did not ask for stimulus money” in response to a caller’s question about the recovery program.

He said: “I’m not one who votes for something and then writes to the government to ask them to send us money.”

The exchange was first reported Thursday by The Boston Globe.

But a year earlier in his request to Steven Chu for funds for the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corp. Paul Ryan said the stimulus cash would help his state create thousands of new jobs, save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The apparent contradiction underscores Paul Ryan’s conflicts with his larger federal budget proposal as the House Budget Committee chairman.

That plan would slash Energy Department programs aimed at creating green jobs and calls for “getting Washington out of the business of picking winners and losers in the economy – and that includes our energy sector”.

Paul Ryan’s actions in Congress have been drawing fresh scrutiny since he was named last weekend as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s running mate.

The vice presidential contender is not alone among Republicans who criticized the stimulus plan only to seek money later.

Georgia’s Republican senators, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, for example, blasted the bill as a bloated government giveaway yet asked then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates to steer $50 million in stimulus money to a constituent’s bio-energy project.

Paul Ryan’s views are also consistent with Romney’s long-held position that the stimulus was a flawed idea that did not create private sector jobs.

“That stimulus didn’t work,” Mitt Romney said at an Ohio speech in June.

“That stimulus didn’t put more private-sector people to work.”

Yet in Ryan’s letter to the Labor Department in October 2009, he backed the Energy Center of Wisconsin’s grant application for stimulus money “to develop an industry-driven training and placement agenda that intends to place 1,000 workers in green jobs”.

The company did not win the Labor Department grant, federal records show.

Despite the letter, Paul Ryan echoed Mitt Romney’s position on Thursday.

“Regardless, it’s clear that the Obama stimulus did nothing to stimulate the economy, and now the president is asking to do it all over again,” he said.

 

Jackie Stallone shows off her inflated trout pout at Sly’s The Expendables 2 premiere

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Jackie Stallone shows off her inflated trout pout at Sly’s The Expendables 2 premiere

Jackie Stallone, Sylvester Stallone’s 90-year-old mother, showed off her inflated lips last night at the Los Angeles premiere of The Expendables 2.

The astrologer, along with her indefatigable pout, joined her son Sylvester Stallone, 66, at the Los Angeles premiere of his latest action movie.

Jackie Stallone’s famously crooked grin, which her son has also inherited, appeared bigger than ever as she posed for photographs on the red carpet at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

Apparently her quest not to grow old gracefully has continued in earnest – and she appears to have had a fresh bout of collagen injections.

Jackie Stallone, Sylvester Stallone’s 90-year-old mother, showed off her inflated lips last night at the Los Angeles premiere of The Expendables 2
Jackie Stallone, Sylvester Stallone’s 90-year-old mother, showed off her inflated lips last night at the Los Angeles premiere of The Expendables 2

Three-times-married Jackie Stallone, whose maiden name is Labofish, was dressed in an outfit you wouldn’t catch your average 90-year-old grandmother in: it consisted of a short black skirt and plunging blouse, strung together by jewelled strips.

Jackie Stallone completed her look with platform heels – adding some height to her diminutive stature – and wore green contact lenses, heavy eye make-up, including thick painted-on brows.

She attended the event to support her son Sly, who was promoting his movie in Hollywood following the London premiere earlier this week.

Last night Sylvester Stallone opened up to Jay Leno in an interview recorded earlier in the day, talking about the recent loss of his son Sage, who died aged 36 last month from an apparent drug overdose.

Sly told Leno: “When life hits you pretty hard you can go into a dark corner, or you can say, <<Ok, fine,’ I’m going to find something to focus on, children, your wife, be supportive to other people too>>.

“Because I know a lot of people go through [losing a child], and they don’t get the attention that I do.

“And I feel for them, because it’s one club that no one wants to be a member of, that’s for sure.

“But I think about his memory, he was a lovely boy and I’ll always treasure that.”

Last night’s Hollywood premiere was perhaps the hardest leg so far for Sylvester Stallone, as it means returning to the city where Sage died.

Indeed, from Hollywood Boulevard where Sylvester Stallone surveyed thousands of fans tonight, it’s just a small drive to the Studio City house where his son died alone.

Sylvester Stallone was also joined by wife Jennifer Flavin last night and their three daughters, Scarlet, Sophia and Sistine.

 [youtube pzj_yoh96nY]

Lonmin Marikana platinum mine clashes kill at least 30 people

Diane A. Wade
-
0
Lonmin Marikana platinum mine clashes kill at least 30 people

At least 30 people have been killed after South African police clashed with striking miners at Lonmin Marikana mine on Thursday, the police minister has said.

According to witnesses, police opened fire on strikers armed mostly with clubs and machetes.

The Lonmin-owned platinum mine has been at the centre of a violent pay dispute, exacerbated by tensions between two rival trade unions.

Violence during the strike had already killed 10 people.

Speaking to local radio, police minister Nathi Mthethwa confirmed the death toll, adding: “A lot of people were injured and the number keeps on going up.”

At least 30 people have been killed after South African police clashed with striking miners at Lonmin Marikana mine on Thursday
At least 30 people have been killed after South African police clashed with striking miners at Lonmin Marikana mine on Thursday

The incident is one of the bloodiest police operations since the end of the apartheid in South Africa.

Police were sent to intervene after several thousand miners gathered at Marikana, which lies about 100 km (62 miles) north-west of Johannesburg, to call for a pay rise of more than $1,000 a month.

The circumstances that led police to open fire remain unclear, but reports from eyewitnesses suggest the shooting took place after a group of demonstrators rushed at a line of police officers.

One witness, Molaole Montsho, of the South African news agency Sapa, said police had first used water cannon, tear gas and stun grenades in an attempt to break up the protest.

“And then in the commotion – we were about 800 m (2,600 ft) from the scene – we heard gunshots that lasted for about two minutes,” he said.

Police ministry spokesman Zweli Mnisi said an investigation into the incident had begun.

Speaking on Thursday, President Jacob Zuma said he was “shocked and dismayed at this senseless violence”.

“We call upon the labor movement and business to work with government to arrest the situation before it deteriorates any further,” he said.

“I have instructed law enforcement agencies to do everything possible to bring the situation under control and to bring the perpetrators of violence to book.”

 [youtube 23SIF9k4MP0]

Male contraceptive pill shows successful results in mice studies

Kathryn R. Bown
-
0
Male contraceptive pill shows successful results in mice studies

Scientists say they are a step closer in the difficult journey towards developing a male contraceptive pill, after successful studies in mice.

A contraceptive pill for women has been around for decades, but an equivalent for men has proved elusive.

A US study, published in the journal Cell, showed a drug could make mice temporarily infertile without hampering their sex drive.

Experts said the findings were “exciting”, but needed tests in people.

It has been argued that the lack of a male contraceptive pill has contributed to the number of unplanned pregnancies.

One of the challenges is developing a drug which can cross over from the blood into the testes.

Scientists say they are a step closer in the difficult journey towards developing a male contraceptive pill, after successful studies in mice
Scientists say they are a step closer in the difficult journey towards developing a male contraceptive pill, after successful studies in mice

US researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Baylor College of Medicine were testing a drug called JQ1. It targets a protein which exists only in the testes and is critical for sperm production.

The testes of mice taking the drug began to shrink as they produced fewer sperm, which were also less mobile. Some were rendered infertile.

When the animals were no longer taking the drug they were able to have babies.

One of the researchers, Dr. James Bradner said: “This compound produces a rapid and reversible decrease in sperm count and motility with profound effects on fertility.

“These findings suggest that a reversible, oral male contraceptive may be possible.”

Researchers hope to be able to target the same protein in men, however, more tests will be needed to show whether the drug is both safe and effective in people.

Prof. Moira O’Bryan, the head of male infertility at Monash University in Australia, said: “This is an exciting report that could have major scientific and social impacts.”

She added: “The strong similarity between sperm production in the mouse and the human suggest that a variation of JQ1 may ultimately result in a human contraceptive.

“Although there is undoubtedly an urgent need for additional contraceptive options, the path between this paper and a new product is likely to be long.”

 

Lady Gaga dressed conservatively as she steps out in Bucharest

Lisa.Felice
-
0
Lady Gaga dressed conservatively as she steps out in Bucharest

Lady Gaga dressed extremely conservatively in a monochrome ensemble as she stepped out in Bucharest, Romania, yesterday.

Lady Gaga, 26, looked relatively smart compared to her usual standards as she left her hotel to attend her concert.

She hid her face behind a pair of large black sunglasses and covered her head with a matching big fedora.

Her black dress was highlighted by three white ruffled flowers in place of buttons, and lining around the edges of the outfit.

Despite her less than exciting attire, her fans were still keen to see her as they lined the street waiting for a glimpse of their idol.

Once Lady Gaga left the safety of her hotel she was surrounded by screaming crowds as she signed autographs and answered questions from the press.

Lady Gaga dressed extremely conservatively in a monochrome ensemble as she stepped out in Bucharest, Romania
Lady Gaga dressed extremely conservatively in a monochrome ensemble as she stepped out in Bucharest, Romania

The singer tweeted: “SO EXCITED to be in Romania performing at an outdoor stadium tonight ! thank you so much for all the love from downstairs, i could hear u!”

Unfortunately one fan was brutally pinned to the floor after bodyguards thought he was getting too close to the star.

Today the busy singer announced she is releasing new track, Partynauseous, next month.

The song is a collaboration between the Born This Way hitmaker and rap star Kendrick Lamar.

Lady Gaga tweeted: “I am so excited to announce that a record I’ve been working on has now become a collaboration with Kendrick Lamar for HIS ALBUM. (sic)

“Kendrick Lamar and I are dropping the record September 6. It’s called <<Partynauseous>>.”

Lady Gaga explained her part of the song is based on an incident earlier this year, when she was banned from performing in Jakarta, Indonesia, on her Born This Way Ball tour after hardline extremists in the Muslim country complained her sexy clothes and dance routines would corrupt young people.

She added: “I wrote <<PARTYNAUSEOUS>> about Jakarta, and my relationship with that country (sic). Wishing I could <<get high with the enemy>> and make peace (sic). Once @kendricklamar + I started talking about life + his forward thinking views about love + hip hop, the song became something more (sic).”

 [youtube gukwO4uCgTY]

Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon take Whitney Houston’s place at Sparkle premiere

Lisa.Felice
-
1
Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon take Whitney Houston’s place at Sparkle premiere

Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon took Whitney Houston’s place at the premiere on Sparkle last night.

And it was as boyfriend and girlfriend that the pair walked the red carpet, following their coming out as a couple in the months since their mother’s death.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, 19, showed her curves in a clinging bandage dress, teamed with feathered stilettos. Her flawless red carpet look was completed by her mother’s diamond ring on her hand.

Nick Gordon, 22, wore a sharp black suit, teamed with a diamond stud in his ear and a red handkerchief.

He escorted his “sister” down the red carpet.

Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon took Whitney Houston’s place at the premiere on Sparkle last night
Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon took Whitney Houston’s place at the premiere on Sparkle last night

Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon lived together as brother and sister for more than a decade before their mother’s death. Whitney Houston took Nick Gordon into her home at the age of 12 when his father went to prison and his mother was unable to take care of him.

Nick Gordon was Whitney’s unofficially adopted son, and she treated him like family up until her death at the age of 48 due to an accidental drowning complicated by heart disease and cocaine use.

Whitney Houston, a prestigious six-time Grammy award winning singer, was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel room on February 11, 2012.

Nick Gordon first fueled rumors about their relationship status in a tweet written in March, exclaiming: “Yea we got a little closer and what!!!”

The controversial couple have reportedly been sharing her $1.2 million Atlanta home together ever since.

“No matter what…This connection between us will #STAYSTRONG 4EVER! We will love & miss u 4ever lady:),” Bobbi Kristina Brown wrote this week, adding, “& still through those trials & tribulations the devil kept on trying to break them & soon realized…He couldn’t”.

By the age of 30 Bobbi Kristina Brown will have inherited everything that belonged to her iconic mother – mansions, jewellery, cars, and an extraordinary fortune.

She recently did a guest stint on Tyler Perry’s sitcom For Better Or Worse.

Bobbi Kristina Brown is currently filming her blooming love for Nick Gordon on her upcoming reality show, The Houston Family Chronicles, which is set to premiere on Lifetime next month.

Whitney Houston stars as Emma, the mother of Sparkle Anderson, played by Jordin Sparks, and her two sisters who are trying to make it as a motown girlband in the remake of the 1976 movie-musical.

The darker aspects of the story reminded Whitney Houston of her own troubled life, according to Carmen Ejog, who plays troubled Tammy “Sister” Anderson.

“Sister really takes like a crazy journey and Whitney was very aware of that story line being very parallel to her own, and I think it’s to her credit that she was excited to bring a message that was as dark as it was light, and was not scared of doing that,” Carmen Ejog told MTV News.

“If she was here right now she’d be talking about those parallels without any shame and with the sense of giving to us as an audience, as like the receiving of this movie and this story.

“When you get to that level you could just be guarded and just keep so many things to yourself and she just wasn’t that person.

“<<Learn from me, learn from this cautionary tale>>, is literally what she says in the movie, and that’s amazing.”

Also at last night’s premiere was Whitney Houston’s grieving mother Cissy and her boyfriend Ray J, who she was dating at the time of her death.

 [youtube _NTjJcvzObI]

Google autocomplete reveals most boring, most racist, and fattest U.S. states

Nancy Clayson
-
0
Google autocomplete reveals most boring, most racist, and fattest U.S. states

Blogger Renee DiResta got some surprising and less surprising results as part of a research into stereotypes found on Google.

Renee DiResta hit on a clever idea to find out what people think about different U.S. states.

She began typing the names into Google and used the search engine’s autocomplete function to complete the query.

So, for example, she asked “why is Georgia so” and Google’s algorithm, which tries to predict the next word based on popular searches, did the rest.

The result showed what people ask most about a state. In Indiana’s case they want to know why it’s so “boring”, and the same with Maine.

Georgia is “hot”, “racist”, and also “boring”. Oregon is “liberal”, “weird”, “rainy”, and again, “boring”. Ohio is also “boring”, but “important in the primaries”.

When Renee DiResta used the formula of “Why is Arizona so …?” the terms that popped up included “hot”, “racist”, “conservative” and “crazy”.

West Virginia also didn’t come out well, the top suggested search terms included “poor”, “racist”, “fat” and “weird”.

According to recently released Gallup research, West Virgina was ranked the least livable state based on low unemployment, appalling obesity rates and lack of economic growth.

For 18 states, the common search term associated with them was “boring”. Among those considered snoozeworthy included Idaho, Montana.

For 18 states, the common search term Google autocomplete revealed as being associated with them was “boring”
For 18 states, the common search term Google autocomplete revealed as being associated with them was “boring”

But Google wasn’t all negative.

When the state of Colorado was searched, autocomplete terms that appeared were: “cold”, “healthy”, “skinny” and “awesome”.

Venture capitalist Renee DiResta, a recent New York transplant to San Francisco, said in her blog about the experiment: “I started wondering, how do Americans really think about <<those people>> in other states? What are the most common stereotypes?”

“The qualitative searches were most interesting to me. There are 12 unique terms that are classifiable as <<culture/sentiment>> queries, of which ten are negative: backwards, bad, boring, crazy, dangerous, hated, racist, stupid, trashy, weird.

“There were a few redeeming positive results; Colorado, Minnesota, Texas, and Vermont are <<awesome>>, and Montana, New Hampshire, and New York are <<great>>.

“But for the most part, it doesn’t seem like we think very nice things about each other… at the very least, we’re more inclined to search for articles supporting (or related to) negative biases.

“The single most common result of all was <<boring>>, which appeared for 18 states with no particular regional concentration. Other popular terms (returned for >10 states) were <<humid>>, <<windy>>, <<expensive>>, and <<liberal>>.

“Strangely, Connecticut and Pennsylvania both returned <<haunted>>; apparently there are a lot of ghost sightings (and related walking tours).

“My favorite result of all was <<enchanting>>: New Mexico is beautiful.”

 

WHAT IS GOOGLE AUTOCOMPLETE?

When a user types a word into the Google search box, the autocomplete algorithm offers search terms based on what is entered.

For example, if someone starts to type “new york”, autocomplete will offer searches for “New York City”, “New York Times”, and “New York University” based on the first word.

Queries are algorithmically determined based on a number of purely algorithmic factors (including popularity of search terms) without human intervention.

Source: Support.google.com

 

Facebook shares plunge to a new low as lockup expired for initial investors

Clyde K. Valle
-
0
Facebook shares plunge to a new low as lockup expired for initial investors

Facebook’s stock plunged to an all-time low today as the market braced for the company’s insiders to dump their stock after the expiration of a lock-up period.

Investors ranging from Accel Partners to Goldman Sachs, Zynga CEO Mark Pincus and Facebook board members James Breyer, Peter Thiel and Reid Hoffman are among those free to sell stock they own now.

By 10:30 a.m., the price was down 7% to $19.69 a share. By noon, it had climbed back to $19.95 a share. In May, the initial public offering of the stock was $38.

If the stock hits $19, it will have lost half its value since Facebook went public in May.

Before noon, the company lost $4 billion in market value, due to the plunging prices.

Facebook's stock plunged to an all-time low today as the market braced for the company's insiders to dump their stock after the expiration of a lock-up period
Facebook's stock plunged to an all-time low today as the market braced for the company's insiders to dump their stock after the expiration of a lock-up period

Mark Zuckerberg himself lost an estimated $1 billion Thursday morning alone.

It’s not yet known whether anyone had sold shares. The stock price decline could reflect investors’ anticipation of such a move.

More than 270 million shares have been unlocked – more than one-half of the 421 million shares sold in the May initial public offering of the social networking company.

Roughly 64 million shares of Facebook traded hands in the first hour of trading, more than double its 50-day daily average of just under 30 million shares.

“Pressure will be back on the shares now that liquidity is back in the market,” said Frank Davis, director of sales and trading at LEK Securities in New York.

“If (the value of) your holdings has been cut in half, are you going to sit around and risk the rest of that?”

It’s conceivable no one would sell those extra shares, but if too many do, Facebook’s stock would decline even more because the market would be flooded with additional shares.

It’s been a rough run for Facebook. After one of the most-anticipated IPOs in history, Facebook suffered what may be the most-botched public offering as trading glitches marred its first day.

Facebook, the world’s No. 1 Internet social network with 955 million users, has seen its shares pummeled since the market debut in May that put its value at more than $100 billion.

Investors have been concerned about Facebook’s ability to keep increasing revenue and make money from its growing mobile audience, even as many analysts hold positive long-term views.

Those eligible to sell additional shares Thursday were the investors and directors who had participated in the May IPO. The exception was CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who will be ineligible until November.

Other shareholders, including many Facebook employees, will be able to sell beginning in October. The last lockup period expires next May, a year after the IPO.

In all, up to 1.91 billion more shares could flood the stock market over the next several months – more than four times the 421 million shares that have been trading since Facebook’s IPO. Of the 1.91 billion, 271 million shares became eligible for sale Thursday.

 

What are lock-ups?

Lock-ups prevent company insiders from selling their shares in a newly-floated firm.

They usually start to expire 90 days from the initial public offering (IPO).

They are designed to prevent the share price from fluctuating wildly if too many investors decide to sell their shares all at once.

The lockup expired for initial investors on Thursday. It expires for Facebook employees in October.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg must keep his shares until November.

UN ends observer mission in Syria

Roy Siemens
-
0
UN ends observer mission in Syria

The United Nations has decided to end its military observer mission in Syria, days before its mandate expired.

A small, civilian office will be set up instead to maintain political contacts.

“The conditions to continue UNSMIS were not filled,” France’s UN ambassador Gerard Araud said after a Security Council meeting.

The United Nations has decided to end its military observer mission in Syria, days before its mandate expired
The United Nations has decided to end its military observer mission in Syria, days before its mandate expired

The UN mission had been part of envoy Kofi Annan’s six-point peace plan. But continued violence made the observers’ mission increasingly difficult.

A bomb exploded close to their hotel in Damascus on Wednesday. The observers’ patrols were suspended in mid-June because of the “significant risk to their lives” and diplomats said the condition for renewing their mandate – a reduction in violence – had not been met.

Russia warned earlier that pulling out of Syria would have “serious negative consequences” for the region.

Moscow’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin said Russia, which has vetoed three UN Security Council resolutions on Syria, wanted the UN to make an international appeal for the Syrian conflict to end.

Kofi Annan resigned as UN-Arab League envoy to Syria a fortnight ago, complaining of a “clear lack of unity” in the Security Council.

Although the 101 remaining military observers will leave Damascus over the next eight days, a civilian liaison office is due to remain and a new special envoy is expected to be appointed.

Vitaly Churkin said Russia had called for a meeting on Friday of Security Council members as well as representatives from Saudi Arabia and Iran to discuss the crisis.

 

1...1,0511,0521,053...1,249Page 1,052 of 1,249