SceneTap smartphone app is receiving complaints from female bar customers after they realized the program has the potential to stalk them and send creepy guys to the locations where the most women are in abundance.
Receiving favorable early reviews the SceneTap app works by using facial-detection software and cameras placed strategically around bars and nightclubs. The app then tells users the age and gender makeup of each establishment.
The biggest complaint so far is that not all users are aware they are being video recorded, something one privacy advocated called just plain “creepy” and an “invasion of privacy.”
The SceneTap application is installed in bars from San Francisco, California; Austin, Texas; Athens, Georgia; Bloomington, Indianapolis; Chicago; Gainesville, Florida, and Madison, Wisconsin.
SceneTap smartphone app is receiving complaints from female bar customers after they realized the program has the potential to stalk them and send creepy guys to the locations where the most women are in abundance
After using facial-detection to estimate information about bar and nightclub customers the app created a rundown of ages and sexes which is provided to users in real-time.
On the one hand the app can send customers to meet up with other bar and nightclub attendees that match their age and sex preference, on the other hand some women worry that creeps will hunt them down like prey.
According to SceneTap CEO Cole Harper in an interview with The Week the app is simply meant to help people find the crowd they are looking for, avoiding the type of prospects that might leave them feeling they are in the wrong “scene” for their lifestyle.
In San Francisco so many complaints have been filed that several bars which had agreed to the program chose to back out.
Another app, “Girls Around Me”, suffered a close down after similar complaints were given by various mobile app using females.
According to Cole Harper, the SceneTap app won’t collect any user information. He tells The Week: “It’s not recorded, it’s not streamed, it’s not individualized. You actually give up more information when you hand a bouncer your ID at the door.”
An international research team has succeeded in taking an amazing image of a newly synthesized molecule called olympicene.
The molecule – just over a billionth of a metre across – gets its name because its five linked rings resemble the Olympic symbol.
It was first made by collaborators at the University of Warwick in the UK.
They teamed up with IBM researchers, who in 2009 pioneered the technique of single-molecule imaging with its non-contact atomic force microscopy.
The team, based at IBM Research Zurich, announced its first success with a molecule called pentacene, five linked hexagonal rings of carbon all in a line.
Olympicene molecule, just over a billionth of a metre across, gets its name because its five linked rings resemble the Olympic symbol
It was Professor Graham Richards CBE, former head of Oxford University’s chemistry department and member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) council, who first conceived of the idea to create a more Olympic-themed molecule along the same lines.
“I was in a committee meeting of the Royal Society of Chemistry where we were trying to think of what we could do to mark the Olympics,” said Prof. Graham Richards.
“It occurred to me that the molecule that I had drawn looked very much like the Olympic rings, and it had never been made.”
University of Warwick researchers Anish Mistry and David Fox undertook the task of developing a chemical recipe for the molecule, and took preliminary images of it using a technique called scanning tunnelling microscopy.
But no approach gives such detailed images of single molecules as non-contact atomic force microscopy, in which a single, even tinier molecule of carbon monoxide is used as a kind of record needle to probe the grooves of molecules with unprecedented resolution.
The images show linked ring structures that are reminiscent both of the Olympic rings and a great many compounds made from rings of carbon atoms, including the “miracle material” graphene.
However, Prof. Graham Richards hopes that olympicene’s greatest contribution to chemistry is to bring more students into it.
“Molecules of this nature could conceivably have commercial use, but my own feeling is that above all we want to excite an interest in chemistry provoked by the link with the Olympics,” he said.
Justin Bieber is wanted for questioning by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s investigators after a paparazzo complained of being roughed up by the young pop star at a shopping center.
The scuffle allegedly happened when the photographer tried to snap pictures of the teen idol and his girlfriend Selena Gomez, after they walked out of a theater at The Commons at Calabasas yesterday.
Sheriff Lt. Robert Wiard says the photographer in question called 911 on Sunday and complained of pain to his chest.
Robert Wiard says the photographer was taken to a hospital where he was treated and released.
He says Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez left before deputies arrived, so investigators want to talk to him to get his side of the story.
During the altercation, Justin Bieber, 18, appeared angry and frustrated and girlfriend Selena Gomez appeared to be trying to reason with him.
The scuffle allegedly happened when the photographer tried to snap pictures of the teen idol and his girlfriend Selena Gomez, after they walked out of a theater at The Commons at Calabasas yesterday
TMZ claims that the paparazzo filed a police report, and alleges that according to law enforcement sources the police are investigating the incident as misdemeanour criminal battery.
While Justin Bieber failed to keep calm during the altercation, Selena Gomez, 19, was seen helping him retrieve his baseball cap and one of his high top trainers after they flew off during the incident.
Selena Gomez also appeared to be saying some soothing words to her beau as she chatted to him while tenderly stroking his arm to calm him down.
However the level-headed starlet did look a little concerned during the ordeal.
Meanwhile, Justin Bieber had a face like thunder as he put his shoe back on while being comforted by his girlfriend.
Justin Bieber then walked away with his head in his hands seeming somewhat embarrassed at his behavior.
The incident occurred as the pair was making their way to a cinema to enjoy a movie date.
Along with his plum-colored hat and trainers that had flown off, Justin Bieber was sporting an aquamarine T-shirt and black jeans.
And Selena Gomez looked summery in a printed monochrome maxi dress with a split up one side, which she teamed with brown sandals.
Beyonce has revealed how she lost 60 lbs after she gave birth to daughter Blue Ivy nearly five months ago.
During her second concert last night of her four-date stint at Revel Beach Ovation Hall in Atlantic City, Beyonce told the audience about her post-pregnancy regime.
“Y’all have no idea how hard I worked,” she told her fans.
“I had to lose 60 pounds. They had me on that treadmill. I ate lettuce!”
During her second concert last night of her four-date stint at Revel Beach Ovation Hall in Atlantic City, Beyonce told the audience about her post-pregnancy regime
And the fruits of her labor were evident as Beyonce showed off her trim and toned physique in a series of revealing stage costumes.
Now that the singer has returned to the stage and is back in fighting form she revealed that she was going to treat herself.
“Now tonight I’m gonna get chocolate wasted!” Beyonce exclaimed as reported by Us Weekly.
Beyonce, who is married to rapper Jay-Z, wore a series of custom-made Ralph & Russo designs.
It’s been nine months since Beyonce last performed for her adoring fans.
Taking to the stage in New Jersey last night for the first time since giving birth to daughter Blue Ivy, it appeared her time out for motherhood hasn’t affected her stage presence.
Beyonce had a few famous people in the audience including First Lady Michelle Obama and her two daughters: Malia, 13, and Sasha, 10.
Also supporting her from the wings was her rapper husband Jay-Z, who recently returned from the London leg of his Watch The Thrones tour with Kanye West.
Under his Twitter name Mr. Carter, Jay-Z wrote: “I’m gonna say this and then I’m gonna end mine. BEYONCE is the best performer in the world. Period.”
Speaking to the 5,500 fans at the Ovation Hall in the Revel, Beyonce said: “I gotta say, it feels so good to be back home on stage.”
However, she didn’t bring up her new life as motherhood too often, except for a fleeting glimpse of Beyonce cradling her daughter in a video montage on the screen behind her.
During the set, Beyonce performed a selection of her biggest hits, including Crazy In Love, Love On Top, Irresistible and If I Were A Boy.
The singer paid tribute to the late Whitney Houston with a cover of I Will Always Love You and closed the concert with Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).
Midfielder Stefano Mauri, the captain of Lazio football team, has been arrested by police investigating claims of match-fixing.
Stefano Mauri, 32, was held along with former Genoa midfielder Omar Milanetto, 36, police said.
Juventus coach Antonio Conte, who just led the club to the Serie A title in his first season in charge, is among those being questioned by police.
Officers also visited Italy’s pre-Euro 2012 training camp to question left-back Domenico Criscito, 25.
Police are searching more than 30 homes, including those of players, trainers and administrators of clubs in Serie A, Serie B and lower divisions.
Five people were also arrested in Hungary on suspicion of being part of an illegal international betting ring.
Midfielder Stefano Mauri, the captain of Lazio football team, has been arrested by police investigating claims of match-fixing
Monday’s operation was part of a wider investigation which has already seen a number of arrests of current and former Italian players. In June last year, the Interior Ministry set up a special match-fixing task force in response to a number of high-profile cases.
Former Atalanta captain and Italy midfielder Cristiano Doni was banned for three-and-a-half years in August for his part in the “Calcioscommesse” scandal involving Serie B matches last season. He was also arrested in December 2011 over match-fixing and betting allegations.
Atalanta, promoted from Serie B, were deducted six points in the top flight this season as a result of the scandal.
Former Lazio and Italy striker Giuseppe Signori was banned for five years and 15 other players were banned for between one and five years for their parts.
Stefano Mauri, who joined the Rome club from Udinese in 2006 and has 11 caps for Italy, made 16 league appearances last season as Lazio finished fourth in Serie A.
Omar Milanetto signed for Serie B side Padova last summer after five years at Genoa and made 15 starts last season.
Domenico Criscito, a former Genoa and Juventus defender, is now at Zenit St Petersburg in Russia and has 19 caps for Italy.
European markets have risen after a weekend poll in Greece showed growing support for a pro-austerity conservative party.
The survey suggested the New Democracy party could gain about a quarter of the votes, leaving it as the biggest party, albeit without overall control.
Elections are due to be held on 17 June.
London, Paris and Frankfurt stock markets all rose at least 1%.
European markets have risen after a weekend poll in Greece showed growing support for a pro-austerity conservative party
Spain’s leading IBEX index was out of step with the rest of Europe, falling by 0.5%.
Spain’s Bankia, which late on Friday asked for an injection of 19 billion Euros ($24 billion) in state support, fell 27% as it resumed trading on Monday. Its shares had been suspended on Friday pending the funding request.
Meanwhile, bond markets continued to reflect the tensions in the eurozone with the difference between the premium investors demand to hold Spanish government bonds and that of their German counterparts, at a record high.
The spread between 10-year Spanish and German bonds rose to 5.05 percentage points after Spanish government bond yields rose to 6.43%.
Italian government bond yields also ticked higher, rising to 5.87%.
London’s FTSE 100 share index was up 1%, Frankfurt’s DAX up 1.2% and Paris’s CAC 40 was up by 1.1%.
Although both Germany and France have a public holiday on Monday, their equity markets remain open.
Weibo, “China’s Twitter”, has introduced a code of conduct explicitly restricting the type of messages that can be posted.
China’s biggest microblogging service took the action after local authorities criticized “unfounded” rumors posted by some users.
Reports suggest a credit score system will also be introduced with points deducted for rule breaches.
Repeat offenders face having their accounts deleted.
Weibo’s parent, Sina Corp, says it has more than 300 million registered users.
Users are reported to start with 80 points – they gain more by taking part in promotional activities, but lose points if they break any of the rules.
It is reported that if a subscriber’s points fell below 60 a “low credit” warning would appear on their microblog, leading to the possible cancellation of their account if it hit zero. If they “behaved” for two consecutive months their score is reported to return to 80.
“This is a sign of the authorities trying to restrain the internet in China, but a hardcore group of people will still find ways to get round the restraints,” said Dr. Kerry Brown, head of the Asia Programme at the Chatham House think tank.
“There is a tradition of indirect criticism in which people make points using coded references. I very much doubt these rules will change anything.”
The news was first reported in the western press by The Next Web which quoted from a translated version of the rules created by an anonymous group of volunteers.
Weibo, “China's Twitter”, has introduced a code of conduct explicitly restricting the type of messages that can be posted
The “community convention” says its members may not use the service to:
• Spread rumors
• Publish untrue information
• Attack others with personal insults or libelous comments
• Oppose the basic principles of China’s constitution
• Reveal national secrets
• Threaten China’s honor
• Promote cults or superstitions
• Call for illegal protests or mass gatherings
It adds that members must not use “oblique expressions or other methods” to circumvent the rules.
Users have sometimes abbreviated names or used code words to avoid detection in the past.
The Tech in Asia blog noted that Sina did not invent the rules.
“They are pulled directly from Chinese law and are applicable to Weibo posts regardless of whether Sina includes them in a user contract or not,” it said.
However, it added that Sina Corp’s credit score system was an innovation.
A committee made up of experts and Sina Weibo subscribers will be charged with enforcing the rules.
Sina – and its competitors Baidu and Tencent – were ordered to ensure all their members registered their real identities by March. However, Sina later admitted it had not fully implemented the order.
Last month Chinese officials forced Sina and Tencent to suspend users’ ability to comment on each other’s posts for three days after allowing rumors to spread.
The official news agency, Xinhua, reported that the sites “pledged to strengthen management” afterwards.
Authorities have been critical of false reports spread through microblogs including news of the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, and stories of a military coup that tried to overthrow Chinese President Hu Jintao.
Chinese social media has also been pressured to filter posts featuring words associated with controversial events.
When the former Communist Party’s Chongqing chief, Bo Xilai, was stripped of his Politburo post several sites would not deliver results for searches featuring his name.
Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s first biological child, celebrates her sixth birthday.
Shiloh Jolie-Pitt was born on May 27, 2006, at the Cottage Medi-Clinic Hospital in Swakopmund, Namibia. Since her birth, Angelina Jolie has had two other children, Knox and Vivienne, and the celebrity couple have also adopted three children; Maddox, Pax, and Zahara.
The birth of Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt made headlines in 2006, and was easily the most anticipated–and widely covered–birth of the year.
Shortly after her birth, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt sold the first pictures of baby Shiloh for a record-breaking $4.1 million to People magazine.
Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s first biological child, celebrates her sixth birthday
Shiloh may be only six, but Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s oldest daughter has already developed her own sense of style. Her mom describes her as being a bit of a tomboy, with Shiloh preferring to wear boy’s clothes, including suits.
“I think she [Shiloh] is fascinating, the choices she is making,” Angelina Jolie said in a 2010 interview of Shiloh’s sense of style.
“And I would never be the kind of parent to force somebody to be something they are not. I think that is just bad parenting…
“Children should be allowed to express themselves in whatever way they wish without anybody judging them because it is an important part of their growth. Society always has something to learn when it comes to the way we judge each other, label each other. We have far to go.”
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel celebrated their engagement at a cocktail party hosted by Jessica’s stylist, Estee Stanley, at her Los Angeles home.
Saturday soiree drew out a bevy of stars: among the 100 guests were Ellen DeGeneres, Amy Adams, Lance Bass, JC Chasez and Timbaland.
Jessica Biel’s parents, Kimberly and Jonathan, were also there for the celebration.
As for the couple, a source told People magazine: “Justin and Jessica arrived at the party looking very excited. Jessica was stunning in a long dress with her hair down.”
“Estee created a very warm, welcoming and festive party for the couple,” adds the source.
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel celebrated their engagement at a cocktail party hosted by Jessica's stylist, Estee Stanley, at her Los Angeles home
After some live music, a deejay took over and guests danced to popular hits, including Madonna’s Holiday, Michael Jackson’s Good Times, Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody and Usher’s OMG.
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel “danced and looked very happy,” the source says.
Afterward, there were speeches, and the source says Justin Timberlake seemed really “touched” by Timbaland’s remarks.
“You could tell that they have a very special friendship,” the source says.
The couple left the party at 12:30 a.m. and returned to their Hollywood Hills home.
Austrian director Michael Haneke has been awarded with the Cannes film festival’s top prize for the second time as Amour (Love) is named winner of the Palme d’Or.
Michael Haneke previously won the award in 2009 for The White Ribbon.
Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen won the best actor prize for The Hunt, while the actress prize was shared between Cristina Flutur and Cosmina Stratan for Romanian movie Beyond the Hills.
British director Ken Loach collected the Jury Prize for The Angels’ Share.
The winners were revealed by the head of the jury, Italian director Nanni Moretti, on the final night of the 12-day film festival.
Michael Haneke has been awarded with the Cannes film festival's top prize for the second time as Amour (Love) is named winner of the Palme d'Or
Michael Haneke’s film focused on an elderly couple whose relationship is tested when the wife suffers a series of strokes.
The central roles were played by French actors Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, who joined Michael Haneke on stage to collect the Palme d’Or.
“This film is an illustration of the promise we made to each other, if either one of us finds ourselves in the situation that is described in the film,” said Michael Haneke.
The Grand Prize, considered the competition’s second place, was won by Matteo Garrone’s Italian satire Reality.
Carlos Reygadas was named best director for the surrealist tale Tenebras Lux.
Ken Loach was showing a very different film to gritty Irish War drama The Wind That Shakes the Barley, which won the Palme d’Or in 2006.
The Angels’ Share is a dramatic comedy about a visit to a whisky distillery by a group of misfit young offenders who are inspired to change their lives.
A German girl has been enslaved by a Bosnian couple for eight years, by starving and beating her, local media have reported.
The girl, now aged 19, was forbidden from meeting people and was not allowed to attend school, prosecutors say.
She was rescued from the couple and taken to a safe house, but officials said she was in a bad physical and psychological state.
Police arrested the couple in Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Tuzla region after a neighbor tipped off the authorities.
Police arrested the couple who enslaved the German girl in Bosnia-Herzegovina's Tuzla region after a neighbor tipped off the authorities
Milenko Marinkovic, 52, and his wife Slavojka, 45, were detained on May 17 on suspicion of treating the woman in an inhuman way.
The girl was found in a forest near the town of Kalesija.
The couple had allegedly tried to hide her from the authorities, and she weighed just 40 kg when she was discovered.
“They kept her locked up, neither allowing her contact with other people, nor to go to school,” police spokesman Admir Arnautovic told FTV public television on Sunday.
“They subjected her to inhumane treatment and torture.”
Local media reported that the girl had arrived in Bosnia eight years ago.
The girl’s mother, a German national, had once been married to Milenko Marinkovic.
Investigators questioned the mother, who reportedly stays in the village for long periods but also travels to Germany and Austria, as a witness in the case.
One of the neighbors told local media he once witnessed Milenko Marinkovic harness the girl to a horse cart and whip her while she pulled it.
“I could not watch them beat and starve her anymore,” he said.
Walmart heiress Alice Walton has topped the list of female billionaires with a net worth of $29.8 billion.
Her sister-in-law, Christy Walton, is taking third place.
Alice Walton, 62, the daughter of Walmart founder Sam Walton, managed to topple Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart off the top spot thanks to Walmart stock trading at a 12 year high.
Christy Walton, 57, who inherited her husband John’s stake in Walmart after he died in a plane crash in 2005, has a worth valued at $28.2 billion, according to the Wealth X list.
In 2007 the Walmart family’s worth was the same amount as the bottom 30% of Americans, according to economist Sylvia Allegretto from the University of California-Berkeley.
Walmart heiress Alice Walton has topped the list of female billionaires with a net worth of $29.8 billion
When she was about ten years old Alice Walton invested in her first piece of art and this interest led to her spearheading the Walton Family Foundation’s involvement in developing Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
Alice Walton has spent over $300 million building an American art museum in Arkansas with the facilities alone costing more than $100 million. She was briefly married when she was in her twenties.
Champing at Alice Walton’s heels is Gina Reinhart, who is valued at $29.1 billion.
Gina Reinhart, 58, is the daughter of late iron-ore mining magnate Lang Hangcock, who is credited with discovering giant deposits of iron ore in the 1950s that now make up Australia’s largest export base.
Due to commodity prices and successful projects Gina Rinehart’s wealth has grown by an unprecedented $18 billion this year alone.
Gina Reinhart, a widow dubbed “The Iron Lady”, is in the middle of a financial feud with three of her four children over a $18 billion family trust.
Earlier this year an Australian High Court rejected Gina Reinhart’s bid to suppress details of the legal battle.
The fourth richest woman in the world is French L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, who has an estimated wealth of at least $24 billion.
Liliane Bettencourt, 89, is the only child of Eugene Schueller, who founded the cosmetics company and died in 1957.
Swedish born Birgit Rausing takes the fifth spot with a net worth of at least $13.8 billion from her shares in packaging giant, Tetra Laval, which was founded by her father-in-law.
Birgit Rausing, 88, is widowed and lives in Switzerland.
The official Jury of the 65th Festival de Cannes, presided over by Nanni Moretti, revealed this evening the prizes winners during the Closing Ceremony.
Bérénice Bejo hosted Audrey Tautou and Adrien Brody on the stage of the Grand Théâtre Lumière to award the Palme d’or to the best film among the 22 in Competition.
Claude Miller’s Thérèse Desqueyroux starring Audrey Tautou, Gilles Lellouche and Anaïs Demoustier, was screened at the end of the ceremony.
The official Jury of the 65th Festival de Cannes, presided over by Nanni Moretti, revealed this evening the prizes winners during the Closing Ceremony
FEATURE FILMS
Palme d’Or
AMOUR (Love) by Michael HANEKE
Grand Prix
REALITY by Matteo GARRONE
Award for Best Director
Carlos REYGADAS for POST TENEBRAS LUX
Jury Prize
THE ANGELS’ SHARE by Ken LOACH
Award for Best Actor
Mads MIKKELSEN in JAGTEN by Thomas VINTERBERG
Award for Best Actress
Cristina FLUTUR & Cosmina STRATAN in DUPÃ DEALURI (Beyond The Hills) by Cristian MUNGIU
Award for Best Screenplay
Cristian MUNGIU for pour DUPÃ DEALURI (Beyond The Hills)
SHORT FILMS
Palme d’Or
SESSIZ-BE DENG (Silent) by L. Rezan YESILBAS
CAMERA D’OR
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD by Benh ZEITLIN presented in Un Certain Regard Selection
Kevin Costner says he was still writing the memorial speech he delivered Whitney Houston’s funeral an hour before his The Bodyguard co-star was laid to rest in her native New Jersey.
Kevin Costner, 57, shunned all requests to comment on Whitney Houston’s passing following her sudden death in February, because he didn’t feel the time or the “forum” was right to open up about his close friendship with her.
But he ultimately mustered up the courage to put his feelings into words for the tragic superstar’s funeral service after her cousin Dionne Warwick called in a favor.
Kevin Costner says he was still writing the memorial speech he delivered Whitney Houston's funeral an hour before she was laid to rest in her native New Jersey
Kevin Costner has opened up about his struggles to find the right words for the emotional speech, admitting he was forced to pull over on his way to the ceremony to wrap up his tribute at a local park.
The actor told People magazine: “I was nervous. I wrote it up to the last hour before going into church. I didn’t realize so many people felt the need to hear from me. I had to think long and hard about what I wanted to say.
“My wife [Christine Baumgartner] and I pulled off to the side of the road and went to a park to finish it.”
Lesley Evans, the Gibb brothers’ sister, called herself the fourth Bee Gee, but with a difference, only the most devoted fans know she even exists.
Lesley Evans, born Gibb, 67, has stayed in behind the scenes for most of Bee Gees career – apart from one amazing performance standing in for her brother Robin at a sell-out gig in 1969.
As she faces life with her only remaining brother Barry, 65, she has revealed some of her memories growing up in one of the most famous families in the world, and how she once came Robin’s rescue, saving his life.
Still deeply grieving for her brother Robin Gibb, who died last Sunday, the dog-breeder revealed how she pulled Robin from a river when he was just 18 months old in the Isle Of Man.
Lesley Evans, the Gibb brothers’ sister, called herself the fourth Bee Gee, but with a difference, only the most devoted fans know she even exists
Lesley Evans told The Sunday Mirror: “Robin just fell in. I remember him floating along with his eyes staring up.
“I went in up to my waist and grabbed him under the arms until people came to help us both out of the water.”
The mother-of-seven smiles as she recalls how a brotherly spat meant Robin Gibb refused to go on-stage in 1969 and she was forced to become his replacement.
As a new mother of two young children, Lesley Evans had to rehearse a month before the performance at the Talk of the Town.
She said: “I secretly became the fourth Bee Gee. It was amazing. I loved it on the night. I know Robin watched it and he said he felt very choked up about it.”
But Lesley Evans was destined to be in showbusiness, instead she met her husband, an Australian salesman Keith Evans, and went on to have her children.
And since Robin Gibb’s death her mind has been going back to her childhood and memories of her family.
She describes her childhood home as surrounded by music and love.
But Lesley Evans says her brother Robin Gibb was far from chilled out.
“We all used to say, <<Oh, ¬Robin’s a stuffed shirt>>, because he was always very pompous. He never called me Lesley. It was always sister. I would not see him for 10 years and I could walk into a room and he would say, <<Oh, hello sister. How are you?>>.”
The last time she saw Robin Gibb was in Sydney in 2010, just after he had emergency surgery and thought he looked extremely underweight.
Lesley Evans said in the days before Robin Gibb’s death Barry rang her and said her brother would not pull through.
And she adds her mother Barbara, 93, is devastated and can’t understand how she has lost three sons so young.
Maurice Gibb died at 53 while Andy passed away at 30 from heart inflammation.
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony shared an emotional reunion last night in Las Vegas as they took the stage together for their ¡Q’Viva! The Chosen show at the Mandalay Bay resort.
Wearing a form-fitting sequined mini dress, JLo walked on stage hand-in-hand with her estranged husband Marc Anthony.
Jennifer Lopez smiled while Marc Anthony waved to the delighted crowd of about eight thousand fans.
The cheers grew even louder as the two shared a tender embrace, with Marc Anthony wrapping his arms around JLo.
The two performed separately with JLo wearing a series of revealing outfits throughout her set.
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony shared an emotional reunion last night in Las Vegas as they took the stage together for their ¡Q'Viva! The Chosen show at the Mandalay Bay resort
The mother-of-two showed lots of skin in a fringed, strapless metallic leotard paired with high heeled metallic boots.
Later, Jennifer Lopez changed into a tan and gold, floor length evening gown that was adorned with feathers.
The duo has continued to show solidarity during ¡Q’Viva!, which started out as a reality TV series.
It followed the pair to 20 countries in Latin America along with executive producer and co-host Jamie King, as they searched for new talent.
The trio auditioned singers, dancers, musicians and other amazing performers for a chance to travel and perform in the US.
The resulting live variety show in Las Vegas turned out to be a crowd pleaser.
JLo’s evening, however, didn’t end there as she headed to Hyde nightclub at the Bellagio after the show.
With backing dancer beau Casper Smart by her side, Jennifer Lopez made a special appearance to celebrate the launch of her new single Goin’ In.
She waved to fans from a VIP area, as Casper Smart, 25, danced seductively nearby.
Jennifer Lopez changed yet again, this time wearing off-white metallic mini dress.
Dwina Gibb, Robin Gibb’s widow, fears the mother of his love child fathered with their former housekeeper will demand more cash since his death – despite reportedly receiving a £4 million ($6.4 million) pay off.
After 12 months of legal wrangling Robin Gibb’s lover Claire Yang is said to have received the one off payment for three-year-old Snow Robin’s care.
But after Robin Gibb’s death the family are said to fear his former lover will demand a larger slice of his £140million ($225 million) fortune.
Dwina Gibb is said to be worried Claire Yang, 36, will seek legal advice despite agreeing to the one-off child maintenance deal in January.
A source close to the Gibb family told The Sunday Mirror the legal fight, which went on while Robin was undergoing hospital treatment, upset Dwina.
The source added: “If Claire does go to the funeral she will be ¬keeping her distance from Dwina and it will be awkward. Robin never walked away from his responsibilities and always made sure the child was fully provided for.
“Snow Robin is a Gibb child so will be treated exactly the same as the other three children. It is not about the money but it is the nature of the lengthy legal process which distressed Dwina and the family.”
After 12 months of legal wrangling Robin Gibb's lover Claire Yang is said to have received the one off payment for three-year-old Snow Robin's care
Robin Gibb, 62, who died from liver and colon cancer on May 20, had a long-term affair with Claire Yang but was asked to leave the Gibbs’ house by bisexual Dwina Gibb, 59, when she became pregnant.
Despite having an open relationship it is thought Dwina Gibb “hit the roof” when she discovered Claire Yang was pregnant.
Robin Gibb later brought his mistress a home five miles from his Thame home after paying her rent before his daughter was born.
Friends have spoken of Claire Yang’s love for Robin Gibb and the former housekeeper, who became known as the star’s companion, thought the pair could have a future together.
But Robin Gibb is thought to have told his mistress he would never leave his wife.
Speaking about her married life, Dwina Gibb famously said: “We have an open relationship. Robin has had flings in the past with friends of mine and he talks about them.
“It doesn’t worry me because I trust my friends. And I am, after all, his best friend as well as his wife and lover – and I’m sure we’ll be together.”
Robin Gibb and his twin brother Maurice formed the Bee Gees with their older brother Barry, now 63 in the late 50s.
The trio shot to mega-stardom after creating the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever in 1977. Maurice Gibb died of a burst intestine in 2003 and their younger brother Andy died from a cocaine overdose aged just 30 in the 1980s.
Under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975, any child in UK is allowed to contest a will.
Fauja Singh, the world’s oldest marathon runner, is set to join more than 27,000 people taking part in the 10th Edinburgh Marathon Festival.
Fauja Singh, 101, retired from running full marathons following his eighth marathon in London in April but he will be taking part in the Edinburgh relay.
As well as the relay, there will be a full 26 mile marathon, a half marathon, a 10K, a 5K, and junior races.
It is the biggest running event in Scotland.
It is second only to London in UK marathon size.
Fauja Singh, the world's oldest marathon runner, is set to join more than 27,000 people taking part in the 10th Edinburgh Marathon Festival
This year’s Edinburgh marathon features a line up of some of the finest athletes in the world.
Among those on the start line will be Zachary Kihara, 33, of Kenya who holds the course record, crossing the finish line in 2:15:46.
Since the Edinburgh Marathon started in 2003 it has had an economic impact of more than £25 million ($40 million) for the Scottish capital and has helped raise more than £30 million ($48 million) for hundreds of charities.
Together with the Edinburgh Marathon’s official charity Macmillan Cancer Support and hundreds of other charities the 10th anniversary organizers are hoping to break all previous records and raise more than £4.5 million ($7.2 million) in 2012.
Neil Kilgour, Edinburgh Marathon Festival race director, said: “It’s hard to believe that a decade has gone by since our first event in 2003 but we’re delighted that we have developed into one of the UK’s and Scotland’s major running occasions.
“Edinburgh Marathon Festival has it all – a great city that acts as a stunning backdrop to the event’s proceedings and a programme of races that means that everyone is catered for from children to marathon veterans.
“We’re looking forward to a great 10th birthday and welcoming back the thousands of runners who’ve supported the event over the years plus the thousands who will be joining us for the first time.”
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been forced to release a list of keywords and phrases it uses to monitor social networking sites and online media for signs of terrorist or other threats.
The government uses a number of different techniques to determine potential threats to the country, and create different methods to detect and act on ones that seem the most serious. In some cases, the FBI or the Department of Homeland Security must develop programs in order to intercept individuals or organization. However, they also must be very careful in order to avoid crossing national and international laws, like the controversial NSA surveillance program, PRISM. The clandestine mass electronic surveillance program has been in the middle of an ethical debate regarding personal privacy laws, but has already endangered individual rights, American business privacy and American interest abroad. Hopefully, this time, DHS monitoring will not repeat the same mistakes.
The intriguing the list includes obvious choices such as “attack”, “Al Qaeda”, “terrorism” and “dirty bomb” alongside dozens of seemingly innocent words like “pork”, “cloud”, “team” and “Mexico”.
Released under a freedom of information request, the information sheds new light on how government analysts are instructed to patrol the internet searching for domestic and external threats.
The words are included in the DHS’s 2011 “Analyst’s Desktop Binder” used by workers at their National Operations Center which instructs workers to identify “media reports that reflect adversely on DHS and response activities”.
Department chiefs were forced to release the manual following a House hearing over documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit which revealed how analysts monitor social networks and media organizations for comments that “reflect adversely” on the government.
However they insisted the practice was aimed not at policing the internet for disparaging remarks about the government and signs of general dissent, but to provide awareness of any potential threats.
As well as terrorism, analysts are instructed to search for evidence of unfolding natural disasters, public health threats and serious crimes such as mall/school shootings, major drug busts, illegal immigrant busts.
The list has been posted online by the Electronic Privacy Information Center – a privacy watchdog group who filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act before suing to obtain the release of the documents.
In a letter to the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counter-terrorism and Intelligence, the centre described the choice of words as “broad, vague and ambiguous”.
They point out that it includes “vast amounts of First Amendment protected speech that is entirely unrelated to the Department of Homeland Security mission to protect the public against terrorism and disasters”.
A senior Homeland Security official told the Huffington Post that the manual “is a starting point, not the endgame” in maintaining situational awareness of natural and man-made threats and denied that the government was monitoring signs of dissent.
However, DHS admitted that the language used was vague and in need of updating.
Spokesman Matthew Chandler told website: “To ensure clarity, as part of … routine compliance review, DHS will review the language contained in all materials to clearly and accurately convey the parameters and intention of the program.”
US Department of Homeland Security has been forced to release a list of keywords and phrases it uses to monitor social networking sites and online media for signs of terrorist or other threats
EmergencyHurricaneTornadoTwisterTsunamiEarthquakeTremorFloodStormCrestTemblorExtreme weatherForest fireBrush fireIceStranded/Stuck HelpHailWildfireTsunami Warning CenterMagnitudeAvalancheTyphoonShelter-in-placeDisasterSnowBlizzardSleetMud slide or MudslideErosionPower outageBrown outWarningWatchLighteningAidRelief ClosureInterstateBurstEmergency Broadcast System
Cyber Security
Cyber securityBotnetDDOS (dedicated denial of service)Denial of serviceMalwareVirusTrojanKeyloggerCyber Command2600SpammerPhishingRootkitPhreakingCain and abelBrute forcingMysql injectionCyber attack Cyber terrorHackerChinaConfickerWormScammersSocial media
A new study has shown that a fruit drink developed by NASA to protect astronauts from radiation, known as AS10, dramatically reduces wrinkles, blemishes and sun damage after four months.
Visia photographs – which reveal the condition of the skin below the surface by using different types of light exposure – were taken of 180 participants at the start of the trial, and again after four months of drinking two shots of AS10 a day. By the end UV spots were reduced by 30% and wrinkles by 17%.
AS10 was developed as a nutritional supplement for astronauts to protect them from the damaging effects of high levels of radiation outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
The drink contains a blend of fruits including cupuacu (a Brazilian fruit from the cacao plant family), acai, acerola, prickly pear and yumberry, which all provide vitamins and phytochemicals – compounds known to block the harmful effects of radiation. Other ingredients are grape, green tea, pomegranate and vegetables.
A new study has shown that a fruit drink developed by NASA to protect astronauts from radiation, known as AS10, dramatically reduces wrinkles, blemishes and sun damage after four months
Radiation particles alter oxygen molecules in the body to create reactive oxygen species (ROS) – so-called “free radicals” which damage cells in a process known as oxidative stress. This process has been linked to diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. The toxic molecules are also thought to play a role in the skin ageing process.
ROS are created naturally within the body as cells generate energy, but also through environmental factors such as chemicals and ultraviolet light from the sun – the strongest stress to skin. Mobile phone radiation, cigarette smoke and alcohol also generate ROS.
“Think of them as little Pac-men taking bites out of molecules that are essential for cells to function,” says Dr. Aaron Barson, the nutritional scientist from Utah, US, who carried out the AS10 study after patients reported dramatic improvement from the drink.
AS10 is thought to improve skin condition because the drink’s large quantities of antioxidants ward off oxidative stress, allowing the skin to heal naturally. Antioxidants attach themselves to ROS and neutralize them before they cause damage.
Dr. Aaron Barson says: “The skin is the first body tissue to be exposed to UV rays and we know it is sensitive to oxidative stress. Our study shows it greatly benefits from a reduction in this stress. The effects of oxidative stress on the skin can be quickly modified and the skin can heal itself by drinking AS10.”
He suggests that the results may have been even better had the trial been conducted during the winter, when exposure to ultraviolet light would have been less.
A second, larger study is planned this summer to investigate for how long the effects last and whether skin condition reaches a plateau or deteriorates once the drink is no longer consumed.
The main drawback is the high price of the drink. The women in the trial drank a sherry glass – 60ml – of AS10 a day. At $50 per 750ml bottle, the cost was just under $500 over the four months.
Demi Moore announced that she was going to divorce Ashton Kutcher back in November, but never followed through with proceedings.
And it may well be that Demi Moore never does as she is reportedly heading for a reconciliation with her estranged husband.
The Sunday Mirror are reporting that Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher are still very much in love and recently had an emotional reunion at a friend’s birthday party.
The soiree was thrown for Kabbalah Rabbi Yehuda Berg, who officiated the Hollywood couple’s wedding back in 2005.
Upon seeing each other at the event, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher reportedly embraced for a lengthy 60 seconds.
“They are still desperately in love and could be on for a reconciliation,” a source told the publication.
“The divorce isn’t being processed right now.”
Reports are saying that Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher are still very much in love and recently had an emotional reunion at Rabbi Yehuda Berg's birthday party
During the dinner, Ashton Kutcher also made an emotional speech for Yehuda Berg and his eyes welled up with tears when he admitted that he had made “mistakes”.
“I’ve made all these horrendous mistakes in the last year,” Ashton Kutcher reportedly said in the speech.
Sources at the event said Ashton Kutcher broke down in tears as he sat down in his chair following the speech.
“Ashton’s voice started to break as he spoke. He just fell into tears. He sat down to a round of applause while Demi just looked frozen.”
Demi Moore reportedly arrived at the event after Ashton Kutcher, and looked sensational.
After wishing the Rabbi a Happy Birthday, she chatted to her ex.
“She went over to wish Yehuda a happy birthday and Ashton was right by him. Yehuda left them to talk. They started to chat and were extremely affectionate. She was staring at him like a lovesick puppy,” the source told the publication.
Meanwhile Demi Moore has also been hinting via her Twitter account that she might be ready to forgive.
She favourited two significant Tweets, both which referred to making mistakes and not giving up on the people you love.
They included one from rapper Wiz Khalifa which read: “We all make mistakes. Don’t let that be the reason you give up on somebody.”
And another from The Love Stories: “Sometimes you have to love people from a distance and give them a space and time to get their minds right.”
Demi Moore announced her intention to divorce Ashton Kutcher last November – although proceedings are yet to be executed by either party.
It followed claims he had cheated on her with partygirl Sara Leal during a seedy night in San Diego.
Lady Gaga has cancelled a concert in Jakarta, Indonesia, citing “security” concerns, after protests by religious groups.
Police in Indonesia had refused to issue a permit for Lady Gaga after Islamic groups objected to her show, claiming it was too vulgar.
The hard-line Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) had threatened to try to stop Lady Gaga getting off the plane.
Indonesia is officially secular but has more Muslims than any other country.
Lady Gaga has cancelled a concert in Jakarta, Indonesia, citing "security" concerns, after protests by religious groups
More than 50,000 tickets had been sold for the 3 June event. Promoters said they would offer refunds.
“Lady Gaga’s management has considered the situation minute to minute, and with threats if the concert goes ahead, Lady Gaga’s side is calling off the concert,” Minola Sebayang, lawyer for promoters Big Daddy, told reporters.
This is not the first time that Lady Gaga has faced objections during her Asian tour.
Her concert in South Korea in April was made an adults-only event following protests from Christian groups.
Protests also took place in the Philippines, with Christian groups accusing her of being blasphemous.
Swedish Loreen has won the 57th Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan, with her club track Euphoria.
Loreen, a former Swedish Idol contestant, led from early on in the voting, challenged only by Russia’s Buranovo Grannies and host nation Azerbaijan.
British entry Engelbert Humperdinck, who opened the contest with his ballad Love Will Set You Free, finished second from last – despite high hopes.
However the 76-year-old was spared the humiliation of “nil points”.
Swedish Loreen has won the 57th Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan, with her club track Euphoria
The legendary crooner, who has sold more than 150 million records worldwide, received just 12 points – from Estonia, Latvia, Belgium and Ireland.
There were high hopes for Engelbert Humperdinck – affectionately known as “The Hump” – given his huge global fanbase, but his draw as first to sing in the contest seemingly proved detrimental.
Historically no-one who has opened the contest has gone on to win, as viewers often tune in late and miss the early contenders.
Twenty six countries took part in the final in Azerbaijan’s spectacular Crystal Hall, in front of a live audience of some 20,000.
Up to 125 million viewers typically watch the annual contest on television around the world.
A list of US names compiled by Nameberry has unearthed a selection of unlikely monikers including Tequila, Cougar and Moo.
Also included in their round-up of the most bizarre names are Swayze, after late actor Patrick, which five boys were named last year, while 14 girls and 25 boys were given the name Wrigley, after the Chicago stadium.
The name Tomorrow also appeared on the register, alongside Evening and Future, while Cougar was one of the more unusual among the trend for what Nameberry calls “fierce” names.
“To the six girls named Bunny out there: Watch out,” joked site founder Pamela Redmond Satran.
A list of US names compiled by Nameberry has unearthed a selection of unlikely monikers including Tequila, Cougar and Moo
The strangest, though, has to be the dismissive Eh, which 14 girls were named last year.
Another six of last year’s babies must have been born troublemakers as their parents elected to name them Corleone after the fictional Mob family in The Godfather.
Mad Men character Don inspired parents to call their sons Draper, while Elvis Presley’s home Graceland was the name given to seven baby girls.
Notorious was the name given to five boys – no doubt their parents were fans of Biggie, while the very tough-sounding Tank was among this year’s newest names.
Conjoined names – those without a space, hyphen or even spelling the second of the two names with a capital letter – also emerged as an unlikely new trend.
Five boys were named Kingsolomon, while others on the register were Princewilliam, Princemichael, Sircharles, and Marcjacob.
