Armenia has announced its withdrawal from the 2012 Eurovision song contest in Baku amid new tension with its old rival Azerbaijan.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organizer of Eurovision song contest, said it was “truly disappointed” by Armenian Public Television’s decision.
Azerbaijani and Armenian forces fought a war over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1990’s which left at least 25,000 people dead.
A ceasefire was signed in 1994, but no permanent peace deal has been reached.
There has also been internal tension in Azerbaijan, where security forces used force to break up an opposition rally in the northern district of Quba on Friday.
Armenia has announced its withdrawal from the 2012 Eurovision song contest in Baku amid new tension with its old rival Azerbaijan
Armenian Public Television accused Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev of making hostile remarks in recent days.
“Despite the fact that the Azerbaijani authorities have given security guarantees to all participating countries, several days ago the Azerbaijani president made a statement that enemy number one for Azerbaijan were the Armenians,” the Armenian TV said in a statement quoted by AFP news agency.
Last month, a group of Armenian pop singers launched a Eurovision boycott campaign, saying: “We refuse to appear in a country that is well known for mass killings and massacres of Armenians, in a country where anti-Armenian sentiments have been elevated to the level of state policy.
“There is no logic to sending a participant to a country where he will be met as an enemy.”
In a speech about local government on 28 February, which was posted on the Azerbaijani leader’s website, President Ilham Aliyev said: “Our main enemies are Armenians of the world and the hypocritical and corrupt politicians under their control.”
Reacting to news of the Armenian withdrawal, senior Azerbaijani politician Ali Ahmedov told reporters that Armenia had no genuine reason to boycott the competition in Baku.
“The Armenian refusal to take part in such a respected contest will cause even further damage to the already damaged image of Armenia,” said Ali Ahmedov, who is secretary of the governing party.
The last of the Great Apes genome has been sequenced after a British research team in Cambridge has deciphered the genetic code of the gorilla.
Researchers can now begin to examine the similarities and differences between the apes, the journal Nature reports.
Genome sequences of humans, chimpanzees and orangutans are already published.
The research team hopes their work will help to uncover genetic mutations that led to language, culture and science.
“I’d like to think that in the next 20 or 30 years we will get a deeper understanding of what happened genetically in our evolutionary history, and of how those genes affect the brain and other properties that make us modern humans,” said Richard Durbin of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, who led the study.
Initial comparisons confirm that chimpanzees are our closest relatives, sharing 99% of our DNA. Gorillas come a close second with 98%, and orangutans third with a 97% share.
That reflects the evolutionary history of apes. Genome comparison indicates that the human lineage separated from orangutans 14 million years ago, gorillas 10 million years ago, and chimps 6 million years ago.
That order of events is not a surprise, but the dates are earlier than many scientists had thought.
Although on average humans are closest to chimps, many of our individual genes are more like those of gorillas.
Among them is a gene that enables us and gorillas to hear better than other apes.
Until now, some scientists had thought that the development of hearing was what enabled us to develop language – but as a result of this research, we now know this theory is wrong.
Fifteen percent of the human genome is closer to the gorilla than the chimpanzee, and 15% of the chimpanzee genome is closer to the gorilla than to humans.
One genetic difference that will be of interest to medical researchers is a mutation that results in dementia in humans, but seems to leave gorillas completely unaffected.
The last of the Great Apes genome has been sequenced after a British research team in Cambridge has deciphered the genetic code of the gorilla
The genome unraveled in the research came from a female western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) called Kamilah.
Researchers searched through more than 11,000 genes in her genome, as well as in the published versions of the human, chimp and orangutan genetic codes, for changes important in evolution.
“Our most significant findings reveal not only differences between the species, reflecting millions of years of evolutionary divergence, but also similarities in parallel changes over time since their common ancestor,” said Chris Tyler-Smith, who works with Dr. Richard Durbin.
Comparative studies will also shed more light on the evolution of all the Great Apes; but the key question is whether the bounty of genetic information contains clues to the moment when the first genes emerged that made humans capable of abstract thought.
“This is the question we are all fascinated by,” said Dr. Richard Durbin.
It is unlikely that a single development led to our species’ advance towards modernity, or that all developments along that path were genetic.
Anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) emerged around 200,000 years ago, but it was not until about 50,000 years ago that our bigger brains began to make a difference.
Until then, humanity was one among small number of apes in Africa, probably living not very differently from gorillas.
So, something happened very rapidly around that time that led to the emergence of abstract thought, allowing humans to invent advanced tools and use them to shape the environment.
“There will have been genetic factors, but also cultural and historic factors,” said Dr. Richard Durbin.
The one Great Ape not to be sequenced so far is the bonobo, a close relative of the chimp. That project is underway, and scientists expect its genome and that of the chimp to be very similar.
The availability of the genomes of all the Great Apes will help scientists answer what happened over the past 200,000 years to enable our species become what we are now.
Apple has unveiled its latest version of iPad, armed with a Full HD display with 3.1 million pixels and a supercharged new processor.
Apple said the resolution of the display was 2048 by 1536 pixels. The tablet is also powered by a new A5X chip with improved graphics performance.
Chief executive Tim Cook claimed to be “redefining the category that Apple created”.
Apple dominates the market but is set to face a fresh challenge when devices running the full Windows 8 system are expected to go on sale later this year.
Apple has unveiled its latest version of iPad, armed with a Full HD display with 3.1 million pixels and a supercharged new processor
The new iPad also features a 5-megapixel camera sensor. It will be able to run on 4G LTE networks where the service is available and can act as a wi-fi hotspot for other devices if carriers allow the function.
It is 9.4 mm deep, slightly thicker than the 8.8 mm profile of the iPad 2.
Apple’s marketing chief Phil Schiller said the tablet has the same 10-hour estimated battery life as the previous model using only wi-fi. That limit shortens by an hour when using 4G.
The device will be available on March 16 and priced from $499-$829 – the same range as the iPad 2, which the technology giant launched a year ago.
The new iPad is due to go on sale on the same day in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, France, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and Japan.
Apple also announced an upgraded TV box which can now handle 1080p video.
Films and TV shows will be sold via its iTunes store in the high-definition format.
IMS Research said Apple accounted for 62% of the global tablet market in 2011. Ahead of the press conference it said it expected that share to rise to 70% this year.
Analysts at Gartner said it expects Apple to sell 69 million iPads before the end of 2012. By contrast if forecasts stores will sell 22.8 million tablets running Google’s Android system, and 6.3 million Blackberry Playbook devices.
Gartner research director Michael Gartenberg said: “I’d call the new iPad an evolutionary device with some revolutionary experiences”.
Lindsay Lohan has reportedly got a soft spot for controversial photographer Terry Richardson.
Lindsay Lohan, 25, apparently spent time with Terry Richardson, 46, following a photo shoot, and is now keen to start up a relationship with him.
However, according to Radaronline.com, Terry Richardson is “just not interested”, and regrets “hooking up with her”.
“They had a major night of passion after they worked on this photo shoot together and now she’s going all out to get her claws into him,” a source told RadarOnline.
“Lindsay and Terry have been friends for years, and she’s always had a thing for him. Lindsay thinks he’s really cool and hip and could be great for her career.”
Lindsay Lohan apparently spent time with Terry Richardson following a photo shoot and is now keen to start up a relationship with him
Their “steamy night of passion” came after Terry Richardson shot Lindsay Lohan in a sexy photo shoot at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles.
Lindsay Lohan has apparently had a “major crush” on the professional for a long time, and no doubt couldn’t wait to get in front of his camera.
“Lindsay has been texting and phoning him nonstop and he’s actually kind of freaked out by how strong she’s been coming on to him,” the source added.
“It’s a difficult situation though as they move in the same circles and have a lot of mutual friends. He’s trying to work out a way to let her down gently without blowing their friendship.”
One of Lindsay Lohan’s most recent public appearances was Terry Richardson’s pre-Oscar party – the opening of his latest exhibition, Terrywood.
Just like Lindsay Lohan, Terry Richardson is no stranger to controversy and has been the subject of sexual harassment allegations on various occasions.
Danish model and filmmaker Rie Rasmussen and Jamie Peck are just two women who have gone public with their complaints.
OWN has released a video preview of Oprah’s Winfrey’s Sunday interview with Bobbi Kristina Brown and Whitney Houston’s brother and sister-in-law.
On “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” Oprah Winfrey sits down with Bobbi Kristina Brown – the only child of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown – and the singer’s brother, Gary Houston, and her sister-in-law/manager Patricia Houston.
In the preview, Oprah Winfrey’s seen asking Gary Houston: “As a big brother, how did you feel about Bobby Brown?”
Oprah Winfrey is also seen hugging Bobbi Kristina Brown, who turned 19 on March 4, less than a month after Whitney Houston’s death on February 11.
OWN has released a video preview of Oprah's Winfrey's Sunday interview with Bobbi Kristina Brown and Whitney Houston's brother and sister-in-law
During the special, the family will discuss the speculation surrounding Whitney Houston’s death, according to a network release.
Bobbi Kristina Brown will also share her favorite memories of her mother and say how she hopes she will be remembered.
OWN is also rebroadcasting “Remembering Whitney: The Oprah Interview,” Oprah Winfrey’s 2009 interview with Whitney Houston on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
Oreo cookie celebrates its centenary in the US and four other countries, China, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Indonesia.
Flash mobs in seven US cities sang “Happy Birthday!” to the famous cookie: a white filling (or cream) sandwiched between two black biscuits.
The first Oreos were baked at the Nabisco factory in New York in 1912.
Oreo cookies are now sold around the world, bringing Kraft Foods – which owns Nabisco – $2 billion annually.
“It’s the best-selling cookie in the world,” said John Ghingo, senior director for Oreo Global at Kraft.
“The simple act of enjoying an Oreo cookie and glass of milk continues to speak to a universal, human truth: inside all of us… there’s a kid that deserves to be set free every once in a while,” John Ghingo said.
To mark the cookie’s centenary, Nabisco released a limited edition of "Birthday Cake" Oreo
John Ghingo added that the name Oreo remained mystery even today, but one theory suggested that the two uses of “O” in the word represented the cookies and the “re” in the middle stood for the cream.
To mark the milestone, Nabisco released a limited edition of “Birthday Cake” Oreo.
On Tuesday, celebrations were also held in China, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
Facebook users faced problems accessing the social network in many countries across Europe for about two hours on Wednesday due to “technical difficulties”.
Facebook smartphone and tablet apps were also affected, as users reported on Twitter.
The company apologized for the incident and said the issue was now resolved.
“Today we experienced technical difficulties causing the site to be unavailable for a number of users in Europe,” Facebook said in a statement.
“The issue has been resolved and everyone should now have access to Facebook. We apologize for any inconvenience.”
More isolated accounts of inaccessibility were posted by users in further afield places such as Pakistan and South Korea.
Facebook users faced problems accessing the social network in many countries across Europe for about two hours on Wednesday due to "technical difficulties"
Facebook has about 850 million users worldwide and many took to Twitter to share information about the down time, with “#facebookdown “quickly becoming a trending topic on the microblogging site.
Most took a humorous view, with user @Purple_Cow tweeting: “#Facebook is #down, expect a surge in productivity in offices everywhere today.”
However, some website owners who make use of the Facebook Connect service – which allows people to log into external sites by using their Facebook account – were left frustrated by the technical issues.
Launched in February 2004, last month Facebook announced plans to float on the stock market. It seeks to raise $5 billion from the move, making it the biggest sale of shares by an internet company.
US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney eked out a narrow win in Ohio and was victorious in four other Super Tuesday states.
As expected, Mitt Romney cruised to victory in his home state of Massachusetts, as well as Idaho, Vermont and Virginia.
Mitt Romney also won in Alaska, which Ron Paul was pinning his hopes on for his only win of the nomination campaign.
Rick Santorum won a hat-trick of contests, while Newt Gingrich took his home state of Georgia.
Mitt Romney now leads the field with 415 delegates committed to backing him at the national Republican convention in August. A candidate needs 1,144 delegates to win the party’s nomination and go on to challenge Barack Obama in November’s election.
But Super Tuesday did not deliver a sufficiently convincing victory to end the race and convince Mitt Romney’s rivals to pull out.
After Tuesday’s 10-state voting marathon, Mitt Romney defended his position as the front-runner.
“I’m going to get this nomination,” Mitt Romney told supporters in Boston.
Mitt Romney and his wife Ann at their Super Tuesday primary rally in Boston
Mitt Romney easily won Massachusetts, where he was governor, as well as liberal-leaning Vermont and Idaho, where his fellow Mormons make up a chunk of the electorate.
He also won resoundingly in Virginia, where Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich failed to qualify for the ballot.
Rick Santorum, a former US senator from Pennsylvania, said his victories in Tennessee, Oklahoma and North Dakota proved he was the bona fide conservative alternative to Mitt Romney.
“This was a big night tonight,” Rick Santorum told supporters in Steubenville, Ohio. “We have won in the West, the Midwest and the South, and we’re ready to win across this country.”
After a cliffhanger count, Mitt Romney narrowly edged out Rick Santorum in Ohio, the night’s most coveted prize.
Ohio was important because no Republican nominee has taken the White House without winning the Midwestern bellwether state in the general election.
Of the 66 delegates on offer, Mitt Romney took home 35 compared to Rick Santorum’s 21, the Associated Press reports.
Rick Santorum began the race in Ohio with a big lead in the opinion polls, but Mitt Romney’s well-funded political machine overcame him in part through a heavy campaign of attack adverts.
Rick Santorum has attracted the support of religious conservatives with his opposition to gay marriage and abortion.
However, his outspoken remarks on birth control and the role of religion may have turned off moderate-leaning voters.
Exit polls showed Ohio voters thought Mitt Romney stood the best chance of beating Barack Obama; however, Rick Santorum appealed more to blue-collar voters.
Super Tuesday Guide
Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, did not achieve the sweep of Southern states he hoped for.
But he vowed to stay in the race after his Georgia win.
“There are lots of bunny rabbits to run through, I am the tortoise. I just take one step at a time,” Newt Gingrich said.
With 96% of votes counted in Alaska, Mitt Romney was winning with 33% of the vote, ahead of Rick Santorum with 29%. Texas Congressman Ron Paul – who had been hoping to make the state his only win of the campaign – was trailing with 22% while Newt Gingrich held 14%.
Of the 1,144 delegates needed to secure the Republican presidential nomination, 419 were up for grabs on Tuesday.
Overall, Mitt Romney won at least 212 of Super Tuesday’s delegates, taking his total to 415, while Rick Santorum added 84, taking his count to 176, AP reports.
The race is not over yet as the next crop of primaries and caucuses will not do Mitt Romney any favors.
Kansas, Alabama, Mississippi and Hawaii hold their contests over the next 10 days.
Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich will be hoping to halt Mitt Romney’s momentum and keep their challenges alive.
The drawn-out nomination fight, which has been waged in large part through negative television adverts, may have taken its toll on the Republican Party.
A Washington Post/ABC News poll showed only 35% of Americans looked upon Mitt Romney favorably, compared to 32% for Ron Paul, 23% for Newt Gingrich, and 32% for Rick Santorum.
Two car bomb and suicide attacks killed at least 10 people and wounded another 15 in the northern Iraqi town of Tal Afar, according to police.
The car bomb exploded near a restaurant in Tal Afar centre. Minutes later, a man wearing an explosive vest blew himself up in a crowd of onlookers.
Tel Afar is not far from the Syrian border, just west of the city of Mosul.
Earlier, a car bomb reportedly killed two people and wounded seven in a western part of the capital, Baghdad.
There has been a rise in attacks in Iraq since US troops left in December, leaving more than 200 people dead.
The violence has come amid a marked deterioration in Iraq’s fragile political process, with the country’s most prominent Sunni Arab politician being sought by the authorities on terrorism charges.
AeroShot producer, Breathable Foods Inc., has received a warning letter for false or misleading statements in the labeling of its product, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on March 6.
There are concerns about the safety of the “caffeine inhaler” and about children and adolescents using it combined with alcohol, said the FDA.
AeroShot gives “breathable energy, anytime, anyplace,” and it is intended to be ingested by swallowing, it is written on the product website, but the FDA said these statements were in contradiction.
“The company’s labeling is false or misleading because these two claims contradict each other. A product cannot be intended for both inhalation and ingestion because the functioning of the epiglottis in the throat keeps the processes of inhaling and swallowing separate,” said the FDA.
Also, labeling a product as “breathable energy” may lead to an improper usage.
Consumers may tend to inhale it, but inhaling caffeine into the lungs is not safe as long this process has not been well studied. The particles in AeroShot are too big to enter the lungs, says the company on its website, but it shows no specific research in support of this claim.
On March 6, 2012, the FDA issued a warning letter to the makers of AeroShot “caffeine inhaler.”
In the same time the FDA is worried about the use of the AeroShot by the children.
AeroShot is “not recommended for those under 18 years of age,” says the website and it is “not intended for people under 12,” says the label.
“But the website also appears to target these age groups by suggesting it be used when studying,” said the Agency.
The product is not intended for persons under 18, said Tom Hadfield, Breathable Foods CEO.
“We plan to work closely with the FDA to meet their requests for information and labeling changes to ensure compliance with dietary supplement requirements. AeroShot delivers a mix of B vitamins and caffeine to the mouth for ingestion and is not ‘inhaled’ into the lungs,” he told the Huffington Post.
The FDA has another concern regarding the utilization of AeroShot while drinking alcohol.
The product website has links to news articles and videos about using AeroShot in combination with alcohol. Those news items express health concerns about this kind of usage, but their presence publicizes and may encourage the use of AeroShot with alcohol, said the FDA.
Taking caffeine while drinking may make consumers to feel “less drunk,” but it does not lower blood alcohol levels, and it does not remove the side effects of drinking too much alcohol. Mixing caffeine with alcohol can be dangerous, especially for very young people, old people, or persons with health problems.
The product label does not include contact information for consumers to report adverse events, as required under federal law.
Consumers who believe they have suffered illness or injury from using AeroShot should also report those events to their regional FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators. The agency also encourages healthcare providers to report to FDA any adverse events in their patients that are associated with AeroShot. As of March 6, 2012, FDA has not received any adverse event reports associated with the product.
In 2010 there was another issue over caffeinated energy drink Four Loko. The media coverage at that time led to increased sales and the drink became more popular. However, the caffeine was eliminated from Four Loko and now further restriction may be added.
AeroShot is sold out on the company’s website, but remains available on store shelves in Boston and New York, according to Breathable Foods.
Senator Chuck Schumer, of New York, promised to oppose AeroShot, over two months ago. The FDA has to take measures concerning the product, because the children and adolescents may abuse it, he said.
Massachusetts-based company, Breathable Foods Inc. has 15 business days to respond to the agency with a plan to bring the AeroShot into compliance with FDA regulations.
Demi Moore arrived in Los Angeles by a private jet in the dead of night following more than a month in rehab.
Demi Moore, 49, had remained in hiding after leaving the unnamed clinic, holidaying on the private Caribbean island of Parrot Cay, where her ex-husband Bruce Willis owns a house.
The break appeared to have done her good, as she appeared tanned and healthy in a baggy white jumper and denim shorts.
Demi Moore was accompanied by close friend Eric Buterbaugh and was met at the airport by a woman who she rushed to embrace after descending the stairs of the plane.
It was the first time the actress has been seen in public since she was hospitalized after having a seizure and collapsing five weeks ago.
Demi Moore had reportedly been smoking “an incense-like substance” as well as inhaling nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas.
The incident came at the end of a difficult time for Demi Moore, who split from husband Ashton Kutcher, 33, in November after he was accused of cheating on her.
Ashton Kutcher and her ex-husband Bruce Willis both visited her shortly afterwards at the home she shares with her three daughters, Rumer, 23, Scout, 20, and Tallulah, 17.
Princess Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco, granddaughter of Grace Kelly, signed as the Gucci’s newest face.
Now the first image from Charlotte Casiraghi’s campaign for the Italian fashion powerhouse has been released.
Paying tribute to her equestrian talents, the shoot, by photographer Peter Lindbergh, took place at a snowy stable.
Charlotte Casiraghi, 25, is seen leaning against a hay bale in the final shot with her hair loose and tousled and a scarf tied around the forehead. Her make-up is minimal and her riding boots can be glimpsed in the bottom of the frame.
The princess also wears a red riding jacket, high-necked black shirt and johdpurs, all most likely part of the riding kit that Gucci exclusively created for her to compete in.
Princess Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco, granddaughter of Grace Kelly, signed as the Gucci's newest face
Behind-the-scenes footage from the shoot obtained by Grazia shows Charlotte Casiraghi posing with a horse as well. Clearly at ease with the animals, she seems in control as she guides its head in order that it is at the best angle for the photographer, and unfazed by the freezing conditions.
Though Royals will rarely front fashion campaigns, Princess Charlotte Casiraghi and Gucci’s creative director share a special bond.
Frida Giannini explained: “Over the last two years I have had the pleasure and privilege to get to know Charlotte through our shared passion for horses.
“She not only embodies the beauty and the grace of the equestrian, but is also a wonderful ambassador for the sport.”
Charlotte Casiraghi was equally full of praise for Frida Giannini, adding: “I admire Frida’s talent as a designer and she has really managed to reinvent the codes of Gucci by giving them a modern twist and a timeless elegance.”
Olympus ex-chairman Tsuyoshi Kikukawa and six of its executives have been charged by Tokyo prosecutors in connection with a $1.7 billion accounting cover-up.
Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, executive vice-president Hisashi Mori and former auditor Hideo Yamada are among those charged with falsifying securities reports, according to Reuters and Bloomberg news agencies.
Olympus ex-chairman Tsuyoshi Kikukawa and six of its executives have been charged by Tokyo prosecutors in connection with a $1.7 billion accounting cover-up
The three were arrested last month.
Olympus case has become one of Japan’s biggest corporate scandals.
Cheetah, a four-legged and headless robot, has set a new world speed record, according to the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
DARPA said Cheetah achieved 18 mph (29 km/h) on a laboratory treadmill and the previous land speed record by a legged robot was 13.1 mph.
The agency said that the project was part of efforts to develop robots designed to “more effectively assist war fighters across a greater range of missions”.
DARPA – which is run by the Pentagon – funded the Massachusetts robotics company Boston Dynamics to build the machine.
“We plan to get off the treadmill and into the field as soon as possible,” said the firm’s chief robotics scientist, Alfred Rizzi, in a statement.
“We really want to understand what is possible for fast-moving robots.”
Cheetah, a four-legged and headless robot, has set a new world speed record, according to DARPA
The robot’s movements have been modeled on those of fast-running animals in the wild. The machine is designed to flex and un-flex its back to increase the length of its stride.
The current version of Cheetah is dependent on an off-board hydraulic pump, requiring one of the researchers to hold the tubing out of its way. However, the researchers said a free-running prototype was planned for later this year.
The four-year project, which was commissioned in February 2011, ultimately aims to deliver a robot which can “zigzag to chase and evade”, and be able to come to an abrupt halt.
It builds on other models based on animals created by Boston Dynamics including its BigDog rough-terrain robot, designed to recycle energy from one step to the next, and its lizard-like Rise, which can climb walls, trees and fences by using micro-claws on its six feet and a tail for balance.
Cricket tycoon Allen Stanford has been found guilty by a court in Houston, Texas, of running a $7 billion Ponzi scheme.
Allen Stanford, 61, was convicted on 13 of the 14 charges.
He had pleaded not guilty to defrauding some 30,000 investors with bogus investments through his Stanford International Bank in Antigua to fund a lavish lifestyle.
Allen Stanford faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison for the most serious charge.
However, the judge will have to decide whether the sentences should run consecutively.
The jury of eight men and four women found Allen Stanford not guilty of one charge of wire fraud.
Allen Stanford looked down as the guilty verdicts were announced, and one of his daughters started crying.
Cricket tycoon Allen Stanford has been found guilty by a court in Houston, Texas, of running a $7 billion Ponzi scheme
The same jury will now deliberate in a brief civil trial as prosecutors seek to seize funds from more than 30 of Allen Stanford’s bank accounts worldwide.
However, investigators say they have been unable to find 92% of the $8 billion the bank said it had in assets.
One of Allen Stanford’s lawyers, Ali Fazel, told Associated Press he was “disappointed in the outcome”, adding: “We expect to appeal.”
Allen Stanford’s defense was based on blaming a former chief financial officer, James Davis, and arguing that most of the money was lost by court-appointed receivers following the bank’s seizure.
Prosecutors said Allen Stanford’s bogus certificates of deposit had promised artificially high returns to fund his lavish lifestyle over a 20-year period.
They said Allen Stanford had told depositors in more than 100 countries that their money was safely invested in stocks and securities. However, it was in reality being transferred to his businesses and personal account.
James Davis, who had earlier pleaded guilty to fraud as part of a deal with prosecutors, testified that he had worked with Allen Stanford to falsify records.
Allen Stanford did not take the stand during the six-week trial.
Allen Stanford was the organizer of the money-spinning Stanford Twenty20 cricket tournament in the West Indies in 2008.
Forbes Magazine listed Allen Stanford as the 605th richest man in the world in 2006.
He has spent three years in detention after being denied bail.
Allen Stanford’s trial was delayed after he was involved in a prison fight in September 2009 and developed an addiction to an anti-anxiety drug. But in December 2011 he was declared fit to stand trial.
Moldovan parliament voted to make chemical castration mandatory for those convicted of violently abusing children under 15.
The new law states that both Moldovans and foreigners convicted of violent paedophile offences will be chemically castrated.
Rapists will also face castration, to be decided on a case by case basis.
Many Moldovans believe their country has become a destination for international sex tourists, AP reports.
Five of the nine people convicted for child sex offences in Moldova in the past two years have been foreigners, the agency says.
The Liberal Party MP who steered the bill through parliament, Valeriu Munteanu, said there had been 15 cases in recent years of violent paedophiles reoffending in Moldova.
Moldovan parliament voted to make chemical castration mandatory for those convicted of violently abusing children under 15
Chemical castration involves a man taking hormones which suppress the production of testosterone for three months, leading to a decreased sex drive.
Some MPs in Moldova’s parliament questioned the efficacy of chemical castration, pointing out that it is reversible – and calling for alternative methods to be considered, according to Moldovan newspaper Timpul.
Amnesty International Moldova has condemned the decision, saying it undermines the basic right to physical and mental integrity.
Executive Director Cristina Pereteatcu said chemical castration was “incompatible with human rights, which are the foundation of any civilized democratic society”.
Poland introduced mandatory chemical castration for some sex offenders in 2009, and Russia has recently introduced similar legislation.
Both Germany and the Czech Republic have been criticized by Europe’s top human rights body for using voluntary surgical castration to treat sex offenders.
Rihanna was voted one of the top beauty icons of 2011, beating the likes of Victoria Beckham and Angelina Jolie, and now she has revealed the secret behind her radiant looks – Per-fékt, the skin perfection gel.
Per-fékt, the $40 skin perfection gel, is already popular with a number of Hollywood stars including Reese Witherspoon, Goldie Hawn and Jennifer Hudson.
According to make-up artist Mylah Morales, Per-fékt, which acts as an alternative to traditional powder blush, helps achieve a bronzed and youthful look.
“Skin Perfection Gel which preps skin for make-up application and leaves it radiant and refreshed with a hint of color,” Mylah Morales told Female First.
Per-fékt, which should be applied to the cheekbones, forehead and the bridge of the nose, is available in two different shades and helps boost natural skin color
Per-fékt – which should be applied to the cheekbones, forehead and the bridge of the nose – is available in two different shades and helps boost natural skin color.
The manufacturers claim that the ingredient Niacin (Vitamin B3) helps to increase circulation, while antioxidants caffeine, Vitamins A and E protect from premature skin aging.
Jennifer Hudson previously said: “I love this stuff… I mix the Per-fékt Skin Perfecting Gel in Rich with a little moisturizer and apply it all over my face as a base.
“It’s what I grab when I’m getting ready to be a diva!”
Per-fékt was founded by U.S. entrepreneur Richard Anderson, who previously worked with leading beauty brands including Yves Saint Laurent and Bobbi Brown.
Richard Anderson said: “Today’s modern, on-the-go woman doesn’t have the time to apply a concealer, then color corrector, then primer, then foundation and then powder.
Bobbi Kristina Brown, the only child of the late Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, is speaking out for the first time since the superstar’s passing in an interview with Oprah Winfrey airing Sunday, March 11 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on OWN’s “Oprah’s Next Chapter.”
According to TMZ, friends close to Bobbi Kristina say she is doing the interview because she trusts the talk show host and entertainment mogul.
“[Oprah] was loyal to my mom, and never did my mother wrong, or made her look bad. She always looked out for my mom,” Bobbi Kristina Brown reportedly tells her friends.
Bobbi Kristina Brown said she is doing the first interview after Whitney Houston’s death with Oprah Winfrey because she trusts the talk show host and entertainment mogul
Sources also say that Oprah Winfrey was one of the first people who reached out to Bobbi Kristina after Whitney Houston’s passing.
Airing one month following Whitney Houston’s death, the exclusive OWN interview will also feature the singer’s sister-in-law Patricia Houston and brother Gary Houston as they discuss “rumors and speculation surrounding Houston’s death.”
In promotion of Sunday’s episode OWN has released a sneak peek trailer showing a glimpse of some of the show’s highlights.
A set of emails leaked from the intelligence analysis firm Stratfor suggests the body of Osama Bin Laden was actually sent to the U.S. for cremation in a secret place, not buried at sea.
According to the emails, Osama Bin Laden was shot and killed during the famous Navy SEAL Team Six raid on his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and his remains were transported back to the U.S. and cremated.
The emails were allegedly obtained by the hacker group Anonymous from Stratfor, an organization dealing with analysis of intelligence and geopolitical analysis.
Stratfor is also known as the “Shadow CIA”.
Last week, Anonymous announced that it had gotten access to 2.7 million of the Stratfor’s confidential correspondences, and said they could provide “the smoking gun for a number of crimes”.
Anonymous said Stratfor, based in Austin, Texas, were “clueless” when it came to database security.
After Osama Bin Laden was killed in the famous raid in Pakistan on May 2 2011, the Obama administration said his body was buried at sea off the USS Carl Vinson – in accordance with Islamic tradition.
But in a particular set of emails given to WikiLeaks, Stratfor’s vice president for intelligence, Fred Burton, says he doubts the official White House version of what happened to Osama Bin Laden’s body.
Fred Burton says the body was “bound for Dover, [Delaware] on [a] CIA plane” and “onward to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Bethesda [Maryland]”.
A set of emails leaked from the intelligence analysis firm Stratfor suggests the body of Osama Bin Laden was actually sent to the U.S. for cremation in a secret place, not buried at sea
The claims are sure to stoke conspiracy theorists, especially since the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology that Fred Burton refers to closed its doors on September 15, 2011, four months after Osama Bin Laden’s death.
In another email, Fred Burton said: “If body dumped at sea, which I doubt, the touch is very Adolph Eichman like. The Tribe did the same thing with the Nazi’s ashes.
“Eichmann was seen alive for many months on trial before being sentenced to death and executed. No one wanted a monument to him so they cremated him.”
Stratfor CEO George Friedman responded: “But i dont know anyone who claimed he wasnt eicjhman [sic]. No comparison with suddenly burying him at sea without any chance to view him which i doubt happened [sic].”
In a February 27 statement, Stratfor said: “In December, thieves compromised Stratfor’s data systems and stole a large number of company emails, along with other private information of Stratfor readers, subscribers and employees. Those stolen emails apparently will be published by Wikileaks. This is a deplorable, unfortunate – and illegal – breach of privacy.
“Some of the emails may be forged or altered to include inaccuracies; some may be authentic. We will not validate either. Nor will we explain the thinking that went into them. Having had our property stolen, we will not be victimized twice by submitting to questioning about them.”
Stratfor, which is not affiliated with the U.S. government, would not comment further.
The emails were revealed as it was reported that key members of LulzSec, of which Anonymous is an offshoot, were arrested by the FBI.
A FBI official told Fox News that the arrests were “devastating” blow to the organization, saying: “We’re chopping off the head of LulzSec.”
The “Adolph Eichman” referred to by Fred Burton was a Nazi lieutenant and a major architect of the Holocaust.
After World War II ended in 1945, Adolph Eichman was caught by U.S. forces, and he slipped through America’s fingers when he gave them a phony name.
Adolph Eichman wound up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he lived for years until he was captured by the Israeli spy agency the Mossad in 1960.
War crimes and crimes against humanity were among the charges Adolph Eichman faced when he was found guilty in an Israeli court in 1962.
Adolph Eichman was hanged, cremated, and his ashes were later spread over the Mediterranean Sea.
The vehicle of the future, the shrinking car that can be adjusted to fit into a small parking space, was shown at the world’s biggest IT fair on Tuesday, March 6, 2012.
About 4,200 exhibitors from 70 countries display the latest technology at the CeBIT, which runs until March 10 in Hanover, Germany.
The shrinking car is a two-seater “pod“, it has only 2.10 meters (seven feet) length and a cobalt-blue color.
Its top speed is 55 kilometers (35 miles) per hour and it has a range of 100 kilometers when its two batteries are fully charged. It creates additional energy from the turning of its wheels.
The vehicle can “dock” with other similar cars to create “road trains” of up to 20 cars, driven by just the person at the front. In that configuration, automatically all the cars share the energy available.
The car’s length can be reduced by 50 centimeters with a push of a button whenever is necessary. Its wheels can turn in a full circle, in this way the driver can pull up to a space and then move sideways into it.
Shrinking car concept has appeared over a decade ago. A complex prototype was unveiled at the CeBIT on March 6, 2012.
The futuristic automobile also has built-in sensors to avoid collisions, can drive itself and can be summoned by smartphone.
“If you are in the office, you can press a button on your smartphone and it will come and pick you up. We already have the technology to do this. It will be happening in five to six years,” said Timo Birnschein, the project leader, from the German Centre for Artificial Intelligence.
The team led by Timo Birnschein has been working on the shrinking car for fifteen months. They hope to make it roadworthy soon.
Shrinking car concept and prototype, Rinspeed Presto convertible, powered by 1.7-liter 120-horsepower Mercedes turbodiesel, has appeared almost a decade ago, but there were no plans for production.
Hector Xavier Monsegur, the suspected leader of the hacking group LulzSec has pleaded guilty to carrying out high profile attacks on several companies while other members of the group have been arrested, US law enforcement official says.
Hector Xavier Monsegur had been charged with conspiracy to engage in computer hacking according to unsealed court papers filed in Manhattan.
The charges were filed via “a criminal information” and the suspect – nicknamed Sabu – had co-operated with the government, Reuters reported.
US law enforcement officers have said at least three members of the hacking group had been arrested.
Irish police added that they have arrested one of five men being sought in connection with the group and are holding him at a south Dublin police station.
Charges against other suspects are expected to be made public later.
Hector Xavier Monsegur, the suspected leader of the hacking group LulzSec has pleaded guilty to carrying out high profile attacks on several companies while other members of the group have been arrested
LulzSec, which is linked to the online activist group Anonymous, had claimed responsibility for attacks against eBay and Sony Pictures among others.
Last month Anonymous published a recording of a private telephone conversation between FBI agents and London detectives talking LulzSec suspects.
Fox News reported that one of Lulzsec’s leading members had helped the bureau gather evidence against his associates.
Fox quoted one FBI official as saying: “This is devastating to the organisation… we’re chopping off the head of LulzSec.”
Prof. Alan Woodward, from the University of Surrey’s department of computing noted that LulzSec had been quiet since the middle of 2011 following an attack on Paypal.
“Judging by the level of activity this morning, where hackers have been pasting personal information about the person reported as having turned witness to implicate other hackers, it would appear that there is a considerable rift inside these groups,” he said.
“The hackers are certainly acting as if they feel they have been betrayed by one of their own.”
Bobby Brown is set to claim Whitney Houston got him into drugs in a follow up to his 2008 autobiography tome.
Bobby Brown, 43, is planning to reveal the details of his life with Whitney Houston in a book about the late singer in a follow up to the 2008 tome, “Bobby Brown: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But”, written after their divorce in 2007 which contained secrets about their relationship.
According to a gagging clause meant Bobby Brown could not say everything he wanted to in the first tome, but insiders now believe the rapper is going to “cleanse himself of all responsibility” over the Whitney Houston’s drug use in his forthcoming release following her death last month.
A source told the Daily Star newspaper: “Bobby knows people will buy the book, whatever it says. And unlike last time, Whitney is not here to defend herself.
“He’s free to say whatever he wants and will undoubtedly paint himself as a grieving saint.”
“I never used cocaine until after I met Whitney. Before then, I had experimented with other drugs, but marijuana was my drug of choice,” Bobby Brown wrote in his 2008 tome.
“She used code words when ordering drugs like <<boy>> for heroin and <<girl>> for cocaine.
“At one point in my life, I used drugs uncontrollably. I was using everything I could get my hands on, from cocaine to heroin, weed and cooked cocaine.”
Bobby Brown is set to claim Whitney Houston got him into drugs in a follow up to his 2008 autobiography tome
Bobby Brown said in the book that his 15-year marriage to whitney Houston was doomed from the start.
“Within the first year, we separated, with several more to follow,” Bobby Brown wrote.
“I think we got married for all the wrong reasons. Now, I realize Whitney had a different agenda than I did when we got married. … I believe her agenda was to clean up her image, while mine was to be loved and have children.”
The 2008 book contains allegations that part of the reason Whitney Houston married bad-boy singer Bobby Brown, a former member of New Edition and onetime solo star, was that she was under pressure to mute tabloid rumors that she was having a lesbian affair with her assistant Robyn Crawford.
“The media was accusing her of having a bisexual relationship with her assistant, Robin Crawford,” he wrote.
“Since she was the American Sweetheart and all, that didn’t go too well with her image. … In Whitney’s situation, the only solution was to get married and have kids. That would kill all speculation, whether it was true or not. In the short, I think I got caught up in the politics and ended up marrying one of the biggest stars in the world.”
Bobby Brown admitted that he too was to blame for their messy breakup and that he was often unfaithful to his ex-wife.
“I am guilty of sleeping with other women. … Women are always throwing themselves at you. I’m only human, so I would make the mistake and bite the hook sometimes. … I let the testosterone take over,” he wrote.
The 2008 autobiography’s promotional materials claimed that Bobby Brown dated Madonna and Janet Jackson, in addition to sleeping with “thousands of women.
Bobby Brown – who had daughter Bobbi Kristina, 19, with Whitney Houston – also claims he will divulge details about a previous relationship with Madonna.
The rapper has been quoted as saying: “By the time I brought out my third single I was one of the biggest stars in the world.
“Madonna used to open up shows for New Edition in New York.
“Running into her and getting to know her better at the height of my success was like a reunion.”
Whitney Houston confessed to using “rock cocaine” and marijuana during a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2009 and it is believed her shock death at the age of 48 was caused by a lethal combination of alcohol and prescription drugs.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office has received phone calls and emails from different people claiming to be relatives of Whitney Houston and demanding murder investigation in singer’s death.
According to TMZ, the calls and emails were made by several different people, some claiming to be relatives of Whitney Houston and some relatives of Bobby Brown. The calls and emails have a common theme – the belief Whitney Houston may have been murdered. At least one person claimed to have information supporting the murder theory.
The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office has received phone calls and emails from different people claiming to be relatives of Whitney Houston and demanding murder investigation in singer’s death
At least one caller offered a theory about a relative who might have done Whitney Houston in, but offered no supporting proof.
The Los Angeles Coroner’s Office has not verified the callers were indeed relatives.
The Coroner has already said there was no sign of foul play or trauma, but the official cause of death won’t be determined until toxicology results are in.
An official from the Coroner’s Office says the investigation is ongoing and would not comment further.
At least 37 people have been killed by an avalanche in Badakhshan province, north-eastern Afghanistan, according to officials.
The provincial governor’s office said another six people were injured when the snow hit a village in Shekay district, near the Tajikistan border.
The village had been wiped away, said spokesman Abdul Marouf Rasikh.
Badakhshan is one of the country’s poorest and most remote regions and is shut off by heavy snow every year.
The village had been severely affected by the cold weather, said Abdul Marouf Rasikh, and governor Shah Wali Ullah had been visiting at the time.
“The governor was trapped with those six injured but was rescued by helicopters and taken to a remote area on the border with Tajikistan,” said Abdul Marouf Rasikh.
