United Technologies has rejected a new merger offer from Honeywell International on concerns it will not be approved by antitrust regulators.
Honeywell is said to have offered $108 per share for United Technologies last week, a more than 20% premium to the share price at the time.
United Technologies said the two companies only held “preliminary” conversations.
A tie up would have created one of the aerospace industry’s largest companies worth more than $160 billion.
However, United Technologies broke off talks because a deal “would face insurmountable regulatory obstacles and strong customer opposition”.
“[It] could either be blocked outright or conditioned on significant divestitures after a lengthy and disruptive review period that would destroy shareholder value,” the company said in a statement.
This isn’t the first time Honeywell and United Technologies have held merger talks.
Honeywell and United Technologies explored combining in 2000 but United Technologies ended discussions after General Electric submitted a rival bid.
The subsequent GE and Honeywell deal was rejected by European regulators on fears it would lead to higher prices for airlines and consumers.
Hospitals often come in for a lot of stick because they seem unproductive. You have long waiting times and, when you’re a patient, it feels like nothing ever gets done. This is not the case, of course, things are getting done in hospitals, and they’re trying to be more productive.
In fact, I did a bit of research and figured out how they aim to do just that:
Scientific Research
Hospitals rely on scientific research a lot. It’s the only way that cures get found, drugs get created, and diseases can be treated. Without it, there would be a lot of doctors running around trying to figure out what to do. Imagine a hospital with no drugs or treatment for patients? It would be madness. But, luckily, there have been great strides in medical research over the years. More drugs are being developed, and more cures are being found. This means that doctors can treat more diseases, and help more patients. So, they can be more productive as a result of this. Naturally, as the research continues to improve, hospitals will become even more productive.
Quicker Information
Technology makes everyone more productive, and it’s extremely effective in hospitals. On a daily basis, hospitals will use various pieces of technology to remain productive and get more things done on time. For example, they use new x-ray tech that lets them analyse results within seconds. Similarly, they use Radiology Information Systems to help keep track of things in the radiology department. Likewise, doctors keep patient records in online files, so it’s easier for them to obtain. If a patient is transferred to a new hospital, the doctors there can get their records in just a few moments. Life is considerably easier for hospital workers because of the use of technology in the workplace.
Social Media For Doctors
Following on from the point about quicker information, doctors are also using social media to exchange info. Of course, it’s against the law for them to discuss patients on regular sites like Twitter or Facebook. Instead, there are social networking sites that have been created specifically for doctors to use. The only way you’ll be able to access these sites is if you’re a registered doctor. On them, they can speak to one another about certain cases and ask for help to solve them. It means that one doctor is now being helped by numerous other doctors, while still doing their work. While they’re off seeing a patient, loads of doctors from all over the country could be on social media solving the problem they asked. The end result is this; doctors are solving more cases, and in quicker times too. So, productivity increases.
Scheduling
Much is made of the way doctors and nurses work during the day. The scheduling patterns are tough and awkward, but they’re trying to change that. Hospitals are looking for new ways to schedule their staff for shifts. The aim is to ensure the place is fully staffed at all times, and there’s no waiting period between shifts.
As you can see, hospitals are trying to improve productivity. It’s not easy, but they’re trying their best to provide top of the range healthcare to patients.
Water has begun to return to Delhi residents, where up to 10 million of people were affected after protesters sabotaged a key canal.
The Indian army took control of the Munak canal in neighboring Haryana state on February 22 after Jat community protesters, angry at caste job quotas, seized it.
Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra said the “crisis was still not over” and urged people to use water carefully.
The city’s schools, which were closed because of the crisis, have reopened.
Sixteen million people live in the Indian capital Delhi, and around three-fifths of the city’s water is supplied by the Munak canal, which runs through Haryana.
Kapil Mishra tweeted on February 23 that “some water has been released” from the canal. This had led to the restoration of partial supplies in north and central Delhi, he said.
He said more than 70 water tankers from these areas had been moved to the western part of the city, where partial supplies would be “hopefully” restored by Tuesday evening.
“The supply will be limited till the time the Munak [canal] is totally repaired. The crisis is not yet over. People should use water carefully,” he said.
Senior water board official Neeraj Semwal told the AFP news agency that four of Delhi’s nine water treatment plants were operating, forcing rationing of supplies to many areas.
“We are hoping to restore partial services in the next two to three days and 100% supply within the next 15 days,” Neeraj Semwal said.
It is not clear how many households are still without water.
Prior warnings meant that people had managed to save water, and tankers had been dispatched to affected areas of the city, but that this has not been enough to make up for the shortfall.
The army took control of parts of the canal on Monday morning, but repairs are expected to take time. Eighteen people have been killed and hundreds injured in three days of riots.
Protesters went on the rampage despite a curfew and the deployment of the army, which is reported to have opened fire on them, in the districts of Rohtak and Jhajjar.
The death toll of cyclone Winston that hit Fiji at the weekend has risen to 29, with officials warning the clear-up could take months.
About 8,500 people are still sheltering in evacuation centers.
Cyclone Winston, a category 5 storm, has flattened many buildings in parts of the main Viti Levu island and Koro islands, Fijian officials said.
It brought winds of over 200mph, torrential rain and waves of up to 40ft.
The storm has been described by the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation as the worst to ever hit the country.
Government spokesman Ewan Perrin told Radio New Zealand that the houses of 2,000 families who lived on Koro island had been “pretty much flattened”.
Eight bodies were found there on February 22.
Rescue workers warned that the death toll could rise further as some of the worst-hit outlying islands have yet to be reached.
The New Zealand Air Force has helped Fijian rescuers carry out aerial inspections across almost all the islands, Ewan Perrin said.
Officials say the priority now is to provide water and shelter to Fijians as they begin rebuilding their homes.
Many parts of the country remain without power.
However, officials said the destruction could have been far worse had the storm not changed direction at the last minute, sparing the capital Suva its full impact.
The government has declared a state of emergency and called on private companies to help provide transport and relief supplies.
Officials had also put in place a nationwide curfew, giving police extra powers of arrest, but it was lifted on February 22.
Schools have shut for a week, but the main airport has reopened to receive humanitarian supplies and allow tourists to leave.
Australia and New Zealand have authorized the release of emergency aid supplies held in Suva.
Becoming a mom is one of the most life-changing things to happen in a woman’s life. It’s one long journey. A journey of sleepless nights and milestones. The never ending questions and anxious feelings of failure. All mixed with having to lead the life you had before. But you’re different, you are not the same person anymore.
How could you be? Now you are not only responsible for yourself but a tiny baby that needs you more than you could ever know. To feed and care for them, to love them unconditionally. To bring them up the best way you can and keep them safe from all harm. You have no choice, and of course, you are happy to do it. You made the conscious decision to become a mom in the first place. But no one ever knows how much their lives will change when they welcome that precious bundle of joy.
A lot of women struggle with this. Few are aware that it’s all normal behavior. But as time goes on you realize you have lost a little bit of yourself. It’s difficult to understand where the baby ends and you as a person begins.
We lose our identity, some of us lose friends, we become isolated and desperate for a little bit of ourselves back.
It’s not all bad. Life as a mom can be fantastic, and witnessing your child grow up is an absolute honor.
But there are ways that you can have the best of both worlds. You can be mom but also have your own identity. Here’s how you can achieve just that.
Me time is so important as a new mom. If you can get a family member to watch your little one for a while then fantastic, but if you are restricted on childcare don’t let that put you off. Make sure you take advantage of every baby free moment you have. When the baby has a nap, you get some rest yourself. When the baby is in bed at night, run yourself a nice hot bath and take some time for you.
Read a new book and drink a hot drink without being disturbed. Spend some time with your partner or friends. Do what you would have done for yourself before a baby because you still need that time to unwind. As much as we love being with our little ones, we also still have hobbies we enjoy or interests we want to pursue.
Your figure may have changed. Maybe your have noticed that your style is a little different. Perhaps you have long hair but want to have a shorter style for convenience. Whatever it is about your identity embrace it and go with it. Love your new figure and rock it. You have just had a baby; you are amazing! If you want a new hairstyle, then go for it. If you are worried about your style and find yourself wearing the same things then now is the time to be experimental. Styled By marie claire could provide you with some inspiration and open up your mind to a whole new you. Fashion and beauty trends that you may not have considered before are now ready for the taking. Don’t let your own opinion of yourself hold you back, what you see in the mirror is definitely not what the world is seeing.
Be aware of your feelings
It’s an ordinary feeling to suffer from the baby blues. The majority of new moms will have a few tears here and there and be worried about how they are doing. But be aware of when it is something a bit more than just a little cry from time to time. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. If you need someone to help around the house, ask someone. If you need to catch up on some sleep let your partner or family take over for a while and you get some rest.
There is nothing wrong with admitting you need help. It’s when new mom’s try to carry on that the problems can start.
Be aware of your limits
One thing you have to remember is you are not supermon. No one is. We all have our days when we feel like we are winning and we all have days when life can be too much. Accepting this and knowing your limits is one of the best pieces of advice you can follow.
Find your mom tribe
Being a mom can be lonely, so the sooner you can make some friends in a similar situation to yourself the better. Getting out into the park or attending a Gymboree class can help with your mood and feelings, as well as present you with opportunities to chat to other moms.
Once you have your tribe, make weekly arrangements. It will be the advice of these mom’s, their laughter and encouragement, and their confidence that will get you through some tough times. It’s also amazing to have someone there who can relate to how you feel. This will become invaluable to you.
Google is your friend and your foe
Don’t worry about little things and let google searching worry you. Google can have a vast amount of information, some of which won’t be relevant, so use it wisely and sparingly. The truth is you will know what to do as that motherly instinct you have heard so much about will kick in. It won’t be just you going through it. Someone somewhere will have been through exactly what you are going through. So don’t worry.
Being a mom is the most challenging thing you can do as a woman. But at the same time, it’s the most rewarding thing as well. It’s tough but amazing. Yes, embrace your new mom style, own your decisions and rock it. But most importantly enjoy every minute you have, because they really do grow up so quickly. They won’t be babies for long.
Russia and the US have agreed on a Syrian ceasefire scheduled to come into effect at midnight on February 27, a draft of the plan reveals.
The timing follows US-Russian talks at the weekend.
On February 12, Russia and the US had agreed a truce to come into effect within a week, but that deadline passed and skepticism remains over the new plan.
Violence has continued unabated in Syria, with 140 killed in bombings in Homs and Damascus on February 21.
More than 250,000 Syrians have died in the conflict which began in March 2011.
Some 11 million others have been forced from their homes, of whom 4 million have fled abroad – including growing numbers who are making the dangerous journey to Europe.
Reuters quoted Western diplomatic sources as saying the ceasefire would not include ISIS or the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.
US officials said the plan required government forces and the other armed opposition groups to signal their agreement to the truce by February 26.
An official announcement is expected after President Barack Obama speaks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by phone on February 22.
The deal also sets up a communications hotline and calls for a working group to monitor ceasefire violations.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said on February 21 he and Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, had reached a provisional agreement on the terms for the truce. The two powers back opposing sides in the war, with Russia being President Bashar al-Assad’s strongest ally.
On February 20, President Bashar al-Assad had said he would be ready for a ceasefire, if what he termed “terrorists” did not take advantage of the lull in the fighting.
Government forces, backed by Russian air strikes, have been making advances against rebels around the northern city of Aleppo.
Analysts say there will be huge skepticism about the possibility of an effective ceasefire, given the current fighting and failure of the first deadline.
Even if the partial truce holds, Russia is likely to continue its air strikes, which the US coalition says are mainly targeting anti-Assad forces and are hitting civilians.
It is also unclear whether Kurdish forces, which have been making ground in the north, sparking artillery fire from Turkey, will abide by any truce.
Ten million of people in Delhi, India, are without water despite the army regaining control of its key water source after protests, officials say.
According to officials, it would take “three to four days” before normal supplies resumed to affected areas.
Jat community protesters demanding more government jobs seized the Munak canal, Delhi’s main water source on February 19.
Sixteen people have been killed and hundreds hurt in three days of riots.
The Munak canal supplies around three-fifths of water to Delhi’s 16 million residents.
Schools in the city were also closed after supplies from the canal were sabotaged during the protests.
The army took control of parts of the canal on February 22, but repairs are expected to take time.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that the army was “trying to assess in how much time water would reach Delhi and whether any damage had been done to the canal”.
Protesters went on the rampage despite a curfew and the deployment of the army, which is reported to have opened fire on them in the districts of Rohtak and Jhajjar.
Haryana state minister Ram Bilas Sharma said the situation was returning to normal, traffic had resumed on national highways and that railway lines between Delhi and the cities of Jaipur and Chandigarh had reopened.
Ram Bilas Sharma also confirmed that the government would introduce a bill on reservations and quotas for the Jat community in the next assembly session, although he did not say when that would be.
Meanwhile, India’s federal government has said it will set up a top-level committee to look into the grievances of Jats.
The violence had earlier forced the closure of several key roads and national highways, and paralyzed the railway system in northern India.
Bolivian President Evo Morales has narrowly lost a referendum to allow him to stand for a fourth term in office, exit polls suggest.
One poll suggests 52.3% voted against the proposal to amend the constitution, while another suggests it was 51%.
However, Evo Morales’s deputy has predicted Bolivia’s first head of state of indigenous origin could still win, as official results trickle in.
The constitution change would have let Evo Morales remain in power until 2025.
Opposition supporters have been celebrating the referendum result in parts of the main city, La Paz.
Evo Morales, an indigenous Aymara and former coca leaf producer, took office in January 2006 after being elected for the first time in 2005. He won a referendum in August 2008 on whether he should stay in office, and then a few months later a referendum approved his plans for a new constitution. He was re-elected for a second term in 2009.
In 2014, Evo Morales was able to run again despite the 2009 constitution limiting presidents to two consecutive terms in office. The Constitutional Court ruled his first term should not count because it had not taken place under the new constitution. His current terms ends in 2020.
Evo Morales is still a popular leader and the economy has grown steadily over the past decade.
However, many thought he should not be allowed to serve 19 consecutive years as president.
Opposition leader Samuel Doria Medina urged Evo Morales to “recognize the results” and focus on solving Bolivia’s problems in his remaining time in office instead of trying to run for another term.
However, Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera said the results so far were a “technical tie”.
He urged people to wait for the official results and said any celebrations by the opposition were premature.
Vote counting has been slower than usual.
The electoral authorities say the delay is affecting mostly ballots from rural areas, which largely support the president.
In the eastern province of Santa Cruz, angry voters set fire to ballot papers and ballot boxes after a delay to the opening of several polling stations.
Despite a drop in the international price of oil and natural gas, the Bolivian economy has performed well in the past 10 years, growing on average 5% a year.
The government’s socialist policies have also been successful in reducing extreme poverty.
However, recent allegations that Evo Morales used his influence to favor a Chinese construction company in Bolivia have damaged his approval ratings.
A former girlfriend of Evo Morales, Gabriela Zapata, holds an important position in the company, CAMC, which has secured more than $500 million in contracts with the Bolivian government.
Evo Morales rejected the allegations and said he had nothing to hide. He ordered an investigation into how the contracts were awarded.
Harper Lee has been buried in a private funeral in her hometown in Alabama.
Close family and friends of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, who died on February 19 aged 89, gathered for a church service in Monroeville.
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, about racial intolerance in the Deep South, sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.
The author released the sequel, Go Set a Watchman, in 2015 – 55 years later.
A statement from Harper Lee’s family confirmed the acclaimed author had died in her sleep on Friday morning.
The funeral service was held at First United Methodist Church in Monroeville on February 20, with history professor Wayne Flynt, a long-time friend, delivering the eulogy.
She was then laid to rest at her family burial plot, alongside her father and sister, Alice Lee.
Harper Lee used Monroeville as a model for the imaginary town of Maycomb, the setting of To Kill a Mockingbird.
To Kill a Mockingbird remains a towering presence in American literature, telling the tale of a white lawyer defending a black man accused of rape.
Jeb Bush has decided to suspend his campaign on February 20 after disappointing finishes in the first three primaries of the 2016 election cycle.
The son of George H. W. Bush and brother of George W. Bush entered the race to huge expectations in June, and quickly fueled them with fundraising. Working with a super PAC that has supported his candidacy, Jeb Bush and allies raised more than $150 million by the end of 2015 – far more than any of his GOP rivals.
Photo Facebook
Jeb Bush, 63, the former two-term governor of Florida, failed to inspire Republican primary voters whose mood and needs had changed dramatically since he left government in 2007. In what turned out to be the year of the unconventional outsider, Jeb Bush conducted his campaign as the conventional insider.
In an emotional speech in South Carolina after his third straight disappointing finish in the early voting states, Jeb Bush said: “I’m proud of the campaign that we’ve run to unify our country.
“The people of Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina have spoken, and I really respect their decision.”
Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has won the South Carolina primary, cementing his status as the man to beat for GOP’s nomination.
In the Democratic contest, Hillary Clinton beat Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in a tight race in Nevada.
Both results will be key ahead of the “Super Tuesday” round on March 1, when a dozen more states make their choice.
Donald Trump’s victory claimed a major scalp when former Florida Governor Jeb Bush dropped out of the race.
Jeb Bush finished a distant fourth, days after his brother, former President George W. Bush, made a rare political appearance to boost his flagging campaign.
Republican senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio were locked in a battle for second place in the state.
Photo Getty Images
“There’s nothing easy about running for president,” Donald Trump said at his victory rally in Spartanburg on Saturday evening.
“It’s tough, it’s nasty, it’s mean, it’s vicious. It’s beautiful – when you win it’s beautiful.”
Donald Trump’s supporters erupted at his campaign headquarters when the projected results were announced.
His campaign has been dogged in controversy, with his latest spat with Pope Francis on Christian values hitting the headlines this week.
Thousands of miles west, Hillary Clinton narrowly beat Bernie Sanders, who had beaten her convincingly in New Hampshire in their last contest.
“Some may have doubted us, but we never doubted each other,” Hillary Clinton told supporters at a victory rally in Las Vegas.
“This is your campaign.”
The battle between them has grown increasingly close in recent weeks, with Hillary Clinton expected to win Nevada in double digits just weeks ago.
However, Ted Cruz, who has successfully galvanized young voters with his calls for free university education, appears to have performed better than expected among Hispanics in Nevada.
According to NBC exit polls, Bernie Sanders won among Hispanics with 53% of the vote but lost among black voters earning just 22% of their vote.
Hillary Clinton’s next test will be in the Democrats’ South Carolina primary on February 27. Republicans will hold their own caucuses in Nevada on February 23.
Once each state has voted in the primaries or caucuses, the delegates won by each party candidate will go on to endorse them at party conventions in July.
Thousands of mourners have attended a funeral Mass celebrated in Washington for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last weekend at the age of 79.
The service was held in the largest Catholic church in the US.
Antonin Scalia’s coffin had earlier lain in the Supreme Court with President Barack Obama among those paying respects.
The death of Antonin Scalia, who was seen as a hero by the US right, has sparked a political row over his successor.
Thousands of people filled the vast Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on February 20.
One of Antonin Scalia’s nine children, Rev Paul Scalia, led the Mass, ahead of a private burial.
Rev. Paul Scalia, who serves the diocese of Arlington, Virginia, said: “We are gathered here because of one man. A man known personally to many of us, known only by reputation to even more, a man loved by many, scorned by others, a man known for great controversy, and for great compassion.”
Photo Getty Images
He then added: “That man, of course, is Jesus of Nazareth.”
It was because of Jesus that “in confidence we commend Antonin Scalia to the mercy of God”.
The country’s eight remaining Supreme Court justices attended the service.
One of them, Clarence Thomas, offered a Bible reading.
The Supreme Court says more than 6,000 visitors viewed the casket in the Great Hall on February 19.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were among those paying their respects at the flag-draped coffin, but were not at the funeral.
VP Joe Biden was at the Mass – he has a close personal relationship with the Scalia family – as was Republican presidential hopeful Ted Cruz.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Barack Obama’s attendance could have created security issues.
Ted Cruz has been among those demanding there be no nomination of a successor until after the November presidential election.
Barack Obama has insisted he will go through with the nomination.
Antonin Scalia’s death leaves the Supreme Court evenly divided between liberal and conservative justices ahead of crucial cases on abortion, voting rights and immigration.
According to the constitution, the president nominates justices to the court and the Senate uses its “advice and consent” powers to confirm or reject that person.
Antonin Scalia died unexpectedly at his remote Texas ranch on February 13.
A powerful storm has made landfall on Fiji’s main island, Viti Levu.
Cyclone Winston – a category five storm – brought winds of over 200 mph, torrential rain and waves of up to 40ft.
Flights have been canceled, evacuation centers activated and a nationwide curfew put in place.
The storm is expected to move westwards over the main island overnight Saturday and into Sunday morning.
Before it landed, PM Frank Bainimarama warned that Fiji was facing “an ordeal of the most grievous kind”.
“We must stick together as a people and look after each other. Be alert and be prepared,” he said.
Cyclone Winston has already brushed some of Fiji’s smaller islands, but the extent of the damage is unclear.
Assessment teams are being sent to the affected areas, the Fiji Times reported.
The Fijian capital Suva is likely to be spared the full forces of the storm but tourist resorts are close to the cyclone’s centre. About 900,000 people live on Fiji.
Donald Trump has called for a boycott of Apple until the tech giant helps unlock the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino killers.
Apple has clashed with the DoJ over a court order forcing the company to help break the encryption on one of its phones.
On February 19, the DoJ called Apple’s refusal a “marketing strategy”.
Apple said it will not help break into the phone, citing wider privacy concerns for its users.
The phone belonged to one of the two people who opened fire at an office event in San Bernardino, California, in December 2015. Fourteen people were killed in the attack.
Photo Reuters
Speaking at a campaign rally, Donald Trump said: “Boycott Apple until such time as they give that information.”
On February 18, a court ordered the tech giant to help break the encryption.
The government has called the request narrow and argued it is only focused on this particular iPhone.
The DoJ filed another motion in court on February 19 after Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company would continue to refuse the order.
A California court has set March 22 for the hearing.
In a letter to customers published on Apple’s website, Tim Cook called the implications of the order “chilling”.
“While we believe the FBI’s intentions are good, it would be wrong for the government to force us to build a backdoor into our products. And ultimately, we fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect.”
To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee has died at the age of 89.
Mockingbird remains a towering presence in American literature, telling the tale of a white lawyer defending a black man accused of rape in the Deep South.
The book sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and 55 years after it was published, in 2015, Harper Lee released the sequel, Go Set a Watchman.
Tributes have been paid to the writer, who rarely gave interviews despite her fame.
George W. Bush, who awarded Harper Lee the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007, said she was “a legendary novelist and lovely lady”.
Harper Lee was born 1926 in Monroeville, Alabama. She was the youngest of four children of lawyer Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Cunningham Finch Lee.
She was a guardedly private person, respected and protected by residents of her town, rarely giving interviews.
Harper Lee’s literary agent Andrew Nurnberg said: “Knowing Nelle these past few years has been not just an utter delight but an extraordinary privilege.
“When I saw her just six weeks ago, she was full of life, her mind and mischievous wit as sharp as ever. She was quoting Thomas More and setting me straight on Tudor history. We have lost a great writer, a great friend and a beacon of integrity.”
The manuscript for the sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set A Watchman was discovered and published in 2015.
Many bookshops remained open all night to cope with demand on the day of the novel’s release last July.
The book is set 20 years after the events of To Kill a Mockingbird – although Harper Lee actually wrote Go Set a Watchman first.
Watchman contains some of the same characters as Mockingbird, including Scout and her father Atticus Finch.
The publication proved controversial as early reviewers noted that Atticus Finch expresses racist views in the story.
In 1962, To Kill a Mockingbird was made into a film starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch and Mary Badham as Scout. The novel is currently being adapted for the stage.
Apple has apologized to iPhone customers whose phones were disabled after third-party repairs, and issued a fix for the problem.
Some customers found that their iPhone stopped working following servicing by a non-Apple technician and saw an “error 53” message in iTunes.
Previously, Apple had said the error was a “security measure” taken to prevent fraudulent transactions.
Now, Apple has released a software update to fix the error.
In a statement, Apple said that “error 53” occurs when a device fails a standard security test designed to ensure that the Touch ID fingerprint scanner is working correctly.
However, the company added: “We apologize for any inconvenience, this was designed to be a factory test and was not intended to affect customers.
“Customers who paid for an out-of-warranty replacement of their device based on this issue should contact AppleCare about a reimbursement.”
A software update has now been released so that iPhone customers with disabled phones may restore their device via iTunes on a PC or Mac.
Apple had even faced a class action lawsuit led by a Seattle-based company over error 53-disabled phones.
Last week saw the death of Antonin Scalia, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Whether he died on the night of February 12th or the morning of February 13th has not yet been determined. Reports claim that Scalia died in his sleep from natural causes while hunting in Texas. As permissible under Texas law, the cause of death was pronounced without autopsy taking place. That Scalia died shortly after hunting will surprise few.
Scalia’s death marks only the second time in sixty years a Justice has died while serving on the court. With the number of Supreme Court Justices now down to eight, a vacancy for the ninth position has opened.
Opinion is split on the legacy Scalia has left. He has famously been viewed as an enemy of liberal thought and a staunch defender of conservatism. His apparent goal in his career was to uphold the Constitution as literally as possible. This often meant disregarding ethics, humanitarianism, or pragmatism. He was an avid opponent of individual rights, particularly abortion and homosexuality. As the Constitution didn’t cover them, he claimed, they were fair game for discriminatory lawmakers.
He was also a firm believer in the death penalty, and even pushed for it (unsuccessfully) to be applied to minors. His defence for this appeared to be that the original Constitution did not condemn this. This highlighted his Originalism with regards to the Constitution: the Eighth Amendment, which did condemn such action, was made just four years after the Constitution was set. The Eighth Amendment is now over two hundred years old. It also highlighted his contradictory nature; he defended several other Amendments despite their nature as changes to the original Constitution.
While humanitarians and liberals may have bemoaned his judicial power, many in the criminal defense sector found his policies to be beneficial. His rigid adherence to the Constitution protected many accused criminals and assured their rights were defended. This included an accused’s right to face their accuser and the witnesses against them. Scalia voted to protect American flag-burning protesters from criminal punishment. He also fought against unreasonable and warrantless searches and seizures.
The surviving Justices are split equally in their political party affiliations. Four are Democrats and four, including the Supreme Justice, are Republicans. They are split 4-4 between conservative and liberal ideologies and voting patterns.
It is up to Barack Obama to nominate someone to fill the vacancy. Many Republicans are claiming that the Constitution prevents Obama from nominating anyone. This claim is made on the basis that he is nearing the end of his Presidential term. Others have pointed out that Obama has eleven months left of his term, and that a nomination must be made within a shorter period. This exposes the Republican claims as untrue. However, the Supreme Court needs to approve a nomination. This may not take place during Obama’s term.
The actions of an Associate Justice have far-reaching political consequences. Some are going as far to claim that the filling of this vacancy is of more importance to the American people than that of the Presidential race. Because of the possibility that the next President will have to nominate a new Justice, the 2016 Presidential race may be dramatically altered. We recommend you keep an eye on developments regarding this vacancy.
After meeting Pope Francis in Cuba, the head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, flew to Antarctica to walk with penguins.
Patriarch Kirill held prayers at a research station before taking a walk with the animals.
A picture of the 69-year-old kneeling eye-to-eye with one went viral.
Russia has 10 research stations in the Antarctic, able to accommodate up to 120 people. Patriarch Kirill visited one, the Bellingshausen research station on the island of Waterloo.
Photo RT
The Russian Orthodox church near the Bellingshausen station, which opened in 2004, is the only church on the continent to hold services all year round, with priests spending the winter there.
Church officials said Patriarch Kirill prayed for polar researchers, including 64 Russians who have died on polar expeditions.
The patriarch’s visit was the first ever by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church to Antarctica. It followed the first encounter between a head of Russian Orthodox Church and a pope in nearly 1,000 years.
Since becoming Pope in 2013, Pope Francis has called for better relations between the different branches of Christianity.
A new voting system will be implemented at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.
This is the biggest change to voting since 1975.
In previous years each country’s jury and public votes were combined and announced in one go.
Now the votes will be split with each country’s jury vote cast first, and votes from viewers in all countries combined and announced at the end.
According to organizers, this will create a “dramatic finish” as the winner will only be revealed at the very end.
In previous years the winner has been known for up to 20 minutes before the end of voting.
“This format change will inject a new level of excitement into the finish of the Eurovision Song Contest,” said Martin Osterdahl, executive producer for this year’s show.
The new voting system is a “big step forward”, according to Jon Ola Sand – executive supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest – that will “make a better television show as well as a more exciting competition”.
Jon Ola Sand added: “It is fitting that this change to the contest’s iconic scoring sequence will be debuted in Stockholm, where the famous douze points system was introduced in 1975.”
The same voting system will be used in the semi-finals.
For those wanting to know how their country has voted, the televoting and jury scores from each participating country will be available after the show on the official Eurovision website.
The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Stockholm on Saturday, May 14.
The US has imposed new expanded sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear program, weeks after it launched a long-range rocket.
North Korea has refused to stop its nuclear program and the bill was easily passed last week by Congress.
The sanctions attempt to cut off money North Korea needed to develop miniaturized nuclear warheads.
The US and China are negotiating over a UN Security Council resolution on new sanctions.
China has said some of the measures could cripple North Korea’s economy.
The sanctions freeze the assets of anyone doing business related to North Korea’s nuclear or weapons program or involved in human rights abuses.
The bill also allows for $50 million to support humanitarian programs and transmit radio broadcasts into North Korea.
North Korea recently fired a long-range rocket, which critics said was a test of banned missile technology. State television announced that North Korea had “successfully placed a satellite in orbit”.
The morning after that launch, Barack Obama said: “This is an authoritarian regime. It’s provocative. It has repeatedly violated UN resolutions, tested and produced nuclear weapons, and now they are trying to perfect their missile launch system.”
It came after North Korea’s fourth nuclear test in January. Analysts say Kim Jong-un is looking to appear powerful before his important Seventh Party Congress in May.
“The bill was the first one exclusively targeting North Korea, which was passed in an unusually expeditious fashion. We expect it to provide a platform for the US to take strong and effective measures [against North Korea],” said South Korea’s foreign ministry in a statement.
South Korea has said it will be discussing with the US the deployment of a missile defense system.
Donald Trump praised Pope Francis hours after the pontiff questioned his Christian faith.
Pope Francis had said Donald Trump’s proposal to build a wall on the US border with Mexico was not Christian, provoking a strong response from the businessman.
However, hours later, at a town hall event in South Carolina, Donald Trump was more conciliatory.
Republican voters in the US state will make their presidential choice in days.
The Republican presidential hopeful leads the South Carolina polls and he took to a stage in Columbia on February 18 to answer questions on national television.
When asked about his row with the Pope, Donald Trump said he wouldn’t describe it as a fight, although he later said he didn’t like fighting with him.
“I have a lot of respect for the Pope. He has a lot of personality and I think he’s doing a very good job, he has a lot of energy.”
Donald Trump said the pontiff was misinformed when he criticized the proposed wall, because he was not aware of the drugs coming in and the other security problems that made a strong border a necessity.
Earlier in the day, Pope Francis said “a person who thinks only about building walls… and not of building bridges, is not Christian”.
That was roundly condemned by Donald Trump, who issued a statement in which he called the comments “disgraceful”.
Donald Trump’s anti-immigration stance is a central plank in his campaign – he wants to deport 11 million undocumented migrants and said Muslims should be temporarily barred from coming to the US.
The row with Pope Francis comes two days before Republicans in South Carolina and Democratic voters in Nevada will choose their presidential candidates.
Donald Trump, who has no political experience but won in New Hampshire, is the clear frontrunner in February 20 Republican vote.
At the town hall event on February 18 hosted by CNN, Donald Trump backed down from comments made at the weekend when he said President George W. Bush lied about the existence of weapons of mass destruction before invading Iraq.
Pope Francis has questioned Donald Trump’s Christianity over his call to build a border wall with Mexico.
The pontiff said “a person who thinks only about building walls… and not of building bridges, is not Christian”.
Donald Trump supports deporting nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants.
Calling himself a “proud Christian”, the Republican presidential hopeful blamed Mexico for the Pope’s remarks, calling them “disgraceful”.
Donald Trump Trump has alleged that Mexico sends “rapists” and criminals to the US.
Pope Francis made the comments at the end of a six-day trip to Mexico.
“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not of building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel,” he said.
The Pope declined to say whether Americans should vote for Donald Trump, who is leading the Republican race for president.
“I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and I will give him the benefit of the doubt,” he said.
Addressing a rally in South Carolina, Donald Trump responded to Pope Francis’ comments.
“For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful. I am proud to be a Christian,” Donald Trump said.
“No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith.”
“[The pope] said negative things about me. Because the Mexican government convinced him that Trump is not a good guy,” Donald Trump added.
He also said the Vatican was ISIS’ “ultimate trophy” and that if it attacked, “the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president because this would not have happened”.
Donald Trump’s Republican rivals, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush, both Catholics, said they look to Pope Francis for spiritual guidance, not political direction.
Marco Rubio said the US has a right and an obligation to control its borders.
Jeb Bush told reporters he “supports walls where it’s appropriate” and that “Christianity is between he and his creator. I don’t think we need to discuss that”.
Earlier this month, Donald Trump called Pope Francis “a very political person” in an interview with Fox News.
“I don’t think he understands the danger of the open border we have with Mexico,” he said.
American Catholics are seen as an important voting bloc in US elections. Many support Republican candidates because of their opposition to abortion and gay marriage.
Donald Trump has been courting the evangelical Christian vote, often successfully, but his fellow Republican rivals have tried to argue that his religiosity is not sincere.
Ted Cruz’s campaign is now running an advertisement featuring a 1999 television interview Donald Trump gave in which he said he was “very pro-choice” when it comes to abortion.
In January, Donald Trump faced ridicule after flubbing a Bible verse when giving a speech to a Christian university in Virginia.
He has said he is a Presbyterian Christian but has had trouble recalling his favorite Bible verse when asked.
Donald Trump has referred to communion, the Christian sacrament signifying Jesus’ last supper, as having “the little wine” and “the little cracker”.
