Nirvana has been inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, alongside the likes of Kiss and Beatles manager Brian Epstein.
REM’s Michael Stipe inducted the group, saying: “Nirvana tapped into a voice that was yearning to be heard.
“Nirvana were kicking against the mainstream. They spoke truth and a lot of people listened.”
Nirvana’s career was cut short by Kurt Cobain’s death in 1994. His widow, Courtney Love, attended the ceremony.
Nirvana received their place in the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility
“You know, I have a big speech, but I’m not going to say it,” Courtney Love said, before hugging Kurt Cobain’s bandmates Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl.
“That’s it,” she concluded.
“I just wish Kurt was here to do this.”
Dave Grohl, Nirvana’s drummer and now frontman of rock group Foo Fighters, paid tribute to the musicians who formed the early line-ups of Nirvana, in particular drummer Chad Channing, who he singled out for his contributions to the band’s breakthrough album Nevermind.
Bass guitarist Kris Novoselic added: “Nirvana fans walk up to me every day and say thank you for the music.
“When I hear that, I think of Kurt Cobain.”
Nirvana received their place in the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Artists can only be considered for the honor 25 years after their first release.
Kate Middleton has visited a children’s hospice on the latest leg of the royal tour of New Zealand.
The Duchess of Cambridge was met by more than 40 children and their families at Rainbow Place in Hamilton, the AFP reported.
“There should be more places like this,” AFP quoted Kate Middleton as saying of the facility, which provides support for dying and bereaved children.
It was Kate Middleton’s first solo engagement on the 19-day tour which will also take in Australia.
She met youngsters and parents and had a briefing with the hospice’s chief executive before going to a Mad Hatter’s theme tea party in the gardens.
Prince William, meanwhile, was shown around Pacific Aerospace, an aviation firm in Hamilton.
Kate Middleton was met by more than 40 children and their families at Rainbow Place in Hamilton (photo Getty Images)
He was told about the P-750, an innovative light aircraft made at the plant.
“He talked about his friendly brotherly rivalry, with Harry flying Apaches and he’s been flying search and rescue,” the company’s chief executive Damian Camp told reporters.
“He said he still does some flying – all helicopter based – but not as much as he wants to.”
Prince William spent more than seven years in the military and was presented with his RAF wings in 2008.
Damian Camp added: “He said George has settled into a nice routine but was keeping mum and dad on their toes but they’re all enjoying their stay.”
Prince William and Kate Middleton reconvened in the nearby town of Cambridge where thousands of well-wishers lined the streets to greet them.
They opened a new velodrome in the town and met some of New Zealand’s cycling, rowing and canoeing elite.
And they were handed a tiny cycling jersey in the country’s colors for Prince George, who was not with his parents for this leg of the tour.
The tour has seen the royals race yachts, attend a state reception and visit a parent and baby class with Prince George in New Zealand before they head to Australia later this month.
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s trip is due to end on April 25 in Canberra.
In a statement to the International Monetary Fund, US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has urged other countries to contribute more to the economic rescue of Ukraine.
Jacob Lew told the IMF that Ukraine’s “sizeable financing needs” meant other nations must add to its $1 billion (720 million euros) loan guarantee.
The appeal came as Ukraine’s interim PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk offered to devolve more powers to eastern regions.
Pro-Russian separatists there are defying the government.
Meanwhile, Washington on Friday announced a third round of sanctions against individuals it has linked to Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
The US Treasury said it had frozen the US-based assets of one former Ukrainian official, a Crimea-based energy firm and six Crimean leaders, including the chairman of the Crimea electoral commission and the mayor of Sevastopol.
Jacob Lew says the US is “bolstering the IMF program through a complementary aid package, which includes a $1 billion loan guarantee and additional technical assistance,” in a statement to the IMF.
Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew has urged other countries to contribute more to the economic rescue of Ukraine
“It is critical that the international community – multilateral development banks and bilaterals – take immediate steps to also support the IMF program by providing financing support, given the sizeable financing needs,” he adds.
The IMF announced a rescue package worth as much as $18 billion last month in a bid to aid Ukraine’s economy, and this has been bolstered to $27 billion with contributions from Europe and the US.
In exchange, the IMF has demanded from Ukraine strict government spending cuts and tax increases.
Ukraine is being squeezed by Russia’s decision this month to stop providing Ukraine with subsidized natural gas.
That discount had been agreed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s then President Viktor Yanukovych, in which Russia also said it would buy $15 billion-worth of Ukrainian government bonds.
The IMF is also asking Ukraine to crack down on corruption and end central bank support for the Ukrainian currency.
Ukraine’s new government has said it needs $35 billion to pay its bills over the next two years.
Ukraine has not paid off its debt to Russian gas supplier Gazprom despite the passing earlier this week of a deadline for the nation to start reducing its debt. Gazprom says Ukraine owes it $2.2 billion.
European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger told Austria’s ORF radio he was working on a plan to help Ukraine pay its gas bills to ensure its debts do not rise.
On Friday, President Vladimir Putin moved to assure the EU it would not cut off gas supplies. Brussels said it would stand with the new authorities in Kiev if the Kremlin carries out a threat to turn off the tap to Ukraine.
“I want to say again: We do not intend and do not plan to shut off the gas for Ukraine,” Vladimir Putin said in televised comments at a meeting of his advisory Security Council, the Reuters news agency reported.
Russia has turned off the gas tap to Ukraine before, in 2006 and 2009. As the 2009 row escalated, gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine were suspended for two weeks.
But Russia may be reticent about doing it again as it is dependent on revenue from EU customers.
Talks between Russia, Ukraine, the US and the EU – the first four-way discussions since the crisis began – are scheduled to take place on April 17 in Geneva.
The case against a 9-month-old Pakistani baby who was accused of attempted murder alongside 12 members of his family has been withdrawn by a Lahore court.
Baby Muhammad Musa Khan appeared in court in Lahore for a second time on charges of planning a murder, threatening police and interfering in state affairs.
But the judge said the case should never have come to court.
Police chiefs earlier said they had ordered action against an investigating officer.
Baby Muhammad Musa Khan was one of more than 30 people charged with attempting to kill police officers during a confrontation over electricity and gas supplies in Lahore (photo Reuters)
Despite his young age, Muhammad Musa Khan was one of more than 30 people charged with attempting to kill police officers during a confrontation over electricity and gas supplies in the city of Lahore.
Pakistan media broadcast images of the infant in his first court appearance, sitting on his grandfather’s lap and clasping a bottle of milk.
His grandfather asked journalists covering the case: “He doesn’t even know how to pick up his milk bottle properly. How can he stone the police?”
Baby Musa Khan has become something of a celebrity well beyond Pakistan’s borders for his appearance in a Lahore court.
The case against the rest of baby Musa Khan’s family is still proceeding.
The US has refused to issue a visa to Hamid Aboutalebi – Iran’s nomination for UN ambassador – who was involved in seizure of the US embassy in 1979.
The decision in effect bars Hamid Aboutalebi from taking up the role at the UN, which is based in New York.
Hamid Aboutalebi was linked to the student group that took dozens of people hostage at the embassy in Tehran.
President Barack Obama has come under intense pressure from the US Congress not to allow him to enter the country.
Earlier this week, the White House told the Iranian government its selection of a one-time student revolutionary to be UN ambassador was “not viable”.
Hamid Aboutalebi, Iran’s nomination for UN ambassador, was involved in seizure of the US embassy in 1979 (Photos International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran)A spokesman for Iran’s mission to the UN, Hamid Babaei, described the decision as “regrettable” and said it contravened international law.
The US House of Representatives and the Senate have both voted in favor of a bill barring Hamid Aboutalebi from the US. It still requires the signature of the president before it can become law.
Iran says Hamid Aboutalebi is one of its most experienced diplomats and stands by his nomination.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Friday the UN and Iran had been told “that we will not issue a visa to Mr. Aboutalebi”.
He did not say whether President Barack Obama would sign the bill but said the president shared the sentiments of Congress.
In an interview with an Iranian news site last month, Hamid Aboutalebi said he was not part of the group that took over the US embassy and was only later asked to translate for the students.
The 52 Americans were held for 444 days during the crisis.
It is believed the US has never before denied a visa for a UN ambassador and correspondents say there is concern among diplomats about the precedent that could be set.
Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Grease one 10 inch round cake pan and set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the water, salt and sugar. Stir until completely dissolved and set aside.
Either in the top half of a double boiler or in a microwave oven melt the bittersweet chocolate. Pour the chocolate into the bowl of an electric mixer.
Cut the butter into pieces and beat the butter into the chocolate, 1 piece at a time. Beat in the hot sugar-water. Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Have a pan larger than the cake pan ready, put the cake pan in the larger pan and fill the pan with boiling water halfway up the sides of the cake pan.
Bake cake in the water bath at 300 F (150 C) for 45 minutes. The center will still look wet. Chill cake overnight in the pan. To unmold, dip the bottom of the cake pan in hot water for 10 seconds and invert onto a serving plate.
This year’s Passover will be celebrated between April 14 and April 22.
The holiday celebrates the Jews’ liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt and subsequent freedom under the guidance of Moses.
Passover is observed for seven days in Israel and eight days in the Diaspora. Like Hanukkah, the date changes every year.
During Passover, the Jewish kosher laws become a lot more challenging. Leavened and fermented grain products are prohibited to commemorate our freedom from Egyptian slavery
According to Jewish beliefs, after being freed from the Egyptian Pharaoh’s rule, Israelites left their homes in such a hurry that they couldn’t even wait for their bread to rise. Thus, during Passover Jews abstain from chametz, grains that rise such as wheat, oats, rye, spelt and barley. These grains are prohibited if they’ve had contact with water/moisture for longer than 18 minutes, which leads to rising or “leavening.” Leavening agents, like yeast and sourdough, are also considered chametz.
Matzo, which doesn’t rise, is a traditional staple in Passover meals. You might be thinking– but, isn’t matzo made from wheat flour? Yes! Most matzo is made from wheat, but the process used to “cook” the matzo from the time liquid is added to the flour to the time the matzo is baked can last no longer than 18 minutes. The wheat is closely supervised to ensure that no water touches it from the time of harvest to the time it is baked. This is to make sure that no leavening occurs.
Matzo, which doesn’t rise, is a traditional staple in Passover meals (photo Haaretz)
What foods are forbidden during Passover?
Depending on whether you’re Sephardic (originally from Spain or Portugal) or Ashkenazi (from central or eastern Europe), traditions might differ.
For Sephardic Jews, rice, corn, peanuts and beans are permitted during the holiday, while for Ashkenazi Jews, they are not.
During Passover, the basic kosher guidelines apply, and there are also additional restrictions to what can be eaten.
Here is a quick rundown of the basic kosher laws, which apply year-round to Jews who choose to keep kosher:
1.Certain meats may not be eaten.Forbidden meats include (but are not limited to): pork, shellfish, lobster, shrimp, crab, rabbit, and seafood without fins or scales (like swordfish and sturgeon). Also, any products made with ingredients from these meats (example—pig ingredients in non-kosher gelatin) cannot be used.
2.Meat must not be eaten in combination with dairy.So, no cheese, butter, or cream sauce on your beef or chicken dish.
3. Fish and eggs are considered neutral. They can be served with dairy or with meat.
The most important thing you need to remember is that grain-based products… even beer!… are generally not considered kosher for Passover. Matzo, matzo meal, and matzo cake meal are used as substitutes for bread, bread crumbs, and cake flour, respectively.
In addition to these restrictions, many Jews avoid eating lamb during Passover because of the paschal sacrifice and Passover symbolism of the lamb shank bone. Some Jews also avoid garlic, though this is more rare. Neither of these rules are observed universally, however.
Pope Francis has made his strongest condemnation yet of child abuse by Catholic clergy on Friday, asking for forgiveness and pledging to impose penalties on “men of the church”.
The statement, made in a meeting with a child rights group, is being described as his strongest the issue so far.
Last month, Pope Francis strongly defended the Roman Catholic Church’s record on tackling abuse by priests, following UN criticism.
Pope Francis said he felt responsible for the child abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic Church, and issued an unprecedented apology
The Pope set up a committee last year to organize help for victims of clerical abuse but has been accused by some Catholics of dragging his feet in acknowledging the extent of the moral and mental damage caused by paedophile priests.
He said that the number of priests who had committed abuses were “quite a few in number”, although “obviously not compared to the number of all the priests”.
“We will not take one step backward with regards to how we will deal with this problem, and the sanctions that must be imposed,” he said, adding: “We have to be even stronger”.
Alessandra Aula of International Catholic Child Bureau, the children’s non-governmental organization that was at the Vatican for the Pope’s address, welcomed his comments.
The Catholic Church has faced numerous allegations of child abuse by priests around the world and criticism over inadequate responses by bishops.
We’ve all been there; you’re standing at the bar, minding your own business, when someone attractive walks over to you with the corniest chat up line you’ve ever heard. Not only are you left wincing, you’ve also just turned down someone who could have potentially been ‘the one’, if they’d have just been themselves instead of cranking up the sleaze factor.
The same goes for internet dating; if your initial conversation starts with a terrible chat up line, it’s likely the other person has already logged off. If you’ve met one another via an online dating site like MySingleFriend, it’s likely you can avoid the bad chat up lines, arrange to meet and skip straight to the ‘getting to know each other’ discussion. Having said this, not everybody hates cheese, and there are some chat-up lines that are great for breaking the ice. Below are some of the best and worst lines, guaranteed to either make you swoon or cringe:
The Best
Although it may haunt many women up and down the country, it appears that there are actually some cheesy chat-up lines that work wonders. This is according to a new poll by brewers Greene King, who have revealed that the nation’s most popular way to break the ice is the classic, ‘Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?’
According to the Daily Mail, the second most popular is, ‘Hello, gorgeous’, followed by, ‘Can I buy you a drink?’ and ‘Get your coat, you’ve pulled’. Another line that has proved to be popular with men and women, and is perhaps one of the cheesiest of them all, is ‘You must be tired…because you’ve been running through my mind all night.’ Many women agree that a good opening one-liner shows confidence in a man and also a sense of humour, as long as they keep it light-hearted and don’t take themselves too seriously.
Image source Public Domain Pictures
The Worst
Where to start? The list is endless when it comes to bad chat up lines. It’s been building up for years. Most recently, ‘I like your dress but it would look better on my bedroom floor’, was named the worst of all by women. No doubt many of us have heard the ‘Have a feel of this shirt – do you know what that feels like? Boyfriend material’ line too. If this hasn’t ended with a dirty look or a pint in the face, you’ve been lucky.
Women just don’t want to hear these types of pick-lines. What happened to a good old fashioned compliment? ‘You look lovely tonight’ or at the least, ‘Can I buy you a drink?’, rather than the creepy ‘You look like a parking ticket – because you’ve got fine written all over you.’ Get it wrong, you leave with a red face, get it right and you leave with a partner.
Whilst we can pinpoint much of the blame on men, a study in The Telegraph revealed that 19 % of women also use popular one-liners to attract the opposite gender. It appears that we’re a nation who have long used and will continue to use cheesy chat up lines!
Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s appointment to the board of file-sharing company Dropbox is being criticized by some service users.
Protests on social media say Condoleezza Rice is a controversial figure after revelations of widespread wiretapping on US citizens during her time in office.
A petition has been launched inviting supporters to boycott the company.
However, some analysts claim the bigger concerns for the file-sharing company are competing services.
Condoleezza Rice’s appointment to the board of file-sharing company Dropbox is being criticized by some service users
Following the launch of Mailbox for Android and the wider implementation of Dropbox for Business, the company also announced the addition of Condoleezza Rice as a new board member.
Condoleezza Rice, who served as former President George W. Bush’s Secretary of State from 2005 to 2009 and National Security Adviser from 2001 to 2005, was appointed by Dropbox to expand its global footprint, according to its official blog.
However, this has been condemned by some Dropbox users who have launched a campaign.
Voicing concerns on social media, some have said it is inappropriate for the file-sharing company to hire Condoleezza Rice, accusing her of being involved in widespread wiretapping during her time in office.
Those pressing Dropbox to revoke Condoleezza Rice’s appointment are using the hashtag #DropDropbox in an attempt to boycott the company.
A petition has also been created which amassed approximately 3,000 signatures in its first few hours.
Dropbox has yet to release an official statement addressing the backlash, but a company’s recent blog post said: “We’re honored to be adding someone as brilliant and accomplished as Ms Rice to our team.”
The US Department of Homeland Security has warned that it believes hackers are trying to make use of the Heartbleed bug.
It advised the public to change passwords for sites affected by the flaw once they had confirmed they were secure.
However, an official added that there had not been any reported attacks or malicious incidents.
The alert comes as several makers of net hardware and software revealed some of their products had been compromised.
Affected equipment includes network routers and switches, video conferencing kit, phone call software, firewalls and apps that let workers remotely access company data.
The encryption flaw can potentially be exploited to steal passwords and secret keys used to protect computer users.
Experts say home kit is less at risk.
The Department of Homeland Security advised the public to change passwords for sites affected by the flaw once they had confirmed they were secure
There had been reports that domestic home networking equipment – such as Wi-Fi routers – might also make use of unpatched versions of the OpenSSL cryptographic library used to digitally scramble sensitive data.
However, a security researcher at the University of Cambridge’s Computer Laboratory said he thought this would be a relatively rare occurrence.
News of the Heartbleed bug emerged on Monday when Google Security and Codenomicon – a Finnish security company – revealed that a flaw had existed in OpenSSL for more than two years.
This had made it possible to impersonate services and users, and potentially eavesdrop on data communications.
The flaw only exposed 64K of data at a time, but a malicious party could theoretically make repeated grabs until they had the information they wanted.
The website set up to publicize the danger noted that it was possible to carry out such an attack “without leaving a trace”, making it impossible to know for sure if criminals or cyberspies had taken advantage of it.
Media reports initially focused on the risk of logging into compromised online services such as webmail, cloud storage and banking, with some – but not all – companies suggesting users should reset their passwords.
Warnings from companies including Cisco, Juniper, Fortinet, Red Hat and Watchguard Technologies that some of their internet products are compromised may now place the spotlight on the corporate sector.
The US government has said that it was working with third-party organizations “to determine the potential vulnerabilities to computer systems that control essential systems – like critical infrastructure, user-facing and financial systems”.
Meanwhile, officials suggested members of the public should “closely monitor your email accounts, bank accounts, social media accounts and other online assets for irregular or suspicious activity, such as abnormal purchases or messages”.
Oscar Pistorius said that Reeva Steenkamp did not scream or shout as he grabbed a gun and fired shots that killed her.
At the athlete’s murder trial in Pretoria, prosecutor Gerrie Nel said it was “improbable” that Reeva Steenkamp would stand in the bathroom saying nothing while Oscar Pistorius was just 10 ft away shouting at her to call the police.
Oscar Pistorius, 27, said he could not explain why she had not shouted out.
The Paralympic champion denies murder saying the killing was a terrible accident.
He admits killing Reeva Steenkamp but says he fired his gun after mistaking her for an intruder.
Oscar Pistorius believed Reeva Steenkamp had been in bed when he grabbed his gun, made his way to the bathroom and fired shots through the door.
The prosecution says he killed her after an argument.
On the third day of his cross-examination, Gerrie Nel pressed Oscar Pistorius to explain the final moments leading up to the shooting.
Gerrie Nel asked why he had not checked whether Reeva Steenkamp had heard his calls for her to phone the police, or why he had not taken her to safety instead of going to confront the supposed intruder.
Oscar Pistorius said that Reeva Steenkamp did not scream or shout as he grabbed a gun and fired shots that killed her
Oscar Pistorius said it was his personality to confront what he believed was an intruder.
The trial has been adjourned until Monday morning.
Later, Gerrie Nel questioned Oscar Pistorius’s account that he had not heard Reeva Steenkamp shout or scream during the whole incident.
He said it was the “most improbable” part of the account.
“At that stage when you shouted at Reeva to phone the police, she was 3 m away from you in the toilet, but she didn’t say anything,” he said.
“Why would she not say anything?”
Oscar Pistorius said he did not know.
The prosecutor accused the athlete of lying, and said he had shot Reeva Steenkamp while she was talking to him from the bathroom.
“She wasn’t scared of an intruder,” he said.
“She was scared of you.”
He went on: “Are you sure that Reeva did not scream after the first shot?”
Oscar Pistorius took a long time to answer, and broke down into sobs.
“At no point did Reeva shout out or scream,” he said.
Gerrie Nel then disputed his claim, saying he would not have been able to hear if he had just fired his gun.
Prosecution witnesses have testified to hearing a woman scream, but the defense disputes their testimony.
Gerrie Nel repeated a line of attack he had used on Thursday, testing the defendant’s version of events, and accusing him of lying.
Oscar Pistorius told the court he had heard a window opening and closing, and had immediately got out of bed and grabbed his gun.
“I told Reeva to get down and phone the police,” he said.
Gerrie Nel asked if he had not looked at Reeva Steenkamp, or asked if she had heard the noise.
“On the morning of the 14th I was sure of what I heard,” he said.
“My whole being was fixated on this person that I thought was in the bathroom.”
The double amputee faces life imprisonment if convicted of murdering 29-year-old model Reeva Steenkamp.
If he is acquitted of murder, the court must consider an alternative charge of culpable homicide, for which he could receive up to 15 years in prison.
Oscar Pistorius also faces charges of illegally firing a gun in public and of illegally possessing ammunition, both of which he denies.
Category 3 Cyclone Ita has hit northern Queensland in Australia with “very destructive” winds of more than 140 mph.
The storm is crossing the coast near Cape Flattery and will head south-south-west overnight, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said.
Residents in low-lying areas have been warned to prepare for damaging waves, strong currents and flooding.
It is the strongest storm to hit since Cyclone Yasi, which struck in 2011.
Previously classed as a category-five storm, it was downgraded by the BOM at 17:51 local time to category four, then category three when it hit the Cape York Peninsula.
Category 3 Cyclone Ita has hit northern Queensland in Australia with “very destructive” winds of more than 140 mph (photo ABC)
However, the BOM warned it was still carrying “very destructive winds” of 140 mph.
In its bulletin at 23:00 local time, BOM said the storm was estimated to be 30 miles north of Cooktown and 135 miles north-north-west of Cairns.
Residents in coastal areas were also warned to expect a “dangerous storm tide overnight” and rising sea levels that could flood low-lying areas.
“People living in areas likely to be affected by this flooding should take measures to protect their property as much as possible and be prepared to follow instructions regarding evacuation of the area,” BOM said in its advisory.
Residents in the cyclone’s path – between Cape Melville and Cooktown – should “stay calm and remain in a secure shelter”, it added.
The Cape York peninsula is sparsely populated, with residents concentrated in a number of towns.
A cyclone warning is in place in coastal areas including Cooktown, Cape Melville, Port Douglas and Cairns, and several inland areas.
Cooktown Mayor Peter Scott said in quotes carried by ABC that around 350 people were in the town’s cyclone shelter.
Cyclone Ita brought torrential rain to the Solomon Islands late last week, causing flash floods that left at least 21 people dead.
Kylie Minogue has confirmed she will quit The Voice UK after one series.
Kylie Monogue, 45, joined the talent show last year, replacing Jessie J, and was credited with boosting viewing figures during the first few episodes.
However, the singer said touring commitments meant she would be unable to return for a second series.
Kylie Minogue tweeted: “Due to timing of my tour I won’t be back next season for The Voice UK.”
Kylie Minogue has confirmed she will quit The Voice UK after one series (photo BBC One)
“Thanks to all who supported!”
“I absolutely loved my time on the show, and I’ll miss all of the incredible people who were a part of my experience,” the singer said.
Jermain Jackman was crowned the winner of this year’s series, marking the first victory for mentor will.i.am.
Kylie Minogue’s candidate in the final, Jamie Johnson, was eliminated in the first round of phone voting.
Although the third series of The Voice enjoyed a ratings spike during the audition stages, peaking with 9.41 million viewers, the live final was the least successful yet.
An average audience of 6.6 million tuned in for the show, down from 7.24 million in 2012, and 7.1 million people the year before.
The BBC has already commissioned another two series of The Voice.
It has not yet been confirmed whether Kylie Minogue’s fellow panelists Tom Jones, Ricky Wilson and will.i.am will return for the fourth series next year.
German furniture store chain Zurbrueggen has apologized for selling mugs with Adolf Hitler’s face on them.
The ceramic cups feature a faint image of a Nazi-era postage stamp with Adolf Hitler’s profile on it, postmarked with a swastika stamp.
The mug also features a rose and handwriting in English.
Zurbrueggen has apologized for selling mugs with Adolf Hitler’s face on them (photo AFP)
The Zurbrueggen furniture chain apologized for the “terrible” mistake, which it blamed on “a stupid chain of unfortunate circumstances”.
The cups’ Chinese designer had mistakenly chosen the image of the former dictator, it said, which the chain then ordered in error – 5,000 of them.
“No one noticed the problem during unpacking,” the company’s owner told the Neue Westfaelische Zeitung daily newspaper.
The small chain sold 175 of the mugs before anyone drew attention to the black and white profile of the world’s most infamous Nazi.
Those customers could make a profit on their purchase, though. The company promised to compensate them with a 20-euro ($28) gift voucher – a significant mark-up on the original 1.99 euro price.
The company may not be the only one keen to get hold of the notorious mugs.
The Neue Westfaelische Zeitung also reports that a contemporary history museum in Bonn, the House of History, has also expressed “great interest” in getting hold of some.
Ukraine’s interim PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk has offered to devolve more powers to eastern regions, where pro-Russian separatists are defying the government.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk is holding talks with regional leaders in Donetsk, where activists demanding self-rule are holding a big government building.
It is not clear if the prime minister’s offer will satisfy the separatists.
The threat of Russia cutting gas deliveries has now prompted Ukraine to seek gas from French and German firms.
The EU says it can pump gas back to Ukraine with reverse-flow pipeline technology. Usually the Russian gas flows to Europe via Ukraine.
In Kiev, Ukraine’s Energy Minister Yuri Prodan said it would seek the gas “on the conditions offered by European gas companies”, which he named as Germany’s RWE and “a French gas company”.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk is holding talks with regional leaders in Donetsk, where activists demanding self-rule are holding a big government building (photo CNN)
On Thursday, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said in a letter to 18 European countries that gas supplies to Ukraine could be cut if Kiev did not pay off its debts, and warned this could affect gas deliveries to Europe.
In 2009, a Russian gas dispute with Ukraine led to gas shortages in several EU countries.
Gazprom says Ukraine owes it $2.2 billion (1.4 billion euros) and recently doubled the price it must pay.
The US has accused Russia of using energy “as a tool of coercion” over Ukraine, and says it is working to help Ukraine find gas and financing.
In Donetsk, Arseniy Yatsenyuk urged regional leaders to tell locals that the Kiev government would ensure security and economic progress in the east, Interfax news agency reports.
“In the framework of the changed constitution, we will be able to satisfy specific requests of every single region,” he pledged.
But Kiev has rejected Russian pressure to turn Ukraine into a loose federation, fearing that more regions could break away and join Russia.
The separatist protest follows Russia’s annexation of Crimea last month – described as the biggest political confrontation in Europe since the end of the Cold War.
Near Donetsk on Friday seven miners died in a gas explosion, apparently unrelated to the current tensions.
The mainly Russian-speaking region is dominated by Soviet-era coal-mining and heavy industry.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk pledged that the Russian language would keep its official status in the region, in parallel with Ukrainian.
Language is a highly sensitive issue in eastern Ukraine, where ties with Russia are strong.
The billionaire industrialist Rinat Akhmetov – reckoned to be Ukraine’s richest man – is participating in the talks.
NATO says up to 40,000 Russian troops are massed near Ukraine’s eastern border.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for legal guarantees of Ukraine’s neutrality, reminding NATO that it should not try to draw Ukraine into the alliance.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk is also expected to travel to another eastern city, Dnipropetrovsk, which has also seen protests.
Activists in Ukraine’s mostly Russian-speaking east have also been occupying a state security building in the city of Luhansk, with gunmen armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles among them.
Ukrainian officials are trying to negotiate a deal whereby the protesters would vacate the buildings in return for protection from prosecution.
The interim government accuses Russia of orchestrating the unrest, as a provocation similar to the anti-Kiev protests which gripped Crimea. Russia denies the claim.
Talks are due to take place in Geneva next week between Russia, Ukraine, US and the EU – the first four-way discussions since the crisis began.
A woman was taken into custody after throwing what she said was a shoe at Hillary Clinton during a Las Vegas speech.
The incident happened just moments after Hillary Clinton took the stage Thursday at an Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries meeting at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino.
Hillary Clinton, 66, ducked, but did not appear to be struck by the flying object. She quickly joked about the incident.
A woman was taken into custody after throwing what she said was a shoe at Hillary Clinton during a Las Vegas speech (photo NYDailyNews)
The former first lady quipped: “Is that somebody throwing something at me? Is that part of Cirque du Soleil?”
She added: “My goodness, I didn’t know that solid waste management was so controversial. Thank goodness she didn’t play softball like I did.”
Ilene Rosen, a witness and the wife of a conventioneer, told the Associated Press the unidentified object-thrower walked down the aisle and got roughly six rows from the front of the seating area when she threw the object.
The woman then turned around, threw her hands in the air and walked toward the back of the room before ushers surrounded her, Ilene Rosen said.
Security officers escorted the woman out of the room. She said she threw a shoe but didn’t identify herself to reporters or explain why she did it.
Family members of Mickey Rooney have reached an agreement on where and how the actor should be buried, attorneys said Thursday.
Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney died on April 6 at 93.
Mickey Rooney will be buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery alongside other screen legends like Douglas Fairbanks, Cecil B. DeMille and Jayne Mansfield, the parties in the dispute agreed Thursday, according to court documents.
The announcement came ahead of a court hearing slated for Friday morning. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Steele was to decide whether Mickey Rooney’s remains would be released from a mortuary to his estranged wife, Janice Rooney, who wanted to inter him in a pre-arranged family plot, or to his conservator, Michael Augustine, who had said the actor wished to be buried at Hollywood Forever.
The agreement Thursday sidesteps a potentially costly and arduous court battle.
Mickey Rooney will be buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery alongside other screen legends
“Despite her strong desire to be buried beside her husband, Jan feels she owes it to Mickey’s fans to work with Mike to allow Mickey to be buried alongside of (sic) other members of Hollywood royalty,” Michael Augustine and Janice Rooney said in a joint statement Thursday.
The dispute began after Mickey Rooney’s lawyers filed a will revealing that the actor left his estate of only $18,000 to a stepson, Mark Aber, and his wife, Charlene, who had served as his primary caretakers.
Mickey Rooney was living with Mark and Charlene Aber when he died.
The actor’s latest will disinherited Janice, Mickey Rooney’s wife of 35 years, and his nine children.
In 2011, Mickey Rooney sued Christopher and Christina Aber – Rooney’s wife’s biological son and wife – for elder abuse, claiming they stole money and deprived him of food and medications and would not let him leave his home. The couple settled the case in October after admitting taking $2.8 million from the actor’s accounts.
Michael Augustine and Janice Rooney will be collaborating on a small funeral for family, which Christopher and Christina Aber are not permitted to attend, the court document said.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have attended a state reception held in their honor as they continue their tour of New Zealand.
The Duke of Cambridge told guests at the event in Wellington that New Zealanders were warm-hearted, generous people.
He said they also had “an instinctive sense of justice and freedom”.
In other remarks, Prince William joked about the loud war dance used by the New Zealand rugby team, saying his 8-month-old son, Prince George, did the haka at night.
Earlier, Prince William and Kate Middleton paid their respects to New Zealand’s war dead.
Prince William and Kate Middleton paid their respects to New Zealand’s war dead at the Blenheim War Memorial (photo Getty Images)
They laid a wreath in a service at the town of Blenheim’s war memorial, and later met some of the approximately 5,000 people who had gathered for the occasion.
Prince William also unveiled a new portrait of the Queen at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery, by the artist Nick Cuthell.
On Wednesday, Prince George attended his first official public engagement at a “crawl-about” with babies of similar age at Government House in Wellington, with childcare group Plunket.
Prince George will not be making any more appearances during his parents’ 19-day tour of New Zealand and Australia.
Prince William also received a tiny teddy bear from a well-wisher and was given a friendship bracelet from a little boy and immediately put it on his right wrist.
The royal couple was also given a helmet for Prince George when they visited Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre.
Peter Jackson – the film director behind the Lord of the Rings trilogy and an aviation enthusiast – showed Prince William and Kate Middleton around the museum.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has met opposition leaders in crisis talks aimed at quelling weeks of protests.
Nicolas Maduro opened the talks by shaking hands with his bitter rival, opposition leader Henrique Capriles.
The rare meeting, broadcast live on television, was brokered by foreign ministers from South American nations.
Venezuela protests erupted over soaring crime rates in February, but have snowballed into wider anti-government rallies. Some 40 people have been killed.
Nicolas Maduro, who says the protests are part of a “fascist” US-backed plot against him, told the meeting that there would be no deal with the opposition.
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has met opposition leaders in crisis talks aimed at quelling weeks of protests
“There are no negotiations here. No pacts. All we’re looking for is a model of peaceful coexistence, of mutual tolerance,” he said.
The president has said any kind of formal deal with the opposition would make him a “traitor to chavismo”, the socialist platform of his predecessor Hugo Chavez.
Nicolas Maduro called on the opposition to renounce violence.
Henrique Capriles, who was narrowly defeated in last year’s presidential election, insisted that the opposition did not want a coup against the government.
The talks lasted six hours. There will be another round of talks on Tuesday.
Pope Francis sent a letter giving his support to the talks.
“I urge you not to get stuck in the conflict of the moment but open yourselves to one another to become true builders of peace,” Pope Francis said, in a letter read out at the meeting.
Venezuela is sharply divided between supporters and opponents of Nicolas Maduro, who narrowly beat Henrique Capriles to the presidency last year.
Grey’s Anatomy star Katherine Heigl has filed a $6 million lawsuit against Duane Reade Inc, claiming the pharmacy chain used a picture of her leaving one of its shops in promotional material.
The case was filed in a court in Manhattan, New York, on Wednesday.
Katherine Heigl is famous for her roles in films including Knocked Up and 27 Dresses and also won an Emmy for playing the character of Izzie Stevens in medical drama Grey’s Anatomy.
Duane Reade Inc is yet to give a statement in response.
Katherine Heigl has sued Duane Reade for $6 million in damages
In documents submitted to the court, Katherine Heigl says she was recently photographed by paparazzi in New York City as she left a Duane Reade pharmacy.
She says the company is exploiting her image for commercial gain despite her objection.
Katherine Heigl’s complaint also says she plans to donate any damages she may receive to a charity that helps animals.
Last year Katherine Heigl was named one of Hollywood’s most overpaid stars, second only to Adam Sandler.
Forbes magazine estimated that for every $1 Katherine Heigl was paid for her 2013 films, she returned $3.50.
Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert will succeed Late Show host David Letterman upon his retirement in 2015, CBS has said.
Stephen Colbert, 49, is host of acclaimed late-night satire program The Colbert Report.
David Letterman, 66, said last week he was retiring after 21 years hosting the CBS show and 11 years on NBC’s Late Night.
On his show, Stephen Colbert plays a satirical version of himself to mock right-wing pundits. He has suggested he will retire the character for the new show.
Stephen Colbert will succeed Late Show host David Letterman upon his retirement in 2015 (photo CBS)
“Stephen Colbert is one of the most inventive and respected forces on television,” CBS president Leslie Moonves wrote in a statement following the announcement.
“David Letterman’s legacy and accomplishments are an incredible source of pride for all of us here, and today’s announcement speaks to our commitment of upholding what he established for CBS in late night.”
Stephen Colbert’s biting brand of satire has drawn critical acclaim as well as provoking ire, often from the Republicans and conservatives he skewers.
Recently he was attacked on social media for a joke some viewed as disparaging toward Asian Americans but which he meant as a satirical jab at the owner of the Washington Redskins American football team.
Of his hiring to the Late Show top spot, Stephen Colbert said, “simply being a guest on David Letterman’s show has been a highlight of my career.”
“I never dreamed that I would follow in his footsteps, though everyone in late night follows Dave’s lead.”
Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is resigning amid problematic launch of President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, US media report.
The ObamaCare – regarded by the president’s supporters as one of his main domestic achievements – has been marked by early technical problems and delays.
Kathleen Sebelius has been health secretary since Barack Obama took office in 2009.
The reports say Barack Obama will nominate Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the current budget director, to replace her.
The New York Times reported that Kathleen Sebelius had made the decision to resign herself.
Barack Obama had resisted calls for the health secretary to stand down after the websites where people could enroll for health insurance ran into problems last October.
Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is resigning amid problematic launch of President Barack Obama’s healthcare law
After the rocky start, the White House now points to the more than 7 million people who have signed-up for coverage on federal and state-run marketplaces sites created by the Affordable Care Act.
Barack Obama says the program was “here to stay”.
Republicans see it as inappropriate government intrusion into the healthcare industry. US residents face a tax penalty next year if they do not have some form of health coverage.
The 2010 law is intended to extend health insurance to the roughly 48 million Americans who do not receive it through their employers, the government, or a privately purchased plan.
It also aims to slow the growth in the cost of healthcare and requires private plans to meet a certain level of coverage.
Analysts say Republicans in Congress may use Sylvia Mathews Burwell’s nomination proceedings to focus on criticism of the law ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The ObamaCare remains controversial among the American public, as some people have seen their insurance costs rise or their old plans cancelled, and others object to having to purchase insurance at all.
Demi Moore and her ex-husband Bruce Willis attended their daughter Rumer Willis’ musical performance at hotspot DBA in West Hollywood, California, on April 5.
However, instead of mingling with each other, Demi Moore and Bruce Willis decided to sit in different areas while supporting their eldest child.
An eyewitness told Us Weekly: “They stayed after to congratulate her and chat for a bit.”
Demi Moore and Bruce Willis attended their daughter Rumer’s musical performance at hotspot DBA in West Hollywood
“Bruce and Demi did not interact with each other.”
Demi Moore, 50, was accompanied by one male and two female friends for the special outing, while Bruce Willis, 59, was joined by his very pregnant wife Emma Heming-Willis.
Rumer Willis, 25, plays multiple roles in For the Record: Tarantino, a musical mash-up that pays homage to several of director Quentin Tarantino’s blockbuster hits. One of the roles includes Pulp Fiction character Mia, which Bruce Willis starred in back in 1994.
Demi Moore and Bruce Willis split in 2000 after 13 years of marriage, and are also parents to daughters Scout, 22, and Tallulah, 20.
Bruce Willis is expecting his second baby with Emma Heming, 35.
