Field Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has indicated he will run for Egypt’s presidency.
Abdul Fattah al-Sisi was quoted by the state news agency Mena as revealing that “official procedures” regarding his candidacy were expected in the coming days.
It is the clearest indication yet that Abdul Fattah al-Sisi will stand in the election which is scheduled to take place by mid-April.
The field marshal led the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi in July.
Field Marshal Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has indicated he will run for Egypt’s presidency
He has been widely expected to resign and declare a presidential bid since the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) gave its public support at the end of January.
Correspondents say Abdul Fattah al-Sisi would be likely to win, given his popularity and the lack of any serious rivals.
The field marshal commented on his prospective candidacy in a speech at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy in Cairo.
Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said he could “not turn his back on calls by the majority of Egyptians for him to run for president”, Mena reported.
Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega appeared in public after a 10-day absence which had led to rumors about his health.
Daniel Ortega appeared on Monday greeting newly appointed Nicaraguan Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes at the airport in the capital, Managua.
Referring to the rumors, the president told the cardinal he had “carried out the miracle of resurrecting me because a lot people thought I was dead”.
Daniel Ortega, a former Sandinista rebel, is serving his third term in office.
Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega appeared in public after a 10-day absence which had led to rumors about his health (photo AFP)
There had been feverish speculation about his state of health after he began missing official ceremonies after February 21.
On February 26, Daniel Ortega had been expected to attend an event commemorating the 1978 indigenous uprising in Monimbo, in which his brother was killed.
The following day, Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa cancelled a planned trip to Nicaragua, citing scheduling problems on the side of the Nicaraguan government.
Some rumors circulated on social media saying Daniel Ortega had health problems and was receiving treatment in Cuba, while others said he had died days previously on the Communist-run island.
The first patient fitted with a Carmat artificial heart in France has died.
The 76-year-old man, who has not been named, died 75 days after the operation in Paris.
The bioprosthetic device, made by French company Carmat, is designed to replace the real heart for up to five years.
It is intended to help patients who are in the advanced stages of heart failure.
At this late stage of the disease, the damaged organ can no longer pump enough blood for the body to function normally.
When the device was fitted, the patient was said to have only a few weeks, or even days to live.
It’s not known whether his death was due to any malfunction of the artificial heart or the patient’s severe ill-health.
Three more patients in France with terminal heart failure are scheduled to be fitted with the artificial heart.
The Carmat heart is designed to work for five years
The clinical trial will be considered a success if they survive for at least a month.
A further trial of another 20 patients will examine to what extent the device improves their quality of life.
Eventually the company hopes to get a European license for the prototype heart, which is expected to cost around $240,000.
The Carmat device weighs nearly 2 pounds, three times that of a human heart. It is powered by an external lithium battery pack, which the patient wears on a belt.
It is made from a combination of synthetic materials, surrounded by a plastic shell.
Inside the heart, some of the surfaces which come into contact with blood are made from cow heart tissue, which are less likely to cause clots to form.
The patient trials follow many years of laboratory research and extensive animal studies.
The Carmat heart is designed to work for five years.
Artificial hearts have been used for decades, but usually as a means of helping a failing heart to pump blood around the body.
Several companies are working on devices which entirely take over from the damaged organ until a donor heart becomes available.
Rob Ford’s appearance Monday night on Jimmy Kimmel Live was the culmination of months of wooing by the talk show host to get the Toronto mayor to appear as a guest.
Rob Ford laughed off Jimmy Kimmel’s suggestion that he get help for his drinking problem and was reported to be upset about his appearance on the talk show.
The mayor tossed T-shirts to the audience to loud applause as he came on stage after Jimmy Kimmel introduced him by saying “our first guest tonight has tripped, bumped, danced, argued and smoked his way into our national consciousness”.
Jimmy Kimmel told Rob Ford that if he’s an alcoholic, and drinking enough that he would try crack cocaine in his 40s, “and you don’t remember it, maybe that’s something that you might want to think about, like talking to somebody”.
Rob Ford shot back his head and laughed before saying he “wasn’t elected to be perfect”.
Rob Ford appeared Monday night on Jimmy Kimmel Live
The Toronto mayor made international headlines last year when he acknowledged having smoked crack cocaine while in a drunken stupor. He continues to draw attention for his erratic behavior, but has resisted pressure to step down and is seeking re-election in October.
Earlier during the segment, Rob Ford and Jimmy Kimmel left their seats during the segment to watch a series of videos depicting the mayor of Canada’s largest city in a variety of embarrassing scenes, including a cell phone video of Ford ranting about wanting to kill someone. Rob Ford said he didn’t know who he was talking about in the video.
Jimmy Kimmel also played several other videos, including one from a city council meeting in which he mimes a drunk driver and another that shows him dumping and throwing – not handing – candy canes to children during a Santa Claus parade. The red-faced mayor stood next to a video screen and was asked to comment about each of them.
Before the show, Rob Ford had said that his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s show was intended to promote Toronto’s film industry, describing his city as Hollywood North.
This year’s Oscars ceremony, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, was watched by 43 million TV viewers in the US.
According to broadcaster ABC, it was the biggest audience for the Academy Awards in a decade.
The audience was 6.4% bigger than last year when the event was fronted by Seth McFarlane, according to ratings figures from Nielsen.
The most recent biggest TV audience was 43.6 million in 2004, when The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King cleaned up.
The most watched Oscars ceremony on television came in 1998, when the triumph of Titanic with 11 Academy awards was seen by 55.3 million viewers.
This year’s Oscars ceremony, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, was watched by 43 million TV viewers in the US
Last year’s choice of irreverent host Seth McFarlane drew criticism from some quarters. Ellen DeGeneres – hosting the event for the second time – was seen as a safer pair of hands.
Ellen DeGeneres received mixed reviews for this year’s ceremony, but her tenure was seen as a step away from recent attempts to draw in younger audiences.
Despite this, data from ratings trackers Nielsen suggested that there was an increase of 1% in the 18 to 34-year-old audience bracket.
Regardless of the critics’ views, Ellen DeGeneres’ staged a “selfie” photograph with several of the stars in the audience which was a hit on social media, setting the record for the most re-tweets on Twitter – more than two million.
Ellen Degeneres declared she wanted to break the record for the most re-tweeted photograph in history, featuring herself surrounded by the front row talent – and best supporting actress winner Lupita Nyong’o’s brother.
She broke the record within the hour, and in doing so, broke Twitter’s servers too.
Twitter said that 14.7 million Oscar-related tweets were sent worldwide during the telecast.
President Vladimir Putin says there is no need yet to send Russian troops into Ukraine, but he has not ruled out doing so.
Russia reserves the right to use “all means” to protect citizens in Ukraine, he told a news conference.
Russian and Ukrainian troops in Crimea are involved in a tense stand-off.
Vladimir Putin called the toppling of Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych in the capital Kiev an “anti-constitutional coup and armed seizure of power”.
The Russian president said “militants” had plunged the country into “chaos”. He also said Ukrainian “nationalists” and “anti-Semites” were roaming the streets of Kiev and other cities.
Vladimir Putin says there is no need yet to send Russian troops into Ukraine, but he has not ruled out doing so
If Russian-speaking people in eastern Ukraine asked for Russia’s help then Moscow would respond, he said.
In Crimea pro-Russian armed men and civilians are surrounding Ukrainian military bases – not Russian soldiers, he said.
Viktor Yanukovych had agreed to all that the opposition wanted, Vladimir Putin said.
Vladimir Putin insisted that Viktor Yanukovych was still the legitimate president.
There were only three legal means to remove a president, he said: death, personal resignation or impeachment.
Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia, and Vladimir Putin told the news conference: “I don’t think he has a political future.”
Russia had helped Viktor Yanukovych for “humanitarian” reasons, Vladimir Putin said, “otherwise he’d just have been killed”.
The second day of Oscar Pistorius’ trial in South Africa begins with his defense lawyers questioning a neighbor who told a court in Pretoria that heard a woman’s “terrible screams” on February 14, 2013.
Oscar Pistorius has pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The Paralympic champion shot dead the 29-year-old model and reality TV star at his home, saying he mistook her for an intruder.
Oscar Pistorius’ neighbor, Michelle Burger, said cries for help were followed by shots.
“She screamed terribly and she yelled for help. Then I also heard a man screaming for help. Three times he yelled for help,” Michelle Burger told the high court in the capital on the first day of the trial.
Oscar Pistorius’ trial in South Africa begins with his defense lawyers questioning a key witness
Michelle Burger said she called security and then heard four gunshots.
Double amputee Oscar Pistorius, 27, won gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and also competed at the Olympics.
For the first time in South Africa, parts of the trial are being televised live, although Michelle Burger’s testimony, in Afrikaans, is being relayed in audio.
Some witness testimony is being excluded from TV broadcasts, although audio of the entire trial is being broadcast.
The court was briefly adjourned as questioning began on the second day of the trial over concerns Michelle Burger’s photograph was shown on television on Tuesday.
Judge Thokozile Masipa warned that no photographs of witnesses from any sources were to be used by the media and any violators would not be “treated with soft gloves”.
Today, Oscar Pistorius’ defense lawyer Barry Roux began his remarks by outlining what he would focus on with Michelle Berger’s testimony: her credibility and reliability.
On Monday, Oscar Pistorius pleaded not guilty to all charges, including the “willful and intentional murder of Reeva Steenkamp” as the trial began.
According to a new research, anger may trigger a heart attack or stroke, with a “danger window” of about two hours following an outburst.
The US researchers, who trawled medical literature, say rage often precedes an attack and may be the trigger.
They identified a dangerous period of about two hours following an outburst when people were at heightened risk.
But they say more work is needed to understand the link and find out if stress-busting strategies could avoid such complications.
People who have existing risk factors, such as a history of heart disease, are particularly susceptible, the researchers told the European Heart Journal.
In the two hours immediately after an angry outburst, risk of a heart attack increased nearly five-fold and risk of stroke increased more than three-fold, the data from nine studies and involving thousands of people suggests.
Anger may trigger a heart attack or stroke, with a danger window of about two hours following an outburst
The Harvard School of Public Health researchers say, at a population level, the risk with a single outburst of anger is relatively low – one extra heart attack per 10,000 people per year could be expected among people with low cardiovascular risk who were angry only once a month, increasing to an extra four per 10,000 people with a high cardiovascular risk.
But the risk is cumulative, meaning temper-prone individuals will be at higher risk still.
Five episodes of anger a day would result in around 158 extra heart attacks per 10,000 people with a low cardiovascular risk per year, increasing to about 657 extra heart attacks per 10,000 among those with a high cardiovascular risk, Dr. Elizabeth Mostofsky and colleagues calculate.
Elizabeth Mostofsky said: “Although the risk of experiencing an acute cardiovascular event with any single outburst of anger is relatively low, the risk can accumulate for people with frequent episodes of anger.”
It’s unclear why anger might be dangerous – the researchers point out that their results do not necessarily indicate that anger causes heart and circulatory problems.
Experts know that chronic stress can contribute to heart disease, partly because it can raise blood pressure but also because people may deal with stress in unhealthy ways – by smoking or drinking too much alcohol, for example.
The researchers say it is worth testing what protection stress-busting strategies, such as yoga, might offer.
Russia’s UN envoy Vitaly Churkin has claimed that ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych asked Moscow to send troops across the border to protect civilians.
Vitaly Churkin told a Security Council meeting that Viktor Yanukovych wrote President Vladimir Putin on Saturday.
Thousands of Russian troops have been deployed to Ukraine’s Crimea region.
Russian troops have also been holding military exercises near Ukraine’s borders, but now Vladimir Putin has ordered them back to base, the Kremlin says.
Ukraine said Russia had set a deadline for its forces in Crimea to surrender by 03:00 GMT. So far there have been no reports of any incidents.
Russia has denied issuing any ultimatum.
The Kremlin has argued in favor of the intervention, which has sparked outrage and threats of economic sanctions from the US and EU.
Western ambassadors dismissed Russia’s arguments as groundless.
US Secretary of State John Kerry is on his way to Kiev to meet Ukraine’s new leaders and show support for the country’s sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s UN envoy Yuriy Sergeyev says Russia has deployed about 16,000 troops to the peninsula.
Vitaly Churkin told a Security Council meeting that Viktor Yanukovych wrote Vladimir Putin asking for troops in Crimea
Ukrainian defence sources accused Russia’s Black Sea Fleet chief Aleksander Vitko of threatening a full-scale assault if they did not surrender by dawn on Tuesday.
A Russian spokesman later denied that any ultimatum had been issued.
Ukrainian military personnel besieged in their bases waited nervously for the deadline to pass, many of them preparing for an attack by Russian troops and pro-Moscow militias.
However, a deputy commander at one of Ukraine’s units, named only as Major Lisovoy, told local ATR TV that there were no attempts to storm the base.
“We’re all in high spirits, ready to defend our base. There was no official ultimatum, it was done indirectly via mobile phones. I want peace and stability, and for Ukraine to be a united country.”
The Kremlin has established de facto military control in Crimea. There are growing fears that it might try to seize more land in eastern Ukraine, where a number of people support closer ties with Moscow.
Ukrainian officials say reports suggest there is also a Russian military build-up near Ukraine’s eastern border.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon said it was putting on hold all military-to-military engagements between the US and Russia. These include exercises, bilateral meetings, port visits and planning conferences.
At the UN in New York, Vitaly Churkin offered the Security Council a copy of the letter Viktor Yanukovych had sent.
Vitaly Churkin said Viktor Yanukovych had described Ukraine as on the brink of civil war, with civilians being persecuted simply for speaking Russian.
Ukraine’s officials deny this, pointing out that an overwhelming majority of people in Crimea and well as in a number south-eastern cities in Ukraine’s mainland speak Russian in their day-to-day lives.
Vitaly Churkin quoted from the letter: “I would call on the president of Russia, Mr Putin, asking him to use the armed forces of the Russian Federation to establish legitimacy, peace, law and order, stability and defending the people of Ukraine.”
He reiterated Moscow’s view that Viktor Yanukovych is Ukraine’s legitimate leader, not interim President Oleksandr Turchynov.
Western ambassadors refused to accept Russia’s justification, continuing to accuse Moscow of violating international law.
Indian government has put on hold all deals with Rolls-Royce until it completes an investigation into bribery allegations against the company, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
A federal agency is probing allegations that Rolls-Royce paid bribes for supply of aircraft engines.
Rolls-Royce said it would “cooperate fully” with Indian authorities.
The company is the world’s second biggest manufacturer of aircraft engines.
India’s defense ministry had put on hold all “existing and future” contracts with Rolls-Royce pending the results of an investigation by the country’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the purchase of jet fighter engines in a deal worth $1.6 billion, PTI reported.
Indian government has put on hold all deals with Rolls-Royce until it completes an investigation into bribery allegations against the company
The Rolls-Royce engines were supplied to the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) between 2007 and 2011, reports said.
“There was an internal vigilance report [by HAL] that suggested there were discrepancies in the deal. The CBI will look into that,” the AFP news agency quoted a defense official as saying.
A Rolls-Royce spokesman said the company would cooperate with the inquiry.
“We have repeatedly made clear that we will not tolerate misconduct of any sort,” PTI quoted the spokesman as saying.
Rolls-Royce said last year that the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) was investigating allegations of possible bribery in China and Indonesia.
Last month, two people were arrested in London as part of an SFO investigation into the firm’s activities in Asia.
The office said at the end of last year it had opened a formal investigation into the engine maker about bribery and corruption in overseas markets.
The Rolls-Royce probe is the latest controversy to hit India’s defense purchases.
Webster Lucas is suing McDonald’s for a lack of napkins after only receiving one at his local restaurant in Pacoima, California, TMZ reported.
When he asked for more, Webster Lucas claims he was denied.
The man told the manager on duty: “I should have went to eat at the Jack-in-the-Box because I didn’t come here to argue over napkins. I came here to eat.”
Webster Lucas is suing McDonald’s for a lack of napkins after only receiving one at his local restaurant in Pacoima
According to Webster Lucas, who is African American, the manager then made a racially-motivated remark, allegedly saying something about “you people.” The manager is reportedly Latino.
After the verbal disagreement, Webster Lucas emailed the general manager of the McDonald’s to say that the incident caused him “mental anguish”, which has prevented him from working.
The general manger offered Webster Lucas free burgers, but he instead decided to sue McDonald’s for $1.5 million.
Russia’s military has given Ukrainian forces in Crimea an ultimatum until dawn on Tuesday to surrender or face an assault.
The head of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet Aleksander Vitko set the deadline and also threatened two warships, Ukrainian officials said.
However, Interfax news agency later quoted a fleet spokesman who denied that any ultimatum had been issued.
Moscow has said its troops are needed in Crimea to protect civilians.
Russia’s military has given Ukrainian forces in Crimea an ultimatum until dawn on Tuesday to surrender or face an assault (photo Reuters)
The Kremlin says people in Crimea have come under threat from “ultra-nationalists” since pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted last month.
Russia is now said to be in de facto control of the Crimea region.
Ukraine has ordered full mobilization to counter the intervention.
No shots have yet been fired in the region, which has a majority of Russian speakers and a largely pro-Russian local government.
But the captain of one of the threatened warships told Ukrainian TV his men were prepared to fight and would not surrender.
The trouble began last month when pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted following months of street protests.
Russia claims its military is protecting human rights in Crimea, but Kiev, the US and Western Europe have condemned the actions.
Ukraine’s PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk said earlier that any attempt to seize Crimea would fail, urging allies to give economic and political support to his government.
Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein recently hinted that Jennifer Lawrence wants to take time off from her hectic work schedule.
Jennifer Lawrence, 23, has denied she is taking a hiatus from Hollywood as she enjoyed a series of successes thanks to her roles in The Hunger Games and X-Men franchises, as well as her Oscar-winning turn in Silver Linings Playbook.
Harvey Weinstein recently hinted that Jennifer Lawrence wants to take time off from her hectic work schedule
However, during an interview with MTV News on the red carpet at Sunday’s Oscars, the American Hustle star insisted she is not ready to give up her time in the spotlight just yet.
She joked: “That’s just Harvey [Weinstein] being an idiot. No, he’s not being an idiot, I don’t know. I would like to take a year off, that would be a dream. I’d like to if I could.”
Jennifer Lawrence is currently filming The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2.
Ellen DeGeneres took full advantage of Jennifer Lawrence’s repeated inability to stay upright in her opening monologue at Sunday night’s Oscars.
In her second go-round as the master of ceremonies for The Academy, Ellen DeGeneres reminded the audience that Jennifer Lawrence fell as she went to retrieve her award for Best Actress at last year’s Oscars.
“I am not going to bring up what happened last year,” she teased.
Ellen DeGeneres took full advantage of Jennifer Lawrence’s repeated inability to stay upright in her opening monologue at Sunday night’s Oscars
“It’s ridiculous, I mean something like that happens, and it’s embarrassing, and people just talk about it. It’s just, you know… for those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, Jennifer Lawrence last year, she fell on the way up, tripped. I don’t know if she got caught on the tip of the dress, but… let’s show the clip.”
She didn’t show it, but she made sure that everyone knew that Jennifer Lawrence was caught slipping again this year.
Other highlights included making fun of June Squibb’s age by intimating that she’s hard of hearing, calling Liza Minnelli “sir” and joking that, if 12 Years a Slave didn’t win best picture, the whole Academy was racist.
John Travolta made a gaffe during last night’s Oscars ceremony as he took to the stage to introduce Idina Menzel to perform Let It Go ballad from Disney animation Frozen.
After his introduction, John Travolta appeared to name Idina Menzel by a complete different name, welcoming “the talented, the one and only, Adela Dazeem“.
John Travolta made a gaffe during last night’s Oscars ceremony as he took to the stage to introduce Idina Menzel
John Travolta’s new name for Idina Menzel has already inspired its own parody Twitter account, which has been followed by over 11,000 people.
Let It Go went on to win the Best Original Song prize during the ceremony, while Frozen won the award for Best Animated Film.
Best Supporting Actress nominee Jennifer Lawrence took a tumble as she made her way down the Oscar red carpet.
Just like last year during the Academy Awards, Jennifer Lawrence, 23, lost her footing while waving to the crowds assembled at the Dolby Theatre, before grabbing at her entourage for help as she hit the deck.
Jennifer Lawrence took a tumble as she made her way down the Oscar red carpet
The actress was helped up to her feet by boyfriend Nicholas Hoult laughing and joking.
Jennifer Lawrence, nominated this year for Best Supporting Actress for her role in American Hustle, then turned to the applauding crowd and took a bow.
Chinese police captured three suspects involved in Saturday’s deadly mass knife attack at Kunming railway station, state media report.
Several men and women burst into the south-western city’s railway station stabbing people at random, leaving 29 dead and wounding more than 130.
Officials have blamed separatists from the Xinjiang region for the attack.
Four attackers were shot dead by police at the scene, officials say. An injured female suspect was reportedly detained.
Citing a statement from the Ministry of Public Security, Xinhua news agency said six men and two women, led by a person identified as Abdurehim Kurban, were responsible for the attack.
There were no details about how the suspects were identified and captured.
Chinese police captured three suspects involved in Saturday’s deadly mass knife attack at Kunming railway station
Officials say that evidence, such as insignia recovered from the station about “East Turkestan”, points to the involvement of separatists from Xinjiang – a region in the far west of China bordering Central Asia.
China’s security chief, Meng Jianzhu, has vowed “all-out efforts” to “severely punish terrorists”.
Eyewitnesses described horrific scenes on Saturday, saying that in just 12 minutes attackers used curved swords and meat cleavers to stab people at random as they rampaged through the station.
A memorial for the victims has been set up at Kunming station’s concourse
Kunming is the capital of China’s Yunnan province. On Monday, security was tight, with a heavy police presence at Kunming station and surrounding areas.
Xinjiang is home to the Muslim Uighur minority group. Recent months have seen several violent incidents there which the government has blamed on extremists. Verifying these reports is difficult because foreign journalists’ access to the region is tightly controlled.
China is often accused of exaggerating the threat of Islamist terrorism to justify its harsh security crackdown in Xinjiang and the restrictions it places on the religion and culture of the Uighurs.
Bill Gates is back on top of Forbes’ annual ranking of global billionaires, reclaiming the title of world’s richest person from telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico, who ranked No. 1 for the past four years.
Microsoft founder’s total net worth was estimated at $76 billion this year, up from $67 billion in 2013.
His rise in wealth knocked Mexican telecoms tycoon Carlos Slim off the top spot into second place.
In total, there were a record 1,645 billionaires, according to Forbes magazine.
The funds needed to make it into the top 20 ranking are now $31 billion, up from $23 billion last year, Forbes said.
Bill Gates has been top of the list for 15 of the last 20 years, according to Forbes.
Technology firms featured heavily in the list, with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg becoming the biggest gainer in net worth.
Mark Zuckerberg’s fortune more than doubled to $28.5 billion, boosted by a sharp rise in the price of the social network’s shares.
The social network’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, also made the list for the first time.
WhatsApp founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton entered the list at number 202 and 551 respectively, thanks to Facebook’s $19 billion purchase of the messaging app.
The world’s largest economy, the US, continues to have the most billionaires, with 492.
By region, Europe boasted the most billionaires outside the US, with 468 in total, closely followed by Asia, which had 444 billionaires.
The list suggested that wealth was spreading, with four new countries featuring for the first time – Algeria, Lithuania, Tanzania and Uganda.
Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, became the first African to be listed in the top 25, with a net worth of $25 billion.
Oscar Pistorius’s neighbor Michelle Burger has revealed in Pretoria court that she was awoken by a woman’s “terrible screams” in the early hours of February 14, 2013.
Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius has pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
The 27-year-old double amputee shot dead the 29-year-old model and reality TV star at his home, saying he mistook her for an intruder.
Michelle Burger said cries for help were followed by shots.
Oscar Pistorius has pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
“She screamed terribly and she yelled for help. Then I also heard a man screaming for help. Three times he yelled for help,” Michelle Burger told the high court in the capital.
The neighbor said she called security and then heard four gunshots.
For the first time in South Africa, parts of the trial are being televised live, although Michelle Burger’s testimony, in Afrikaans, was only relayed in audio.
The start to proceedings at the court in South Africa’s capital on Monday was delayed by 90 minutes as an Afrikaans translator was absent.
Oscar Pistorius pleaded not guilty to all charges, including the “willful and intentional murder of Reeva Steenkamp” as the trial began.
Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscars selfie has become the most re-tweeted image in Twitter’s history, even briefly crashing the service.
Oscars host Ellen DeGeneres posted a selfie including: Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Kevin Spacey, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, and best supporting actress winner Lupita Nyong’o.
It took less than 40 minutes to beat the previous record for most tweeted image – a photo of Michelle and Barack Obama, posted on his re-election in 2012.
Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscars selfie has become the most re-tweeted image in Twitter’s history
By the end of the Oscars ceremony, the celebrity selfie had been re-tweeted more than two million times.
Ellen DeGeneres encouraged those watching the Oscars – about one billion people – to make the image the most re-tweeted in history, and less than an hour later announced the target had been met.
“We crashed Twitter!” she joked, adding that the service was up again shortly after.
There have been more than seven million tweets using the hashtags #oscars and #oscars2014.
Australian missionary John Short, who was detained in North Korea last month after it was reported that he distributed religious material, has been deported.
John Short, 75, who has arrived in Beijing from Pyongyang, was detained after apparently leaving Christian pamphlets at a tourist site.
State-run KCNA news agency said John Short had admitted breaking North Korean law and apologized.
It said he was being released partly in consideration of his age.
Religious activity is severely restricted in North Korea and missionaries have been arrested on many previous occasions.
“I’m really, really tired,” John Short told reporters in China’s capital, Beijing, after arriving on a commercial flight.
John Short was detained in North Korea last month after it was reported that he distributed religious material
He was immediately escorted to a vehicle from the Australian embassy, reports say.
Earlier, KCNA reported: “Short acknowledged that his actions were… unforgivable crimes in violation of our laws, offered an apology and begged for forgiveness.”
It also said that John Short had distributed religious material on a busy underground train in Pyongyang during a previous tour in August 2012.
Australia does not have a diplomatic mission in Pyongyang and is represented there by the Swedish embassy.
In a statement on Monday, the Australian government said John Short’s release was “welcome news”.
“Australian consular officials stand ready to provide assistance to Mr. Short to ensure he can return to his home in Hong Kong as soon as possible,” it said.
“We take this opportunity to thank the Swedish government for their tireless efforts on this difficult consular case in recent weeks.”
A snake has defeated a crocodile in an epic five-hour battle at Lake Moondarra, in Queensland, Australia, which left onlookers shocked as the python slowly devoured its prey.
The incident near Mount Isa was captured on camera by local residents on Sunday.
The 10-ft snake, thought to be a python, coiled itself around the crocodile and the two struggled in the water.
The snake later brought the dead crocodile onto land and ate it.
The snake has defeated the crocodile in an epic five-hour battle at Lake Moondarra in Queensland
In remarkable images captured by Tiffany Corlis, a local who was watching on, the python can be seen strangling and eating the crocodile, whose outline can then be seen inside the snake.
Tiffany Corlis said it appeared to take the snake around 15 minutes to eat the crocodile.
Queensland is home to some of the world’s most dangerous snakes, as well as saltwater crocodiles.
Russia has taken de facto armed control in Ukraine’s Crimea region, despite Western demands that it withdraw.
Thousands of Russian troops are securing the region and further armor and ship movements have been reported.
Ukraine has ordered full mobilization, issuing call-up papers and asking for more international support.
Russia says it is protecting its interests and those of Russian-speakers in Crimea and elsewhere in Ukraine following the ousting of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych last month.
The crisis hit Russian stock markets on Monday, with Moscow’s main MICEX index dropping 9% in early trading. The rouble fell to a fresh all-time low against the US dollar and Russia’s central bank raised its key lending rate to 7% from 5.5%.
Russia has taken de facto armed control in Ukraine’s Crimea region
Thousands of newly arrived Russian elite troops far outnumber Ukraine’s military presence with roadblocks cutting off Crimea.
Ukrainian border guards have reported a build-up of armored vehicles on the Russian side of the sea channel dividing Russia and Crimea.
Pro-Russian troops have taken over the ferry terminal in far-eastern Crimea that operates services to Russia.
There have also been further movements of Russian ships in the Black Sea – Sevastopol is the base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
Some mobile phone services are reported to be blocked.
Ukrainian navy commanders on Monday confirmed their loyalty to Ukraine, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported, despite an attempt by pro-Russian personnel to enter the navy HQ in Simferopol and force them to switch allegiance.
Ukraine’s interim government has called for more international support to force Russian troops to leave.
While Kiev hopes to resolve this crisis through dialogue, it is now mobilizing its military forces.
Men across Ukraine have been receiving call-up papers and will start reporting for 10 days training from Monday.
Oscar Pistorius has arrived in court in South Africa at the start of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Oscar Pistorius, 27, shot Reeva Steenkamp, 29, at his home in Pretoria on February 14, 2013.
State prosecutors allege the killing was premeditated, but the Paralympic champion claims he mistook her for an intruder.
For the first time in South Africa, parts of the trial will be televised live. Media interest is high.
Oscar Pistorius has arrived in court in South Africa at the start of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
The arrest of the national sporting hero astounded South Africa.
Double amputee Oscar Pistorius won gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and also competed at the Olympics.
Oscar Pistorius’s uncle, brother and sister are also in court; next to them on the relatives’ bench is the family of Reeva Steenkamp, including her mother June.
Gerrie Nel, who is leading the prosecution team, will be the key figure in Monday’s proceedings, as he begins to lay out the state’s case against the athlete.
State prosecutors say Oscar Pistorius planned the killing and shot Reeva Steenkamp after a row.
If found guilty of premeditated murder, the sportsman could face life imprisonment.
Oscar Pistorius has also been charged with illegally possessing ammunition.
