Russia’s military build-up in Ukraine has been condemned by its G8 partners amid fresh diplomatic efforts to avert a dangerous escalation of the crisis.
The world’s seven major industrialized powers also suspended preparations for the G8 summit in Sochi in June.
Meanwhile, the EU foreign ministers are due to meet in emergency session in Brussels.
The moves come as Russian military forces continue to strengthen their grip on the Crimean peninsula.
Ukraine’s interim government has accused Russia of having declared war, and has ordered the mobilization of its armed forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far defied calls from the West to pull back his troops.
He insists Russia has a right to protect its interests and those of Russian-speakers in Crimea and elsewhere in Ukraine.
The UN said on Sunday that Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson was travelling to Ukraine to be “personally apprised of the facts on the ground”.
Russia’s military build-up in Ukraine has been condemned by its G8 partners
A statement said he would brief UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon “on the next steps the United Nations could take to support the de-escalation of the situation”.
On Monday morning, the MICEX index of stocks in Moscow suffered an initial fall of about 5% and the rouble fell 2.5% to an all-time low against the US dollar.
Russia’s central bank also raised its main interest rate to 7% from 5.5%.
The G7 of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US urged Russia to hold talks with Ukraine to address any human rights or security concerns it had.
In a statement released from the White House, the grouping said it condemned “the Russian Federation’s clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.
It added: “We have decided for the time being to suspend our participation in activities associated with the preparation of the scheduled G8 Summit in Sochi in June.”
G7 finance ministers said they were ready “to provide strong financial backing to Ukraine”.
“The International Monetary Fund [IMF] remains the institution best prepared to help Ukraine address its immediate economic challenges through policy advice and financing,” a statement said.
Ukraine needs $35 billion over the next two years, according to the finance ministry.
12 Years a Slave has won best picture award at this year’s Oscars ceremony.
However, space drama Gravity won the lion’s share of awards the 86th Academy Awards.
Gravity‘s Alfonso Cuaron became the first Latino to win the best director award, adding to the film’s six Oscars for technical achievement.
Cate Blanchett was named best actress for her portrayal of the heroine in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine.
Matthew McConaughey won the best actor Oscar for Dallas Buyers Club.
It is the second consecutive year the best director and best picture prize have been awarded to different films.
Alfonso Cuaron praised the “transformative” power of film and singled out the film’s star Sandra Bullock as “the soul, the heart of Gravity”.
Gravity – which took five years to complete, and owes much to the technical prowess of British visual effects specialists – also won Oscars for film editing, sound mixing, sound editing, cinematography, visual effects and original score.
Steve McQueen, the British director of 12 Years a Slave, dedicated the best picture Oscar to “all those people who have endured slavery”.
Based on a true story, it follows the life of a free black man – Northup – who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in Louisiana.
Newcomer Lupita Nyong’o won the best supporting actress award for her film debut as slave worker Patsey.
The Kenyan actress paid tribute to her character and thanked her for her “guidance”.
The film won a third Oscar for John Ridley’s adapted screenplay.
Spike Jonze collected the best original screenplay for Her. His first film as sole writer and director stars Joaquin Phoenix as a man who falls in love with a computer operating system, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.
12 Years a Slave has won best picture award at this year’s Oscars ceremony
As predicted, Matthew McConaughey took the best actor prize for his role as real life rodeo cowboy Ron Woodroof, who smuggled HIV drugs into the US.
Matthew McConaughey, formerly a rom-com regular whose roles centred on his good looks, lost 50 lbs to play Ron Woodroof in the low budget indie drama.
Best actress winner Cate Blanchett paid tribute to her rivals, including Judi Dench – who was not at the ceremony – acknowledging “the random and subjective” nature of awards ceremonies.
Matthew McConaughey’s co-star Jared Leto won the first Oscar of the night, picking up best supporting actor for his role as transgender woman who becomes Ron Woodruff’s business partner and unlikely friend.
In an emotional speech Jared Leto thanked his mother, who accompanied him to the awards, “for teaching me to dream” and dedicated his award to “those who have ever felt injustice because of who they are, or who you love”.
Dallas Buyers Club also picked up a third award for make-up and hairstyling – with the transformation of Jared Leto and his co-star, Matthew McConaughey, rumored to have been achieved on a budget of $250.
Frozen, which recently tipped $1 billion at the global box office, scored two Oscars.
The 3D film about an icy princess and her sister was named best animated feature film, with its song, Let It Go – performed by star Idina Menzel – winning best original song. It is loosely based on The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen.
The Great Gatsby also picked up two Oscars, for costume design and production design. The awards were picked up by Baz Luhrmann’s partner Catherine Martin.
But there were no awards for David O. Russell’s American Hustle, which had 10 nominations, including nods in all the acting categories. Nor were there any awards for Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street.
The first British win of the night came for Tim Webber and his team from London-based company Framestore for their visual effects work on Gravity.
Tim Webber paid tribute to his team, Gravity actors George Clooney and Sandra Bullock and director Alfonso Cuaron “for having the vision to create this breath-taking film and the audacity to make it happen”.
The second British win of the night went to director Malcolm Clarke, who won an Oscar for his documentary short The Lady in Number Six: Music Saved My Life.
The film follows Alice Herz-Sommer, the oldest known survivor of the Nazi Holocaust and an accomplished pianist. Paying tribute to Alice Herz-Sommer, who died last week at the age of 110, he praised “her extraordinary capacity for joy and amazing capacity for forgiveness”.
Ellen DeGeneres hosted the ceremony, for the second time, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
The 86th Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, will be broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles starting at 8:30 p.m. ET on various networks.
History:
Created as a non-profit organization in 1927, the original Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was made up of 36 producers and film-makers. Led by MGM studio chief Louis B. Mayer, its membership included such notables as Douglas Fairbanks, Harold Lloyd and Mary Pickford. It now boasts more than 6,000 members, a quarter of them actors.
The first Academy Awards were presented on May 16, 1929, at a private dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with an audience of about 270 people.
No-one could have predicted when the first Academy Awards ceremony was held in 1929 that it would grow to the huge event it is today.
The cost of guest tickets for that night’s ceremony was $5. Fifteen statuettes were awarded, honoring artists, directors and other personalities of the filmmaking industry of the time for their works during the 1927–1928 periods; the ceremony ran for 15 minutes.
Bleachers:
Fans desperate to see Hollywood’s movers and shakers arriving can do so by sitting on the specially constructed benches erected outside – provided they register at least six months in advance – camping out overnight was banned after 9/11. The lucky 700 selected at random are told to arrive at 07:00 on Oscars day, 10 hours before the fun begins.
Campaigns:
Every year, the studios launch elaborate advertising campaigns to persuade Academy members to nominate their pictures. Eligible voters are bombarded with DVDs known as “screeners”, occasionally accompanied by lavish promotional material. But new rules introduced in 2012 banned members from attending parties organized by film companies after the nominations are announced.
Dolby:
For years, the Oscar oscillated between the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Los Angeles Music Center and the Shrine Auditorium near the University of Southern California. From 2002 to 2012, the Oscars were held at the Kodak Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, although in 2012, Kodak ended its sponsorship deal with the Oscars shortly before the event. In May this year, it changed its name to the Dolby Theatre in a new sponsorship deal and the Oscars will continue to be held there for the foreseeable future.
Envelope:
The time-honored practice of opening the golden envelope to reveal the winner’s name is a pivotal part of Oscar lore. It has not always been so though. For the first 10 years, the Academy informed the press ahead of time in order to accommodate their print deadlines. After one newspaper broke the embargo in 1939, the decision was made to keep the results a closely guarded secret.
Fashion:
The Oscars have thrown up more than their fair share of fashion faux pas over the years. Who could forget the bizarre Indian headdress sported by Cher in 1986, or Bjork’s swan gown in 2001, Gwyneth Paltrow was criticized by fashionistas in 2002 for appearing sans bra in a transparent top, as did Celine Dion in 1999 for wearing what appeared to be a back-to-front white jacket.
Goodie bags:
Presenters and performers at this year’s Oscars can be expected to be handsomely rewarded for their trouble with a complimentary gift package thought to be worth up to $100,000. Previous freebies have included such luxury items as mobile phones, high-definition televisions, designer clothes and holiday vouchers.
Honorary Award:
In addition to its competitive prizes, the Academy has a history of presenting special Oscars to ageing stars, industry veterans and well-regarded individuals who have been inexplicably passed over. Recipients include Peter O’Toole, Kirk Douglas and Robert Redford, while regular host Bob Hope was awarded no less than five honorary gongs between 1941 and 1966. The 2013 recipients included Angelina Jolie, Angela Lansbury and Steve Martin.
The 31st Academy Awards ceremony was held on April 6, 1959
In memoriam:
A regular feature of each Oscar telecast is a montage paying tribute to those notables who have died since the last ceremony. A Room With A View screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, visual effects maestro Ray Harryhausen, and actors Peter O’Toole and Joan Fontaine are likely to be among those remembered this year.
Jean Hersholt:
The actor and sometime president of the Academy whose name was attached after his demise in 1956 to an honorary award recognizing individuals “whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry”. Recipients over the years have included Gregory Peck, Frank Sinatra and, inevitably, Bob Hope. However, since the mid-1980s, it has been doled out sparingly.
Kathryn Bigelow:
The first woman to win a best director Oscar for The Hurt Locker in 2010. The film also won best picture.
Los Angeles:
The Oscars cause a mighty traffic jam each year as up to 1,200 stretch limousines queue up to disgorge their celebrity cargo. In 1988, the congestion was so bad outside the Shrine Auditorium that presenters and nominees, among them Fatal Attraction‘s Glenn Close, were forced to ditch their cars and jog down the street to make it on time.
Marksmen:
Police snipers are routinely positioned on adjacent rooftops, the area is declared a no-fly zone and all the local manhole covers are welded shut. That said, none of this stopped a pair of pranksters getting through in 2002 with the help of a fake limo pass.
Nominations:
All films must have at least a token US release before December 31 in order to qualify for the following year’s awards, but it isn’t until the nominations are announced some six weeks before the ceremony that the Oscars race can start proper. The nominees are revealed 05:30 LA time by the current Academy president, usually accompanied by a previous recipient.
Oscar:
How the Academy Award of Merit came by its more familiar sobriquet is still a subject for debate, though most people attribute it to Academy librarian Margaret Herrick’s 1931 remark that the award bore a striking resemblance to her uncle. The nickname was in common usage by 1934, but it took another five years for it to be officially adopted.
Presenter:
Bob Hope holds the record here, having hosted the ceremony 19 times over the course of 39 years. Johnny Carson was a fixture in the 1980s before Billy Crystal inherited his mantle. This year chat show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres will host the Oscars for a second time, replacing Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, whose close-to-the-bone stint divided critics last year.
Quips:
Part of the host’s job is to poke fun at the Oscars themselves.
“Two hours of glittering entertainment spread out over four hours” is how Johnny Carson described them, while Billy Crystal likened them to Titanic: “We are huge, we are expensive and everyone wants us to go faster.”
In 2010, Steve Martin deadpanned: “This show was so long that Avatar now takes place in the past.”
Red carpet:
Organizers need 16,000 square feet of the stuff outside the Dolby Theatre for the annual fashion parade that, for many, is the highlight of the Oscar ceremony. The hallowed carpet is lined with seven-foot Oscar statuettes that are each given a new lick of gold paint before the event; some 60,000 flowers are grown especially for the various floral displays.
Speeches:
The record for the longest acceptance speech is held by Greer Garson, who droned on for over five minutes in 1943. John Mills probably made the shortest: in keeping with his Oscar-winning role as a mute simpleton in Ryan’s Daughter, the British actor said nothing at all.
Television:
The awards were televised for the first time in 1953, attracting the largest audience in commercial TV’s five-year history.
But it was not until 1966 that they were broadcast in color, prompting host Bob Hope to quip: “Now we can see the losers turn green.”
In 2005, the ABC network was so worried Chris Rock would swear it imposed a five-second time delay.
Upsets:
There have been more than a few of these over the years. Steven Spielberg was gutted when Shakespeare in Love was named best movie in 1999 ahead of Saving Private Ryan, while even Juliette Binoche was shocked when she beat Lauren Bacall to the best supporting actress gong in 1997.
Vanity Fair:
Most of the winners make a token appearance at the Governor’s Ball before heading off to a swankier bash. And they don’t come more exclusive than the Vanity Fair party hosted by editor Graydon Carter, which for the last few years has taken place at the Sunset Tower Hotel.
War:
During World War II, the Academy replaced its gold-plated statuettes with plaster ones and outlawed formal wear, while concerns over the situation in Iraq were reflected by a toned-down ceremony in 2003.
“You probably noticed there was no red carpet tonight,” said host Steve Martin:
“That’ll send them a message!”
Youngest winner:
Tatum O’Neal holds the record as the youngest Oscar-winner after she was named best supporting actress for Paper Moon at the age of 10. Anna Paquin came close when she picked up the same award for The Piano at 11.
But the youngest Oscar recipient is Shirley Temple, given an honorary award at 6 for “her outstanding contribution to screen entertainment.”
Zero:
The number of awards Steven Spielberg received for The Color Purple after being nominated for a whopping 11 Oscars in 1986 – an ignominious achievement only matched by ballet drama The Turning Point in 1978. In 2011, True Grit bit the dust, failing to win a single prize despite 10 nominations. The same had happened to Gangs of New York in 2003. Richard Harris was nominated seven times without a single win, but the record is held by sound mixer Kevin O’Connell, who has yet to win an Oscar, despite being nominated 20 times.
Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith were big winners at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzie), picking up three prizes for their sci-fi flop After Earth.
Jaden Smith, 15, won the statuette for worst actor, while his famous father won the supporting actor Razzie.
Will and Jaden Smith were also voted worst screen combo.
Taking place on the eve of the Oscars, and just a short walk from the Academy Awards red carpet, the Razzies highlight the worst films of the year.
The worst picture prize went to Movie 43, a comedy anthology with an ensemble cast including Kate Winslet, Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry.
Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith were big winners at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards
Described by one critic as “the Citizen Kane of awful”, the film also won for worst screenplay (written by at least 19 people) and worst director (credited to 13 people).
Tyler Perry was named worst actress for A Madea Christmas, while Kim Kardashian was worst supporting actress for Tyler Perry’s Temptation.
The Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp as Tonto, was worst remake or sequel.
Despite its eight nominations, Adam Sandler’s hit film sequel Grown Ups 2 went home empty-handed.
Officially known as the Golden Raspberry Awards, the Razzies were created in 1980 “as the logical antidote to Tinsel Town’s annual glut of self-congratulatory awards”.
Winners generally fail to show up – although Halle Berry and Sandra Bullock have collected their gold spray-painted prizes in person.
As at the Oscars, the Razzies have an In Memoriam section, which this year included former Razzie nominee Peter O’Toole, the film critic Roger Ebert and Blockbuster video stores.
Ukraine launched a treason case on Sunday against Admiral Denis Berezovsky, the head of the navy who surrendered his headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, on only his second day on the job.
Admiral Denis Berezovsky was earlier shown on Russian television swearing allegiance to the pro-Russian regional leaders of Crimea.
Admiral Denis Berezovsky surrendered his headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol
Russian forces have seized Crimea peninsula and told Ukrainian forces there to give up their weapons.
“During the blockade by Russian forces of the central headquarters of the navy, he declined to offer resistance and laid down his weapons,” said Viktoria Syumar, deputy secretary of Ukraine’s Security Council.
“The prosecutor’s office has opened a criminal case against Denis Berezovsky under statute 111: state treason,” she said.
Another admiral, Serhiy Hayduk, was placed in charge of the navy. (Reuters)
Newly appointed head of Ukraine’s navy, Rear Admiral Denis Berezovsky, has sworn allegiance to the Crimea region, in the presence of its unrecognized pro-Russian leader.
Denis Berezovsky was appointed as commander-in-chief of the navy by President Oleksandr Turchynov on March 1st, 2014, as the government in Kiev reacted to the threat of Russian invasion.
Russia’s troops have been consolidating their hold on Crimea, which is home to its Black Sea Fleet.
The US has warned Moscow may be ejected from the G8 for its actions.
President Barack Obama called Russian troop deployments a “violation of Ukrainian sovereignty”.
Denis Berezovsky was appointed as commander-in-chief of the navy by President Oleksandr Turchynov on March 1st, 2014
Ukraine has ordered a full military mobilization in response to Russia’s build-up of its forces on the Crimean peninsula.
Ukraine’s new PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk has warned the country is “on the brink of disaster”.
In Crimea, Ukrainian soldiers faced off with Russian soldiers surrounding their bases on Sunday while the Russian army was said to be digging trenches on the border with mainland Ukraine.
The UK has joined the US, France and Canada in suspending preparations for a summit of the G8 in Russia in June. NATO, of which Ukraine is not a member, is conducting emergency talks.
Admiral Denis Berezovsky appeared in Sevastopol before cameras alongside Sergey Aksyonov, the pro-Russian politician elected by Crimea’s regional parliament as local prime minister.
Sergey Aksyonov announced he had given orders to Ukrainian naval forces on the peninsula to disregard any orders from the “self-proclaimed” authorities in Kiev.
Sunday, he said, would go down in history as the birthday of the “navy of the autonomous republic of Crimea”.
Admiral Denis Berezovsky then pledged to “strictly obey the orders of the supreme commander of the autonomous republic of Crimea” and “defend the lives and freedom” of Crimea’s people.
George Lopez took the stage at Caesars Windsor Hotel and Casino in Canada just one day after being arrested for public intoxication.
The entertainer spoke on Friday night about his arrest at the hotel, saying at the beginning of his show: “I just did in Windsor, what Justin Bieber does in America.”
According to TMZ, George Lopez told the audience he took 52 shots before passing out in the bar of the hotel on Thursday night.
French director Alain Resnais has died at the age 91.
His film career spanned more than 60 years
Alain Resnais’ producer, Jean-Louis Livi, confirmed the director died in Paris on Saturday.
He was often associated with French New Wave cinema but he also embraced modernism and surrealism.
Alain Resnais’ last film, The Life of Riley – based on an Alan Ayckbourn play – premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2014.
It was his third film based on Alan Ayckbourn’s work, and reflected the direction his interests took in using theatre as a basis for his films.
Alain Resnais won a number of awards at major film festivals
French President Francois Hollande said France had lost “one of its greatest filmmakers”.
Alain Resnais first drew attention with his documentary Night and Fog (1955), which focused on Nazi concentration camps.
His first feature film would also draw on the horrors of conflict, this time the Hiroshima atomic bomb for Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959).
In devising the film with novelist Marguerite Duras, he deduced that the sheer devastation caused by the attack could not be dramatized, so he used the theme of the impossibility of speaking about the event.
The film was nominated for a best-screenwriting Oscar and won a number of critics’ awards for best foreign film.
The film was brought under the umbrella of the emerging French New Wave, which also included directors Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, although Alain Resnais said he did not consider himself completely a part of the movement.
Alain Resnais won a number of awards at major film festivals.
Berkshire Hathaway, the investment company run by Warren Buffett, has reported a record $19.5 billion profit for 2013, up from $14.8 billion in 2012.
Warren Buffett wrote to shareholders: “On the operating front, just about everything turned out well for us last year – in some cases very well.”
However, Berkshire Hathaway underperformed the S&P 500 share index for the fifth year in a row.
The growth in the company’s book value – the company’s assets minus its liabilities and Warren Buffett’s preferred measure of Berkshire’s performance – was 18.2% in 2013, while the S&P 500 rose 32.4%.
Warren Buffett said that was to be expected when the S&P performed well.
“We have underperformed in 10 of our 49 years, with all but one of our shortfalls occurring when the S&P gain exceeded 15%.”
Warren Buffett’s investment company Berkshire Hathaway has reported a record $19.5 billion profit for 2013
He added that the fund had outperformed the stock market between 2007 and 2013 and that through a full six year cycle he expected to do that again.
“If we fail to do so, we will not have earned our pay,” he wrote.
Warren Buffett, ranked fourth on the Forbes rich list, pointed to a strong performance in the firm’s insurance, rail and energy businesses for the increase in profit.
These include the auto insurer Geico, General Reinsurance, Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad and the electric utility MidAmerican Energy.
Berkshire Hathaway increased its stake in the US companies Coca-Cola, American Express, IBM and Wells Fargo but reduced its ownership in the UK retailer Tesco – to 3.7% from 5.2%.
Warren Buffett did acknowledge he had made mistakes in some of his investments in the manufacturing, service and retail industries, some of which saw “very poor returns”.
“I was not misled: I simply was wrong in my evaluation of the economic dynamics of the company or the industry in which it operated,” he said.
Ukraine is calling up military reservists following Russia’s decision to deploy troops in Crimea.
Ukraine’s acting President Oleksandr Turchynov had already ordered increased security at key sites, including nuclear plants.
Meanwhile President Barack Obama has called the Russian decision a “violation of Ukrainian sovereignty”.
Heavily armed groups continue to occupy key sites in Crimea, including airports and communications hubs
Ukraine has said it will seek the help of US and UK leaders in guaranteeing its security. NATO has called emergency talks to be held on Sunday at 12:00 GMT.
The new Ukrainian PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk has warned that military action by Moscow would be “the beginning of war and the end of relations”.
Heavily armed groups continue to occupy key sites in Crimea, including airports and communications hubs, although there has been no actual violence.
Supermarket giant Tesco has been accused by Greenpeace of stocking a brand of tuna that is caught in a way that can harm other wildlife.
Greenpeace said Tesco pledged in 2012 to ensure all its own brand tuna was sustainably caught.
But the group says Tesco has started to stock tinned tuna from low-cost brand Oriental and Pacific which it says is caught in large nets.
Tesco said Greenpeace was “simply wrong” and the manufacturer said it “totally refutes” the claims.
Greenpeace claimed the brand was “dirty” because tuna in it was caught in big nets, known as purse seines, that could kill sea creatures.
The environmental group said Tesco “must try harder” to make sure tinned tuna was sustainably caught.
Tesco has been accused by Greenpeace of stocking a brand of tuna that is caught in a way that can harm other wildlife
Greenpeace said Sainsbury’s was at the forefront of sustainable tuna, and Waitrose, the Co-operative, Marks and Spencer, and Morrisons were also praised.
Campaigner and celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who is featuring the issue on his Fish Fight programme on Channel 4 on Sunday, called on Tesco to take the brand off its shelves.
Tesco said it had moved much faster than many of its competitors to make sure its own-brand tuna was 100% caught using a pole and line, which avoids catching other species by accident.
It said it had also promised to use sustainable tuna in other products such as pastas, sandwiches and salads.
A spokesman said: “Many of our competitors continue to sell non-pole and line caught tuna. Customers have a great choice of sustainable tuna at Tesco.”
LDH, which owns the Oriental and Pacific (O&P) tuna brand, supplies a range of products including canned tomatoes, fish, fruit and vegetables, and dried pasta.
In a statement, the company said: “At least 85% of the tuna we sell is fished using the pole and line method; our O&P brand skipjack tuna is caught using the purse seine fishing method, which accounts for 63% of all tuna caught around the globe.
“Credible scientific research by the Regional Fisheries Management Organizations shows that stocks of skipjack tuna are healthy.
“All of our tuna suppliers are members of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation and support its research-led initiatives for long-term conservation of tuna stocks.”
Thai voting has begun in five provinces that were unable to hold polls in last month’s general election because of anti-government protests.
No disturbances have so far been reported in Sunday’s ballot.
But the election commission said the situation was still too tense in many areas for polls to re-open.
Thailand has been in a political crisis since mass rallies began in November, with protesters calling for PM Yingluck Shinawatra to resign.
They want her government to be replaced by an unelected “people’s council” to reform the political system.
The opposition alleges that money politics have corrupted Thailand’s democracy and that Yingluck Shinawatra is controlled by her brother, ousted former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who lives in self-imposed exile.
Yingluck Shinawatra leads a government that won elections in 2011 with broad support from rural areas
Protesters marched through Bangkok on Sunday, but there were no signs of voters being prevented from attending polling stations, as had been the case in early February.
“The polls are going peacefully – everything is under control and there are no problems,” a spokesman for the election commissioner said on Sunday.
However, the ballot will still leave too many parliamentary seats unfilled for a new government to be elected.
PM Yingluck Shinawatra is therefore stuck in a caretaker role, giving her cabinet very limited powers to govern.
On Friday, protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban announced that demonstrators would end their occupation of central Bangkok in what was seen as a first sign of flexibility from the prime minister’s opponents.
Talks are also planned next week between representatives from both sides.
Yingluck Shinawatra leads a government that won elections in 2011 with broad support from rural areas. In response to the protests, she called snap elections on February 2, which her government was widely expected to win.
Thailand’s polls were boycotted by the opposition, and voting was disrupted by protesters at around 10% of polling stations.
A Roman gladiator school has been virtually reconstructed by archeologists after being discovered on the banks of the River Danube in Austria.
The so-called ludus was on a scale to rival the famous ludus magnus, the gladiatorial school behind the Colosseum in Rome.
The remains at Carnuntum were mapped using sophisticated aerial surveys and ground-penetrating radar.
The archaeologists published their findings in the journal Antiquity.
Carnuntum was the capital of Upper Pannonia in Roman times and a major trading centre for amber.
The remains of a Roman gladiator school at Carnuntum were mapped using sophisticated aerial surveys and ground-penetrating radar
Excavations in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries revealed many elements of the ancient settlement, including a legionary fortress and the civilian town.
It contains the ruins of amphitheatres, Roman baths and the remains of a monumental arch known as Heidentor.
The ludus was detected only in 2011, in an area to the south of the town, where little is visible on the surface.
According to this newly published survey, the school was complete with individual cells for the gladiators and a circular training arena.
Although about 100 ludi are thought to have existed in the Roman Empire, almost all have been destroyed or built over.
The annual Independent Spirit Awards, which honor low budget film-making, take place in a giant tent on Santa Monica beach, one day prior to the Oscars ceremony.
Full list of winners:
Best Feature:12 Years a Slave
Best Director: Steve McQueen, 12 Years a Slave
Best Screenplay: John Ridley, 12 Years a Slave
Best First Feature:Fruitvale Station
Best First Screenplay: Bob Nelson, Nebraska
The annual Independent Spirit Awards honor low budget film-making
John Cassavetes Award (For best feature made under $500,000): This is Martin Bonner
Best Supporting Female: Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Best Supporting Male: Jared Leto, Dallas Buyers Club
Best Female Lead: Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine
Best Male Lead: Matthew McConaughey, Dallas Buyers Club
Robert Altman Award:Mud
Best Cinematography: Sean Bobbitt, 12 Years a Slave
Lupita Nyong’o won an Independent Spirit award on Saturday for her debut movie role in 12 Years a Slave.
The Kenyan actress told the audience: “Not a bad way to celebrate my birthday.”
Lupita Nyong’o turned 31 a day before the Oscars where she is a front runner for best supporting actress.
12 Years a Slave dominated the Independent Spirit Awards, where it took five prizes.
They included best feature and best director for Steve McQueen.
Lupita Nyong’o won an Independent Spirit award on Saturday for her debut movie role in 12 Years a Slave
Other acting trophies went to Cate Blanchett, for her role in Blue Jasmine, and to Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto, for their roles as AIDS patients in Dallas Buyers Club.
All three are favorites to win at the Oscars on Sunday night.
The annual Independent Spirit Awards, which honor low budget film-making, take place in a giant tent on Santa Monica beach.
This year the ceremony was accompanied by strong winds and bursts of heavy rain beating down on the tent.
12 Years a Slave also won awards for screenplay and cinematography.
Fruitvale Station was named best first feature while Nebraska won a best first screenplay award.
The documentary prize went to 20 Feet From Stardom, which shines a spotlight on the world of the backing singers.
Chinese separatists Uighur Muslims from the north-western Xinjiang region are blamed for the mass knife attack at Kunming railway station that left 29 people dead and at least 130 wounded, officials said.
A group of attackers, dressed in black, burst into the station in the south-west city of Kunming and began stabbing people at random.
Images from the scene posted online showed bodies lying in pools of blood.
State news agency Xinhua said police shot at least four suspects dead.
A female suspect was arrested and is being treated in hospital for unspecified injuries while a search continues for others who fled the scene.
Authorities described the incident as an “organized, premeditated, violent terrorist attack”.
The Kunming city government later said that evidence from the scene pointed to separatists from Xinjiang as being behind the attack.
It gave no details and the claim could not be verified.
Chinese separatists Uighur Muslims are blamed for the mass knife attack at Kunming railway station
Some of Xinjiang’s minority Uighur Muslims want autonomy from Chinese rule and an end to state suppression of their religion.
Witnesses in Kunming said those who couldn’t run quickly were cut down by the attackers’ knives.
A survivor named Yang Haifei, who was wounded in the back and chest, told Xinhua he had been buying a train ticket when the attackers rushed into the station.
“I saw a person come straight at me with a long knife and I ran away with everyone,” he said.
First reports said the attackers were only men, but witnesses and police later said the group also included women.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and PM Li Keqiang sent condolences to the victims and their families.
President Xi Jinping urged “all-out efforts” to investigate the attack.
“Severely punish in accordance with the law the violent terrorists and resolutely crack down on those who have been swollen with arrogance,” Xinhua quoted the president as saying.
The incident comes a few days before the opening of China’s annual parliamentary session, the National People’s Congress.
President Barack Obama has urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to pull his troops back from Ukraine.
In a 90-minute phone conversation, Barack Obama urged Vladimir Putin to pull forces back to bases in Crimea.
Vladimir Putin responded by saying that Moscow reserves the right to protect its interests and those of Russian speakers in Ukraine, the Kremlin said.
Meanwhile, Canada has recalled its ambassador to Moscow for consultations.
Canadian PM Stephen Harper said he was also suspending Canada’s preparations for a G8 summit in the Russian resort of Sochi in June.
Ukraine says it has put its army on full combat alert after Russia’s parliament approved the deployment of Russian troops.
In a 90-minute phone conversation, Barack Obama urged Vladimir Putin to pull forces back to bases in Crimea
Ukraine’s acting President Oleksandr Turchynov said he had also stepped up security at key sites, including nuclear plants.
According to the White House, Barack Obama told Vladimir Putin that the appropriate way to address any concerns “is peacefully through direct engagement” with the Ukrainian government and international mediating bodies.
“President Obama expressed his deep concern over Russia’s clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the White House said.
Barack Obama told Vladimir Putin his actions were a “breach of international law, including Russia’s obligations under the UN Charter, and of its 1997 military basing agreement with Ukraine”, a statement added.
The Kremlin said that in his phone call with Barack Obama, President Vladimir Putin “underlined that there are real threats to the life and health of Russian citizens and compatriots on Ukrainian territory”.
As diplomatic efforts increased, US Secretary of State John Kerry said he had spoken with foreign ministers from Europe and Canada as well as EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and the Japanese envoy to the US “to co-ordinate on next steps”.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for “an immediate restoration of calm and direct dialogue”, whilst NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen tweeted: “Urgent need for de-escalation in Crimea.”
The UN Security Council held an emergency session on the crisis on Saturday, and NATO has called emergency talks to be held on Sunday at 1200 GMT.
Space drama Gravity is expected to scoop multiple awards at Sunday’s ceremony in Los Angeles.
The 3D film is likely to dominate the technical categories, with Alfonso Cuaron tipped for best director.
However, Oscar watchers have predicted Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave to win best picture.
The 86th Academy Awards, hosted by Ellen DeGeneres, take place tonight at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.
Outside the venue, a section of Hollywood Boulevard has been sealed off and the red carpet is covered over to protect it from an unusual spell of wet weather.
The final round of voting by the Academy’s 6,028 members ended on Tuesday.
Many of the nominees have been attending a flurry of pre-Oscar events and screenings in and around Los Angeles.
In what is considered to be the strongest field for many years there are nine contenders for best picture.
Gravity and David O. Russell’s crime caper American Hustle lead with 10 nominations each. 12 Years a Slave has nine.
According to Hollywood Reporter, while the preferential ballot system could boost the prospects of American Hustle and Gravity, 12 Years a Slave felt more “important” than 3D science-fiction.
12 Years a Slave‘s nine nominations include best director for Steve McQueen.
The historical drama, about a free black man in New York kidnapped and sold into slavery in Louisiana, is in a strong position, having already won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA.
Its stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong’o have been nominated in the best actor, supporting actor and supporting actress categories.
American Hustle has nods in all four acting categories for its stars Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.
David O. Russell pulled off the same feat with Silver Linings Playbook last year. Jennifr Lawrence went on to win best actress.
British film Philomena, based on the true story of an Irish woman trying to find the son she was forced to give up for adoption, is up for four awards, including best picture and best actress for Judi Dench.
Gravity eyes prizes as Oscars countdown begins
Captain Phillips, Nebraska, The Wolf of Wall Street, Dallas Buyers Club and Her are also among the nine best picture nominees.
There are several clear favorites in the major acting categories.
Cate Blanchett, who plays a fallen New York socialite in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine, has been the runaway favorite for best actress for months.
But she faces strong competition from Judi Dench, American Hustle‘s Amy Adams, Gravity‘s Sandra Bullock, and Meryl Streep – who has her 18th Oscar nomination – for August: Osage County.
Having both missed out on BAFTA nominations, Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto – from AIDS drama Dallas Buyers Club – are favorites for best actor and supporting actor respectively.
The tightest race seems to be for best supporting actress, where 12 Years A Slave‘s Lupita Nyong’o – making her movie debut – is up against Jennifer Lawrence who won a BAFTA for her American Hustle role.
Also in the running are Sally Hawkins for Blue Jasmine, Julia Roberts for August: Osage County and June Squibb for Nebraska.
“Usually a couple of the big awards are quite close but this year, there is just the one with best supporting actress looking set to go down to the wire,” said William Hill spokesman Joe Crilly.
In the best director category, David O. Russell faces competition from Steve McQueen, Alfonso Cuaron, Nebraska‘s Alexander Payne and Martin Scorsese for The Wolf of Wall Street.
Amid all the speculation, the ceremony does promise some certainties.
On the musical front, all four contenders for best original song will perform. U2 will play Ordinary Love, which they wrote for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
Pharrell Williams will sing Happy from Despicable Me 2, Idina Menzel will sing Let it Go from the animated film Frozen, and Karen O will perform The Moon Song, from the Spike Jonze film Her.
Pink and Bette Midler are also to perform.
This year’s ceremony will celebrate movie heroes and a special section will mark the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz.
Ellen DeGeneres is back for a second stint as host. She hosted the 79th Academy Awards in 2007, watched by a TV audience of 39.9 million.
Before the ceremony, Ellen DeGeneres tweeted: “I think we can all agree; if Meryl Streep doesn’t win this year, her career is in real trouble.”
George W. Bush’s paintings are to be exhibited for the first time in April at the Texas library and museum that bears his name.
More than 24 portraits by the former president will feature in the exhibit, called The Art of Leadership: A President’s Personal Diplomacy.
America’s 43rd president’s works will be displayed at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas.
The subjects of the portraits, signed with the number 43, are not known.
George W. Bush’s paintings are to be exhibited for the first time in April at the Texas library and museum that bears his name
George W. Bush did famously present a portrait of Jay Leno to the chat show host on an edition of his show last November.
Artefacts, photographs and personal reflections will also be part of the exhibition, which aims to “provide an insider’s view into President George W. Bush’s unique relationships with other world leaders”.
George Lopez was arrested this week for public intoxication at the Caesars Windsor Hotel and Casino in Canada.
According to TMZ, George Lopez, 52, passed out on the casino floor. Law-enforcement sources told the celebrity site that Caesars security alerted police to the situation, at which point officers arrested the Lopez Tonight star inside the casino bar.
No charges are being filed. According to TMZ, George Lopez was in custody to sober up and has since been released.
The incident occurred shortly after George Lopez’s performance at the casino on Thursday.
Chris Brown has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, severe insomnia, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the singer’s rehab facility confirmed during a court appearance in Los Angeles.
According to TMZ, the facility said in a letter: “Mr. Brown became aggressive and acted out physically due to his untreated mental health disorder, severe sleep deprivation, inappropriate self-medicating and untreated PTSD.”
The letter continued: “Mr. Brown’s attitude has been beyond exemplary in regard to his community service responsibilities.”
Chris Brown has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, severe insomnia, and PTSD
The document also stated that Chris Brown, 24, has tested negative for drugs during his stay, and has been put on medication for his conditions.
Chris Brown voluntarily checked himself into rehab on October 29 after allegedly assaulting another man, Christopher Hollosy, in Washington D.C.
Chris Brown has completed 95 days of anger management therapy and was ordered Friday to stay in rehab for two more months.
