Justin Bieber has been asked to clean up graffiti left on a Gold Coast hotel wall in Australia.
Justin Bieber, 19, spray-painted cartoon faces on an external wall of a Gold Coast hotel earlier this week. The singer is currently touring Australia.
The hotel said it was pleased to have Justin Bieber’s artwork on their wall. However, Gold Coast City Council said it would order the graffiti’s removal.
Earlier this month, Justin Bieber was charged with defacing a building in Brazil.
Justin Bieber has been asked to clean up graffiti left on a Gold Coast hotel wall in Australia
The hotel, QT Gold Coast, said in a response to a comment on its Facebook page: “We are stoked to have Justin Bieber’s artwork on our wall.”
It added that it had given Justin Bieber permission to paint on the wall.
However, Gold Coast City Council said that while the graffiti was on a private property, it was in public view and an eyesore.
Earlier, Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tait described Justin Bieber’s behaviour as “really silly”.
“Just come and clean it up and we’ll be happy with you. Alternatively come and sing at our mayoral Christmas carols on 7 December for an hour and I’ll let you go.”
Thailand’s PM Yingluck Shinawatra has survived a no-confidence vote in parliament, amid major street protests in Bangkok.
The motion was brought by the opposition Democrat Party, but Yingluck Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai party dominate the chamber and voted it down.
Yingluck Shinawatra’s government is facing the biggest demonstrations to hit Thailand since the violence of 2010.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon has voiced concern over the tensions and urged restraint.
Protests began in Bangkok on Sunday. Since then, demonstrators calling on the government to step down have marched on ministries and government bodies in an attempt to shut them down.
The demonstrators, who are led by a former opposition party lawmaker, say Yingluck Shinawatra’s government is controlled by her brother – the ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra.
Yingluck Shinawatra has invoked special powers allowing curfews and road closures and police have also ordered the arrest of the protest leader – but so far no move has been made to detain him.
The protests have been largely peaceful and correspondents have described the mood of the rallies as friendly.
PM Yingluck Shinawatra has survived a no-confidence vote in parliament, amid major street protests in Bangkok
On Wednesday, hundreds of protesters surrounded Thailand’s top crime-fighting agency, forcing its evacuation.
Ban Ki-moon has urged all sides to “to exercise the utmost restraint, refrain from the use of violence and to show full respect for the rule of law and human rights”.
Yingluck Shinawatra won 297 votes, easily surviving the lower house censure motion, while 134 voted against her.
So far protesters have succeeded only in disrupting the business of government for a few days, and the authorities have been careful not to risk violence by confronting them.
Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted in a military coup in 2006 that left the country bitterly divided.
In 2010, thousands of “red-shirt” Thaksin Shinawatra supporters occupied key parts of the capital. More than 90 people, mostly civilian protesters, died over the course of the two-month sit-in.
Yingluck Shinawatra and the Pheu Thai Party were subsequently voted into office, and Thailand’s political landscape has remained largely stable since then.
The White House has announced another delay to its healthcare law, this time to online medical insurance for small businesses.
The marketplace website allowing employers to buy health coverage for their workers will be put off by one year until November 2014.
Ongoing problems with Healthcare.gov, beset by glitches since its October 1st launch, were blamed for the delay.
It is the latest setback for the law commonly known as ObamaCare.
Enrolment for small businesses was originally meant to start in October, until the administration delayed it by a month. On Wednesday it pushed that deadline back again, by a full year.
Administration officials told reporters in a conference call that employers who want to buy healthcare plans for their workers would need to go through an insurance company or agent, rather than through a government website.
Officials said this would allow employers to buy coverage while avoiding slowing down technical repairs on the federal website, which has been plagued by errors.
The White House has promised the website will be fixed by the end of November.
The marketplace website allowing employers to buy health coverage for their workers will be put off by one year until November 2014
Government health spokeswoman Julie Bataille said on Wednesday the portal was now handling 25,000 users at the same time.
She said it was on track to meet its goal of handling double that number by Saturday.
“We have a lot of work left to do in the next few days,” Julie Bataille added.
But she cautioned that some malfunctions may persist on the website beyond the end of this week.
“There will be times after November 30th when Healthcare.gov does not function properly,” said Julie Bataille.
Republicans, who have launched countless legal and political challenges to the law since its passage in 2010, seized on the latest postponement.
“With each passing day, it’s clear how much worse ObamaCare is than a website full of glitches,” Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus said in a statement.
The online portal was established under the health law to enable consumers who do not get medical cover through their employers or via government benefits to shop for coverage.
But technical problems – including slow page loads and outages – have resulted in much lower-than-anticipated initial enrolment rates.
Considered the largest overhaul of the US healthcare system since the 1960s, it aims to extend health insurance coverage to the estimated 15% of the US population who lack it.
Support for ObamaCare, whose official name is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, has recently wobbled even within the president’s own party.
Some congressional Democrats are said to be worried that the mounting negative headlines could hurt their 2014 re-election chances.
The cause of death of Street Outlaws’ Tyler “Flip” Priddy has never been made public, but reports suggest that he committed suicide.
Some reports claimed Flip died from self inflicted gunshot.
Tyler “Flip” Priddy passed away on May 28, 2013 at his home in Yukon, Oklahoma at the age of 31.
His family is reportedly not wanting the cause of his death to be released as of yet.
The cause of death of Street Outlaws’ Tyler “Flip” Priddy has never been made public
Tyler Gene Priddy was born November 30, 1981 in Chickasha, Oklahoma to Gene and Glenda (Long) Priddy.
He attended Hinton Elementary School and graduated from Putnam City High School in Warr Acres, Oklahoma. He worked for Warren Caterpillar for 10 years and was currently the parts warehouse manager.
Flip enjoyed drag racing. Starting with a Mustang, then an El Camino, he eventually turned his passion towards a reality TV show called Street Outlaws, where he beat out several others to be selected for the show. Anything he could get on and go fast he would because Tyler was a “Gear Head”. He loved racing RC cars and Jeepin’ with his boys.
Tyler Priddy loved his four boys and had nicknames for them all.
He is survived by his wife Morgan Amber Priddy of Yukon, his children Tovey Gene (Rito), Remey J (Flemerson), Dresdyn Rinot (Day Day) and Bennett William Edward (Baby B).
Mali’s former coup leader General Amadou Sanogo has been charged with “murders and assassinations”, the justice ministry has said.
Armed troops went to Amadou Sanogo’s home to take him before a judge, after which he was remanded in custody.
Amadou Sanogo had repeatedly been called in for questioning over the deaths of six soldiers during an army protest in September but failed to appear.
The March 2012 coup plunged Mali into chaos, allowing Islamist militants to take over territory in the north.
The al-Qaeda-linked insurgents were ousted from the major towns in the north with the help of France and West African troops earlier this year.
Amadou Sanogo was taken away in handcuffs from his home by about 25 armed soldiers for questioning
Amadou Sanogo, who was a middle-ranking officer when he led the coup, was taken away in handcuffs from his home by about 25 armed soldiers for questioning.
The justice ministry confirmed he had been charged with “murder and assassination and complicity in murder and assassination”.
The former junta leader was also charged with kidnapping, a judicial source told the AFP news agency.
Gen. Amadou Sanogo toppled President Amadou Amani Toure, accusing him of not doing enough to combat a Tuareg-led rebellion in the north.
As well as prompting the Islamist insurgency, the coup also caused a rift between pro-junta soldiers, known as green berets, and those loyal to the former president, known as red berets.
A collective of wives, widows and parents of 23 Malian red beret soldiers who disappeared in the month following the 2012 coup welcomed the news of General Amadou Sanogo ‘s detention.
Latvia’s Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis has resigned following the deadly collapse of Maxima supermarket in Riga.
Valdis Dombrovskis made the announcement at a meeting with President Andris Berzins.
“Considering the tragedy and all related circumstances… a new government is needed that has the clear support of parliament,” Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters.
At least 54 people died when the Maxima supermarket collapsed last Thursday.
President Andris Berzins earlier described the disaster as “murder” and called for foreign experts to investigate what had happened.
Valdis Dombrovskis met the president for an hour and a half on Wednesday, the Baltic news agency Delfi reports.
Latvia’s Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis has resigned following the deadly collapse of Maxima supermarket in Riga
President Andris Berzins was quoted by the agency as saying: “I call on all who look to the future to assess their responsibility and act accordingly.”
The prime minister’s spokesman told Agence France-Presse news agency that “the government takes political responsibility for the tragedy”.
Andris Berzins is now considering appointing a new government. Elections are not scheduled until October next year.
The collapse was the biggest loss of life since Latvia became independent from the USSR in 1991.
Police have opened a criminal investigation into the cause of the disaster.
Structural experts have suggested that the supermarket building itself may have been badly designed and so not able to support a garden that was being built on the roof.
After analyzing photos, videos and eyewitness reports, one structural engineer suggested there had been numerous design flaws in the roof’s supporting beams – including not enough bolts.
Substandard construction materials and corruption are other possible lines of inquiry.
Taking office in 2009, Valdis Dombrovskis was charged with making harsh budget cuts and tax increases as well as tough structural reforms to tackle the country’s economic crisis.
He was twice reappointed, and is widely credited with preventing the small Baltic country from going bankrupt.
Latvia is due to join the eurozone on January 1st, becoming the 18th EU state to adopt the single currency.
There was a “culture of secrecy” in Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson’s marriage, a London court has heard today.
The news emerged during legal argument in the case involving Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson’s personal assistants who are accused of fraud.
Sisters Francesca, 35, and Elisabetta Grillo, 41, deny spending more than £685,000 ($1.1 million) on Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson’s credit cards.
Isleworth Crown Court has already heard how Charles Saatchi accused Nigella Lawson of allowing their staff to spend to cover her use of drugs.
Anthony Metzer QC, representing the Italian sisters, told the court: “The defendants’ case is that Nigella Lawson lied to her ex-husband about her drug use and about the expenditure that was incurred by the defendants, both expressly and implicitly, because she was fearful of Mr. Saatchi’s reaction if he knew about the extent of the expenditure and drug use.
“There was a culture of secrecy within Nigella Lawson’s marriage.”
He added: “If Mr. Saatchi is telling the truth, then Ms Lawson is a habitual criminal.”
After the jury was sworn in, prosecutor Jane Carpenter opened the case, stating that the trial “relates to the high life lived by Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo.
“The sort of life you may often see portrayed in glossy magazines.
Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson broke up in the summer after pictures were published showing the millionaire art dealer holding his wife by the throat at the restaurant in Mayfair
“But we say that they did so not by their own endeavors but in a greedy and fraudulent free-for-all by abusing the trust of their employers in a four-year spending spree.”
She added: “The defendants both of whom were women of good character, employed by a wealthy family in a position of trust decided to abuse their [credit] cards.
“They travelled the world staying in top hotels and spent exorbitant sums of money on clothes and accessories.
“In total they spent in excess of £685,000. Francesca Grillo spent more than £580,000 and Elisabetta Grillo around £105,000.”
Earlier, the judge ruled the case against the Grillo sisters can go ahead, despite the defense lawyer arguing his clients would not get a fair trial.
Judge Robin Johnson said that “with the right rulings and the ability to monitor the process of the court during the process of the trial, a fair trial can be achieved”.
Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo, both of Bayswater, west London, deny fraudulently using company credit cards to buy luxuries, including designer clothes and first-class air travel, between 2008 and 2012.
Anthony Metzer said his clients would not be able to receive a fair trial “as there has been a manipulation of the court process by the two main prosecution witnesses in this case”.
He said: “It’s a convenient forum for Mr. Saatchi and Ms Lawson to rehearse disputed issues between them… in the criminal courts where, of course, the possibility of libel is not possible.”
Prosecution lawyer Jane Carpenter argued the case should not be thrown out as “nothing raised shows manipulation of court process” and “the timeline proves it”.
“This case therefore started long before any allegations of drug taking,” the prosecution lawyer added.
During the hearing, Anthony Metzer read out part of a statement from Charles Saatchi, which said: “It was only during the break-up that I became aware that she was taking drugs when we were married.
“I can’t remember precisely when but I think it was in June 2013, at the time of the well-publicized incident at Scott’s restaurant in Mayfair.
“It was subsequently confirmed to me by other people in and around the household.”
Charles Saatchi and Nigella Lawson broke up in the summer after pictures were published showing the millionaire art dealer holding his wife by the throat at the restaurant in Mayfair.
Bitcoin’s value has surpassed $1,000 for the first time, MTGox announces.
MTGox is one of the virtual currency’s major exchanges.
Bitcoin’s value has been rising rapidly since a US Senate committee hearing earlier this month.
Confidence grew after the committee described virtual currencies as a “legitimate financial service”.
Bitcoin’s value has surpassed $1,000 for the first time
Bitcoin has become popular in part due to it being difficult to trace transactions.
The currency is often linked to illegal activity online.
Customers using the Silk Road – a website selling illegal drugs that was shut down last month – would pay for goods using Bitcoin.
Many worried the crackdown would cause the value to plummet, but instead growing confidence that regulators will not imminently seek to ban the currency has seen its price soar.
Enthusiasts say it is a highly efficient way of handling global money transfers.
“For Bitcoin to go from zero to $1,000 in just five years has been amazing to watch,” said Mike Hearn, a Bitcoin developer.
“It’s easy to forget that Bitcoin’s true value is not in an arbitrary exchange rate, but in its ability to enable new applications and services which aren’t possible with today’s payment networks.”
Three people have died in an accident at Sao Paolo’s Itaquerao stadium that is due to host the opening ceremony of the 2014 World Cup football.
A senior local fire official said crews were called to the Arena Corinthians after reports of a collapsed crane.
It fell on top of a metal structure, destroying parts of a stand.
The arena was due to be completed at the end of December to meet a FIFA deadline. Brazil has admitted it is struggling to have all 12 venues ready.
TV footage showed the huge metal structure buckled on top of the stadium, which is also known as Itaquerao.
Three people have died in an accident at Sao Paolo’s Itaquerao stadium that is due to host the opening ceremony of the 2014 World Cup football
Part of the stand – believed to be in the southern sector – was damaged. A LED panel outside the venue was also hit.
Rescue teams are checking the site to see if there are more victims.
Corinthians, the club that will move into the new stadium, said in a short statement that it “deeply regrets the accident”.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter said he was “deeply saddened by the tragic deaths”.
Secretary General Jerome Valcke said: “Extremely shocked by the news from Sao Paulo. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims of this accident.”
The venue is being built by Brazil’s Odebrecht company, who recently said the arena was about 94% ready.
Six of Brazil’s stadiums – including Itaquerao – are not yet ready for the World Cup next summer.
The Italian Senate has voted to expel former PM Silvio Berlusconi from parliament with immediate effect over his conviction for tax fraud.
Silvio Berlusconi, who has dominated politics for 20 years, could now face arrest over other criminal cases as he has lost his immunity from prosecution.
Silvio Berlusconi could face arrest over other criminal cases as he has lost his immunity from prosecution
The 77-year-old told supporters in Rome it was a “day of mourning” for democracy.
Ahead of the vote, Silvio Berlusconi vowed to remain in politics to lead his Forza Italia in a “fight for the good of Italy”.
When the Porter Ridge gang and Dog Killer Ridge crew plan for their respective Christmas parties, a competition grows as to which ridge will have the more spectacular party.
Porter Ridge Christmas special will premiere on Tuesday, December 3
Porter Ridge Christmas special will premiere on Tuesday, December 3, at 10/9 C on Discovery Channel.
Porter Ridge is preparing for the Hilljack Games and Terry Porter was fighting with Bryan Sciscoe the latest episode of Discovery Channel’s show, Prank Wars.
In anticipation of the upcoming Hilljack Games, Bryan Sciscoe plays a prank on Terry Porter which quickly escalates into an all out prank war between the ridges.
Porter Ridge is preparing for the Hilljack Games
Following up the prank war, the Hilljack Games commence. Then, as the Hilljack Games approach, Terry Porter enlists the help of a trainer, while Bryan Sciscoe struggles to keep a DKR ringer from driving everyone nuts.
As you would expect, Terry Porter’s ideas of traditional training moves are, well, nontraditional -and his “burpees” skill did not impress his trainer very much.
Black Friday is the Olympics of shopping and is the right time to start loading up on all those presents that’ll make their way under the Christmas tree.
TARGET
-XBOX 360 Kinect Bundle for $190
-FISHER-PRICE Poppity-Pop Musical for $19
-LEGO City for $50
-BARBIE Glamour Jet (with 30+ accessories) for $35
-RAZOR Folding Kick Scooter for $19
TOYS “R” US
-DESPICABLE ME 2 Dancing Dave for $25
-SKYLANDERS SWAP Force Starter Pack for $37
-LEAPFROG LeapPad 2 Explorer for $40
WALMART
-DISNEY Infinity Starter Pack for $37
-HOT WHEELS Single Car for 60¢
-LITTLE TIKES Cozy Coup for $35
-MARVEL Iron Man 3 Sonic Blasting Iron Man for $24
-CONNECT 4 Board Game for $5
KOHL’S
-HELLO KITTY Camping Kit for $25
-ROCKIN’ RIDER Pony for $25
-MEGA BLOCKS First Builders Safari Set for 425
-JUMPING BEANS Tops for Infants and Newborns for $4
-60% off all SO Fashion Tops for Girls
SEARS
-YOUR CHOICE Cuddle Pillows for $15
-GLOW PETS Tie-Dye Unicorn for $30
-SLEEP AND SLIDE Princess Fairytale Loft Bed for $200
-NAKAMICHI NK KIDZ Headphones for $10
-60% off fleece for the family
KMART
Black Friday is the Olympics of shopping and is the right time to start loading up on all those presents that’ll make their way under the Christmas tree
-HASBRO Furby Boom Figure for $59
-DISNEY Sophia, The First Dress-Up Trunk for $22
-HOT WHEELS Car Maker for $45
-IMAGINEXT DC Super Friends Batcave for $33
-HADBRO Play-Doh Disney Princess Design-a-Dress Boutique for $15
LAND’S END
-T-100 Fleece Half-Zip for $12
-Snow Flurry Boots for $25
-Down Jackets for $25
BABIES “R” US
-All licensed t-shirts for $6
-All kids pillows for $12
-All character hide-away play tents for $10
-50% off all NFL blankets, huddlers and pillows
-All Babies “R” Us Sleepwear for $8
OLD NAVY
-50% off the entire store
BON-TON
-60% off Disney Boys’ 2T
-4T Navy 2-pc. Monsters Tricot Set
-60% off BONNIE JEAN Dresses
-RUFF HEWN Boys’ Jeans for $13
-GRANE Puffer Vests for $17
-CARTER’S Baby Microfleece for $11
AEROPOSTALE
-60% off the entire store
JCPENNY
-60% off Xersion Apparel
-ARIZONA Girl Sweaters for $12
-60% Babies’ and Toddlers’ Holiday Dresses
-30-40% off Boys Team Apparel
-50% off JOE FRESH Boy’s Apparel
GAME STOP
-WII U Deluxe Set for $300
-THE SIMS 3 Starter Pack for $20
-SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT Little Big Plant for $20
-NINTENDO 3DS with Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for $200
RADIOSHACK
-RC M.I. Archer Indoor Helicopter for $30
-RADIOSHACK Twin Turbine RC Plane for $25
-COBRA 2-Way Radio with Weather Alerts for $25
-ZIBITS Mini RC Robot for $7
-AUVIO Color Head Phones for $10
BEST BUY
-APPLE iPod Nano for $100
-Select DVDs for $2
-NINTENDO Wii U Console Deluxe Set with New Super Mario Bros. Game for $20
Balloons have only been grounded once in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’s 87-year history, when bad weather kept them from flying in 1971.
This year, a storm bearing down on the East Coast with a messy mix of snow, rain and wind is threatening to ground giant balloon versions of Snoopy and SpongeBob SquarePants in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The iconic characters that soar between the Manhattan skyscrapers every year may not lift off Thursday if sustained winds exceed 23 mph and gusts exceed 34 mph, according to city rules enacted after fierce winds in 1997 caused a Cat in the Hat balloon to topple a light pole and seriously injure a woman spectator.
Current forecasts call for sustained winds of 20 mph and gusts of 36 mph.
“At this time, it is too early to make any determinations on the flight of the giant balloons,” said Macy’s spokesman Orlando Veras.
Balloons have only been grounded once in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’s 87-year history
“On Thanksgiving morning, Macy’s works closely with the NYPD, who, based on real time weather data and the official regulations, determine if the balloons will fly and at what heights.”
Balloons are set to be inflated in Manhattan on Wednesday evening.
The parade was awash in animal-related protests over its floats, with controversies involving the unlikely pairing of rocker Joan Jett and Shamu the killer whale.
Activists planned to line the parade route to protest a SeaWorld float over accusations in a new documentary that the theme parks treat whales badly. And ranchers succeeded in getting Joan Jett pulled off the South Dakota tourism float after they questioned why the vegetarian and animal-rights ally was representing their beef-loving state.
SeaWorld says the accusations have “absolutely no basis” and that “the men and women who care for these animals at SeaWorld are dedicated in every respect to their health and well-being.”
Macy’s said the parade does not engage in social commentary or political debate.
Thai protesters have forced the evacuation of the government’s top crime-fighting agency, on the fourth day of street demonstrations in Bangkok.
The protesters, who want Yingluck Shinawatra’s government to step down, marched to a complex of government offices outside the city.
The anti-government protest leader said they wanted to shut down government ministries in a bid to cause disruption.
They accuse the government of being controlled by the prime minister’s brother, Thaksin Shinawatra.
The protests are being led by former opposition Democrat Party lawmaker Suthep Thaugsuban, for whom police have issued an arrest warrant.
They began on Sunday and so far have targeted the finance, foreign and interior ministries, among others.
Thai protesters have forced the evacuation of the government’s top crime-fighting agency, on the fourth day of street demonstrations in Bangkok
“Let the people go to every ministry that remains to make civil servants stop serving the Thaksin regime,” the Associated Press news agency quoted Suthep Thaugsuban as saying.
“Once you take over, civil servants can no longer serve the Thaksin regime. Brothers and sisters, go seize the city hall.”
Despite the arrest warrant, police made no attempt to detain him as he led protesters to government offices.
On Wednesday afternoon, hundreds of protesters surrounded the Department of Special Investigations (DSI), which is Thailand’s equivalent of the FBI.
The DSI is a particular target for the demonstrators – they accuse its chief of conducting partisan investigations against opponents of the government.
The DSI chief ordered his staff to leave as protesters surrounded the building, Reuters news agency said.
PM Yingluck Shinawatra – who on Monday invoked special powers allowing officials to impose curfews – said that the government would not use force against protesters.
“This is not the <<Thaksin regime>>, this is a democratically elected government,” Yingluck Shinawatra told media outside parliament.
Sony has filed a patent application for SmartWig, as tech companies jostle for the lead in the wearable technology sector.
The company says the SmartWig can be worn “in addition to natural hair”, and will be able to process data and communicate wirelessly with other external devices.
According to the filing, the SmartWig can help navigate roads and collect information such as blood pressure.
Google and Samsung are among the companies that have launched products in wearable technology – seen as a key growth area.
Sony said the wig could be made from horse hair, human hair, wool, feathers, yak hair, buffalo hair or any kind of synthetic material.
At the same time, the communication interface and sensors placed in the wig are at least partly covered by parts of the wig in order to be hidden from sight during use.
It said that as a result, the device has the potential to become “very popular” as it could be used as a “technically intelligent item and fashion item at the same time”.
Sony has filed a patent application for SmartWig
“The usage of a wig has several advantages that, compared to known wearable computing devices, include a significantly increased user comfort and an improved handling of the wearable computing device.”
Sony listed various potential uses of the SmartWig in its filing, including helping blind people navigate roads.
It said that a small video camera or a sensor on the wig could help to provide the position and the location of the wearer.
A remote user can then use the images provided and send vibration commands through the network and navigate the wig user manually to a desired destination.
“Although navigation systems based on vibration motors have been widely introduced, a navigation system integrated into a wig… is so far not known,” Sony said.
A further potential improvement of the wig may use ultrasound waves to detect objects around a user.
Sony said the gaming industry or “any type of virtual reality appliance” could also be an “interesting field” of use for the device, though it did not provide any details.
It could also have uses in the healthcare sector, as a combination of sensors can help collect information such as temperature, pulse and blood pressure of the wearer.
“The system can detect these kinds of data naturally and transmit them to the server computer,” it said.
SmartWig can also be used during presentations where a wearer can “move to the next presentation slide or back to the preceding presentation slide by simply raising his/her eyebrows”.
Angela Merkel’s CDU/CSU has agreed terms for a coalition with the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), German officials say.
The late-night deal follows talks by SPD leaders with Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and allied CSU.
Chancellor Angela Merkel could be sworn in for a third term in office next month if SPD members ratify the deal.
The CDU/CSU fell short of a majority in September polls, and traditional coalition partner the FDP won no seats.
The breakthrough came after 17 hours of tense negotiations.
The final coalition deal will now go to a ballot of SPD members to be signed off, with the result expected in mid-December.
Chancellor Angela Merkel could be sworn in for a third term in office next month if SPD members ratify the deal
The German chancellor is expected to present the agreement alongside CSU leader Horst Seehofer and the SPD’s Sigmar Gabriel on Wednesday morning, though cabinet posts may not be announced until after the SPD vote.
Parties reached settlements on issues including a lower retirement age and changes to dual citizenship rules.
The SPD won a key demand for a nationwide minimum wage. An hourly minimum of 8.50 euros ($11.55) will come into force in the country for the first time in 2015.
The parties also agreed that there would be no tax increases, a key demand of the CDU/CSU.
“The work is done. It has been very intense and sometimes very hard work today but I think we have a result that is good for our country which is the main measure, but we can also say the result has a strong Conservative imprint,” said Hermann Groehe, CDU secretary general.
“No new taxes and no new debts.”
The SPD previously formed a grand coalition with the CDU/CSU in 2005-2009.
This time around, the partnership faces the twin tasks of rebalancing the eurozone’s biggest economy and winning the support of the German public to tackle the eurozone’s debt and banking problems.
At the election on 22 September, the CDU took about 41.5% of the vote, the SPD won 26%, the Greens 8.4%, and the former communist Left Party 8.6%.
Former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi faces expulsion from parliament over his conviction for tax fraud.
The Senate will vote later on whether to expel the former prime minister.
Analysts say a large majority of senators is expected to back his expulsion.
The former PM has called for supporters to protest in Rome against what he says is a political vendetta.
The vote comes a day after Silvio Berlusconi withdrew his Forza Italia party from the coalition government.
Silvio Berlusconi, who has dominated politics for nearly two decades in Italy, had asked senators to delay the vote on his expulsion because he claims to have new evidence proving he did not commit tax fraud.
However, the vote is expected to go ahead on Wednesday evening.
Silvio Berlusconi faces expulsion from parliament over his conviction for tax fraud
Silvio Berlusconi, 77, threatened to topple the coalition government over the issue earlier this year but backed down during a confidence vote.
He old has dismissed the Senate, which is dominated by his political opponents, as biased against him.
Silvio Berlusconi was convicted of tax fraud in October 2012 over deals his firm Mediaset made to purchase TV rights to US films. The verdict was upheld in August.
Expulsion from parliament may lead to Silvio Berlusconi’s arrest over other criminal cases, as he would lose his immunity from prosecution.
He will have to serve a one-year sentence for his tax conviction, probably under house arrest or by doing community service because of his age.
Silvio Berlusconi has also been convicted of paying for s** with an underage prostitute and of a breach of confidentiality over a police wiretap. He is appealing against both convictions.
Both PM Enrico Letta’s centre-left Democratic Party (PD) and former comedian Beppe Grillo’s anti-establishment 5-Star Movement have said they will vote against Silvio Berlusconi.
Enrico Letta’s government survived a confidence vote on the 2014 budget on Tuesday with the help of a group of dissidents who broke away from Berlusconi’s party earlier this month.
Silvio Berlusconi had said earlier that his party would vote against the budget, and the Forza Italia leader in the lower house soon declared that the party was moving into opposition.
O.J. Simpson’s bid for a new trial has been rejected by a Las Vegas judge.
The judge’s decision on Tuesday means O.J. Simpson must remain in a Nevada state prison where he is serving 9 to 33 years for armed robbery and kidnapping in a bungled attempt to retrieve personal items from two sports memorabilia dealers in 2007.
O.J. Simpson’s bid for a new trial has been rejected
The former football star was sentenced to prison in 2008. He’ll be 70 years old before he is eligible for parole.
O. J. Simpson’s current defense attorneys argued that his previous lawyers handled his case so badly that he should get a new trial.
Clark County District Court Judge Linda Marie Bell considered 22 claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and attorney conflict of interest, but decided in her 101-page order that the standard required for a new trial wasn’t met.
The tiny Bay Psalm Book has become the world’s most expensive printed book as it was auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York for $14.2 million.
The Bay Psalm Book was printed in 1640 and is the first known book to be printed in what is now the US.
The book was published in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by the Puritan leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
It was meant to be a faithful translation into English of the original Hebrew psalms.
But it is not the most expensive book ever – that title goes to a handwritten Leonardo da Vinci notebook which sold for $30.8 million in 1994.
Sotheby’s said it had been bought by financier and philanthropist David Rubenstein, who planned to loan it to libraries across the country.
The Bay Psalm Book was printed in 1640 and is the first known book to be printed in what is now the US
The book was sold by Boston’s Old South Church, where Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was baptized and meetings that led to the Boston Tea Party were hosted.
It is one of 11 copies known to remain in existence out of about 1,700 copies originally printed.
The Old South Church has one other copy, which it says it has no plans to sell.
The other nine books are prized items in major collections or libraries.
The Reverend Nancy Taylor, senior minister of the church, said in April: “It’s a spectacular book, arguably one of the most important books in this nation’s history.”
A copy of the Bay Psalm Book set a record in 1947 when it sold for $151,000, dwarfing prices paid around the same time for a Gutenberg Bible and a Shakespeare First Folio.
The Bay Psalm Book has achieved its status despite criticism early on about its quality.
The inking of the type is uneven, and there are numerous printing mistakes.
The top of the left-hand page carries the word “psalm” and a number in Roman numerals, but on the right hand page it appears as “psalme”. Inverted commas are used in place of apostrophes.
Publisher and author Isaiah Thomas noted 200 years ago that it “abounds with typographical errors” and “does not exhibit the appearance of good workmanship. The compositor must have been wholly unacquainted with punctuation”.
The winter storm blamed for up to a dozen deaths is threatening to bring travel misery to the East Coast on the eve of the Thanksgiving Day.
The system, which dumped heavy rain and snow over the region on Tuesday, has already caused some flight delays.
Forecasters say more than 1 ft of snow could fall in western Pennsylvania, western New York and Vermont before Thursday.
More than 43 million Americans are expected to travel during the holiday.
The storm is also threatening to ground the giant balloons at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.
City regulations bar the inflatables from being used when sustained winds exceed 23 mph or when gusts top 34 mph.
The balloons of beloved characters such as Mickey Mouse and the Pillsbury Doughboy are due to be made ready on Wednesday evening.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued a winter weather warning, urging motorists to use extreme caution.
Meteorologists also predict the storm could bring 2-4 in of rain up the Atlantic coast from Richmond, Virginia, to Portland, Maine.
The deadly winter storm is threatening to bring travel misery to the East Coast on the eve of the Thanksgiving Day
“It couldn’t have come at a worse time,” said meteorologist Tim Morrin, of the National Weather Service.
“Visibility will be restricted not only by the rain and wash from other cars, but from the fog.”
Late on Tuesday, flight delays were reported in Charlotte, North Carolina; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Memphis, Tennessee; and Baltimore, Maryland.
Daniel Baker, of flight-tracking service FlightAware, said that most airlines expect to continue operating full schedules, although further delays were likely.
Some travelers were getting on earlier flights to avoid ending up stranded.
Lisa Jablon was originally due to fly on Wednesday morning from New York City to Syracuse, New York state, but she moved her flight to Tuesday night.
“I’m flying up to spend the holiday with my boyfriend’s family and I didn’t want to get stuck,” she told the Associated Press news agency.
The icy weather started in the western states and has caused at least 10 fatal road crashes.
Deaths from weather-related accidents were reported in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and California.
Thanksgiving Day celebrates the harvest and blessings of the past year.
It has been marked for hundreds of years, and is generally thought to commemorate a 1621 harvest feast the US Pilgrims shared with Indians after settling at Plymouth, in what is now Massachusetts.
The modern festival sees millions of people travel to be with family, eat turkey feasts, watch NFL football matches and – in recent years – plan or even begin their assault on the holiday sales.
Two US B-52 bombers flew over disputed islands in the East China Sea in defiance of new China’s air defense rules, officials say.
China set up its “air defense identification zone” on Saturday insisting that aircraft obey its rules or face “emergency defensive measures”.
A Pentagon spokesman said the planes had followed “normal procedures”.
The islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, are a source of rising tension between the two nations.
Japan has dismissed the Chinese defense zone as “not valid at all” and two of its biggest airlines announced on Tuesday they would heed a request from the government in Tokyo not to implement the new rules.
US Colonel Steve Warren at the Pentagon said Washington had “conducted operations in the area of the Senkakus”.
“We have continued to follow our normal procedures, which include not filing flight plans, not radioing ahead and not registering our frequencies,” he said.
Two US B-52 bombers flew over disputed islands in the East China Sea in defiance of new China’s air defense rules
There had been no response from China, he added.
The aircraft, which were unarmed, had taken off from Guam on Monday and the flight was part of a regular exercise in the area, US defense officials said. Both planes later returned to Guam.
The US – which has more than 70,000 troops in Japan and South Korea – had previously said it would not abide by the Chinese-imposed zone.
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel called it a “destabilizing attempt to alter the status quo in the region”. The White House said it was “unnecessarily inflammatory”.
Japan has already lodged a strong protest over what it said was an “escalation” by China.
Taiwan, which also claims the islands, expressed regret at the Chinese move and promised that its military would take measures to protect national security.
In its statement announcing the air defense zone on Saturday, the Chinese defense ministry said aircraft must report a flight plan, “maintain two-way radio communications”, and “respond in a timely and accurate manner” to identification inquiries.
“China’s armed forces will adopt defensive emergency measures to respond to aircraft that do not co-operate in the identification or refuse to follow the instructions,” the statement said.
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airlines said on Tuesday they would stop filing flight plans demanded by China on routes through the zone following a request from the Japanese government.
Singapore Airlines and Australia’s Qantas have both said they will abide by the new rules.
However, Australia summoned the Chinese ambassador on Tuesday to express opposition over the zone.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said “the timing and manner” of China’s announcement were “unhelpful in light of current regional tensions”.
Russia had urged Ukraine to delay signing a trade deal with the EU, Ukrainian PM Mykola Azarov has admitted, as mass protest rallies continue across the country.
Mykola Azarov said Moscow had offered to hold trilateral talks on the issue, without giving “any ultimatums”.
Kiev last week put on hold the association and free trade deal with the EU, prompting Brussels to accuse Moscow of exerting pressure on Ukraine.
The move triggered huge pro-EU protests in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied putting any pressure on Kiev, accusing instead the EU of “blackmailing” Ukraine into signing the agreement.
Speaking to reporters in Kiev on Tuesday, Mykola Azarov acknowledged that Russia had suggested “to delay signing the treaty and to conduct negotiations” between Kiev, Moscow and the EU.
He said Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych would still attend this week’s EU summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, to discuss the possible consultations with Brussels and Moscow.
Russia had urged Ukraine to delay signing a trade deal with the EU
It had been originally planned that Ukraine would sign the treaty with the EU at the 28-29 November summit.
Mykola Azarov said such three-way talks would be in the best interests of Ukraine: “We absolutely do not want to be a battlefield between the EU and Russia. We want to have good relations with both the EU and Russia.”
He also added that separate “road-map” talks with Russia aimed at reviving economic ties would start next month and no agreement had been finalized on possible new financial support from the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, President Putin said it was solely up to Ukraine whether to sign or not the agreement with the EU.
During a visit to Italy, Vladimir Putin also urged EU leaders to refrain from “sharp words” on the issue.
Ukraine’s government said last Thursday it was halting preparations for signing the deal with the EU, amid concerns this would have a negative impact on Kiev’s trade relations with Russia and cause mass job losses as a result.
Moscow had earlier warned it would be forced to defend its market by raising custom duties on Ukrainian goods.
In a statement on Monday, Viktor Yanukovych said he had been forced to halt treaty preparations by economic necessity and the desire to protect those “most vulnerable”.
Tens of thousands of protesters have been taking to the streets of Ukraine’s major cities since last week.
The FDA has imposed a ban on 23andMe, a company offering personal genetic screening to the general public.
23andMe has been ordered to “immediately discontinue” selling its saliva-collection tests after failing to provide information to back its marketing claims.
The tests aim to show how personal genetic codes may affect future health.
The company said it would address concerns.
The start-up has been operating since 2006 and was co-founded by Anne Wojcicki, the wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
For $99, users receive a kit allowing them to take sample of saliva. This is sent to the company and in return users receive a readout of their genetic code.
The website promises reports on 254 health conditions and traits as well as offering to help people trace their genealogy.
23andMe has been ordered to “immediately discontinue” selling its saliva-collection tests after failing to provide information to back its marketing claims
Under FDA rules, the company must provide proof about how accurate its detection methods are as well as supplying the error rates from its personal genome service (PGS).
In a public letter, the FDA said that 23andMe had not supplied this information, despite increasing its marketing campaign and the scope of its tests.
“FDA is concerned about the public health consequences of inaccurate results from the PGS device – the main purpose of compliance with FDA’s regulatory requirements is to ensure that the tests work,” said Alberto Gutierrez, director of the FDA’s centre for devices and radiological health, in a letter to the company.
“Patients relying on such tests may begin to self-manage their treatment through dose changes or even abandon certain therapies depending on the outcome of the assessment,” he added.
Despite hundreds of emails and 14 face-to-face meetings with 23andme, little evidence had been provided, the agency added.
The company said: “We recognize that we have not met the FDA’s expectations regarding timeline and communication regarding our submission.
“Our relationship with the FDA is extremely important to us and we are committed to fully engaging with them to address their concerns.”
The Center for Genetics and Society said it welcomed the FDA’s stance.
“Our society regulates medical products to protect public health. Without strong public oversight, we’re back to the era of snake oil,” said executive director Marcy Darnovsky.
“The public agency charged with protecting public health has finally lost patience with a private company that seems to think it doesn’t have to play by the rules,” she added.
There are an increasing number of companies offering low-cost home genetic testing – but some medical experts have raised questions about the accuracy of the tests, and asked what benefit they offer to consumers.
