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One Max: HTC fingerprint phablet unveiled earlier than planned

Nancy Clayson
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One Max: HTC fingerprint phablet unveiled earlier than planned

HTC One Max – its latest handset – has been announced a day earlier than planned after its details leaked on to the net.

The Android-powered One Max – which includes a fingerprint scanner and a 5.9 in screen – had been scheduled to be unveiled at a press conference in China on Tuesday.

The device is a larger “phablet-sized” version of its flagship model.

HTC’s original One was well-reviewed but has been outsold by Samsung’s Galaxy S4.

That helped cause HTC to post its first ever quarterly loss earlier this month.

The Taiwanese firm announced a deficit of just under 3 billion Taiwan dollars ($100 million) for its July-to-September quarter.

By contrast Samsung Electronics has forecast record profits for the same period.

HTC said it decided to abandon the restrictions it had placed on information about the One Max after a member of the media broke a Tuesday embargo placed on its specifications. A spokeswoman for the firm said she was unable to name the publication responsible.

The HTC One Max’s inclusion of a fingerprint scanner makes it the first and only Android handset to do so since the launch of Apple’s iPhone 5S in September, which included a similar component.

However, both were preceded by Motorola’s Atrix handset, released in 2011. It also included a scanner on its rear, but struggled to take accurate readings, leading the firm to ditch the feature in later models.

HTC One Max has been announced a day earlier than planned after its details leaked on to the net
HTC One Max has been announced a day earlier than planned after its details leaked on to the net

“The fingerprint scanner allows users to lock or unlock the screen and quickly launch up to three favorite applications by assigning an individual finger to each,” HTC said in a statement.

Apple’s software chief, Craig Federighi, recently told the Bloomberg news agency it had designed a “walled off” enclave on its custom-designed A7 processor to store iPhone owners’ fingerprint data to ensure the biometric information could not “escape”.

By contrast the new HTC handset uses an off-the-shelf Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor, but the firm offered the following assurance to consumers: “The fingerprint data is encrypted and stored in local memory and can’t be readily accessed or copied. The fingerprint data cannot be easily converted into any other form or used by a third party.”

However, one security expert suggested the firm still needed to provide more detail.

“The obvious question is: What kind of encryption is the company using?” said Alan Woodward, chief technology officer at the consultancy Charteris.

“The bottom line is that whenever your biometric data is being stored for security purposes it could potentially be misused.

“So, consumers will always want to be sure it is stored in such a way that if you lose the phone, it is hacked into or there’s some other kind of unauthorized access, that it can’t be readily obtained.”

The new mobile expands the HTC One family following the launch of a “mini” 4.3in-screened handset in July.

The original HTC One – which has a 4.7in screen – obtained a higher review score than Samsung’s rival S4 on The Verge and Techradar news sites and recently beat its competitor to be named T3 magazine’s gadget of the year.

However, HTC has repeatedly blamed marketing problems for its failure to match its South Korean rival’s sales.

In August HTC employed the Hollywood actor Robert Downey Jr. to head a new campaign, however its share price remains about 90% below its 2011 high.

“If you look at Samsung Electronics’ financials, in the June quarter it spent $2.1 billion on marketing – most of which went on mobile phones – that’s more than all HTC’s revenue for the same period by quite a margin,” said Benedict Evans, from the media and tech advisory firm Enders Analysis.

“HTC does have a marketing problem – but it’s not the creative part that’s the issue, it’s the scale.

“It’s also worth bearing in mind that when you talk about Samsung’s marketing spend over half of the sum is below the line: sales commissions mostly. And this isn’t just an HTC-specific problem – it’s a problem that applies to LG, Sony, Motorola and others as well.”

Samsung’s next earning figures are due to be released on October 25.

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Diamond rain may fill skies of Jupiter and Saturn

James J. Williams
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Diamond rain may fill skies of Jupiter and Saturn

According to US scientists, diamonds big enough to be worn by Hollywood film stars could be raining down on Saturn and Jupiter.

New atmospheric data for the gas giants indicates that carbon is abundant in its dazzling crystal form, they say.

Lightning storms turn methane into soot (carbon) which as it falls hardens into chunks of graphite and then diamond.

These diamond “hail stones” eventually melt into a liquid sea in the planets’ hot cores, they told a conference.

The biggest diamonds would likely be about a centimetre in diameter – “big enough to put on a ring, although of course they would be uncut,” says Dr. Kevin Baines, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Kevin Baines added they would be of a size that the late film actress Elizabeth Taylor would have been “proud to wear”.

“The bottom line is that 1,000 tonnes of diamonds a year are being created on Saturn.

“People ask me – how can you really tell? Because there’s no way you can go and observe it.

Diamonds big enough to be worn by Hollywood film stars could be raining down on Saturn and Jupiter
Diamonds big enough to be worn by Hollywood film stars could be raining down on Saturn and Jupiter

“It all boils down to the chemistry. And we think we’re pretty certain.”

Kevin Baines presented his unpublished findings at the annual meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society in Denver, Colorado, alongside his co-author Mona Delitsky, from California Speciality Engineering.

Uranus and Neptune have long been thought to harbor gemstones. But Saturn and Jupiter were not thought to have suitable atmospheres.

Kevin Baines and Mona Delitsky analyzed the latest temperature and pressure predictions for the planets’ interiors, as well as new data on how carbon behaves in different conditions.

They concluded that stable crystals of diamond will “hail down over a huge region” of Saturn in particular.

“It all begins in the upper atmosphere, in the thunderstorm alleys, where lightning turns methane into soot,” said Kevin Baines.

“As the soot falls, the pressure on it increases. And after about 1,000 miles it turns to graphite – the sheet-like form of carbon you find in pencils.”

By a depth of 6,000km, these chunks of falling graphite toughen into diamonds – strong and unreactive.

These continue to fall for another 30,000km – “about two-and-a-half Earth-spans” says Kevin Baines.

“Once you get down to those extreme depths, the pressure and temperature is so hellish, there’s no way the diamonds could remain solid.

“It’s very uncertain what happens to carbon down there.”

One possibility is that a “sea” of liquid carbon could form.

“Diamonds aren’t forever on Saturn and Jupiter. But they are on Uranus and Neptune, which are colder at their cores,” says Kevin Baines.

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Luxury Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst arrives in Vatican to explain his lavish spending

Diane A. Wade
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Luxury Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst arrives in Vatican to explain his lavish spending

German Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst has flown – reportedly with a budget airline – to the Vatican in Rome to discuss his lavish spending.

Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst – dubbed the “Luxury Bishop” – is facing calls for his resignation after spending 31 million euros ($42 million) on his residence.

He is also accused of lying about the over-spend on the property in Limburg.

In Rome, Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst will meet the head of the Catholic Church in Germany, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch. It is not clear if Pope Francis will intervene.

Since taking office in March, Pope Francis has urged the Church to promote a lifestyle of frugality and simplicity.

The allegations have stoked controversy among Catholics in Germany, where Martin Luther launched the Reformation in Europe five centuries ago in response to what he said were excesses and abuses within the Church.

Active German Catholics also pay a tax to the Church as part of their income tax, and many are shocked by the apparent financial waste – prompting some to stage demonstrations outside the bishop’s residence in Limburg, a town in Hesse near Frankfurt-on-Main.

Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, dubbed the "Luxury Bishop", is facing calls for his resignation after spending $42 million on his residence
Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, dubbed the “Luxury Bishop”, is facing calls for his resignation after spending $42 million on his residence

“The bishop has made it clear that any decision about his service as a bishop lies in the hands of the Holy Father [Pope Francis],” said a statement issued by the diocese on Saturday.

“The bishop is saddened by the escalation of the current discussion. He sees and regrets that many believers are suffering under the current situation,” it said.

Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, 53, is also accused of twice lying under oath about a flight he took to India on a trip to visit poor children.

He had filed a civil court claim against Der Spiegel magazine, which is based in Hamburg, for reporting that he had flown first-class on the trip.

After being forced to print a retraction, the magazine filed a legal complaint of its own. As evidence, it published mobile phone video (in German) of its interview with Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, in which he clearly stated that he had flown business class.

Asked by the German daily Bild about the high cost of his new residence, the bishop said: “I understand that the high cost of 31 million euros sounds frightening. Those who know me know that I don’t have a pompous lifestyle.”

Archbishop Robert Zollitsch said he had set up a commission to investigate the finances of Limburg diocese.

Robert Zollitsch said he would “speak to the Holy Father and the relevant people” about the issue in Rome.

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The Orange: World’s largest orange diamond could reach $20 million at Christie’s auction in Geneva

Sonia Pantiss
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The Orange: World’s largest orange diamond could reach $20 million at Christie’s auction in Geneva

The world’s largest orange diamond is expected to sell for up to $20 million when it is auctioned by Christie’s in Geneva, Switzerland.

A preview of the auction, which also will include an emerald necklace worn by Princess Pfizer of Egypt and a brooch owned by Eva Peron took place in New York last Friday.

The world’s largest orange diamond is expected to sell for up to $20 million
The world’s largest orange diamond is expected to sell for up to $20 million

“The orange diamond is rare primarily because of its size. At 50 carats it’s the largest vivid orange diamond in the world that’s ever come up for sale at auction,” said Christie’s representative Rahul Kadakia.

The Christie’s sale includes some of the rarest gems, and jewels from the impressive period.

Christie’s says the pear-shaped Orange diamond is expected to sell for up to $20 million when it is auctioned by Christie’s in Geneva, Switzerland on November 12.

Other items such as a Cartier emerald and diamond necklace are expected to sell for up to $10 million.

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Cyclone Phailin: 500,000 evacuees return home

Diane A. Wade
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Cyclone Phailin: 500,000 evacuees return home

More than 500,000 of people who were evacuated before Cyclone Phailin crashed into eastern India have begun returning to their homes.

However, many will remain in shelters as their homes and businesses were wrecked by the strongest cyclone in 14 years.

As the storm weakened a vast relief operation got under way in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh states, where officials say up to one million were displaced.

Mass evacuations managed to keep the death toll to a bare minimum.

Officials said 22 people were killed – all but one of the deaths were in Orissa.

The cyclone flattened many coastal homes, uprooted trees and blocked roads in the two states but the evacuation effort – described by officials as “the biggest in India’s history for such an event” – ensured the death toll remained low.

More than 500,000 of people who were evacuated before Cyclone Phailin crashed into eastern India have begun returning to their homes
More than 500,000 of people who were evacuated before Cyclone Phailin crashed into eastern India have begun returning to their homes

Correspondents say before Cyclone Phailin hit, the authorities moved – sometimes forcibly – nearly one million people into temporary shelters set up in schools and government buildings.

The move has earned the Indian authorities rare praise for their preparedness.

In 1999 a cyclone killed more than 10,000 people in Orissa.

The authorities have promised that power and road access would be restored in the state by Monday evening, except in the worst-hit Ganjam district.

The massive storm made landfall on Saturday evening, with winds of about 125mph.

It began weakening on Sunday as it made its way north-west.

But the intense storm has made more than half-a-million people homeless, state government officials said.

The storm tore down power and communication lines and knocked out road and rail links, making an assessment difficult.

An estimated 5,000 sq km of mostly paddy crops have been destroyed, causing a loss of some $320 million.

Meanwhile, 28 sailors, who went missing after their ship sank in the cyclone, have been rescued from the Bay of Bengal, a defense spokesman said.

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Navratri festival stampede death toll rises to 109 in Madhya Pradesh

Nancy Clayson
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Navratri festival stampede death toll rises to 109 in Madhya Pradesh

Navratri festival stampede death toll in Madhya Pradesh, India, has risen to 109, local officials have said.

Many were crushed after panic broke out on a bridge near Ratangarh temple. Others drowned when they jumped from the bridge into river water below.

Meanwhile, funeral pyres have been burning throughout the night with many of the victims already cremated.

Hundreds of thousands had gathered for the festival of Navratri (nine nights in Sanskrit).

Officials said the stampede may have been sparked by a rumor that the bridge was about to collapse.

Navratri festival stampede death toll in Madhya Pradesh has risen to 109
Navratri festival stampede death toll in Madhya Pradesh has risen to 109

“The latest information we have from the ground is that 109 people killed and 133 were injured,” news agency AFP quoted Anand Mishra, an officer in the local police control room in Datia district, as saying on Monday morning.

“We recovered the bodies from the river and from where they were crushed to death,” he added.

The accident happened at about 09:00 on Sunday. The victims were mostly women and children, officials said.

The narrow bridge is about 500 m long and had only recently been rebuilt following another stampede in 2007.

Local official Sanket Bhondve said the immediate priority was to provide relief to the injured.

Hindu festivals in India are notorious for deadly stampedes.

In the past year, dozens have died in three similar tragedies.

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Angelina Jolie $50 million tell-all book? Is she revealing how she stole Brad Pitt from Jennifer Aniston?

Lisa.Felice
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Angelina Jolie $50 million tell-all book? Is she revealing how she stole Brad Pitt from Jennifer Aniston?

Angelina Jolie is reportedly revealing the real truth about her life, from early days as a hard-partying rebellious teen to her current involvement in world peace, in a new tell-all book.

According to OK magazine, Angelina Jolie is finally ready to tell the real story of her life and now that she has found inner peace she feels like she actually can be open about her trysts, drug use, without censoring herself.

Angelina Jolie has taken a lot of heat for her relationship with Brad Pitt and has been blamed for years for his broken marriage to Jennifer Aniston
Angelina Jolie has taken a lot of heat for her relationship with Brad Pitt and has been blamed for years for his broken marriage to Jennifer Aniston

Angelina Jolie, 38, has taken a lot of heat for her relationship with Brad Pitt, 49, and has been blamed for years for his broken marriage to Jennifer Aniston, 44.

Angelina Jolie insists that she never would have gone there if she didn’t believe Brad Pitt when he told her that his marriage to Jennifer Aniston was completely over and just a legality at that point in time.

“This will be the ultimate showbiz autobiography that publishers estimate to be worth $50 million. She’s going to reveal the people she partied with, all the players, scumbags and supposedly straight actresses she made out with. She wants to rattle the skeletons in her closet before starting the next phase in her life as Mrs. Pitt!” the OK magazine reports.

Kris Jenner cheated on Bruce with Todd Waterman while she was alone in Mexico vacation

Lisa.Felice
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Kris Jenner cheated on Bruce with Todd Waterman while she was alone in Mexico vacation

Last month Kris Jenner openly cheated on Bruce Jenner with her former flame Todd Waterman while she was alone in Mexico vacation, friends close to the family revealed.

According to Star magazine after weeks of using Bruce Jenner as her verbal punching bag, Kris turned up at Joe Francis’ house and in between mingling with younger men.

Kris Jenner openly cheated on Bruce Jenner with her former flame Todd Waterman while she was alone in Mexico vacation
Kris Jenner openly cheated on Bruce Jenner with her former flame Todd Waterman while she was alone in Mexico vacation

It was also reported that Kris Jenner decided to start drunk texting Todd Waterman, the guy who helped to bust up her marriage to Robert Kardashian.

For some reason Kris Jenner just can’t seem to stay away from Todd Waterman in spite of promising husband Bruce that she would.

According to sources, Kris Jenner likely returned to a world of trouble for ditching out on her husband who was smack in the middle of a cancer scare.

The Kardashian matriarch also had to contend with Bruce Jenner’s anger over her partying and reconnecting with Todd Waterman.

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China: Food prices fuel inflation in September 2013

Clyde K. Valle
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China: Food prices fuel inflation in September 2013

China’s consumer prices rose more than forecast in September 2013, fuelled mainly by a surge in food prices.

Prices rose 3.1% during September, from a year earlier, up from 2.6% in August, the National Bureau of Statistics said.

The bureau said that food prices rose 6.1% from a year ago due to the impact of national holidays, as well as droughts and floods in some regions.

Some analysts said that rising prices had reduced the chance of any major monetary policy moves by Beijing.

“The rise of consumer price index (CPI) inflation leaves little room for policy easing,” said Zhiwei Zhang, an economist with Nomura.

He added that prices were likely to rise further and that there was a risk the rate of inflation could even be above the government’s 3.5% target for some months in 2014.

China’s consumer prices rose more than forecast in September 2013, fuelled mainly by a surge in food prices
China’s consumer prices rose more than forecast in September 2013, fuelled mainly by a surge in food prices

China, the world’s second-largest economy, has been trying to recover from a recent slump which has seen its growth rate slow for two quarters in a row.

Its economy expanded by 7.5% in the April-to-June quarter from a year earlier – down from a growth rate of 7.7% in the previous three months.

There have been concerns that its growth rate may slow further in the coming months, not least because of a slowdown in demand for Chinese exports from key markets such as the US and Europe.

While there have been some indications in recent weeks that its growth may be on the mend, data released over the weekend triggered concerns over whether the recovery was sustainable.

China’s exports, a key driver of its growth, fell 0.3% in September from a year earlier, indicating that external demand continues to remain fragile.

Zhou Hao, an economist with ANZ in Shanghai, said the weak export numbers show that “the economy faces some downward pressures”.

Meanwhile, imports rose a more-than-forecast 7.4% from a year ago.

Non-Muslims cannot use word “Allah” to refer to God, Malaysian court rules

Diane A. Wade
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Non-Muslims cannot use word “Allah” to refer to God, Malaysian court rules

Non-Muslims cannot use the word “Allah” to refer to God, a Malaysian court has ruled overturning a 2009 lower court ruling.

The appeals court said that allowing non-Muslims to use the word would “cause confusion in the community”.

Christians argue that they have used the word in Malay for decades and that the ruling violates their rights.

The 2009 ruling sparked religious tensions and led to churches and mosques being attacked.

It came after the government said that a Catholic newspaper, The Herald, could not use the word in its Malay-language edition to describe the Christian God.

The newspaper sued, and a court ruled in their favor in December 2009. The government then launched an appeal.

Chief Judge Mohamed Apandi Ali said on Monday: “The usage of the word Allah is not an integral part of the faith in Christianity.”

“The usage of the word will cause confusion in the community,” he added.

A Malaysian court has ruled that non-Muslims cannot use the word Allah to refer to God
A Malaysian court has ruled that non-Muslims cannot use the word Allah to refer to God

The Herald editor Reverend Lawrence Andrew said he was “disappointed and dismayed”, and would appeal against the decision.

“It is a retrograde step in the development of law in relation to the fundamental liberty of religious minorities,” he said.

The newspaper’s supporters have argued that Malay-language Bibles have used “Allah” to refer to the Christian God since before Malaysia was formed as a federal state in 1963.

“Allah is a term in the Middle East and in Indonesia it is a term both for Christians and Muslims. You cannot say that in all of the sudden it is not an integral part. Malay language is a language that has many borrowed words, Allah also is a borrowed word.”

However, some Muslim groups have said that the Christian use of the word “Allah” could be used to encourage Muslims to convert to Christianity.

“Allah is not a Malay word. If they [non-Muslims] say they want to use a Malay word they should use Tuhan instead of Allah,” said Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar, a lawyer representing the government.

Dozens of churches and a few Muslim prayer halls were attacked and burned in the wake of the 2009 ruling, highlighting the intensity of feeling about issues of ethnicity and faith in Malaysia.

Some Malaysians believe the governing Malay-Muslim party is using the case to boost its Islamic credentials among voters.

Malay Muslims make up almost two-thirds of the country’s population, but there are large Hindu and Christian communities.

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Oscar Hijuelos dies of heart attack at 62

Sonia Pantiss
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Oscar Hijuelos dies of heart attack at 62

Author Oscar Hijuelos, the first Latino writer to win the Pulitzer Prize, has died aged 62.

Oscar Hijuelos’s agent, Jennifer Lyons, said he had died of a heart attack in New York City while playing tennis.

The Cuban-American writer won the Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for his second novel, The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love, which was later adapted as a Hollywood film.

Like many of his novels, it focused on the lives of immigrants and their quest for the American dream.

Oscar Hijuelos was born in New York City in 1951 to Cuban immigrant parents.

Oscar Hijuelos was the first Latino writer to win the Pulitzer Prize
Oscar Hijuelos was the first Latino writer to win the Pulitzer Prize

He enrolled in local community colleges before studying creative writing under tutors included Susan Sontag, Donald Barthelme and Frederic Tuten.

Oscar Hijuelos was also exposed to Cuban and Latin American writers including Jose Lezama Lima, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Carlos Fuentes, whose work inspired him.

He published his first novel, Our House in the Last World, in 1983.

In his 2011 memoir, Thoughts Without Cigarettes, Oscar Hijuelos said he had struggled against being labeled an “ethnic” writer.

The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love tells the story of two Cuban brothers who travel from Havana to New York to start an orchestra.

In 1992 the book was turned into a film starring Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas.

Oscar Hijuelos is survived by his wife, Lori Marie Carlson.

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Josh Marks autopsy rules his death as suicide

Lisa.Felice
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Josh Marks autopsy rules his death as suicide

MasterChef finalist Josh Marks was found fatally shot Friday night in a suicide, authorities said.

Police responded to a call of a body found at 6:45 p.m. Friday in the 9700 block of South Peoria Street in the city’s Longwood Manor neighborhood and found Marks lying face up on the ground, unresponsive and bleeding from the head. Fire department personnel were already there.

MasterChef finalist Josh Marks was found fatally shot Friday night in a suicide
MasterChef finalist Josh Marks was found fatally shot Friday night in a suicide

Josh Marks, 26, was pronounced dead at 6:37 p.m. on the scene, according to a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

An autopsy conducted today ruled his death a suicide.

Josh Marks suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head and a revolver was found near his body.

Police said an acquaintance and two relatives of the victim were on the scene and one of the relatives told police that Josh Marks suffered from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and he was distraught about something, police said.

Jay-Z travels to O2 Arena concert by taking London underground

Sonia Pantiss
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Jay-Z travels to O2 Arena concert by taking London underground

Jay-Z has surprised fans by travelling to his concert at London’s O2 Arena on the Tube.

The rapper was joined on his journey by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and Timbaland, who is supporting him on his Magna Carta world tour.

Chris Martin, who is good friends with Jay-Z, later joined him on stage.

Fan Jamie Robb tweeted a photo after meeting the rapper.

“What a riot… Just met Jay-Z on the tube in London,” he said.

He also revealed they had an entourage of around 10 people with them.

Jay-Z has surprised fans by travelling to his concert at London's O2 Arena on the Tube
Jay-Z has surprised fans by travelling to his concert at London’s O2 Arena on the Tube

Another fan, Fu Choi, tweeted he was “too starstruck” to take a photo and said the rapper was mobbed by fans when he arrived at the arena.

And a third passenger, Elias, tweeted how the rapper surprised him on the escalator.

“Coming off the tube and I see Jay-Z casually walking up the next escalator next to me… EVERYONE GOES NUTS!!”

Last year Jay-Z took the subway to one of his concerts in Brooklyn, New York.

Rihanna has also used the Tube a number of times to get to concerts at the 02.

Jay-Z is playing four nights at the arena before his tour heads to mainland Europe.

Magna Carta Holy Grail is Jay-Z’s 12th studio album and became his first number one album in the UK.

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Charlie Hunnam pulls out of Fifty Shades of Grey film adaptation

Sonia Pantiss
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Charlie Hunnam pulls out of Fifty Shades of Grey film adaptation

Charlie Hunnam has pulled out of the film adaptation of bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey.

It was announced in September that Charlie Hunnam would play billionaire Christian Grey.

Universal Pictures said that his departure was a mutual decision due to a scheduling problem with Charlie Hunnam’s TV commitments.

Fifty Shades of Grey‘s author E.L. James tweeted her best wishes to the actor.

Charlie Hunnam has pulled out of the film adaptation of bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey
Charlie Hunnam has pulled out of the film adaptation of bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey

Artist and film-maker Sam Taylor-Johnson will direct the movie version of E.L. James’ novel, scheduled for release in August 2014.

Published in 2011, Fifty Shades of Grey follows the relationship between billionaire Christian Grey and college student Anastasia Steele.

Dakota Johnson will play Anastasia Steele and Jennifer Ehle has been cast as her mother.

The novel and its two sequels, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, have become a literary phenomenon that earned E.L. James, 50, a reported $95 million last year.

There had been intense speculation over who would win the coveted lead roles in the film adaptation.

Since winning the role there have been reports that Charlie Hunnam had been overwhelmed by the attention and had got cold feet.

However, the statement from Universal Pictures said Charlie Hunnam’s departure was due to “Hunnam’s immersive TV schedule which is not allowing him time to adequately prepare for the role of Christian Grey.”

Matt Bomer, Cilian Murphy, Ian Somerhalder and Alexander Skarsgard are among the actors being tipped as Charlie Hunnam’s replacement.

Twin Stars restaurant in Moscow only hires sets of twins

Nancy Clayson
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Twin Stars restaurant in Moscow only hires sets of twins

Alexey Khodorkovsky, a restaurant owner in Moscow, has decided to only hire sets of twins in a bid to attract new customers.

The Twin Stars diner employs identically-dressed siblings to serve its hungry clients with food and drink – taking inspiration from an old Soviet-era movie.

The 24-hour bar is run, from the management all the way to the cooks, only by identical twins.

The Twin Stars diner employs identically-dressed siblings to serve its hungry clients with food and drink
The Twin Stars diner employs identically-dressed siblings to serve its hungry clients with food and drink

Alexey Khodorkovsky says that he aimed to create a fairy tale atmosphere and to provide an exclusive bar for these fraternal couples.

He said: “I had some friends that are twins and I thought that there are no places for twins, where twins could be the main feature of the business. And I wanted to do something <<circus>>, something more of entertainment plus food.”

Alexey Khodorkovsky assures that it was not an easy job to find qualified twins: “Of course, it wasn’t easy to bring twins as employees, we had to relocate some people from Ukraine, for example. And of course twins that are experienced bar tenders, waiters and so on, we couldn’t find them, so we had to first find twins and then teach them to work as bar tenders and waiters. But it’s coming out alright.”

Hollywood stars pictures displayed with their fake twin decorate the walls of the restaurant, which every Sunday hosts a twin party day.

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Madhya Pradesh stampede kills 89 pilgrims in India

Nancy Clayson
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Madhya Pradesh stampede kills 89 pilgrims in India

At least 89 Indian pilgrims, mostly women and children, have been killed in a stampede at a Hindu festival in Madhya Pradesh state, local officials have said.

Many were crushed after panic broke out on a bridge near the Ratangarh temple in Madhya Pradesh state. Others died when they jumped from the bridge.

Officials said the stampede may have been sparked by a rumor that the bridge was about to collapse.

Hundreds of thousands had gathered near the town of Datia for the festival.

The narrow bridge is about 500 m long, and had only recently been rebuilt following another stampede in 2007.

At least 89 Indian pilgrims have been killed in a stampede at a Hindu festival in Madhya Pradesh state
At least 89 Indian pilgrims have been killed in a stampede at a Hindu festival in Madhya Pradesh state

Madhya Pradesh health minister Narottam Mishra said 89 people were confirmed to have died.

“The cause of the stampede is a matter of judicial inquiry. Information from locals suggests that rumors of the bridge giving way could have led to the stampede,” he said.

Other reports suggested that police sparked panic by using batons to control the crowd.

Officials said the dead included 42 women, 30 children and 17 men.

Emergency crews and specialist divers were still searching the river for bodies.

Local official Sanket Bhondve said the immediate priority was to provide relief to those injured.

The accident happened at about 09:00, but information was slow to emerge because the temple is in a remote area with erratic mobile-phone coverage.

Hindu festivals in India are notorious for deadly stampedes.

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Syria: Red Cross workers abducted by gunmen in Idlib province

Roy Siemens
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Syria: Red Cross workers abducted by gunmen in Idlib province

Gunmen have abducted six of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers and one Red Crescent volunteer in north-west Syria.

The aid agency has had no contact with the gunmen, an ICRC spokesman says.

Earlier, Syrian state media said gunmen had opened fire on Red Cross staff travelling on the road between Sirmin and Saraqeb in Idlib province.

The ICRC says it has been struggling to gain access across Syria to provide aid to injured and displaced people.

“I am able to confirm that six ICRC staff members and one Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteer have been abducted near Idlib in north-western Syria,” ICRC spokesman Ewan Watson told Reuters.

Gunmen have abducted six of the ICRC workers and one Red Crescent volunteer in north-west Syria
Gunmen have abducted six of the ICRC workers and one Red Crescent volunteer in north-west Syria

“We are calling for their immediate and unconditional release of this team which was delivering humanitarian assistance to those most in need – and we do that on both sides of the frontlines,” he said.

Ewan Watson declined to reveal the identity, gender or nationality of the abducted workers but they are believed to include both local and international staff, who are mainly medical specialists.

Syrian state news agency Sana earlier quoted an unnamed official as saying the workers were abducted and taken to an unknown location after gunmen blocked their path and shot at their convoy.

Ewan Watson was unable to confirm whether or not shots had been fired, but he said the team’s vehicles were also missing.

An ICRC statement said the vehicles they were travelling in had been clearly marked with the Red Cross emblem, “which is not a religious symbol”.

Another ICRC spokesman, Simon Schorno, told Associated Press the attack took place at around 11:30 on Sunday as the team was returning to Damascus.

Simon Schorno said the team had been in the field since October 10 to assess the medical situation and deliver aid in what he described as “a difficult area to go in”.

It is not yet clear who carried out the kidnapping, but Syrian state TV blamed it on what it called “armed terrorists” – a term it frequently uses to describe anti-government rebels.

On Saturday, the Syrian government began the evacuation of around 1,500 civilians, mainly women and children, from a rebel-held Damascus suburb besieged by the army for months.

Many of those coming out of Muadhamiya, south-west of Damascus, were said to be exhausted and traumatized.

US debt crisis: World Bank urges US policymakers to reach debt ceiling deal before deadline

Clyde K. Valle
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US debt crisis: World Bank urges US policymakers to reach debt ceiling deal before deadline

World Bank’s President Jim Yong Kim has warned that the US is just “days away from a very dangerous moment” because of the government’s borrowing crisis.

Jim Yong Kim urged US policymakers to reach a deal to raise the government’s debt ceiling before Thursday’s deadline.

The US Treasury will start to run short of funds if no agreement is reached for it to borrow on financial markets.

Jim Yong Kim urged US policymakers to reach a deal to raise the government's debt ceiling before Thursday's deadline
Jim Yong Kim urged US policymakers to reach a deal to raise the government’s debt ceiling before Thursday’s deadline

Jim Yong Kim warned this could be a “disastrous event” for the world.

“The closer we get to the deadline the greater the impact will be for the developing world.

“Inaction could result in interest rates rising, confidence falling and growth slowing,” he said speaking at the World Bank’s annual meeting in Washington.

“If this comes to pass it could be a disastrous event for the developing world and that will in turn greatly hurt the developed economies as well,” Jim Yong Kim added.

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Miley Cyrus accused of anti-Semitic comments made during Hunger TV interview

Lisa.Felice
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Miley Cyrus accused of anti-Semitic comments made during Hunger TV interview

Miley Cyrus has caused fresh controversy by reportedly suggesting that music industry executives are too old and Jewish to understand her career.

Miley Cyrus, 20, told Hunger TV: ”With magazines, with movies, it’s always weird when things are targeted for young people yet they’re driven by people that are like 40 years too old. It can’t be like this 70-year-old Jewish man that doesn’t leave his desk all day, telling me what the clubs want to hear.

”I’m going out, I know what they want to hear. I know when you’re in a club, what makes everyone go crazy and when the time is where everyone’s like <<alright I’m going to get a drink>>. I know when people walk off the dance floor and I know what’s driving it so I’ve got to be the one doing it because they’re just not in on what 20 year olds are doing.”

Miley Cyrus has caused fresh controversy by suggesting that music industry executives are too old and Jewish to understand her career
Miley Cyrus has caused fresh controversy by suggesting that music industry executives are too old and Jewish to understand her career

Miley Cyrus, who was first called out for the comments by Tabletmag.com, hinted that her record label and management were hesitant when she first suggested the concept for her We Can’t Stop music video.

The singer said: ”At first, on paper, that video sounded insane. No one understood it, and I’m just like, <<Let me film it and then, if it doesn’t work out, you never have to trust me again – but if it works out you have to let me drive this ship>>.”

She added: ”At the end of the day, I want people to buy my records. The more that they’re wondering what the hell is she doing, the more they’re going to want to listen to my record.”

Miley Cyrus insisted that she didn’t expect people to be shocked about her Wrecking Ball video, in which she appears without clothes.

She said: ”I’m surprised people are still shocked, I’m glad that tactic is still working because I expected people at some point just to not be shocked.”

Amanda Knox trial: Meredith Kercher’s DNA not found on supposed murder weapon

Nancy Clayson
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Amanda Knox trial: Meredith Kercher’s DNA not found on supposed murder weapon

Police experts in Italy found Amanda Knox’s DNA, not the victim’s, on the alleged murder weapon–a butcher knife she supposedly used to kill British roommate Meredith Kercher to death in 2007.

Perugia police took the knife from the kitchen of Raffaele Sollecito, Amanda Knox’s then boyfriend, and she’d cooked with it. Thus her DNA is not incriminating–unless the knife shows traces of the victim, in blood. The fact that Amanda Knox’s DNA showed up, not Meredith Kercher’s, increases her acquittal odds in this third murder trial, set to end November 26 in Florence, Italy.

Independent experts did not find Meredith Kercher’s DNA on the kitchen knife in the last trial either
Independent experts did not find Meredith Kercher’s DNA on the kitchen knife in the last trial either

Independent experts did not find Meredith Kercher’s DNA on the kitchen knife in the last trial either.

Conti & Vecchiotti savaged the police lab analysis: “Taking into account that none of the recommendations of the international scientific community relative to the treatment of Low Copy Number (LCN) samples were followed, we do not accept the conclusions regarding the certain attribution of the profile found on trace B (blade of knife) to the victim Meredith Susanna Cara Kercher, since the genetic profile, as obtained, appears unreliable insofar as it is not supported by scientifically validated analysis.”

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Kris Jenner regrets divorcing Robert Kardashian

Lisa.Felice
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Kris Jenner regrets divorcing Robert Kardashian

According to new reports, Kris Jenner revealed she regrets divorcing her first husband Robert Kardashian.

The late O.J. Simpson defense lawyer was the father to Kris Jenner’s children, Kourtney, Kim, Khloé and Rob Kardashian Jr.

Kris Jenner’s revelation comes just a few days after the announcement that she and second husband Bruce Jenner were living separately after 22 years of marriage and were much “happier” having separate homes.

“The one regret, if I had to do it over, would be divorcing Robert Kardashian,” Kris Jenner, 57, said in the latest issue of New You magazine.

Kris Jenner revealed she regrets divorcing her first husband Robert Kardashian
Kris Jenner revealed she regrets divorcing her first husband Robert Kardashian

“But then there wouldn’t have been Kendall and Kylie, so that’s the way I look at it.”

The so-called momager married Roberts Kardashian in 1978 and later finalized her divorce from him in 1991,  the same year she married Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner with whom she has two daughters, Kendall, 17, and Kylie, 16.

Robert Kardashian died in September 2003 after a battle with esophageal cancer.

“Everything happens for a reason, and we learn from our mistakes,” Kris Jenner said.

“I thought I was so smart when I was young; I was fearless.”

Kris Jenner added that love is “non-negotiable” in her life.

“Love. Love is everything,” she said.

“We go in and out of love in our lifetime. I don’t like change… even though I love change. I love really hard, and when someone is in my life they are in my life forever,” Kris Jenner said.

Josh Marks found dead of a gunshot to his head

Lisa.Felice
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Josh Marks found dead of a gunshot to his head

Josh Marks was found dead of a gunshot to his head in an alley on Chicago’s south side Friday night, police said Saturday.

Investigators have not yet ruled whether MasterChef finalist Josh Marks, who has publicly acknowledged suffering from bipolar disorder, committed suicide, Chicago Police spokesman John Mirabelli told CNN.

Joshua Marks, 26, lost to winner Christine Ha in the final round of the Fox reality cooking competition’s third season.

His death comes three months after he was arrested following a scuffle with several Chicago police officers, according to the Chicago Tribune. Josh Marks told police he had been possessed by MasterChef judge Gordon Ramsay, who turned him into God, the newspaper reported.

Josh Marks was found dead of a gunshot to his head in an alley on Chicago's south side Friday night
Josh Marks was found dead of a gunshot to his head in an alley on Chicago’s south side Friday night

Gordon Ramsay posted a message on his Twitter account Saturday reacting to Josh Marks’ death: “Just heard the devastating news about Josh Marks. My thoughts are with his family & friends at this tragic time.”

Josh Marks – who at 7-foot-2 was known by friends as “a gentle giant” – spoke about his mental illness in a public service video he recorded for the Make a Sound Project, a suicide awareness program.

The project promotes “how to use music as an alternative to the crazy thoughts you may have going in your mind,” Josh Marks said in the video.

“Me personally, I have bipolar disorder, so, you know, I’ll get a little anxious sometimes, and how I cool out is, I listen to music and just listen to the words and just relax and, you know, find my melody. I wish we had some music going on in here right now.”

But after Josh Marks was arrested, project founder Mike Castaneda told a reporter he was removing Marks from the venture, but on Saturday, Castaneda described his comment as “a poor statement.”

Detectives are talking to witnesses and examining security camera video from near where Josh Marks’ body was found, John Mirabelli said.

A determination of suicide would not be made until an autopsy is completed this weekend, he said.

Venice flood barriers successfully tested

Nancy Clayson
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Venice flood barriers successfully tested

Venice flood barriers – designed to protect the Italian city from flooding during high tides – have been successfully tested for the first time.

Four large floodgates rose out of the water creating a temporary sea barrier.

Once completed, 78 mobile flood barriers will be raised from the seabed to shut off the lagoon in the event of rising sea levels and winter storms.

Venice suffers flooding on a yearly basis. In 1966, 80% of the city was flooded by high tides.

Construction on the barriers began 10 years ago but has been hampered by delays in funding due to Italy’s economic crisis.

Four large floodgates rose out of the water creating a temporary sea barrier
Four large floodgates rose out of the water creating a temporary sea barrier

The Moses project has already cost more than $7 billion and is not expected to be completed for another two years.

Once finished, the floodgates will extend more than a mile, blocking the three inlets to the lagoon.

A government minister has promised funds to complete the scheme on time in 2016.

But the head of the construction consortium said they would need $800 million immediately, otherwise the jobs of some 4,000 construction workers would be at risk.

In 1966, some 5,000 people were left homeless when flood levels in the city reached 6ft causing immense damage.

Earlier this week, Venice saw its first high tide of the season, known as “acqua alta”.

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Madeleine McCann case: Timeline and “accepted version of events” significantly changed

Nancy Clayson
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Madeleine McCann case: Timeline and “accepted version of events” significantly changed

According to British police, the timeline and “accepted version of events” surrounding Madeleine McCann’s disappearance have significantly changed.

The Metropolitan Police said a BBC Crimewatch appeal to be aired on Monday would feature “the most detailed reconstruction” of the case yet.

It will also broadcast e-fits of a number of men police want to find.

Madeleine McCann, of Rothley, Leicestershire, was 3-year-old when she went missing in Portugal in May 2007.

She disappeared from her family’s holiday flat in the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz, as her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, dined out with friends at a nearby restaurant.

Portuguese authorities dropped their investigation into the case in 2008, but Scotland Yard started a review in May 2011.

The purpose of the Crimewatch appeal, which police are describing as the “most complex and detailed” so far in the case, is to try to identify a number of computer-generated images, or e-fits, of men who were sighted in and around Praia da Luz on or before Thursday, May 3, 2007.

As part of that effort, a reconstruction – almost 25 minutes long – of events leading up to and surrounding Madeleine’s disappearance will be shown.

Madeleine McCann, of Rothley, Leicestershire, was 3-year-old when she went missing in Portugal in May 2007
Madeleine McCann, of Rothley, Leicestershire, was 3-year-old when she went missing in Portugal in May 2007

A short clip released in advance by police shows an actress playing Madeleine McCann running across a tennis court as two adults, apparently her parents, play a game.

During the search for their daughter, the McCann family released a photograph of Madeleine, believed to be one of the last taken of her during the holiday, holding several tennis balls.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is heading the investigation, said: “The timeline we have now established has given new significance to sightings and movements of people in and around Praia da Luz at the time of Madeleine’s disappearance.

“Our work to date has significantly changed the timeline and the accepted version of events that has been in the public domain to date.

“It has allowed us to work with Crimewatch to build the most detailed reconstruction as yet, and highlight very specific appeal points.

“I hope that when the public see our investigative strands drawn together within the overall context of that appeal, it will bring in new information that moves our investigation forward.”

Andy Redwood said that police had sought to “try and draw everything back to zero… take everything back to the beginning and then reanalyze and reassess everything, accepting nothing”.

He added: “The careful and critical analysis of the timeline has been absolutely key. Primarily, we are focused on the area between 8.30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

“We know that at 8.30, that was the time that Mr. and Mrs. McCann went down to the tapas area for their dinner, and we know that at around 10 p.m., that was when Mrs. McCann found that Madeleine was missing.”

Madeleine McCann’s parents will make a live appeal in the studio during the programme and, ahead of the broadcast.

“When it’s a special occasion, when you should be at your happiest, and Madeleine’s not there, that’s when it really hits home,” Gerry McCann said.

Kate McCann added: “It’s when you have the big family occasions… and you haven’t got your complete family.”

Earlier this month, police said phone records may be key to the case after it emerged officers were analyzing data from phones belonging to people who were in Praia da Luz when Madeleine vanished.

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US shutdown negotiations shifted to Senate

Clyde K. Valle
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US shutdown negotiations shifted to Senate

The US shutdown negotiations have been shifted to the Senate.

The Democratic and Republican leaders in the Senate held direct talks for the first time in weeks, but there is little sign of any breakthrough, correspondents say.

The shutdown began when Congress missed the October 1st deadline to pass a budget.

The US faces another deadline on Thursday to raise its debt limit.

If a deal is not reached by then, the US faces potential default, a prospect which has caused alarm both domestically and abroad.

Senator Dick Durbin, a Democrat, said the aim was to reach a deal on extending the debt limit before markets reopen on Monday.

The talks between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell earlier on Saturday represented the first face-to-face meeting between the two since July, the New York Times reported.

“The conversations were extremely cordial but very preliminary of course – nothing conclusive, but I hope that our talking is some solace to the American people and to the world,” said Harry Reid.

The US shutdown negotiations have been shifted to the Senate
The US shutdown negotiations have been shifted to the Senate

“We had a good meeting,” said Mitch McConnell, without elaborating.

Harry Reid then went to the White House for talks with President Barack Obama.

But he rejected a plan put forward by Republican Senator Susan Collins to allow the government to increase its debt limit until January 31st, 2014.

Democrats have a majority in the Senate, but could not muster enough support to advance a proposal to lift the debt ceiling there.

Talks between House Republicans and the White House had collapsed earlier.

Republicans have refused to pass a new budget unless President Barack Obama agrees to delay or eliminate the funding of the healthcare reform law of 2010.

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been sent home as a result of the shutdown.

The White House has repeatedly said it would not undermine the law, known as Obamacare, nor negotiate over larger budget matters, until Republicans vote to end the threat of default.

It has also rejected a short-term deal over the debt limit.

“It wouldn’t be wise, as some suggest, to just kick the debt ceiling can down the road for a couple of months, and flirt with a first-ever intentional default right in the middle of the holiday shopping season,” President Barack Obama said.

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