Some 50 million voters across Iran are casting their ballots in the country’s key presidential elections.
Although all six candidates are seen as conservatives, one of them, cleric Hassan Rouhani, has been reaching out to the reformists in recent days.
The election will decide a successor to outgoing leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s eight years in power have been characterized by economic turmoil and Western sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear programme.
Polls across Iran opened at 08:00 local time and are due to close at 18:00. Some 50 million people are eligible to cast their ballots.
The past week brought a surprising change to what otherwise had looked like being a predictable election.
Hassan Rouhani has been attracting increasing attention, speaking publicly about the need to re-engage with the West, our correspondent says.
He has also promised to free political prisoners and called for greater reform of the media.
The surge of support for him came after Mohammad Reza Aref, the only reformist candidate in the race, announced on Tuesday that he was withdrawing his candidature on the advice of pro-reform ex-President Mohammad Khatami.
Hassan Rouhani now has the endorsement of two ex-presidents, Mohammad Khatami and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who was disqualified from the race by the powerful Guardian Council.
However, Hassan Rouhani faces a tough challenge from hard-line candidates, including top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and Tehran’s mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.
Six candidates are running for Iran’s presidential race
The remaining candidates are conservatives close to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei.
He has called for a large turnout but not publicly stated his preference for any single candidate.
After casting his vote early, Ayatollah Khamenei spoke live on state television.
“Inshallah [God willing], the Iranian people will create a new political epic,” he said.
He also attacked US criticism of the presidential poll and those, in the US, who said they did not recognize the election.
“The Iranian people… will do what is in their interest.”
If no candidate secures 50.1 percent or more of the votes to win outright, a second round will be held in a week’s time.
Friday’s election is the first since 2009, when protesters took to the streets in anger at the results which they said had been rigged in favor of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
But the disqualification of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in May left supporters of the post-2009 liberal movement divided about whether to bother voting in the election at all.
No foreign observers will be monitoring the poll, and there have also been concerns that media coverage in the run-up was unfair.
Many reform newspapers have been shut down, access to the internet and foreign broadcasters restricted, and journalists detained.
Iranian presidential elections:
Six candidates running
Race is seen as contest between Ayatollah Ali Khamenei loyalists and moderate reformers
About 50 million eligible voters
If no candidate wins 50.1%, run-off held on June 21
Airbus A350, the newest aircraft from the European planemaker, has taken off on its maiden test flight.
The Airbus A350 is designed to be more fuel-efficient, and a direct competitor to US rival Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.
It is seen as vital to the future of Airbus, which competes with Boeing to supply the majority of the world’s airlines with new planes.
It took off from Blagnac airstrip in the French city of Toulouse, where the A350 is assembled, on Friday morning.
The plane will take a short four-hour trip to carry out tests, and then land back at Toulouse.
Boeing’s Dreamliner has proved popular since its first flight in 2009, despite recently being grounded by regulators over safety fears relating to its batteries.
Airlines are being squeezed by high fuel costs and falling passenger numbers, and are looking for more fuel-efficient aircraft.
Airbus A350, the newest aircraft from the European planemaker, has taken off on its maiden test flight
Airbus claims the A350, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, will use about 25% less fuel than previous generation wide-bodied aircraft.
Like the Dreamliner, the A350 is made largely of advanced materials, particularly carbon composites, in order to save weight.
Airbus has already taken more than 600 orders for the new plane, whereas there have been 890 Dreamliner orders so far.
The company hopes to start delivering the first A350s to customers by the end of 2014.
Analysts say a successful test flight would be a major milestone for Airbus in the A350 project, with major aircraft manufacturing projects frequently beset by delays.
“All recent programmes before it, both by Airbus, Boeing and others, have had reasonably horrendous technical problems and delays,” said Nick Cunningham, an aviation analyst at the London-based Agency Partners, speaking to French agency AFP.
“So every time you hit a milestone [such as a test flight], it’s good news because it means that you’ve missed an opportunity to have another big delay.”
The wings of A350 were designed at an Airbus facility in Filton near Bristol, and are manufactured at Broughton in Wales.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has held talks with members of Taksim Square protest group, hours after issuing a “final warning” to demonstrators.
Tayfun Kahraman from the umbrella group Taksim Solidarity described the outcome as “positive”.
A meeting would be called in Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Friday “to allow citizens to make up their own mind”.
Taksim Solidarity is opposed to the redevelopment of Gezi Park, the issue that sparked the unrest.
Clashes between police and protesters in the park and nearby Taksim Square have continued for nearly two weeks.
Activists have said they will not leave until the government abandons plans to redevelop the park.
The meeting in the capital, Ankara, was the first time Recep Tayyip Erdogan had met protest organizers directly.
It was earlier described as a “last-ditch” attempt to find a solution after two weeks of anti-government protests.
Speaking after Thursday night’s meeting, government spokesman Huseyin Celik said a public vote would be held on the future of Gezi Park.
“The park should not be a place where people live for 24 hours,” he said.
“The environmentalists should leave. We will ask everyone in Istanbul what they think. Anyone who does not want a vote cannot speak of democracy.”
The spokesman added that allegations of “excessive use of force” by the police would be investigated.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has held talks with members of Taksim Square protest group, hours after issuing a “final warning” to demonstrators
Meanwhile Tayfun Kahraman said no action would be taken by the government regarding Gezi Park “until all lines of justice are exhausted”.
“This is positive and should be received positively,” he said.
His Taksim Solidarity group is seen as the most representative body of the demonstrators, many of whom are still encamped in Gezi Park.
“We will stay in Gezi Park with all our demands and sleeping bags,” the group said in an earlier statement.
“We did not suffer through the attacks… so that a referendum could take place.”
Gezi Park is a rare patch of green in Turkey’s biggest city, and has been the focus of public anger.
Plans to redevelop it into a shopping centre were the initial spark for the protests, which then broadened into anti-government demonstrations in several cities.
Protesters have accused Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government of becoming increasingly authoritarian and trying to impose conservative Islamic values on a secular state.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken a tough line on the protests, branding the demonstrators as “extremists” and “looters”. He has said the unrest was being encouraged by foreign forces to undermine Turkey and its economy.
Speaking at a meeting of his ruling AK Party (AKP) in Ankara earlier on Thursday, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “Our patience is at an end. I am making my warning for the last time.”
“I say to the mothers and fathers, please take your children in hand and bring them out,” he added, going on to say that the park belonged not “to occupying forces but to the people.”
Some of those camped in the park have been waiting for news from city governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu, who has been assuring them for several days that police will not intervene, while urging them to leave so that “police can tackle marginal groups”.
Several riot vehicles are still on standby in Taksim – a sign that police have no intention of abandoning the square they stormed on Tuesday – though crowds gathered there once more on Thursday evening.
The police crackdown on protesters has drawn international concern, especially from Europe.
On Thursday, the European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution that “deplores the reactions of the Turkish Government and of Prime Minister Erdogan, whose unwillingness to take steps towards reconciliation, to apologize or to understand the reactions of a segment of the Turkish population have only contributed to further polarization”.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan angrily dismissed the resolution shortly before it was passed.
Also on Thursday, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US expected Turkish authorities to uphold the “fundamental freedoms” of expression and assembly.
Five people have died and thousands have been injured since the protests began in Gezi Park on May 31, spreading to Taksim Square a day later.
Momager Kris Jenner planned to have Kim Kardashian and Kanye West move into her Calabasas mansion after the birth of their first child, but they have a secret hotel already lined up.
In an interview to promote Kris Jenner’s new chat show, Kim Kardashian revealed: “We have a hotel that she does not know about yet.”
During the far-ranging chat with The Hollywood Reporter Kris Jenner apparently confirmed that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West would be moving in with her.
This comes despite the fact that publicity-shy Kanye West reportedly refused the invitation, with a source telling HollywoodLife.com he wasn’t “trying to impose on nobody”.
Kanye west, 36, has already moved out of his Hollywood Hills home while Kim Kardashian has sold her Beverly Hills mansion.
With the couple’s new $9 million Bel Air mansion still undergoing construction, Kris Jenner kindly offered to open the doors of her own home in their hour of need.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have a secret hotel lined up for the birth of their first child
But although it would make perfect sense for Kim Kardashian to be beside her mother after giving birth it now looks like the couple may want their own privacy too.
Maybe, their “secret hotel” is a back-up plan in case they want a break from Kris Jenner and to spend some “quality time” alone.
Whatever the case somebody better tell the Kardashian matriarch because she likes to know what all her family are doing so that she can plan her own busy schedule around them.
Kris Jenner’s huge mansion certainly has plenty of room to house the couple and their baby daughter when she finally arrives.
The 8,860 sq ft Tuscan mansion – which Kris and her husband Bruce Jenner bought for $4 million in 2010 – has six bedrooms, eight bathrooms plus a huge entry with double staircases, wet-bar, spa, steam, gym and a master suite with fireplace.
There are also three suites downstairs an office and three additional family suites upstairs that Kim Kardashian and Kanye West could easily convert into a nursery for their daughter.
Eight months pregnant Kate Middleton cut a fashion-forward figure as she appeared at Southhampton Docks yesterday to christen the Royal Princess.
Forgoing maternity clothes yet again, Kate Middleton looked chic in a £169 ($265) Dalmatian mac from High Street store Hobbs.
The water-resistant coat was the ideal choice for the blustery conditions at the waterside where Kate Middleton listened to a brass band play out before smashing a £1,250 Nebuchadnezzar – a 15 litre bottle of champagne the equivalent of 20 regular 75 cl bottles – on the ship’s hull.
The Duchess of Cambridge paired her coat with a sinamay hat with bow detail from royal favorite milliner Jane Taylor and black court shoes.
As has become her signature maternity style, Kate Middleton chose a dress shorter than the styles she wore prior to her pregnancy.
Eight months pregnant Kate Middleton cut a fashion-forward figure as she appeared at Southhampton Docks to christen the Royal Princess
With almost precisely one month to go before her reported due date of 14 July, Kate Middleton, still managing to wear non-maternity clothes, is an inspiration to women out there who feel frustrated by lack of choice in maternity shops.
This was to be the Duchess of Cambridge’s last solo engagement before her baby is born.
Kate Middleton looked relaxed as she stepped from her chauffeur-driven vehicle to the quayside in Southampton.
She made the journey from London by helicopter for the naming ceremony of Princess Cruises’ 3,600-passenger vessel Royal Princess.
Dalmatian-print Hobbs coat worn by Kate Middleton to launch Royal Princess cruise ship sold out in minutes
A musical extravaganza was staged ahead of the christening of the new vessel and blue carpet, not the customary red, was laid out for her arrival.
She took her place on a stage in blustery conditions that threatened rain.
Seated opposite in a large grandstand were guests associated with charities that have the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge or Prince Harry as their patrons.
Spectators were from East Anglia’s Children’s Hospice, Kate Middleton’s charity, SkillForce which has prince William as its figurehead, and Prince Harry’s organization WellChild.
Kate Middleton is the new liner’s godmother, a symbolic position similar to a patron or sponsor that dates back to the mid-19th century when leading women were selected for the honor.
Princess Cruises has a history of illustrious godmothers for past ships including Diana, Princess of Wales, who named the first Princess Royal in 1984, actress Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, and Baroness Margaret Thatcher.
The Band of her Majesty’s Royal Marines Portsmouth accompanied by the Pipers of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards gave the start of the ceremonies a military flavor.
They lined Kate Middleton’s route to her seat after playing rousing tunes such as Pomp And Circumstance, sea shanties and a march called HMS Queen Elizabeth.
The Royal Princess in numbers:
3,600: Number of passengers the ship can accommodate at any given time
1,082: The ship’s length in feet
141,000: The gross tonnage of the Royal Princess
Five: The number of stops the ship will make on her maiden voyage. These include Barcelona, Gibraltar, Malaga, Lisbon and Vigo
10: The number of restaurants on board
One: The number of casinos on the Royal Princess
Two: The number of royal princesses at the naming ceremony. One is the ship itself, the other is Kate Middleton.
1,780: The number of staterooms on the Royal Princess
30: The number of days the leisurely voyage to Fort Lauderdale will take
Four: The number of Caribbean islands the Royal Princess will visit. They include the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands and St. Maarten.
Amanda Bynes is claiming her very public meltdown, including a head-shaving and an arrest, was in fact a desperate publicity stunt.
On Thursday night Amanda Bynes, 27, apparently sent a series of text messages to her friend Jonathan Jaxson – who promptly posted them on his Twitter account.
In them Amanda Bynes appears to admit her increasingly strange behavior was nothing more than a childish ploy to increase her fame and gain more Twitter followers in advance of a movie role.
In one text to Hollywood publicist Jonathan Jaxson, Amanda Bynes writes: “All this has been an act and you know it! I am an actress and know what I am doing.”
In another she types: “I got to 2 million followers and now everyone wants me, I am smart and not stupid. Everyone mentions my name. The world loves me!”
Amanda Bynes apparently sent a series of text messages to her friend Jonathan Jaxson, who promptly posted them on his Twitter account
Given Amanda Bynes’ previous highly publicized dramas, it’s hard to know if she is being genuine or not.
If it is, she is likely to infuriate fans who have been worried about her mental health in recent months.
Jonathan Jaxson, a longtime friend of Amanda Bynes, posted on his Twitter page: “@Amandabynes has told tonight that she has been acting this entire time on Twitter to get attention as she prepares for next movie!”
It was Jonathan Jaxson who called police on the night she was arrested for allegedly throwing a b**g out of her 36th floor apartment window last month because he feared she was suicidal.
Jonathan Jaxson told Radar Online hours later: “I got police to be able to go to her home. I am told they found drugs and other things.
“I had proof she was suicidal. There were text messages and other things. I repeated all of this to the NYPD and they took it seriously.”
Later Amanda Bynes caused a stir by shaving her head and sporting a bad platinum blonde wig.
But it is Amanda Bynes’ Twitter use that has caused most cause for concern having become increasingly out of hand with her hurling insults at fellow celebrities.
In recent months she has called both Miley Cyrus and Drake “ugly” and said Chris Brown assaulted Rihanna because she wasn’t pretty enough.
Last week things went from bad to worse as Amanda Bynes was evicted from her Manhattan apartment.
Amanda Bynes’ worried father Rick has been hoping to stage an intervention but she refuses to see him.
The White House said today that Syrian forces under President Bashar al-Assad have used chemical weapons “on a small scale” against the opposition rebels.
A senior aide to President Barack Obama said the US estimated 100-150 people had died in “multiple” attacks.
Ben Rhodes said the US president had decided to provide unspecified “military support” to the opposition.
The White House had previously warned that the US considers the use of such weapons crossing a “red line”.
Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser to Barack Obama, said the US had no “reliable” evidence the opposition had used chemical weapons.
Earlier, the United Nations said the number of those killed in the Syrian conflict had risen to more than 93,000 people.
Ben Rhodes said the president had made the decision to increase assistance, including “military support”, to the opposition’s Supreme Military Council (SMC).
He declined to provide further details, other than to say it would be “different in scope and scale to what we have provided before”.
Syrian forces under President Bashar al-Assad have used chemical weapons on a small scale against the opposition rebels
“The president has been clear that the use of chemical weapons – or the transfer of chemical weapons to terrorist groups – is a red line for the US,” Ben Rhodes said.
“Our intelligence community now has a high confidence assessment that chemical weapons have been used on a small scale by the Assad regime in Syria. The president has said that the use of chemical weapons would change his calculus, and it has.”
Ben Rhodes said US intelligence agencies had concluded Bashar al-Assad’s forces had used chemical weapons, including the nerve agent sarin, based on battlefield reports, “descriptions of physiological symptoms” from alleged victims, and laboratory analysis of samples obtained from alleged victims.
However, the full number killed by chemical weapons was “likely incomplete”, Ben Rhodes said in a conference call with reporters.
“Put simply, the Assad regime should know that its actions have led us to increase the scope and scale of assistance that we provide to the opposition,” he said, including direct support to the SMC.
“These efforts will increase going forward.”
Further actions will be taken “on our own timeline”, Ben Rhodes said.
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia has defended his decision to sue the business magazine Forbes.
The billionaire is seeking damages over what he claims were “seriously defamatory comments” made about him.
In March, Forbes calculated Prince Alwaleed’s fortune to be $20 billion, placing him 26th on the magazine’s Rich List.
The 58-year-old disputed the methodology used and said Forbes had “insulted” the business community in Saudi Arabia.
Prince Alwaleed has previously said that the magazine underestimated his fortune by $9.6 billion.
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal of Saudi Arabia has defended his decision to sue the business magazine Forbes
However, in a statement, Prince Alwaleed’s investment vehicle, Kingdom Holding Company, said the libel action was not about his ranking on the Forbes Rich List, but about “correcting the seriously defamatory comments that have been made about HRH Prince Alwaleed as an individual and Kingdom Holding Company”.
The case has been filed in a London court.
Kingdom Holding Company owns stakes in Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation and London’s Savoy Hotel.
Prince Alwaleed also accused Forbes of publishing a “deliberately insulting and inaccurate description of the business community in Saudi Arabia and specifically, Forbes‘ denigration of the Saudi stock exchange (Tadawul), which is one of the most regulated in the world”.
In the Forbes article, a former executive with Prince Alwaleed’s company is quoted as describing the Saudi Stock Exchange as a place of gambling.
In calculating his wealth, Forbes said it valued the underlying investments of Kingdom Holding Company, rather than the shares listed on the Saudi Stock Exchange.
This, according to Prince Alwaleed, was an “irrational and deeply flawed valuation methodology, which is ultimately subjective and discriminatory”.
In a statement, Forbes said it is “bemused by Prince Alwaleed’s ego-driven PR stunt”.
FBI Director Robert Mueller says the US is taking “all necessary steps” to hold Edward Snowden responsible for exposing secret surveillance programmes.
Robert Mueller confirmed to the House judiciary committee that a criminal investigation had been launched.
Edward Snowden, 29, has admitted leaking information about National Security Agency (NSA) programmes that seize data from US internet and telephone firms.
Meanwhile, US senators briefed on the programmes have largely defended them.
Edward Snowden, who has pledged to fight any attempt to extradite him to the US, fled his home in Hawaii for Hong Kong shortly before reports of the top secret programmes were published by the Guardian and Washington Post newspapers last week.
China says it has “no information to offer” on the leaker’s whereabouts.
Edward Snowden, a former NSA contract computer technician, has admitted giving the newspapers information about NSA programmes that seize vast quantities of data from US internet and telephone companies.
In testimony on Thursday, Robert Mueller told the judiciary committee the leak caused “significant harm to our nation and to our safety”.
The FBI director, who is due to step down in September after 12 years in the job, said intelligence gathered following the leaks showed plotters were adapting to the revelations.
“One of my problems is that we’re going to… lose our ability to get their communications,” Robert Mueller said.
“We are going to be exceptionally vulnerable.”
He also stressed the phone records programme collected “no content whatsoever”.
Some committee members remained unconvinced by Robert Mueller’s defense.
Representative John Conyers, the committee’s top Democrat, said he feared the US was “on the verge of becoming a surveillance state”.
FBI Director Robert Mueller says the US is taking “all necessary steps” to hold Edward Snowden responsible for exposing secret surveillance programmes
Robert Mueller said if the programmes had been place before the 9/11 attacks, they might have uncovered the plot.
“That opportunity would have been there,” he said.
But John Conyers replied: “I am not persuaded that that makes it OK to collect every call.”
The FBI director also told lawmakers Edward Snowden was the “subject of an ongoing criminal investigation” related to the leaks but would not give details on the status of the case.
Meanwhile, senators leaving a closed-door briefing with General Keith Alexander of the NSA largely defended the programmes.
Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska insisted procedures were already in place to protect Americans from government snooping and that the revelations in the news media had mischaracterized the programmes.
“It is misunderstood that American private information, emails and phone calls are being rummaged through by the government – that is not true,” he said.
“Only when there is probable cause given with a court order of a federal judge can they go into the content of phone calls and emails in order to be able to disrupt a terrorist plot.”
Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker told reporters lawmakers were given “some specific and helpful information about how these programmes have helped keep Americans safe”.
Senate intelligence committee chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, predicted the Senate would consider legislation to curb contractors’ access to secret data.
In an interview at an undisclosed Hong Kong location published in the South China Morning Post on Wednesday, Edward Snowden said he believed there had been more than 61,000 NSA global hacking operations which targeted powerful “network backbones”.
He vowed to fight extradition to the US.
“All I can do is rely on my training and hope that world governments will refuse to be bullied by the United States into persecuting people seeking political refuge,” the paper quoted Edward Snowden as saying.
“Things are very difficult for me in all terms, but speaking truth to power is never without risk,” he said.
“It has been difficult, but I have been glad to see the global public speak out against these sorts of systemic violations of privacy.”
Who is Edward Snowden?
Age 29, grew up in North Carolina
Joined army reserves in 2004, discharged four months later, according to the Guardian
First job at National Security Agency was as security guard
Worked on IT security at the CIA
Left CIA in 2009 for contract work at NSA for various firms including Booz Allen
Called himself Verax, Latin for “speaking the truth”, in exchanges with the Washington Post
Rupert Murdoch has filed for divorce from Wendi Deng because their marriage has “irretrievably broken down”, his spokesman announced today.
The divorce papers were filed at the New York State Supreme Court.
The News Corp boss and Wendi Deng, married in 1999 aboard a private yacht in New York, have two daughters together, Grace and Chloe.
In 2011, Wendi Deng famously leapt to her husband’s defense to slap a protester who threw a pie at him as British MPs quizzed him over phone-hacking.
Rupert Murdoch, 82, met his Chinese-born third wife in 1997 at a cocktail party in Hong Kong. They were married two years later, weeks after his second divorce.
Wendi Deng, 44, is 38 years younger than the Australian-born media mogul, who is said by Forbes to be worth $9.4 billion.
“I can confirm for the record that Rupert filed in New York State Supreme Court this morning for divorce,” Rupert Murdoch spokesman Steven Rubenstein told AFP news agency on Thursday.
The couple had a pre-nuptial agreement and have held shares in trust for their children.
Rupert Murdoch has filed for divorce from Wendi Deng because their marriage has irretrievably broken down
So our business editor believes the divorce is not likely to lessen the magnate’s grip on his media empire.
Rupert Murdoch, now a US citizen, reportedly paid $1.7 billion in his divorce settlement from his last wife.
Wendi Deng, said to be the daughter of a factory director, was born in 1968 and grew up in the eastern Chinese city of Xuzhou before leaving for the US at 19 to study.
She worked in a Chinese restaurant in California before going on to graduate from Yale University in 1996.
Wendi Deng was later employed by Star TV, News Corp’s Asian satellite-television operation in Hong Kong, where she met Rupert Murdoch during one of his visits.
The divorce filing comes two days before News Corp is to be split into two companies, one for its entertainment assets and the other for its publishing business. Rupert Murdoch is to be chairman of both firms.
His global media portfolio includes the Wall Street Journal, television channels such as Fox News and Sky, and the 20th Century Fox movie studio.
Two years ago, his UK newspaper division became embroiled in a phone-hacking scandal, which led Rupert Murdoch to close one of the titles, the News of the World.
In July 2011, Wendi Deng jumped from her seat during a UK parliamentary hearing to slap a prankster who tried to shove a shaving-cream pie into Rupert Murdoch’s face.
The US Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that human genes may not be patented, but artificially copied DNA can be claimed as intellectual property.
The court quashed patents held by Utah-based company Myriad on two genes linked to breast and ovarian cancer.
The opinion said DNA came from nature and was not eligible for patenting.
The US biotechnology industry had warned any blanket ban on such patents would jeopardize huge investment in gene research and therapies.
“We hold that a naturally occurring DNA segment is a product of nature and not patent eligible merely because it has been isolated,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in Thursday’s opinion.
But his ruling said that synthetic molecules known as complementary DNA can be patented “because it is not naturally occurring”.
Myriad Genetics, the company at the heart of the lawsuit, saw its shares rise after Thursday’s compromise decision.
The legal battle was prompted by a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 2009 that centered on whether companies should be able to patent genes.
Currently, researchers and private companies work to isolate genes in order to use them in tests for gene-related illnesses, and in emerging gene therapies.
The US Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that human genes may not be patented
The genes at the centre of the lawsuit are linked to breast and ovarian cancer. Myriad Genetics developed a pioneering test to look for mutations in those genes that might increase the risk of developing cancer.
Myriad Genetics, based in Salt Lake City, argued that the genes in question had been “isolated” by the company, making them products of human ingenuity and therefore patentable.
But the ACLU argued that genes are products of nature, and therefore cannot be patented under US laws.
In 2010 a New York federal court ruled in favor of the ACLU.
But an appeals court on two separate occasions sided with Myriad. It said DNA isolated from the human body had a “markedly different chemical structure” from other human genetic material.
Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling largely sided with the ACLU.
“Genes and the information they encode are not patent eligible… simply because they have been isolated from the surrounding genetic material,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote.
In a concurring opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote “the portion of the DNA isolated from its natural state sought to be patented is identical to that portion of the DNA in its natural state”.
Sandra Park, a lawyer for the ACLU, welcomed the decision.
“Because of this ruling, patients will have greater access to genetic testing and scientists can engage in research on these genes without fear of being sued,” she said.
Universities and medical research firms have been able to claim intellectual property over human genes for nearly three decades.
According to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in the US, patents now cover some 40% of the human genome.
David Siegel is the founder and CEO of Westgate Resorts, a huge national timeshare company and one of the largest resort developers in the world.
In 2007 David Siegel was a billionaire, although he may be only a hundred-millionaire now.
David Siegel, 78 and his 47-year-old wife Jackie were the subjects of the recent documentary The Queenof Versailles, about their ongoing quest to build the largest house in America, a 90,000 square foot monument to excess.
Last year David Siegel sent an email to all of his thousands of employees, in which he—in a veiled way—insinuated that they would be fired of Barack Obama is reelected.
In fact it was a popular chain letter that was circulated just before the 2008 elections. Even David Siegel confirmed he used a chain letter which was adapted to fir his company. “I did use the letter that had circulated before as a guideline, but I changed it [to fit my circumstances],” he said.
“It speaks the truth and it gives [employees] something to think about when they go to the polls.”
David Siegel also said that its threats of possible layoffs are real, based on his assessment of the political and economic climate. He added that he “hasn’t had any negative feedback” on the letter.
The Florida-based Westgate Resorts is not a public company. It is the domain of David Siegel, a staunch Republican. In fact, David Siegel has publicly claimed credit for George W. Bush defeating Al Gore, saying: “I had my managers do a survey on every employee [8,000 total]. If they liked Bush, we made them register to vote. But not if they liked Gore.”
The Queen of Versailles documentary depicts the dashing of David Siegel’s mansion dreams after the recession hit. But just months before, he restarted construction on his personal Palace of Versailles (with the intention of selling it for $100 million) and told Reuters: “We’re the most profitable we’ve ever been.”
David Siegel and his wife Jackie were the subjects of the recent documentary The Queen of Versailles, about their ongoing quest to build the largest house in America
David Siegel’s amazing email sent to all Westgate employees:
Subject: Message from David Siegel
Date:Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:58:05 -0400 (EDT)
From: [David Siegel]
To: [All employees]
To All My Valued Employees,
As most of you know our company, Westgate Resorts, has continued to succeed in spite of a very dismal economy. There is no question that the economy has changed for the worse and we have not seen any improvement over the past four years. In spite of all of the challenges we have faced, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t currently pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is another 4 years of the same Presidential administration. Of course, as your employer, I can’t tell you whom to vote for, and I certainly wouldn’t interfere with your right to vote for whomever you choose. In fact, I encourage you to vote for whomever you think will serve your interests the best.
However, let me share a few facts that might help you decide what is in your best interest. The current administration and members of the press have perpetuated an environment that casts employers against employees. They want you to believe that we live in a class system where the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. They label us the “1%” and imply that we are somehow immune to the challenges that face our country. This could not be further from the truth. Sure, you may have heard about the big home that I’m building. I’m sure many people think that I live a privileged life. However, what you don’t see or hear is the true story behind any success that I have achieved.
I started this company over 42 years ago. At that time, I lived in a very modest home. I converted my garage into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you. We didn’t eat in fancy restaurants or take expensive vacations because every dollar I made went back into this company. I drove an old used car, and often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business — hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. Meanwhile, many of my friends got regular jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a nice income, and they spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into this business —-with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford to buy whatever I wanted. Even to this day, every dime I earn goes back into this company. Over the past four years I have had to stop building my dream house, cut back on all of my expenses, and take my kids out of private schools simply to keep this company strong and to keep you employed.
Just think about this – most of you arrive at work in the morning and leave that afternoon and the rest of your time is yours to do as you please. But not me- there is no “off” button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have that freedom. I eat, live, and breathe this company every minute of the day, every day of the week. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. I know many of you work hard and do a great job, but I’m the one who has to sign every check, pay every expense, and make sure that this company continues to succeed. Unfortunately, what most people see is the nice house and the lavish lifestyle. What the press certainly does not want you to see, is the true story of the hard work and sacrifices I’ve made.
Now, the economy is falling apart and people like me who made all the right decisions and invested in themselves are being forced to bail out all the people who didn’t. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed 42 years of my life for. Yes, business ownership has its benefits, but the price I’ve paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the costs of running a business have gotten out of control, and let me tell you why: We are being taxed to death and the government thinks we don’t pay enough. We pay state taxes, federal taxes, property taxes, sales and use taxes, payroll taxes, workers compensation taxes and unemployment taxes. I even have to hire an entire department to manage all these taxes. The question I have is this: Who is really stimulating the economy? Is it the Government that wants to take money from those who have earned it and give it to those who have not, or is it people like me who built a company out of his garage and directly employs over 7000 people and hosts over 3 million people per year with a great vacation?
Obviously, our present government believes that taking my money is the right economic stimulus for this country. The fact is, if I deducted 50% of your paycheck you’d quit and you wouldn’t work here. I mean, why should you? Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, that’s what happens to me.
Here is what most people don’t understand and the press and our Government has chosen to ignore – to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Instead of raising my taxes and depositing that money into the Washington black-hole, let me spend it on growing the company, hire more employees, and generate substantial economic growth. My employees will enjoy the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But that is not what our current Government wants you to believe. They want you to believe that it somehow makes sense to take more from those who create wealth and give it to those who do not, and somehow our economy will improve. They don’t want you to know that the “1%”, as they like to label us, pay more than 31% of all the taxes in this country. Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said, “democracy” will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”
Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate business, not kill it. However, the power brokers in Washington believe redistributing wealth is the essential driver of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change they want.
So where am I going with all this? It’s quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current President plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company. Rather than grow this company I will be forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.
So, when you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which candidate understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn’t? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of protecting and saving your job. While the media wants to tell you to believe the “1 percenters” are bad, I’m telling you they are not. They create most of the jobs. If you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the “1%”; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country.
You see, I can no longer support a system that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, so will your opportunities. If that happens, you can find me in the Caribbean sitting on the beach, under a palm tree, retired, and with no employees to worry about.
Jackie Siegel, David Siegel’s wife who is better known as the much maligned subject of the riveting The Queen of Versailles documentary, has only one regret about her screen debut: she didn’t wear enough makeup.
Former Miss Florida Jackie Siegel, now 47, was captured on camera with her billionaire timeshare mogul husband trying to create the home of their dreams – a gaudy, over-the-top sprawling 90,000-square-foot mansion (the largest single family dwelling ever built in the U.S.) modeled on France’s 17th century Palace of Versailles.
And Jackie told TODAY show correspondent Janet Shamlian that she would have no hesitation in doing it all over again!
“What I would do different if I had known so many millions of people would be seeing it… is I would have worn more makeup,” Jackie Siegel explained.
Not surprisingly, the mother-of-eight from Windermere, Florida said she is hoping to land her own reality TV show once work on her humungous home is finally finished.
However, despite his larger-than-life wife’s penchant for starring in front of the camera, David Siegel, founder of Westgate Resorts, said he does not want to appear on TV.
Instead, David Siegel, 78, wants to finish construction on the mega-mansion that’s taken more than 5 years to build – following a financial crisis and recession that caused the project to be stalled and almost forced him into losing his business and title to the property – all of which ended up becoming the main focus of the documentary.
The property, 20 miles outside Orlando, will have a whopping 30 bedrooms and 23 bathrooms when completed and offer stunning views over Lake Butler.
David and Jackie Siegel were unhappy with the way they were portrayed in The Queen of Versailles documentary
All 23 bathrooms will have full-sized hot tubs, while the hand built windows cost more than $2 million. Bespoke materials have also been sourced from all over the world for the outrageous and overblown interior decor.
For the kids – a roller rink, children’s theater, bowling alley and three swimming pools are being created, while for the fitness-concerned two tennis courts will be installed.
Outside, there will be a large boat house, formal gardens, a one-story gatehouse, as well as an underground car park with space for 20 cars.
“We never sought out to build the biggest house in America. it’s just what kind of happened,” Jackie Siegel explained.
Now that the Siegels have taken the half-finished property off the market (they listed it for $65 million back in July last year) they are looking forward to completing the work.
“We’re finishing it to actually finish it. but we do want to live in there,” Jacqueline Siegel added.
As previously reported, David and Jacqueline Siegel were far from pleased with the way they were portrayed in the documentary, and accused the filmmakers of likening them to trashy reality TV stars.
In an official letter, obtained by RadarOnline.com to director Lauren Greenfield’s attorney, David Siegel claimed Jackie “didn’t hesitate to orchestrate unrealistic over-the-top scenes for entertainment purposes even when they vastly distorted day-to-day life. That’s why what you call a documentary, I call a Real Housewives Of Orlando pilot.”
The Queen of Versailles, grossed more than $2 million, and won several prestigious awards including the U.S. Directing Award at Sundance Film Festival.
Turkey’s PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a “final warning” to protesters to leave Gezi Park in Istanbul.
“Our patience is at an end. I am making my warning for the last time,” he said.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued a “final warning” to protesters to leave Gezi Park in Istanbul
Clashes between police and protesters in the park and adjoining Taksim Square have continued for nearly two weeks.
Activists have said they will not leave Gezi Park until the government abandons plans to redevelop it. Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised a local vote on its future.
Such a plebiscite would not be legally binding but Recep Tayyip Erdogan implied he would honor its outcome.
“I say to the mothers and fathers please take your children in hand and bring them out,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared.
“We cannot wait any more because Gezi Park does not belong to occupying forces but to the people.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s speech at a meeting of his ruling AK Party in the capital, Ankara, received a standing ovation.
Jules Jeptha “Jep” Robertson of Duck Dynasty was born in 1978 and is Phil and Miss Kay’s youngest son.
Jep Robertson currently films and edits DVDs of the Robertson family hunting for enthusiasts worldwide and is often seen at Duck Commander and at family dinners.
Duck Dynasty’s Jep and Jessica Robertson
He is married to Jessica and they have four kids.
Jessica Robertson is Jep’s wife. She is often seen helping Korie and Miss Kay with ideas to expand the Duck Commander women’s line.
Jessica and Jep Robertson have four children: Lily, Merritt, Priscilla, and River.
AEG Live’s CEO Randy Phillips claimed in court on Wednesday that Michael Jackson was “desperately broke” before his ill-fated This Is It comeback tour.
Randy Phillips made the claims as he testified for a sixth day at Michael Jackson’s wrongful death trial in a Los Angeles on Wednesday.
He told of an emotional Halloween meeting with Michael Jackson at a hotel where the singer claimed “they were living like vagabonds”.
Randy Phillips added: “He actually broke down and I broke down. We both broke down.
“He got emotional. He teared up about his family and having a good life with them and a place to live and a residence they could call their own.
“I felt incredibly bad that this incredible star was at the point where he just couldn’t buy a house with all this money he made. It just didn’t make sense.”
Randy Phillips also told AEG attorney Marvin Putnam: “It was the first time Michael really told me why he wanted to go back to work.”
Michael Jackson’s mother Katherine and his three children are suing the concert promoter, alleging it negligently hired, retained or supervised Dr. Conrad Murray, who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter over the singer’s 2009 death.
Meanwhile Randy Phillips also told jurors he knew Michael Jackson as a sophisticated, forceful businessman and not the drugged-up performer who’s been described throughout an ongoing civil trial filed over the singer’s untimely death.
Michael Jackson was a far more complex figure than has been portrayed during the trial of a case filed by Katherine Jackson against AEG Live over her son’s death, said Randy Philips, the company’s president and CEO.
Michael Jackson was desperately broke before This Is It Tour, promoter Randy Phillips claims in court
Randy Phillips said based on meetings he had with Michael Jackson in 2008 and early 2009, he found the singer to be a “sophisticated man who had control of his life”.
The portrait of Michael Jackson that’s been presented to the jury during the seven-week trial has been inaccurate, Randy Phillips said.
Michael Jackson was described by both sides in opening statements as struggling with prescription drug addiction throughout his life.
Randy Phillips said he disagreed with the descriptions of Michael Jackson “because he’s been presented as drug-addled 5-year-old. That was not the man I dealt with. The man I dealt with was forceful. Kind, but determined. He was a force”.
Jurors have been presented with conflicting accounts of Michael Jackson, even from Randy Philips. They will have to weigh the different portrayals when they decide who is liable for the singer’s June 2009 death.
Katherine Jackson’s lawyers contend AEG failed to properly investigate the doctor convicted of causing her son’s death, pushing her son too hard to perform and missed warning signs of his health.
AEG, however, contends Michael Jackson hid his addiction to the powerful anesthetic propofol and that the company could not have foreseen that the singer’s doctor was giving him the drug as a sleep aid.
Millions and possibly billions of dollars are at stake in the negligent hiring trial.
Randy Phillips said he didn’t see signs that Michael Jackson was struggling with prescription drugs when he met with the entertainer to discuss options for his This Is It comeback concerts scheduled for London’s O2 Arena in 2009. He has also told jurors that Michael Jackson never told him he was having trouble sleeping.
The executive has described the superstar as difficult to work with, often changing managers and ideas about what he wanted creatively.
In testimony later on Wednesday, Randy Phillips described having to coax Michael Jackson to a London press conference in March 2009 to announce his concerts.
Michael Jackson was a couple of hours late, appeared hung over and was concerned no one would want to see him perform.
“He is an emotionally paralyzed mess riddled with self-loathing and doubt now that it is show time,” Randy Phillips wrote his boss that day.
He testified that he just wanted to get through the event and forget it ever happened.
The six-man, six-woman jury has been shown numerous emails throughout the trial in which high-level tour workers expressed concerns about Michael Jackson’s health, his weight, and whether he was ready for the shows.
Many of the concerns were voiced by tour director Kenny Ortega, who Randy Phillips at one point told not to attempt to serve as an amateur doctor or psychiatrist.
Randy Phillips acknowledged earlier this week that statements he wrote to Kenny Ortega about Michael Jackson’s physician, Conrad Murray, were untrue.
Among those statements were Randy Phillips’ assertions that AEG Live had checked out Conrad Murray, and that the deeply indebted physician didn’t need the job.
Conrad Murray was convicted in 2011 of involuntary manslaughter for giving Michael Jackson a lethal dose of propofol. He is not a defendant in the civil case, although AEG Live lawyers said early they intend to call the former cardiologist as a witness.
Canadian model Leyla Ghobadi is claiming that rapper Kanye West cheated on pregnant girlfriend Kim Kardashian after they met at one of his shows.
And by the looks of things, Kim Kardashian is finding the mere suggestion that Kanye West strayed hilarious.
Dressed in an olive-colored maxi dress and cream blazer, Kim Kardashian, 32, was in fits of giggles when she was spotted being driven around Beverly Hills by best friend Jonathan Cheban on Wednesday.
Heavily pregnant Kim Kardashian held a hand up to her mouth as she struggled to contain her laughter while chatting to her pal, before they headed for lunch at Casa Vega in San Fernando Valley.
There’s a good chance the pair were discussing the stunning claims made by Leyla Ghobadi, 24, told Star magazine that their fling started in July 2012.
Leyla Ghobadi alleges the affair continued even after Kim Kardashian had announced her pregnancy after Kanye west dismissed his relationship with the reality star as just “for publicity and nothing serious”.
Explaining her decision to reveal the relationship, Leyla Ghobadi said: “This is going to destroy the Kardashian family. It’s bad. It’s really bad. It’s just embarrassing. But if I were Kim and about to have a baby, I would want to know.”
Leyla Ghobadi is claiming that rapper Kanye West cheated on pregnant girlfriend Kim Kardashian after they met at one of his shows
Kim Kardashian’s representatives have denied the reports, while Kanye West’s added: “This most recent attack on Kanye West and his family is totally without merit.
“It’s a blatant attempt by a misguided individual who is clearly seeking publicity, and another in a series of malicious stories drummed up by non-credible <<news>> sources. This is a sad attempt to hurt two people trying to live their lives.”
But Leyla Ghobadi has remained defiant and even set up a Twitter page on Wednesday to address her critics, or as she put it: “To show you guys what I’m really like. Not just doing this for <<The Fame>>.”
Leyla Ghobadi then began a Twitter rant.
“Maybe I went about this the wrong way but how else am I meant to get thru to her? I am NOT the bad guy in this situation. nothing more 2 say,” she wrote.
“The woman will always get the blame for everything huh.”
When asked by other users if she has proof of the affair, Leyla Ghobadi tweeted: “Proof? Yeah because I was going to take pictures of myself f***ing him. I could show u calls but I’m not about to put his number on twitter.”
Leyla Ghobadi later added: “Okay I’m out. Said what I had to say. To the haters- u don’t know s*** about the situation. Everyone else who’s being supportive: thank you.”
Kanye West is said to have first set his sights on curvy model Leyla Ghobadi when he saw her dancing in the crowd at his show in Atlantic City in July last year.
And despite Kim kardashian also being present at the gig in Revel’s Ovation Hall, Kanye West reportedly instructed a member of his entourage to seek out Leyla and invite her backstage.
The rapper is then reported to have invited Leyla Ghobadi for cocktails at AC’s HQ Nightclub, before asking her to come back to his hotel room.
However, Leyla Ghobadi declined, adding to the publication: “I refused, as I felt it was too rushed.”
With a new chat show to promote, Kris Jenner is happily dishing the dirt on her most famous daughter – Kim Kardashian.
Kris Jenner said that if Kim Kardashian and boyfriend Kanye West ever decide to get married it will be a small and “private” affair.
“This time it will be private and smaller, if she does get married again – not 500 people,” Kris jenner told The Hollywood Reporter.
Kris Jenner looked in her element as she graced the cover of The Hollywood Reporter magazine ahead of a six-week trial run of her new talk show, aptly named Kris
The 57-year-old momager of the Kardashian clan looked in her element as she graced the cover of the magazine ahead of a six-week trial run of her new talk show – aptly named Kris.
Kris Jenner will focus on fashion, fitness and beauty on the show and, of course, celebrities.
She also hopes to inspire women her age with the show.
“So many women give up in life when they get a little bit older,” Kris Jenner said.
“I want to be a positive influence. I want to come from a really good place. Some people are just lost, and maybe I can be an inspiration.”
The talk show will mark Kris Jenner’s attempt to get a slice of the lucrative daytime TV market that has seen only Ellen DeGeneres thrive since the departure of daytime queen Oprah Winfrey.
The trial run will take place on selected Fox stations beginning on July 15 and an intensive media campaign will include appearances on Today and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
The marketing campaign also will leverage social media and the combined 52 million Twitter followers among the Kardashian family and their 31 million Facebook friends.
Kris Jenner was born in San Diego, California in 1955 and worked as a flight attendant for American Airlines after high school. She married attorney Robert Kardashian, who was nearly 12 years older, in 1978 after meeting him when she was 17.
After giving birth to Kourtney, Kim, Khloe and Rob the couple split just one month before she married Olympic champion Bruce Jenner in 1991.
Kris Jenner has steadily built a family-focused empire that includes the hit reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
She also supervises her children’s and her own clothing lines, negotiates contracts that pay the Kardashians a reported $25,000 a tweet and has been writing a cookbook, too.
The Hollywood Reporter confirmed Kris Jenner alone had annual revenues of more than $65 million in 2010 and it has increased since.
Duck Dynasty’s Jase Robertson is Willie’s brother and his polar opposite.
While Willie Robertson enjoys making deals behind the desk, Jase would much rather call the swamp his office.
But he knows he’s gotta earn his keep, so Jase Robertson’s job within the company is to fabricate the duck calls that have made Duck Commander famous. When pressed, Jase Robertson can churn out a thousand new calls in a flash, but he likes to take his time so that Willie doesn’t expect the same performance every day.
Duck Dynasty’s Missy and Jase Robertson
Jase Robertson has more important things than work on his mind, namely, duck hunting. His motto is: “Only three things matter: God, then family, then ducks.”
Jason Silas “Jase” Robertson was born on August 19, 1969 and is in charge of the manufacturing aspects of Duck Commander.
Along with other employees, Jase Robertson tunes the duck calls by hand. Many of Duck Dynasty episodes feature the laid-back, self-professed redneck Jase Robertson doing something to aggravate the gung-ho, business-savvy Willie (such as turning a warehouse cleaning into a ping-pong battle).
Missy Robertson is Jase’s wife. She is often seen helping Korie (Willie Robertson’s wife and her sister-in-law) and Miss Kay (her mother-in-law) with ideas to expand the Duck Commander women’s line.
Missy and Jase Robertson have three children: Reed, Cole, and Mia.
Though not originally from a hunting family, Korie Robertson fit in with the Duck Dynasty’s family right away.
Korie Robertson, née Howard, was born on October 24, 1973 and is Willie’s wife and business partner. She also graduated from Harding University. She is the office manager of Duck Commander.
Duck Dynasty’s Korie Robertson is Willie’s wife and business partner
As Willie Robertson’s wife and business partner, she helped him grow the company into an ever-expanding enterprise. As the Duck Commander office manager Korie Robertson has to make her presence known in order to keep the workshop from turning into a funhouse. She met Willie Robertson in third grade and when he asked her to go on a moonlit hike at summer camp. He was 4th grade.
Korie and Willie Robertson got married on January 11, 1992, a year after high school, when she was 18 and he was 19.
Korie and Willie Robertson have five children: John Luke, Sadie, an adopted son named Will (called “Lil Will” on the show), Bella and Rebecca (formerly an exchange student from Taiwan now their adopted daughter).
Whistleblower Edward Snowden has claimed that the U.S. government has been hacking Hong Kong and Chinese networks for at least four years.
In his first interview since he revealed himself on Sunday, the 29-year-old whistleblower told the South China Morning Post that the NSA has hacked the country’s universities, businesses and politicians.
Edward Snowden claimed the agency had hundreds of targets – including the Chinese University of Hong Kong – from as far back as 2009, but that these were just a fraction of the 61,000 NSA hacking operations carried out globally.
He added that none of the documents revealed any information about Chinese military systems.
“We hack network backbones – like huge internet routers, basically – that give us access to the communications of hundreds of thousands of computers without having to hack every single one,” he explained.
The hour-long interview, which took part in a secret location on Wednesday, came after Snowden fled to Hong Kong from his home in Hawaii on May 20 after leaking sensitive documents about the NSA.
His actions have been both praised and condemned globally, with some hailing him a hero while others, including House Speaker John Boehner, calling him a traitor.
But in the exclusive interview, Edward Snowden said: “I’m neither traitor nor hero. I’m an American.”
He said he will stay in Hong Kong to fight any extradition bid from the U.S, and he hit back against people who have called his choice to flee to Hong Kong a gamble.
“People who think I made a mistake in picking HK as a location misunderstand my intentions,” he said.
“I am not here to hide from justice; I am here to reveal criminality.
“My intention is to ask the courts and people of Hong Kong to decide my fate. I have been given no reason to doubt your system.”
It is believed the U.S. is pursuing a criminal investigation against Edward Snowden, and on Tuesday, sources said officials were preparing to bring charges against him. No extradition request has yet been filed.
Inanother clip of the interview Edward Snowden said he has heard from a reliable source that the government is “trying to bully the Hong Kong government into extraditing me”.
Edward Snowden has claimed that the U.S. government has been hacking Hong Kong and Chinese networks for at least four years
“I will never feel safe,” Edward Snowden said, adding that he has also not contacted his family because he fears their safety too.
“Things are very difficult for me in all terms, but speaking truth to power is never without risk,” he said.
“It has been difficult, but I have been glad to see the global public speak out against these sorts of systemic violations of privacy.”
His interview comes two days after Edward Snowden checked out of a Hong Kong hotel where he was interviewed by the UK’s Guardian newspaper, which first published the story.
Since then, he has been nowhere to be seen.
In the Guardian interview, Edward Snowden had said he wanted to avoid the media spotlight, noting he didn’t want ‘the story to be about me. I want it to be about what the U.S. government is doing’.
With little new information to report on Edward Snowden or his whereabouts, focus has instead fallen on his American girlfriend, Lindsay Mills, a dancer who posted partially nude photographs of herself online before she also apparently disappeared.
Reporter Ewen MacAskill of the Guardian newspaper, who interviewed Edward Snowden for exclusive stories about his revelations, wrote late Tuesday that ‘it is thought’ Snowden was now in a private home in Hong Kong, but offered no details.
Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald, who interviewed Edward Snowden in Hong Kong, has given a series of interviews about the case, but refused to reveal any information about his location or his plans.
The US has been divided in praising or condemning Edward Snowden after he leaked information about a global eavesdropping operation, PRISM, put in place by the government.
“He’s a traitor,” Boehner told ABC on Tuesday.
“The disclosure of this information puts Americans at risk. It shows our adversaries what our capabilities are. And it’s a giant violation of the law.”
Also on Tuesday, Edward Snowden’s employers, Booz Allen Hamilton, announced that it has terminated his contract ‘for violations of the firm’s code of ethics and firm policy’.
It said that the claims he had leaked information were “shocking” – and revealed that he was earning $122,000 rather than the $200,000 he told The Guardian he was paid.
As for his future prospects – although Hong Kong has an extradition treaty with the U.S., the document has some exceptions, including for crimes deemed political.
Any negotiations about his possible handover will involve Beijing, but some believe China is unlikely to want to jeopardize its relationship with the U.S. over someone of little political interest to them.
Edward Snowden also told The Guardian that he may seek asylum in Iceland, which has strong free-speech protections and a tradition of providing a haven for the outspoken and the outcast.
And even Russia has stepped up to say it would consider offering him political asylum if he sought it.
“We will take action based on what actually happens. If we receive such a request, it will be considered,” said the Russian president’s official spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
North Korea has blamed the South for “arrogant obstructions” that led high-level talks to be cancelled.
South Korea’s “deliberate disturbance” by changing the head of its delegation made “the talks between authorities abortive”, North Korea said.
The planned talks, which followed months of raised tensions, were aborted after the two sides failed to agree on the composition of the delegations.
Seoul said it was disappointed with North Korea’s response.
North Korea’s state-run news agency KCNA described the South’s nomination of Vice-Unification Minister Kim Nam-shik to lead the delegation as “the height of discourtesy and disrespect unprecedented in the history of the North-South dialogue”.
This, and the difficulty in agreeing an agenda for discussion, proved “that the South side had no intent to hold dialogue from the beginning and that it only sought to create an obstacle to the talks, [to] delay and torpedo them”, it said.
It added that this made the North question whether inter-Korean talks were possible.
The two Koreas have not held ministerial-level talks since 2007.
North Korea has accused South Korea of “arrogant obstructions” that led high-level talks to be cancelled
The agreement to hold the talks – seen by analysts as a major development in itself – came in the early hours of Monday after lengthy preliminary discussions in the truce village of Panmunjom.
It came after months of heightened tensions following North Korea’s third nuclear test in February.
After the UN tightened sanctions against the North as a result of the test, Pyongyang threatened to attack South Korea and US bases in the region, cut various hotlines used for intra-Korean communication, and withdrew its workers from a joint industrial park.
South Korean Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae was originally reported as the head of the South’s delegation for Wednesday’s planned talks.
However, when Seoul asked Pyongyang to send Kim Yang-gon, an adviser to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, North Korea refused. Seoul then named its vice-minister as its chief negotiator instead.
North Korea said the implication that Kim Yang-gon was not equal in rank to Ryoo Kihl-jae was “a revelation of its ignorance”, and “a manifestation of [South Korea’s] sinister intention” to abort the talks.
Speaking on Wednesday, South Korean PM Chung Hong-won said Seoul would no longer make “infinite concessions” to North Korea.
“In the past, we have made infinite concessions to the North, but the time has come to hold talks where both sides are represented by officials of the same level,” Chung Hong-won said.
Meanwhile, North Korea has not answered routine calls from South Korea via the Red Cross communications line linking the two countries, South Korea says.
North Korea cut the communications link in March amid rising regional tensions, but restored it last Friday.
South Korean media say the unanswered calls may suggest that Pyongyang has cut the hotline again.
Huseyin Celik, deputy chairman of Turkey’s ruling AK party, says it is open to the idea of a referendum on controversial plans to redevelop Istanbul’s Gezi Park.
Huseyin Celik hoped the “gesture of goodwill” would clear the area.
But he warned: “Those… who seek to provoke and remain in the park will face the police.”
Police treatment of protesters campaigning against the redevelopment triggered broader demonstrations that have continued since May 31.
“We might put it to a referendum… In democracies only the will of the people counts,” Huseyin Celik said.
“We think that after this gesture of goodwill, people will decide to go home.”
Huseyin Celik’s comments represent the first time that the AK party has openly discussed letting voters decide what happens to the park. Demonstrators have remained there throughout the protests.
There has been a mixed reaction among protesters on Twitter, with some welcoming the proposal and others mistrustful of the authorities.
Turkish media reported on Wednesday that PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan had told the interior minister to end the protests in Gezi Park within 24 hours.
More than 20 opposition MPs have gone to the park to try to prevent any police intervention.
Senior European diplomats have expressed strong concern over Turkey’s response to the protests.
Hundreds of protesters have now gathered in Taksim Square, next to the park, although the square is about half as full as it was on Tuesday.
Police stood back along the edges of the square, which had been clear during the day after a series of violent clashes between police and protesters on Tuesday and overnight.
During the day, Recep Tayyip Erdogan met 11 activists, but protest leaders dismissed the meeting.
Turkey’s AK party is open to the idea of a referendum on controversial plans to redevelop Istanbul’s Gezi Park
In both Istanbul and the capital, Ankara, on Wednesday thousands of lawyers left court in their black robes to march through the streets, protesting against the treatment of their colleagues during demonstrations.
Dozens of lawyers were briefly held in Istanbul on Tuesday as they voiced their opposition to police action to clear the square.
“Our friends who had been detained in Istanbul were taken under custody just because they were reading a press release,” said one of the lawyers in Ankara, Mehmet Toker.
“We are here to defend freedom of speech.”
Demonstrators accuse Recep Tayyip Erdogan of becoming increasingly authoritarian and trying to impose conservative Islamic values on a secular state.
“Oppression has been going on for months,” said another lawyer, Ege Inal.
“The government is exactly like the ones that they have been criticizing. That is why we are here.”
Late in the afternoon, Recep Tayyip Erdogan met a group of 11 people – including artists, architects and a social media specialist – to discuss the situation in Gezi Park.
But those in the park and Taksim Solidarity, an umbrella group seen as most representative of the protesters, said the activists did not speak for them.
“As police violence continues mercilessly… these meetings will in no way lead to a solution,” a statement from Taksim Solidarity said.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan had earlier said protests would no longer be tolerated, dismissing protesters as “looters”.
Turkish President Abdullah Gul, who has taken a more conciliatory line than PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said authorities should listen to protesters’ grievances.
“If people have objections, then to engage in a dialogue with these people, to hear out what they say is no doubt our duty,” he told reporters.
European Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said the unrest represented a “key moment” for Turkey, and a “chance for it to renew its commitment to European values”.
The Turkish Human Rights Foundation said more than 620 people had been injured in Tuesday’s police crackdown.
Since the protests began, four people have been killed, including one policeman and some 5,000 protesters as well as hundreds of police officers are estimated to have been injured.
Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino said the unrest was the “first serious test for the endurance of democracy in Turkey and its accession to Europe”, while German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle expressed his concern in a statement.
“We expect Prime Minister Erdogan to de-escalate the situation, in the spirit of European values, and to seek a constructive exchange and peaceful dialogue,” he said.
Berlin has begun the reconstruction of what was once one of the world’s grandest buildings, King Frederick the Great’s palace.
Some parts of the original building dated back to the 15th Century, but it was destroyed in 1950.
Germany’s President Joachim Gauck laid the foundation stone for the replica.
The project will cost around 600 million euros and is controversial at a time when Germany is urging European countries to rein in their debt.
Most of the bill is being paid by German tax payers.
The plan is to recreate the original ornate facade, but with a modern interior.
Berlin has begun the reconstruction of what was once one of the world’s grandest buildings, King Frederick the Great’s palace
The new palace will house collections of non-European art, scientific pieces, libraries and cultural centres.
It is due to be finished in 2019.
The palace became the principle residence of the kings of Prussia in 1701.
The original palace survived the bombings of the World War II, albeit badly damaged.
But it was dynamited by the communist authorities of East Germany in 1950 and replaced with the Palace of the Republic, which housed the DDR’s parliament and a cultural and leisure centre.
In a reunified Berlin in 2006, that building was torn down to make way for the reconstruction of the original palace.
There has been controversy about the cost of the project at a time of austerity, as well as over the merits of trying to recreate buildings from the past.
Germany has already reproduced, quite faithfully, other destroyed landmarks, including the Adlon Hotel on its original site next to Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate.
President Vladimir Putin has taken the helm of a new political movement called the Popular Front.
The Russian president was appointed by acclamation as head of the movement in front of a crowd of supporters.
The Front is seen by analysts as a way of strengthening Vladimir Putin’s position as the ruling United Russia party has lost support.
It came as thousands of anti-government protesters marched in Moscow to demand Vladimir Putin’s resignation.
Vladimir Putin told his supporters that he hoped the People’s Front would become a “broad public movement” and that it would help citizens with ideas for improvement see them implemented.
He also said he envisaged the movement as a watchdog that would hold those in power to account, “from the president down to the village mayor”.
The speech was interrupted several times by the crowd chanting “Russia!”, “Putin!” and “ONF!” (the Russian initials of the movement).
After the speech a vote was conducted by Vladimir Putin supporter and film director Stanislav Govorukhin.
“Looks like I am going to ask the stupidest question ever,” Stanislav Govorukhin said.
“Who will we nominate as the leader of our movement?”
President Vladimir Putin has taken the helm of a new political movement called the Popular Front
The crowd replied by chanting Vladimir Putin’s name.
“Should we vote? Are there any other candidates?” Stanislav Govorukhin asked.
“Vladimir Vladimirovich, congratulations. I feel for you, it is a big burden,” he concluded.
Correspondents say President Vladimir Putin hopes the new movement will shore up his support after corruption allegations that have hit the pro-Putin United Russia party.
In February, United Russia MP Vladimir Pekhtin had to resign his seat in parliament after anti-corruption campaigners accused him of owning homes in the US. Vladimir Pekhtin had been head of the ethics committee in the Duma, parliament’s lower house.
Meanwhile, opposition activists have marched in Moscow to demand the release of prisoners detained over clashes at an anti-government protest last year.
Ten of 12 people being tried over the Bolotnaya case – named after the Moscow square where the clashes occurred in May last year – had their detention extended last week.
Police say protesters taking part in the demonstrations, which began the day before President Vladimir Putin’s swearing-in in May 2012, turned on them with metal bars and flagstones
Opposition leaders say the authorities provoked the clashes.
On Wednesday, several thousand protesters turned out to support the detainees, led by prominent opposition activist Alexei Navalny.
Alexei Navalny is facing trial on charges of embezzling money from a regional timber firm, which he has rejected as politically motivated.
“You can’t sit at home when the government begins repressions against ordinary, decent citizens of our country – people who don’t want to live in this swamp, people who want to see their country thrive,” activist Vitaly Zolomov told the Associated Press.
Gay rights activists also joined the march, denouncing a law passed on Tuesday by the Duma imposing heavy fines for providing information about homos***ality to people under 18.
