The city of Venice has imposed its first ever ban on motorboats, launches and barges on one of its main waterways, Grand Canal.
Almost all the usual traffic was cleared from the Grand Canal for several hours.
The aim was to draw attention to the city’s environmental problems, and help make the case for more ecologically-sound forms of water transport.
“This initiative is to raise awareness of the pollution and promote the use of electric or hybrid boats,” said a council spokesman.
Down through its history Venice has sometimes been called “La Serenissima”, meaning the “most serene” one.
The name conjures the perfect image of the place; beautiful old palaces standing in the calm of the city’s canals.
The city of Venice has imposed its first ever ban on motorboats, launches and barges on one of its main waterways, Grand Canal
But the day-to-day reality of life in Venice can be a little less than serene. Around 7,000 small craft are registered to use its waterways.
They are an essential part of the private and commercial lives of many Venetians, but the sound of buzzing, growling, or throbbing engines often fills the air.
The boats and barges pollute the water and give off fumes. At the same time, they create waves that continually slap at the crumbling walls of the ancient buildings that line the canals.
The authorities would like to see a gradual switching to electric-powered craft, or boats with hybrid engines.
According to the council spokesperson, work is being done on studies and initiatives that might make this transition easier.
A parade of the kind of environmentally-friendly vessels that the city is trying to promote was to be held on the Grand Canal while it was cleared of other craft on Sunday.
And the idea of the brief ban on traffic on the waterway was welcomed by conservationists.
“It’ll be very nice to have peace and quiet in the centre of Venice, even if it’s just for a few hours,” said Paolo Lamappo, a spokesman for Italia Nostra, which works to preserve the city’s heritage.
He said that Sunday’s initiative should be a “first step”.
“We hope it’ll make Venetians more aware of how lovely the city could be if we insist on boats only with electric power.”
The conservationists say that a particular problem are the two-stroke marine engines that create fumes and smell.
“It comes into the houses along the canals and gets up our noses,” said Paolo Lamappo.
“The pollution is making the walls of our houses crumble.”
Tom Jones is to perform at the legendary West Hollywood nightclub Troubadour as part of a small tour in the US.
The Troubadour is a venue famous for early gigs from fellow greats Sir Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.
Sir Tom Jones, 72, will also take to the stage at Philadelphia’s Theatre of the Living Arts and the Bowery Ballroom in New York during the tour in May.
It will follow Tom Jones’ latest stint as coach on British talent show The Voice.
The concerts were confirmed in a statement on Tom Jones’ official website.
Tom Jones is to perform at the legendary West Hollywood nightclub Troubadour as part of a small tour in the US
The dates, which run from 11 to 18 May, are being held to mark the US launch of Tom Jones’ latest album Spirit In The Room, his second “back-to-basics” collection of blues numbers.
The short US tour will see Tom Jones perform intimate gigs at venues more often frequented by up-and-coming rock bands.
Founded in 1957, the Troubadour on Los Angeles’ Santa Monica Boulevard famously helped establish the careers of numerous bands and singers.
Artists including James Taylor, Carole King, the Eagles, The Byrds, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison and Guns N’ Roses played gigs there in their early days.
Philadelphia’s Theatre of the Living Arts was originally a cinema, while New York’s Bowery Ballroom was built as a shop in the 1920s.
Most recently Tom Jones has performed in front of millions of viewers on the second series of The Voice in UK, in which he returned as a coach for aspiring vocalists alongside Jessie J, will.i.am and The Script’s Danny O’Donoghue.
John Kerry has called on North Korea’s leaders to “come to the table in a responsible way” to end regional tensions.
Speaking in Tokyo, the fourth and final stop on his Asian tour, US Secretary of State John Kerry warned North Korea it risked further isolation if its threats continued.
John Kerry also reaffirmed the US commitment to defend its allies, including Japan.
The countries the US official had visited were united in seeking the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
On Friday John Kerry visited South Korea, and on Saturday he was in China, whose leaders he has said are “very serious” in their pledge to help reduce tensions – and to help end the North Korean nuclear programme.
North Korea has recently threatened attacks against South Korea and the US, sparking alarm in the region.
Speaking in Tokyo, the fourth and final stop on his Asian tour, US Secretary of State John Kerry warned North Korea it risked further isolation if its threats continued
Speculation has been building that the North is preparing a missile launch, following reports that it has moved at least two Musudan ballistic missiles to its east coast.
Japan is within range of these rockets and has been taking precautions, including setting up batteries of US-made Patriot anti-missile systems around the capital and sending two warships to the Sea of Japan, with orders to shoot down any missiles fired towards the Japanese islands.
At a joint news conference with Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, John Kerry said North Korea had to understand by now “that its threats and provocations are only going to isolate it further and impoverish its people even further”.
“The US will do what is necessary to defend our allies against these provocations, but our choice is to negotiate,” he said.
“We would hope that whatever considerations and fears the North has of the US or others in the region they would come to table in responsible way and negotiate that.”
John Kerry stressed that Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo and Washington had “committed to take action together” and to “making that goal of denuclearization a reality”.
Fumio Kishida said their role was to persuade North Korea that its aggressive behavior “will not benefit them in any way whatsoever” and that the international community had to send out this strong message.
Washington and Tokyo have a security alliance dating back to the 1950s, under which Washington is bound to protect Japan if it is attacked.
On Monday, April 15, North Korea will mark the birth of national founder Kim Il-sung. Such occasions are traditionally marked with shows of military strength and it is thought this year the date could be used for a missile launch.
John Kerry has stressed that it would be a “huge mistake” for North Korea to go ahead with a launch, saying it would further isolate the country and that its people are in need of food, not missiles.
Thomas Vonn took to Twitter on Saturday, hours after Tiger Woods was assessed a two-stroke penalty that was first spotted by an alert golf fan watching on television, to joke about his ex-wife’s new beau.
Lindsey Vonn’s ex-husband wrote: “No problem Masters tournament happy to call in and help. You always have to keep an eye on those cheaters ;)”
Lindsey and Thomas Vonn married in 2007 and her husband served as her coach and advisor
Lindsey and Thomas Vonn were married in 2007. With her husband serving as her coach and advisor, Lindsey Vonn became an Olympic and World Cup champion before the partnership dissolved in 2011. A divorce was finalized earlier this year.
“I honestly can’t discuss anything,” Thomas Vonn said when news of the divorce became public.
“It’s just a sad, sad situation. Out of respect for each other, we’re not going to discuss it publicly.”
Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne were one of the most solid couples in music history, after more than three decades of marriage, but things might not be quite as rosy as they seem for them as reports have emerged that the couple are “living apart”.
Sharon Osbourne, 60, and Ozzy Osbourne, 64, who have never hidden the fact that their relationship has been tempestuous, are rumored to have moved out of the mansion that they share and into separate houses.
A source has told The Sun: “They are living at different addresses and are not spending any time together. They row a lot.
“They aren’t acting like husband and wife. It is unusual to not even have dinner together when both of them are five minutes apart.”
According the reports, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne haven’t seen each other for three weeks and have recently moved out of their mansion and into two separate abodes.
Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne are rumored to have moved out of the mansion that they share and into separate houses
Living just two miles apart, Sharon Osbourne is reportedly holed up at the Beverly Hills Hotel for the time being while her husband is staying at a rented property.
A friend of the couple reportedly told The Sun: “Sharon and Ozzy have had plenty of opportunities to meet up but haven’t spent any time together at all.”
They have been spotted on a number of recent occasions without their wedding rings, sparking yet more rumors that their marriage is in jeopardy.
A series of cryptic tweets have also lead to increased speculation, with the couple’s daughter Kelly Osbourne writing last week: “Why does every family in the world have that 1 member that will never get it and is completely ignorant to life in general?”
Sharon Osbourne also sent a tweet alluding to recent difficulties when she responded to one fan in a Twitter Q&A session, saying: “I’ve had a really tough yr & I ask myself the same question, how can I get up every day & smile.”
Sharon met Ozzy Osbourne when she was just 18-years-old and became his manager soon after, tying the knot with him in 1982.
Deftones bassist Chi Cheng, who has been in a semi-conscious state since a 2008 car accident, died early Saturday morning at the age of 42, a family statement announced.
In a statement posted on the fan site Oneloveforchi.com, Chi Cheng’s family writes that the musician was taken to the emergency room where he died at 3 a.m.
“He left this world with me singing songs he liked in his ear,” wrote Jeanne Marie Cheng, or “Mom J” for short.
Deftones vocalist Chino Moreno confirmed Chi Cheng’s passing on his Facebook page.
Chi Cheng suffered major injuries and was left in a coma following a November 2008 car crash in Santa Clara, California. The bassist was driving with his sister when they collided with another car, sending his vehicle rolling. He was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. His sister was wearing hers, and only sustained minor injuries.
Deftones bassist Chi Cheng, who has been in a semi-conscious state since a 2008 car accident, died early Saturday morning at the age of 42
“Chi is one of the strongest people I know, and I’m praying that his strength will get him through this,” Chino Moreno said at the time on the Deftones’ blog.
In the years since, Chi Cheng had been making slow but steady progress in his recovery. In 2009 it was reported that he was no longer in a coma but in a semi-conscious state. In 2010, doctors said the former bassist was “showing signs of improved neuro function”. Recently Chi Cheng regained limited ability to move his legs on command.
Most updates regarding Chi Cheng since his accident have come through the Oneloveforchi site, which was started by fan Gina Blackmore. The site, which is currently down likely due to increased traffic, has raised money for Chi Cheng’s medical expenses and the bassist’s family regularly posts messages there.
Chi Cheng co-founded Deftones in the late 1980s with fellow Sacramentoans Chino Moreno, Stephen Carpenter and Abe Cunningham. He was an integral part of the nu-metal band’s success, performing on their first five albums, released between 1994 and 2006. Commercially the group peaked in 2000 with the platinum-selling White Pony, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and contained the hit Change (In the House of Flies). A self-titled follow-up in 2003 debuted at No. 2.
In late 2008, Deftones were putting the finishing touches on the next full-length album, titled Eros.
Following Chi Cheng’s accident, Deftones ultimately decided to shelve the project and later recruited Sergio Vega, formerly of Quicksand, to play bass. They have released two albums since.
Kim Kardashian headed to Vegas on Saturday to meet her fans at her new perfume GLAM launch.
The destination may seem a little surprising, with six months pregnant Kim Kardashian having previously revealed she has been advised to slow down by her doctors.
Instead the business-minded Kim Kardashian plans to meet her fans and sign a few autographs, and hopefully flog some bottles of her new perfume while she’s at it.
Kim Kardashian explained on her blog: “Hey dolls, I cannot believe I finally get to hang out with you guys tomorrow! I am beyond pumped to see your gorgeous faces.
“We have so much to catch up on and I am dying to share my new GLAM fragrance with you! It is so perf for Spring, it’s a must in my book! See you there!”
Kim Kardashian launches new perfume GLAM in Las Vegas
The 32-year-old reality star showed off her pregnant shape in not one but two great outfits, which flattered her new curves.
To meet her fans in Las Vegas Kim Kardashian wore a pretty red lace dress.
With a high neckline and delicate detailing the dress was conservative and yet suitably festive.
Teamed with matching red lipstick and an attractive plaited hairstyle, the outfit was attractive and feminine.
Earlier Kim Kardashian had dressed her pregnant shape in a lacy silk vest top that skimmed her bump while revealing her new curves.
Teamed with skinny jeans and a jacket to balance her shape, Kim Kardashian looked perfectly put together.
Members of the Venezuelan opposition have made an official complaint against the government following allegations that it broke the law by continuing its electoral campaign on state television.
Venezuela’s acting President Nicolas Maduro appeared on TV visiting the tomb of Hugo Chavez on the eve of the election.
The opposition candidate Henrique Capriles said his opponent was “violating all the electoral norms”.
On Saturday, he launched an internet channel to broadcast his own campaign.
Despite this, Henrique Capriles said he had been “respecting the electoral rules, but those in power don’t know anything other than the abuse of power”.
Almost 19 million Venezuelans will have the right to vote on Sunday for a successor to Hugo Chavez.
Henrique Capriles has made an official complaint against Venezuela’s Acting President Nicolas Maduro for breaking the electoral law
Voting will be electronic – one machine will identify voters’ fingerprints, and a second will recognize identity card numbers and register the vote anonymously.
Polls will open at 06:30 local time and close 10 hours later, although they will stay open until all those queuing at closing time have voted.
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez died on March 5, after a two-year long battle against an undisclosed type of cancer, prompting a short electoral campaign period before Sunday’s elections.
The winner is due to be sworn in on April 19 and serve until January 2019, to complete the six-year term that Hugo Chavez would have begun in January.
Hugo Chavez’s handpicked candidate Nicolas Maduro is seen as the front-runner, but recent polls said the gap between him and his rival, Henrique Capriles, was narrowing.
Both sides staged massive rallies to mark the official end of their campaigns on Thursday.
But since 2002, Hugo Chavez’ supporters have staged celebrations on April 13, the date when the late leader returned to power after a brief coup in 2002.
Venezuelan state television showed Nicolas Maduro visiting the tomb of the late leader, accompanied by the Argentine football star Diego Maradona, who also took part in Maduro’s final rally on Thursday.
“Let’s honor his [Hugo Chavez’s] memory, his legacy,” Nicolas Maduro told Venezuelans in a speech at the tomb.
An interview with the acting president about the short-lived 2002 coup was also broadcast.
On Friday, members of the opposition campaign said they had lodged an official complaint with the Electoral Commission.
Henrique Capriles also complained on Twitter, saying VTV was “shamelessly breaking the electoral rules”.
For his part, Nicolas Maduro said on the micro-blogging site that there was an alleged “dirty war” being plotted against him from Colombia’s capital, Bogota.
Clashes between prisoners and guards have erupted at Guantanamo Bay as authorities moved inmates, many of whom are on hunger strike, out of communal cellblocks.
The move came after detainees covered surveillance cameras and windows, a US Army spokesman said.
He said some prisoners used “improvised weapons” and in response “four less-than-lethal rounds” were fired.
The Pentagon says 43 prisoners are on hunger strike, but lawyers for the detainees say the number is higher.
Almost a dozen are being force-fed, according to military officials.
Clashes between prisoners and guards have erupted at Guantanamo Bay as authorities moved inmates, many of whom are on hunger strike, out of communal cellblocks
There were no “serious injuries to guards or detainees” in Saturday’s clashes, according to Capt Robert Durand of the US military’s Southern Command.
“I know for sure that one detainee was hit but the injuries were minor, just some bruises,” another spokesman, Col. Greg Julian, told the Associated Press.
Lawyers for some of the detainees condemned the camp authorities’ actions.
Carlos Warner, who represents several detainees, told AP that “the military is escalating the conflict”.
Hunger strikes have happened frequently at the US military prison, but this protest, which began in February, is reportedly one of the longest and most widespread.
However, Guantanamo officials deny claims that the strike began after copies of the Koran were mishandled during searches of prisoners’ cells.
Human rights groups and lawyers representing the prisoners say it reflects growing frustration at the US military’s failure to decide the detainees’ future.
Nearly 100 of the detainees have been reportedly cleared for release but remain at the facility because of Congressional restrictions and also concerns of possible mistreatment if they are sent back to their home countries.
The military detention centre opened in 2002 to hold suspects captured in counter-terrorism operations after the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US.
Downing Street has announced that well-known hymns and poems will mark next week’s funeral of former British PM Margaret Thatcher.
Latest details of the funeral ceremony have been published including the hymns To Be A Pilgrim, I Vow to Thee My Country and Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.
The programme features lines from William Wordsworth’s Intimations of Immortality and TS Eliot’s Little Gidding.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people took part in a demonstration condemning Margaret Thatcher in Trafalgar Square, London.
The protesters danced and sang around a large effigy of the late prime minister and chanted slogans.
Scotland Yard says nine people were arrested during Saturday’s protest – five of them for being drunk and disorderly.
Fourteen Chelsea Pensioners – aged from 65 to 90 – will line the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday, April 17, as the cortege and military escort draw up to the sound of a half-muffled bell.
Margaret Thatcher, who died at the age of 87 on April 8, had strong connections to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, home of the Pensioners, over the last 10 years. The Margaret Thatcher Infirmary opened there in 2009.
Downing Street has announced that well-known hymns and poems will mark next week’s funeral of former British PM Margaret Thatcher
The coffin will be carried into and out of the cathedral by bearers from military units closely associated with the Falklands campaign.
The processional band will be a band of the Royal Marines and there will be a gun salute at the Tower of London.
Senior politicians and foreign heads of state will take their seats under the dome of St Paul’s before members of the Thatcher family followed by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh are escorted from the Great West Door.
In front of the coffin, the former prime minister’s grandchildren Michael and Amanda Thatcher will carry cushions bearing the insignia of two orders she was appointed to – the Order of the Garter and the Order of Merit – and lay them on the Dome Altar.
At the foot of the lectern there will be arrangements of white lilies and greenery.
Amanda Thatcher and PM David Cameron will deliver the two readings from the King James Bible.
Downing Street said Margaret Thatcher wanted the service to be “framed” by British music.
It will include compositions by Henry Purcell, Gustav Holst, John Ireland, Herbert Howells, Edward Elgar, Frank Bridge, Charles Stanford, Hubert Parry and Ralph Vaughan Williams – as well as Johannes Brahms, Gabriel Faure and Johann Sebastian Bach.
The Bishop of London Richard Chartres will preach, and the blessing will be given by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.
The ticket-only funeral will be followed by a private cremation. Margaret Thatcher’s family have asked well-wishers to consider making a donation to the Royal Hospital Chelsea, rather than giving flowers.
Downing Street says Margaret Thatcher’s estate has offered to will make a contribution to the costs of the funeral.
The former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott has criticized plans for taxpayers’ money to be used for funeral costs.
In his Sunday Mirror column, Lord Prescott writes: “Thatcher split this country…. This country paid enough thanks to that woman. So why the hell should we continue to pay now she’s dead?”
A ComRes online poll of 2,012 people on April 10-11 found that 60% of those asked opposed state funding for the funeral, while 25% supported it.
The poll was carried out for the Independent on Sunday and the Sunday Mirror.
Margaret Thatcher has been awarded a ceremonial funeral with military honors – one step down from a state funeral.
However, it has been reported that Lady Thatcher herself insisted she did not want her body to lie in state or money to be spent on a fly-past. But it was also her wish that the armed forces play a key part in the ceremony.
Downing Street said Margaret Thatcher had requested her body rest overnight in Parliament’s Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, and the Queen had given her consent.
About 100 people will be invited to a short service on Tuesday evening led by the Dean of Westminster, which will be attended by her family, MPs and peers.
On Wednesday, Margaret Thatcher’s coffin will travel by hearse to the Church of St Clement Danes – the Central Church of the Royal Air Force – on the Strand.
The coffin will then be transferred to a gun carriage drawn by the King’s Troop Royal Artillery and taken in procession from St Clement Danes to St Paul’s Cathedral. The route will be lined by military personnel from all three services.
The Metropolitan Police acknowledges the “potential for protest” but says it will want to ensure the wishes of those paying their respects will be upheld.
Meanwhile, a memorial service will be held later at Finkin Street Methodist Church in Margaret Thatcher’s home town of Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Margaret Thatcher’s father Alfred Roberts was a lay preacher at the church and she went to Sunday school there.
Later in the day the UK singles chart position of Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead, a song at the centre of an anti-Margaret Thatcher campaign, will also become known.
Sales of the song, from the 1939 musical film the Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland, have soared since Margaret Thatcher’s death.
Francine Wheeler, the mother of a victim of last year’s Sandy Hook shootings, has replaced President Barack Obama to deliver the weekly US presidential radio address.
Francine Wheeler, whose 6-year-old son Ben was killed in Sandy Hook shooting last year, used the nationally-broadcast statement to call for tighter gun controls.
Asking a citizen to deliver the weekly address is a highly unusual move.
The move comes as Barack Obama attempts to ratchet up pressure on the US Congress, which is due to debate new gun laws.
In an often emotional statement, Francine Wheeler recalled waiting for her son to return home following the shootings, and said the “tidal wave of anguish” resulting from that day had yet to recede.
She said new gun laws were needed to prevent more deaths.
Francine Wheeler, the mother of a victim of last year’s Sandy Hook shootings, has replaced President Barack Obama to deliver the weekly US presidential radio address
“We have to convince the Senate to come together and pass commonsense gun responsibility reforms that will make our communities safer and prevent more tragedies like the one we never thought would happen to us,” she said.
Francine Wheeler’s son Ben was killed along with 19 other children and six staff when 20-year-old Adam Lanza opened fire at his elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.
The address was broadcast on radio and released as a video online.
This week senators are due to debate new laws that will extend background checks to gun sales made at gun shows and over the internet.
The measures are the result of a bipartisan deal struck between Republican and Democrat senators last week.
Senators later voted to debate the legislation, but no new laws have yet been passed.
A White House call for a ban on assault weapons and a limit to the capacity of ammunition magazines that can be sold has not gained traction among lawmakers.
In a statement President Barack Obama said Francine Wheeler’s message was one that “every American should hear”.
“This shouldn’t be about politics,” the president said.
“This is about doing the right thing for families that have been torn apart by gun violence, and for all our families going forward.”
The influence of America’s gun lobby in Washington remains strong, and means the measures being discussed are by no means certain to become law.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has hailed China for being “very serious” about a pledge to help resolve tensions over North Korea’s nuclear programme.
The US and China earlier said they were committed to the “denuclearization” of the Korean peninsula.
John Kerry said the two sides would hold further meetings “to bear down very quickly” on how to achieve that goal.
North Korea has recently threatened attacks against South Korea and the US, amid a flurry of bellicose statements.
Speculation has also built that the North was preparing a missile launch, following reports that it had moved at least two Musudan ballistic missiles to its east coast.
John Kerry has said any such launch would be a “huge mistake”.
After a day of meetings in Beijing with President Xi Jinping and other top Chinese officials on Saturday, he said both governments called on North Korea “to refrain from any provocative steps and that obviously refers to any future missile shoot”.
State John Kerry has hailed China for being “very serious” about a pledge to help resolve tensions over North Korea’s nuclear programme
John Kerry, who is on a four-day tour of Asia, continues to Japan on Sunday.
Following John Kerry’s meetings, China’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi said his country’s position was “clear cut”.
“China is firmly committed to upholding peace and stability and advancing the denuclearization process on the Korean peninsula,” he said, adding that the issue should be resolved “peacefully through dialogue”.
No specifics were given, though John Kerry said the two sides would hold “further discussions to bear down very quickly with great specificity on exactly how we will accomplish this goal”.
He later told reporters that the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Martin Dempsey, would visit Beijing later this month accompanied by intelligence officials.
He said he wanted to ensure that the pledges made on Saturday were “not just rhetoric”, adding: “There is no question in my mind that China is very serious – very serious – about denuclearizing.”
China is North Korea’s only ally and major trading partner, but has grown increasingly frustrated with its growing belligerence.
However, persuading China to increase the pressure on North Korea will not be easy.
China is still North Korea’s lifeline, and Beijing is unlikely to cut vital supplies of food and fuel since it feels that may make the North even more desperate and unpredictable.
On Saturday John Kerry raised the prospect that if North Korea stopped its nuclear programme – “if the threat disappears” – then the US would no longer have “the same imperative… to have that kind of robust, forward-leaning posture”.
Since the UN imposed fresh sanctions on North Korea in February in response to its third nuclear test, Pyongyang has promised to restart a mothballed nuclear reactor and threatened a nuclear strike against the US mainland.
It has also shut an emergency military hotline to South Korea, and urged diplomatic staff to leave, saying it cannot guarantee their safety.
North Korea says it has also been angered by joint US-South Korean military exercises.
On Saturday, a commentary piece on Chinese state news agency Xinhua said Washington had itself “been fanning the flames” by sending military reinforcements to the region.
But during his trip, John Kerry has stressed that the US has tried to tone down its own statements, and cancelled some military exercises in an effort to defuse tension.
Though North Korea’s rhetoric has been more bellicose than usual, analysts say it fits a long-standing pattern, and may be intended to boost the popularity of Kim Jong-un, who came to power last year.
Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad has resigned, after a long-running dispute with President Mahmoud Abbas.
Official Palestinian news agency Wafa said Mahmoud Abbas accepted Salam Fayyad’s resignation after they met in person.
The president asked him to remain as caretaker until a new government is formed.
Salam Fayyad’s resignation is a major blow for US efforts to restart the long-stalled peace process with Israel.
His resignation is the climax of long-running and increasingly bitter dispute between the prime minister and the president.
They have been at odds over economic policy since Finance Minister Nabil Kassis quit last month, and rumors were rife that Salam Fayyad would step down.
Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad has resigned, after a long-running dispute with President Mahmoud Abbas
Salam Fayyad accepted Nabil Kassis’s resignation, but he was subsequently overruled by Mahmoud Abbas, challenging his authority.
Mahmoud Abbas reportedly waited several days before accepting Salam Fayyad’s resignation.
It comes despite recent attempts by US Secretary of State John Kerry to reconcile the two men.
Salam Fayyad, 61, was seen as a key person in US attempts to restart peace negotiations with Israel.
Mahmoud Abbas may now struggle to replace him with someone who can match his level of international credibility.
He is expected to name a new prime minister within days.
Salam Fayyad has been prime minister of the Palestinian Authority since 2007.
A former IMF official, he is widely respected among international organizations and donors.
He is considered a liberal and politically independent, being a member of neither Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party, nor of rivals Hamas, who control the Gaza Strip.
In recent months Salam Fayyad has proved unpopular with both parties, partly due to his economic policies at a time when the Palestinian Authority is in financial crisis.
Hamas welcomed Salam Fayyad’s decision to stand down. Spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said he and his government “worked to protect the Zionist occupation and US interests”.
Ireland Baldwin sported the all American girl look at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Friday.
Ireland Baldwin, 17, stuck to her favorite style of showing off her legs as she wore a pair of tiny ripped denim shorts.
The aspiring model flew the flag for the United States of America by kitting herself out in the star spangled banner at every opportunity.
Ireland Baldwin was joined by her boyfriend Slater Trout at Coachella festival
Ireland Baldwin was joined by her boyfriend Slater Trout who was keen to show off his biceps in a sleeveless black vest.
Slater Trout arrived in Los Angeles on Wednesday, according to his Twitter page, as he and Ireland Baldwin geared up to attend the Coachella music festival in the California desert.
Ireland Baldwin has been dating the athlete since late last year, and the two have even exchanged promise rings.
“One special person has the matching custom ring and the other half of the heart, I never go anywhere without wearing these now #theessentials #whitegold,” Slater Trout wrote on April 9.
World’s No 1 golfer Tiger Woods has been given a two-stroke penalty at the Masters in Augusta, avoiding the threat of disqualification.
Tiger Woods, 37, said his second-round drop at the 15th was taken “two yards away” from the original position, which should have incurred a two-stroke penalty rather than the one for finding water.
That meant the golfer signed an incorrect scorecard, for which the penalty is usually disqualification.
Tiger Woods said on Saturday he was unaware at the time he had violated any rules.
He started his third round on one under, five behind leader Jason Day.
The US Golf Association rule 26-1a states that a player must take their drop “as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played”.
Tiger Woods has been given a two-stroke penalty at the Masters in Augusta, avoiding the threat of disqualification
After being alerted by a television viewer to a possible breach of that rule, Masters officials decided there was no case for Tiger Woods to answer.
After the golfer revealed in his post-round news conference that he had dropped the ball away from its original position, officials revisited the issue.
After meeting Tiger Woods on Saturday the officials decided to apply a recent reinterpretation of the rules,meaning that rather than disqualifying the four-time Masters winner they would only levy a two-shot penalty.
The amendment was made to stop players from being disqualified for signing the wrong scorecard when television pictures later showed they had unknowingly moved the ball.
Fred Ridley, chairman of the competition committee, said: “After meeting with the player, it was determined that he had violated Rule 26 and he was assessed a two-stroke penalty.
“The penalty of disqualification was waived by the Committee under Rule 33 as the Committee had previously reviewed the information and made its initial determination prior to the finish of the player’s round.”
Before beginning his third round, Tiger Woods said he accepted the penalty.
“At hole #15, I took a drop that I thought was correct and in accordance with the rules. I was unaware at that time I had violated any rules,” he tweeted.
“I didn’t know I had taken an incorrect drop prior to signing my scorecard. Subsequently, I met with the Masters Committee Saturday morning and was advised they had reviewed the incident prior to the completion of my round.
“Their initial determination was that there was no violation, but they had additional concerns based on my post-round interview.
“After discussing the situation with them this morning, I was assessed a two-shot penalty. I understand and accept the penalty and respect the Committee’s decision.”
Tiger Woods, who at one stage shared the lead with Day on Friday, was unlucky to find trouble at the 15th when his approach hit the pin and rolled back into the water.
He returned to where he played the original stroke, eventually carding a six at the par-five hole, before revealing in his post-round news conference that he may have dropped the ball further away than permitted.
“I went down to the drop area, that wasn’t going to be a good spot,” he said.
“And it was a little bit wet. So it was muddy and not a good spot to drop.
“So I went back to where I played it from, but I went two yards further back.”
Even though Tiger Woods was able to continue his quest for a fifth Green Jacket, three-time Masters champion Nick Faldo believes the American should have disqualified himself from the tournament.
Macaulay Culkin took the stage at an indie concert on a boat in Bristol, UK, singing Beach Boys’ song Kokomo.
The former child star was earlier this week belting out Kokomo when he took to the stage as Adam Green’s special guest much to the surprise of the gig goers.
Macaulay Culkin, 32,, who has looked far removed from his angelic child star self for some time now, seemed right at home in front of the 200-strong crowd.
Wearing his blond hair off his face and a pair of sunglasses on his face, it’s no surprise that many failed to believe it was him.
According to The Mirror, Macaulay Culkin, who was dressed in a plaid shirt, shouted: “I’ve come all the way from America.”
Macaulay Culkin took the stage at an indie concert on a boat in Bristol singing Beach Boys’ song Kokomo
A spokesperson for the venue Thekla, where the remarkable incident happened, told the paper: “He just turned up as a surprise guest.
“Adam said we’d recognize him from Home Alone, but still nobody believed it.
“When he got on stage it was surreal at first, then people started realizing it was him.”
It isn’t the first time Macaulay Culkin has joined The Moldy Peaches frontman on stage and the pair even starred in The Wrong Ferarri together.
On this occasion Macaulay Culkin, who is currently in the UK, stepped in when Adam Green’s singing partner Binki Shapiro fell ill.
Just the day after Macaulay Culkin was spotted wandering around London, mere streets away from where his ex Mila Kunis is currently staying.
PSY performed his new single Gentleman and its accompanying dance at a concert in Seoul on Saturday as he spoke about how he hopes North Koreans will enjoy his music even as tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula.
PSY released Gentleman in 119 countries on Friday, hoping to replicate the success of Gangnam Style, the smash YouTube hit that made him an international star almost overnight last year.
The choreography for Gentleman – including the arrogant dance, as PSY called it – was unveiled at a Seoul concert in front of more than 50,000 fans. The music video has now been uploaded onto YouTube.
Wearing a black and white houndstooth blazer PSY took to the stage amid a frenzy of screams.
PSY’s concert, which was titled Happening, was sold out and the cool performer certainly put on a show for his loyal fans.
PSY, whose real name is Park Jae-sang, said on Saturday that he regretted the current tensions between South Korea and North Korea.
PSY performed his new single Gentleman and its accompanying dance at a concert in Seoul
The situation has been grabbing global headlines, with North Korea becoming increasingly belligerent with war rumblings, leaving its neighbors wary of a possible missile test by Pyongyang.
“It’s a tragedy. We are the only countries divided right now,” PSY said at a news conference ahead of the concert.
North Korea and South Korea, which are divided by heavily fortified borders, are technically still at war, with the 1950-53 Korean War ending with a cease-fire, not a peace treaty.
PSY said he hoped North Koreans would enjoy his new music. He said his job was to make all people, including North Koreans, laugh.
“Hopefully my Gangnam Style, my Gentleman, my music videos and my choreography… they might enjoy them too,” he said.
When the Gangnam Style video went viral last year, it spun legions of parodies.
Even North Korea’s government created a parody video of the hit, showing that the secretive country is well-versed in South Korean popular culture.
North Korea used its Gangnam Style parody to criticize Park Geun-hye, then the presidential candidate for South Korea’s ruling party. Park Geun-hye was inaugurated as South Korea’s new president in February.
PSY’s Gangnam Style video, featuring his much-mimicked horse-riding dance, made him one of the best-known Koreans in the world.
Gangnam Style is the most watched video of all time on YouTube, gathering more than 1.5 billion views since its release in July.
PSY acknowledged that the massive success of Gangnam Style added to the pressure as he worked on his latest single, but he said he tried to remain true to himself and his Korean roots.
“I tried to find Korean words that people from any country can easily sing along,” he said of Gentleman, which contains lyrics both in English and Korean.
PSY co-composed the music and wrote the lyrics, which poke fun at a self-claimed gentleman who enjoys his time at a dance club.
Audiences have questioned whether PSY will be a one-hit wonder known only for Gangnam Style.
The South Korean musician, whose humble
personality has endeared him to his fans at home since he made his debut more than a decade ago, shrugs off the skepticism.
“Whether or not a couple of my songs become a global hit, I’ve been doing this job for 12 years,” PSY said.
“I will bring more Korean dance moves and Korean songs overseas.”
Redoine Faid, a notorious convicted armed robber, is being hunted by police in northern France after staging a dramatic escape from prison.
Prisoner Redoine Faid set off a series of explosions and took four guards hostage during the escape from Sequedin prison, outside Lille.
Police say the criminal is armed and still in possession of explosives.
Redoine Faid is a well-known criminal in France, where he was imprisoned for a series of robberies.
In 2009 he wrote a book about his experiences of growing up in Paris’s crime-ridden suburbs and graduating into a life of crime.
Redoine Faid set off a series of explosions and took four guards hostage during the escape from Sequedin prison, outside Lille
Redoine Faid claimed to have turned his back on crime, but police believe he was the mastermind behind a 2010 robbery in which a policewoman was killed.
He was returned to prison in 2011 for breaching parole conditions relating to his earlier convictions.
Police say Redoine Faid may have been given the explosives by his wife when she visited him on Saturday morning.
He then used them to blast through five prison doors, taking hostages with him.
The criminal used a getaway car to escape, which he later set fire to, transferring to another vehicle, which the police are still trying to track.
The hostages were released during the escape, outside the prison and along a highway.
State prosecutor Frederic Fevre told AFP that Redoine Faid was a “particularly dangerous prisoner”.
Local officials said the escape was clearly well organized, but were still trying to put the facts together.
According to his newly-released tax returns documents, President Barack Obama made $608,611 in 2012, down more than 20% from 2011.
The decline in Barack Obama’s pay comes as sales of his books slow.
Barack Obama’s presidential salary is $400,000.
The President and First Lady Michelle Obama paid an effective tax rate of 18.4% and donated $150,034 to 33 different charities.
Barack Obama’s tax rate will rise next year under a recent agreement with Congressional Republicans.
President Barack Obama made $608,611 in 2012, down more than 20 percent from 2011
“Under the president’s own tax proposals, including limitations on the value of tax preferences for high-income households, he would pay more in taxes while ensuring we cut taxes for the middle class and those trying to get in it,” said White House press secretary Jay Carney in a statement accompanying the release of the president’s and vice-president’s tax returns.
President Barack Obama also paid $29,450 of state income tax in Illinois, the White House said.
About two-thirds of the Obamas’ charitable contributions were given to the Fisher House Foundation, an organization that provides assistance to military servicemen, veterans and their families.
Barack Obama’s earnings have declined significantly from 2009.
In 2009, Barack Obama’s first year in office, he earned $5.5 million, mostly from sales of his books Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope.
Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife Jill reported $385,072 of income and paid $87,851 of federal tax.
Pope Francis has appointed a group of cardinals to advise him on how to reform the Vatican’s often arcane bureaucracy.
The Catholic Church’s new leader chose eight cardinals and a bishop who between them represent nearly every continent, and only one of whom is currently a Vatican official.
The bureaucracy, or Curia, has been blamed for the Church’s hesitant response to sex abuse and other crises.
It is nearly 50 years since the Vatican’s last major reforms.
The cardinals who elected Pope Francis last month were strongly critical about basic failings of the Curia under Pope Emeritus Benedict.
Pope Francis has appointed a group of cardinals to advise him on how to reform the Vatican’s often arcane bureaucracy
The cardinals include two Europeans (from Italy and Germany), two from Latin America (Chile and Honduras), one from the US, one from Asia (India), one African and one Australian. An Italian bishop will act as secretary.
Announcing the appointments, the Vatican said Pope Francis had got the idea of forming the advisory body from meetings ahead of his election by cardinals last month.
Pope Paul VI undertook the last major reform of the Vatican bureaucracy in 1967.
The new group is to have its first meeting on October 1-3.
Earlier this week the pontiff met personally all 300 staff members of the Vatican’s secretariat of state, the body responsible for carrying out Church policies.
Some radical reforms are expected soon, although Pope Francis is moving cautiously given the complexity and sensitivity of Church government.
Scandals have included clerical sexual abuse, financial problems at the Vatican bank and the theft of documents from Pope Benedict’s desk.
Eric Schmidt, Google chief and one of the world’s influential figures in digital technology, has called for civilian drone tech to be regulated, warning about privacy and security concerns.
Cheap miniature versions of the unmanned aircraft used by militaries could fall into the wrong hands, Eric Schmidt told TheGuardian newspaper.
Quarrelling neighbors, the Google chief suggested, might end up buzzing each other with private surveillance drones.
Eric Schmidt also warned of the risk of terrorists using the new technology.
He is believed to have close relations with President Barack Obama, whom he advises on matters of science and technology.
Eric Schmidt has called for civilian drone technology to be regulated, warning about privacy and security concerns
“You’re having a dispute with your neighbor,” he told The Guardian in an interview printed on Saturday.
“How would you feel if your neighbor went over and bought a commercial observation drone that they can launch from their backyard. It just flies over your house all day. How would you feel about it?”
Warning of mini-drones’ potential as a terrorist weapon, he said: “I’m not going to pass judgment on whether armies should exist, but I would prefer to not spread and democratize the ability to fight war to every single human being.”
“It’s got to be regulated… It’s one thing for governments, who have some legitimacy in what they’re doing, but have other people doing it… it’s not going to happen.”
Small drones, such as flying cameras, are already available worldwide, and non-military surveillance were recently introduced to track poachers in the remote Indian state of Assam.
The US and Israel have led the way in recent years in using drones as weapons of war as well as for surveillance.
America’s Federal Aviation Administration is currently exploring how commercial drones, or unmanned aircraft systems, can be safely introduced into US airspace.
Tom Cruise let his guard down for the Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Friday as he played a game of egg roulette with the show host and lost.
Tom Cruise, 50, picked from an assortment of raw and boiled eggs for the gag, and found out soon in the game things were about to get really messy.
The actor and the show host took turns picking from a carton holding eight boiled eggs and four raw eggs and smashed their chosen egg against their head. The game ends when someone breaks two raw eggs on their head and loses.
Tom Cruise went first and promptly smashed a raw egg against his hair, prompting Jimmy Fallon to double over in laughter.
“I told you I didn’t have a good feeling about this, man,” Tom Cruise told Jimmy Fallon with a smile.
Tom Cruise let his guard down for the Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Friday as he played a game of egg roulette with the show host and lost
Jimmy Fallon went next and picked a hard-boiled egg.
Tom Cruise on his second pick again chose a raw egg and broke it against his head.
It wasn’t the first time that Tom Cruise and Jimmy Fallon squared off.
They went eye-to-eye last December in a Water War game, which is based on the card game War and includes lots of water.
The winner of each hand got to douse his opponent with a cup of water and the first to run out of cups won the right to blast the loser with a toy water cannon.
Tom Cruise won and thoroughly drenched Jimmy Fallon.
The Hollywood star has been making the talk show circuit lately to promote his new sci-film Oblivion.
Tom Cruise visited Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday night and also took part in a skit.
Jimmy Kimmel gave Tom Cruise an acting challenge by having him deliver ridiculous lines in a dramatic overtone.
“Is there a way to get the soup and the salad?” Tom Cruise asked as he was illuminated on the couch with a spotlight.
The actor ended the dramatic query with his patented muscle-flurrying jaw clench.
In his new movie, Oblivion, Tom Cruise plays Jack Harper, a former Marine commander, in the sci-fi flick set in a not-too-distant future of 2073.
Jack Harper is stationed on a fallen Earth following an alien invasion 60 years earlier.
The character comes across an enigmatic stranger played by Olga Kurylenko who crash lands in a spacecraft and Jack Harper is forced to question what he knows about Earth’s near-destruction and life as he knows it.
Oblivion also features British star Andrea Riseborough, Melissa Leo and Morgan Freeman and opens on April 19.
Kris Jenner was snapped having her legs touched up with what appeared to be spray tan while on a photoshoot for E! with daughter Kourtney Kardashain and future son-in-law Scott Disick in Los Angeles on Friday.
Kris Jenner, 57, was seen holding up her dress while a male make-up artist crouched down with a sponge and a bottle, spraying and blending the liquid on the back of her legs.
The momager then received further help as an assistant came on the scene to hold up her dress for her as her legs were attended to.
Kris Jenner was barefoot as she received the dedicated treatment, wearing just a short yellow dress and a crisp white shirt.
She upped the glamour factor with bright red lipstick and thick black eyeliner, made even more dramatic with her short jetblack hair.
Kris Jenner was snapped having her legs touched up with what appeared to be spray tan while on a photoshoot
Kris Jenner was also seen standing with Scott Disick, leaning in as she took a cellphone snap with him.
Her cellphone bore a sticker that said: “Queen of f****ing everything.”
They were photographed near a swimming pool at the luxury home of good friend, attorney Mark Garagos.
Kris Jenner appeared excited to be on the shoot, tweeting a picture of herself as she had her make-up done with the caption: “Glammin for our E! Shoot with @joycebonelli #familyfunday.”
The reality star also tweeted a link to a video of Khloe Kardashian having her hair and make-up done for the shoot, while her husband Bruce Jenner and Scott Disick milled about.
Laurene Powell Jobs – Steve Jobs’ widow – opened up for the first time since her husband’s death speaking about his lasting legacy that inspires her to fulfill her passions in an interview with NBC’s Brian Williams on Rock Center that aired Friday night.
Laurene Powell Jobs spoke about how Steve Jobs left both a personal and a private legacy, only one of which she feels comfortable talking about now that he is dead.
“In the public [legacy] we see the products that he created, that he cared so deeply about that changed all of our lives- the way that we function and communicate,” she said.
“What he wanted to do in his life was create tools that allow people to work at the highest level, and I think he did that. So that legacy is beautiful for me to live with.”
Laurene Powell Jobs speaks out for the first time since Steve Jobs’ death on Rock Center
Laurene Powell Jobs, who continues Steve Jobs’ tradition of being notoriously private, agreed to be interviewed because she is working with a documentary filmmaker to promote immigration reform.
As part of the preconditions for the interview, Laurene Powell Jobs made it clear that she would not talk about her famous husband’s death.
She paid a small tribute to her husband of 20 years by praising him as a father and partner.
“His private legacy with me and the kids is that of husband and father, and we miss him every day,” Laurene Powell Jobs said.
Steve Jobs was known for his intense work ethic, and even he admitted that part of the reason why he allowed a biographer to interview him repeatedly before his death was so that his children could get a full portrait of the work he did while away from his family.
In addition to the more than 650-page tome, Laurene Powell Jobs told how the myriad of Apple products that he created also serve as living memorials.
“Having the body of work surrounding us is actually a really beautiful reminder and I find it touching and inspiring for me to make sure that I continue to do what I’m most passionate about and I hope my kids feel the same way,” she said.
That passion has driven Laurene Powell Jobs to work with Academy Award-winning director Davis Guggenheim to create and promote the film The Dream is Now which unveils the plight of students raised in the US who are pushed out of the country because they are undocumented immigrants.
Chinese authorities have reported the first case of H7N9 “bird flu” in Beijing after a 7-year-old girl has been hospitalized in the capital.
The girl, whose parents are poultry traders, developed a fever, sore throat and headache on Thursday. Her condition is said to be stable.
Two people in close contact with the child were quarantined for observation but have shown no symptoms so far.
The UN had recorded 28 cases and nine deaths in China as of Wednesday.
Chinese authorities have reported the first case of H7N9 bird flu in Beijing after a 7-year-old girl has been hospitalized in the capital
There are no reported cases outside the country, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
China’s national disease control centre confirmed on Saturday that the girl take ill in Beijing had the H7N9 virus.
The first cases of the virus were reported in February, in eastern China.
According to the WHO, there is no evidence that the H7N9 virus is being transmitted between people, and most cases come from poultry.
International health experts have commended China on its transparency in reporting the spread of the virus, in sharp contrast to its handling of a Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, when 8,096 people were infected worldwide and 744 died.
