Snooki showed off her 42 lb weight loss the WWE Superstars for Sandy Relief at Cipriani in New York City on Thursday night.
Snooki, 25, gave birth to baby Lorenzo six months ago and is no surprise that she is eager to take every opportunity she can to show off her shrinking frame.
The Jersey Shore star sported a short black mini dress, bright gold belt and strappy heels for the New York event.
Snooki’s slimmed down legs and thinner face was clear to see as she posed on the red carpet with her long dark hair dipped in purple dye at the ends.
An oversized gold envelope style clutch bag and a chunky necklace completed her look.
Snooki showed off her 42 lb weight loss the WWE Superstars for Sandy Relief at Cipriani in New York City
Snooki, real name Nicole Polizzi, was reunited with fellow Jersey Shore castmates Ronnie Ortiz-Magro and Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola.
Joined by the star’s fiancé Jionni Lavalle, the trio spent some of the party catching up together and Snooki posted a photograph of the quartet on her Twitter page.
“With my love bugs @mtvronnie @samxoswthrt @jlavalle5,” Snooki wrote alongside the snap.
The stars have a vested interest in raising money for the hurricane’s relief effort, with much of their beloved Jersey Shore affected by last year’s storm.
The party was hosted by Sean “Diddy” Combs and marked part of WrestleMania week, with proceeds benefitting The Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, both of which continue to provide assistance in the wake of the storm.
Snooki recently appeared on the Dr. Oz TV show where she encouraged dieters to stick to their weight loss plans.
“If I can lose 42 lbs. after giving birth six months [ago], I mean, anybody could do it,” she told the show.
“You just need the dedication, and you need to want to have your body back.”
Snooki reached 109 lbs in January this year after gaining more than 40 during her pregnancy.
Justin Bieber ditched his top and was seen walking back to his tour bus with his shirt slung over his shoulder in Frankfurt on Thursday.
The thermometer was struggling to get above zero in the city but the singer didn’t seem to mind the freezing temperatures.
Justin Bieber, 19, had his jeans riding low and his white underwear was left on show, as he strolled to the coach.
Justin Bieber ditched his top and was seen walking back to his tour bus with his shirt slung over his shoulder in Frankfurt on Thursday
The teen idol has been spotted shirtless on a number of occasions in recent weeks, including during his turbulent stay in London and as he made his way through security in Poland just last week.
Justin Bieber may well be feeling invincible after a number of schools changed their timetables because of his Believe tour.
Five schools in Norway swapped their exam dates to ensure students can attend Justin Bieber’s concerts at the Telenor arena later this month, according to reports.
Kristin Halvorsen, Norway’s education minister told Associated Press: “I am concerned that students should be concentrating when they take tests and midterms. The local schools have the responsibility to schedule the local midterms, and if they think there is any reason to change the dates, they have authority to do so. We’ve all been 14 years old and know that interests can be intense.”
Ireland Baldwin kicked off her modeling career with a sizzling swimsuit spread in the New York Post on Thursday.
Ireland Baldwin showcased her statuesque figure in a variety of candy-colored bikinis while aboard an 80-foot yacht on the Hudson River.
The 17-year-old daughter of Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger even braved New York’s chilly 40-degree temperatures while looking every bit the pro for her first big shoot the New York Post.
Ireland Baldwin flaunted her long pins and ample curves in everything from a sunny yellow two-piece, red halter bikini, and a beige snakeskin one-piece.
Ireland Baldwin kicked off her modeling career with a sizzling swimsuit spread in the New York Post on Thursday
She is clearly the fashion world’s latest “It Girl” with upcoming features in W magazine and Vanity Fair.
“Shooting with the famous Patrick DeMarchelier today! I’m incredibly blessed,” the six-foot-two stunner tweeted on Thursday to her 30,000 followers.
Before now, Ireland Baldwin was best remembered in the media as “a thoughtless little pig” courtesy of her famous father’s furious 2007 phone rant.
Ironically, she chose to make her debut in the New York Post since Alec Baldwin has had a notoriously torrid relationship with the publication.
However, Ireland and Alec Baldwin “text and talk on the phone all the time” now, and they celebrated his 55th birthday together after his Broadway play, Orphans, last Monday.
North Korea has asked foreign embassies in Pyongyang that might wish to get staff out if there is a war to submit plans to it by April 10, Reuters agency has reported.
Initial reports by Russia’s Foreign Ministry and China’s Xinhua news agency suggested that North Korea had suggested that embassies should consider closing because of the risk of conflict.
The request came amid a military buildup by the US in South Korea following North Korea’s warnings that war was inevitable.
“We believe they have taken this step as part of their continuing rhetoric that the U.S. poses a threat to them,” Britain’s Foreign Office said in a statement after the reports from Russia and China.
North Korea has asked foreign embassies in Pyongyang that might wish to get staff out if there is a war to submit plans to it by April 10
A British diplomatic official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that European Union embassies in Pyongyang had been summoned to deliver their evacuation plans.
Under the Vienna Convention that governs diplomatic missions, host governments are required to facilitate the exit of embassy staff in the event of conflict.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said earlier that North Korea had “proposed that the Russian side consider the evacuation of employees in the increasingly tense situation”, according to Denis Samsonov, a spokesman for its embassy in Pyongyang.
A report from Chinese state news agency Xinhua chimed with the Russian report, saying that Pyongyang had asked embassies to consider evacuation if the situation deteriorated.
North Korea, ruled by 30-year old Kim Jong-un, has not issued any statement indicating which of the conflicting reports was true. (Reuters)
Millie Mackintosh has revealed the cellulite-busting secret weapon she uses to keep her lithe legs in tip top shape: she is a huge fan of [ comfort zone ] Body Strategist+ Remodeller.
Speaking about the luxury Italian spa anti-cellulite cream, 23-year-old Millie Mackintosh said: “I slather this on morning and night after body brushing.”
“It keeps my legs looking smooth and cellulite free,” Professor Green’s bride-to-be said.
Millie Mackintosh has revealed the cellulite-busting secret weapon she uses to keep her lithe legs in tip top shape
The $68 [ comfort zone ] Body Strategist+ Remodeller is a visible remodelling double action cream.
The anti-cellulite cream has a thermogenic emulsion, which is a hot and cold effect.
The heat from this product causes an intense action that increases circulation in the targeted area once applied and this breaks down the fats that cause cellulite.
Other famous fans of the [ comfort zone ] range include Emma Watson, Kimberley Walsh and Yasmin Le Bon.
Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga and National Rifle Association head Wayne LaPierre are the newest targets of a group that claims it has hacked the financial data of 38 celebrities, sports stars and public officials.
The hacker group made headlines last month for posting documents that it said exposed personal details about bold-faced names including First Lady Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney and Vice President Joe Biden (See full list below).
The site where the group published its information, which was believed to be hosted in Russia, went offline weeks later.
The website reappeared today, apparently based on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean.
TMZ.com first reported the new leak. The FBI is still investigating the hackers.
Phone numbers, addresses, credit scores, and even car payments and cable bills are all part of a document dump posted online by the unknown group of hackers.
Other new targets include convicted Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Secret Service Director Julia Pierson, Penn State child molester Jerry Sandusky and Robert De Niro.
Also on Wednesday, the Twitter account associated with the hackers was suspended.
FBI Director Robert Mueller, US Marshals Service Director Stacia Hylton and LAPD boss Charlie Beck weren’t alone. Michelle Obama, VP Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had their addresses and other sensitive information posted online.
Angelina Jolie and other stars are the newest targets of a group that claims it has hacked the financial data of 38 celebrities
Beyoncé, Britney Spears and Kim Kardashian were also exposed by the site – although it is unclear how the information was obtained or why these individuals were selected.
Social Security numbers allegedly belonging to Mel Gibson, Jay-Z and 15 others matched records in public databases.
Ashton Kutcher, Paris Hilton, Donald Trump and Attorney-General Eric Holder also had their personal details made public in the mass dump of “secret files”, known as being “doxxed”.
There has so far been little comment from representatives of the public figures targeted in the cyber attacks as to the accuracy of the information revealed.
The site, which bore an internet suffix originating in the former Soviet Union, remained active on Tuesday and bears a quote from the TV show Dexter as the tagline: “If you believe that God makes miracles, you have to wonder if Satan has a few up his sleeve.”
It appears as if the site is continuing to reveal the details of yet more famous people today.
The names of Sarah Palin, Hulk Hogan and Arnold Schwarzenegger were added to the list on Tuesday.
Michelle Obama’s on the other hand is largely positive featuring an “I Love Michelle” sign and the message: “Blame your husband, we still love you, Michelle. <3.”
The existence of the hacker’s website was first reported on Monday by TMZ. The site reported that both the LAPD and the FBI are investigating the hack.
Los Angeles police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said the LAPD was investigating the posting of chief Charlie Beck’s information and would also investigate the posting of information on any celebrities who live in the city and request an inquiry.
Store cards, car loans and cable bills are among the sensitive information that has appeared on the web.
Several of the purported credit reports appear to have been generated last week. Many of the pages featured unflattering pictures of the celebrities or government officials whose information was posted.
Forbesreported that some of the credit unions involved were investigating.
The site’s page on LAPD chief Charlie Beck includes a taunting reference to former police officer Christopher Dorner, who was killed in a shootout after killing four people over several days last month.
Charlie Beck reopened Christopher Dorner’s case and ordered a review of the LAPD disciplinary system after the black ex-cop’s online manifesto accused the department of racism and bias in his firing and vowed to get even with officers and their families
Christopher Dorner killed four people, including two police officers, in his rampage before he committed suicide during a fiery shootout in a California mountain cabin two weeks ago.
Charlie Beck’s page on the hackers’ site included the message “#YouCantCornerTheDorner” and an image of a woman protesting police corruption.
The hacker group Anonymous had threatened a cyber-attack in retaliation to Christopher Dorner’s death last month.
While government officials often have to disclose details on their finances – and celebrity divorces sometimes feature public financial data – the information posted online exceeds those disclosures.
Social Security numbers are rarely included in public records anymore because they can be used for identity theft.
Thirty eight celebrities and public officials have been targeted in the hacking attack, since the website was revealed last month:
A new research published in the British Medical Journal suggests that a high potassium diet as well as cutting down on salt will reduce blood pressure levels and the risk of stroke.
One study review found that eating an extra two to three servings of high potassium fruit or vegetables per day was beneficial.
A lower salt intake would increase the benefits further, researchers said.
While the increase of potassium in diets was found to have a positive effect on blood pressure, it was also discovered to have no adverse effects on kidney function or hormone levels, the research concluded.
A high potassium diet as well as cutting down on salt will reduce blood pressure levels and the risk of stroke
As a result, the World Health Organization has issued its first guidelines on potassium intake, recommending that adults should consume more than 4 g of potassium (or 90 to 100 mmol) per day.
The BMJ study on the effects of potassium intake, produced by scientists from the UN World Food Programme, Imperial College London and Warwick Medical School, among others, looked at 22 controlled trials and another 11 studies involving more than 128,000 healthy participants.
The results showed that increasing potassium in the diet to 3-4 g a day reduced blood pressure in adults.
This increased level of potassium intake was also linked to a 24% lower risk of stroke in those adults.
Researchers said potassium could have benefits for children’s blood pressure too, but more data was needed.
A separate study on salt intake, led by researchers at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary, University of London, analyzed the results of 34 previous trials involving more than 3,000 people.
It found that a modest reduction in salt intake for four or more weeks caused significant falls in blood pressure in people with both raised and normal blood pressure. This happened in both men and women, irrespective of ethnic group.
Lower blood pressure levels are known to reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease.
Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary, who led the study, said that the “modest reduction” in salt intake was equivalent to halving the amount of salt we consume each day.
“In the UK on average our dietary salt intake is 9.5 g, so we are talking about bringing this down to 6g, or if you’re very careful you can get it down to the recommended 5 g – but it’s very difficult because of the amount of salt already in the food we buy.
“Bread is the biggest source of salt in our diet.”
Prof. Graham MacGregor added that a further reduction in salt intake to 3 g per day would have a greater effect on blood pressure and should become the long-term target for population salt intake.
Getting people to eat more fruit and vegetables containing potassium was equally important, he said.
“Salt and potassium work in opposing ways. So a combination of lower salt and higher potassium in our diets has a bigger effect than changing just one of those factors alone.”
The WHO recommends that adults should not consume more than 5 g of salt a day (about one teaspoon).
Shanghai poultry markets have been temporary closed by authorities due to the H7N9 bird flu outbreak.
A spokesman for the city authorities said the decision was taken on grounds of public safety.
Shanghai has already begun a mass slaughter of poultry after the virus was discovered in pigeons at a market.
Six people have died in this latest outbreak. The H7N9 virus is a form of avian flu not before seen in humans.
Shanghai poultry markets have been temporary closed by authorities due to the H7N9 bird flu outbreak
It is not yet known how people are catching the disease, although the World Health Organization says there is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
Four of the bird flu fatalities in China have been recorded in Shanghai.
The Chinese city is also monitoring another person who was in close contact with one of those who died after showing flu-like symptoms.
Shanghai health official, Wu Fan, was quoted by AFP news agency as saying that the person tested negative for H7N9.
“There is no possibility of spreading the infection overseas,” Wu Fan also told a press conference.
Officials ordered the slaughter of at least 20,000 birds starting late on Thursday after the virus was detected in pigeons sold in Huhuai market.
Entrances to poultry markets were sealed and police stood watch as workers disinfected the areas, reports say.
There have been 14 confirmed infections of the new bird flu virus so far in eastern China, including in Shanghai and Zhejiang province.
The latest fatality was a farmer, 64, who died in Zhejiang, state-run media say.
Dr. Lynne Fenton, the psychiatrist who had treated James Holmes, who is accused of killing 12 in Colorado cinema massacre, had before warned police he was a danger to the public.
Dr. Lynne Fenton told police of threatening text messages James Holmes sent after he stopped attending counseling, newly released court documents show.
James Holmes, 25, is charged with multiple counts of murder in the attack during a premier of a Batman film at Aurora theatre.
Prosecutors have rejected a guilty plea and seek the death penalty.
The trial had been scheduled for August, but a judge has pushed it back to February 2014.
Dr Lynne Fenton told police of threatening text messages James Holmes sent after he stopped attending counseling
In an affidavit taken after the shooting and unsealed on Thursday, University of Colorado Denver police Officer Lynn Whitten told investigators that Dr. Lynne Fenton had contacted her in June.
Dr. Lynne Fenton was following a legal requirement to report a specific threat to authorities, according to the document.
Lynn Whitten said the psychiatrist was making the report “due to homicidal statements [James Holmes] had made” and that Dr. Lynne Fenton said he sent threatening text messages to her after he stopped attending counseling sessions.
James Holmes was a graduate student in neuroscience at the University of Colorado Denver but was withdrawing from his studies after failing a key exam.
Previous reports said Dr. Lynne Fenton had told campus authorities about James Holmes, but not that she had made a report of specific threats.
A warrant also unsealed on Thursday described a package sent to Dr. Lynne Fenton before the massacre, apparently by James Holmes. It included a brown notebook labeled “Of Life” that officials believe to be a journal, as well as partially burned $20 bills.
The documents were previously sealed, but a new judge overseeing the case ordered them released following requests from media organizations.
Separately, Judge William Sylvester has removed himself from the case after prosecutors announced they would seek the death penalty.
Judge William Sylvester said the move meant the case would take up so much time that he could not carry out his administrative duties as chief judge of a busy four-county district.
District Judge Carlos Samour took over the case on Monday.
US researchers from Washington University School of Medicine have identified genetic markers that could help highlight who is at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The research in Neuron identifies mutations that affect the build-up of certain proteins in the brain.
High levels of these tau proteins increase the chance of having the disease.
US researchers from Washington University School of Medicine have identified genetic markers that could help highlight who is at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease
Tangles of a kind of tau called phosphorylated tau (ptau) are a hallmark of the disease.
One of the new gene variants identified by the scientists was also shown to be linked to a small increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s and a greater risk of cognitive decline.
The team used genetic information from more than 1,200 people, significantly larger than previous studies in this area.
Dr. Alison Goate, who led the study, said: “We anticipate that knowledge about the role of these genes in Alzheimer’s disease may lead to the identification of new targets from therapies or new animal or cellular models of the disease.”
President Barack Obama is being accused of sexism for publicly remarking on California Attorney General Kamala Harris’s good looks at a fundraiser in San Francisco yesterday.
Barack Obama said of Kamala Harris: “She’s brilliant and she’s dedicated, she’s tough…She also happens to be, by far, the best looking attorney general.”
The president added: “It’s true! C’mon!”
According to a pool reporter who attended the event, Barack Obama was doting on Kamala Harris, “noting a couple of times that she is, objectively, easy on the eyes”.
Commentators both liberal and conservative immediately took to Twitter to blast the president’s remarks as “unsettling”, “disgraceful” and “disrespectful”.
President Barack Obama is being accused of sexism for publicly remarking on California Attorney General Kamala Harris’s good looks at a fundraiser in San Francisco
“Obama’s comment about Kamala Harris is disgraceful and really terrible for workplace equality,” wrote Jonathan Chait of New York Magazine.
Rebecca Traister, writer for The New York Times Magazine and Salon: “On What planet in [Barack Obama’s] mind did he think that sounded like the right thing to say?”
Barack Obama’s supporters argue that the president and Kamala Harris, who is not married, are good friends and that it shouldn’t be considered a crime to compliment a women on her obvious good looks.
“The fact that this has in some way become a story about his overall respect of women (or lack thereof) is a slap in the face to the first lady, the first daughters, and every other woman who appreciates a compliment that extends far beyond appearance from the president or any other man,” Angela Rye, a Democratic political consultant, told Politico.
First Lady Michelle Obama has not commented on the controversy , but she did have a slip-up of her own on Thursday in a TV interview where she accidentally called herself a “single mother”.
During an interview with Burlington, Vermont CBS affiliant WCAX, Michelle Obama was discussing healthy foods and how the demands of raising a family can leave little time for nutritious cooking.
“Believe me, as a busy single mother,” Michelle Obama said, before quickly correcting herself: “Or I shouldn’t say single – as a busy mother.”
Explaining her slip-up, Michelle Obama added: “Sometimes, you know when you’ve got the husband who’s president it can feel a little single. But he’s there.”
Kamala Harris, 48, is a Democratic favorite and a trailblazer in her home state.
Her mixed race descent – having been born of an Asian Indian mother who emigrated to the U.S. from Chennai and a Jamaican American father- made her the first female, African American and Asian American attorney general in the state.
On top of that, Kamala Harris is the first Indian American attorney general in the US.
Kamala Harris’ career shows no sign of stopping, as she is regularly mentioned when pundits speculate about possible Supreme Court nominees should a new judge be appointed during President Barack Obama’s second term.
Another possible track for her is the gubernatorial one, as attorney general is a common springboard position for those hoping to climb the local ladder.
Little is known about Kamala Harris’ current romantic situation, except that she was in a serious relationship with the former mayor of San Francisco Willie Brown.
Kamala Harris and Willie Brown were a serious item and dated when he was the Speaker of the California State Assembly, but they reportedly broke up in 1998.
There are no pictures of President Barack Obama and Kamala Harris together at Thursday’s event, which was a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee held at the home of John Goldman, the heir to the Levi Strauss fortune.
Queen Elizabeth II has received an honorary BAFTA award for her lifelong support of the British film and television industry.
Sir Kenneth Branagh presented the Queen with the award in a star-studded gala at Windsor Castle.
BAFTA chairman John Willis described Queen Elizabeth as “the most memorable Bond girl yet” – a reference to her cameo in the London Olympics opening ceremony.
Hollywood director George Lucas, who flew in especially for the event, said the UK had been influential for him.
John Willis said: “We should be proud of our industry. The people here this evening represent a vast variety of skills and ground breaking innovation, they have entertained and informed a generation and inspired generations to come.
“I am delighted that this evening has given us the opportunity to give something back. I have the great honor to announce that we are to present Her Majesty with an honorary BAFTA today, in recognition of her outstanding patronage of the film and television industries.”
Queen Elizabeth II has received an honorary BAFTA award for her lifelong support of the British film and television industry
The Queen, who attended with Prince Philip, featured with Daniel Craig as James Bond at London 2012 – when she appeared to parachute from a helicopter.
To laughter from the audience, actor Kenneth Branagh said: “Your sensational appearance at the opening ceremony of last year’s Olympics was especially memorable.
“So much so that several of my colleagues here tonight want you to know that should you wish to take it further into the world of British films that they have a number of scripts with them here this evening. I have to warn you, Your Majesty, not all of these films are fully financed.”
The 300 guests represented all areas of the industry including actors, directors, writers, producers, costume and set designers, publicists and critics.
Homeland star Damian Lewis, who attended the event with his actress wife Helen McCrory, said: “The arts and film industry punch above their weight with little funding.
“Our arts in this country and theatre and film and TV are some of our greatest exports, to have that recognized by your monarch is important.”
Comedian Billy Connolly attended the reception as did director Terry Gilliam, actress Minnie Driver and actor Idris Elba.
Actor John Hurt also commented on the Queen’s appearance at the Olympics.
“It was a bit of good fun, I thought so – good on her,” he said.
John Hurt revealed he had come to the event from filming Doctor Who, for its 50th anniversary, in Cardiff.
George Lucas said: “I’ve been here since ’75 so for me this is my second home.
“It’s been very influential for me, I’ve shot lots of movies here not only four of the Star Wars films but also Indiana Jones, all kinds of films – it’s been a long road.”
He added: “Many, many years ago Britain didn’t support the film industry and when I came here it was on its last legs and fortunately now it’s a lot steadier.”
Angelina Jolie has honored Pakistani schoolgirl activist Malala Yousafzai, who has launched Malala Fund, a charity to fund girls’ education.
In New York, Angelina Jolie said Malala Yousafzai would be “in charge” of the Malala Fund.
Malala Yousafzai, 15, said in a video the launch was “the happiest moment of my life”.
The charity’s first grant will fund the education of 40 girls in Pakistan.
Angelina Jolie has honored Malala Yousafzai, who has launched Malala Fund, a charity to fund girls’ education
Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban in October in retribution for her advocacy for girls’ education.
The teenager now attends school in Birmingham, UK, following her recovery from the shooting and has signed a book deal worth about $3 million for her memoir.
The book, titled I am Malala, is scheduled for publication in the autumn.
“Announcing the first grant of the Malala Fund is the happiest moment in my life,” Malala Yousafzai said in a video message at the Women in the World conference in New York.
“I invite all of you to support the Malala Fund and let us turn the education of 40 girls into 40 million girls.”
Malala Yousafzai started school again in mid-March following surgery to fit a titanium plate and cochlear implant into her skull.
South Korea has decided to deploy two warships with missile-defense systems, one day after North Korea apparently moved a missile to its east coast.
Military officials told South Korean media the two warships would be deployed on east and west coasts.
Seoul has sought to play down North Korea’s latest move, saying they may be preparing for a missile test.
South Korea has decided to deploy two warships with missile-defense systems, one day after North Korea apparently moved a missile to its east coast
In recent weeks, North Korea has ramped up its rhetoric and made specific threats to target US territory.
One of the targets named by Pyongyang was the Pacific island of Guam, which hosts a US military base.
On Thursday, the US confirmed it would deploy a missile-defense system to Guam in response to the threats.
“The moves that we have been making are designed to ensure and to reassure the American people and our allies that we can defend the United States,” said US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
A building collapse has killed at least 34 people in Thane, near Indian city of Mumbai, officials say.
Dozens are injured and many others are feared trapped beneath the seven-storey building under construction in Thane, Indian media report, quoting officials.
Indian police said the building was being constructed illegally and four floors were already occupied.
Building collapses are common in India. Poor construction material and practices are often blamed.
A growing population and a lack of space has seen an increase in the number of high rises, but many builders fail to take sufficient safety precautions, or obtain proper permission to build.
A building collapse has killed at least 34 people in Thane, near Indian city of Mumbai
A section of the building collapsed on Thursday evening, bringing the entire structure down, a police official in Thane, Maharashtra state, said.
He said at least nine children were among the dead.
Rescue efforts continued through the night.
The disaster management officials in Thane district said 57 people were injured.
Most of the victims were construction workers who were staying in the building, he added.
In December 2013 at least 13 people died when part of a half-constructed building collapsed in the Wagholi area of Maharashtra.
Last September at least six people were killed when a building collapsed in Pune city in Maharashtra.
Japan’s stock market has reached its highest level since 2008, after a recent central bank stimulus plan raised hope of economic revival.
The main Nikkei 225 stock index climbed as much as 4.7% to 13,225.62, its highest since August 2008.
The Bank of Japan (BOJ) said on Thursday it would double the country’s money supply to spur growth and halt falling prices.
The step was much bigger than expected and signaled a more aggressive approach towards driving growth.
Analysts said that BOJ moves had got the attention of investors both at home and abroad.
Japan’s stock market has reached its highest level since 2008, after a recent central bank stimulus plan raised hope of economic revival
“Many investors who were not even interested in Japan before have opened their eyes,” said Tetsuro Ii, chief executive of Commons Asset Management.
“They realized that if they continue to look at Japan the way they did before, they are going to lose.”
By pumping more money into the system, Japan is hoping to promote price growth, ending a cycle of deflation, recession and sputtering economic recovery.
At the same time, it is also seen as an attempt to weaken its currency and boost exports.
The Japanese yen has declined 4.5% against the US dollar in the past two days, and more than 5% against the euro.
Analysts said the yen was likely to remain weak in the coming months.
“The big party we are having in the markets now is, of course, the financials. Banks are getting more money for free, utilities with big investment projects are getting zero cost capital now,” said Martin Schulz from Fujitsu Research Institute.
“The big story, and the lasting story, will be the exporters. A weaker yen helps the exporters to earn money with Japanese technology in Asian markets in particular.”
On Thursday, the BOJ embarked on what some are calling a new era of monetary easing.
It will increase its purchase of government bonds by 50tn yen ($520bn; £350bn) annually, the equivalent of almost 10% of Japan’s gross domestic product, or total economic output.
BOJ governor Haruhiko Kuroda defended the size of the stimulus saying the government’s inflation target of 2% would remain out of reach if the central bank continued its incremental steps.
Haruhiko Kuroda said he would “do whatever it takes” to drive growth.
However, analysts say Japan’s new direction is likely to provoke a reaction from their main competitors.
The BOJ’s moves to buy additional bonds is an attempt to keep long-term interest rates low.
The bank hopes that pumping money into the system will make borrowing cheap and encourage consumers and businesses to spend.
The central bank has also said that it would buy riskier assets such as exchange-traded funds and real estate trust funds.
While such moves may help halt years of falling prices, some analysts have warned that there is a risk that so much liquidity in the markets may trigger an artificial rise in asset prices.
“We think there is a risk of a bubble,” said Hiroshi Shiraishi, senior economist at BNP Paribas Securities.
“If these types of asset purchases are going to work, then they work by distorting asset markets.”
However, on Friday Haruhiko Kuroda sought to allay those fears, saying the bank will keep a close eye on the markets.
“I don’t think there’s a bond or stock market bubble now and I don’t see one emerging any time soon,” he told Japan’s lower house of parliament.
An emotional Kevin Ware was speaking out in his first round of television interviews for the first time since his injury on Sunday night, thanking fans for their support and promised he would do his best to return to the court.
Kevin Ware, 20, said he will travel to the Final Four on his crutches and expects to be a big presence for the Cardinals on the team bench as they take on Wichita State on Saturday.
Cleared by doctors to accompany the team to Atlanta, the Louisville guard said he plans to be a full participant in the team’s preparation for the game.
Kevin Ware admitted to a gaggle of reporters at the university that he did not know Louisville had gone on to win the game until he woke up on Monday morning, with the NCAA trophy by his side.
Kevin Ware admitted to a gaggle of reporters at the university that he did not know Louisville had gone on to win the game until he woke up on Monday morning, with the NCAA trophy by his side
Speaking of the moment of the injury, he told ESPN: “I honestly didn’t feel pain. It was more shock. I’ve never felt anything like that.”
Donning a “Win it for Kevin” team shirt, Kevin Ware said the overwhelming support he has received has helped him maintain his spirits and strengthened his confidence of a full recovery.
He hopes by next season to be helping the Cardinals defend the national championship he believes they’ll win this weekend.
The normally reserved Kevin Ware calmly recalled how he felt when he suffered the devastating injury, saying he doesn’t think Louisville would be in the Final Four if he had lost his composure.
Kevin Ware told reporters during a press conference that he had no prior problems with his leg before the horrific injury, which forced six inches of his leg bone to break through his skin.
He told reporters: “When I went to contest the shot, it was like I always do. I guess I just landed wrong and I didn’t see where I was landing.”
While the injury may have gotten Kevin Ware worldwide attention – and more than 100,000 new Twitter followers – he says he never stopped thinking about his fellow Cardinals.
“Nothing like seeing my teammates. We’re brothers and I wouldn’t trade these guys in for anything in the world.”
Film critic Roger Ebert has died at 70 after a long battle with cancer, his newspaper the Chicago Sun-Times has reported.
Roger Ebert, known for his thumbs-up or down television reviews with partner and friend Gene Siskel, became a film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967.
He was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2002, losing his jaw and his ability to speak in a subsequent surgery.
Roger Ebert later resumed writing full-time and also returned to television.
On Tuesday, Roger Ebert revealed on his popular blog that he faced a fresh bout with cancer and was taking a “leave of presence”, writing fewer reviews.
The film critic suffered a hip fracture in December that he said “had recently been revealed to be a cancer”.
Film critic Roger Ebert has died at 70 after a long battle with cancer
“It is being treated with radiation, which has made it impossible for me to attend as many movies as I used to,” he wrote.
However, Roger Ebert vowed to continue his work.
President Barack Obama, who lived most of his adult life in Chicago, praised Roger Ebert’s honesty about films he disliked – and his effusiveness about those he enjoyed, as well as the critic’s ability to capture the “unique power of the movies to take us somewhere magical”.
“For a generation of Americans – and especially Chicagoans – Roger was the movies,” Barack Obama said in a statement released by the White House.
“The movies won’t be the same without Roger, and our thoughts and prayers are with Chaz and the rest of the Ebert family.”
Roger Ebert’s columns were syndicated in hundreds of newspapers worldwide, and he won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 1975 – the first film critic to do so.
In the same year, a film review show starring Roger Ebert and cross-town rival Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune premiered on local television. Within a few years the programme – with its thumbs-up or down judgements – was broadcast nationally, making Siskel and Ebert household names in the US.
The programme, in various guises, continued until Gene Siskel’s death in 1999.
Roger Ebert was the author of more than 15 books about the movies. And he took time off from reviewing films to write one – 1970’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. And he was an early investor in Google – a move that made him millions.
His TV career was curtailed in 2002 when he was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer.
A portion of his lower jaw was removed in a 2006 cancer surgery, and he lost the ability to speak, eat or drink.
Roger Ebert turned to the internet, where his writings continued to garner enormous audiences. Wearing a prosthetic chin and with his reviews read by voice-over actors, he eventually returned to television.
Roger Joseph Ebert was born in Urbana, Illinois on June 18, 1942. He began covering high school sports for a local newspaper at 15 and was editor of his university’s student newspaper.
He spent a year on scholarship at the University of Cape Town in South Africa before beginning work on a doctorate in English at the University of Chicago.
Shortly after that he joined the Chicago Sun-Times part-time and was named its movie critic in 1967.
In 1992 Roger Ebert married lawyer Chaz Hammelsmith, whom he once called “the great fact of my life”.
In his last blog, Roger Ebert wrote: “It really stinks that the cancer has returned and that I have spent too many days in the hospital.
“So, on bad days I may write about the vulnerability that accompanies illness. On good days, I may wax ecstatic about a movie so good it transports me beyond illness.”
Pope Francis prepares to tackle some of the Catholic Church’s major problems and he starts with the Vatican Bank, which has been accused of laundering money.
The pontiff is starting with the bank as he plans to reform the Church into a model of austerity and honesty.
Pope Francis has spent the first weeks of his papacy officiating at services and demonstrating how true servants of God should be.
Those close to Pope Francis, speaking on the condition of anonymity, say that he is considering plans to remove the head of the Vatican Bank, Cardinal Tarciscio Bertone, who is the Vatican’s second-in-command and is largely blamed for failing to stop infighting and corruption within the Holy See.
The officials warned that it would take time to change the bank, or to close it, but that it could certainly happen. One official doubted the likelihood that it would close, but that instead it would undergo serious restructuring.
Pope Francis prepares to tackle some of the Catholic Church’s major problems and he starts with the Vatican Bank, which has been accused of laundering money
Pope Francis, the officials say, has also indicated that he plans to tackle a number of other issues including scandals involving the sexual abuse of children around the world. The actions of a small minority of individuals has tainted the reputation of the 1.2 billion member church. Sadly, those problems have been exacerbated by the failure of Church leadership to cooperate with local authorities and to protect children in some cases.
It is expected that Pope Francis will also deal with this issue quite definitively, although no specifics have yet been discussed.
In many ways, Pope Francis represents a serious coup for the Church. Many Cardinals have been upset with how the Italian Cardinals, which dominate the Curia, have been operating. Therefore, it makes sense that after much prayer and petition, God should choose a relative outsider of great piety and spirit to cleanse His Church.
Insiders say that Pope Benedict XVI left a carefully composed secret report for Pope Francis. That report supposedly contains secret documents and a frank assessment of the scandals facing the Church. They discuss troubles with the Vatican bank as well as the Vatileaks scandal in which secret documents were smuggled out of the Vatican by Pope Benedict’s butler, Paolo Gabriele.
Paolo Gabriele was sentenced to 18 months in prison but was later pardoned and released by Pope Benedict XVI before Christmas.
Meanwhile watchdog organizations will continue monitoring the Vatican Bank and report on its progress.
France’s President Francois Hollande is facing a financial scandal after it emerged that his former Socialist Party treasurer Jean-Jacques Augier invested in two Cayman Islands offshore companies.
Jean-Jacques Augier, who managed Francois Hollande’s campaign funds, told the daily Le Monde that there was “nothing illegal” in his tax haven affairs.
Meanwhile, ex-budget minister Jerome Cahuzac has been charged with fraud.
Ministers are under pressure to reveal what they knew about his tax evasion.
Speaking during a two-day visit to Morocco, Francois Hollande insisted he knew “nothing” about the “private activities” of Jean-Jacques Augier.
He said it was up to France’s tax authorities to investigate the matter, AFP reported.
Francois Hollande is facing a financial scandal after it emerged that his former Socialist Party treasurer Jean-Jacques Augier invested in two Cayman Islands offshore companies
On Wednesday Francois Hollande used a national address to promise that in future all ministers and MPs would have to declare fully their personal finances.
The pressure is growing for a full government reshuffle – just 10 months after Francois Hollande took office.
Jerome Cahuzac admitted this week that he had hidden about 600,000 euros ($770,000) in a Swiss bank account.
French newspapers are calling it the biggest political crisis for Francois Hollande since his election last year, the AFP news agency reports.
He had promised voters morality and integrity in public life after what were nicknamed the “bling-bling” years of his conservative predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy.
But this year Francois Hollande’s opinion poll ratings have slumped, as the country remains mired in recession and unemployment at 10.6%.
In the latest financial twist, Le Monde reports that Francois Hollande’s ex-treasurer Jean-Jacques Augier became a shareholder in a Cayman Islands company called International Bookstores Ltd in 2005.
Jean-Jacques Augier said that venture came about because of a large publishing investment in China.
He insisted that he had “no personal bank account in the Caymans nor any direct personal investment in that territory”.
But Francois Hollande’s administration has been chasing the wealthy with such investments abroad, our correspondent says. So Jean-Jacques Augier’s affairs are a problem for him.
Earlier this week it emerged that the former budget minister, Jerome Cahuzac, had lied to the president, parliament and the public about the offshore accounts he had held for more than 20 years.
Anonymous has claimed it has been “hacking” and vandalizing social networking profiles linked to North Korea.
The hacking group has issued several warnings since North Korea’s threats have intensified.
Uriminzokkiri, a news site, has been forced offline – while Twitter and Flickr accounts have been breached.
Anonymous also claimed to have accessed 15,000 usernames and passwords from a university database.
As part of action which the loosely organized collective has called “Operation Free Korea”, the hackers have called for leader Kim Jong-un to step down, a democratic government to be put in place – and for North Koreans to get uncensored internet access.
Anonymous has claimed it has been “hacking” and vandalizing social networking profiles linked to North Korea
Currently, only a select few in the country have access to the “internet” – which is more akin to a closed company intranet with only a select few websites that are government-run.
North Korea recently allowed foreigners to access mobile internet, but this service has since been shut off.
In a message posted online, members of Anonymous wrote: “To the citizens of North Korea we suggest to rise up and bring [this] oppressive government down!
“We are holding your back and your hand, while you take the journey to freedom, democracy and peace.
“You are not alone. Don’t fear us, we are not terrorist, we are the good guys from the internet. AnonKorea and all the other Anons are here to set you free.”
Urminzokkiri’s Twitter feed started displaying messages reading “hacked” at around 07:00 BST. The account’s avatar was changed to a picture of two people dancing, with the words “Tango down”.
On Urminzokkiri’s Flickr photo page, other images, including a “wanted” poster mocking Kim Jong-un, were also posted.
Anonymous has posted what it said was a sample of the hacked information.
However, some have questioned the reliability of the details as some of the email addresses were in fact Chinese.
Also unreachable on Thursday was the website of Air Koryo, North Korea’s airline, which launched its online booking site late last year.
Like the main Urminzokkiri homepage, it is suspected the Air Koryo site has been hit with a Distributed Denial of Service attacked (DDoS) – a technique which involves flooding a website with too much traffic for it to handle.
Although a highly secretive nation, North Korea puts considerable effort in to having a strong presence online.
Various YouTube accounts attached to the North Korean regime post news items and propaganda videos on a regular basis.
Amanda Bynes recent behavior has been described as “tragic” by a woman claiming to be a relative in an interview published by InTouchmagazine.
On her 27th birthday, on April 3, Amanda Bynes was snapped taking a picture of paparazzi and hiding her face.
To top that, there was a man in the background holding up a tabloid spread about her asking: “What happened to this child star?”
A day after Amanda Bynes stepped out on her birthday, alone and looking disheveled, the woman tells InTouch: “She’s completely resisting any help that her family wants to give her.”
The publication apparently contacted the actress parents’ home on March 28 when the interview was conducted.
On her 27th birthday, Amanda Bynes was snapped taking a picture of paparazzi and hiding her face with a man in the background holding up a tabloid spread about her
Friends have allegedly said Amanda Bynes’ parents don’t know what to do as the actress has cut contact with everyone since she moved from Los Angeles to New York following some legal trouble and to pursue her dreams of becoming a fashion designer.
Amanda Bynes has reportedly settled two hit-and-run cases after reaching a civil compromise with her victims, saving herself from a potential 12 months in jail.
The actress was pictured on yesterday walking aimlessly around NYC by herself in a disheveled state.
Her newly tinted pink hair was mattered and hidden underneath a fur-trimmed hooded jacket and she covered her eyes behind dark sunglasses.
Amanda Bynes was wearing almost the same outfit that she wore two days prior – tracksuit pants, sandals and a cotton top.
This time, she had removed her white socks to reveal her unkempt feet which looked in need of a pedicure.
Her signature cheek piercings (microdermal implants), favorite sunglasses and rings were all on show along with her familiar pout and distinctive eyebrows.
Amanda Bynes had fans baffled this week after claiming the first pictures of her with rose-colored hair were actually of an imposter.
In a strange tweet posted on Tuesday night, Amanda Bynes wrote: “Fake or real microdermals same glasses! I don’t own those clothes and I’m a blonde! Haha!”
Afterwards, Amanda Bynes posted pictures to try proving she is a blonde once and for all.
But by Wednesday morning, the Twitter rant had been deleted, replaced with “Rawr” and a new image showing only half of her face, not revealing her hair.
On Thursday Amanda Bynes simply wrote: “When you’re in love, only one persons opinion of you matters.”
Facebook is releasing Home software that puts feeds from the social network on the home page of Android phones.
Home software will act like a “wrapper” for the Android operating system and become the main way to use a phone.
Notifications, images and messages will appear on the main screen of the phone instead of being accessible via a downloadable app.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said the change would put people, not apps, at the heart of the mobile experience.
In a presentation given at Facebook’s campus, Mark Zuckerberg said phone apps were a legacy of the computer world in which people clicked on an icon to start a program.
While this worked well with desktops and laptops, it made less sense with phones, he said.
Mark Zuckerberg unveils Facebook Home for Android
“Now there’s a new use case that’s more and more important,” he said.
“We have our phones with us all the time and we want to know more what’s happening to our friends.”
Facebook’s Home software will hide apps and instead pipe all the content and chat carried on via the social network to the home screen.
The software “wrapper” will also change the way that people swap messages or content by letting them respond by tapping on pop-up images, known as chat heads, rather than opening up apps and navigating through menus.
Facebook Home will be available via Google’s Play Store as a download.
The software will be available from April 12 on six phones – three from HTC and three from Samsung. Only four of these handsets are available now. The others are set to launch alongside Facebook Home.
No information was given about whether home would be re-developed to work with Apple or Microsoft phones.
Facebook said users could try the software rather than have to commit to use it all the time. Initially, the code will only be available for phones but a version for tablets is under development.
Cory Ondrejka, Facebook’s head of engineering, said the company started its push to make everything it did centre on mobiles in early 2012.
Figures from Facebook suggest that users spend about 25% of their time on their handsets looking at their feeds and chatting with friends.
Facebook’s fourth quarter earnings revealed that about 23% of the money it made from advertising came from adverts shown to mobile users.
Prior to the news conference, many people speculated that Facebook would announce a branded handset.
Mark Zuckerberg said Facebook shied away from doing this because even the best selling phones would only reach a small percentage of its user base.
“This can start to be a change in the relationship that we have with how we use these computing devices,” he said.
ECB President Mario Draghi has said the initial plan to make small savers pay for the Cyprus bailout was “not smart”.
Mario Draghi said a proposal to make “insured depositors” pay did not come from the European Central Bank, the European Commission or the IMF.
He said the proposal only arose in talks with the Cypriot authorities, and was “swiftly corrected”.
Mario Draghi was speaking after the ECB held eurozone interest rates at 0.75% again.
It was the ninth month in a row that the interest rates had been kept unchanged, but Mario Draghi indicated that the ECB was ready to act, if necessary.
He also suggested that the problems seen for some time in smaller, weaker economies such as Spain, were spreading to stronger economies.
Cyprus eventually agreed a 10 billion-euro ($12.8 billion) international bailout, which will see depositors with more than 100,000 euros lose some of their savings.
Accounts which have less than 100,000 euros in them will not be affected, but would have been under the original bailout proposals.
ECB President Mario Draghi has said the initial plan to make small savers pay for the Cyprus bailout was not smart
Speaking about the bailout, Mario Draghi said that the initial plan to impose a levy on all depositors “was not smart to say the least”.
He said the ECB did not envisage savers covered by a guarantee – that is, those with up to 100,000 euros in savings – being forced to contribute towards the country’s rescue plan.
“You have a pecking order, and here the insured depositors should be the very last category to be touched,” he said.
“The [European] Commission draft directive foresees exactly this.”
Mario Draghi also told a news conference that the Cyprus bailout was not a blueprint for what would happen in further bailouts.
“Cyprus is no template,” he said.
Mario Draghi was asked whether it would have been better for Cyprus to leave the euro.
“What was wrong with Cyprus’s economy doesn’t stop being wrong if they are outside the euro,” he said.
“So, the fiscal budget stabilization, consolidation, the restructuring of the banking system would be needed anyway, whether you are in or out. To be out doesn’t preserve the country from the need for action.”
Leaving the euro would entail a big risk for Cyprus, and that an exit from the currency could find the country having to pursue reforms “in a much more difficult environment”, he added.
Mario Draghi also said that the recent crisis in Cyprus had “reinforced the Governing Council’s determination to support the euro”.
Despite continuing signs of economic weakness across the eurozone, the ECB president said rates were on hold “for the time being” by consensus.
He said he expected to see a gradual economic recovery in the second part of 2013.
However, Mario draghi said that growth was “subject to downside risks”. Risks included slow implementation of structural reforms by governments, or weak domestic demand.
“These factors have the potential to dampen the improvement in confidence and thereby delay the recovery,” he added.
After his comments the euro fell to its lowest level in more than four months against the dollar, to $1.2745 – the weakest since mid-November – before recovering its losses.
However, Mario Draghi said that inflation would be contained in the medium term, but the bank would act if necessary.
“Our monetary policy stance will remain accommodative for as long as needed,” he said.
“In the coming weeks, we will monitor very closely all the incoming information on economic and monetary developments, and assess the impact on the outlook for price stability.”
Mario Draghi also reiterated that the ECB could not step into the gap left by a lack of action by eurozone governments to solve the region’s debt crisis,
“We cannot replace lack of capital in the banking system or the lack of actions by governments. The most stimulative measures is to pay the arrears.”
The latest indication of the state of the eurozone economy came on Thursday from financial information service Markit, which said the region’s economic contraction had worsened last month.
Its closely-watched composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI), which tracks both the services and manufacturing sectors, also suggested that the German economy slowed to “near stagnation” last month, while France’s recorded its biggest contraction for four years.
LucasArts, the games developer responsible for the Star Wars series of games, will be shut down by the Walt Disney Company.
Disney plans to license the Star Wars games brand to other developers.
However, Star Wars 1313, which has already been developed for demonstration at industry events is expected to be halted.
Disney inherited LucasArts in October last year, when it bought LucasFilm for $4.05 billion.
The closure will involve an unknown number of redundancies.
Disney will close LucasArts and plans to license the Star Wars games brand to other developers
Lucasfilm Ltd. spokesman Miles Perkins said it would now focus on licensing its Star Wars brand externally.
A “small team” will remain to handle licensing partnerships.
“Both current Star Wars games projects have been halted,” Miles Perkins confirmed.
LucasArts was founded in May 1982 as the video game development group of Lucasfilm Limited, the film production company by Star Wars creator George Lucas.
The film producer, screenwriter and director wanted his company to branch out into other areas of entertainment, so he cooperated with Atari to produce video games.
Action games Ballblazer and Rescue on Fractalus! were the first results of the collaboration.
Lucasfilm and its interactive games division, is several months into an internal cost-cutting review.
The decision to close LucasArts comes as the developer and publisher, once known for adventure games like Secret of Monkey Island has struggled to produce a hit in an industry currently dominated by action games.
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