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.
June Shannon showed off her slimmer figure and her revamped blonde hairdo on a stroll with daughter Honey Boo Boo in New York.
It seems that June Shannon doesn’t want to admit her ongoing makeover was intentional.
“No, I have not felt no pressure to change,” Mama June told the Huffington Post.
“I was blond about six years ago and I wanted to go back blond, so I went back blond and I loved it.
“I have lost 115 pounds, but that’s because I’m on the go. We love fried food, but I lost that weight because I’m more active doing things.”
June Shannon showed off her slimmer figure and her revamped blonde hairdo on a stroll with daughter Honey Boo Boo in New York
Certainly a walk through Manhattan will provide some healthy exercise, but while June Shannon was content with just walking, Honey Boo Boo was all about a hot dog.
Honey Boo Boo demolished one of New York’s finest as her mother looked on.
The reality star wore a bright pink tutu and matching hooded top with her name written in curly style on the top left hand corner.
Her look was completed with some white gladiator sandals with a cork wedge
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is one of many of the American broadcasters shows to screen in the UK when it launches next month.
The TLC channel will begin to broadcast to the UK on April 30th.
Jay Leno will reportedly receive a $15 million payoff as he steps down as host of NBC’s The Tonight Show months ahead of the end of his contract.
The payout is part of Jay Leno’s deal to leave The Tonight Show – which he has hosted for 22 years – before his contract expires in September 2014, making way for Jimmy Fallon as the new host.
According to the New York Daily News, the payoff – which equates to Jay Leno’s annual salary on the show – is peanuts for the comedian, who makes the biggest bucks for standup in Las Vegas.
As the shake-up was confirmed after weeks of speculation, Jay Leno told Jimmy Fallon he was “counting on” him to keep network ratings high.
In his opening monologue of Wednesday’s show Jay Leno said: “I just have one request of Jimmy. We’ve all fought, kicked and scratched to get this network up to fifth place, okay?
“Now we have to keep it there. Jimmy don’t let it slip into sixth. We’re counting on you.”
Jay Leno will reportedly receive a $15 million payoff as he steps down as host of NBC’s The Tonight Show months ahead of the end of his contract
The replacement move, which had been anticipated for weeks, was announced yesterday and will officially take place following NBC’s broadcast of the Winter Olympics.
Jimmy Fallon will more than double his multi-million dollar salary when he takes over from outgoing host Jay Leno next year on The Tonight Show.
Industry insiders predict that Jimmy Fallon will see the $5 million he gets for fronting The Late Show boosted to $12 million when he goes head-to-head with CBS’ David Letterman and ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel in February.
Although Jimmy Fallon’s pay packet will be 3 million less than the $15 million Jay Leno takes home, it still represents a massive show of faith in Fallon, who has been working late night television for less than 5 years.
Jay Leno 62, who was temporarily removed from The Tonight Show in 2009 in favor of Conan O’Brien, had made repeated jokes about his bosses and the network in recent weeks while rumors swirled over the latest move.
But he and Jimmy Fallon, 38, presented a united front while announcing the news. They recently made a parody video set to a tune from West Side Story that lampooned their situation.
“The main difference between this and the other time is I’m part of the process. The last time the decision was made without me. I came into work one day and – you’re out,” Jay Leno said, comparing his previous ouster and now.
“This time around there really aren’t any complications like there were the last time,” he added, according to the New York Times.
“This time it feels right.”
Jay Leno also said in a press release: “Congratulations Jimmy. I hope you’re as lucky as me and hold on to the job until you’re the old guy. If you need me, I’ll be at the garage.”
The Tonight Show will be relocated from Los Angeles to New York, where the program started in 1954 when Steve Allen was its host.
Jay Leno – aside from the brief interruption when Conan O’Brien hosted the program – has been the show’s presenter since 1992.
He has routinely been tops in the ratings, even as NBC’s primetime and daytime programming has fallen off.
“I’m glad I’ve kept it No. 1,” Jay Leno said.
“When I started people said, <<Oh the only reason you’re winning is because of ‘ER>>, or <<The only reason you’re winning is because Hugh Grant came on and said that one thing>>. Well, at least now I can say the only reason we’re winning is cause we’re winning.”
After leaving, Jay Leno said he expects to be “back on the road, being a comedian again”.
Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels, who also produces Late Night, will take over as producer of the new Tonight Show.
Jimmy Fallon’s replacement at 12:35 a.m. was not named, although Seth Meyers of SNL is considered a strong candidate.
NBC is worried that ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel, whose show recently started at the 11:35 p.m. time slot, will establish himself as a go-to late night performer for a younger generation if the network didn’t move swiftly to install Jimmy Fallon.
North Korea has shifted a missile with “considerable range” to its east coast, South Korea’s Foreign Minister Kim Kwan-jin has announced.
Kim Kwan-jin played down concerns that the missile could target the US mainland, and said North Korea’s intentions were not yet clear.
Pyongyang earlier renewed threats of a nuclear strike against the US, though its missiles are not believed to be capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
The US is responding to North Korea by moving missile defense shields to Guam.
Meanwhile, Russia said Pyongyang’s attempts to “violate decisions of the UN Security Council are categorically unacceptable”.
“This radically complicates, if it doesn’t in practice shut off, the prospects for resuming six-party talks,” foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement on Thursday.
North Korea has shifted a missile with “considerable range” to its east coast
The talks involving North and South Korea, the US, Russia, China and Japan were last held in late 2008.
Japan said it was co-operating closely with the US and South Korea to monitor North Korea’s next move.
Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe said that although the rhetoric was “increasingly provocative”, Tokyo would “calmly” watch the situation.
Government spokesman Yoshihide Suga earlier told reporters that Japan was braced for a “worst-case scenario”.
The Pentagon said the shield on its Pacific island territory would be ready within weeks, adding to warships already sent to the area.
North Korea has previously named Guam among a list of possible targets for attack that included Hawaii and the US mainland.
Japanese and South Korean reports had suggested the missile being moved by North Korea was a long-range one with a capability of hitting the US west coast.
However, experts believe North Korea’s most powerful rocket, which it test-fired last December, has a range of 3,700 miles (6,000 km) and can reach no further than Alaska.
Kim Kwan-jin told MPs in a parliamentary defense committee meeting that the missile had “considerable range”.
“The missile does not seem to be aimed at the US mainland. It could be aimed at test firing or military drills,” he said.
Analysts have interpreted Kim Kwan-jin’s description as referring to the Musudan missile, estimated to have a range up to 2,500 miles (4,000 km). Guam would be within that range.
North Korea is believed to have its main military research centres in the east.
It has test-fired missiles from there before, and its three nuclear weapons tests were carried out in the east.
Despite its belligerent rhetoric, North Korea has not taken direct military action since 2010, when it shelled a South Korean island and killed four people.
In recent weeks North Korea has threatened nuclear strikes and attacks on specific targets in the US and South Korea.
The communist country has announced a formal declaration of war on the South, and pledged to reopen a mothballed nuclear reactor in defiance of UN Security Council resolutions.
In its latest statement, attributed to a military spokesman, North Korea appeared to refer to continuing military exercises between the US and South Korea in which the US has flown nuclear-capable bombers over the South.
The statement said the “ever-escalating US hostile policy towards the DPRK [North Korea] and its reckless nuclear threat will be smashed”.
North Korea promised to use “cutting-edge smaller, lighter and diversified nuclear strike means of the DPRK” and said the “merciless operation of its revolutionary armed forces in this regard has been finally examined and ratified”.
The US Department of Defense said on Wednesday it would deploy the ballistic Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) to Guam in the coming weeks.
The THAAD system includes a truck-mounted launcher and interceptor missiles.
US officials recently also announced that the USS John McCain, a destroyer capable of intercepting missiles, had been positioned off the Korean peninsula.
Some analysts say Pyongyang’s angry statements are of more concern than usual because it is unclear exactly what North Korea hopes to achieve.
As well as the angry statements, North Korea has also shut down an emergency telephone line between Seoul and Pyongyang and stopped South Koreans from working at Kaesong Industrial Complex in the North.
Kaesong industrial park, one of the last remaining symbols of co-operation between the neighbors, is staffed mainly by North Koreans but funded and managed by South Korean firms.
Hack attacks hitting online services and exchanges dealing in Bitcoins led to a drop in the value of the virtual currency.
Trading on the MTGox exchange, which handles most trades in Bitcoins, was sluggish yesterday as the site fought off an attack.
The attack helped to force a swift fall in the price of Bitcoins.
In addition, the Instawallet website – where people store Bitcoins – is offline indefinitely after an attack.
Hack attacks hitting online services and exchanges dealing in Bitcoins led to a drop in the value of the virtual currency
The value of Bitcoins surged to a new high this week with each one worth about $142. Barely a week ago, each virtual coin was worth only $90.
But Bitcoins dropped sharply in value as the MTGox exchange came under a sustained attack by hackers. The vast majority of trade in Bitcoins takes place via the site.
In a tweet on its Twitter feed, MTGox said it was fighting off a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, which involves a site being bombarded with huge amounts of data. The attack was one of several against the site this week.
The attacks, coupled with a spike in trading volumes, combined to cause delays in trades being confirmed and led the value of Bitcoins to drop sharply to about $120.
The attacks could be the work of malicious hackers who were trying to “game” the exchange and manipulate the value of Bitcoins so they could cash in, MTGox said in an interview with ComputerWorld. Attackers are thought to be working to a cycle in which they sell Bitcoins when values are high, then mount an attack that forces prices to crash, buy up the cheaper coins and then let the value climb again.
MTGox said it did not know when or if the attacks would cease but said Bitcoin owners should not panic and sell off as values fluctuated. A spokesman for the exchange added that it was in the middle of rebuilding its trading technology but the new system, which would do a better job of handling the high volume of trades, would not be ready until the end of this year.
In a separate development, Instawallet has shut down “indefinitely” after hackers “fraudulently accessed” its core database. In a statement posted on the Instawallet site it said it planned to open a claim process shortly so people could reclaim their Bitcoin balance.
Dunkin Donuts is testing glazed donut sandwich, a new kind of breakfast sandwich featuring two crisp slices of bacon and a “pepper fried egg”.
The new menu item is appearing in select eastern Massachusetts outlets, according to Dunkin Donuts.
The glazed donut sandwich is said to be a shockingly low 360 calories according to a Dunkin’ spokeswoman speaking to theAtlantic Wire.
Adding up the ingredients, one regular glazed donut according to their website is approximately 260 calories leaving a figured 100 calories’ room for the bacon and egg.
Dunkin Donuts is testing glazed donut sandwich, a new kind of breakfast sandwich featuring two crisp slices of bacon and a pepper fried egg
Dunkin Donuts aren’t any set plans to expand the glazed donut sandwich nationally as of yet, however, with reviews of the item still coming in according to the company.
“We are pleased with the response so far, however, we cannot share any specific sales data. That said, the product has only been in restaurants for two days so we have limited information available,” a Dunkin’ spokesperson told the Wire.
The glazed donut sandwich would be sold at a suggested retail price of $2.99.
Such an item isn’t exactly new, however, at least for other food outlets.
Paula Deen’s The Lady’s Brunch Burger features two Krispy Kreme doughnuts as the buns around layers of ground beef, eggs and bacon.
Other items like donut ice cream sandwiches have been seen at smaller eateries around the country.
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands will officially re-open the Rijksmuseum next week, marking the end of a painful restoration project.
The work at the Dutch state museum in the heart of Amsterdam ran five years over schedule and millions of euros over budget.
The Rijksmuseum has been closed since 2003. Renovation was delayed by flooding, asbestos and a dispute over access for cyclists.
“It was kind of Murphy’s Law,” says museum director Wim Pijbes.
“What could go wrong, did go wrong.”
Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands will officially re-open the Rijksmuseum next week, marking the end of a painful restoration project
Wim Pijbes added: “It has been closed for 10 years, but now it can go on for decades.”
On Wednesday, Johannes Vermeer’s The Milkmaid was re-hung, making it the last major work to return to the museum.
The painting sits in the Gallery of Honour, a breathtaking cathedral to the Dutch Golden Age, showcasing works by Rembrandt, Jan Steen and Franz Hals.
The old masters draw the eye, but so do the intricately decorated ceilings and pillars that frame them – all painstakingly recreated after being painted over in the post-war years.
In the halls flanking the grand gallery, the decoration is more modern. British artist Richard Wright, a former Turner Prize winner, has dusted the ceilings with almost 50,000 stars, hand-painted in a swirling, shifting constellation.
It all serves to set up the Rijksmuseum’s biggest star – Rembrandt’s Night Watch.
A gigantic Baroque painting of 17th Century city guards teeming with drama and movement, it is the only work to be hung in its original place.
“Everything has changed,” says Taco Dibbits, the museum’s director of collections.
“We have more than one million objects and we used to display them by material. You had a gallery for glass, a gallery for porcelain, a gallery for paintings.
“Now we have mixed all the media and presented the visitor the story of art from the Middle Ages to the 20th Century.”
The Rijksmuseum’s paintings mingle amongst cabinets, kitchenware, magazine covers, dolls’ houses and pottery in a splendid, higgledy-piggledy array.
It illustrates the cross-pollination between decorative and visual art – for instance, how Japanese prints inspired a Parisian vase-maker, whose designs prompted Van Gogh to paint Amandelbloom In Bloel (Almond Tree In Bloom) – but it also presents some striking juxtapositions.
In the 20th Century Gallery, a kitsch German chess set, with snipers as pawns and a Panzer tank for the kings, is vaguely comedic, until visitors notice the Auschwitz prison uniform worn by 16-year-old Dutch girl Isabel Wachenheimer, which hangs silently nearby in grim disapproval.
In total, there are 800 years of Dutch history retold in more than 8,000 objects across the Rijksmuseum’s 80 galleries.
There is a brand new entrance hall in the shape of a voluminous atrium, flooded with natural light from the five-storey-high glass ceiling.
Wim Pijbes describes it as Amsterdam’s equivalent to Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall – a free-to-enter public auditorium which will host performances, parties and new exhibits.
By tunnelling under a cycle path that runs through the centre of the museum (the proposed closure of which caused uproar) it unites the east and west wings for the first time. It also created a few headaches.
“We found beautiful new spaces, but being below the building means you dig into water,” Wim Pijbes says.
In fact, with Amsterdam already under sea level, digging down meant the Rijksmuseum flooded. Workers floated around in dinghys as they fought the water table.
Even now, skeptics wonder if the museum is jeopardizing its collection.
“For foreigners, it is really frightening to be under sea level, and even more frightening to have the collection below sea level,” says Wim Pijbes.
“But for the Dutch, it’s everyday life.”
He insists that “complex engineering work” means the lower galleries are safe. But these aren’t the only measures taken to protect the artworks.
The museum is newly illuminated by 3,800 individual LED lights, which lack the paint-destroying heat and UV rays of incandescent bulbs.
They were installed by Dutch lighting specialists Philips, who also claim the LEDs enhance the viewing experience.
Visitors will get to decide for themselves when the Rijksmuseum throws open its doors on April 13.
After the gala opening, hosted by the abdicating Queen, the first day’s entry will be free. After that, the directors predict more than two million people will come to the gallery every year, restoring it as one of Europe’s most important museums.
President Barack Obama has decided to give 5% of his salary back to the government to show solidarity with the federal workers who took pay cuts during the sequester.
According to White House sources, Barack Obama will surrender 5% of his compensation in an effort to do his part during the period of fiscal cutbacks, the Associated Press reported.
The president’s move comes as hundreds of thousands of public service workers will be sent home without pay for a number of days over the next six months in an effort to cut spending.
President Barack Obama will give 5 percent of his salary back to the government to show solidarity with the federal workers who took pay cuts during the sequester
The US President’s annual salary is $400,000, meaning that a 5% pay cut would amount to $20,000 for the year.
That said, it is unclear whether Barack Obama will extend this measure so that it lasts a year, and he will only likely continue it as the sequester is in effect.
As a result, the cut will be retroactive, starting at the beginning of this month as that is when the sequester went into effect.
The cut will amount to about $1,666 per month.
Barack Obama isn’t the only politician making an effort to show solidarity with his lesser-paid colleagues, as a bevy of other Democrats have done the same.
According to USA Today, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and his deputy director Ashton Carter have announced that they will not accept a portion of their salaries during the period of the sequester.
They did not specify how much of their salary they will be giving up.
Senators Claire McCaskill and Mark Begich- both Democrats- have publicly stated that they will be making similar gestures. Cynics could take issue with Mark Begich’s involvement, as he announced plans to work with Republican Senator Tom Coburn to figure out areas to cut the projected $85 billion in spending that is needed to help fix the country’s financial crisis.
Adding to his possible motives, it also comes the year before he is up for re-election in Alaska.
There have not been any reports of Republicans making similar gestures.
