Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, will be allowed to travel after winning the appeal against the terms of his bail.
His lawyers argued that the South African Olympic and Paralympics champion should be allowed to return to his home and to travel.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, also sought an end to supervision by a probation officer and compulsory drug and alcohol testing.
The athelete denies murdering Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria last month.
Oscar Pistorius says he shot Reeva Steenkamp when he mistook her for an intruder.
Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, will be allowed to travel after winning the appeal against the terms of his bail
The state opposed the application, which was heard at the High Court in Pretoria.
Oscar Pistorius’s lawyer, Kenny Oldwage, said his client did not need to be in court for this hearing.
The bail conditions were imposed by Magistrate Desmond Nair on February 22 – including restrictions on the athlete travelling abroad.
Oscar Pistorius was ordered to hand over his two South African passports, avoid his home in Pretoria and all witnesses in the case, report to a police station twice a week and to abstain from drinking alcohol.
In the papers before the court on Thursday his lawyers argued that he should be allowed to travel if he is granted permission by the case investigation officer.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated case, the athlete’s brother, Carl Pistorius, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with the culpable homicide of a female motorcyclist in a 2008 road crash. Carl Pistorius pleaded not guilty and is due to appear in court again next week.
Cricketer Jesse Ryder is in a medically induced coma after being attacked twice in quick succession as he left a Christchurch bar in New Zealand, according to police.
Jesse Ryder is believed to have suffered serious head injuries after the assaults and is now in intensive care.
Local media quoted doctors as saying that Jesse Ryder suffered a fractured skull and a collapsed lung.
The cricketer was in Christchurch playing for Wellington against Canterbury in the domestic one-day competition.
Jesse Ryder, 28, had been due to fly to Delhi to start his $300,000 contract in the Indian Premier League.
Cricketer Jesse Ryder is in a medically induced coma after being attacked twice in quick succession as he left a Christchurch bar in New Zealand
He has chosen not to play for New Zealand since the Napier ODI against South Africa in February 2012 after he was disciplined by team management for breaking team protocol by being out drinking while carrying an injury.
“It appears that Jesse has been the victim of a serious assault and suffered head injuries as a result,” Detective Senior Sergeant Brian Archer told a nationally televised news conference.
“Jesse was taken to hospital where he remains in intensive care in a critical condition in an induced coma after suffering multiple injuries.”
Brian Archer said that “two or three men” carried out the attacks on the cricketer – but he did not think that alcohol was a “contributing factor”.
A witness to the assaults told New Zealand’s One News that she could hear the impact of the blows from inside the bar.
“As soon as the fight started there were probably four or five guys that ran out to pull them off him and hold them back while he stumbled off over the road,” the witness said.
Brian Archer said Jesse Ryder was attacked again by one of the men after he moved across the road.
He said that no weapon was believed to have been used and that so far no motive had been established for the attack.
“At this stage we have not identified the people involved in the incident but are following positive lines of inquiry,” Brian Archer added.
“We are asking for witnesses to come forward and to speak to us about it.”
Jesse Ryder’s friends and domestic and international cricketers have been sending messages of support via social media.
The attack has been condemned by New Zealand’s PM John Key, who expressed his shock over the “sinister” incident.
Jesse Ryder:
Middle-order left-handed batsman for Tests and an opening ODI batsman
Has made 1,269 runs in 18 Tests at an average of 40.93 with a highest score of 201 and 1,100 runs in 39 ODIs
Has recently been in scintillating form for the Wellington Firebirds
Was disciplined in February 2012 by New Zealand team management for drinking while carrying an injury
Had to withdraw from the test series against England in 2008 after cutting his hand on a window at a Christchurch nightclub
Cyprus banks have reopened after a two-week closure sparked by the EU-IMF bailout negotiations, amid tension over possible large scale withdrawals.
Branches were replenished with cash overnight and police and private security guards deployed amid fears of a run on the banks by customers.
Banks customers face strict controls on the amount they can withdraw each day.
The restrictions on the free movement of capital represent a profound breach of an EU principle.
Cyprus banks have reopened after a two-week closure sparked by the EU-IMF bailout negotiations, amid tension over possible large scale withdrawals
However, the European Commission on Thursday justified the move, saying the “stability of financial markets and the banking system in Cyprus constitutes a matter of overriding public interest”.
Cyprus is the first eurozone member country to bring in capital controls.
Cyprus needs to raise 5.8 billion euros to qualify for a 10 billion-euro bailout from the EU, ECB and the IMF, the so-called troika.
As part of the bailout plan, depositors with more than 100,000 euros in Cypriot banks will see their savings taxed in exchange for bank shares.
An earlier plan to tax small depositors was vetoed by the Cypriot parliament last week.
Branches began to open at noon local time and will close at 18:00.
Some armed police have been deployed and hundreds of staff from the private security firm G4S are guarding bank branches and helping to transport money.
The stock exchange, shut since March 16, remains closed on Thursday and will not reopen until after Catholic Easter.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ministry of finance insisted the capital control measures were temporary and were needed to “safeguard the stability of the system”.
It read: “The Central Bank of Cyprus and the government of Cyprus will review them each day, with a view to progressive lifting of the measures as soon as circumstances allow.”
The severe new rules have been imposed to prevent a torrent of money leaving the island and credit institutions collapsing.
As well as the daily withdrawal limit, Cypriots may not cash cheques.
Payments and/or transfers outside Cyprus via debit and or credit cards are allowed up to 5,000 euros per person per month.
Transactions of 5,000-200,000 euros will be reviewed by a specially established committee, with applications for those over 200,000 euros needing individual approval.
Travellers leaving the country will only be allowed to take 1,000 euros with them.
On Wednesday night, hundreds of protesters rallied outside the presidential palace, chanting: “I’ll pay nothing; I owe nothing,” the Reuters news agency reported.
Many economists predict the controls could be in place for months.
The unprecedented restrictions represent a profound breach of an important principle of the EU that capital, as well as people and trade, should able be to move freely across internal borders.
However, the European Commission said member states could introduce capital controls “in certain circumstances and under strict conditions on grounds of public policy or public security”.
But it added that “the free movement of capital should be reinstated as soon as possible”.
An inquest into Boris Berezovsky’s death has heard he was found lying on his bathroom floor with a “ligature around his neck”.
Boris Berezovsky, 67, was discovered at his Berkshire home in UK on Saturday.
A post-mortem examination found Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky’s death was consistent with hanging, but further tests are being carried out and are likely to take several weeks.
The inquest, which has been adjourned, comes after relatives of his second wife described him as “extraordinary”.
Speaking at the opening of the inquest at Windsor Coroner’s Court, Detective Inspector Mark Bissell, of Thames Valley Police, said Boris Berezovsky was found lying on his bathroom floor with a “ligature around his neck and a piece of similar material on the shower rail above him”.
A post-mortem examination found Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky’s death was consistent with hanging, but further tests are being carried out and are likely to take several weeks
The inquest was opened and adjourned by Berkshire Coroner Peter Bedford.
Janine Prunty, the coroner’s officer, confirmed Boris Berezovsky’s daughter, Elizaveta Berezovskaya, formally identified the body.
And police confirmed the ambulance crew found Boris Berezovsky’s body on the floor at his home in Ascot, Berkshire.
The police search of the Russian oligarch’s house will continue for a few days more and other tests are under way.
Following her father’s death, Anastasia Berezovskaya, 19, said: “My father was not the typical parent, nothing about him was ordinary… he has taught me many things about this world.
“He has taught me to never stop fighting for what one believes in no matter what the costs may be.”
Anastasia and her brother Artem are Boris Berezovsky’s children with his second wife Galina Besharova.
His daughter added: “There aren’t enough words in any language that can somehow express everything that he was and everything he will continue to be. The only word that comes close is extraordinary.”
Early reports suggested Boris Berezovsky’s body was found by an employee, who called an ambulance at 15:18 GMT on Saturday. He had not been seen since around 22:30 GMT the previous evening.
Police have said the post-mortem examination found nothing to indicate a violent struggle.
They had earlier said there was no evidence so far that a “third party” was involved.
It will be several weeks before the results of further tests, including toxicology and histology examinations, are known.
Some friends of Boris Berezovsky had said he was depressed after the failure of his legal battle in London with fellow Russian oligarch and Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich.
But others have insisted he was not a man who would have taken his own life.
Boris Berezovsky, an outspoken critic of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, amassed a fortune in the 1990s following the privatization of state assets after the collapse of Soviet communism.
He survived numerous assassination attempts, including a bomb that decapitated his chauffeur.
Boris Berezovsky had been living in the UK since 2000. He was granted political asylum in 2003 on the grounds that his life would be in danger in Russia.
Scientists in UK have developed a new method to create an entirely synthetic vaccine which doesn’t rely on using live infectious virus, meaning it is much safer.
The prototype vaccine they have created, for the animal disease foot-and-mouth, has been engineered to make it more stable.
That means it can be kept out of the fridge for many hours before returning to the cold chain – overcoming one of the major hurdles in administering vaccines in the developing world.
The research, published in the journal PLOS pathogens, was collaboration between scientists at Oxford and Reading Universities, the Pirbright Institute, and the UK’s national synchrotron facility, the Diamond Light Source near Oxford.
Scientists in UK have developed a new method to create an entirely synthetic vaccine which doesn’t rely on using live infectious virus, meaning it is much safer
Diamond is a particle accelerator which sends electrons round a giant magnetic ring at near light speeds.
The electrons emit energy in the form of intense X-rays which are channeled along “beamlines” – into laboratories where they are used to analyze structures in extraordinary detail.
Synchrotrons have been used before to analyze viruses at the atomic level, but the technology has advanced considerably to enable scientists to create a stable synthetic vaccine.
“What we have achieved here is close to the holy grail of foot-and-mouth vaccines.
“Unlike traditional vaccines, there is no chance that the empty shell vaccine could revert to an infectious form,” said Dave Stuart, Life Sciences Director at Diamond, and MRC Professor of Structural Biology at the University of Oxford.
“This work will have a broad and enduring impact on vaccine development, and the technology should be transferable to other viruses from the same family, such as poliovirus and hand-foot-and-mouth disease, a human virus which is currently endemic in South-East Asia.”
These human disease threats, like foot-and-mouth, are all picornaviruses.
Viruses are inherently unstable and fragile, but picornaviruses can be studied using X-ray crystallography.
This enables the protein shell of the virus to be analyzed at the atomic level – something a billion times smaller than a pinhead.
As with any vaccine, the aim is to prompt the immune system to recognize this outer shell and destroy the pathogen before it has time to lock onto cells and infect them with its genetic material.
In this research the scientists created a synthetic viral shell, but lacking its pathogenic RNA interior – the genetic material the virus uses to replicate itself.
Crucially they were able to reinforce the structure of the viral shell to make it stronger, to improve the stability of the vaccine.
Pre-clinical trials have shown it to be stable at temperatures up to 56 C for at least two hours. Foot-and-mouth is endemic in central Africa, parts of the Middle East and Asia, so this would be a significant improvement over existing vaccines.
With current foot-and-mouth vaccines it is difficult to distinguish between immunized livestock and those which have been infected.
That proved to be a major hurdle in controlling the foot-and-mouth outbreak in the UK in 2001 because it would have prevented the export of livestock.
The synthetic vaccine should allow scientists to show the absence of infection in vaccinated animals.
“The foot-and-mouth-disease virus epidemic in the UK in 2001 was disastrous and cost the economy billions of pounds in control measures and compensation,” explained Dr. Bryan Charleston, Head of Livestock Viral Diseases Programme at the Pirbright Institute.
“This important work has been a direct result of the additional funding that was provided as a result of the 2001 outbreak to research this highly contagious disease.”
The potential hazards of working with viruses was underlined in 2007 when the Pirbright laboratory site was identified as the source of a leak which led to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.
Polio, another picornavirus, which exclusively affects humans, has been eliminated from nearly every country in the world, although it stubbornly persists in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The need for secure vaccine production will become even more vital should polio be wiped out.
“Current polio vaccines, which use live virus for their production, pose a potential threat to the long-term success of eradication if they were to re-establish themselves in the population.
“Non-infectious vaccines would clearly provide a safeguard against this risk”, said Dr. Andrew Macadam, a virologist specializing in polio at the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control in Hertfordshire.
“This technology has great potential in terms of cost and biosafety.
“Any design strategy that minimizes the chances of accidental virus release would not only make the world a safer place but would lower the bio-containment barriers to production allowing vaccines to be made more cheaply all over the world.”
Nelson Mandela has been re-admitted to hospital in South Africa with a recurrence of a lung infection.
A statement from the South African presidency said former President Nelson Mandela, 94, had been admitted just before midnight.
Nelson Mandela spent 18 days in hospital in December undergoing treatment for a lung infection and gallstones.
He is widely regarded as the father of the nation for leading the struggle against apartheid.
Nelson Mandela has been re-admitted to hospital in South Africa with a recurrence of a lung infection
Nelson Mandela served as South Africa’s first black president from 1994 to 1999. However, his health has caused concern for some time.
A presidential spokesman said Nelson Mandela was conscious and was receiving the best possible medical treatment.
“I think we need to be clear that the doctors are attending to Madiba [Mr Mandela] on a continuous basis,” spokesman Mac Maharaj said.
“They prefer to act on the side of caution, and the moment they felt there was a recurrence of the lung infection, they felt that it warranted immediate hospitalization given his age and given his history.”
The government statement said President Jacob Zuma wished Nelson Mandela a speedy recovery.
“We appeal to the people of South Africa and the world to pray for our beloved Madiba and his family and to keep them in their thoughts. We have full confidence in the medical team and know that they will do everything possible to ensure recovery,” President Jacob Zuma said.
The former president is often fondly referred to by his clan name, Madiba.
It is the fourth time Nelson Mandela has been admitted to hospital in just over two years.
He first contracted tuberculosis in the 1980s while detained on the windswept Robben Island where he served 18 of the 27 years he was imprisoned for sabotage.
His lungs are said to have been damaged when he worked in a prison quarry.
Despite his long imprisonment, Nelson Mandela forgave his former enemies and as president urged South Africans of all races to work together and seek reconciliation.
In 1993 Nelson Mandela was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The treatment Nelson Mandela received in December 2012 was his longest spell in hospital since leaving prison in 1990.
Earlier this month he spent a night in hospital following a check-up.
Nelson Mandela retired from public life in 2004 and has been rarely seen in public since.
Nelson Mandela lives in Qunu, a small rural village in Eastern Cape province, where he says he spent the happiest days of his childhood.
Lawyers for Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, are due to challenge his bail conditions at a court hearing.
They will argue that the South African Olympic and Paralympics star should be allowed to return to his home, and to travel.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, also wants an end to supervision by a probation officer and compulsory drug and alcohol testing.
The athlete denies murdering Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria last month.
Lawyers for Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, are due to challenge his bail conditions at a court hearing
Oscar Pistorius says he shot Reeva Steenkamp when he mistook her for an intruder.
Prosecutors said the state would oppose the application, which is being heard at the High Court in Pretoria.
Oscar Pistorius’ lawyer, Kenny Oldwage, said his client did not need to be in court for this hearing.
The athlete’s legal team will appeal against some of the bail conditions imposed by Magistrate Desmond Nair on February 22 that include restrictions on him travelling abroad.
Oscar Pistorius was ordered to hand over his two South African passports, avoid his home in Pretoria and all witnesses in the case, report to a police station twice a week and to abstain from drinking alcohol.
In the papers before the court on Thursday Oscar Pistorius’ lawyers argue that he should be allowed to travel if he is granted permission by the case investigation officer.
In an unrelated case, the athlete’s brother, Carl Pistorius, appeared in court on Wednesday charged with the culpable homicide of a female motorcyclist in a 2008 road crash. Carl Pistorius pleaded not guilty and is due to appear in court again next week.
Kaesong Industrial Complex at the North-South Korea border is still operating despite Pyongyang cutting a military hotline with South Korea on Wednesday.
The hotline had been used mainly to facilitate cross-border travel at the Kaesong Industrial Complex for South Korean workers.
It was the last direct official link between the two nations.
Pyongyang has been angered by US-South Korea military drills, and the fresh UN sanctions that followed its third nuclear test in February.
Kaesong Industrial Complex at the North-South Korea border is still operating despite Pyongyang cutting a military hotline with South Korea
In recent weeks North Korea has made multiple threats against both the US and South Korea, including warning of a “pre-emptive nuclear strike” on the US and the scrapping of the Korean War armistice.
North Korea is not thought to have the technology to strike the US mainland with either a nuclear weapon or a ballistic missile, but it is capable of targeting some US military bases in Asia with its mid-range missiles.
More than 160 South Korean commuters went through border control on Thursday morning to start work at the complex, after being approved for entry by North Korea, officials said.
North Korean authorities had used a civilian phone line to arrange the crossing, they added.
Over 500 South Koreans are scheduled to cross the border in Kaesong in Thursday.
“We say that Kaesong industrial complex will go on running, even if the war breaks out. I don’t feel so nervous,” Jang Seon-woo, a South Korean worker, told AP news agency.
The joint project in Kesong, which was established as a sign of North-South co-operation, is a source of badly-needed hard currency for the North.
Around 120 South Korean firms operate at Kaesong industrial park, employing an estimated 50,000 North Korean workers.
There have been disputes and the North Koreans have, on occasion, blocked access across the Demilitarized Zone that divides the two Koreas, who remain technically at war.
North Korea has already cut both a Red Cross hotline and another line used to communicate with the UN Command at Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone.
An inter-Korean air-traffic hotline still exists between the two sides, according to reports.
Meanwhile, in a phone call on Wednesday, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-Jin that the US would provide “unwavering” support to South Korea.
Chuck Hagel also told his South Korean counterpart that the US-South Korea alliance was “instrumental in maintaining stability on the Korean peninsula,” Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement.
On Tuesday, North Korea said it had ordered artillery and rocket units into “combat posture” to prepare to target US bases in Hawaii, Guam and the US mainland.
In a statement on Wednesday, North Korea’s official news agency KCNA also said that North Korea’s air force was ready to “wipe out” US military bases in Guam.
However, Guam Governor Eddie Baza Calvo described an attack as “unlikely” and urged residents not to let the threats “distract from [their] day-to-day lives”.
Justin Bieber allegedly threatened to kill and spat in his neighbor’s face during an altercation on Tuesday.
Justin Bieber, 19, is said to have become aggressive when he was asked to tone down his erratic driving because it was disturbing residents in the area.
According to TMZ, the singer’s neighbor – who is a 47-year-old successful businessman and father-of-three – filed a complaint to the local Sheriff’s deputies about Justin Bieber’s unacceptable behavior.
Justin Bieber allegedly threatened to kill and spat in his neighbor’s face during an altercation on Tuesday
TMZ also reports that the Calabasas, California resident told Justin Bieber: “You can’t drive like this!” leading to the teenage star responding with foul language.
Apparently Justin Bieber said: “Get the f**k out of here. I’m gonna f**king kill you,” at the same time projecting saliva onto his face.
The alleged confrontation took place after Justin Bieber’s Ferrari had arrived at his home on a flatbed truck at around 8 a.m. in the gated community.
The neighbor claims Justin Bieber was whizzing around at about 100 mph while other dwellers also support that his speed was excessive.
While sources connected to the singer’s security team claim there was no physical contact between the star and the victim, the neighbor has filed a battery report and apparently wants the teenager prosecuted without backing down.
The Los Angeles County Sheriffs visited Justin Bieber’s mansion to investigate the complaint.
The argument was described as “intense”, and started as the neighbor allegedly complained that while Justin Bieber was away touring Europe there were people at the house having loud parties.
TMZ reported: “The neighbor was furious about the noise.”
Justin Bieber has been known for his generosity towards his entourage, often lending friends his expensive cars.
Sources connected with his security have claimed it was the neighbor who was the aggressor as he “came on to Justin’s property and began screaming”.
“Our sources tell us Justin told the man to get off his property but they insist Justin did not have any physical contact with the man,”TMZ reports.
“The singer went inside his house and security escorted the neighbour off the property.”
However, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s spokesperson Steve Whitmore said the claim was being taken seriously.
Justin Bieber only left Poland on Monday and was seen walking shirtless through security.
This latest alleged assault reportedly occurred on the grounds of his sprawling $6.5 million mansion which is part of one of America’s most exclusive gated communities The Estates of the Oaks.
Cyprus banks are to reopen on Thursday at 12:00 p.m. local time, two weeks after they closed to prevent a bank run as a controversial bailout was negotiated.
Banks will open their doors between 12:00 and 18:00 local time, the Cypriot central bank said.
Customers will also be limited to withdrawing 300 euros ($383) a day, to prevent everyone fleeing with their savings.
“I am telling you that all banks are definitely going to open tomorrow,” the Cypriot central bank’s Aliki Stylianou said, which comes after several false announcements of when bank customers will be able to access their funds.
Capital controls are to be imposed as Cyprus seeks to raise 5.8 billion euros to qualify for a 10 billion-euro bailout from the EU, ECB and the IMF, the so-called troika.
Cyprus banks are to reopen on Thursday at noon, two weeks after they closed to prevent a bank run as a controversial bailout was negotiated
Cyprus Finance Minister Michalis Sarris announced a long-awaited series of capital controls, including the 300-euro daily withdrawal, and no cheques can be cashed.
Michalis Sarris cited the “lack of substantial liquidity and significant risk of deposits outflow, with possible outcome the collapse of the credit institutions” as the reasons for the restrictions.
Depositors in Cypriot banks with more than 100,000 euros could see 40% of their funds converted into bank shares, while those with less than 100,000 euros will not lose any funds – but face limits on what funds they can access.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Michalis Sarris said that the controls would be reviewed after seven days, and that some banks could be exempted altogether.
Other controls will prohibit people from taking more than 1,000 euros in cash outside the island, with customs officers authorized to make checks at border crossings.
Money transfers outside Cyprus are prohibited, with a few very specific exceptions, and there is a limit of 5,000 euros a month in credit or debit card purchases while abroad.
The new measures mean that Cyprus is the first eurozone nation to impose capital controls – the absence of which is a fundamental reason behind the monetary union of the 17 members of the euro bloc – since the debt crisis began.
Concern about the ongoing situation in Cyprus has continued to weigh on the Athens stock market, with Greek shares ending down 4% on Wednesday.
Bank of Cyprus chief executive Yiannis Kypri confirmed he had been removed as head of the bank, which is the country’s largest commercial lender.
Reuters reported that Yiannis Kypri had issued a statement about his removal, which said: “The reason I was given was that, based on the resolution decree recently passed by parliament, and upon demands of the troika, an administrator had been appointed at the Bank.
“Until now I have not received a formal letter from the governor of the Central Bank on the matter.”
A European Commission spokesman denied that the troika had demanded Yiannis Kypri’s removal.
“These reports are not correct and decisions like this would in any case be the responsibility of the Bank of Cyprus,” he said.
An administrator has been appointed to Bank of Cyprus to restructure the bank. It is being merged with the “good” parts of the failed Laiki Bank, which will be closed down.
Bank of Cyprus chairman Andreas Artemis handed in his resignation on Tuesday, along with four other directors, but the bank’s board rejected the resignations.
Now Panicos Demetriades, the central bank governor, has sacked the entire board, according to the Cyprus News Agency.
Panicos Demetriades was widely criticized on Tuesday for suggesting that Bank of Cyprus was going to be wound up in the same way as is planned for Laiki Bank.
His comments led to demonstrations, calls for his resignation from Bank of Cyprus staff, and a hastily-drafted denial from Finance Minister Michalis Sarris.
Panicos Demetriades said “superhuman” efforts were being made to get the banks ready for reopening on Thursday.
“Indications are that banks will open tomorrow with some restrictions on capital,” said central bank spokeswoman Aliki Sylianou, speaking to the country’s state broadcaster on Wednesday.
The banks have been shut since March 15 while the controversial 10 billion-euro bailout was being negotiated.
The Rolling Stones are to play as one of the three headline acts for the Glastonbury Festival 2013, taking place on the final weekend of June (28-30).
It will be the first time the Rolling Stones have played at the festival at Worthy Farm, Somerset, which will draw about 135,000 people.
The other headline acts at the festival are Mumford and Sons and the Arctic Monkeys.
The Rolling Stones will be performing on the Saturday night – the penultimate night.
Mick Jagger tweeted: “Can’t wait to play Glastonbury. I have my wellies and my yurt!”
The Rolling Stones are to play as one of the three headline acts for the Glastonbury Festival 2013, taking place on the final weekend of June
Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts was not held last year because of the Olympics and to allow the farmland to recover from the previous festival.
Surprises among the 190 acts include country star Kenny Rogers, who is among the figures playing the main Pyramid Stage.
Also appearing on the Pyramid will be Rita Ora, Jake Bugg, Rufus Wainwright and festival veteran Billy Bragg.
Names on the Other Stage include Portishead – almost 20 years after they released their debut album Dummy – along with Smashing Pumpkins, Mercury Prize-winners Alt-J and John Lydon’s band PiL. The XX, The Lumineers, Alabama Shakes and Foals are included on the bill.
Elsewhere on the huge site in Somerset will be performances by 1970s disco pioneers Chic, Tom Tom Club, rap stalwarts Public Enemy, Dinosaur Jr., The Horrors and Johnny Marr.
Glastonbury 2013 is already a sell-out but there will be some resales next month.
Kim Kardashian insisted she is not ashamed of her pregnancy curves and she certainly made her point by wearing a figure-hugging grey dress which clung to every curve as she emerged from the Trump Hotel in SoHo, New York.
Kim Kardashian, 32, posted a message on her blog explaining she is not trying to “hide” her changing figure with clever styling, as some of her naysayers have suggested.
The grey ensemble, complete with zip detailing, was adored with jewels across the sleeve and front, giving pregnant Kim Kardashian a few more extra pounds to carry around.
The reality star topped off her look with silver stilettos, perfectly set make-up and didn’t have a hair out of place as she headed to a luncheon, held in her honor and hosted by DuJour magazine, at The Darby restaurant.
Kim Kardashian insisted she is not ashamed of her pregnancy curves
On Tuesday Kim Kardashian took to her blog following a hectic day of TV interviews, where she told her fans that she is by no means attempting to disguise her changing shape.
After earlier admitting to having put on 20lb so far during her pregnancy, Kim Kardashian posted: “I see comments from many people that I only wear black and I’m trying to hide my pregnancy or I’m ashamed, which is so beyond ridiculous!”
The reality star, who is due to give birth in July with Kanye West’s child, went on: “I’ve always worn black and I love it. So simple & chic!
“But I do wear white and color all the time as well. Fashion is fun and I love experimenting even when I’m pregnant.”
During an interview on Live! With Kelly and Michael, Kim Kardashian denied rumors she had put on 60 lbs, but admitted she probably will in time.
She said: “I’ve gained 20lbs. At this stage Kourtney had gained 30. I probably will gain those 60 pounds, just give me a couple more months.”
Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams was blindsided when her husband, NFL quarterback Kordell Stewart, filed for divorce this week without her knowledge.
Porsha Williams, 31, released a statement via her spokesperson on Monday saying she was “disappointed about her husband’s recent filing for divorce” after reading the news on a website.
Her rep said the reality star was committed to the marriage and that former Pittsburgh Steelers star Kordell Stewart had promised to work on the relationship with his wife.
But instead, Porsha Williams claims Kordell Stewart blindsided her, filing for divorce without informing her of his plans to do so.
“[Kordell Stewart] misled her and she found out about the filing in the media,” said Porsha Williams’ rep.
Porsha Williams discovered Kordell Stewart filed for divorce after reading the news on a website
“Mrs. Stewart hopes to resolve these personal issues privately with the support of her family, friends and strong faith,” added the rep.
Kordell Stewart, 40, lodged legal papers at Fulton County Superior Court in Georgia on March 22, TMZ reports.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers star Kordell Stewart, who went by the nickname Slash during his days on the field, and Porsha Williams have no children together, although he does have a child from a previous relationship.
The news comes amid on-going speculation about Kordell Stewart’s sexuality.
Porsha Williams and Kordell Stewart married on May 21, 2011. Early in 2012 Porsha Williams suffered a miscarriage due to uterine fibroids.
In the divorce documents, Kordell Stewart says the marriage is “irretrievably broken” and that they separated, according to TMZ.
The NFL star also says there are no marital assets to be divided, suggesting a prenuptial was signed, writing: “[She’s] an able-bodied person, earning income and is capable of supporting herself.”
Kordell Stewart, who is now a radio sports talkshow co-host with Atlanta’s WZGC 92.9 The Game, has a son Syre from a previous relationship with Tania Richardson.
Jade Jagger stepped out in an unflattering tulip style dress as she attended the unveiling of Range Rover Sport in New York on Tuesday, just weeks after she made the same faux pas in a different version of the same style dress.
Despite raising eyebrows in a silver version of the dress during Paris Fashion Week earlier in the month, Jade Jagger, 41, has clearly decided it’s a good look for her.
Swamping her frame, Mick Jagger’s daughter slipped into the gown which was this time gold, looking like she had wrapped herself in far too much fabric.
In an attempt to rescue her shape, Jade Jagger wore a brown belt around her waist however it just wasn’t enough to save the billowing gown from being too much.
She also wore a gold statement necklace and a number of gold rings.
Jade Jagger stepped out in an unflattering tulip style dress as she attended the unveiling of Range Rover Sport in New York
To finish off her look Jade Jagger wore the same shimmery silver shoes she had on when she dressed in the same gown in silver.
It seems Jade Jagger may be trying to drum up a bit of attention around herself as she is reportedly gearing up to make a jewellery comeback, seven years after being dropped as creative director for jewellers Garrard.
Jade Jagger is to set to launch a jewellery collection at department store Fortnum & Mason with another ex-Garrard employee, Stephen Webster, who was at Buckingham Palace recently to collect his MBE.
The new Range Rover Sport – the sportier “baby brother” of the bigger Range Rover – goes on sale in September priced from $83,358. It will ultimately be introduced in 169 markets worldwide.
Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green made their first public outing as an engaged couple on Tuesday evening in London.
Millie Mackintosh, 23, and rapper Professor Green, 29, attended Esquire’s Big Black Book launch party at restaurant Sushi Samba in The Heron Tower.
On Monday evening the reality TV star tweeted a snap of her dazzling engagement ring by Frost of London.
Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green have been dating for over a year before their engagement
Designed by Professor Green himself the ring is made up of a large rock set on fashionable double bands encrusted with diamonds.
The bespoke ring was made to the rapper’s specification and comes in at just under 3 carats.
“He’s picked the perfect ring, it’s really classy and just me,” Millie Mackintosh said.
When asked when the wedding would take place, Millie Mackintosh said: “I’m not putting any pressure on it. I’m not thinking about that right now, I’m just going to enjoy being engaged.”
Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green have been dating for over a year, after the rapper – real name Stephen Manderson – became enamored by the reality star when he saw her cover shoot for FHM two years ago.
The word “ungoogleable” has been removed from a list of new Swedish words after a trademark spat with Google.
The idea that something can’t be found online is strange enough to have spawned its own adjective.
The word “ungoogleable” is in the headlines after a dispute between Google and Sweden’s language watchdog.
The Language Council of Sweden wanted to include “ungoogleable” (Swedish “ogooglebar”) in its annual list of new Swedish words. But it defined the term as something that cannot be found with any search engine.
The word “ungoogleable” has been removed from a list of new Swedish words after a trademark spat with Google
The search engine giant wanted the Swedish translation to be changed to refer only to Google searches, and the Council opted to remove the word altogether to avoid a lengthy legal battle.
The spat raises the question of just what “ungoogleable” means. Or more specifically, are some things still impossible to find with a search engine? And if so, is it a deliberate strategy?
To be ungoogleable might be a blessing or a curse.
A firm that chooses to call itself 367 may be shooting itself in the foot – people searching online will probably encounter a lot of bus routes before they get to the company.
It’s a similar story for an academic with a common name trying to promote research. Being called Mark Smith, for instance, might bring up thousands of other Mark Smiths online.
But others may actively seek to be ungoogleable.
The internet, unlike humans, has an almost flawless memory. That is why it’s so useful. But it can also be embarrassing.
Ungoogleability increasingly means privacy, says Cameron Hulett, executive director of digital marketing company Undertone.
“There are firms managing people’s online reputations. Ungoogleable is the extreme form – you are not just managing it you are removing it altogether,” he says.
Then there are online networks that act like auction sites for people trading in drugs, erotica and other forbidden items.
Websites such as these use software to create anonymous networks. And with questionable sites that are accessible, a search engine might decide to withhold access to users.
But the desire to be ungoogleable goes far wider than that. Professor Ralph Schroeder, from the Oxford Internet Institute, points to democracy activists in China who may need to operate an anonymous website to escape a crackdown on their activities.
Trying to outwit Google’s search capability has been popular for a while. A Googlewhack is two words that elicit only one result. The comedian Dave Gorman wrote a book about it after noticing that a phrase on his website Francophile namesakes only delivered one result.
Nowadays most people using Google will respond to the promptings of Google Autocomplete. So stumbling upon a Googlewhack is less likely.
Paywalls are another factor. Used by academic journals and newspapers such as The Times and Financial Times they restrict what users can easily find via Google.
For some, being ungoogleable is about being unknowable. It’s about preserving one’s mystique.
Irene Serra chose the name -isq for her band deliberately to make it hard to find online.
As it contains a hyphen, it cannot deliver an easy result. The band has a website but they don’t want it to be too easy to find.
“We didn’t want to give everything away straightaway,” says Irene Serra.
“If you want to hear about us you’ll need to try just a little bit harder. And then when you do actually find us online we have lots in place.”
It also allows them to easily keep control of all the domain names.
Seb Mower, a search engine optimization consultant, says that even supposedly ungoogleable things can usually be found. Most people google in haste. But a bit of thinking can often turn up the correct result.
For instance, the band -isq will appear third in the list on Google if speechmarks are put around the search term.
Where Google really struggles, he says, is to show pictures of text.
“If you wanted all the back issues of the Times, none of that information would be indexable.”
For some, it seems, being ungoogleable is an unfortunate state of affairs.
For others, the ignorance of Google’s algorithms is bliss.
North Korea has announced it severs another military hotline with South Korea.
The hotline is used to facilitate the travel of South Korean workers to a joint industrial complex in Kaesong, North Korea.
Pyongyang has been angered by fresh UN sanctions following its February 12 nuclear test and US-South Korea military drills.
In recent weeks its habitually fiery rhetoric has escalated, with multiple warnings issued.
North Korea has announced it severs Kaesong military hotline with South Korea
On Tuesday, North Korea said it had ordered artillery and rocket units into “combat posture” to prepare to target US bases in Hawaii, Guam and the US mainland.
North Korea has also threatened a “pre-emptive” nuclear strike against the US in recent days and told the South it has scrapped the Korean War armistice agreement.
While the situation is currently unpredictable, some analysts believe Pyongyang may be trying to force the US and others into negotiations, with all-out war unlikely.
Pentagon spokesman George Little said on Tuesday that North Korea’s threats “followed a pattern designed to raise tensions” and that North Korea would “achieve nothing by these threats”.
North Korea has already cut both a Red Cross hotline and another used to communicate with the UN Command at Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the two Koreas.
The military hotline is used by the two sides to communicate over travel to the Kaesong joint industrial zone, inside North Korea.
“Under the situation where a war may break out any moment, there is no need to keep up North-South military communications,” a senior North Korean military official was quoted by KCNA news agency as telling South Korea before the line was severed.
Until now, operations at the joint complex have been normal despite the rise in tensions.
South Korea’s Ministry of Unification confirmed that North Korea was no longer answering calls to the hotline, reports Yonhap news agency.
Global internet has been slowed down in what security experts are describing as the biggest cyber-attack of its kind in history.
A row between spam-fighting group Spamhaus and hosting firm Cyberbunker has sparked retaliation attacks affecting the wider internet.
It is having an impact on popular services like Netflix – and experts worry it could escalate to affect banking and email systems.
Five national cyber-police-forces are investigating the attacks.
Spamhaus, a group based in both London and Geneva, is a non-profit organization which aims to help email providers filter out spam and other unwanted content.
To do this, Spamhaus maintains a number of blocklists – a database of servers known to be being used for malicious purposes.
A row between spam-fighting group Spamhaus and hosting firm Cyberbunker has sparked retaliation attacks affecting the wider internet
Recently, Spamhaus blocked servers maintained by Cyberbunker, a Dutch web host.
Sven Olaf Kamphuis, who claims to be a spokesman for Cyberbunker, said, in a message, that Spamhaus was abusing its position, and should not be allowed to decide “what goes and does not go on the internet”.
Spamhaus has alleged that Cyberbunker, in cooperation with “criminal gangs” from Eastern Europe and Russia, is behind the attack.
Steve Linford, chief executive for Spamhaus, said the scale of the attack was unprecedented.
“We’ve been under this cyber-attack for well over a week.
“But we’re up – they haven’t been able to knock us down. Our engineers are doing an immense job in keeping it up – this sort of attack would take down pretty much anything else.”
Steve Linford said the attack was being investigated by five different national cyber-police-forces around the world.
He claimed he was unable to disclose more details because the forces were concerned that they too may suffer attacks on their own infrastructure.
The attackers have used a tactic known as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), which floods the intended target with large amounts of traffic in an attempt to render it unreachable.
In this case, Spamhaus’s Domain Name System (DNS) servers were targeted – the infrastructure that joins domain names, such as bbc.co.uk, the website’s numerical internet protocol address.
Steve Linford said the attack’s power would be strong enough to take down government internet infrastructure.
“If you aimed this at Downing Street they would be down instantly,” he said.
“They would be completely off the internet.”
Steve Linford added: “These attacks are peaking at 300 gb/s (gigabits per second).
“Normally when there are attacks against major banks, we’re talking about 50 gb/s.”
Spamhaus is able to cope, the group says, as it has highly distributed infrastructure in a number of countries.
The group is supported by many of the world’s largest internet companies who rely on it to filter unwanted material.
Steve Linford said several companies, such as Google, had made their resources available to help “absorb all of this traffic”.
The attacks typically happened in intermittent bursts of high activity.
“They are targeting every part of the internet infrastructure that they feel can be brought down,” he said.
“We can’t be brought down.
“Spamhaus has more than 80 servers around the world. We’ve built the biggest DNS server around.”
Jenna Wolfe revealed this morning she is engaged and expecting a baby with Stephanie Gosk, an NBC News correspondent.
Today show correspondent said: “I have some big news, I’m actually pregnant, quite pregnant. Stephanie and I are expecting a baby girl at the end of August. This is the adventure of a lifetime.”
She added: “This is a journey that I am very excited to take.”
This is the first time Jenna Wolfe, 39, has spoken publicly about her relationship with Stephanie Gosk, 40.
The full story of the engagement and pregnancy appears in People magazine this week.
Jenna Wolfe revealed this morning she is engaged and expecting a baby with Stephanie Gosk, an NBC News correspondent
Jenna Wolfe will also be bloggingabout her adventures throughout the final stages of her pregnancy.
In the first installment, Jenna Wolfe revealed that it was the biggest news she ever had to tell her family.
“Of all the jaw-dropping, head-turning and eye-popping things I’ve ever told my friends and family (“I swam with killer sharks”, “I jet-packed 30-feet out of the water”, “I scaled the tallest building in Canada”), nothing garnered more shock and awe than when I told people I was pregnant.”
Talking about her partner, Jenna Wolfe said: “Stephanie, a foreign correspondent here at NBC, spent years in war-torn countries, risking life and limb in the most dangerous places on earth to tell amazing stories.
“Ever since I can remember, I’ve been a thrill-seeking, dare deviling, adventure-hopping, fearless chick who enjoys the rush of life.
“Between the two of us, we’ve seen and we’ve done more than most will in a lifetime. And yet both of us agree that THIS little girl will be the biggest and best adventure of our lives.”
Jenna Wolfe and Stephanie Gosk have been dating for almost three years and decided they wanted a “wide-eyed, little person” to share their adventures.
So they embarked on “Operation Baby” in December, which she says was “the best decision of her life”, despite the morning sickness.
“Last week I didn’t get out to the plaza on time because I got sick right before I came outside,” Jenna Wolfe revealed.
Stephanie Gosk, who was based in London until she moved in with Jenna Wolfe in New York last fall, said: “The beauty is that we live in a time where there’s no need for secrecy. It’s a very comfortable, open time. And this is a spectacular moment for us.”
Jenna Wolfe and Stephanie Gosk had been dating long-distance for a large part of their relationship but it was not until they were both living in the same city – and the same apartment – that they decided to bring up a child.
Stephanie Gosk told People: “For a long time I had feared I would never have a child. Now I can think of nothing greater than having my daughter get Jenna’s spirit and energy.
“I’m excited to be a mom, but I didn’t have the same level of excitement about being pregnant.”
Jenna Wolfe became pregnant through artificial insemination by an anonymous sperm donor as the couple didn’t want a “third parent”.
With the baby due in August 27, Jenna Wolfe and Stephanie Gosk have no plans to get married yet, saying: “With everything we’re doing, we haven’t set a date yet.”
The search for missing 5-year-old April Jones in UK is expected to end in a few weeks, according to Dyfed-Powys Police.
Officers from around the UK have been searching for April Jones since she disappeared from near her home in Machynlleth, Powys, in October 2012.
Searches of specific areas of land will continue but they are expected to be completed at the end of next month.
Mark Bridger, 47, denies abducting and murdering April Jones as well as intending to pervert the course of justice.
He is due to stand trial at Mold Crown Court on April 29.
Officers from around the UK have been searching for April Jones since she disappeared from near her home in Machynlleth, Powys, in October 2012
April Jones’ disappearance sparked one of the largest police searches in UK history.
Since October 2012, specialist officers along with other forces from across the UK had been searching the area in and around Machynlleth for April Jones.
It said there have been 17 search teams hunting for the school girl on a weekly basis.
In a statement Dyfed-Powys Police said: “It has been a massive search operation where an area of 60 kilometres square [23 square miles] has been searched including and have over 300 specific search areas.
“The terrain is extremely challenging. The mountains, gorges, streams and waterfalls in the area mean extra care has to be taken and specialist safety equipment has to be worn.
“The force made a commitment to search until all viable lines of enquiry were complete.”
Officers confirmed the search would stop over Easter but that during the rest of April they would search “specific areas of land with a view to all search areas identified being completed by the end of April”.
Throughout the search a range of resources had been used from police marine units, experts in searching confined spaces and mines, fire and rescue urban search and rescue teams, the coastguard and mountain rescue teams, and as specialist dogs teams from around the UK.
JWT India has decided to sack employees over a series of controversial Ford Figo advertisements, including one showing former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi with a group of bound women in a car boot.
The adverts were never commercially used but appeared on a website.
JWT, a unit of the world’s biggest advertising group WPP, said the posters were “distasteful and contrary to standards” followed at the company.
The firm’s managing partner, Bobby Pawar, has been asked to leave.
JWT India has decided to sack employees over a series of controversial Ford Figo advertisements, including one showing former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi with a group of bound women in a car boot
According to reports, the creative director of Blue Hive, a WPP unit dedicated to managing the Ford business, Vijay Simha Vellanki, has also been asked to resign.
“We deeply regret the publishing of posters,” JWT said in a statement.
“After a thorough internal review, we have taken appropriate disciplinary action with those involved, which included the exit of employees at JWT.”
One of the adverts showed Silvio Berlusconi in the driver’s seat with three bound women in the boot and a slogan: “Leave your worries behind with Figo’s extra-large boot.”
They were uploaded on a website just days after India passed strict anti-rape laws.
The posters had triggered comments against them on the various social media, with many people labelling them as sexist.
The controversy saw the Indian unit of Ford Motor Company issuing an apology earlier this week.
JWT also condemned the posters saying that “these were never intended for paid publication and should never have been created, let alone uploaded to the internet”.
“This was the result of individuals acting without proper oversight and appropriate actions have been taken within the agency where they work to deal with the situation,” it said.
According to some reports, Ford is one of JWT’s biggest global accounts.
Yiannis Kypri, chief executive of Bank of Cyprus, the biggest bank in the country, has been ousted by the central bank, state media has said.
Yiannis Kypri was forced out by central bank governor Panicos Demetriades, who has himself come under fire for his handling of Cypurs’ banking crisis.
Yiannis Kypri’s removal came on the orders of Cyprus’ bailout lenders, the Cyprus News Agency reported.
The authorities are struggling to reopen the country’s banks on Thursday.
Yiannis Kypri, chief executive of Bank of Cyprus, the biggest bank in the country, has been ousted by the central bank
Bank of Cyprus is to be restructured and merged with parts of the failed number two lender, Laiki Bank.
The reasons for Yiannis Kypri’s sudden removal were not immediately clear.
The bank’s chairman Andreas Artemis handed in his resignation on Tuesday, but local reports suggested that the troubled bank’s board had rejected his resignation.
Panicos Demetriades, the central bank governor, was widely criticized on Tuesday for suggesting that Bank of Cyprus was going to be wound up in the same way as is planned for Laiki Bank. The apparently erroneous statement led to demonstrations and calls for his resignation from Bank of Cyprus staff.
On Tuesday, Panicos Demetriades said that “superhuman” efforts were being made to ready the banks for reopening.
They have been shut for more than a week as a controversial bailout was negotiated, which will see many depositors take losses.
“We have to restore the public’s trust in banks,” he said.
Meanwhile, Cyprus is planning to impose a weekly limit on cash withdrawals, among other restrictions on money transfers, even following the banks’ reopening.
The country’s draft capital controls include export limits on euros and a ban on cashing cheques.
In addition, fixed-term deposits will have to be held until maturity.
The restrictions are expected to be tighter for accounts at Bank of Cyprus and Laiki Bank.
Panicos Demetriades has confirmed that “temporary” capital controls will be imposed on the island, without giving details.
Banks have not been open since March 15. Their reopening had been expected after Cyprus agreed a deal with the IMF and the EU that releases 10 billion euros in support.
The Cypriot authorities had previously said all that but the biggest two banks would open on Tuesday, march 26, but they have remained shut while the finer details of capital controls are handled by the Cypriot central bank.
Dionne Warwick has filed for bankruptcy in the US after amounting debts of almost $10 million in taxes since 1991.
Dionne Warwick’s liabilities include nearly $7 million owed to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from 1991 to 1999 and more than $3 million in business taxes owed to the state of California, where she lives.
The singer has sold more than 100 million records since the 1960s.
Dionne Warwick’s publicist said she had been the victim of poor financial management.
Dionne Warwick has filed for bankruptcy in the US after amounting debts of almost $10 million in taxes since 1991
He added that the 72-year-old singer had paid back the actual amount of the taxes but not penalties and interest that had accumulated over the years.
In documents filed in her home state of New Jersey this month, Dionne Warwick listed about $21,000 in monthly income and a similar amount in monthly expenses.
Her publicist said she had “repeatedly attempted to offer re-payment plans and proposals to the IRS and the California Franchise Tax Board for taxes owed”.
Dionne Warwick, cousin of the late Whitney Houston, won her first of five Grammy awards in 1968 with Do You Know The Way To San Jose?.
The second award came two years later, for the album I’ll Never Fall In Love Again.
Dionne Warwick has sold more than 100 million records and has enjoyed more charts hits than almost any other female singer.
Last March, Dionne Warwick celebrated 50 years in show business with a special event at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles.
To mark the anniversary Dionne Warwick released Now, an album featuring new versions of some of her most famous songs.
