Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano has asked centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani has been to try to form a new government, following inconclusive elections.
Pier Luigi Bersani’s Democratic Party (PD) won control of the lower house of parliament in February’s poll, but fell short of a majority in the Senate.
He has ruled out a coalition with Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right coalition, which finished second.
If no solution is found, Italy could face fresh elections.
President Giorgio Napolitano announced that he had asked Pier Luigi Bersani to form the new government during their meeting at the presidential palace in Rome on Friday.
Giorgio Napolitano said that Pier Luigi Bersani was best positioned to be given the task under “the most difficult circumstances”.
“He will refer back to me as soon as possible,” added the president, who earlier this week held two days of consultations with political leaders.
Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano has asked centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani has been to try to form a new government, following inconclusive elections
Pier Luigi Bersani said he accepted the task and would try to “find balance” between changes sought by Italian voters and reforms needed to lead Italy out of the economic crisis.
However, it remains unclear how the centre-left would achieve a majority in the Senate.
Beppe Grillo, whose Five Star Movement won 25% of the vote, has insisted he will not support the PD or any established political party.
Pier Luigi Bersani, 69, is a former Communist who has more recently earned a reputation as an economic reformer.
But he has come under increasing pressure within his own party after failing to convert a poll lead into a clear election victory.
The political uncertainty has increased pressure on Italy’s stagnant economy, as well as feeding into concerns about the stability of the eurozone.
Tori Spelling appears to have been on a drastic slim-down just weeks after denying claims of marital trouble.
The former Beverly Hills 90210 star was pictured out in her Beverly Hills stomping ground looking suddenly trim.
Tori Spelling, 39, gave birth to her fourth child, Finn, seven months ago.
And while she initially appeared to be taking her time in losing the baby weight, Tori Spelling has now miraculously slender again.
Tori Spelling was pictured out in her Beverly Hills stomping ground looking suddenly trim
The actress was recently forced to deny hurtful tabloid claims her marriage to Dean McDermott was on the brink of collapse.
According to the Star, Dean Mcdermott, 46, had been taunting Tori spelling about her weight, while she also had trust issues and feared he was being unfaithful.
Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott are parents to Liam, 6, Stella, 4, Hattie, 16 months, and Finn, 7 months.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has apologized to Turkey for “any errors that could have led to loss of life” during the 2010 commando raid on an aid flotilla that tried to breach the Gaza blockade.
Benjamin Netanyahu also agreed with Turkey’s PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan to compensate the families of the nine activists who were killed.
Israel’s prime minister had previously only expressed regret for the deaths.
The deal was brokered by US President Barack Obama during his visit to Israel.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office said he had accepted the apology, “in the name of the Turkish people”.
In the past, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has always given two conditions for restoring bilateral relations with Israel – an apology and compensation for victims’ families.
Nine people were killed on board the Turkish aid ship, Mavi Marmara, when it was boarded by Israeli commandos while trying to transport aid supplies to Gaza in May 2010 in spite of an Israeli naval blockade.
The Israeli government admitted mistakes were made in intelligence-gathering and planning, but insisted its commandos used lethal force because activists had attacked them.
The activists said the troops had opened fire as soon as they boarded the vessel, which was in international waters at the time.
The incident provoked an international outcry and led to a major deterioration in relations between Turkey and Israel.
Benjamin Netanyahu has apologized to Turkey for “any errors that could have led to loss of life” during the 2010 commando raid on an aid flotilla that tried to breach the Gaza blockade
Before departing for Jordan on Friday afternoon, Barack Obama revealed that Benjamin Netanyahu and Recep Tayyip Erdogan had just spoken by telephone.
“The United States deeply values our close partnerships with both Turkey and Israel, and we attach great importance to the restoration of positive relations between them in order to advance regional peace and security,” President Barack Obama said in a statement released by the White House.
A statement issued by Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that in the telephone conversation with Recep Tayyip Erdogan he had expressed regret over the deterioration in bilateral ties and noted his “commitment to working out the disagreements in order to advance peace and regional stability”.
“The prime minister made it clear that the tragic results regarding the Mavi Marmara were unintentional and that Israel expresses regret over injuries and loss of life,” it added.
“In light of the Israeli investigation into the incident, which pointed out several operational errors, Prime Minister Netanyahu apologized to the Turkish people for any errors that could have led to loss of life and agreed to complete the agreement on compensation.”
The two leaders had also agreed to continue to work on improving the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian Territories, the statement said.
A statement from Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office said the two prime ministers had agreed on making arrangements for compensation for families of the dead activists.
“Erdogan told Benjamin Netanyahu that he valued centuries-long strong friendship and co-operation between the Turkish and Jewish nations,” it added.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s change of heart is a clear indication of the diplomatic clout that the US still wields with its two key allies in a turbulent region.
The prime minister’s call to his Turkish counterpart was apparently made from a trailer at Tel Aviv airport while Air Force One sat on the ground waiting to depart.
The unglamorous setting and the last-minute nature of the call suggests the deal may not have been easy to broker.
Israeli officials said the apology had become possible after Recep Tayyip Erdogan qualified earlier comments about Zionism in an interview with a Danish newspaper.
Benjamin Netanyahu expressed “appreciation” for the comments, his office said.
Former Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called the decision to apologize a “serious error”, Israeli news site Walla reported.
George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio have sparked record sales for diet supplement Meratol, with men making up nearly 75% of buyers for the first time.
Meratol has sold a staggering 25,000 bottles of its diet pill in the UK in the last two months since it was revealed that George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio were among celebrity fans.
For the first time in Meratol 6-year history, there are more male purchasers than women, who account for 74% of total sales.
Meratol, made from a cocktail of herbal ingredients including cactus leaves, prickly pear and seaweed, claim to speed up metabolism to burn fat while suppressing appetite.
Female celebrity fans include actress Eva Longoria and the diet supplement has been promoted by Lauren Goodger.
It is the Clooney Effect which is believed to have sparked the sudden sales surge to men recently as they look to shed those post-Christmas pounds.
A Meratol spokesman said: “We usually see a ration of around 55:45 women to men purchasing our slimming aids.
“For the first time in six years we can report a significant change in buying patterns with male customers being our primary customer.
“It has been reported recently that two thirds of British men are overweight so there is an increased awareness among them in actively taking action to lose weight.
“Women are already aware of such products but when you get fans like George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio, it helps raise their profile to a whole new audience of men.”
Meratol, made from a cocktail of herbal ingredients including cactus leaves, prickly pear and seaweed, claim to speed up metabolism to burn fat while suppressing appetite
Meratol claims to help shift between 3 and 5 pounds a week and was used by Lauren Goodger to shed her excess weight.
Lauren Goodger said: “I’ve taken a lot of herbal diet tablets and some can make you feel a bit shaky but on Meratol I don’t feel any different. It helps you burn fat and suppresses your appetite.”
Dubbed a “turbo weight loss” supplement, each Meratol tub contains 60 pills, enough for a month’s use, and is available from the website, meratol.com.
Victoria Beckham has revealed her secret beauty weapon to achieve a perfectly smooth skin: a body moisturizer by Weleda.
Speaking to HELLO! magazine about her beauty regime, Victoria Beckham said: “The body cream I use is a really simple, inexpensive body moisturizer by Weleda.
“It’s really, really thick, and I slather it on.”
First introduced in 1926, Skin Food is designed to aid skin battered by daily stresses from poor diet to pollution.
Skin Food by Weleda is designed to aid skin battered by daily stresses from poor diet to pollution
Victoria Beckham isn’t alone in her love of Skin Food by Weleda.
Adele, Alexa Chung, Rihanna, Peaches Geldof, Helena Christiensen, and Erin O’Connor are also fans of the $10 beauty product.
Adele explained her reason for using Skin Food: “Because I wear a lot of makeup when I’m working, I like to use Skin Food by Weleda because it makes my skin feel really replenished.”
Erin O’Connor said: “I massage this into the heels of my feet, toes and elbows before a fashion shoot. It works really well to soften the skin.”
Pope Francis is the 266th and current pope of the Roman Catholic Church, elected on 13 March 2013. As such, he is both head of the Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State.
The duties of the 266th successor to the throne of Saint Peter are wide-ranging.
The Pope’s regular Vatican appointments are:
a weekly blessing for tourists and pilgrims every Sunday from the window of his private study overlooking Saint Peter’s Square
a weekly general audience for some 5,000 pilgrims in a modern audience hall in winter and in the open air in Saint Peter’s Square in summer.
The Pope normally presides over religious celebrations of all the major church festivals of the year inside Saint Peter’s, including Christmas and Easter, when he also appears on the same balcony where he was proclaimed pope after his election to deliver his “Urbi Et Orbi” message to the city of Rome and to the world.
Past popes have celebrated Mass every morning in their private chapel before settling down at their desk to deal with correspondence.
The Pope has a small personal staff of nuns to run his household, to cook and clean, and a personal valet or butler. Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II both had two personal secretaries. He also has a team of speechwriters.
While Pope Emeritus Benedict lived a secluded life inside the Vatican (and plans to live an even more secluded existence in the former convent which is being prepared as his new home in a corner of the Vatican Gardens), Pope John Paul II lived a more gregarious existence, often inviting personal guests to attend his early morning mass and to share his breakfast. He also gave frequent lunch and dinner parties for visiting clergy and friends.
One of the duties of a pope is to meet at least once every five years with his more than 5,000 bishops from around the world – roughly 1,000 a year, or 20 a week.
Under church law they are obliged to visit Rome to report to the Pope on the state of their dioceses in what is called an “ad limina” (on the threshold of Saint Peter) visit. Pope Benedict XVI had just finished this exhaustive series of interviews with every Catholic bishop in the world, and was embarking on a second round just before his retirement.
Foreign travel is also, these days, among the Pope’s duties.
Pope Francis is the 266th and current pope of the Roman Catholic Church
In contrast to the 19th Century Pope Pius IX and his immediate successors, Pope Francis is unlikely ever voluntarily to confine himself to his micro-state.
Pope Pius’ pontificate lasted for 32 years, the longest of all time. Although he was forced to leave Rome and seek temporary refuge at nearby Gaeta when revolution broke out in Rome in 1848, he angrily declared himself a “prisoner in the Vatican” when forced militarily to forfeit his temporal rule over the former papal states of central Italy after Italy became a unified state in 1870. He remained inside the walls of the Vatican until he died.
Pope Francis has already made several sorties into Rome in an unmarked car and is likely to continue the regular worldwide and Italian travels of his immediate predecessors. His first foreign visit is expected to be to his home country Argentina, and also to Brazil for a Catholic youth festival in Rio De Janeiro in July.
His first visit inside Italy could be to Assisi, the birthplace of the much loved patron saint of Italy, Saint Francis, by whose name the new Pope chose to be called.
The Pope also receives many visitors.
Traditional papal protocol is complicated and serves to isolate the Pope except when he officiates at these public ceremonies.
The Apostolic Palace, a fine Renaissance building next to Saint Peter’s Basilica, has suites of official reception rooms on its second floor, below the papal apartments. Here the Pope receives heads of state and official guests in his private library – groups of visitors range in size from four or five, to several hundred at a time.
Popes traditionally live in the spacious apartment reserved for their use on the top floor of the Apostolic Palace. This may not suit the new Pope who, as absolute monarch, is free to live where he will. When appointed archbishop of Buenos Aires, Pope Francis refused to live in the archbishop’s palace, preferring more simple accommodation.
Up to now Pope Francis has chosen to work from a hotel room inside Vatican City, rather than move directly into his palatial official quarters, which he finds excessively large.
Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, one of Africa’s best known authors, has died at the age of 82 after a brief illness.
A statement from his family said Chinua Achebe’s “wisdom and courage” were an “inspiration to all who knew him”.
Chinua Achebe’s 1958 debut novel Things Fall Apart, which dealt with the impact of colonialism in Africa, has sold more than 10 million copies.
He had been living in the US since 1990 following injuries from a car crash.
Chinua Achebe wrote more than 20 works – some fiercely critical of politicians and a failure of leadership in Nigeria.
South African writer and Nobel laureate Nadine Gordimer called Chinua Achebe the “father of modern African literature” in 2007 when she was among the judges to award him the Man Booker International Prize in honor of his literary career.
Things Fall Apart has been translated into more than 50 languages and focuses on the traditions of Igbo society and the clash between Western and traditional values.
The Anambra state government in Nigeria first made the announcement about his death.
Chinua Achebe’s 1958 debut novel Things Fall Apart, which dealt with the impact of colonialism in Africa, has sold more than 10 million copies
Analysts say in Igbo society the death of an important person must be announced by someone in authority.
Chinua Achebe s home state was in mourning for the death of “the illustrious son of the state, Nigeria and Africa”, said Mike Udah, spokesman for Anambra state governor Peter Obi.
A statement released on behalf of his family said Chinua Achebe was “one of the great literary voices of his time”.
“He was also a beloved husband, father, uncle and grandfather, whose wisdom and courage are an inspiration to all who knew him. Professor Achebe’s family requests privacy at this time.”
Last year, Chinua Achebe published a long-awaited memoir about the brutal three-year Biafran war – when the south-eastern Igbo region tried to split from Nigeria in 1967.
After leaving Nigeria, Chinua Achebe worked in the US as a professor. His 1990 car accident left him paralyzed from the waist down and in a wheelchair.
A statement of the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory said it offered its condolences to the Achebe family.
The former South African president and anti-apartheid fighter, who spent 27 years in jail, “referred to Prof Achebe as a writer ‘in whose company the prison walls fell down'”, the statement said.
President Barack Obama is concluding his trip to Israel and the West Bank by paying his respects to victims of the Holocaust and visiting Bethlehem.
Barack Obama went to the Yad Vashem museum after seeing the graves of Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, and former Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin.
He is touring Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity before flying to Amman for talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah.
On Thursday, President Barack Obama urged Israelis and Palestinians to resume peace talks.
Barack Obama told an audience of some 2,000 young Israelis in Jerusalem that they could be “the generation that permanently secures the Zionist dream” or “face growing challenges to its future”.
“The only way for Israel to endure and thrive as a Jewish and democratic state is through the realization of an independent and viable Palestine,” the president warned.
Hours earlier, after holding talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, Barack Obama urged Palestinians to return to the negotiating table even if Israel did not meet their condition of halting Jewish settlement construction.
“If we’re going to succeed, part of what we’re going to have to do is to get out of some of the formulas and habits that have blocked progress for so long,” he said.
“Both sides are going to have to think anew.”
About 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since the 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
Barack Obama began his third and final day in Israel by travelling to the grave of Theodore Herzl, who died in 1904 before his dream of a Jewish homeland was realized.
Accompanied by Israeli President Shimon Peres and PM Benjamin Netanyahu, he laid a wreath and placed a small rock on the headstone, a Jewish custom.
“It is humbling and inspiring to visit and remember the visionary who began the remarkable establishment of the State of Israel,” Barack Obama wrote in the visitors’ book.
“May our two countries possess the same vision and will to secure peace and prosperity for future generations.”
Barack Obama is concluding his trip to Israel and the West Bank by paying his respects to victims of the Holocaust and visiting Bethlehem
Barack Obama then walked to the grave of Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated by a right-wing extremist after a peace rally in support of the Oslo Accords in 1995.
He again laid a wreath and placed a rock on the headstone, and reportedly told Yitzhak Rabin’s children and grandchildren that he had been “a great man”, adding: “Sometimes it is harder to embark on peace than to embark on war.”
Barack Obama later visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, which he said illustrated the depravity to which man could sink but also served as a reminder of the “righteous among nations who refused to be bystanders”.
“The state of Israel does not exist because of the Holocaust, but with the survival of a strong Jewish state of Israel, such a holocaust will never happen again,” he added.
The Church of the Nativity was originally built in 399 above a cave traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus and rebuilt after fire in the 6th Century, it is among the holiest sites in Christianity.
On Friday afternoon Barack Obama will fly to Jordan, where he plans to hold talks with King Abdullah and spend the night.
Barack Obama and King Abdullah are expected to discuss Jordan’s struggle to cope with the influx of more than 350,000 refugees from Syria, the stalled Middle East peace process, and efforts at political reform in the kingdom.
Mezzo-soprano Rise Stevens, who sang with the Metropolitan Opera in Manhattan for more than 20 years, has died in New York three months shy of her 100th birthday.
Among Rise Stevens’ greatest roles was the title character in Carmen in the 1950s, which she sang for 124 performances.
Rise Stevens also had a brief Hollywood film career in the 1940s, starring in Oscar-winning Bing Crosby film Going My Way.
The Metropolitan Opera called her “a consummate artist, treasured colleague, and devoted supporter of the company”.
Born Rise Steenberg on 11 June 1913, she first began singing at the age of 10 on a radio children’s hour in New York.
She received a scholarship to study at the renowned Julliard School and turned down an invitation to audition for the Met in 1935 – instead choosing to continue her training in Europe instead.
Rise Stevens made her professional opera debut in Prague, where she first showed her mastery in the role of Carmen, before joining the Met in 1938 on tour in Mignon.
Her first film role was in the Oscar-nominated 1941 film The Chocolate Soldier opposite Nelson Eddy, leading to her role in Bing Crosby’s Going My Way which won seven Oscars including best picture.
Mezzo-soprano Rise Stevens, who sang with the Metropolitan Opera in Manhattan for more than 20 years, has died in New York three months shy of her 100th birthday
Rise Stevens turned her back on Hollywood shortly after because of her love for opera.
“I probably would never have reached that vast public had I not done films,” Rise Stevens had once said.
“At least, I won a lot of people over to opera.”
Among her other celebrated roles were Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier, Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice, Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro and Dalila in Samson et Dalila.
Such was her skill, Lloyds of London insured her voice for $1 million in 1945.
Rise Stevens retired from performing opera in 1961, saying she wanted to bow out while she still had a great voice.
“It always bothered me, these great singers when I heard them again and again, remembering how magnificent they sounded once and no more,” she said.
Rise Stevens spent three years as director of the Met’s touring company. She was also a managing director of the Met, board member of the Metropolitan Opera Guild and president of the Mannes College of Music from 1975 to 1978.
She received the Kennedy Center Honour in 1990, where she was hailed as a singer “who raised the art of opera [in the US] to its highest level”.
Rise Stevens is survived by her son, the actor Nicholas Surovy, and a granddaughter.
Nicholas Surovy said a private memorial had been planned.
Amanda Bynes, who has undergone a dramatic makeover and just yesterday morning showed off her cheek piercings, posted a raunchy message to rapper Drake on her Twitter account.
The former What I Like About You star posted: “I want @drake to murder my v….. .”
Amanda Bynes’ message has been re-tweeted 6,392 times in over an hour.
And then she wrote: “Twerking out.”
No word on whether or not Miley Cyrus joined her on that.
Amanda Bynes posted a raunchy message to rapper Drake on her Twitter account
Researchers have found that the space rock that hit Earth 65 million years ago and was widely implicated in the end of the dinosaurs was likely a speeding comet.
That is the conclusion of research which suggests the 180 km-wide Chicxulub crater in Mexico was carved out by a smaller object than previously thought.
Many scientists consider a large and relatively slow moving asteroid to have been the likely culprit.
However, other researchers were more cautious about the results.
“The overall aim of our project is to better characterize the impactor that produced the crater in the Yucatan peninsula [in Mexico],” said Dr. Jason Moore, from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.
The space rock gave rise to a global layer of sediments enriched in the chemical element iridium, in concentrations much higher than naturally occurs; it must have come from outer space.
However, in the first part of their work, the team suggests that frequently quoted iridium values are incorrect. Using a comparison with another extraterrestrial element deposited in the impact – osmium – they were able to deduce that the collision deposited less debris than has previously been supposed.
The recalculated iridium value suggests a smaller body hit the Earth. So for the second part of their work, the researchers took the new figure and attempted to reconcile it with the known physical properties of the Chicxulub impact.
For this smaller space rock to have produced a 180 km-wide crater, it must have been travelling relatively quickly. The team found that a long-period comet fitted the bill much better than other possible candidates.
“You’d need an asteroid of about 5 km diameter to contribute that much iridium and osmium. But an asteroid that size would not make a 200 km-diameter crater,” said Dr. Jason Moore.
“So we said: how do we get something that has enough energy to generate that size of crater, but has much less rocky material? That brings us to comets.”
Researchers have found that the space rock that hit Earth 65 million years ago and was widely implicated in the end of the dinosaurs was likely a speeding comet
Co-author Mukul Sharma, also from Dartmouth College, said: “You would need some special pleading for an asteroid moving very rapidly – although it is possible. But of the comets and asteroids we have looked at in the skies, the comets are the ones that are moving very rapidly.”
Long-period comets are balls of dust, rock and ice that are on highly eccentric trajectories around the Sun. They may take hundreds, thousands or in some cases even millions of years to complete one orbit.
The extinction event 65 million years ago is now widely associated with the space impact at Chicxulub. It killed off about 70% of all species on Earth in just a short period of time, most notably the non-avian dinosaurs.
The enormous collision would have triggered fires, earthquakes and huge tsunamis. The dust and gas thrown up into the atmosphere would have depressed global temperatures for several years.
Dr. Gareth Collins, who researches impact cratering at Imperial College London, described the research by the Virginia team as “nice work” and “thought-provoking”.
He said: “I don’t think it is possible to accurately determine the impactor size from geochemistry.
“Geochemistry tells you – quite accurately – only the mass of meteoritic material that is distributed globally, not the total mass of the impactor. To estimate the latter, one needs to know what fraction of the impactor was distributed globally, as opposed to being ejected to space or landing close to the crater.”
Dr. Gareth Collins added: “The authors suggest that 75% of the impactor mass is distributed globally, and hence arrive at quite a small-sized impactor, but in reality this fraction could be lower than 20%.”
That would easily keep the door open for a bigger, more slowly moving asteroid.
The authors accept this point, but cite recent studies showing suggesting mass loss for the Chicxulub impact was between 11% and 25%.
In recent years, several space objects have taken astronomers by surprise, serving as a reminder that our cosmic neighborhood remains a busy place.
On February 15, 2013, 2012 DA14 – an asteroid as large as an Olympic swimming pool – raced past the Earth at a distance of just 27,700 km (17,200 miles). It had only been discovered the previous year.
And on the same day, a 17 m space rock exploded over Russia’s Ural mountains with an energy of about 440 kilotonnes of TNT. About 1,000 people were injured as the shockwave blew out windows and rocked buildings.
Some 95% of the near-Earth objects larger than 1km have been discovered. However, only about 10% of the 13,000 – 20,000 asteroids above the size of 140m are being tracked.
There are probably many more comets than near-Earth asteroids, but NASA points out they spend almost all of their lifetimes at great distances from the Sun and Earth, so that they contribute only about 10% to the census of larger objects that have struck the Earth.
South Korean officials announce they incorrectly linked a Chinese IP address to a cyber-attack on local banks and broadcasters earlier this week.
On Thursday, the Korean Communications Commission said it had traced the attack to an internet address in China, although the identity of those behind the attack could not be confirmed.
But it said further investigation showed the malware came from a local computer in one of the affected banks.
However, South Korean officials still believe the attack was orchestrated from abroad.
Wednesday’s cyber-attack on six South Korean banks and broadcasters affected 32,000 computers and disrupted banking services.
The apparent link to China had fuelled speculation that North Korea was to blame.
Hackers can route their attacks through addresses in other countries to obscure their identities, and intelligence experts believe that North Korea routinely uses Chinese computer addresses to hide its cyber-attacks.
South Korean officials announce they incorrectly linked a Chinese IP address to a cyber-attack on local banks and broadcasters earlier this week
North Korea has been blamed for previous cyber-attacks on the South in 2009 and 2011.
South Korean officials initially linked the cyber-attack to an IP address in China, but on Friday said they had made a mistake.
Further investigation showed the IP address was in the internal server of Nonghyup bank, one of the victims of Wednesday’s attack.
Its IP address “coincidentally matched” a Chinese IP address, the KCC said.
“Malicious code seemed to be spread from the server [of Nonghyup Bank] and there were records of [it] being approached by someone at that time,” Lee Jae-il, vice-president of Korea’s Internet Security Agency (KISA), told reporters.
“We’re still tracking some dubious IP addresses which are suspected of being based abroad,” he said, adding that they were “keeping all kinds of possibilities open”.
Burma has imposed a state of emergency in Meiktila following three days of communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims.
A statement announcing the decision on behalf of President Thein Sein was broadcast on state television.
Thein Sein said that the move would enable the military to help restore order in the riot-hit town, south of Mandalay.
At least 20 people are reported to have been killed since the violence began, but exact figures are unclear.
Meiktila MP Win Thein said scores of mostly Buddhist people accused of being involved in the violence had been arrested by police.
He said that he saw the bodies of eight people who had been killed in violence in the town on Friday morning.
Burma has imposed a state of emergency in Meiktila following three days of communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims
The disturbances began on Wednesday when an argument in a gold shop escalated quickly, with mobs setting mainly Muslim buildings alight, including some mosques.
Fighting in the streets between men from rival communities later broke out.
Meanwhile people in Meiktila said they are affected by food shortages because the main market in the town has been closed for the last five days.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Russia on the first stop of his maiden overseas tour as president.
Xi Jinping is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the two likely to discuss energy and investment deals.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Xi Jinping said the two countries were “most important strategic partners” who spoke a “common language”.
President Xi Jinping will also visit Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of Congo on his tour, which continues until March 30.
In South Africa, he will attend the fifth BRICS summit from 26-27 March. BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – five key emerging economies.
Xi Jinping’s wife, well-known military singer Peng Liyuan, is with him on this trip.
The choice of Moscow as Xi Jinping’s first destination is seen as symbolic, and a move from China to counter the US pivot to Asia.
Russia is one of the world’s biggest energy producers, and China is the world’s top energy consumer. Bilateral trade is booming, reaching a record $88 billion last year.
Beijing and Moscow have held similar positions over a number of thorny diplomatic issues, from Iran to Syria to North Korea, and some analysts suggest the bond is likely to strengthen.
Xi Jinping is accompanied by his wife, military singer Peng Liyuan, in his first overseas tour as China’s president
At a press conference, Xi Jinping called Russia China’s “friendly neighbor”, and said that the fact that he was visiting so soon after assuming presidency was “a testimony to the great importance China places on its relations with Russia.”
“China-Russia relations have entered a new phase in which the two countries provide major development opportunities to each other,” he said.
In an interview with Russian press, Vladimir Putin said that Russia-China co-operation would produce “a more just world order”.
Russia and China both demonstrated a “balanced and pragmatic approach” to international crises, he said.
In an article in 2012, Vladimir Putin had called for further economic co-operation with China to “catch the <<Chinese wind>> in [its] economic sails”.
China is also Africa’s largest trading partner, surpassing the US and its traditional European partners.
“China-Africa co-operation is comprehensive,” Xi Jinping said.
“It has contributed to Africa’s international standing.”
Xi Jinping was confirmed as China’s president last week, concluding a lengthy transition process that saw him assume the Communist Party leadership in November 2012.
Kris Jenner appears to remain remarkably unchanged in a 30-year old family photo shared by her cousin Cici Bussey on Twitter.
Kris Jenner, now 57, was wearing a very eighties pastel pink and white striped dress, with puff sleeves and white collars and cuffs. Her hair was in a similar style to today, but with a touch of a perm.
The reality star, who was a homemaker at the time, accessorized her eighties look with simple pearl jewellery, and pink lipstick to match.
Kris Jenner, a mother-of-six, rarely leaves the house in anything less than full makeup, and favors clinging dresses with plunging necklines.
Kris Jenner, born Kristen Mary Houghton, is of Dutch and Scottish ancestry. Her net worth is estimated at $20 million, and she has been married twice.
At 22 she wed lawyer Robert Kardashian, who represented O.J. Simpson early on in his murder trial. She had been best friends with O.J.’s wife Nicole.
Kris and Robert Kardashian had four children – daughters Kourtney, Kim and Khloé, and son Rob, who turned 26 last week.
They divorced in March 1991, just one month before Kris married her second husband – 1976 Olympic Games Decathlon gold medalist Bruce Jenner.
Kris and Bruce Jenner have two children, Kendall and Kylie, and Kris has 4 additional stepchildren through the Olympian.
Kris Jenner appears to remain remarkably unchanged in a 30-year old family photo shared by her cousin Cici Bussey on Twitter
The reality star has two tattoos: a cross on her lower back and the names of her two youngest daughters, Kylie and Kendall, on both sides.
Momager Kris Jenner has two grandchildren from her daughter Kourtney Kardashian and her partner Scott Disick: grandson Mason Dash Disick, 4, and one-year-old granddaughter Penelope Scotland Disick.
She is also grandmother to be top the most famous bump in showbiz, as daughter Kim Kardashian is expecting her partner Kanye West’s baby in July.
Kim Kardashian has been tweeting lately to try to find a bone marrow donor for Cici Bussey, who has been battling cancer for more than 17 years.
Last month, Kim Kardashian said of Cici Bussey: “We are asking every Armenian who reads this message to reach out to the bone marrow registry and sign up so that we can find a match for Cici.
“Cici Bussey, my cousin, runs Kardashian Khaos, our store in The Mirage in Las Vegas. We could not survive without her! She is the most amazing friend, cousin, and partner!”
Jude Law is the latest star to quit troubled production Jane Got a Gun, which has already had director Lynne Ramsay and Michael Fassbender exit the project.
Jane Got a Gun made headlines earlier this week when Scottish director Lynne Ramsay did not arrive on the Santa Fe set for the first day of shooting.
Lynne Ramsay was swiftly replaced by Warrior director Gavin O’Connor, but this did not stop Jude Law also leaving the project.
Michael Fassbender was the first to pull out, citing scheduling conflicts.
The Hunger star’s role was taken by Australian actor Joel Edgerton, who remains with the western alongside its leading lady Natalie Portman and Brazil’s Rodrigo Santoro.
Jude Law is the latest star to quit troubled production Jane Got a Gun, which has already had director Lynne Ramsay and Michael Fassbender exit the project
According to showbiz website Deadline, Jude Law only signed on to the film in order to work with Lynne Ramsay and did not wish to remain following her exit.
That earlier departure drew an exasperated response from the film’s producer Scott Steindorff, who said he was “shocked and disappointed” by Lynne Ramsay’s no-show.
Lynne Ramsay has made no comment about her involvement in the film or the reasons for her departure.
Jane Got a Gun tells of a woman, played by Natalie Portman, who turns to an ex-lover to help her defend her farm against her outlaw husband’s former associates.
Pink Floyd’s album The Dark Side of the Moon will be saved for the future at the US Library of Congress as part of its National Recording Registry.
Joining it will be Chubby Checker’s 1960’s dance hit The Twist and Simon and Garfunkel’s Sounds of Silence.
Each year, 25 “culturally” or “historically” significant recordings are added to the registry, established in 2000.
Art Garfunkel, 71, said he was thrilled and flattered to have his work preserved.
His song The Sound of Silence, written after the assassination of President J.F. Kennedy in 1963, initially flopped, only becoming a hit after it was re-edited.
Its subsequent success prompted the duo to reunite and record another album entitled Sounds of Silence in 1966, which Art Garfunkel said was a life changer for him and his partner, Paul Simon.
“When you look at the little mesh, wire microphone and you address people on the other side of the mic, you hope that your performance will be special, and you hope that it will have lasting power.”
Art Garfunkel added that he remembers thinking in the 60s that “if we do really good and give a very special performance to these great Paul Simon songs, we might last right into the next century and be appreciated”.
The recording that received the highest number of public nominations for this year’s registry was The Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd’s groundbreaking 1973 album.
The library said it was an example of “brilliant, innovative production in service of the music”.
Pink Floyd’s album The Dark Side of the Moon will be saved for the future at the US Library of Congress as part of its National Recording Registry
The selections, which span from 1918 to 1980 also feature recordings that capture the political climate of the period, including Jimmy Davis’ You Are My Sunshine (1940) which became President Herbert Hoover’s election campaign song while running for governor in Louisiana.
It became one of the most popular country songs of all time and the state song of Louisiana in 1977.
Other recordings chosen include the soundtrack to the popular 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta and featuring the Bee Gees, which revived the disco craze and the original 1949 cast album for South Pacific.
The classical pianist Van Cliburn’s Cold War performance when he won the prestigious Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition at 23 also was selected. The American musician who performed for every US president since Harry Truman, died in February.
The Brazilian body that regulates medical practice has for the first time backed the legalization of abortion on request as the Senate debates reform of abortion laws.
The Federal Council of Medicine called for the legalization of terminations during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Currently, it is allowed only in cases of rape, abnormal brain development or when the mother’s life is at risk.
But wider availability of abortion is opposed by the Roman Catholic Church.
Nearly 250,000 women a year seek treatment in hospitals after undergoing unsafe procedures, the doctors’ council said.
“It’s important to highlight that it’s not been decided that the (27 regional) Councils of Medicine are favorable to abortion, instead it’s the autonomy of women and doctors,” the president of the FCM, Roberto Luiz D’Avila, wrote on the statement.
Brazilian senators are currently looking into a proposal put together by lawyers and specialists to change the existing criminal code.
The amendment would add other cases in which terminations would not be considered a crime:
On request up to 12 weeks into the pregnancy
In cases of foetal anomalies that would make life impossible after birth
When the pregnancy is the result of insemination or in-vitro fertilization without consent.
Brazilian Federal Council of Medicine has for the first time backed the legalization of abortion on request as the Senate debates reform of abortion laws
The reforms, however, are meeting strong opposition in the country, especially from the Roman Catholic Church.
“What we consider serious in this context is the <<educational>>, or rather, the <<diseducational>> power that an important body such as the Federal Council of Medicine has – the power to create mentalities,” Bishop Joao Carlos Petrini, from the powerful National Conference of Bishops, told newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo.
The doctors’ council endorsement only strengthens a “mentality that favors violence and death”, he added.
The Brazilian senators recently postponed a deadline to present their findings on the controversial reform.
Abortions are illegal in most cases in the majority of Latin American countries, with the exception of Uruguay, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guyana and French Guyana.
The United Nations human rights council has set up an inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea for the first time.
The UN council unanimously voted for the probe, which will examine allegations of prison camps, slave labor and food deprivation in North Korea.
North Korea denounced the resolution as a political ploy.
It is highly unlikely the team will be granted access to North Korea, so they will have to rely on satellite imagery and accounts from defectors.
North Korea’s human rights record will now be under intense scrutiny, and evidence gathered by the team could be used in future prosecutions for crimes against humanity.
UN special rapporteur Marzuki Darusman, who presented the initial report on North Korea and will be a member of the inquiry, said that a key focus should be the country’s prison camps.
“The prison camps could qualify as crimes against humanity,” he said.
“These are camps which have the purpose of driving the people being detained there towards a slow death.”
Marzuki Darusman’s report also described “widespread and systematic violations of human rights” including enforced disappearances and using food to control people.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said the UN had evidence indicating that North Korea’s political prisons held around 200,000 people, with many subjected to rape, torture and slave labor.
The UN human rights council has set up an inquiry into human rights abuses in North Korea for the first time
The resolution, which was presented by Japan and the European Union, was approved by all 47 members of the council.
“For too long the population of the country has been subjected to widespread and systematic human rights violations and abuses,” Ireland’s Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said, speaking on behalf of the EU.
North Korea’s ambassador to the UN, Pyong Se-so, called the resolution “a faked document full of political invective, with serious distortions.”
Pyong Se-so accused the council of seeking to “disgrace the image” of North Korea, adding that his country had “one of the best systems in the world for the protections of human rights”.
The inquiry has been welcomed by activists. In a statement, Human Rights Watch described the move as a “landmark step”, that would “help expose decades of abuse by the North Korean government”.
The probe comes at a time of heightened tensions in the Korean peninsula, following North Korea’s third nuclear test in February and the subsequent tightening of UN sanctions.
On Friday, the US voiced optimism that China would help enforce UN sanctions, a key part of which involves stopping money flow to Pyongyang’s nuclear programme and illicit arms sales.
“We asked the Chinese for enhanced scrutiny of financial institutions in North Korea,” said US Treasury Undersecretary David Cohen, who is visiting Beijing.
“It’s no secret that there is a fair amount of financial relationship between China and North Korea and Chinese financial institutions in North Korea.”
In recent days North Korean rhetoric against both the US and South Korea has escalated.
On Thursday, the North Korean army issued a statement threatening US military bases in Japan, in response to the US flying nuclear-capable B-52 bombers over South Korea as part of a joint military exercise.
France’s ex-President Nicolas Sarkozy has been placed under formal investigation over claims his 2007 election campaign received illegal donations from L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt, France’s richest woman.
Nicolas Sarkozy is accused of accepting thousands of euros from Liliane Bettencourt, now aged 90.
The former president denies taking financial advantage of Liliane Bettencourt.
Nicolas Sarkozy’s lawyer said he would file an appeal against the “incoherent and unfair decision”, AFP news agency reports.
Magistrate Jean-Michel Gentil, who leads the inquiry, unexpectedly summoned Nicolas Sarkozy for a face-to-face encounter with Liliane Bettencourt’s butler, Pascal Bonnefoy, in the city of Bordeaux.
The judge wanted to determine how often Nicolas Sarkozy had met Liliane Bettencourt in 2007.
While Nicolas Sarkozy has maintained he only saw her once during that year, Pascal Bonnefoy gave a different account on Thursday.
Following the hearing, prosecutors said Nicolas sarkozy had been placed under formal investigation “for taking advantage of a vulnerable person during 2007 to the detriment of Liliane Bettencourt”.
Under French law the court’s decision falls short of a formal charge.
Investigators will press ahead with the enquiry before deciding whether he should face a trial.
Nicolas Sarkozy has been placed under formal investigation over claims his 2007 election campaign received illegal donations from L’Oreal heiress Liliane Bettencourt
Nicolas Sarkozy previously hinted that he was considering another tilt at the presidency in 2017. The outcome of the investigation could determine whether he will make a return to politics, observers say.
Police raided Nicolas Sarkozy’s home and offices last July after he lost his presidential immunity.
The former president was declared a material witness in November, which meant he was a suspect but had not been formally charged.
Nicolas Sarkozy met Liliane Bettencourt when he was mayor of the wealthiest suburb in Paris and forged a close friendship with her over the years.
He was a regular visitor to the family mansion, according to her staff.
It is alleged that staff acting for Liliane Bettencourt gave 150,000 euros in cash to Nicolas Sarkozy’s aides during his successful 2007 campaign to become president.
Individual campaign contributions in France are limited to 4,600 euros.
Liliane Bettencourt’s former accountant, Claire Thibout, has alleged Nicolas Sarkozy’s campaign treasurer at the time – Eric Woerth, who later became budget minister – collected the cash in person.
Claire Thibout also revealed in a leaked police interview that Nicolas Sarkozy, while mayor of Neuilly from 1983 to 2002, paid “regular” visits to the Bettencourt house.
But Nicolas Sarkozy has dismissed as mere gossip claims that he took envelopes stuffed with cash.
“[The Bettencourt] never gave me a single penny and I never asked them for any,” he was quoted as saying by the Sud-Ouest newspaper.
Eric Woerth, who was forced to resign as UMP party treasurer in July as a result of the scandal, is already under formal investigation over the 150,000 euro payment allegations.
The allegations surrounding Nicolas Sarkozy and Eric Woerth first surfaced in connection with a trial over Liliane Bettencourt’s estimated 17 billion euro fortune.
Eric Woerth denies any wrongdoing, as does Liliane Bettencourt.
Italian marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone accused of murdering two Indian fishermen, in a case that has sparked a diplomatic row between India and Italy, are to be sent back to Delhi for trial.
The Indian government had allowed them to return to Italy to vote in last month’s election.
But when they failed to return, India’s Supreme Court ruled Italy’s ambassador was barred from leaving the country.
The Italian government said it had received assurances about the men’s treatment and their human rights.
Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone are accused of shooting the fishermen off the Kerala coast in February 2012. The marines had been guarding an Italian oil tanker and said they mistook the fishermen for pirates.
The marines, who had been out on bail awaiting trial, were allowed to fly back to Italy for the February 2013 general election on condition that they returned to stand trial by March 22.
Italian ambassador Daniele Mancini gave his personal assurance that they would return within four weeks.
Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone are accused of shooting the fishermen off the Kerala coast in February 2012
However, then Rome decided that they would not fly back to Delhi, arguing that India was violating international law by putting them on trial, as the shooting had taken place in international waters.
Rome proposed putting them on trial in Italy.
The day before the men’s licence was due to expire, the office of Italian PM Mario Monti issued a statement saying that the marines had agreed to return.
“The marines agreed to this decision,” the statement said, adding that it was also in the men’s interest.
President Giorgio Napolitano said he appreciated their “sense of responsibility” and said Italy would remain by their side.
The Italian foreign ministry’s decision 10 days ago not to return the two men had prompted a bitter diplomatic row, with Indian PM Manmohan Singh warning of “consequences” if it was not reversed.
Then the Delhi Supreme Court ordered Rome’s envoy not to leave the country and airports across India were put on alert to stop him flying out.
Italy said restricting its ambassador’s movements violated diplomatic conventions.
Lindsay Lohan is rumored to be dating Avi Snow, City of the Sun musician and NYC Club Promoter, according to E! Online.
According to E!, Lindsay Lohan and Avi Snow relationship is said to be in “the early stages”.
Avi Snow was reportedly aboard Mr. Pink’s private jet that flew Lindsay Lohan to LA on Monday.
A source told E! Online that after Lindsay Lohan’s latest mug shot was taken on Tuesday, she went to City of the Sun’s show at 41 Ocean, a private club in Santa Monica, California.
However, another source insists that Lindsay Lohan and Avi Snow are just friends.
Lindsay Lohan is rumored to be dating Avi Snow, City of the Sun musician and NYC Club Promoter
New weight loss drink Slimsticks has been likened to a “gastric band in a glass”, due to the drink’s hunger busting properties.
Experts are raving about 40-calorie drink Slimsticks because of what they claim to be a “miracle ingredient” within it.
This magic ingredient, called Konjac, expands in the stomach to provide an instant feeling.
Konjac, a natural ingredient derived from a plant native to Asia and palm oil and oat oil, supposedly provides a long lasting feeling of fullness.
Supported by numerous clinical studies, Konjac provides a physical reaction in the stomach making the eater feel full very quickly, then after 3-4 hours the palm oil and oat oil get to work, fooling the brain and body into thinking there’s still fat to digest, which prevents the hunger signals that normally see us reaching for snacks in between meals.
Available in Strawberry, Vanilla and Double Malt, each sachet of Slimsticks has to be mixed with water and drunk three times a day before meals.
New weight loss drink Slimsticks has been likened to a “gastric band in a glass”, due to the drink’s hunger busting properties
British nutritionist Jenny Dawes, who has worked with the likes of Ulrika Jonsson, said: “This is just another high fibre <<quick fix>> product which claims to make the stomach feel full quickly.
“There appears to be no stimulants and the side effects can cause flatulence and mild irregularity especially if you are not use to a high fibre diet.
“If the appetite is reduced and insufficient energy calories are cut then exercise – which is the best way to permanently lose weight and keep healthy – may not be performed due to reduced energy levels.
“Personally rather than <<sitting in the chair>> drinking <<quick fix>> products, which will not increase your lean body tissue muscle, why not get up and exercise go for a power walk, jog or run, which will lead to a healthier body and stronger mind which will permanently keep your body and mind healthy without any <<smelly odors>>. Simple!”
Beyoncé is seen wearing a cream shirt and pair of patterned shorts while reclining on a sun-lounger in the pictures, shot in the Bahamas in January.
With a flower in her hair, and black and orange floral heels, Beyoncé looks every inch the summer covergirl in the shots, taken by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.
Beyoncé completes her look with gold hoop earrings and stacked bangles, topped off with a slick of red lipstick and matching nail varnish.
As well as posing up for the campaign, which has also seen Beyoncé create a track called Standing On The Sun for the accompanying video directed by Jonas Akerlund, the singer also had a hand in helping design the new collection.
Items in the range include “the perfect body-con dress” and various colorful swimwear options.
Beyoncé has been unveiled as the new face of H&M
Rumors began that Beyoncé was set to be unveiled as the new face of H&M when she was spotted shooting the campaign earlier this year.
The speculation was further fuelled when Beyoncé’s dancer Kimberley Gipson wrote on Twitter: “First day of trial in the Bahamas! H&M all set … go.”
Then she deleted the post.
Beyoncé commented on the shoot: “It was a beautiful shoot on a tropical island.
“It felt more like making a video than a commercial.”
The images of the star, which will be featured on billboards and editorial adverts worldwide, see her billed as Beyoncé as Mrs. Carter in H&M – referring to the star’s upcoming Mrs. Carter world tour.
The new H&M campaign will hit stores and online from May.
Bobby Brown has been released from jail after spending only 9 hours behind bars.
Bobby Brown barely had time to settle into his cell following his incarceration on Wednesday morning for his third DUI conviction.
The singer checked into L.A. County Jail at 9:58 a.m. on Wednesday, before being released at 6:58 p.m. because the jail was “overcrowded”, TMZ reports.
Bobby Brown was sentenced to 55 days in prison last month after being arrested and charged for his third DUI in October.
He was caught driving erratically around Los Angeles on a suspended license, and had been arrested seven months beforehand for a similar crime.
Bobby Brown has been released from jail after spending only 9 hours behind bars
Bobby Brown missed his original court date in February, and was ordered to attend three Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings per week until his hearing on Tuesday.
The County Sheriff’s spokesperson recently said he was likely to only serve 9 days of his sentence – not 9 hours.
Bobby Brown is currently on 4-year probation and has to attend 18 months of alcohol education classes.
