The Brazilian stadium that was due to host athletics at the 2016 Olympics has been closed indefinitely because of structural problems with its roof.
The Joao Havelange stadium in Rio de Janeiro was built only six years ago.
The stadium was also being used as the main football venue in Rio, while the city’s Maracana stadium is being renovated for the 2014 World Cup.
It is an embarrassment for Brazil as it prepares for its two huge sporting events, say correspondents.
The Joao Havelange stadium in Rio de Janeiro that was due to host athletics at the 2016 Olympics has been closed indefinitely because of structural problems with its roof
Brazilian authorities have also acknowledged delays in work on the Maracana and a funding problem at another stadium, which is set to host the opening match at the World Cup.
Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes told a news conference on Tuesday that he had been told about the structural problems at the stadium – locally referred to as the Engenhao – earlier the same day.
“I asked if this represented a risk for spectators and they told me it did, depending on the wind speed and temperature.
“On that basis, I immediately decided to close the stadium until we had more details.”
Eduardo Paes said the situation was “simply not acceptable” for a stadium which opened such a short time ago, and warned that those responsible would be held to account.
The Joao Havelange stadium opened late and over budget in 2007.
The stadium has since been leased to local football club Botafogo.
Jade Anderson, a 14-year-old girl from UK, has been found dead at a house where a number of dogs were “out of control”.
Jade Anderson’s body was discovered by police on Tuesday, March 26, at a property in Atherton, near Wigan, at about 14:00 GMT after someone saw the girl unconscious in the house.
Police have not established the cause of death but said her injuries were “consistent with having been attacked by dogs”. Four of the dogs were killed.
Jade Anderson did not live at the Chaucer Grove home and was thought to be visiting.
Jade Anderson’s body was discovered by police on Tuesday, March 26, at a property in Atherton, near Wigan
Greater Manchester Police said four dogs described as “aggressive and out of control” had since been put down.
Early indications were two of the dogs put down were bull mastiffs and two may be Staffordshire bull terriers, officers said.
Police arrived to find Jade Anderson alone in the house and managed to get four of the five dogs contained in the garden.
The force said the animals were then put down “humanely” by armed officers. A fifth dog was securely contained.
The dogs’ remains will now be examined as part of the investigation into the incident.
Supt Mark Kenny said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family of the girl who has tragically lost her life.
“I understand this is an extremely distressing incident for all concerned, including the community, and we will work hard to establish the full circumstances that led to this tragedy.”
He added there would be a “significant” police presence in the area while police investigated the incident.
Friends have already posted online tributes to Jade on social media websites.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs estimates about 210,000 people are attacked by dogs in England every year.
Five children and one adult have been killed by dogs on private property since 2007.
Jesse James, Sandra Bullock’s ex-husband, has shared his first personal picture from his wedding day to Alexis DeJoria.
In the image posted on Twitter, Jesse James smiles widely as his bride wraps her hand around the back of his neck, both gazing into the camera lens.
The snap – released on Monday – appears to be an amateur self-portrait taken by Jesse James with the sun in the background bursting though the many trees and lighting up her veil.
Jesse James has shared his first personal picture from his wedding day to Alexis DeJoria
Alongside the image Jesse James posted a caption which suggests his latest woman completes his life.
Sandra Bullock’s love cheat ex wrote on Instagram: “Photo: Love, Wife, Family, Work… Life always finds a way of showing Us what is most important.. #Humbled…”
Jesse James appears with his greying hair slicked back while the close-up shot shows Alexis DeJoria’s brunette tresses in a wavy style with the front pinned away from her face.
Tattooed bride Alexis DeJoria dons a friendship bracelet on her left arm and she wears minimal make-up on her big day.
Jesse James married Alexis DeJoria in a very extravagant and expensive affair in Malibu on Sunday.
Tamara Ecclestone has decided to give fans a cheeky sneak peek of her recent Playboy raunchy shoot.
Tweeting on Tuesday evening Tamara Ecclestone, 28, revealed one of the shots showing her pert derriere in a back plunging gown.
As a French maid tried to zip up Tamara Ecclestone’s dress another figure, cut out of shot, is handing her an expensive stiletto – although the Formula 1 heiress is more interested in the camera.
Tamara Ecclestone has decided to give fans a cheeky sneak peek of her recent Playboy raunchy shoot
Tamara Ecclestone, who is engaged to Jay Rutland, has been jet-setting across the globe for the last couple of weeks, before returning to LA looking rather orange, just a few weeks before her Playboy spread is set to hit newstands.
The socialite, who reportedly shot for Playboy magazine a couple of weeks ago in Los Angeles, is set to bare all in a racy vintage-style shoot.
A source told The Daily Mirror: “Tamara is super-proud of her body and is happy to celebrate her curves. She thinks the magazine is vintage and chic and she opted for a cheeky 50s-style shoot.”
“Tamara’s fiancé and family are aware of the project and are fully supportive.”
Pregnant Kim Kardashian revealed she has gained 20 lbs during an interview on Live! With Kelly and Michael in New York.
Kim Kardadshian, 32, used her sister Kourtney as a comparison, stating that her elder sibling had gained more weight in her pregnancy with Penelope at the same mark.
“I’ve gained 20lbs,” said Kim Kardashian, who is almost five months pregnant.
“At this stage Kourtney had gained 30,” the reality star added.
“I will probably gain those 60 pounds, just give me a couple more months.”
Pregnant Kim Kardashian revealed she has gained 20 lbs during an interview on Live With Kelly and Michael in New York
Kim Kardashian added that so far she has not succumbed to junk food cravings and has so far been indulging in healthy treats.
“I want to have those cravings, like cheeseburgers, but I haven’t. Now I eat healthy I don’t know what’s going on,” she said.
Kim Kardashian revealed that she had recently gone baby clothes shopping for the first time, but made sure to not give the sex of her baby away when Kelly and Michael asked whether she had purchased pink or blue items.
“I bought a lot of black and white,” Kim Kardashian said with a coy smile.
The reality star had nothing but praise for sister Kourtney Kardashian, who has offered encouragement and baby tips.
“I couldn’t survive without Kourtney. She has given me the best tips about strollers and everything,” she said.
In an interview with E! this week, Kim Kardashian said she is enjoying the fact her bump is now showing.
“I think it’s really cute now that my belly has popped a little bit. I think it’s really a sexy thing; it’s cute.
“It’s just such an exciting thing for the guys to see our body go through all these different changes. [Kanye West] loves it and embraces it and he’s helped me feel sexy and embrace it.”
Amanda Bynes has come back with another bizarre tweet revealing she feels “pudgy”.
Amanda Bynes, 26, has once again taken to Twitter to discuss her feelings.
While last week it was a graphic description about what she wanted her crush rapper Drake to do to her, this week it is what Amanda Bynes has dubbed “girl problems”.
On Tuesday Amanda Bynes tweeted: “Looking pudgy and I broke my nail #GirlProblems.”
Amanda Bynes has come back with another bizarre tweet revealing she feels pudgy
The actress posted the comment along with a self snapped picture of herself.
Posing in front of the mirror with one of her less than perfect blonde curly wigs on, amanda Bynes struggles to keep her cleavage inside a floral bodysuit with a built in bra that is far too small for.
She donned the too tight bodysuit with a short black skirt with gold embroidery dress.
Just a few hours later Amanda Bynes had a change of heart, posting a picture of the same outfit with a blue short sleeved shirt over it.
And she captioned the image: “Feeling so fresh today.”
Despite feeling “pudgy” Amanda Bynes has recently lost weight and revealed to Us Magazine she plans to lose more.
She said: “I gain weight quickly so I need to work out constantly.”
“I moved to New York City and I love it! I lost 4 lbs. since I moved. I’m 121 lbs – my goal is 100 lbs.”
At least one person died in a pile-up involving about 100 vehicles on snow-hit Austrian motorway A1.
Emergency officials said the crash scene on the west-bound A1 west of Vienna stretched for more than 2 km (1.2 miles).
Six regional fire departments have been at the scene with ambulances and an emergency services helicopter, broadcaster ORF said.
A spell of freezing weather is causing disruption across Europe.
Austrian officials said the accident happened near St Poelten, about 60 km from the capital, and involved about 40 lorries and 60 cars.
At least one person died in a pile-up involving about 100 vehicles on snow-hit Austrian motorway A1
Franz Resperger of the Lower Austrian fire department said the icy carriageway was a likely factor in the crash.
In southern Austria, at least 29 people were injured – six seriously – in two accidents inside road tunnels in the state of Styria, ORF reported. The A2 motorway, which runs through the tunnels, was blocked in both directions.
Elsewhere, record-breaking snowfall in the Ukrainian capital Kiev has caused traffic chaos and seen many residents taking to skis instead, AFP news agency reported
Heavy snow blanketing three regions of Romania has closed schools and disrupted road traffic.
The freezing weather has also caused chaos on Serbia’s northern border with Hungary where lorries queued for hours amid heavy snowfall.
Black ice coating roads in neighboring Croatia has caused a spate of accidents, national TV reports said.
Amanda Knox has said she will fight to clear her name after Italy’s Supreme Court overturned her acquittal for killing Briton Meredith Kercher.
Amanda Knox and former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito face a new trial over the 2007 killing in Perugia.
They were freed on appeal in 2011 after four years in jail, but Italy’s Supreme Court re-opened the case on March 26, 2013.
Amanda Knox does not have to return from the US for the case, but if found guilty she could face extradition.
Raffaele Sollecito, 29, will not have to return to jail while the new appeals process goes ahead.
Both deny killing Meredith Kercher, 21, who was found stabbed to death in the flat she shared with Amanda Knox in Perugia in November 2007.
Amanda Knox has said she will fight to clear her name after Italy’s Supreme Court overturned her acquittal for killing Meredith Kercher
The case has drawn intense media interest in Italy, the UK and the US and put the Italian police and justice system under great scrutiny.
In a statement, Amanda Knox, now a 25-year-old student in Seattle, described the court decision to reopen the case as “painful news”.
“The prosecution’s theory of my involvement in Meredith’s murder has been repeatedly revealed to be completely unfounded and unfair,” she said.
“No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity,” Amanda Knox added.
Meredith Kercher’s family has welcomed the decision.
“Whilst we are not happy about going back to court, and it will not bring her back, we have to make sure we have done all we can for her,” Meredith Kercher’s older sister Stephanie said.
Kercher family lawyer Francesco Maresca said it was “an important day for the Italian legal system”.
Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were originally sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison for murdering and sexually assaulting Meredith Kercher.
Meredith kercher, a Leeds University student, was found with more than 40 knife wounds on her body, including a deep gash to the throat.
Prosecutors believe she died in a brutal sex game that went wrong.
Another man – Rudy Guede from Ivory Coast – was convicted in a separate trial and sentenced to 16 years for the killing.
In 2011, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were acquitted on appeal, largely on the grounds that DNA evidence was flawed.
But that decision has now been overturned by the Supreme Court after prosecutors argued that it was “contradictory and illogical”.
The court has not yet given a full explanation for its ruling on the appeal, but will announce its reasons within 90 days.
The new trial will be held in Florence rather than Perugia, where the original trial and appeal took place, although the date has not yet been set.
After her release in 2011, Amanda Knox returned to the US.
Both she and Raffaele Sollecito – now a student in Verona – have written books about the case.
Rafafele Sollecito’s book was published last year.
Amanda Knox’s book – titled Waiting to be Heard – is due out on April 30, 2013.
Meredith Kercher case:
1 November 2007: Meredith Kercher is killed at her apartment in Perugia, Italy. Police find her a day later.
6 November 2007: Meredith Kercher’s US housemate Amanda Knox is arrested, along with Raffaele Sollecito and Congolese national Patrick Diya Lumumba.
20 November 2007: Rudy Guede detained in Germany and extradited to Italy. Patrick Diya Lumumba released without charge
28 October 2008: Rudy Guede sentenced to 16 years. A judge rules Raffaele Sollecito and Amanda Knox will face a murder trial
4 December 2009: Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito found guilty of murder and sexual violence, and jailed for 26 and 25 years
3 October 2011: Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito acquitted
26 March 2013: Re-run of appeals ordered. Acquittals overturned
Former CIA director David Petraeus is making his first public speech since resigning in November over his extramarital affair with biographer Paula Broadwell.
David Petraeus is scheduled to speak on Tuesday night at a University of Southern California event honoring the military as he carves out a role for himself as a voice on energy, economic and veterans issues.
A prepared text of his speech, obtained by The New York Times, indicates David Petraeus will apologize for the affair with Paula Broadwell.
David Petraeus is expected to acknowledge that he’s “regarded in a different light now” than he was a year ago and that he’ll try to make amends and move forward as best he can.
“I am also keenly aware that the reason for my recent journey was my own doing,” David Petraeus will say, according to The New York Times.
“So please allow me to begin my remarks this evening by reiterating how deeply I regret – and apologize for – the circumstances that led me to resign from the C.I.A. and caused such pain for my family, friends and supporters.”
David Petraeus will apologize for the affair with Paula Broadwell in his first public speech since resignation at a University of Southern California event
David Petraeus, 60, a famed Iraq and Afghan war, is a general retired from the military in 2011 who went on to lead the CIA.
President Barack Obama accepted his resignation from the CIA on November 9, saying David Petraeus had “made our country safer and stronger”, after he admitted having an affair with Paula Broadwell, the author of All In: The Education of General David Petraeus.
David Petraeus will talk about the importance of supporting the families of military personnel and will close his speech by once again referring to his mistakes.
“I know that I can never fully assuage the pain that I inflicted on those closest to me and on a number of others,” the decorated general will say.
“I can, however, try to move forward in a manner that is consistent with the values to which I subscribed before slipping my moorings and, as best as possible, to make amends to those I have hurt and let down.”
David Petraeus and Paula Broadwell affair was discovered during an FBI investigation into emails Broadwell sent to another woman she saw as a rival for Petraeus’ attention – emails the other woman viewed as threatening.
He told his staffers at the time that he was guilty of “extremely poor judgment” in the affair.
“Such behavior is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours,” David Petraeus told CIA employees in a statement.
After the affair, David Petraeus testified behind closed doors about the Benghazi attack but kept out of the public eye after the very powerful media storm which blew up in the wake of the scandal.
In recent months, however, David Petraeus has increasingly appeared in public for lunches and dinners with former colleagues, foreign officials, members of Congress and policy experts.
Angelina Jolie was spotted without her engagement ring as she arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda with British Foreign Secretary William Hague on Sunday night.
Instead Angelina Jolie, 37, wore a more modest gold band on her wedding finger.
Angelina Jolie was spotted without her engagement ring as she arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda with British Foreign Secretary William Hague
While there is no news that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have in fact already tied the knot, it appears that she had merely exchanged the jewellery for her official UN work duties.
In fact Angelina Jolie had completely pared back her look for her arrival, wearing a very plain black suit and billowing black T-shirt.
The actress accessorized the conservative look with some leather loafers and several other pieces of simple gold jewellery.
She also wore her hair tied back into a basic ponytail.
According to USA Today, Angelina Jolie is in the African country acting as a representative for the UN’s refugee agency.
Justin Bieber was seen once again going shirtless as he stepped through a security gate at Wladyslaw Reymont Airport in Lodz, Poland.
Justin Bieber, 19, was departing Poland on Monday following his concert there.
The singer was in full swagger mode as he waited patiently at the check point with his shirt off and his six-pack out on show.
Justin Bieber was seen once again going shirtless as he stepped through a security gate at Wladyslaw Reymont Airport in Lodz, Poland
In his typical style, Justin Bieber wore his baggy trousers dangling from his derriere as his white underwear was almost completely revealed.
Unlike his unsuccessful string of dates in London, Justin Bieber received a very positive reaction and loved performing to his Central European fans.
Justin Bieber tweeted: “CRAZY SHOW!! Thank u POLAND!” and later added: “First France does the Merci signs and now the hearts signs in Poland… I love it.”
Alexis DeJoria and Sandra Bullock’s ex-husband Jesse James married in a very extravagant and expensive affair in Malibu on Sunday.
Alexis DeJoria’s father is John Paul Dejoria, co-founder of the Paul Mitchell hair care products line and Patron Spirits Company.
She walked up the aisle wearing a traditional white dress adorned with a black embroidered floral design.
The strapless attire featured a large train and also showed off her collection of arm tattoos.
Alexis DeJoria, 35, also donned a huge white veil, wore diamond drop earrings in her ears and carried a bouquet of lilac and white roses.
Jesse James was suited and booted in a black suit, white shirt and black tie.
Alexis DeJoria and Sandra Bullock’s ex-husband Jesse James married in a very extravagant and expensive affair in Malibu
The couple tied the knot after only dating for around seven months.
It was rumored that Jesse James had the audacity to invite his ex-wife Sandra Bullock to the nuptials, despite the fact that the marriage ended due to his philandering ways.
“It seems Jesse has colossal gall to match his colossal ego,” a source told Star Magazine via RadarOnline.
“After all the hurt and humiliation he’s caused her, Sandra is the last person on Earth who would attend that affair.
“Even after their divorce, Jesse continued to get his digs in on Sandra, saying publicly that he felt <<empty inside>> during their marriage and sneering that he changed as a person after marrying <<some Hollywood actress>>. Sandra will never forget that.”
However, the source went on to claim that Jesse James has at times tried to “reach out to her behind the scenes”, and that perhaps the invite was intended as a “peace offering”.
Jesse James and Sandra Bullock’s relationship imploded in 2010 after five years of marriage just days after Sandra’s Oscar win for The Blind Side when she discovered he had been having an affair with a tattoo model.
A group called “Stop The Cyborgs” warns that Google Glass and other augmented reality gadgets risk creating a world in which privacy is impossible.
Stop The Cyborgs wants limits put on when headsets can be used.
It has produced posters so premises can warn wearers that the glasses are banned or recording is not permitted.
The campaign comes as politicians, lawyers and bloggers debate how the gadgets will change civil society.
Stop The Cyborgs warns that Google Glass and other augmented reality gadgets risk creating a world in which privacy is impossible
Based in London, the Stop The Cyborgs campaign began at the end of February and the group did not expect much to happen before the launch of Google Glass in 2014.
However, the launch coincided with a push on Twitter by Google to get people thinking about what they would do if they had a pair of the augmented reality spectacles. The camera-equipped headset suspends a small screen in front of an owner and pipes information to that display. The camera and other functions are voice controlled.
Google’s push, coupled with the announcement by the 5 Point Cafe in Seattle to pre-emptively ban users of the gadget, has generated a lot of debate and given the campaign a boost.
Posters produced by the campaign that warn people not to use Google Glass or other personal surveillance devices had been downloaded thousands of times.
In addition, coverage of the Glass project in mainstream media and on the web had swiftly turned from “amazing new gadget that will improve the world” to “the most controversial device in history”.
The limits that the Stop The Cyborg campaign wants placed on Google Glass and similar devices would involve a clear way to let people know when they are being recorded.
In a statement, Google said: “We are putting a lot of thought into how we design Glass because new technology always raises important new issues for society.”
“Our Glass Explorer program will give all of us the chance to be active participants in shaping the future of this technology, including its features and social norms,” it said.
Already some US states are looking to impose other limits on augmented reality devices. West Virginia is reportedly preparing a law that will make it illegal to use such devices while driving. Those breaking the law would face heavy fines.
Speaking to Extra TV host Maria Menounos, Kim Kardashian has revealed her rapper boyfriend Kanye West wants a “unique” name for their baby.
Kim Kardashian, 32, and Kanye West, 35, are expecting their first-born in July and she hinted they could keep up family tradition with a name beginning with K.
The reality star said: “I think it would be really cute cause Kanye and I are both K’s…but half the names on our list aren’t K’s…we still have time, whatever feels right…Kanye, being the father, wants something that’s unique.”
Kanye West, whom Kim Kardashian has been dating for a year, is also rumored to be naming his new album I Am God.
Kim Kardashian reveals Kanye West wants a “unique” name for their baby
Cypriot Finance Minister Michalis Sarris has confirmed that the depositors with less than 100,000 euros in their accounts “will not be hit”.
People with more than 100,000 euros in their accounts could see about 40% of their deposits converted into bank shares, Michalis Sarris said.
“The exact percentage is not… yet decided but it is going to be significant,” he said.
The final figure will depend on how the government decides to protect pensions.
The finance minister confirmed that all Cypriot banks will remain closed until Thursday and that capital controls will be placed on the size and the amount of money people will be allowed to withdraw once they have reopened.
Cyprus bank deposits over 100,000 euros could be cut by 40 percent
These restrictions would “probably be a bit stricter” on the country’s two largest banks, Bank of Cyprus and Laiki, and would remain in place until the banking system “stabilizes”, Michalis Sarris said.
The exact details of this “two tier system” would be hammered out with the banks later on Tuesday, he said.
Michalis Sarris is expecting “some bleeding, some outflow” of funds once the banks reopen, but believes that once EU bailout funds begin flowing “in a matter of weeks”, confidence will return.
Although the economy would be badly hit by the economic crisis, Michalis Sarris admitted, he maintained that it could benefit from “an energy boom”, referring to the exploratory Aphrodite gas fields off the southern coast of the island.
“Yes, there will be a problem but we will overcome it in a relatively short period of time,” he said. He also said his government had renegotiated more favorable loans terms with Russia.
The Cypriot authorities had said all but the biggest two banks would open on Tuesday.
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.
It was conditional on Cyprus itself raising 5.8 billion euros, most of which looks likely to come from depositors with more than 100,000 euros in Bank of Cyprus and Laiki or Popular Bank.
The banks remained closed after the country’s first money-raising solution, which would have hit smaller deposit holders as well as larger holdings, was rejected by parliament.
The new deal for Cyprus, unlike previous agreements, does not require parliamentary approval. It will also include austerity measures and tax increases.
Laiki will be shut down, and deposits under 100,000 euros, which are guaranteed by the state under EU law, will move into the Bank of Cyprus to create a “good bank”.
Deposits above that insured amount will be frozen and used to pay Laiki’s debts and recapitalize the Bank of Cyprus, with depositor losses eventually converted into shares.
Major depositors, many of whom are wealthy Russians, will not be able to access accounts exceeding the 100,000-euro limit until the restructuring of the banks is complete.
Deke Richards, the Motown songwriter and producer who was behind songs including The Jackson 5’s first three number one hits, has died aged 68.
Deke Richards, who had oesophageal cancer, died in a Washington state hospice, Universal Music said.
The musician, whose real name was Dennis Lussier, was leader of the Motown songwriting, arranging and producing team The Corporation.
Their hits include The Jackson 5’s chart-topping I Want You Back and ABC.
Deke Richards, the Motown songwriter and producer who was behind songs including The Jackson 5’s first three number one hits, has died aged 68
Deke Richards also co-wrote Love Child for Diana Ross and The Supremes, as well as Ross’s solo track I’m Still Waiting.
He produced and wrote for Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and Bobby Darin.
The Corporation, which comprised of Motown label head Berry Gordy, Alphonzo Mizell, Freddie Perren and Deke Richards, was assembled in 1969 to create hit records for the label’s new act, The Jackson 5.
They also wrote, produced and arranged the band’s singles and Maybe Tomorrow and Mama’s Pearl.
According to Michael Jackson biographer, J. Randy Taraborrelli, Mama’s Pearl was originally called Guess Who’s Making Whoopie (With Your Girlfriend).
But Deke Richards had the lyrics changed to preserve the young frontman’s innocent image.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Deke Richards’ “love of music” kept him involved with a variety of projects, including last year’s production of The Jackson 5’s Come and Get It: The Rare Pearls, featuring rare and unreleased tracks.
Deke Richards’ final work was the mixing of eight unreleased tracks by Martha Reeves and The Vandellas for the band’s 50th anniversary box set, which is to be released on April 5.
Deke Richards is survived by his wife, Joan Lussier, a brother and two nephews.
North Korea announces it has ordered artillery and rocket units into “combat posture” to prepare to target US bases in Hawaii, Guam and the US mainland.
The announcement, carried by KCNA news agency, follows days of strong rhetoric from Pyongyang.
The north Korean move came as South Korea marked the third anniversary of the sinking of the Cheonan warship, which left 46 sailors dead.
South Korea said it had detected no signs of unusual activity in the North.
Tensions remain high on the Korean peninsula in the wake of North Korea’s third nuclear test on February 12. The test led to new UN sanctions which Pyongyang strongly opposes.
Joint US-South Korea annual military drills have further angered the communist nation. In recent weeks its habitually fiery rhetoric has escalated – it has threatened the US with “pre-emptive nuclear attacks”, as well as strikes on US military bases in Japan.
“From this moment, the Supreme Command of the Korean People’s Army will be putting in combat duty posture No 1 all field artillery units including long-range artillery units and strategic rocket units that will target all enemy objects in US invasionary bases on its mainland, Hawaii and Guam,” the KCNA statement said.
North Korea announces it has ordered artillery and rocket units into “combat posture” to prepare to target US bases in Hawaii, Guam and the US mainland
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 US military bases in the region with its mid-range missiles.
North Korea’s announcement comes as the country carries out large-scale military exercises, and it is not clear whether the order applies to the army as a whole or just to specific units.
In a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said that he hoped that “relevant parties [would] exercise restraint so as to ease the tension”.
The statement came hours after South Korean President Park Geun-hye called on North Korea to “change course” by abandoning nuclear weapons.
Speaking at the national cemetery in Daejeon where the sailors who died when the warship sank are buried, Park geun-hye said North Korea continued to threaten the South’s national security.
“For the North, the only path to survival lies in stopping provocations and threats, abandoning its nuclear weaponry and missiles, and becoming a responsible member of the international community,” she said.
The Cheonan sank in 2010 near the disputed inter-Korean western maritime border. South Korea says a North Korean torpedo sank the ship but Pyongyang denies any involvement.
Months later, North Korea shelled a border island, Yeonpyeong, in the same area, killing four South Koreans, including two civilians. It said it was responding to military exercises in the South.
Last week, South Korea and the US signed a new military plan – conceived after the shelling – pledging joint action to counter limited attacks from North Korea.
Meanwhile, websites of associations for North Korean defectors said that their networks crashed earlier on Tuesday. They said that they were victims of a cyber-attack.
Officials said that South Korean broadcaster YTN’s network and a computer network used by seven local governments were also briefly paralyzed, Yonhap news agency reported.
Daily NK, a news site focused on North Korea, said in a post on its Facebook page that it had “experienced a cyber-attack at 13:40” local time on Tuesday.
Free North Korea Radio, a radio broadcaster, also said that its website “was completely destroyed” after an attack around noon, Yonhap reported.
The presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae, said in a statement that the government was “closely working to confirm if the paralysis cases were caused by technical problems or hacking attacks”.
A cyber-attack on six South Korean banks and broadcasters last week disrupted 32,000 computers and some banking services.
The origin of the attack is not yet known, although there has been speculation that North Korea could have been to blame.
North Korea has been blamed for previous cyber-attacks on the South in 2009 and 2011.
Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito face a retrial over the 2007 killing of Briton student Meredith Kercher, Italy’s highest court has ordered.
Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito spent four years in jail in Italy for murder but were freed on appeal in October 2011, largely on the grounds DNA evidence was flawed.
Prosecutors appealed and the Court of Cassation overturned the acquittals.
Ivory Coast national Rudy Guede was convicted in a separate trial and sentenced to 16 years.
He was found guilty of sexually assaulting and stabbing Meredith Kercher. Rudy Guede admitted being at the house on the night of the killing in November 2007, but denies murder.
Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito face a retrial over the 2007 killing of Briton student Meredith Kercher, Italy’s highest court has ordered
Meredith Kercher, from Coulsdon, south London, had been on a year abroad from Leeds University when she was found semi-naked in her bedroom and with her throat cut in the cottage she shared with Amanda Knox.
Prosecutors believed Meredith Kercher was killed in a brutal sex game that went wrong.
Addressing the court on Monday, they urged the judges to “make sure the final curtain does not drop on this shocking and dire crime”.
Amanda Knox’s Italian lawyer, Luciano Ghirga, said on Monday her client was “very anxious” about the latest hearing.
Amanda Knox lives in Seattle and a retrial is likely to take place in absentia, as the US is unlikely to extradite her, analysts say.
Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were originally sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison for killing and sexually assaulting Meredith Kercher.
Vietnam has accused a Chinese vessel of firing on one of its fishing boats in disputed waters in the South China Sea, setting it alight.
Vietnamese foreign ministry said the “very serious incident” took place on March 20 near the Paracel islands.
Its statement did not specify what kind of Chinese vessel was involved.
Vietnam and China both claim the Paracel islands, which have been controlled by China since a short war with South Vietnam in 1974.
“Vietnam strongly protests, urging China to investigate and seriously deal with the wrongful and inhumane act, and compensate Vietnamese fishermen for their loss,” foreign ministry spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi said.
Vietnam has accused a Chinese vessel of firing on one of its fishing boats in disputed waters in the South China Sea, setting it alight
A formal complaint had been lodged with the Chinese embassy in Hanoi, the statement released late on Monday said.
Earlier this month, two Vietnamese fishing boats were chased out of disputed waters by Chinese marine surveillance ships, local reports said. Vietnamese officials have also reported increased patrolling by China in recent months.
But the use of firearms, if confirmed, points to a more forceful approach from Beijing in protecting what it calls China’s sovereign waters.
There has so far been no comment from Beijing on the issue.
In recent years tensions over territorial claims have been rising in the South China Sea, amid a more assertive stance from China.
China claims a U-shaped swathe of the sea that extends well into what UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea) recognizes as the 200-mile-from-shore Exclusive Economic Zones of other claimants.
As well as Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan have overlapping claims with China.
Last year, the Philippines and China engaged in a lengthy stand-off over another disputed area, the Scarborough shoal, in a spat that left diplomatic ties very strained.
Both the Philippines and Vietnam have sought to raise the issue through the ASEAN regional bloc, but claim Chinese pressure has forced the topic off the agenda.
Speaking to Extra TVhost Maria Menounos, Kim Kardashian squashed rumors that she had hit the whopping 200 lbs mark so far in her pregnancy.
Kim Kardashian, 32, was seen out and about on Monday night. Having earlier stepped out in a bold black and white dress that emphasized her curves, she hid her figure beneath a black wrap coat.
“There are maybe two or three covers just this week that say I am 200 pounds,” the reality star explained.
“I’m like, <<You are 60 pounds off here>>… It wouldn’t even bother me if I gained all the weight,” she said.
“And I have the biggest sweet tooth and I love junk food. Being pregnant I don’t like any of it.”
Kim Kardashian squashed rumors that she had hit the whopping 200 lbs mark so far in her pregnancy
However, Kim Kardashian joked she is “sad” no one has been tempting her with fast food, which she’s replaced in her diet with healthier options.
She added: “I’m waiting for the moments when someone’s like, <<Let’s go to McDonald’s and Taco Bell>> – that’s not happening for me and I’m kind of sad about it.”
Kim Kardashian, whose 36D bust has increased to a 36G, jetted out of LAX to New York on Monday morning to shoot two TV appearances.
She will appear on Live With Kelly And Michael on Tuesday morning and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno later in the evening.
“I never thought I would ever say this… But I’m wearing flats today,” Kim Kardashian tweeted to her 17.5 million followers.
All Cyprus banks will remain closed until Thursday, March 28, the central bank has announced.
Temporary measures will be placed on transactions when they reopen despite an EU/IMF bailout deal.
Earlier, the Cypriot authorities said all but the biggest two, Bank of Cyprus and Laiki Bank, would open on Tuesday, March 26.
The central bank now says all will remain closed to ensure the whole banking system functions “smoothly”.
The bailout deal will see larger depositors in the two biggest banks, Bank of Cyprus and Laiki, lose money.
All Cyprus banks will remain closed until Thursday, March 28, the central bank has announced
President Nicos Anastasiades said “very temporary restrictions” would be put on capital flows, but gave no details.
Controls to prevent money leaving the country are already in place.
Certain limits on the size of cash withdrawals are expected to continue.
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.
It was conditional on Cyprus itself raising 5.8 billion euros, most of which looks likely to come from depositors with more than 100,000 euros in Bank of Cyprus and Laiki or Popular Bank.
The banks remained closed after the country’s first money-raising solution, which would have hit smaller deposit holders as well as larger holdings, was rejected by parliament.
The new deal for Cyprus, unlike previous agreements, does not require parliamentary approval. It will also include austerity measures and tax increases.
Laiki will be shut down, and deposits under 100,000 euros, which are guaranteed by the state under EU law, will move into the Bank of Cyprus to create a “good bank”.
Deposits above that insured amount will be frozen and used to pay Laiki’s debts and recapitalize the Bank of Cyprus, with depositor losses eventually converted into shares.
Major depositors, many of whom are wealthy Russians, will not be able to access accounts exceeding the 100,000-euro limit until the restructuring of the banks is complete.
A government spokesman said the losses on uninsured depositors would be “under or around 30%”.
Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky’s death was “consistent with hanging”, a post-mortem examination has found.
Boris Berezovsky, 67, was found dead by an employee on Saturday on a bathroom floor at his home in Berkshire.
The post-mortem examination found nothing to indicate a violent struggle. More tests are to be carried out on the body.
Thames Valley Police said investigations at the property would continue for several days.
They had earlier said there was no evidence so far that a “third party” was involved.
Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky’s death was “consistent with hanging”, a post-mortem examination has found
Boris Berezovsky’s body was removed from the property in Mill Lane, Ascot overnight on Sunday.
The results of further tests, including toxicology and histology examinations, were likely to take several weeks, police said.
Crime officers have been carrying out forensic examinations at the property and “these are expected to last several days”.
Boris Berezovsky’s body was reportedly 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.
Boris Berezovsky emigrated to the UK in 2000.
He amassed a fortune in the 1990s following the privatisation of state assets after the collapse of Soviet communism.
The Russian oligarch survived numerous assassination attempts, including a bomb that decapitated his chauffeur.
In 2003 Boris Berezovsky was granted political asylum in Britain on the grounds that his life would be in danger in Russia.
He was married twice and had six children – two with each of his wives and two with a long-term partner.
Boris Berezovsky ‘s wealth is thought to have considerably diminished in recent years, leaving him struggling to pay debts in the wake of costly court cases.
In 2011, Boris Berezovsky reportedly lost more than £100 million ($155 million) in a divorce settlement.
In 2012, Boris Berezovsky lost a £3 billion ($4.7 billion) damages claim against Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich.
Cyprus banks are to reopen on Tuesday, March 26, although the two at the centre of the crisis, Bank of Cyprus and Laiki, will remain shut until Thursday, March 28.
President Nicos Anastasiades has said temporary limits will be placed on financial transactions after a bailout deal imposing a tax on bank deposits.
He said “very temporary restrictions” would be put on capital flows, but gave no details.
Controls to prevent money leaving the country are already in place.
Certain limits on the size of cash withdrawals are expected to continue.
Cyprus banks are to reopen on March 26, although Bank of Cyprus and Laiki will remain shut until March 28
The banks’ reopening came after Cyprus agreed a deal with the IMF and the EU that releases 10 billion euros in support.
It was conditional on Cyprus itself raising billions of euros, which it will do by way of a tax on deposits of more than 100,000 euros.
The banks shut a week ago after the country’s first money-raising solution, which would have hit smaller deposit holders as well as larger holdings, was rejected.
On Monday morning, hopes that the deal would solve the crisis lifted shares.
But later, stock markets were rocked after Jeroen Dijsselbloem, head of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, suggested that the deal for Cyprus model could form a template in any future bailout.
Jeroen Dijsselbloem, the Dutch finance minister who as head of the Eurogroup played a key role in the Cyprus negotiations, said the deal represented a new template for resolving future eurozone banking problems.
“If there is a risk in a bank our first question should be <<OK, what are you in the bank going to do about that?>>,” he told Reuters and the Financial Times.
Jeroen Dijsselbloem later added a clarification, saying that Cyprus was “a specific case with exceptional challenges”.
He said the pattern for bank rescues should see shareholders take the first hit, then bondholders, who lend money through financial markets, and only then should depositors with large bank balances be tapped.
The Cyprus deal puts the burden for dealing with problem banks on their shareholders and creditors – in this particular case, customers with large bank balances – rather than the government and taxpayers, or bondholders, who lend through financial markets.
Tiger Woods has won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill by two strokes returning to the top of the world rankings for the first time since October 2010.
Tiger Woods, 37, replaces Rory McIlroy as number one after dropping to a career-low 58th in November 2011.
His win at Bay Hill was his 77th PGA title and his third of 2013.
Tiger Woods resumed three shots clear after storms halted Sunday’s play and shot 70 to hold off England’s Justin Rose, who climbed to third in the world rankings.
“I play well here, it’s as simple as it gets,” said Tiger Woods, who became number one for the 11th time following his eighth professional win at Bay Hill.
Tiger Woods has won the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill by two strokes returning to the top of the world rankings for the first time since October 2010
“I’m very pleased with the way I’m playing.
“It was a by-product of hard work, patience and getting back to playing golf tournaments.”
It was Tiger Woods’s sixth title in his last 20 starts on the PGA Tour, and after wins at Doral and Torrey Pines this year, he is now clear favourite to capture his fifth Masters title when the season’s opening major begins at Augusta on 11 April.
He first became world number one in June 1997 following his maiden major victory at the Masters, aged 22.
Tiger Woods topped the rankings for 264 weeks from August 1999 to September 2004 and 281 weeks from June 2005 to October 2010.
A five-month lay-off in late 2009 after cheating scandal, a string of injuries, including four knee operations and an Achilles problem, and problems getting to grips with a new swing all contributed to Tiger Woods’ fall down the rankings.
