Satirical news website The Onion came under fire after branding 9-year-old Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis as a “c***” on Twitter.
The Onion said in a post during last night’s Oscars ceremony: “Everybody else seems afraid to say it, but that Quvenzhané Wallis is kind of a c*** right?”
The tweet to The Onion’s millions of followers sparked outrage and was deleted around an hour later.
The post was met with a storm of complaints and demands for an apology from The Onion across social media.
Actor Wendell Pierce, who stars in Treme, described the tweet as an “abhorrent verbal attack of a child”, while another critic called for the writer behind the post to get “exactly what they deserve. From both the law and the street”.
Fans of the spoof website were among those expressing their distaste and disappointment at its use of the expletive in reference to Quvenzhané Wallis.
The Onion website features satirical articles based on national and international news. Its Twitter account has more than 4.5 million followers.
Quvenzhané Wallis was also at the heart of a second Twitter spat during the ceremony, after she was referred to as “Little Q” in coverage, prompting accusations of racism.
The Onion came under fire after posting vulgar tweet about 9-year-old Oscar nominee Quvenzhané Wallis
Football player Jermain Defoe has become a first time father after his ex-girlfriend Anne-Marie Moore gave birth to a baby boy earlier this week.
Anne-Marie Moore, who Jermain Defoe dated briefly last year after splitting from Alexandra Burke, welcomed son Joshua-James Defoe on Tuesday.
Jermain Defoe, 30, was reportedly present at the birth and has seen his son everyday since.
A source told The Sun: “Jermain is thrilled to be a dad. It matures a person and he is determined to live up to his responsibilities.”
Jermain Defoe and Anne-Marie Moore revealed they were expecting a boy several months ago after briefly rekindling their romance in 2012.
The England football star, who was dumped by Alexandra Burke in May after he allegedly cheated on the singer, got back together with Anne-Marie Moore soon after.
Although Jermain Defoe and Anne-Marie Moore are no longer an item, notorious ladies’ man Jermain will reportedly stick by her side and help support the baby.
Jermain Defoe has become a first time father after his ex-girlfriend Anne-Marie Moore gave birth to a baby boy earlier this week
Anne-Marie Moore, 32, revealed her pregnancy when she posted a picture of her baby scan on Facebook.
She said: “There is such a special sweetness in being able to participate in creation of life. It’s a Boy…Mummies lips and Daddies head!”
A pal of Anne-Marie Moore revealed that the couple were always close, but that they had a “stormy” relationship, calling it quits on their romance once they realized that life was leading them in separate paths.
Jermain Defoe lists a number of stars as previous conquests and girlfriends.
Imogen Thomas, Chantelle Houghton and Danielle Lloyd have all previously dated Jermain Defoe.
But the source adds that Jermain Defoe’s “wild side in his twenties” is now over.
Maria Menounos’ ensemble looked like a disaster waiting to happen before she was even on her way to the Academy Awards ceremony.
Maria Menounos looked great in a bright pink bandeau floor-length gown which she wore with her hair in a bouffant style.
She had to take on an awkward position as she got in the car to make her way to the ceremony though as the design was somewhat uncomfortable for her.
Maria Menounos posted alongside an Instagram picture: “This is how I have to sit in the car..the dress has a bustier that’s stabbing me! Hahah.”
She explained that choosing and trying on the frock was not done in the most traditional way, meaning she wouldn’t be able to see the predicament coming.
Maria Menounos posted alongside a snap of her outfit in a small restroom cubicle: “I did my Oscar fitting in the bathroom at the bev hills hotel yesterday…”
Maria Menounos’ ensemble looked like a disaster waiting to happen before she was even on her way to the Academy Awards ceremony
Early exit polls from Italy’s general election show a lead for the centre-left bloc led by Pier Luigi Bersani.
The polls suggest Pier Luigi Bersani’s alliance has taken around 34% of the vote for parliament’s lower house, ahead of Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right group with 29%, Sky Italia reports.
Beppe Grillo’s protest movement is projected to take nearly 20% of votes.
The two-day vote is seen as crucial for efforts to tackle Italy’s economic problems, as well as for the eurozone.
The election was called two months ahead of schedule, after Silvio Berlusconi’s party withdrew its support for Mario Monti’s technocratic government.
The first results based on partial vote counts are due in the next few hours.
If the exit polls are confirmed, they would echo the opinion polls prior to the election which made Pier Luigi Bersani’s centre-left Democratic Party (PD) a consistent frontrunner at nearly 35%.
Pier Luigi Bersani, a former Communist, has pledged to continue with the tough reforms of Mario Monti’s technocratic government, but suggests current European policy needs to do more to promote growth and jobs.
Silvio Berlusconi’s People of Freedom (PdL) centre-right alliance had narrowed the PD lead in the final weeks of campaigning – and may yet prevent Pier Luigi Bersani from winning an overall majority in the Senate, which is being fought on a region-by-region basis.
The fiercely anti-establishment Five Star movement of former comedian Beppe Grillo drew wide and growing support during the campaign, and threatened to be the major upset for the election.
Early exit polls from Italy’s general election show a lead for the centre-left bloc led by Pier Luigi Bersani
Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, is stepping down as leader of the Scottish Catholic Church.
The move follows allegations – which he contests – of inappropriate behavior towards priests dating from the 1980s.
In a statement, Cardinal Keith O’Brien apologized to those he had offended during his ministry.
The cardinal confirmed he would not take part in the election for a successor to Pope Benedict XVI – leaving Britain unrepresented in the election.
The Vatican confirmed that the cardinal has stepped down from his post.
Cardinal Keith O’Brien said in his statement he had already tendered his resignation as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, due to take effect when he turned 75 next month, but Pope Benedict “has now decided that my resignation will take effect today”.
He said the pontiff would appoint an apostolic administrator to govern the archdiocese in his place until his successor is appointed.
The cardinal also said: “I have valued the opportunity of serving the people of Scotland and overseas in various ways since becoming a priest.
“Looking back over my years of ministry: For any good I have been able to do, I thank God. For any failures, I apologize to all whom I have offended.
“I do not wish media attention in Rome to be focused on me – but rather on Pope Benedict XVI and on his successor.
“However, I will pray with them and for them that, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, they will make the correct choice for the future good of the Church.”
Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s role as Britain’s only representative in the papal election next month would have been one of his last acts before he retired.
The Observer reported that the three priests and one former priest – from the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh – complained to the Pope’s representative to Britain, nuncio Antonio Mennini, in the week before February 11, when Pope Benedict announced his resignation, of what they claimed was the cardinal’s inappropriate behavior towards them in the 1980s.
Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Britain’s most senior Roman Catholic cleric, is stepping down as leader of the Scottish Catholic Church
The former priest claims Cardinal Keith O’Brien made an inappropriate approach to him in 1980, after night prayers, when he was a seminarian at St Andrew’s College, Drygrange.
The complainant says he resigned as a priest when Cardinal Keith O’Brien was first made a bishop.
A second statement from another complainant says he was living in a parish when he was visited by Keith O’Brien, and inappropriate contact took place between them.
A third complainant alleges dealing with what he describes as “unwanted behavior” by the cardinal in the 1980s after some late-night drinking.
And the fourth complainant claims the cardinal used night prayers as an excuse for inappropriate contact.
Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond said: “It would be a great pity if a lifetime of positive work was lost from comment in the circumstances of his resignation.
“None of us know the outcome of the investigation into the claims made against him but I have found him to be a good man for his church and country.”
Jack Valero, from Catholic Voices, a media lobby group that represents many Catholics in the UK, says the allegations against the cardinal have been handled properly.
“I think it’s right that he’s resigned, faced with these allegations.
“I am very happy that they have been taken seriously, that the nuncio – who is the Pope’s representative in the UK – has written to the four people who have made the allegations to thank them for speaking out, and that the whole thing has been done so quickly. I think this shows a new spirit.”
Colin MacFarlane, director of gay rights group Stonewall Scotland, which last year named the cardinal as Bigot of the Year said: “We trust there will be a full investigation into the serious allegations made against Cardinal Keith O’Brien.
“We hope that his successor will show a little more Christian charity towards openly gay people than the cardinal did himself.”
Clifford Longley, a religious commentator and columnist for the Catholic newspaper The Tablet, said the cardinal’s resignation was “devastating”.
“The worst thing that could possibly have happened to the church at this moment is to have another row like this when there already so many going on,” he said.
Cardinal Keith O’Brien missed celebrating Sunday Mass in St Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh, which marked Pope Benedict’s eight years in office, ahead of the pontiff stepping down this week.
Last week Cardinal Keith O’Brien said he believed priests should be able to marry if they wished to do so, saying the new Pope could consider whether the Roman Catholic Church should change its stance on some issues not of divine origin.
Cardinal Keith O’Brien:
Born on 17 March 1938 in Ballycastle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Ordained a priest on 3 April 1965
Obtained a bachelor of science degree in chemistry and mathematics from the University of Edinburgh and a diploma in education
Employed by Fife County Council as a teacher of mathematics and science from 1966 to 1971
Also served as assistant parish priest and as chaplain of St Columba Secondary School in Cowdenbeath
Spiritual director of St Andrew’s College in Drygrange from 1978 to 1980
Rector of St Mary’ College, Blairs, Aberdeen from 1980 to 1985
Ordained Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh in 1985
President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland March 2002 until 2012
Proclaimed Cardinal by John Paul II on 21 October 2003
Was due to retire after he turned 75 on 17 March
Retirement accepted by Pope Benedict on 25 February
Vatican has announced that Pope Benedict XVI has amended Roman Catholic Church law so that the conclave selecting his successor can be brought forward.
The change to the constitution means cardinals will no longer have to wait 15 days after the papacy becomes vacant before beginning the conclave.
As a result, the conclave can now start before March 15.
Pope Benedict’s resignation, the first by a pope in nearly 600 years, takes effect on Thursday, February 28.
His decision surprised many within the Catholic Church.
“I leave the College of Cardinals the possibility to bring forward the start of the conclave once all cardinals are present, or push the beginning of the election back by a few days should there be serious reasons,” the Pope said in a statement read by his spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi.
Vatican officials explained that the change was partly due to the fact that the church constitution was written principally for a conclave following the death of a pope, rather than a resignation.
The decision on the date of the beginning of the conclave will be taken by the cardinals but will not happen earlier than March 1st, officials said.
A conclave beginning in mid-March would have left little time to have a new pope installed for one of the most important periods in the Catholic calendar, as Easter Holy Week begins on March 24.
Pope Benedict XVI has amended Roman Catholic Church law so that the conclave selecting his successor can be brought forward
The news about the timing of the conclave comes as the Pope accepted the resignation of the Roman Catholic Church’s highest cleric in Scotland, Cardinal Keith O’Brien.
It follows allegations – which he contests – of inappropriate behavior towards priests dating from the 1980s.
Vatican officials said that his Cardinal Keith O’Brien’s resignation was linked to the fact that he was approaching his 75th birthday and the Pope was keen to accept resignations and get business going ahead of his own resignation taking effect.
Cardinal Keith O’Brien has confirmed he will not take part in the conclave to elect Benedict’s successor.
Vatican officials said that no decision had been yet taken on how the Pope should be referred to during the period between popes.
Ikea has decided to halt sales of its meatballs in Sweden after meatballs set for sale at its stores in the Czech Republic were found to contain horsemeat.
The discovery comes as European Union agriculture ministers meet in Brussels for talks widely expected to focus on the growing horsemeat scandal.
Inspectors in the Czech Republic said horsemeat was found in meatballs made in Sweden labelled as beef and pork.
The scandal began last month with frozen meals and burgers.
It spread from the UK and Ireland, with traces of horsemeat and horse DNA being found in food across the EU.
Supermarkets across Europe have had to withdraw affected prepared meals from their shelves.
Some 760kg (1,675 lb) of the Swedish-style meatballs were intercepted and stopped from reaching Czech shelves, officials told the Associated Press.
Horsemeat was also found in beef burgers imported from Poland, the Czech State Veterinary Administration said.
The labelling of the origin of meat and the traceability of the products will be high on the agenda at the EU ministers meeting.
Ikea has decided to halt sales of its meatballs in Sweden after meatballs set for sale at its stores in the Czech Republic were found to contain horsemeat
Europe’s food retailers depend on a complex network of brokers, cold stores and meat-cutting plants around the continent from which to source the ingredients wherever they are cheapest.
The evidence of the past few weeks shows that national food safety authorities have failed to identify a problem in the supply chain over a significant period of time, he adds.
While the original agenda of the EU meeting included support for rural communities and the common fisheries policy, it is expected ministers will now try to come up with measures to tackle the horsemeat scandal.
Those could include a pan-European labelling project for frozen food, a move which has the backing of France and Germany.
Paris and Berlin both want compulsory labelling and traceability.
At least a dozen countries are involved in the horsemeat affair, which implicates some of the biggest meat processors and food producers.
Italy joined the list on Saturday, reporting horsemeat in some lasagne products.
On Friday, Germany’s consumer affairs ministry announced it had found traces of horse DNA in 67 of 830 food products tested.
Irish authorities on Friday suspended production at one processing plant after horsemeat was found labelled as beef.
A new study suggests that fragments of an ancient continent called Rodinia are buried beneath the floor of the Indian Ocean.
Researchers have found evidence for a landmass that would have existed between 2,000 and 85 million years ago.
The strip of land, which scientists have called Mauritia, eventually fragmented and vanished beneath the waves as the modern world started to take shape.
The study is published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Until about 750 million years ago, the Earth’s landmass was gathered into a vast single continent called Rodinia.
And although they are now separated by thousands of kilometres of ocean, India was once located next to Madagascar.
Now researchers believe they have found evidence of a sliver of continent – known as a microcontinent – that was once tucked between the two.
The team came to this conclusion after studying grains of sand from the beaches of Mauritius.
While the grains dated back to a volcanic eruption that happened about nine million years ago, they contained minerals that were much older.
Professor Trond Torsvik, from the University of Oslo, Norway, said: “We found zircons that we extracted from the beach sands, and these are something you typically find in a continental crust. They are very old in age.”
The zircon dated to between 1,970 and 600 million years ago, and the team concluded that they were remnants of ancient land that had been dragged up to the surface of the island during a volcanic eruption.
A new study suggests that fragments of an ancient continent called Rodinia are buried beneath the floor of the Indian Ocean
Prof. Trond Torsvik said that he believed pieces of Mauritia could be found about 10 km down beneath Mauritius and under a swathe of the Indian Ocean.
It would have spanned millions years of history, from the Precambrian Era when land was barren and devoid of life to the age when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
But about 85 million years ago, as India started to drift away from Madagascar towards its current location, the microcontinent would have broken up, eventually disappearing beneath the waves.
However, a small part could have survived.
“At the moment the Seychelles is a piece of granite, or continental crust, which is sitting practically in the middle of the Indian Ocean,” explained Prof. Trond Torsvik.
“But once upon a time, it was sitting north of Madagascar. And what we are saying is that maybe this was much bigger, and there are many of these continental fragments that are spread around in the ocean.”
Further research is needed to fully investigate what remains of this lost region.
Prof. Trond Torsvik explained: “We need seismic data which can image the structure… this would be the ultimate proof. Or you can drill deep, but that would cost a lot of money.”
Mexican actor Emilio Fernández was the model for iconic Oscar statue, which he posed for in 1928.
Emilio Fernández was recruited by Mexican actress, Hollywood star, and future wife Dolores del Rio when then MGM chief art director Cedric Gibbons said he was looking for a model to help design the trophy.
At the time Emilio Fernández was living in Los Angeles after a failed military revolt in Mexico.
Dolores del Rio thought he had the perfect physique for Cedric Gibbons’ vision of a Crusader Knight.
Though initially reluctant, Emilio Fernández was eventually persuaded to strip down and pose with a large sword, giving us the famous golden statue coveted by actors ever since.
It wasn’t given the nickname “Oscar” until 1939.
Emilio Fernández was born in Coahuila, Mexico, in 1904 and worked his whole life in films, acting, directing, and writing for the screen.
He appeared in several classic films including 1947’s The Fugitive, 1964’s The Night of the Iguana, and 1974’s Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia.
Mexican actor Emilio Fernández was the model for iconic Oscar statue, which he posed for in 1928
Jennifer Lawrence was left flustered after tripping up the steps on her way to accept her Oscar for Best Actress.
As Jennifer Lawrence staggered to her feet the star-studded audience leapt up to give the blushing actress a standing ovation, much to her embarrassment.
“Thank you so much,” she told them.
“This is nuts. You guys are only standing up because I fell and you feel bad. That was embarrassing.”
Jennifer Lawrence also thanked her Silver Linings Playbook co-stars, crew and team for their support before wishing her fellow nominee, Amour star Emmanuelle Riva a happy 86th birthday.
Dressed in a stunning off-white strapless Dior Haute Couture gown, Jennifer Lawrence’s accident happened as she rushed to the stage still shocked by her win.
As she fell on her knees Jennifer Lawrence momentarily held her head in her hands, but quickly carried on.
A smiling Hugh Jackman rushed to help Jennifer Lawrence, holding out his hand to escort her safely to the podium.
Despite her initial embarrassment the 22-year-old quickly laughed off the incident and began her stream of thank yous.
Perhaps Jennifer Lawrence’s quick recovery is due to the fact that she’s been in a very similar situation before.
At the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards Jennifer Lawrence’s midnight blue Dior gown appeared to fall apart as she climbed the stairs.
Then Dior explained that the dress was made in layers, with Jennifer Lawrence simply hitching up the top layer to reveal her legs.
This time the unfortunate incident could have been even worse.
The new face of Miss Dior admitted she’d actually cut off six inches from the train of the dress before the show.
“It would have been too insane,” Jennifer Lawrence told Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet.
Jennifer Lawrence was left flustered after tripping up the steps on her way to accept her Oscar for Best Actress
Still, the dress was long enough to hide her feet and high heels, which she said she would love to take off if nobody would notice.
Jennifer Lawrence also revealed she had a very stressful day before the event and admitted she hadn’t had time to eat.
“I’m freaking starving,” she said.
She then pointed longingly to McDonald’s down Hollywood Boulevard and jokingly asked her publicist to swing by and pick her up a burger.
“Today was so stressful. There was everybody in, my family got ready at my house.
“I felt like Steve Martin in Father of the Bride with all the furniture being moved around my house.”
Park Geun-hye was sworn in as South Korea’s president promising a tough stance on national security and an era of economic revival.
Park Geun-hye, who defeated liberal rival Moon Jae-in in December’s general election, took the oath of office in front of tens of thousands of people.
North Korea’s recent nuclear test posed a “challenge to the survival” of the Korean people, she said.
Trust-building was needed to tackle the “extremely serious” security situation.
Park Geun-hye, 61, the first woman to lead South Korea, succeeds President Lee Myung-bak, of the same Saenuri Party, who stepped down as the law required after a five-year term.
She is the daughter of former military strongman Park Chung-hee, who ruled South Korea for almost two decades.
Park Geun-hye takes office amid high tensions on the Korean peninsula in the wake of a North Korean nuclear test, on February 12.
In her inauguration speech, Park Geun-hye said she would “not tolerate any action that threatens the lives of our people and the security of our nation”.
“North Korea’s recent nuclear test is a challenge to the survival and future of the Korean people, and there should be no mistake that the biggest victim will be none other than North Korea itself.”
Calling on North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions, she said that in a challenging security environment South Korea could not “afford to remain where we are”.
A trust-building process was needed, she said, promising to move forward “step-by-step on the basis of credible deterrence”.
“Trust can be built through dialogue and by honoring promises that have already been made,” she said.
“It is my hope that North Korea will abide by international norms and make the right choice so that the trust-building process on the Korean Peninsula can move forward.”
Park Geun-hye was sworn in as South Korea’s president promising a tough stance on national security and an era of economic revival
North Korea’s nuclear test – its third – followed its apparently successful launch of a three-stage rocket to put a satellite into orbit in December. That launch was condemned by the US Security Council as a banned test of missile technology; diplomatic efforts to agree a response to the nuclear test are ongoing.
Ties between the two Koreas chilled considerably under Lee Myung-bak over his move to link aid to concessions on the nuclear issue. Ahead of the election Park Geun-hye had spoken out on the need for more dialogue but the recent nuclear test may make it harder for her to appear conciliatory towards Pyongyang, observers say.
On the economy, Park Geun-hye promised more focus on a “creative economy” founded in “economic democratization” that would expand beyond existing markets and sectors.
South Korea’s economic growth has slowed, the population is rapidly ageing, and demands for a fairer division of wealth are now being voiced on both sides of the political divide.
Policies would be brought in to help small and medium-sized enterprises flourish, Park Geun-hye said.
“By rooting out various unfair practices and rectifying the misguided habits of the past… we will provide active support to ensure that everyone can live up to their fullest potential,” she added, in an apparent nod to resentment towards the country’s giant “chaebol” conglomerates.
She also promised a “clean, transparent and competent government”.
“I will endeavor to shed popular distrust of government and strive to elevate the capital of trust,” she said.
Park Geun-hye:
Daughter of former President Park Chung-hee
Served as South Korea’s first lady after her mother was murdered by a North Korean gunman in 1974
First elected to the national assembly in 1998
First bid for the presidency in 2007
Has promised to redistribute wealth, reform big conglomerates and seek greater engagement with North Korea
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a tough new bill into law banning smoking in public.
Under the new legislation, smoking in restaurants, long-distance trains and housing block entrance halls will be illegal.
The government has made reducing smoking one of the cornerstones of its bid to improve public health.
Russia has one of the highest smoking rates in the world, with more than four in 10 Russians considered smokers.
Parliament passed the bill earlier in February, with only one deputy in the State Duma voting against the legislation.
The law “On protecting the health of citizens from the danger of passive smoking and the consequences of the use of tobacco” will come into force on June 1.
On that date, smoking will be banned within 15 m of entrances to stations, airports, metro stations and ports; in workplaces; in entrances to apartment blocks; and in children’s playgrounds and on beaches.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a tough new bill into law banning smoking in public
Exactly one year later, smoking will be banned on long-distance trains and ships; in hotels; in restaurants, bars, cafes, shops and markets; and on suburban railway platforms.
Under the bill, a minimum retail price will be set for tobacco and its sale and advertising will be restricted.
The legislation meets some of the recommendations outlined in a World Health Organization report on smoking in Russia published in 2011.
According to that report, the retail price of a pack of 20 of the cheapest brand of cigarettes in 2010 was 11 roubles ($0.36; 0.27 euros) while a popular Western brand sold for 48 roubles ($1.6; 1.2 euros).
Cuba’s President Raul Castro has announced he will stand down at the end of his second term in 2018, following his re-election by the National Assembly.
Raul Castro, 81, formally assumed the presidency in 2008 – two years after replacing his ailing brother Fidel.
The Communist assembly, whose members ran for office unopposed, also chose Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez as Raul Castro’s first vice-president.
Miguel Diaz-Canel, 52, is widely seen as Raul Castro’s successor.
On Sunday, 86-year-old Fidel Castro – who was in power for five decades – made a rare public appearance at the opening session of the assembly in the capital Havana.
The Castros have been running Cuba under a one-party system since the 1959 revolution, which ousted the US-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.
Addressing the assembly following his re-election on Sunday, Raul Castro said: “This will be my last term.”
He had earlier called for a two-term limit and age caps for political offices, including the presidency.
But it is the first time he publicly said he would be stepping aside in 2018.
During his years in power, Raul Castro eased some restrictions on personal freedoms by lifting bans on mobile phones and home computers, and abolished the need of citizens to buy expensive exit visas when travelling abroad as tourists.
Cuba’s President Raul Castro has announced he will stand down at the end of his second term in 2018, following his re-election by the National Assembly
However, in his speech, he stressed: “I was not chosen to be president to restore capitalism to Cuba. I was elected to defend, maintain and continue to perfect socialism, not destroy it.”
Cuba has struggled economically since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1991 and now relies heavily on the support of the left-wing government of Venezuela.
Havana’s relationship with the US remains hostile – the two countries have no diplomatic relations and a decades-long American economic blockade is still in effect.
Until his promotion, Miguel Diaz-Canel was one of the eight vice-presidents on the council of ministers.
An electrical engineer by training, he rose through the Communist party ranks in the provinces and at one time served as education minister.
He would succeed Raul Castro if he is unable to serve his second full term in office.
Earlier in the day Raul Castro’s arrival, together with Fidel, and was warmly greeted by more than 600 assembly members.
Foreign press was barred from the opening ceremony.
Before Sunday, Fidel Castro was last seen in public earlier this month. Correspondents say he appeared frail and stooped at the time.
Fidel Castro has given up all his official positions, except his post as the assembly’s deputy leader.
Daniel Day-Lewis has made history at Oscars 2013 after becoming the first person to win the best actor prize three times.
British-born star Daniel Day-Lewis, who had been the runaway favorite, was rewarded for his role in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln.
“I really don’t know how any of this happened. I do know I’ve received much more than my fair share of good fortune in my life,” he said.
Ben Affleck’s Iran-set rescue thriller Argo won the prize for best picture.
In a live broadcast from the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama joined Jack Nicholson to help present the best picture prize at the end of the night.
Argo is the first best picture winner not to have a concurrent nomination for best director since 1989’s Driving Miss Daisy.
But despite Ben Affleck’s omission from the best director category, the film had been widely-tipped to take the top prize.
Oscars host Seth MacFarlane joked at the start of the ceremony: “Argo’s story is so top-secret that its director remains unknown to the Academy.”
Accepting his award alongside fellow producers George Clooney and Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck paid tribute to the “genius” Steven Spielberg who lost out in the same category.
Referring to his previous Oscar success with 1997’s Good Will Hunting, he said: “I never thought I would be back here and I am because of so many of you who are here tonight.”
He added: “It doesn’t matter how you get knocked down in life, all that matters is that you get up.”
The Oscar victory for Daniel Day-Lewis puts him ahead of Hollywood legends Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman and Tom Hanks – who all have two best actor wins to their name.
Daniel Day-Lewis, who holds UK-Irish citizenship, previously won for My Left Foot (in 1990) and There Will Be Blood (2008) and has a reputation for immersing himself in his roles.
Jennifer Lawrence won the Oscar for best actress for her role as a troubled young widow in Silver Linings Playbook. The 22-year-old actress, who stumbled over her dress on her way to the stage, joked: “You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell over and that’s embarrassing.”
Surveying the huge audience in Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, she added: “This is nuts.”
It was the first Oscar win for Jennifer Lawrence, who was previously nominated for best actress in 2011 for her performance in Winter’s Bone.
Anne Hathaway won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role as tragic factory worker Fantine in movie musical Les Miserables.
With her cropped hair and gaunt face, Anne Hathaway’s teary version of I Dreamed a Dream had made her an Oscar favorite.
“It came true,” the actress said when she collected her statuette.
Anne Hathaway’s Oscar was her first, the actress having been previously nominated in 2008 for Rachel Getting Married.
The actress said: “Here’s hoping that someday in the not too distant future, the misfortunes of Fantine will only be found in stories and not in real life.”
Daniel Day-Lewis has made history at Oscars 2013 after becoming the first person to win the best actor prize three times
British singer Adele won the Oscar for best original song for her Bond theme Skyfall, which she also performed during the show.
She struggled through tears to thank the Bond producers and her co-writer Paul Epworth, who collected the award alongside her.
Ang Lee won his second Oscar for directing Life of Pi, the adaption of Yann Martel’s fantasy novel about a boy stranded in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. The film won four Oscars in total, more than any other film.
The Taiwanese-born director, who won previously for Brokeback Mountain (2006), exclaimed: “Thank you, movie god!”
Life of Pi picked up two Oscars in the early stages of the awards for cinematography and visual effects.
Cinematographer Claudio Miranda admitted in an emotional acceptance speech: “This movie was quite a beast to make.”
Later, Mychael Danna picked up the statuette for Life of Pi’s original score.
Christoph Waltz won his second Oscar for best supporting actor in a Quentin Tarantino film, this time as a German bounty hunter in the slave revenge story Django Unchained.
Picking up the first award of the night, Christoph Waltz offered thanks to his character Dr. King Schultz and to “his creator and the creator of his awe-inspiring world, Quentin Tarantino.”
The Austrian actor won his first Oscar as a Nazi colonel in Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds in 2010.
Quentin Tarantino won the original screenplay prize for Django Unchained, adding to the Oscar he won for writing Pulp Fiction in 1994.
“I have to cast the right people to make those characters come alive and boy this time did I do it,” he said.
The best adapted screenplay Oscar went to Chris Terrio for Ben Affleck’s Iran-set siege thriller Argo.
The best short animated film category was won by Paperman, while Pixar’s Scottish adventure Brave won best animated feature.
The award for costume design went to Briton Jacqueline Durran for Anna Karenina. She described the win as “completely overwhelming” and paid tribute to her children who were “fast asleep in England”.
The make-up and hairstyling award went to fellow Brits Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell for Les Miserables. Tom Hooper’s musical also picked up the Oscar for sound mixing.
Unusually, there was a tie in the sound editing category – the Oscar was shared by Zero Dark Thirty and Skyfall.
Searching for Sugar Man, which tells the story of musician Rodriguez who disappeared from public view in the early 1970s but developed a cult following in South Africa, won the Oscar for best documentary.
Producer Simon Chinn said: “Rodriguez isn’t here tonight because he didn’t want to take any of the credit himself.”
Austrian drama Amour won the Oscar for best foreign language film.
The French-language film, directed by Michael Haneke, portrays the indignities of an elderly Parisian couple – Anne and Georges – as they cope with Anne’s wish to die after a stroke.
Host Seth MacFarlane kicked off the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles with the quip: “I honestly cannot believe I’m here. It’s an honor that everyone else said <<no>>.”
After an exchange with William Shatner, who appeared as Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, the Family Guy creator launched into a satirical song about topless appearances by actresses in the movies.
Almost an hour into the three-and-a-half hour show, Halle Berry introduced a tribute to the James Bond franchise, followed by Dame Shirley Bassey who sang her theme song to the 1960s Bond classic Goldfinger.
The show also featured a salute to movie musicals of the past decade, with Chicago Oscar-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones and Dreamgirls winner Jennifer Hudson joining Les Miserables cast members that included Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Helena Bonham Carter and Amanda Seyfried.
During the section of the show that pays tribute to those who died in 2012, Barbra Streisand sang the late Marvin Hamlisch’s The Way We Were, from the 1973 romantic drama in which she starred with Robert Redford. It was Barbra Streisand’s first Oscars performance for 36 years.
Life Of Pi – Four awards, including best director for Ang Lee
Argo – Three awards, including best film
Les Miserables – Three awards, including best supporting actress for Anne Hathaway
Django Unchained, Lincoln, Skyfall – Two awards apiece
CCTV images emerged today appearing to show a smiling Reeva Steenkamp arriving at Oscar Pistorius’ home, just hours before he shot her dead on Valentine’s Day.
The video stills show Reeva Steenkamp, 29, looking happy as she pulled up Oscar Pistorius’ home in Pretoria, according to the respected South African investigative programme Carte Blanche.
Reeva Steenkamp was pictured on a camera pulling into the guarded entrance of the Silver Woods estate in her Mini Cooper car just before 6 p.m. on February 13, the day before Valentine’s Day.
The model was seen holding her right hand against her cheek and right eye, and 10 minutes later Oscar Pistorius himself was pictured arriving in his white BMW, but his facial expression could not be seen.
Despite Reeva Steenkamp’s smiles, her ex-flatmate revealed that she felt so “caged in” by an “impatient and moody” Oscar Pistorius in the early days of their relationship that he was forced to tell him to “back off”.
Cyril Myers, whom Reeva Steenkamp lived with in Johannesburg, told South Africa’s City Press that Oscar Pistorius at first seemed polite but then began to start putting pressure on Reeva.
He claimed it got to the point where Cyril Myers had to intervene. He recalled their first date, shortly after she broke up with her former boyfriend.
“She went with Oscar to a sports-awards evening. And after that he wouldn’t leave her alone. He kept pestering her, phoning and phoning and phoning her.
“Oscar was hasty and impatient and very moody – that’s my impression of him. She told me he pushed her a bit into a corner. She felt caged in. I told her I would talk to him.
“I told him not to force himself on her. Back off. He agreed, but his face showed me what he was thinking: <<Oh, this guy is talking nonsense>>. He did cool down a bit.
“Then they started going out steadily, and she was more at his home. I once talked to her about Oscar’s moodiness. She didn’t answer me.”
CCTV images emerged today appearing to show a smiling Reeva Steenkamp arriving at Oscar Pistorius’ home, just hours before he shot her dead on Valentine’s Day
Oscar Pistorius has been charged with premeditated murder in the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day.
A text from Reeva Steenkamp to Cyril Myers on the night she was shot revealed that she did not intend to stay the night but changed her mind because she did not want to drive home as it was late.
Oscar Pistorius denies murder, saying he killed her accidentally. He said he opened fire after mistaking Reeva Steemkamp for an intruder in his home.
Meanwhile the brother of Paralympic star, Carl Pistorius, is facing charges over the death of a woman in a car crash in 2010, it emerged today.
Nicos Anastasiades has won the Cypriot presidential election with 57.5% of the vote.
It was a comfortable victory of the centre-right leader over Communist-backed Stavros Malas on 42.5%. Stavros Malas has conceded victory.
Nicos Anastasiades takes power as Cyprus stands on the brink of bankruptcy, hit by the knock-on effect of Greece’s economic woes.
He favors a quick deal with foreign lenders to finalize a bailout of the Cypriot economy.
“It is a clear and strong mandate for change, for reform, for our country to exit this vicious circle of crisis,” Tasos Mitsopoulos, Nicos Anastasiades’s spokesman, told reporters according to Reuters news agency.
Jubilant supporters of Nicos Anastasiades’s Democratic Rally party waved Greek and Cypriot flags, honked car horns and set off firecrackers in the capital Nicosia as the results came in, said reports.
But Stavros Malas warned his party would be “severe critics of anything that diverts from the interest of the people or the country”, said AFP news agency.
The Cypriot economy is in recession and the state has little money in its accounts.
Nicos Anastasiades has won the Cypriot presidential election with 57.5 percent of the vote
Cyprus first asked the EU for a bailout last July to shore up its banks.
Because of the bailout deal for Greece, and the restructuring of its debts, which saw private bondholders suffer big losses, Cypriot banks lost about 75% of their investments.
However, the Cypriot bailout deal has foundered in protracted negotiations.
The new president will have to finalize a deal with the other 16 countries that use the euro and with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Stavros Malas supported a bailout but opposed austerity. Last week’s first round in the presidential election failed to produce a decisive result.
Nicos Anastasiades will aim to exploit massive natural gas finds off Cyprus’s coast, bringing in badly needed income and energy, but risking escalating tensions with Turkey.
He will also be under pressure to reach out to Turkish Cypriots in the north of the island, cut off since Cyprus was formally divided along ethnic lines almost four decades ago.
Who is Nicos Anastasiades?
66-year-old lawyer
A member of parliament since 1981 and leader of his centre-right DISY (the Democratic Rally) party since 1997
Says he would support austerity measures which would accompany an EU/IMF rescue package, saying the election is about “the survival of the country”
Heavy smoker known for straight-talking style – sometimes seen as autocratic
Widely respected despite political humiliation nine years ago when he supported a UN blueprint to reunify the island that was later rejected by the public
Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona kicks off with a fresh tablet from Samsung and a new Android handset from Huawei.
About 1,500 exhibitors are taking part at the MWC in Barcelona.
Samsung’s tablet features an 8 in (20.3 cm) screen with a resolution of 189 pixels per inch (ppi) making it slightly bigger and more detailed than Apple’s bestselling iPad Mini.
Huawei’s Ascend P2 has a 4.7 in screen with 315ppi, and a 13 megapixel camera.
The Chinese firm said it also featured a facility called Magic Touch, which allowed it to be used while wearing gloves – similar to Nokia’s Lumia 920.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0 is being promoted as a device on which users can multi-task – running two apps in split-screen mode – and can act as alternative to “traditional pen and paper” thanks to its included stylus, the S Pen.
The South Korean firm adds that it is light enough to be held by one hand, and can also be used to make phone calls.
According to the research firm IDC, Samsung was the world’s most successful smart device manufacturer in the October-to-December period, accounting for 21.2% of all shipments.
However, that position was secured in large part due to its smartphones, and IDC noted that in the tablet sector Samsung came in second with a 15.1% market share compared to Apple’s 43.6%.
“The Note 8 marks Samsung’s relentless charge to grab a slice of the tablet market from Apple, but also to defend itself from the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7,” said Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight.
“I think there’s a diminishing window of opportunity because Amazon and Google are playing by different rules – they are effectively willing to sell their hardware virtually at cost and then make money through content sales, whereas Samsung is a hardware manufacturer selling something for a margin.
“It’s very difficult for consumers to tell the difference between these products – but what does make Samsung stand out is the fact they are prepared to carpet bomb marketing with an eye-watering budget, which effectively marginalizes some of the other companies trying to get into the tablet space.”
The Galaxy Note 8.0 is being made available in Europe, South Korea, China and a limited number of other countries in the April-to-June period.
Huawei describes its Android-powered Ascend P2 as the world’s “fastest” smartphone thanks to it being the first to include an LTE Cat 4 chip which – in theory – allows 4G download speeds of up to 150 megabits per second,
The device also includes an NFC (near field communication) chip, allowing it to support wireless payments, and is relatively slim measuring 8.4 mm (0.33 in) thick.
However, its screen is lower resolution than recent models from LG, HTC and Nokia, and can display 720p HD video rather than 1080p output. But this may help it last longer between recharges, and the device also features a larger than average 2420 mAh battery.
Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona kicks off with a fresh tablet from Samsung and a new Android handset from Huawei
According to IDC, Huawei accounted for 10.8 million smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter, making it the world’s third-biggest vendor.
However, it could still only claim a 4.9% market share since Apple and Samsung dominated the sector – something the Chinese firm itself acknowledged describing itself as a “brand in the making” at its Barcelona launch.
“Because this is a very aggressively-priced LTE phone, Huawei have a good chance of getting it into operator portfolios for 2013,” said Ben Wood.
“Brand awareness and credibility remain a challenge for Huawei. But this is a company that will never give up.
“Huawei is determined to make inroads into the mobile phone market, though the competitive intensity of this segment means they will need to spend a lot of money to succeed.”
Huawei said the phone was already confirmed to go on sale in France in June, and should launch elsewhere around the globe around the same time.
Other early MWC announcements include:
A 16 gigabyte version of Acer’s budget Iconia B1 tablet.
The Samsung HomeSync – a 1 terabyte hard disk designed to allow families to share content between their Samsung devices and display it on their television.
A marketing campaign from Asus – the maker of the Google Nexus 7 – suggesting it will be the latest to launch a tablet that can also make calls at its event on Monday.
In past year’s Sony Ericsson also held a major press conference on the Sunday ahead of Monday’s official start to MWC.
But the business – which is now controlled in whole by Sony – has opted for a smaller event on Monday this year.
The move reflects it decision to launch its flagship Xperia Z phone earlier in the year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
Other firms have also preferred to hold one-off events, such as Blackberry with its Z10 and Q10 unveiling in New York last month.
It is also notable that Samsung has chosen to hold off updating its key Galaxy S handset until later in the year. It unveiled the Galaxy S2 at MWC in 2011.
Cleotha Staples, a member of the chart-topping gospel group The Staple Singers, has died at the age of 78.
The family group had eight US top 40 singles in the 1970s, including the number ones I’ll Take You There and Let’s Do It Again.
The group enjoyed success on the Stax label and Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom label.
Friend and publicist Bill Carpenter said Cleotha Staples suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Her sister Mavis paid tribute to Cleotha Staples’ “soothing” voice.
“A lot of singers would try to sing like her,” Mavis Staples said in a statement.
“Her voice would just ring in your ear. It wasn’t harsh or hitting you hard, it was soothing. She gave us that country sound.”
Cleotha Staples, a member of the chart-topping gospel group The Staple Singers, has died at the age of 78
The group, which also featured father Pops, sister Yvonne and brother Pervis, began singing in church in Chicago in 1948.
They were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and received a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2005.
Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, which organizes the Grammy Awards, described them as “one of Stax Records’ most important and successful acts”.
“Their songs spread messages of hope, brotherhood and self-respect through some of R&B’s finest and most passionate voices, and their music remains as vital today as when it was recorded,” he said.
“Music has suffered a great loss, and our thoughts and condolences are with her family, friends and all those who have been moved and influenced by her strong, soulful voice.”
Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Adele and other stars performing on the Oscar show have insisted that they will sing live and won’t cheat by miming.
“They’re all singing live as far as I understand,” declared Cameron Mackintosh one of the producers of the Les Miserables movie.
Cast members from the picture such as Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Helena Bonham Carter, Russell Crow, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Amanda Seyfried and Sacha Baron Cohen all sang live at rehearsals for a musical segment that celebrated movie musicals of the last decade such as Dreamgirls and Chicago.
However, Catherine Zeta Jones, who won a best supporting actress Oscar for Chicago eleven years ago, was said by observers not to have sung live during rehearsal sessions at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood where last night’s (Sunday) 85th annual Academy Awards extravaganza was taking place.
Organizers are desperate to avoid what they term a “Beyonce shambles”. A reference to Beyonce’s performance at President Barack Obama’s inauguration where the singer was found to have lip-synched to the national anthem of the United States of America.
The discovery led to a firestorm of criticism and the “Beyonce” topic was endlessly debated on political and entertainment television shows across the US, and there were choruses of disapproval in the UK, too.
Catherine Zeta Jones will dance and sing a number from Chicago, believed to be All That Jazz. It has been described as a major highlight of the Oscar show. It’s not known yet whether the actress, wife of Michael Douglas, will sing live or perform using a track she has already pre-recorded.
However, all singers performing at the Oscar ceremony – including Dame Shirley Bassey and Barbra Streisand – have pre-recorded their songs as a safety net just in case there are technical problems.
During rehearsals though, every performer has sung live, except Catherine Zeta Jones.
“Look, she maybe saving her voice for the official performance. Everybody’s dying to see whether she sings or not,” a source who has been at several rehearsals explained.
Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Adele and other stars performing on the Oscar show have insisted that they will sing live and won’t cheat by miming
Academy executives, some voters and actors and agents and producers have been using any old ruse to get into the rehearsals which are being held under tight security.
Onlookers note that Adele has been “indescribably mind-blowing”. Another observer told how at one point the singer performed the Oscar nominated Skyfall title song with no musical accompaniment.
“It was Adele, singing live and knocking it out of the park. Everyone stopped to listen. The carpenters and lighting guys started applauding. It’s impossible to impress those guys but they were bowled over and showed their respect.
“It sounded out of this world unaccompanied and later some of us heard her sing with the full works, the full orchestra and it was one of those rare goose bump moments that you never forget.”
Adele has already won the Golden Globe for best original song. She and co-writer Paul Epworth are front-runners to win the best song Oscar.
Les Miserables has a rival song called Suddenly which was written specially for the film by Herbert Kretzmer, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg.
Cameron Mackintosh paid out of his own pocket to double the chorus taking part in the Les Miserables segment from 24 to 48, flying some in from London and New York.
Others taking part in musical numbers include Jennifer Hudson who will perform a number from Dreamgirls and Norah Jones will sing the nominated song from the comedy Ted.
Oscar is the most coveted award in Hollywood – reducing winners and losers in equal measure to tears when the iconic gold statue is handed out.
But even the stars who don’t win an Oscar at this weekend’s ceremony won’t go home empty handed.
A Los Angeles-based marketing firm will be handing out gift bags worth $45,000 to all the nominees and presenters at the prestigious event on Sunday night.
Known as swag bags, among the items included are trips to Hawaii and Mexico, personal training sessions, condoms, a bottle of tequila, cosmetic treatments, and a one-year membership to London’s Heathrow Airport’s private VIP service.
The confirmation of condoms in this year’s gift bag has raised eyebrows amongst some.
This year’s goodie bags also include a $12,000 trip to Australia, a $600 acupuncture appointment and a package of 10 personal training sessions valued at $850 from marketing firm Distinctive Assets.
In addition there are circus lessons for the nominee’s children worth $400 are also included, as well as a $5,000 face-lift procedure.
They will also be given free hair care products by Phyto, skincare cosmetics by Lierac and, at the lower end of the scale, a $1 bottle of Windex glass cleaning fluid.
The prizes only can be used by the nominees who receive them and cannot be given to friends, according to Distinctive Assets.
“It was a way for us to reach the exact talent we wanted [major nominees] without having to deal with the immense production challenges of the Hollywood/Highland area during Oscar week,” said Distinctive Assets CEO Lash Fary to ABCNews.com.
Those nominated in the major acting categories, Best Director as well as host Seth McFarlane will have the packs delivered to their doors the day after the awards. “Even Hollywood’s most acclaimed stars are disappointed over this particular loss,” said Lash Fary.
“And when our consolation gift shows up the next day, we like to think it is welcome distraction.”
Oscars 2013 swag bags include trips to Hawaii and Mexico, personal training sessions, condoms, a bottle of tequila, cosmetic treatments, and a one-year membership to London’s Heathrow Airport’s private VIP service
Celebrities who receive gifts and free trips at awards shows are expected to declare them to the Inland Revenue Service as income and pay the appropriate taxes.
The Distinctive Assets gift bag is not endorsed by the Academy but has been creating consolation goodie bags for 11 years now. The bags are delivered to the losing nominees to their homes directly or through their agents or publicists.
It has become something of a tradition for A-list stars to receive a treasure chest of goodies at the Oscars.
Brands and manufacturers hope that the celebrities will be seen wearing or using their products and ensure free publicity.
The gift bags have been put together over the past 11 years by US company Distinctive Assets, with the cost of the packages having slowly risen.
In 2003, nominees received $8,000 worth of items, including mobile phones, cameras, designer clothes and jewellery.
The 2004 gift bag included a holiday at a luxury resort in Mexico.
Gwyneth Paltrow, who presented an award at the Oscars that year, was said to have used the holiday for her honeymoon with Coldplay singer Chris Martin.
Actress Calista Flockhart once received a Dritti T-shirt in a gift basket from Distinctive Assets and loved it so much that she wore it for an entire episode of Ally McBeal.
Similarly, another T-shirt designer saw their gifts end up on Beyonce Knowles on the cover of Ebony magazine.
In recent years, stars are said to have been worried about alienating recession-hit fans by being seen with heavily laden gift bags.
However, Lord of the Rings actor Sir Ian McKellen is one of the stars who has spoken of his delight at his gift haul.
“They’re the most wonderful goodies,” Ian McKellen explained.
“They keep you going for a year.”
Lash Fry, founder of Distinctive Assets, said: “It’s first come, first served, because we do offer product exclusivity.
“We’re always looking for new and unusual products, it’s not always about the most expensive.
“We’ve got things at both ends of the spectrum and everything in between, stuff for guys and stuff for girls. More is more is our philosophy.”
The relatives of Betty Ann Ong, a flight attendant who died in the 9/11 attacks, have criticized the film Zero Dark Thirty for using a recording of her last call.
Zero Dark Thirty features the voice of Betty Ann Ong, who was on one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center.
Brother Harry Ong told the New York Times it was “just outrageous”.
The Oscar-nominated film tells the story of the hunt and killing of Osama Bin Laden. Screenwriter Mark Boal told the New York Times Betty Ann Ong was a “national hero”.
Betty Ann Ong, a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, made a 23-minute phone call to authorities from an onboard phone to give them details of the hijacking.
She is among the victims whose voices are heard during a sequence at the start of Zero Dark Thirty. Her brother said the clip was used without permission.
“I thought it was just outrageous, and totally poor judgment, and an abuse of the voices,” Harry Ong told the New York Times.
The relatives of Betty Ann Ong, a flight attendant who died in the 9/11 attacks, have criticized the film Zero Dark Thirty for using a recording of her last call
Harry Ong has requested an apology be made at the Oscars if the film wins any of the five awards it is nominated for.
He also asked the film-makers to donate to a charitable foundation set up in Betty Ann Ong’s name, include a credit for her and put a statement on its website and DVD release making it clear that the Ong family did not endorse torture, which is depicted in the film.
Mark Boal told the newspaper: “As the 9/11 commission justly proclaimed, Betty Ong is without a doubt one of our national heroes.”
In a statement, film studio Sony and Annapurna Pictures said Mark Boal and director Kathryn Bigelow had been in close contact with the families of victims since releasing the film, which was privately screened for many of them.
“Zero Dark Thirty is, in some small way, a tribute to those forever affected by the attacks,” the statement said.
A link has now been added from the official Zero Dark Thirty website to the Betty Ann Ong foundation, the Voices of September 11th organization and the 9/11 memorial site.
The movie has been at the centre of much controversy since its release, including over its depiction of torture, the links between the film-makers and the CIA and whether it was a propaganda tool for President Barack Obama’s re-election.
Hollywood stars are gearing up for what is likely to be one of the most unpredictable Academy Awards for years.
No film is likely to sweep the board, although the best picture prize is expected to go to hostage drama Argo.
That has overtaken historical epic Lincoln in most predictions. However, Daniel Day-Lewis, who plays Abraham Lincoln, is favorite for best actor.
Les Miserables star Anne Hathaway is tipped for supporting actress, but the other acting categories are more open.
All five nominees for best supporting actor have won Oscars before.
This year, it is thought to be a three-horse race between Robert De Niro for Silver Linings Playbook, Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln and Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained.
Tommy Lee Jones, who plays radical Republican Thaddeus Stevens, picked up the Screen Actors Guild prize for supporting actor, a possible indicator to Oscars success.
But Christoph Waltz won at the Golden Globes, and 10 out of the last 12 Globe winners in this category have gone on to win the equivalent Oscar, according to Oscar predictions website Gold Derby.
Christoph Waltz won best supporting actor in 2010 for another Quentin Tarantino film, Inglorious Basterds – and some voters may feel it is too soon to honor him again.
Instead, the Academy may feel it is time to reward Robert De Niro again, 21 years after he was last nominated, for Cape Fear, and 32 years since he last won, for Raging Bull. If he triumphs, it will be his third Oscar win.
Alan Arkin (Argo) and The Master’s Philip Seymour Hoffman are the other contenders on the supporting actor list.
Best actress is another unpredictable contest. Emmanuelle Riva, the leading lady in Michael Haneke’s old age drama Amour, could become the oldest actress to win an Oscar. The ceremony falls on her 86th birthday.
Emmanuelle Riva is challenging Silver Linings Playbook star Jennifer Lawrence, who is thought to be the front-runner for that statuette.
Another rival, Quvenzhane Wallis, could potentially be the youngest ever winner at the age of nine for her role in Beasts of the Southern Wild, although she is seen as an outsider.
They are up against Jessica Chastain, who appears as a CIA agent on the trail of Osama Bin Laden in Zero Dark Thirty, and Naomi Watts, for her raw performance in tsunami movie The Impossible.
Hollywood stars are gearing up for what is likely to be one of the most unpredictable Academy Awards for years
Daniel Day-Lewis is thought to be the biggest dead cert to be called to the podium at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.
His turn as the 19th Century US president is universally expected to put him in the Oscar history books by making him the first person to win best actor three times.
Daniel Day-Lewis first win came in 1990 for My Left Foot, followed by a victory for There Will Be Blood in 2008.
Lincoln had also been a hot ticket for best picture before Christmas, but Argo, which tells the story of how the CIA and Hollywood helped rescue US hostages in Iran in 1980, has gained momentum in recent weeks.
The fact it focuses on real-life Hollywood producers saving the day probably has not done it any harm, and it has cleaned up at most major awards ceremonies so far, including the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, Producers Guild Awards and Directors Guild Awards.
But Argo director Ben Affleck was a surprise omission from the Academy Awards’ best director shortlist.
That category is another close race, with Lincoln‘s Steven Spielberg in a duel with Ang Lee for Life Of Pi.
There are outside chances for David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook, Michael Haneke for Amour and Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild.
Adele’s Skyfall could win best original song and Brits are well represented in the best animated feature category with Paranorman, The Pirates! Band of Misfits and Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie, which was made in the UK.
Searching for Sugarman was produced by Man on a Wire’s Simon Chinn, while the UK could perform well in many technical categories – hopes are high for Jacqueline Durran for best costume (Anna Karenina).
It could be 11th time lucky for Skyfall cinematographer Roger Deakins – but after missing out so many times, he will probably not be holding his breath.
