Donald Trump’s Twitter account has been hacked, and the real estate mogul was not amused by the prank.
“Twitter will soon be irrelevant if lowlifes are so easily able to hack into accounts,” Donald Trump fumed.
In an earlier message, Donald Trump had confirmed that his account was “seriously hacked” and added, “we are looking for the perpetrators”.
The hacking brouhaha was sparked by a tweet fired off from Donald Trump’s account at 11.41 a.m. which read: “Those hoes [sic] think they classy, well that’s the class i’m skippen.”
Hip hop aficionados immediately recognized in the message a lyric by Lil’ Wayne, who is featured on Will.i.am featuring Britney Spears’ song called Scream & Shout.
Donald Trump, 66, has never been known as a major hip hop enthusiast, his followers and commentators immediately suspected a prank.
The offensive message was quickly deleted from the account, and Donald Trump’s spokesman, Michael Cohen, later stated that authorities are investigating the hacking.
Donald Trump’s Twitter account has been hacked, and the real estate mogul was not amused by the prank
“Regrettably there was a single instance of Mr. Trump’s twitter account being hacked. The offensive tweet was removed within minutes of being posted and is currently being investigated by the authorities,” Michael Cohen said in a statement to Politico.
Donald Trump, who has gained notoriety for his relentless attacks on President Barack Obama and his off-color remarks about race relations and immigration, is only the latest Twitter user to have his account hijacked.
Earlier this week, Burger King and Jeep both had their Twitter pages hacked, with the pranksters firing off dozens of vulgar messages and racial epithets before the companies caught on and regained control of their accounts.
Lt. Gen Vinesh Moonoo is to take over the Oscar Pistorius inquiry amid attempted murder accusations against current lead, Detective Hilton Botha.
Detective Hilton Botha was removed pending the result of an investigation into seven counts of attempted murder.
National police commissioner Mangwashi Phiyega announced the change after a third day of testimony at Oscar Pistorius’s bail hearing.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, denies murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, 29.
Reeva Steenkamp died after being shot three times at Oscar Pistorius’ home on 14 February.
Mangwashi Phiyega said the police had received feedback from state prosecutors about Det. Hilton Botha only on Wednesday.
She described him as an “experienced detective” who was not yet facing any criminal charges.
However, she said she was using her authority as national police chief to ask Lt. Gen Vinesh Moonoo to take over the Pistorius case.
Vinesh Moonoo is reported to be a veteran of some 30 years service. He will work with the police chief in Gauteng province on a case Mangwashi Phiyega said required attention “at a national level”.
She denied that the decision to replace Det. Hilton Botha was embarrassing for the police.
The claims against Det. Hilton Botha refer to a 2009 incident in which he and several other officers allegedly opened fired on a minibus taxi carrying seven passengers when the driver apparently disobeyed an order to stop.
In court on Thursday, defence and prosecution lawyers offered their final arguments.
The magistrate is expected to issues his ruling on Oscar Pistorius’s bail application on Friday.
Lt. Gen Vinesh Moonoo is to take over the Oscar Pistorius inquiry amid attempted murder accusations against current lead, Detective Hilton Botha
Lead defence lawyer Barry Roux asked for the charge of premeditated murder to be downgraded, and said Det. Hilton Botha’s contradictory evidence on Wednesday had undermined the prosecution’s case.
Barry Roux said: “The poor quality of the evidence offered by investigative officer Botha exposed the disastrous shortcomings of the state’s case.”
The defence counsel said the fact that Oscar Pistorius had carried Reeva Steenkamp downstairs showed he was desperate to save her life.
On Wednesday, Det. Hilton Botha told the court that the trajectory of gunshots through the bathroom door indicated that Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee, was wearing his prosthetic legs and shot downwards through the door.
This contradicted an earlier account given by Oscar Pistorius, who said he was walking on his stumps and grabbed his gun because he felt vulnerable when he thought an intruder had entered his home.
But Det. Hilton Botha also amended his testimony on the proximity of the witness who he said had heard arguments.
He said police had lost track of ammunition found inside the house, and was also accused of not wearing protective clothing at the crime scene.
The defence also countered police suggestions that testosterone and needles had been found in Oscar Pistorius’s bedroom, arguing instead that the substance was a herbal remedy called Testocompasutium co-enzyme.
On Thursday, prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the court that Oscar Pistorius should not be granted bail simply because he is famous.
Gerrie Nel branded Oscar Pistorius as a man “prone to violence” who threatened Reeva Steenkamp and eventually killed her.
Google has unveiled Chromebook Pixel, its first touchscreen-enabled laptop.
The Chromebook Pixel runs Google’s Chrome operating system and has been “largely built” by the web giant.
The laptop has Intel’s Sandy Bridge processors, fast 4G LTE connectivity and a high-resolution screen aimed at challenging Apple’s Retina Display.
Analysts say the move represents a fresh bid to build market share for Chromebooks against machines running Microsoft and Apple operating systems.
Unlike PCs that use installed software such as Microsoft Word, Chrome OS computers run their applications through the firm’s web browser and store their files in the cloud.
The internet giant said the device was “largely built by Google, with components that are manufactured globally”.
The laptop’s display resolution is similar to the so-called Retina Display of Apple’s MacBook range, aimed to have pixel density high enough for the human eye not to notice pixelation when looking at the screen at a typical viewing distance.
“This Chromebook has the highest pixel density [239 pixels per inch] of any laptop screen on the market today,” said the company.
“Packed with 4.3 million pixels, the display offers sharp text, vivid colors and extra-wide viewing angles.
“With a screen this rich and engaging, you want to reach out and touch it – so we added touch for a more immersive experience.”
Google has unveiled Chromebook Pixel, its first touchscreen-enabled laptop
The first Chrome-powered laptop, built by Samsung, went on sale in June 2011. Chrome laptops that followed were made by Acer, Lenovo and HP.
But so far, Chromebooks have had difficulties challenging Windows-powered computers, said CCS Insight analyst Geoff Blaber.
“Chromebooks have struggled for relevance to date, stuck between comparably-priced but entertainment-centric tablets – many of which run Android – and more functional PCs,” he said.
“[The new computer] won’t transform its prospects but Google will hope it serves as a flagship device that has a halo effect for the broader portfolio.”
Windows 8, Microsoft’s latest operating system launched last year, has touchscreen capabilities.
Geoff Blaber said: “Touch is now pervasive across every computing category from phones to high-end PCs.
“The challenge for the Chromebook is that computing is shifting towards tablets whilst most consumers lives are not yet fully embracing the cloud versus local storage.”
Global stock markets have fallen after some members of the Federal Reserve suggested its stimulus measures may be increasing the “risks of future economic and financial imbalances”.
The comments came in minutes of the Federal Reserve’s last meeting, where the Fed said it had left its monthly $85 billion bond-buying plan in place.
US markets opened lower on Thursday after recording their biggest drop so far this year on Wednesday.
European markets all closed down.
The Fed comments have raised expectations that the US central bank may scale back its bond-buying programme earlier than predicted.
Currently, the Fed is carrying out its plan of buying $85 billion of bonds a month until the US jobs market sees a substantial improvement.
By buying bonds, the Fed keeps interest rates low, which keeps the cost of borrowing for mortgages and other loans low.
However, the minutes of the Fed’s meeting in January showed that some members were concerned that the bond-buying programmes could push up inflation or could “foster market behavior that could undermine financial stability”.
The minutes said that “a number of participants” commented that an ongoing review of the effectiveness of the bond programme “might well lead the committee to taper or end its purchases before it judged that a substantial improvement in the outlook for the labor market had occurred”.
Global stock markets have fallen after some members of the Federal Reserve suggested its stimulus measures may be increasing the risks of future economic and financial imbalances
The bond-buying programme has been cited as a major reason for the rise in share prices in recent weeks, so signs of a premature end have hit stocks.
“US liquidity concerns following the Fed minutes looks like the pin which will burst the recent bubble in equities,” said Mike McCudden, head of derivatives at Interactive Investor.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones index ended Wednesday down 108.13 points at 13,927.54, and continued to fall on Thursday, shedding a further 61 points by midday in New York.
In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 159.15 points, or 1.4%, to 11,309.13, while in Hong Kong the Hang Seng index closed down 400.74 points, or 1.7%, at 22,906.67.
European markets all fell, with London’s FTSE 100 closing down 1.6% at 6,291.54 and the Cac 40 in Paris falling 2.3% to 3,624.80.
The dollar rose 0.5% against the euro on Thursday, with one euro buying $1.3206.
While the dollar had been boosted by the Fed minutes, the euro was also hit by the latest survey of the eurozone region which suggested the downturn in the region’s businesses had worsened.
The latest eurozone purchasing managers’ index (PMI), compiled by research firm Markit, fell to 47.3 this month, down from 48.6 in January. A reading below 50 indicates contraction.
The figure was the lowest reading for two months and appeared to dash hopes that the eurozone’s economy would show signs of revival.
It also indicated a growing divergence between Germany and France, with output rising in Germany but declining at an increasing pace in France.
Twin blasts have killed 12 people in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, in what Prime Minister Manmohan Singh labeled as a “dastardly attack”.
The blasts that hit the city in Andhra Pradesh were 10 minutes apart, police said. Television images showed casualties being rushed to hospital.
India’s home minister said bombs had been planted on bicycles 150m (500ft) apart near a crowded fruit market.
Major cities have been put on alert as police probe the cause for the blasts.
“The number of dead has increased to 12 and the injured are 57,” home secretary RK Singh said after a high-level security meeting following the attacks.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the number of casualties may rise.
The explosions hit just after 19:00 within a radius of 150m, home minister Sushil Shinde said. There was a possible third blast reported shortly afterwards, said Hyderabad police.
No group has so far said it carried out the attack.
Authorities had received intelligence about possible attacks in the country but no specific information as to where or when they might occur, Sushil Shinde said.
The information had been passed on to the states, he added.
Twin blasts have killed 12 people in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad
PM Manmohan Singh has urged the public to remain calm.
“The guilty will not go unpunished,” he tweeted.
He has directed federal agencies to extend all possible help to the state authorities in the relief effort, and offered 200,000 rupees to the next of kin of each person killed.
Meanwhile, Australia’s cricket team says it has held talks about its players’ safety with Indian authorities in the wake of the deadly twin bombings. The second Test of the India-Australia series is due to start in Hyderabad on March 2.
“The safety of the squad is of paramount importance and Australian team management and Cricket Australia staff are liaising with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, local authorities and the Australian High Commission to ensure we have all the appropriate information,” the team said in a statement on Thursday.
Mumbai and the rest of Maharashtra state have been put on high alert following the blasts, with measures such as increased police presence on the streets and random vehicle searches.
It is the first major bomb attack in India since a September 2011 blast outside Delhi’s High Court killed 13 people.
The Muslim extremist group Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami (Huji) said it carried out the Delhi attack.
Hyderabad is one of southern India’s main commercial hubs.
The explosions hit the busy Dilsukh Nagar neighborhood, which is crowded with cinemas, shops, restaurants and one of India’s largest fruit and vegetable markets.
There have been at least nine attacks on the city since 1992, including twin explosions in 2007 that killed more than 40 people.
The city has a sizeable Muslim minority, is a stronghold of the Muslim political party, MIM, and has a long history of religious tension.
Religious tensions grew from the 1980s and 1990s with Hindus and Muslims moving out of mixed areas into community ghettos.
Sergei Ignatiev, Russia’s central bank governor, has said that $49 billion left the country illegally last year.
The capital flight, some 2.5% of Russia’s annual economic output, was controlled by “one well-organized group of individuals.”
Sergei Ignatiev told a Russian newspaper that the money transfers could have been used to pay for supplies of narcotics, bribes and avoiding taxes.
But a government spokesman said the figure was “highly exaggerated”.
“You get the impression that they are all controlled by one well organized group of people,” Sergei Ignatiev told local newspaper Vedomosti, although he declined to name the individuals.
“With a serious concentration of efforts by law enforcement agencies, I think it is possible to find these people,” he added.
Sergei Ignatiev said the $49 billion figure was drawn from a central bank study that showed more than half the flows were made up of “dubious” capital transfers, “payments made by Russian organizations to non-residents, the stated aims of which are clearly false”.
“It can be payment for narcotics… illegal imports… bribes and kickbacks to officials (and) managers making large-scale purchases. It can be schemes to avoid tax,” he added.
Sergei Ignatiev, Russia’s central bank governor, has said that $49 billion left the country illegally last year
Sergei Ignatiev, who is expected to step down in June after 11 years at the helm of the central bank, also highlighted the prevalence of what are known in Russia as “one-day companies” used as conduits for money transfers that then vanish before paying taxes.
They are “the bane of our economy”, he said.
But Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, dismissed the central bank’s findings, saying the figure was “highly exaggerated”.
A study by Washington-based Global Financial Integrity found that an average of $62 billion in income earned from corruption, weapons smuggling, human trafficking, and other illicit activities has entered or left Russia each year since 2004.
Alexander Lebedev, who owns The Independent and Evening Standard newspapers and is a frequent critic of the Kremlin, wrote in a blog that Sergei Ignatiev’s comments were long overdue.
“Let’s hope the next head of the central bank heeds these words,” he said.
However, Sergei Ignatiev did not refer to the subject when he testified in front of Russia’s upper house of parliament on Wednesday.
On the slopes of the Verbier ski resort, Prince Harry and his society girlfriend Cressida Bonas seem to be closer than ever.
The very public display of affection, in front of dozens of fellow skiers, came only a few hours after even more intimate revelries at a restaurant in the town.
Fellow diners in the wee small hours at the Pot Luck Club restaurant in the resort’s Farinet Hotel were entertained by the sight of Prince Harry bouncing 24-year-old blonde model Cressida Bonas on his knee.
Prince Harry and Cressida Bonas were said to have “kissed like love-struck teenagers in the back of a cinema”.
The other end of the same table was an altogether more sober affair. Prince Harry’s uncle, Prince Andrew, whose 53rd birthday on Tuesday they were celebrating, sat with his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York, and their two daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Princess Eugenie’s boyfriend, Jack Brooksbank, briefly strolled over chatted to Prince Harry and Cressida Bonas. But for the most part they had eyes only for each other. The Yorks traditionally enjoy a week’s skiing in the resort every year to mark Prince Andrew’s birthday, often inviting photographers to capture the event. This time, perhaps not unsurprisingly, the invitation was not extended.
The family had booked a table for 20 at The Pot Luck, where they ordered steak and king prawns and drank $27 champagne cocktails.
As the night drew on, Prince Harry and his socialite girlfriend became increasingly tactile.
Shortly before midnight, Cressida Bonas, who wore a minuscule black dress and heels, showing off a pair of endless legs, stood up and walked over to sit on Prince Harry’s lap.
The pair then began to kiss, with Prince Harry stroking the back of her head as they did so, in a passionate clinch for several minutes.
A witness said: “We couldn’t believe what we were seeing. They were not being discreet about it. “The Duchess of York and Eugenie sat just a few seats away at the time and seemed to be deliberately looking the other way, making polite conversation while it was happening.
“Afterwards, Harry’s girl stayed sitting on his knee while they chatted to his friends.”
The diner went on to reveal: “At one point, a waiter brought over a tray of vodka and Red Bull and Harry shouted: <<Free drinks on the house!>> Everyone seemed to be having a great time.”
Although Prince Andrew left shortly afterwards, the younger royals went on to an exclusive bar above the restaurant, before moving to a basement nightclub, where they stayed until 3.30 a.m.
On the slopes of the Verbier ski resort, Prince Harry and his society girlfriend Cressida Bonas seem to be closer than ever
Despite the late night, however, Prince Harry and Cressida Bonas still hit the slopes yesterday morning and were again seen openly hugging and kissing on the slopes, which were packed with half-term visitors.
Both appeared to be extremely competent skiers and spent most of the day on the mountain.
At one point, taking a break from their fun, Prince Harry was seen putting his arms around Cressida Bonas’ waist while she rested her head on his shoulder.
Cressida Bonas, who wore a white woolly hat with a fur bobble and pink salopettes, appeared relaxed and could be seen laughing with the Duchess of York as they left the slopes.
She and Princess Eugenie were also seen lying on the snow and giggling as they played with a large St Bernard dog.
Last summer’s disastrous Las Vegas stag trip, during which Prince Harry, now 28, was pictured naked – a faux pas which reportedly led to him being dumped briefly by a furious Cressida Bonas – seems a very long time ago now.
So, for that matter, does his previous, long-term relationship with the Zimbabwean heiress Chelsy Davy, who dumped him in 2011, reportedly because she could not face the prospect of being in the spotlight as a royal wife.
Since Vegas, Prince Harry, in his guise of Captain Wales of the Army Air Corps, has served a four-month tour of Afghanistan as a co-pilot in an Apache attack helicopter.
At the end of his service he talked of having a new maturity. A few months earlier, he had complained on American television that he would like to settle down, but girls were put off by his royal status.
The couple are said to have started dating last May, though they only appeared as an item on the public radar when pictured leaving a Mayfair nightclub in July.
They had spent the evening “kissing and cuddling” inside Le Salon after attending the latest Batman premiere.
Prince Harry’s cousin and Cressida Bonas’s good friend Princess Eugenie is said to have brought them together.
The daughter of renowned Old Harrovian businessman Jeffrey Bonas and Sixties model Lady Mary Curzon – who posed semi-naked for a coffee table photographic book and went on to get married and divorced four times – Cressida Bonas is a familiar figure in London’s upper-class social scene.
As a teenager, Cressida Bonas was labeled by society bible Tatler as “really pretty, really nice and absolutely obsessed with Eva Cassidy [the late American singer]”.
After splitting up with Chelsy Davy, Prince Harry was linked to a string of women, including model Florence Brudenell-Bruce. But Cressida Bonas seems to be the one he has been most smitten with.
Like Chelsy Davy, “Cressie” went to Leeds University where she dated Harry Wentworth-Stanley, son of the Marchioness of Milford Haven. After graduation, that relationship cooled. Now she has a prince in her life.
Last year Cressida Bonas and Prince Harry flew together to the Caribbean island of Necker for the birthday of tycoon Sir Richard Branson’s son Sam, who is engaged to be married to Cressida’s beautiful half- sister, the actress Isabella Anstuther-Gough-Calthorpe.
This week’s ski holiday, to which Prince Harry had flown on budget airline easyJet, is significant in royal terms for more than one reason.
It is the first time in many, many years that Prince Harry has been seen in public with the snubbed Duke of York’s ex-wife.
Sarah was robustly frozen out by the Royal Family after being photographed having her toes sucked by her “financial adviser” in the South of France, an incident which precipitated her divorce from Prince Andrew.
And despite enjoying a close relationship with prince Harry and his brother Prince William while they were growing up, they had little to do with Sarah after she fell out with their mother Diana, Princess of Wales, shortly before her death.
Prince Andrew, however, has always championed his ex-wife and, despite the fact that she was pointedly not invited to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding, will no doubt be feeling pleased that his nephew Prince Harry is rekindling their relationship once again, thanks to Cressida Bonas.
US regulator Commodity Futures Trading Commission said the way that the key LIBOR interest rate is set in the UK is still not clean and free of fraud.
“We have a lot more work to do,” said Gary Gensler, chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Gary Gensler suggested that the rate was often “completely made up”.
A number of banks have been fined hundreds of millions of pounds for rigging the lending rate.
Gary Gensler is in London to meet officials at the Financial Services Authority (FSA), the City watchdog.
LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate), which is set in London, is meant to reflect the average rate that banks pay to lend to each other and is used to benchmark everything from car loans and mortgages to complex financial transactions around the world.
Speaking of the scandal, Gary Gensler spoke of “pervasive rigging” and said authorities could not guarantee the rate is fraud-free, but refused to criticize the FSA or suggest that setting the rate should be moved to the US.
He also labeled the FSA a “terrific partner”, as the FSA defended itself against criticism of its role in the LIBOR scandal by MPs.
The LIBOR scandal emerged in June last year when UK and US authorities fined Barclays $465 million for fixing the key inter-bank interest rate. Since then, Swiss bank UBS and Royal Bank of Scotland have been given fines of $1.5 billion and $625 million, respectively.
According to the CFTC, which hit RBS with a $330 million fine, RBS made hundreds of attempts to manipulate the rates and succeeded on a number of occasions.
LIBOR is a benchmark interest rate set each day by the British Bankers’ Association (BBA). It is based on estimates received from 16 major international banks based in London of how much they must pay in order to borrow cash from other banks.
Gary Gensler compared the manipulation of rates to an estate agent trying to sell you a house.
“They are trying to reference the price of the houses in the neighborhood [when] there have been no transactions in the neighborhood and furthermore, the agent is not willing to share the data and is often just making it all up,” he said.
US regulator Commodity Futures Trading Commission said the way that the key LIBOR interest rate is set in the UK is still not clean and free of fraud
The BBA said it would not comment on Gary Gensler’s comments but said: “The BBA has strongly stated the need for greater regulatory oversight of LIBOR.”
It added that it was working closely with the government and regulators to change the system.
A government-commissioned review suggested taking the responsibility away from the BBA and placing it in the hands of an outside authority, such as a commercial body or an industry group.
UK’s MPs on the Treasury Committee published their report “Fixing Libor” in August, which said the FSA had failed to investigate market rumors of rate-rigging properly.
Responding, the FSA said it had been engaging with US authorities since 2008.
In its report of last year, the Treasury Committee blamed Barclays bosses for “disgraceful” behavior, which damaged the UK’s reputation, but was also critical of regulators.
It said the Bank of England had been “naive” about the possibility of Libor manipulation during the financial crisis and had been “relatively inactive”, but said the failure of the FSA to do its job and properly investigate the market rumors was far worse.
It said the FSA had not identified any “weakness in compliance” at Barclays, despite conducting numerous visits.
The FSA responded by saying it had increased the intensity of its supervision since 2008, focusing on firms’ control functions and board oversight, and that its successors – the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) – would build on this new approach to supervision.
The regulator also noted the committee’s concerns that it had been two years behind US regulatory authorities in initiating its formal Libor investigations.
But it said it had been aware of and engaged with the enquiries made by US regulators in 2008 and 2009 and had assisted the CFTC from the outset of its investigation. Once evidence of potential wrongdoing emerged it took more active steps, it said.
The committee had also accused the FSA of taking a narrow view of its power to initiate criminal proceedings for fraudulent conduct.
The watchdog denied this but said: “There may be merit in considering further the scope of the FCA’s powers in the future.”
A car bomb exploded in the Syrian capital Damascus killing at least 31 people and sending smoke billowing across the capital’s skyline.
State media blamed the blast near the headquarters of the ruling Baath party on “terrorists”.
TV pictures showed images of dead people. Overseas activists said at least 31 people had been killed.
The violence comes as Russia and the Arab League say they want to broker direct government-opposition talks.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described the war as “a road to nowhere”.
The opposition Syrian National Coalition is holding a two-day meeting in Egypt to discuss a framework for a possible solution.
Some 70,000 people have died since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in March 2011, the UN says.
Police and witnesses said the blast was a car bomb. It went off in the central Mazraa neighborhood, close to the Baath offices and Russian embassy.
Surrounding roads are reported to have been closed off to traffic and firefighters and medical staff were at the scene.
State and pro-regime TV showed pictures of dead bodies and destroyed cars.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 31 people had been killed in the explosion.
A car bomb exploded in the Syrian capital Damascus killing at least 31 people and sending smoke billowing across the capital’s skyline
Witnesses told AP news agency the car had exploded at a security checkpoint between the Russian embassy and the Baath Party central headquarters.
“It was huge. Everything in the shop turned upside down,” one local resident said. He said three of his employees were injured by flying glass that killed a young girl who was walking by when the blast hit.
“I pulled her inside the shop but she was almost gone. We couldn’t save her. She was hit in the stomach and head.”
Syrian state media said the explosion had struck near a school and clinic and that schoolchildren were among the casualties.
There have been two other explosions in the city, also at security checkpoints.
And heavy fighting between government and rebel forces is continuing around the city, with the government carrying out air strikes in the suburbs.
Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin and the Arab League wanted to establish direct contact between the Syrian government and the opposition.
Speaking in Moscow, where he hosted league officials and several Arab foreign ministers, the Russian foreign minister said that sitting down at a negotiating table was the only way to end the conflict without irreparable damage to Syria.
“Neither side can allow itself to rely on a military solution to the conflict, because it is a road to nowhere, a road to mutual destruction of the people,” he said.
Sergei Lavrov and Arab League General Secretary Nabil Elaraby said their priority was to create a transitional government to navigate a way out of the violence.
No conditions for the negotiations have been set, they said.
The proposal initially received a cool reception from the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), with senior member Abdelbaset Sieda insisting Bashar al-Assad and his allies “must go first”.
“After that we can discuss with others in the regime who didn’t share in the killing of our people,” he said.
But the news agency Reuters says it has seen a draft SNC communiqué being discussed in Cairo which demonstrates an apparent softening in the group’s stance.
The document reasserts the group’s position that Bashar al-Assad’s apparatus cannot be part of any political solution in Syria, but omits previous demands that Assad’s regime must go even before any talks, Reuters says.
Oscar-nominated Palestinian director Emad Burnat was detained on LAX as he entered the U.S. on Tuesday for this week’s awards ceremony and his family threatened with deportation.
Emad Burnat says that when he arrived at Los Angeles International Airport from Turkey with his wife and 8-year-old son, customs agents told them they didn’t have the proper proof that he was a nominee and would send them back if they couldn’t verify the reason for their visit.
The director had brought his family to Los Angeles for Sunday’s Oscars where his documentary 5 Broken Cameras has been nominated for an Academy Award.
After about an hour of questioning, the agents allowed Emad Burnat and his family to enter the country.
Oscar-winning documentarian Michael Moore said on his website that he helped clear up the matter by making some phone calls to Oscars’ officials on Emad Burnat’s behalf.
Emad Burnat had been in the United States two weeks earlier doing interviews about the film alongside his co-director, Israeli activist Guy Davidi.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement that it is prohibited from discussing specific cases, but noted that in general: “Travelers may be referred for further inspection for a variety of reasons to include identity verification, intent of travel and confirmation of admissibility.”
Oscar-nominated Palestinian director Emad Burnat was detained on LAX as he entered the U.S. on Tuesday for this week’s awards ceremony and his family threatened with deportation
Michael Moore, a friend of Emad Burnat’s and a champion of his work, wrote on his website, michaelmoore.com, that Burnat texted him from an airport holding area seeking help.
He said he made a few calls to leaders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who contacted some attorneys to clear up the matter.
Michael Moore tweeted: “Apparently the Immigration & Customs officers couldn’t understand how a Palestinian could be an Oscar nominee. Emad texted me for help.”
5 Broken Cameras, the first Palestinian documentary ever nominated for an Oscar, already has won awards at the Sundance Film Festival and the Cinema Eye Honors.
The documentary features footage that the olive farmer-turned-filmmaker shot using five cameras in his occupied West Bank village of Bil’in, from everyday activities with his family to protests and shootings.
The son with whom he is traveling, Gibreel, was the inspiration for buying the first of these cameras in 2005; like so many parents, Emad Burnat wanted to document the boy’s first steps and smiles.
However, he also found himself wanting to capture the tension and fighting that are daily occurrences in the struggle for territory. In the film, his cameras keep getting destroyed in the violence.
Because of his experiences, Emad Burnat said in a statement on Wednesday, he’s gotten used to the kind of questioning he and his family underwent at LAX.
Emad Burnat said: “There are more than 500 Israeli checkpoints, roadblocks, and other barriers to movement across our land, and not a single one of us has been spared the experience that my family and I experienced yesterday.
“Ours was a very minor example of what my people face every day.”
Sportswear giant Nike has decided to suspend its contract with Oscar Pistorius, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
“We believe Oscar Pistorius should be afforded due process and we will continue to monitor the situation closely,” a Nike spokesman said.
Nike recently pulled ads that featured Oscar Pistorius and the line, “I am the bullet in the chamber”.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, also has deals with BT, Oakley, and Ossur, the Icelandic firm that makes his carbon-fibre blades.
Oscar Pistorius, a Paralympic champion, denies the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. He is in court in South Africa this week to press to be released on bail pending his trial.
On Wednesday, Clarins said that it would no longer run Thierry Mugler ads featuring Oscar Pistorius “out of respect and compassion for the families involved”.
Oscar Pistorius was chosen as the face of the fashion firm’s A*Men fragrance in 2011.
Another of Oscar Pistorius’ sponsors, a South African pay TV channel, pulled its TV ad campaign featuring the athlete recently.
Nike has decided to suspend its contract with Oscar Pistorius, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
Oscar Pistorius won gold medals at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
In London Oscar Pistorius made history by becoming the first double-amputee to run in the Olympics, making the semi-final of the 400m.
Nike was recently forced to end its long relationship with Lance Armstrong, who has been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and finally admitted to doping after years of denial.
It recently signed up Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy as a new brand ambassador, making him one of the highest paid sports stars in the world.
PlayStation 4, Sony next-generation gaming console, has been announced at an event in New York.
PlayStation 4 (PS4) new hardware is designed to offer superior graphics as well as new social features including the sharing of recorded gameplay clips.
The new console will succeed the PlayStation 3, which went on sale in 2006 and has sold about 75 million units.
The PS4 will eventually compete against Microsoft’s still-to-be-unveiled Xbox 360 successor and Nintendo’s Wii U.
Sony also confirmed a range of big-name software for the machine including Bungie’s upcoming “shared-world shooter” Destiny, which will include exclusive content for the PS4.
The developer’s previous title, Halo, helped drive sales for the rival Xbox platform.
A successful launch might spur on sales of Sony’s new televisions and other consumer electronics, helping turn around its fortunes.
Sony posted a 456.7 billion yen loss ($4.9 billion) in its last financial year, marking the fourth year it ended in deficit.
But the firm has forecast a 20 billion yen profit for the current financial year ending in March.
Sony said the console was “coming holiday 2013” suggesting it will go on sale in at least some countries in or around December.
It did not give any indication of its price nor did it show what the console would look like.
There was also no mention of whether the console would support 4K – or ultra-high definition – video.
Sony described the machine as being like a “supercharged” PC.
It runs off an x86-based CPU (central processing unit) – similar architecture to that found in most desktop computers – and an “enhanced” PC GPU (graphics processing unit). Both CPU and GPU are designed by the US firm Advanced Micro Devices (AMD).
It comes with the new DualShock 4 controller, which includes a touchpad, a “share button” and a lightbar, which allows a separate camera to track its movement.
“This is a complete controller upgrade with touch, share and better responsiveness,” said Brian Blau, an analyst at the tech consultancy Gartner.
“The new controller is the key to a better PS4 experience. It has the ability to share content easily, and brings in a component of touch that allows even more ways to interact with games.”
The console also includes new hardware dedicated to video compression to make it a more social device.
PlayStation 4, Sony next-generation gaming console, has been announced at an event in New York
Users will be able to pause a game, select a few minutes of recorded video of their most recent activity, and instruct the clip to be uploaded to a social network.
This will then occur in the background while they can return to their game. The firm said it wanted to make sharing video clips as common as it is today to share screenshots.
Another new feature is that gamers can let one of their friends connect to their machine and take control of their character to help if they have got stuck, or allow several friends to watch their live progress as spectators. This facility uses technology from Gaikai – a cloud-based service Sony acquired last year for $380 million.
Gaikai’s technology is also being used to allow PS4 games to be streamed and played via the PlayStation Vita handheld console, which may boost its sales.
Sony said it was also exploring the possibility of using its Gaikai unit to allow PlayStation 3 games to be played on the new machine as well as other devices.
However, at the moment PS3 games will not run on the new console.
Sony invited developers on stage to preview some of the PS4 games being worked on.
They included Killzone Shadowfall – an addition to its bestselling Killzone science fiction first-person shooter series; the racing game Driveclub; superhero game Infamous: Second Son; and Diablo 3.
Developer Ubisoft also confirmed that its much-discussed title WatchDogs, which involves a hacker taking control of a smart city’s systems, is indeed being developed for the PS4.
Jim Ryan, president of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, said his firm’s shift to an x86-based processor would make it easier for other developers to create games for the platform.
“One of the fundamental design principles was to make the PlayStation 4 considerably easier to develop for than some of its predecessor platforms,” he said.
“It is much more of a generic PC environment. It’s not a bespoke development environment as was very much the case with the PlayStation 3.
“So it’s something developers are aware of, are comfortable with and they don’t have to relearn the rules.”
While the graphics shown during the demonstrations were more advanced that those in current games for Nintendo’s Wii U, Sony must also convince gamers to choose its platform over PC-based systems.
PCs will be capable of offering increasingly impressive visuals as the PS4 ages thanks to their ability to have their processors and other hardware upgraded.
US firm Valve, in particular, has been vocal about its ambition to bring PC-based gaming to living room TVs.
Sony did not announce how much it plans to charge – perhaps holding the news back for the E3 gaming conference in Los Angeles in June or a later announcement.
The PlayStation 3 was initially sold at a loss, so if that practice is repeated with the new model its launch may initially put fresh strain on the firm’s finances.
Even so, one analyst suggested that Sony would be willing to take the pain to maximize early demand.
“Without the established user base and community of PS3 and PlayStation Network, Sony would be without a significant home entertainment foothold allowing it to connect many of its other consumer electronic devices, products and services,” said Piers Harding-Rolls, head of games at IHS Screen Digest.
“Sony’s next generation device is likely to take on more importance not less.”
The Japanese firm’s shares closed 1.8% lower in Tokyo trade following the announcement.
Japan has hanged three death-row inmates, the first executions under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The three were put to death in the early hours of Thursday, the Justice Ministry has confirmed. One of them was convicted of killing a young girl.
Japan traditionally executes several prisoners at a time. These are the first executions since September 2012.
Japan is one of the few industrialized nations to retain the death penalty, usually reserved for multiple murders.
“I ordered the executions after giving careful consideration to the matter,” Justice Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said in a press briefing.
“These were extremely cruel cases in which victims were deprived of their precious lives for very selfish reasons.”
The three men hanged were indentified as Kaoru Kobayashi, 44, who killed a 7-year-old girl, Masahiro Kanagawa, 29, who killed one man and injured seven others outside a Tokyo shopping mall in 2008, and Keiki Muto, 62, who killed a bar owner for money in 2002.
Japan has hanged three death-row inmates, the first executions under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
Rights group Amnesty International’s branch in Japan has said that it “strongly condemns” Thursday’s executions.
Though the majority support the death penalty, rights groups say Japan’s death row is particularly harsh, with the condemned allowed few visits and little exercise.
Sometimes held for decades, they are not warned in advance of when they will be put to death.
Rights groups also highlight Japan’s 99% conviction rate, with most convictions based on confessions, as worrying, correspondents say.
There are currently more than 130 people on death row, including Shoko Asahara, the mastermind behind the 1995 sarin gas attacks on the Tokyo subway.
No executions were carried out in 2011, but they were restarted in March 2012 under the previous Democratic Party government. Shinzo Abe came to power in a landslide election win in December 2012.
Official figures in Japan as of 2011 put support for capital punishment at over 80%.
Sarah Jessica Parker is almost unrecognizable on her latest magazine cover for Harper’s Bazaar China.
Sarah Jessica Parker, 47, appears to have been airbrushed within an inch of her life, leaving her looking like an entirely different person.
The resulting image is rather startling as Sarah Jessica Parker’s piercing blue eyes stare intensely into the camera.
With her dark blonde tresses blown into big and bouncy curls, the actress poses in a colorful pretty printed dress which features a black lace top and matching bra underneath.
Sarah Jessica Parker accessorizes with ornate drop earrings and a delicate ring, but all eyes are on the star’s fierce-looking face.
Sarah Jessica Parker is almost unrecognizable on her latest magazine cover for Harper’s Bazaar China
Hilton Botha, the South African detective leading the Oscar Pistorius inquiry, is facing seven charges of attempted murder, police have confirmed.
Detective Hilton Botha, who has faced fierce questioning at Oscar Pistorius’s bail hearing, was allegedly involved in a shooting two years ago.
Oscar Pistorius, a Paralympic champion, denies the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, 29.
His bail hearing in Pretoria is scheduled to resume at 11:00 a.m.
Police spokesman Neville Malila said that Hilton Botha and two other officers were due to appear in court in May.
Neville Malila said it was alleged that while driving a state-owned vehicle the three had opened fire on a minibus taxi loaded with passengers.
The three were arrested in 2011,Eyewitness News says, citing police.
Neville Malila told Reuters news agency the charges against Hilton Botha had originally been dropped but were reinstated on Wednesday by the state prosecutor after the officer had taken the stand.
It is not clear whether Hilton Botha will continue working on the case.
Medupe Simasiku, a spokesman for the Pistorius prosecutors, told Associated Press they were unaware of the charges and would now investigate whether the detective should remain.
Oscar Pistorius says he shot Reeva Steenkamp in the bathroom of his home after mistaking her for an intruder.
If denied bail, Oscar Pistorius could face months in prison before a full trial begins.
Correspondents say Det Hilton Botha’s evidence on Wednesday appeared first to boost the prosecution’s case and then offer the defence a hope of winning the argument.
Hilton Botha, the South African detective leading the Oscar Pistorius inquiry, is facing seven charges of attempted murder
Det Hilton Botha told the court that the trajectory of gunshots through the bathroom door indicated that Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee, was wearing his prosthetic legs and shot downwards through the door.
This contradicted an earlier account given by Oscar Pistorius, who said he was walking on his stumps and grabbed his gun because he felt vulnerable when he thought an intruder had entered.
The detective then said a witness had said he heard fighting at Oscar Pistorius’s home on the night Reeva Steenkamp was shot.
Det Hilton Botha initially said the witness was some 600 m (1,800 ft) away, but later amended his answer to 300 m after a break for lunch.
Oscar Pistorius’s family said the changes were “extremely concerning”.
The detective was also accused of not wearing protective clothing at the crime scene.
The magistrate appeared to question Det Hilton Botha’s assertion that Oscar Pistorius could be a flight risk who should be denied bail.
The Pistorius family issued a statement saying they were “satisfied with the outcome” of Wednesday’s proceedings.
The magistrate has deemed this a “schedule six” case, meaning Oscar Pistorius is accused of premeditated murder.
His defence team will have to prove the extenuating circumstances that would justify granting bail.
Oscar Pistorius won gold medals at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
In London Oscar Pistorius made history by becoming the first double-amputee to run in the Olympics, making the semi-final of the 400 m.
Ben Howard, Emeli Sande and Adele have been honored at this year’s Brit Awards ceremony at London’s O2 Arena.
Emeli Sande won Best British Female and British Album, while Ben Howard scooped best British Male and Breakthrough.
Adele won Best Single for her James Bond theme Skyfall – but she was not at the event, instead choosing to rehearse for the Oscars in Los Angeles.
She sent a video message referring to last year’s ceremony, when her best album acceptance speech was cut short.
“Thank you so much for this Brit Award, it means a lot,” Adele said.
“Sorry I can’t be with you tonight, I’m in LA rehearsing for the Oscars. I won’t keep you too long because I don’t want to interrupt the best album speech at the end of the night. But I love you all.”
Emeli Sande had gone into the event with four nominations in total, including two in the Best Single category. Her triumph in the best British female category meant there was no posthumous win for Amy Winehouse.
Accepting the best album statuette, Emeli Sande spoke of herself as “a very unlikely pop star”.
“This is an album I wrote because I didn’t have the confidence to say these things in person,” she told the crowd.
“For me, that so many people have connected with this album and found strength in these words makes me feel incredible and it doesn’t make me feel as lonely.”
Emeli Sande’s debut album Our Version Of Events was the most popular album of 2012 in the UK, selling 1.4 million copies.
Emeli Sande won Best British Female and British Album at Brit Awards 2013
Folk rock band Mumford and Sons were named Best British Group and Marcus Mumford said: “We weren’t really expecting that.
“We love being British and we love going around the world and telling people we’re British, so we’re very proud and very grateful.”
Their win came 10 days after the group’s LP Babel took the album of the year trophy at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. The record has now gone back to number one in the US.
Singer-songwriter Ben Howard was a surprise winner of Best British Breakthrough, beating the bookmakers’ favorite Rita Ora.
In the Best British Male category, he triumphed over Plan B, Olly Murs, Calvin Harris and Richard Hawley.
“Wow, thank you very much,” Ben Howard said.
“That’s bizarre isn’t it? I didn’t really expect to, erm… I was quite stoked to come to the awards to be honest, so to come away with two of these things is amazing, so thank you all very much.”
Coldplay won Best British Live Act, beating The Rolling Stones, who were nominated 35 years after they were shortlisted for the first ever Brit Awards.
In the international categories, the Black Keys won Best Group, Frank Ocean was named best male and Lana Del Rey picked up Best Female.
A special recognition award went to the charity War Child, while there was a “global success award” for boy band One Direction in recognition of their hit status overseas.
The five-piece used the ceremony to give the first live rendition of their Comic Relief single, a medley of Blondie’s One Way Or Another and The Undertones’ Teenage Kicks.
The night’s other performers included Robbie Williams, Muse, Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake.
Comedian James Corden returned as host this year and used his opening routine to make light of cutting short Adele’s speech in 2012.
Referring to a US awards show in 2009, he introduced Taylor Swift as a “global superstar who was once famously interrupted at an award ceremony”.
“That never happens here. Not on my watch. Not anymore,” he joked.
The winners all received a trophy designed by the artist Damien Hirst.
Astronomers have smashed the record for the smallest planet beyond our Solar System identifying Kepler-37b, an exoplanet which is only slightly larger than our Moon.
To spot the tiny, probably rocky planet, they first needed to precisely measure the size of its host star.
They did so using “astroseismology” – effectively, turning tiny variations in the star’s light into sounds.
A report in Nature describes the blistering, probably rocky planet, which orbits its star in just 13 days.
It is joined in this far-flung solar system by two other planets, one three-quarters Earth’s size and one twice as large as Earth.
The record for smallest “exoplanet” is routinely being broken, as astronomers get better and better at finding them.
The best tool in the planet-hunters’ toolbox is the Kepler space telescope, which stares at a fixed part of the sky, trying to detect the tiny dips in stars’ light that happens when planets pass in front of them: what is called a transit event.
In its earliest days, the Kepler team tended to find large planets – Jupiter- and Neptune-sized behemoths. In more recent years, the catalogue of exoplanet has seen an increasing number of so-called super-Earths, up to about twice the radius of our planet.
Only recently has something definitively Earth-sized been found.
But the new find is a planet just a third the size of that recent record-holder, smaller even than our Solar System’s smallest planet, Mercury.
Astronomers have smashed the record for the smallest planet beyond our Solar System identifying Kepler-37b, an exoplanet which is only slightly larger than our Moon
“I think it’s an amazing technological achievement to be able to be able to detect small rocks like this,” said Francois Fressin, a co-author of the paper based at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
“It means we’re really in the arena where it’s possible to detect all the planets of our Solar System, but around other stars,” he said.
The find of Kepler 37b and its two companions can in part be ascribed to a wealth of data from the Kepler telescope; it has been recording data for nearly four years, and signals that would once have been too small to see have been slowly accumulating, with smaller planets becoming more apparent.
But telling just how small a given planet is depends on a relative measurement: how much light there is when the planet is and is not in front of the host star. The degree to which we can know the planet’s size depends on how well we can know the host star’s size.
That is where the science of astroseismology comes in – and a team of experts in this area of science at the University of Birmingham in the UK took a look at the data.
“Inside stars it’s a very noisy environment, and that noise sets up sound waves that travel all the way through the star,” said Birmingham’s Yvonne Elsworth.
“Some of (the waves) will resonate, just like a musical instrument – the turbulence causes them to ring at frequencies that are characteristic of the star,” she said.
“If we look at the star we can see those oscillations, the amount of light we get from the star varies – slowly and by a very small amount – at frequencies that tell us what’s going on inside the star.”
And also like a musical instrument, those “resonant” frequencies tell researchers just how big the star actually is.
Together, the analyses point to the presence of three planets. Kepler-37b and c are about 30% and 74% as large as the Earth, and Kepler-37d is about twice Earth’s size.
The three orbit their star in 13, 21, and 40 days respectively – all within orbits just 20% of the Earth-Sun distance.
It is, in short, another interesting solar system to go in the burgeoning catalogues of exoplanets – and the notion that exoplanet news has been in plentiful supply in recent years is not lost on Dr. Francois Fressin.
“I understand that people could get bored by these successive announcements,” he said.
“But hundreds or thousands of years from now, this will be remembered as the decade where discovery of other worlds of all kinds has been made possible.”
Music stars from Britain and beyond are gearing up for this year’s Brit Awards in London.
Scots singer Emeli Sande is hot favorite to win best British album and female, while folk rockers Mumford and Sons are tipped for best British group.
Stadium rockers Muse will open the ceremony at the O2 Arena.
There will also be performances from Robbie Williams, One Direction, Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake, but it is not clear whether Adele will turn up.
The best-selling singer famously showed her annoyance when one of her victory speeches was cut short last year.
Brit Awards chairman David Joseph has said he will make amends, telling the Guardian: “I can hint that something is going to happen this year to right that wrong.”
Adele is the bookmakers’ favorite to win the best British single prize for her Bond theme Skyfall, but she is rumored to be in the US rehearsing for an appearance at the Oscars on Sunday.
Emeli Sande has four nominations, including two in the best single category. She is returning to the event a year after picking up the Critics’ Choice accolade for rising stars.
Speaking on the red carpet, she said: “I’ve been here for the last three years and you go from nobody knowing who you are, to Critics’ Choice last year, and now to be here just feels great.”
There are three nods apiece for Mercury Prize winners Alt-J and Mumford and Sons, who took the album of the year trophy at the Grammy Awards in the US last weekend.
Other nominees include Amy Winehouse, who is posthumously shortlisted for best British female, and The Rolling Stones, who are up for best live act, 35 years after they were shortlisted for the first ever Brit Awards.
Music stars from Britain and beyond are gearing up for this year’s Brit Awards in London
Singer-songwriter Ben Howard is tipped to take home best British male, while pop star Rita Ora leads the contenders in the British breakthrough category.
The winners all receive a trophy designed by controversial British artist Damien Hirst.
One Direction will give the first live performance of their Comic Relief single, a medley of Blondie’s One Way Or Another and The Undertones’ Teenage Kicks.
Taylor Swift is said to be putting together a fire and ice-themed set, while Timberlake is bringing along the big band that accompanied him at the Grammy Awards.
Hosted by comedian James Corden for the third time, the Brits ceremony will be broadcast live on ITV from 20:00 GMT.
Former cyclist Lance Armstrong has said he will not agree to be interviewed under oath by the United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA).
Lance Armstrong, 41, admitted taking performance-enhancing drugs during his seven of his Tour de France wins in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
By speaking to USADA, Lance Armstrong would have been eligible to have a lifetime ban overturned.
But a statement said the former cyclist “will not participate in prosecutions… that only demonize selected individuals”.
Lance Armstrong was initially given until February 6 to meet USADA officials but was allowed a further two weeks to decide whether to be interviewed.
His statement, released by his attorney Tim Herman, said he is willing to help with the investigation but will not be interviewed by USADA.
It added: “Lance is willing to cooperate fully and has been very clear: He will be the first man through the door, and once inside will answer every question, at an international tribunal formed to comprehensively address pro cycling, an almost exclusively European sport.
“We remain hopeful that an international effort will be mounted, and we will do everything we can to facilitate that result.
“In the meantime, for several reasons, Lance will not participate in USADA’s efforts to selectively conduct American prosecutions that only demonize selected individuals while failing to address the 95% of the sport over which USADA has no jurisdiction.”
Lance Armstrong has said he will not agree to be interviewed under oath by the USADA
Lance Armstrong was charged by USADA in June 2012 with using performance-enhancing drugs.
He filed a lawsuit against the organisation the following month, accusing them of “corrupt inducements” to other cyclists to testify against him.
However, Lance Armstrong then announced in August that he would not fight the doping charges filed against him, and was given a life ban by USADA and stripped of his Tour de France titles.
The findings were accepted by the International Cycling Union.
Lance Armstrong, who retired from cycling in 2005 but returned to the sport between 2009 and 2012, has called for a ‘truth and reconciliation commission’ overseen by the World Anti-Doping Agency to look into the issue of doping in the sport.
New details about Google’s eagerly-anticipated smart glasses have been released by the company in a YouTube video.
How It Feels YouTube video uploaded by the company shows Google Glass in action – including the interface which appears in the wearer’s line of sight.
The search giant has also opened up the trial of the product to “creative individuals” and developers.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin was recently spotted on New York’s subway testing the device.
The product was first unveiled as part of a demonstration at a Google launch event last year where developers were offered early access to the device for $1,500.
The company is now inviting people in the US to use the hashtag #ifihadglass to suggest ways they would make use of the headset.
“We’re looking for bold, creative individuals who want to join us and be a part of shaping the future of Glass,” Google said.
“We’re still in the early stages and, while we can’t promise everything will be perfect, we can promise it will be exciting.”
New details about Google’s eagerly-anticipated smart glasses have been released by the company in a YouTube video
The demo video showed how Glass can be used to take pictures and record video, as well as share content directly via email or social networks.
Voice commands such as “OK, Glass, take a picture” were used to control the device.
Other features appeared to include Skype-like video chats, and other related information such as weather reports and map directions.
All of this information appeared in a small, translucent square in the top right of the wearer’s field of vision.
The display is considerably less intrusive than previously published concept videos.
Wearable technology is seen as a major growth area for hardware makers in 2013 and beyond.
In 2008, Apple patented a laser-based “head mounted display system” that it suggested could stream video from its iPod, among other features.
Other patents obtained by Sony and Microsoft allow for creation of miniature displays to go over users’ eyes.
Oakley recently launched Airwave – ski goggles with built-in sensors which provide information on an in-built screen about an owner’s speed, the size of their jumps and what music they are listening to.
Away from the head, the newly released Pebble watch links directly to a smartphone – a concept Apple is also rumored to be working on.
It was revealed today that former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be charging $200,000 per speech on her lecture circuit.
The massive fee means that Hillary Clinton will be making more from a two-hour lecture than she did in a year as Secretary of State.
The announcement that Hillary Clinton has hired a top talent agency to represent her as she begins to give paid speeches following her departure from the State Department came earlier this week, but her $200,000 asking price was only reported on Wednesday.
According to Buzzfeed, that puts Hillary Clinton in the same league as her husband former President Bill Clinton who is so in-demand that he can command the six-figure fee.
The volume of the sum is made clear when looked at in comparison to her salary for a year as Secretary of State, which was $186,000.
Hillary Clinton is now represented by the Harry Walker Agency which is known for getting famous politicians and newsmakers plum gigs on the lecture circuit.
The venture is Hillary Clinton’s first formal decision about what she is going to do now that she is no longer working, though she is widely considered to be the Democratic front runner should she decide to run for the presidency in 2016.
Her decision to attach her name to his particular New York-based agency comes as little surprise since her husband former President Bill Clinton has long been represented by the group since he left office in 2000.
The move was clearly a lucrative one, as Bill Clinton made $75.6 million from 2001 to 2010 from speaking engagements, making $10.7 million in just 2010 alone.
Bill Clinton is not the only big name with the agency, as his former Vice President Al Gore has been booking $175,000 gigs through their connections, and former New York City mayor and Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani regularly brings in $100,000 per event.
Hillary Clinton will be charging $200,000 per speech on her lecture circuit
Former vice president Dick Cheney, former Senators Olympia Snowe and Joe Lieberman, Barack Obama campaign strategist Jim Messina and former Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan are all represented by The Harry Walker Agency as well.
Hillary Clinton’s exact asking price has not been reported, but Politicoasserts that she “will likely do some speeches for no fee for causes she champions, and expects to occasionally donate her fees for charitable purposes”.
While keeping mum about any future presidential plans, Hillary Clinton has said that she plans to write another book, this time about her work as Secretary of State.
Publishing house Simon & Schuster reportedly paid the former first lady an $8 million advance on her first book, Living History, which she published in December 2000.
With any and all positions that Hillary Clinton decides to take, she will have to weigh the optics of if it would look appropriate for a presidential candidate.
Another concern is shoring up a steady income, because it doesn’t come cheap to live like the Clintons and six-figure speaking fees will certainly help.
Though there were early reports that they might buy a house in the Hamptons area of Long Island, it appears now that they will hustle between their current residences in Washington, D.C. and Chappaqua, a quiet town in the suburbs of New York City.
Hillary Clinton is also expected to either work with her husband’s Clinton Foundation or start her own, though no decisions about that have been made at this point.
The only thing that Hillary Clinton has publicly confirmed is that she plans to rest after a very taxing four years of traveling to 112 different countries.
As Hillary Clinton remains coy about her political prospects, her potential competitors are being very blatant in their fundraising attempts.
On the Republican side, both New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Florida Senator Marco Rubio have raised significant sums for their campaign war chests in recent weeks.
Chris Christie attended a fundraiser in his honor at Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s California home, and Marco Rubio raised $100,000 by selling water bottles with his name on them, playing on his thirst-quenching gaffe during the State of the Union rebuttal.
The White House is expected to announce a raft of anti-hacking measures a day after a report linked China’s military to prolific cyber-theft.
Possible actions include fines or other trade enforcements against China or any other country found guilty of hacking.
The US says it has repeatedly raised concerns with China about cyber-attacks and stolen trade data.
China’s military says the report by a US-based security company is flawed, lacking “technical proof”.
Executives from GE and American Superconductor, both of which do business in China, are expected to attend as the White House rolls out its strategy.
The announcement at 15:00 EST will be attended by US Attorney General Eric Holder.
“The strategy that we are releasing today co-ordinates and improves US government efforts to protect the innovation that drives the American economy and supports jobs in the United States,” a White House official said.
“This strategy is not focused on any one country, nor is it focused on cyber-security exclusively, though cyber does play an important role in the strategy.”
Tuesday’s detailed report by Mandiant identified a Shanghai high-rise used by China’s military as the probable home of hackers to whom it attributed multiple attacks on US companies.
The group, labelled in the report as APT1, was staffed by hundreds of proficient English speakers, Mandiant said.
APT1 had hacked into 141 companies across 20 industries, stealing hundreds of terabytes of information including blueprints, business plans, pricing documents, user credentials, emails and contact lists.
The White House is expected to announce a raft of anti-hacking measures a day after a report linked China’s military to prolific cyber-theft
China’s government has long been suspected of a role in cyber-hacking.
But the issue has become more high-profile in recent months following widely reported hacks into media outlets including the New York Times.
That incident followed the newspaper’s report on the wealth of outgoing Premier Wen Jiabao’s relatives.
On Tuesday, state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said that the issue had come up “in virtually every meeting we have with Chinese officials”.
Estimated losses from cyber-espionage and theft of trade secrets totalled more than $300 billion in 2012, according to Representative Dutch Ruppersberger, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
The Mandiant report argued that it was “highly unlikely that the Chinese government is unaware of an attack group that operates from the Pudong New Area of Shanghai”, citing the country’s rigorous monitoring of internet use.
But China has flatly denied any connection with the activity outlined in Mandiant’s report.
A Chinese ministry statement, posted on its website, said that many hacking attacks were carried out using hijacked IP addresses.
It also suggested that the “everyday gathering” of online information was being wrongly characterized as spying.
And on Wednesday, Chinese foreign minister Hong Lei said China itself had been the victim of attacks, citing a 2012 report from the country’s Ministry of Information Technology and Industry.
“Among the above attacks, those from the US numbered the most,” he said at a news conference.
Cyber-security experts told the Associated Press that US intelligence agencies routinely spy on other countries, but do not conduct similar attacks or steal data from Chinese companies.
Prince Michael Jackson struck out on his own as a special correspondent for Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday night.
Despite those efforts, Michael Jackson’s 16-year-old son found himself the centre of the story on Tuesday evening.
The 30-minute programme featured clips of co-host Brooke Anderson grilling Prince Jackson with questions in between teasers for his first assignment, while he patiently waited for his moment to step into her shoes and test his skills as an interviewer.
With little known about the length of Prince Jackson’s contract, producers were keen to exploit their most high-profile – and their youngest – new celebrity reporter.
Teasers airing before his debut showed the teenager stiffly dressed as if ready to sit for a serious interview, while co-hosts told viewers about ET’s newest addition.
Critics immediately put out their claws – surely a 16-year-old has not earned the credentials to juggle on-air interviews, despite his or her own status as a celebrity or even a studious cinephile, as Prince Jackson described himself.
His banter with Brooke Anderson was awkward, even cringe-worthy, though on par with exchanges between evening news anchors.
Prince Michael Jackson struck out on his own as a special correspondent for Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday night
Thrusting a teenager in front of cue cards and a glaring red light did little to enhance the story (Prince Jackson’s first assignment would be to interview the cast of Oz the Great and Powerful).
But viewers, and interested fans of the Jackson clan, did get a glimpse into how young Prince sees himself stepping out of his father’s shadow.
“I’ve been raised around stuff like this so it was different being the interviewer instead of the one being interviewed,” he told Brooke.
Prince Michael Jackson refers to his late father with the ET veteran compliments him on his maturity.
“That’s what most of my people say,” he responds.
“That was all thanks to my dad. He raised me right.”
Prince Jackson was just 12-years-old when his father died, leaving him and his two siblings in the care of extended relatives, including their paternal grandmother, Katherine Jackson.
