Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence has been seen on holiday in Hawaii enjoying a suspicious rolled up cigarette.
In revealing pictures Jennifer Lawrence, 22, is seen clasping a fat roll up in her fingers and a bottle of wine.
And in other pictures that have emerged Jennifer Lawrence can clearly be seen taking a draw on the roll up.
It may come as some surprise just days after the actress was seen lapping up the applause of her peers at the Academy Awards where she took home the Best Actress award for her stunning turn in Silver Linings Playbook.
Jennifer Lawrence star looked happy and relaxed, which may well have been in part thanks to a glass of wine and her cheeky smoke.
It’s not clear if she was indeed smoking marijuana – but Jennifer Lawrence is not known to be a smoker – and if the young starlet does have a penchant for the weed, it may explain her propensity for stumbling.
Jennifer Lawrence has been seen on holiday in Hawaii enjoying a suspicious rolled up cigarette
Suzanne Nassie from Massachusetts says that an iPad she bought at Walmart turned out to be only a piece of plastic painted to look like a real tablet.
Suzanne Nassie said she knew there was a problem the second she opened the shrink wrapped package.
The fake so confusing the store even refused her a refund at first before finally relenting.
“This isn’t even a real device,” Suzanne Nassie said upon discovering the trick.
“Somebody put a phony device in that box.”
There was no cord, and no way to turn the device on.
Suzanne Nassie brought it back to the store, but wasn’t allowed to speak to a manager and was refused a refund even though she brought the $499 receipt printed out just 20 minutes prior.
Instead Walmart employees told her to contact Apple.
By then she’d found even more problems.
Suzanne Nassie from Massachusetts says that an iPad she bought at Walmart turned out to be only a piece of plastic painted to look like a real tablet
“There’s a speaker that’s suppose to be on the back, it’s just little painted dots,” Suzanne Nassie told CBS Boston.
“When I peered inside at the port on the back where you’re suppose to charge it, it’s just plastic. No metal prongs or anything of that nature.”
Suzanne Nassie isn’t the first Walmart customer to get burned on an iPad.
People have reported buying fake devices at stores in New Jersey, Florida, and Texas.
This November, Florida man Emilio Pereda told reporters he purchased a fake iPad from the retail giant for $500.
“There were no red flags,” Emilio Pereda said.
“It was completely wrapped with this wrapper from Walmart with your sku number that matches the receipt.”
Suzanne Nassie has since been contacted by the store manager who apologized then offered a full refund.
“It’s frustrating that someone would try to take advantage of others for their own gain. We have apologized to our customer and offered her a full refund,” a Walmart spokesperson said.
“We’re still working to understand how this could have happened and are actively reviewing our transactional records and surveillance video to determine how this product ended up on our shelves. If a customer is purchasing an iPad at this store, they are welcome to open the product to confirm the right product is in the box after making the purchase.”
Veteran comedian Joan Rivers has been blasted by a Jewish pressure group for a joke she made about German supermodel Heidi Klum’s daring Oscars outfit.
“The last time a German looked this hot was when they were pushing Jews into the ovens,” said Joan Rivers – herself Jewish – before doubling over with laughter.
Joan Rivers, 79, made the comment about the Holocaust on Monday’s Fashion Police show on E! when reviewing the low-cut shimmering gold dress worn by Heidi Klum to attend Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party in West Hollywood.
The joke has attracted the wrath of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organization that combats anti-Semitism, and says Joan Rivers has trivialized an horrific event.
ADL leader Abraham Foxman said: “Of all people, Joan Rivers should know better. This remark is so vulgar and offensive to Jews and Holocaust survivors, and indeed to all Americans, that we cannot believe it made it to the airwaves.
“Making it worse, not one of her co-hosts made any effort to respond or to condemn this hideous statement, leaving it hanging out there and giving it added legitimacy through their silence.
“Almost as bad as her original comment is the fact that she sat there doubled over with laughter after saying it.”
Abraham Foxman continued: “There are certain things about the Holocaust that should be taboo. This is especially true for Jews, for whom the Holocaust is still a deeply painful memory.
“It is vulgar and offensive for anybody to use the death of six million Jews and millions of others in the Holocaust to make a joke, but this is especially true for someone who is Jewish and who proudly and publicly wears her Jewishness on her sleeve.”
Joan Rivers has been blasted by a Jewish pressure group for a joke she made about German supermodel Heidi Klum’s daring Oscars outfit
Joan Rivers has refused to apologize, claiming her humor help to keeps the Holocaust in the public consciousness.
The comedian said: “My husband lost the majority of his family at Auschwitz, and I can assure you that I have always made it a point to remind people of the Holocaust through humor.”
Joan Rivers’ husband, Edgar Rosenberg, was born in Germany but his family emigrated to Denmark and then South Africa in order to escape the Nazis.
Joan Rivers and Edgar Rosenberg married in 1965 after he hired her to work with him on a screenplay. Edgar Rosenberg committed suicide by overdosing on prescription drugs in 1987.
Richard Street, a member of the Temptations for 25 years, has died aged 70.
Richard Street’s wife says he died on February 27 at a hospital in Las Vegas after a short illness.
He sang with Temptations members Otis Williams and Melvin Franklin in the 1950s but didn’t join the group until 1971.
As part of the group, Richard Street had number of hits including the Grammy award-winning song, Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, Richard Street was the first member of the band to be born in the city with which they became synonymous.
His death comes only 10 days after his band mate, Otis “Damon” Harris, who died on February 18 at the age of 62, after a 14 year battle with prostate cancer.
Richard Street, a member of the Temptations for 25 years, has died aged 70
Cindy Street, told CNN: “They’re dancing up there in heaven, him and Damon.”
Richard Street performed with the band until 1993 when he left due to alleged personal tensions with Williams.
He went to hospital five days before he died, suffering from back pain and breathing difficulties. Doctors found he had a clot in a lung.
Richard Street is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.
Spain’s troubled Bankia – formed of the merger of seven floundering savings banks – has reported a record loss of 19.2 billion euros ($25.2 billion) for 2012.
Bankia, which received aid of 18 billion euros, made a loss of 19.2 billion euros for 2012 and put aside provisions of 26.8 billion euros.
Last year, Bankia and its parent firm, BFA, asked for EU funds to help rebuild its capital.
Spain’s bank rescue fund said Bankia itself had a negative value, although its parent had some worth.
Bankia was born out of the merger of seven savings banks that were highly exposed to Spain’s property sector, which crashed five years ago.
The Bankia-BFA group as a whole made losses after tax of 21.2 billion euros in 2012.
Bankia’s seven component banks were severely damaged by their loans to property developers and home buyers during the country’s property bubble that ended in the late 2000s.
The bank’s shares were suspended at the start of the year.
Spain’s troubled Bankia has reported a record loss of 19.2 billion euros for 2012
Many are only just getting their heads around the idea of 3D printing but scientists at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) are already working on an upgrade: 4D printing.
At the TED conference in Los Angeles, architect and computer scientist Skylar Tibbits showed how the process allows objects to self-assemble.
It could be used to install objects in hard-to-reach places such as underground water pipes, he suggested.
It might also herald an age of self-assembling furniture, said experts.
TED fellow Skylar Tibbits, from the MIT’s self-assembly lab, explained what the extra dimension involved.
“We’re proposing that the fourth dimension is time and that over time static objects will transform and adapt,” he said.
The process uses a specialized 3D printer that can create multi-layered materials.
It combines a strand of standard plastic with a layer made from a “smart” material that can absorb water.
The water acts as an energy source for the material to expand once it is printed.
“The rigid material becomes a structure and the other layer is the force that can start bending and twisting it,” said Skylar Tibbits.
“Essentially the printing is nothing new, it is about what happens after,” he added.
At the TED conference in Los Angeles, architect and computer scientist Skylar Tibbits showed how 4D printing allows objects to self-assemble
Such a process could in future be used to build furniture, bikes, cars and even buildings, he thinks.
For the time being he is seeking a manufacturing partner to explore the innovation.
“We are looking for applications and products that wouldn’t be possible without these materials,” he added.
“Imagine water pipes that can expand to cope with different capacities or flows and save digging up the street.”
Engineering software developer Autodesk, which collaborated on the project, is looking even further into the future.
“Imagine a scenario where you go to Ikea and buy a chair, put it in your room and it self-assembles,” said Carlo Olguin, principal research scientist at the software firm.
The 4D printing concept draws inspiration from nature which already has the ability to self-replicate.
“We already have 3D printers that can be injected with stem cells, printing micro slices of liver,” Carlo Olguin added.
“The idea behind 4D printing is to use the sheer power of biology and modify it. But it is still an elusive goal.”
The next stage for the research is to move from printing single strands to sheets and eventually whole structures. And water need not be the process’s only energy source.
“We could also have heat, vibration and sound,” said Skylar Tibbits.
Pope Benedict XVI has vowed “unconditional obedience and reverence” to his successor.
The pontiff was speaking on his final day in office at the Vatican to his cardinals, one of whom will be elected next month to replace him.
Pope Benedict, 85, will leave for the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, later on Thursday.
His deputy, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, will have temporary charge of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.
In his public farewell speech on Wednesday, Pope Benedict hinted at Vatican infighting.
His decision to resign has been openly criticized by Australia’s top Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, who questioned his leadership skills.
The Church has been beset by scandals over sexual abuse by priests and leaked confidential documents revealing internal corruption and feuding.
An estimated 150,000 people packed into St Peter’s Square on Wednesday to hear Pope Benedict, resigning at 85 after seven years in office.
The long-time theologian is expected eventually to retire to a monastery on a hill inside Vatican City, with officials saying he will not be able intervene publicly in the papacy of his successor, though he may offer advice.
His successor must focus on reforming the Vatican bureaucracy, which has often been overly hesitant to react to the various crises which have arisen during Benedict’s papacy.
Pope Benedict received cardinals for a farewell ceremony on Thursday morning, warmly embracing Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who passed on best wishes on behalf of those gathered.
“Among you there is also the future pope to whom I promise my unconditional obedience and reverence,” the pontiff told those assembled.
“The Church is a living being,” he added, but it “also remains always the same”.
He is later due to say goodbye to his staff before being taken to a helipad for the 15-minute flight to Castel Gandolfo.
The residence, 15 miles (24 km) south-east of the Italian capital, is the traditional summer home of the popes.
Pope Benedict XVI has vowed “unconditional obedience and reverence” to his successor
At 20:00 local time, Benedict will cease to be pope, a moment which will be marked symbolically when the Swiss Guards at the gate of Castel Gandolfo march off for their return to the Vatican.
The German pontiff, who was born Joseph Ratzinger, will continue to be known as Benedict XVI, with the new title of “pope emeritus”.
In his retirement, he will wear a simple white cassock rather than his papal clothes and swap his famous red shoes – the color is symbolic of the blood of the early Christian martyrs – for brown.
His “Fisherman’s Ring”, the special signet ring which contains the Pope’s name and is impressed to validate certain official documents, is expected to be destroyed along with the lead seal of the pontificate.
Addressing the crowd in St Peter’s Square on Wednesday, Pope Benedict thanked believers for respecting his decision to retire and said he was standing down for the good of the Church.
“There were moments of joy and light but also moments that were not easy,” he told the crowd.
“There were moments, as there were throughout the history of the Church, when the seas were rough and the wind blew against us and it seemed that the Lord was sleeping.”
Speaking from Rome, Cardinal George Pell told a TV channel that while Benedict was a “brilliant teacher”, “government wasn’t his strong point”.
“I think I prefer somebody who can lead the Church and pull it together a bit,” he told the Seven Network.
The first resignation of a pope since the Middle Ages, he suggested, had set a worrying precedent for the Church: “People who, for example, might disagree with a future pope will mount a campaign to get him to resign.”
Cardinal George Pell, 71, is among the 115 cardinal-electors (those younger than 80 years old) eligible to vote for the new pope, and theoretically could be chosen himself, though he has played down the possibility.
From March 4, the cardinals will meet for talks at which they will set a date for the start of the secret election, or conclave.
A two-thirds-plus-one vote majority is required. Sixty-seven of the electors were appointed by Benedict XVI, and the remainder by his predecessor John Paul II.
About half the cardinal-electors (60) are European – 21 of them Italian – and many have worked for the administrative body of the Church, the Curia, in Rome.
Events on Thursday:
About 16:15: Benedict is driven to a helipad within the Vatican
About 17:00: Papal helicopter flies to Castel Gandolfo near Rome
About 18:00: Pope appears at a window overlooking the public square in Castel Gandolfo to bless a crowd
About 20:00: Benedict ceases to be pope; Swiss guards at the entrance to Castel Gandolfo leave their posts
British researchers have explained the way cancers make a chaotic mess of their genetic code in order to thrive.
Cancer cells can differ hugely within a tumor – it helps them develop ways to resist drugs and spread round the body.
A study in the journal Nature showed cells that used up their raw materials became “stressed” and made mistakes copying their genetic code.
Scientists said supplying the cancer with more fuel to grow may actually make it less dangerous.
Most normal cells in the human body contain 46 chromosomes, or bundles of genetic code. However, some cancerous cells can have more than 100 chromosomes.
And the pattern is inconsistent – pick a bunch of neighboring cells and they could each have different chromosome counts.
This diversity helps tumors adapt to become untreatable and colonize new parts of the body. Devising ways of preventing a cancer from becoming diverse is a growing field of research.
Scientists at the Cancer Research UK London Research Institute and the University College London Cancer Institute have been trying to crack how cancers become so diverse in the first place.
It had been thought that when a cancer cell split to create two new cells, the chromosomes were not split evenly between the two.
However, lead researcher Prof. Charles Swanton’s tests on bowel cancer showed “very little evidence” that was the case.
Instead the study showed the problem came from making copies of the cancer’s genetic code.
British researchers have explained the way cancers make a chaotic mess of their genetic code in order to thrive
Cancers are driven to make copies of themselves, however, if cancerous cells run out of the building blocks of their DNA they develop “DNA replication stress”.
The study showed the stress led to errors and tumor diversity.
Prof. Charles Swanton said: “It is like constructing a building without enough bricks or cement for the foundations.
“However, if you can provide the building blocks of DNA you can reduce the replication stress to limit the diversity in tumors, which could be therapeutic.”
He admitted that it “just seems wrong” that providing the fuel for a cancer to grow could be therapeutic.
However, he said this proved that replication stress was the problem and that new tools could be developed to tackle it.
Future studies will investigate whether the same stress causes diversity in other types of tumor.
The research team identified three genes often lost in diverse bowel cancer cells, which were critical for the cancer suffering from DNA replication stress. All were located on one region of chromosome 18.
Homeland star David Harewood tied the knot with long-term partner Kirsty Handy in a Barbados wedding on Tuesday.
The happy couple married in an intimate afternoon ceremony which took place at Stanford House, Polo Ridge in St James, with their two children by their side.
British-born actor David Harewood, 47, and his new wife looked happy and relaxed on the eve of their big day.
They spent their last day before becoming man and wife at the beach with their two girls, enjoying the sunshine and piling on the PDA.
The happy couple then took a trip on the ocean on a glass-bottomed boat, and even squeezed in a spot of snorkelling to get a closer look at the tropical sea life.
David Harewood showed off his impressive pecs as he stripped to a pair of black swimming trunks, while Kirsty Handy wore a coral bikini.
It may have been the day before their wedding but the pair already appeared to be in the honeymoon phase as they shared some cuddles and laughs together while on deck.
David Harewood tied the knot with long-term partner Kirsty Handy in a Barbados wedding on Tuesday
Liam Hemsworth allegedly cheated on Miley Cyrus with 35-year-old January Jones, according to Star magazine.
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have been engaged for eight months.
The 23-year-old Australian actor was pictured arriving to the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood without Miley Cyrus.
January Jones was also at the event, and apparently the actors were seen getting cosy when they thought others weren’t looking.
“It looked like they had some hot chemistry. They were all over each other – and they even kissed!” a source said.
Liam Hemsworth and January Jones were also pictured in the back of the same car after partying Saturday evening.
Miley Cyrus meanwhile turned up solo to Elson John’s AIDS Foundation gala on Sunday night.
The 20-year-old singer and actress recently gushed about her relationship with Liam in the new issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. Asked what she values most in her life, she said she is most proud of her connection with her fiancé.
January Jones has previously been linked to Ashton Kutcher, Josh Groban and Jason Sudekis, and has a 17-month-old son, Xander, from a previous relationship.
The identity of Xander’s father remains unknown to the public after January Jones chose to leave his name off of the birth certificate.
Liam Hemsworth allegedly cheated on Miley Cyrus with 35-year-old January Jones
Haruhiko Kuroda has been nominated by Japan’s government to be the next governor of the country’s central bank.
Haruhiko Kuroda is currently the head of the Asian Development Bank and is seen as a supporter of aggressive monetary easing to help revive Japan’s economy.
The government, which recently won a general election, wants the Bank of Japan to do more to boost growth.
Both the upper and lower houses of Japan’s parliament will now need to vote and approve the nomination.
Kikuo Iwata and Bank of Japan official Hiroshi Nakaso were also nominated to serve as the central bank’s deputy governors.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won the general election on a platform of promises to help revive Japan’s economy, which has seen years of stagnating growth.
A more aggressive monetary policy stance by the central bank has been something that Shinzo Abe has been advocating for, citing it as key to spurring a fresh wave of economic growth.
During his election campaign Shinzo Abe had even hinted that the government may look at altering the law that ensures the central bank’s independence if it does not take adequate steps.
Although Shinzo Abe toned down his rhetoric later on, it did indicate how crucial the appointment of a new governor would be, not just to the relations between the government and the central bank, but also the BOJ’s independence going forward.
Analysts said that if Haruhiko Kuroda’s nomination is approved by the parliament, it would be a win-win situation.
“This clearly indicates that the government and the central bank will be working towards the same target and there will be an agreement on what direction the Japanese economy should take from here,” said Junko Nishioka of RBS Securities.
Junko Nishioka added that with Haruhiko Kuroda being a supporter of aggressive policies, it was unlikely that the government take the extreme step of altering the BOJ law.
“It does necessarily mean that the BOJ is not going to give up its independence,” she added.
Haruhiko Kuroda has been nominated by Japan’s government to be the next governor of the country’s central bank
Among the policies suggested by Shinzo Abe has been a call for stoking inflation as a means to boosting domestic demand.
Japan, unlike many other Asian nations, has been fighting deflation or falling consumer prices for best part of the past decade.
It has been a big hurdle in its attempts to boost domestic consumption as consumers tend to put off purchases in the hope of getting a cheaper and better deal later on.
Shinzo Abe has hinted that the central bank should print “unlimited yen” to help fight deflation and encourage price growth.
The idea being that with more money floating around, consumers will have more cash to spend and that will help drive up demand and consumer prices.
Under pressure from the government, the central bank doubled its inflation target to 2% last month, a move seen as key by many analysts to help revive domestic demand.
Haruhiko Kuroda, who is seen as a advocate of inflation target, has suggested that the central bank should try and achieve a 2% inflation rate within two years.
“Under Kuroda-san the BOJ will take a proactive approach towards achieving the inflation target,” said Junko Nishioka.
The government’s aggressive stance has resulted in a sharp decline in the yen.
The Japanese currency has dipped nearly 15% against the US dollar since November last year.
The yen fell further on Thursday, down by nearly 1% against the US dollar, after the government announced Haruhiko Kuroda as its nominee to head the central bank.
European Union officials have struck a provisional deal on new financial rules, including capping bank bonuses.
Under the agreement, bank bonuses will be capped at a year’s salary, but can rise to two year’s pay if there is explicit approval from shareholders.
The deal was reached late on Wednesday. EU ministers must approve it, although this is considered a formality.
The UK, which hosts Europe’s biggest financial services centre, was opposed to any of caps on bank bonuses.
London argues the rules would drive away talent and restrict growth in the financial sector.
Top bankers and financial traders can earn bonuses multiple times their base salaries. But there has been public outrage over bonuses following the huge bail-outs of banks.
The agreement was reached during eight hours of intense talks in Brussels between members of the European parliament, the European Commission and representatives of the bloc’s 27 governments.
Othmar Karas, the European Parliament’s chief negotiator, said: “For the first time in the history of EU financial market regulation, we will cap bankers’ bonuses.
“The essence is that from 2014, European banks will have to set aside more money to be more stable and concentrate on their core business, namely financing the real economy, that of small and medium-sized enterprises and jobs.”
European Union officials have struck a provisional deal on new financial rules, including capping bank bonuses
The deal paves the way for Basel III, an overhaul of banking rules.
The G20 group of rich nations had originally planned to bring in Basel III last month, but that has been delayed to January 2014.
Basel III focuses on a ratio of high-quality capital – called tier 1 – which is needed to cushion it against any future shocks. It will rise to 9% after the rules come into effect.
Once the proposals are formally agreed it will start the biggest shake-up of the banking system since the global financial crisis.
The lack of solid financial cushions meant that many banks were vulnerable, and eventually required taxpayer-funded bailouts to avoid bankruptcy.
Ucheck, a smartphone app that uses a phone’s camera to analyze urine and check for a range of medical conditions, has been unveiled at the TED (Technology, Education and Design) conference in Los Angeles.
Uchek tests for 25 different health issues and could help diagnose and treat diseases in the developing world.
Increasingly mobile health is being talked up as a lifesaver in such areas.
Ucheck app is the brainchild of TED fellow Myshkin Ingawale.
“I wanted to get medical health checks into users’ hands,” he said.
Urine can be tested for the presence of 10 elements – including glucose, proteins and nitrites.
These can be used to pinpoint a range of conditions including diabetes, urinary tract infects, cancers, liver problems as well as being used to keep track of general health.
Users need to collect their urine and dip a standard test strip into it.
The strip is placed on a mat – supplied with the app and intended to normalize the colors on the stick regardless of lighting conditions where the photo is taken.
Once the photo is taken the app will analyze which, if any, condition, the color applies to.
Ucheck will be available from Apple’s app store from the end of March for $20, which includes the cost of the mat and five dipsticks.
Ucheck is a smartphone app that uses a phone’s camera to analyze urine and check for a range of medical conditions
As well as being used by individuals, Ucheck will be put through its paces in the King Edward Memorial hospital in Mumbai, India.
There, its accuracy will be tested against the laboratory machines more normally used to test urine.
“If it does well we can make it available to mobile clinics. Instead of buying a $10,000 machine they can use their existing smartphones,” he said.
Currently Uchek is only available for iPhones but versions for Android will be coming soon, Myshkin Ingawale announced.
While such smartphones may be beyond the budget of many in the developing world, he is hopeful that will not remain the case for ever.
“I’m calling you from a $100 Android phone which I bought from a street market in India. In future smartphones will be even cheaper and all phones will be smart,” he said.
According to the GSMA, the organization which represents the mobile industry, mobile health service could help save one million lives in Africa over the next five years.
“Mobile health has immense potential to improve people’s lives since it increases patient access to quality healthcare whilst reducing costs,” said Michael O’Hara, chief marketing officer at the GSMA.
“These positive impacts will only grow as the mobile and health industries collaborate on new connected innovations,” he added.
Health apps that allow users to test their heartbeat, monitor sleep patterns and keep a check on a variety of conditions are growing in popularity.
“There is huge potential to get the world of bio-chemistry out to users via apps,” said Myshkin Ingawale.
Last year at TED, Myshkin Ingawale showed off a blood test that could be taken without drawing blood.
The test was designed to prevent women dying from anaemia and was designed to be easy for healthcare workers – often untrained – to use in the field.
Myshkin Ingawale is a campaigner for more grassroots medicine, allowing users to play more of a role in their own healthcare.
“There needs to be a rethink in the way healthcare is delivered to people,” he said.
“It needs to be far more decentralized. It can become a consumerist movement in the same way that Wikipedia has been for information.”
Giuliana Rancic has revealed the secret to her happy and healthy marriage.
Giuliana Rancic, 37, claims that she and husband Bill put their relationship above their son Duke, who is almost five months old.
“We’re husband and wife, but we’re also best friends, and it’s funny because a lot of people, when they have kids, they put the baby first, and the marriage second,” she told Us Weekly.
“That works for some people. For us, I find, we put our marriage first and our child second, because the best thing we can do for him is have a strong marriage.”
Giuliana Rancic added: “So we’re even stronger than we ever were before and even imagined we could be.”
Giuliana Rancic claims that she and husband Bill put their relationship above their son Duke, who is almost five months old
She also revealed how she and Bill Rancic happily divide parenting duties, and how her doting husband ensured she was well-rested before covering the Oscars red carpet.
“Oscar morning, Duke wakes up, like, twice during the night because he’s so hungry and wants to eat every four hours,” Giuliana Rancic divulged.
“So Bill, like, no question was like <<I got it. Tonight you get a good night’s sleep>>.
“And when Bill has shoots the next day or meetings the next day, I do it.
“It’s kind of amazing. I always say to Bill, <<You were my first baby>>, because he was! He was my first love and my first baby and Duke is my second baby.”
Duke was born via gestational surrogate in August, and Giuliana and Bill Rancic hope to have another child.
Italian comedian-turned-politician Beppe Grillo, whose Five-Star Movement (M5S) defied expectations to come third in last weekend’s elections, has ruled out a coalition with Pier Luigi Bersani’s centre-left bloc.
Pier Luigi Bersani’s Democratic Party (PD) won a majority in the Chamber of Deputies but fell short in the Senate.
Beppe Grillo said he expected Pier Luigi Bersani to agree a deal with Silvio Berlusconi’s People of Freedom (PdL).
The inconclusive polls have pushed up borrowing costs for the government.
On Wednesday, the Italian treasury sold 4 billion euros of new 10-year government bonds on the financial markets at a yield of 4.83%, up from 4.17% at its last sale in January, and 2.5 billion euros of new five-year bonds at a yield of 3.59%, up from 2.94%.
The latest rates are seen as bearable, but that the rises signal that investors want to see a strong Italian government, committed to economic reforms.
It is certainly possible that borrowing costs will rise further if the political uncertainty drags on for a long period.
Beppe Grillo said he would not support any new government and he expected fresh elections to be held within a year.
“Today in Italy, what will happen is what happened before. The right and the left will get together and will govern a country of rubble that they are responsible for,” he said.
“It will last a year. One. Maximum. Then there will be elections again. And once again, in the elections, the Five-Star movement will change the world,” he added.
Beppe Grillo, whose M5S defied expectations to come third in last weekend’s elections, has ruled out a coalition with Pier Luigi Bersani’s centre-left bloc
Beppe Grillo, 64, said the M5S would decide whether to support specific legislation on a case-by-case basis.
Any attempts to persuade the movement to take part in a government were fake, he asserted.
Beppe Grillo also rejected the suggestion that he was inciting popular anger, saying he should be thanked for giving angry people hope.
“There was no hope. It was an anger without hope. It is anger without hope that creates violence,” he explained.
“But anger with hope is a different kind of anger, an optimistic anger, it is not negative. We are containing this rage, so they should thank me. It is a democratic rage that is needed to go forward.”
On his blog, Beppe Grillo also published a mocked-up film poster depicting Pier Luigi Bersani as a Dead Man Talking, based on the 1950 Italian comedy, 47 Morto Che Parla.
“Bersani is a political stalker,” Beppe Grillo wrote.
“It’s been days that he has been bothering the M5S with indecent proposals rather than resigning [the leadership of the PD], as anyone else would have done in his place.”
The Democratic Party and its centre-left allies won a narrow victory in the Chamber of Deputies, but the Senate appears split with no party in control.
Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right coalition is the second biggest bloc in the upper house. The seats under Beppe Grillo’s control in both houses could therefore prove crucial in making any coalition government viable.
On Tuesday, Pier Luigi Bersani outlined a series of policies for a PD-led government which appeared to mostly be in line with M5S’s manifesto.
He said any groups backing the government would have to vote for it in the confidence motion required when a new administration takes office, and urged Beppe Grillo to “assume his responsibilities”.
Meanwhile, a German opposition leader has made waves by describing Beppe Grillo and Silvio Berlusconi as “clowns”.
The Social Democratic Party’s candidate for chancellor, Peer Steinbrueck, told a rally in Potsdam that he was “shocked to a certain degree that two clowns have won” the Italian elections and made it clear he was referring to the two party leaders, calling the former prime minister “definitely a clown with a special testosterone boost”. Silvio Berlusconi has been embroiled in a series of sex scandals.
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano cancelled a dinner with Peer Steinbrueck after learning of his remarks, a spokesman for the SPD candidate said.
Giorgio Napolitano is still due to meet Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on Thursday.
Both Beppe Grillo and Silvio Berlusconi campaigned against the austerity measures imposed by Italy’s technocratic Prime Minister, Mario Monti, which were supported by Angela Merkel.
Renowned American classical pianist Van Cliburn has died aged 78.
Van Cliburn died at his home in Fort Worth, Texas on 27 February, after suffering from bone cancer said his publicist and long time friend Mary Lou Falcone.
In 2010, President Barack Obama awarded him the National Medal of Arts.
Van Cliburn was diagnosed with advanced cancer two years later in August 2012.
Born Harvey Lavan Cliburn, Jr. in 1934 in Shreveport, Louisiana, he began taking piano lessons at the age of three from his mother.
Van Cliburn entered the Juilliard School in New York at the age of seventeen.
After winning the Tchaikovsky Prize in Moscow aged 23, Cliburn received international recognition.
He returned to New York to a ticker-tape parade – the first time for a classical musician.
Van Cliburn performed for every US president since Harry Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, who was in office from 1945 – 1953.
Renowned American classical pianist Van Cliburn has died aged 78
President George W. Bush presented Van Cliburn with the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the nation’s highest civilian honour – in 2003.
In 2004, Van Cliburn received the Order of Friendship of the Russian Federation from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In 2010, President Barack Obama awarded him with the National Medal of Arts for his contribution as “one of the greatest pianists in the history of music”.
“Mr. Cliburn has reached across political frontiers with the universal message of beautiful music,” said Barack Obama at the ceremony.
He set up the Van Cliburn International Music Competition in 1962 which showcases the world’s top pianists every four years.
The 13th Cliburn competition, held in 2009, made history when a blind pianist from Japan, Nobuyuki Tsujii, and a teenager from China, Haochen Zhang, both won gold medals.
They were the first winners from any Asian country, and Tsujii was the first blind pianist to win.
Van Cliburn made what would be his last public appearance in September last year at the 50th anniversary of the prestigious piano competition named for him.
“Never forget: I love you all from the bottom of my heart, forever,” he said to a standing ovation.
Transparent computer SpaceTop 3D that allows users to reach inside and touch digital content has been unveiled at the TED (Technology, Education and Design) conference in Los Angeles.
TED fellow Jinha Lee has been working on the SpaceTop 3D desktop in collaboration with Microsoft.
Allowing people to interact with machines in the same way they do with solid objects could make computing much more intuitive, he said.
Jinha Lee can see the system coming into general use within a decade.
The system consists of a transparent LED display with built-in cameras, which track the user’s gestures and eye movements.
The design was inspired by what he sees as a human need to interact with things.
“Spatial memory, where the body intuitively remembers where things are, is a very human skill,” he said.
Translating this to the digital world will enable people to use computers more easily as well as complete more complex tasks.
“If you are working on a document you can pick it up and flip through it like a book,” he said.
For more precise tasks, where hand gestures are not accurate, there is a touchpad. It will allow, for example architects to manipulate 3D models.
“The gap between what the designer thinks and what the computer can do is huge. If you can put your hands inside the computer and handle digital content you can express ideas more completely,” he said.
Not everyone is convinced by the Minority Report-style future that will see us interact with machine via touch.
In an interview with The Awl website designer Christian Brown said: “Human hands and fingers are good at feeling texture and detail, and good at gripping things – neither of which touch interfaces take advantage of.
“The real future of interfaces will take advantage of our natural abilities to tell the difference between textures, to use our hands to do things without looking at them.”
Transparent computer SpaceTop 3D that allows users to reach inside and touch digital content has been unveiled at the TED in Los Angeles
Jinha Lee, a graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is currently serving his military obligation in South Korea at Samsung Electronics, where he is working on TV interfaces.
At TED, he also demonstrated other projects he is working on, including ZeroN, a floating ball, which can literally be placed in midair.
It utilizes electromagnetism to stay afloat and when coupled with software can be used for a variety of applications.
“It could be used in schools,” said Jinha Lee.
“If kids are learning about planetary movement they can pick up a model of a planet and place it in orbit. That is tangible and makes the learning experience so much more powerful.”
He is also working on an augmented reality shopping app, which combined with a virtual reality handset would allow users to try on items such as watches from online shops.
For Jinha Lee the ultimate goal is to unite the digital and physical worlds.
“I don’t want to look back on my life and find that I have just been typing on a keyboard,” he said.
“It is one of our key human skills to be able to interact with 3D spaces and I wanted to let people do the same with digital content.”
Computers are becoming more user-friendly as the gap between the real world and technology closes.
“With the first computers there was a huge gap but that gap is getting smaller with things such as touchscreens,” he said.
Yahoo has decided to ban its staff from “remote” working.
After years of many predicting working from home as the future for everybody, why is it not the norm?
When a memo from human resources dropped into the inbox of Yahoo staff banning them from working from home it prompted anger from many of its recipients.
“Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people, and impromptu team meetings,” the memo said.
“Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home.”
The move to get staff back into the office from June this year is thought to have been driven by new chief executive Marissa Mayer, who herself returned to work weeks after giving birth.
Virgin entrepreneur Richard Branson, who spends much of his time working on Necker Island in the Caribbean, was quick to respond, calling it a “backwards step in an age when remote working is easier and more effective than ever”.
People in the West are constantly bombarded by news about technology that makes it easier to communicate with the office. Many have fast broadband and webcams that allow their faces to appear through the ether at any important meetings. They are surrounded by smartphones, laptops and tablets.
Everything is surely there to free them from the daily commute. Those in manufacturing or retail might always have to be present, but in an age when so many work in offices, why can’t they have their office space at home?
In the US, 24% of employed people report working from home at least some hours each week, according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics.
But only 2.5% of the workforce (3.1 million people, not including the self employed or unpaid volunteers) consider home their primary place of work, says the Telework Research Network.
The myth of working from home
Yahoo is not a lone voice in espousing the virtues of physically being in the office.
Only last week Google’s chief financial officer Patrick Pichette said when the company is asked how many people telecommute, their answer is “as few as possible”.
“There is something magical about sharing meals,” Patrick Pichette explained.
“There is something magical about spending the time together, about noodling on ideas, about asking at the computer <<What do you think of this?>>”
Google workers are provided with a free Wi-Fi-enabled bus in to the HQ.
Marissa Mayer, of course, is a former Google executive.
There are obvious reasons why working from home has not proliferated in the way people thought it might. There is still ingrained cultural antipathy.
Not “being seen in the office” may affect a person’s chances of promotion, result in a smaller pay rise than office-based peers and lower performance evaluations, according to research by the London Business School and the University of California.
They stress the continuing importance of so-called “passive face time” that is being in the office, regardless of what someone is doing.
The additional pressure not to be perceived as “skiving” may drive those who do work from home to exceed their hours.
Prof. Jennifer Glass, co-author of a report on the US workforce published by the University of Texas at Austin, says for many people, especially those in their 30s and 40s, teleworking is part of their work after they have already done 40 hours in the office.
Jennifer Glass was “flabbergasted” by the Yahoo memo.
“This seems to be trying to bring Yahoo in line with corporate America, not high-tech industries,” she says.
“The idea that this is going to promote more innovation seems bizarre.”
Promoting the value of interactions in hallways and canteen seems strange at a time when face-to-face contact within the office is decreasing.
“I frequently email someone without getting up to see if they are there,” Jennifer Glass notes.
Managers can be biased in favor of those they can actually see working.
“There is this attitude that managers need to see people are close by and that those workers are more productive,” says Jennifer Glass.
“It is a natural tendency to want to control things.”
For Alan Denbigh, co-author of The Teleworking Handbook and former executive director of the Telework Association, there are proven benefits of home working.
“It gives you the opportunity to get on with a particular project and for those who are bringing up small families where it is imperative to have a degree of flexibility it works.”
Having done both he does not recommend working from home exclusively, recognizing the benefits of interacting with people in the office and the pitfalls of working long hours at home to keep up.
But he says it is “equally ridiculous” to feel you have to be at the office every day. He recommends a bit of both.
“A large corporation saying you can’t work at home, especially an IT based company, seems counter-productive. You have to treat people as grown-ups.”
Russian officials say horsemeat has been detected in sausages advertised as pork and imported from Austria.
The Russian agriculture watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said the sausages contained both horse and poultry DNA.
A spokesman said the company that supplied the meat had been struck off a list of approved suppliers.
Horsemeat was first found in meals and burgers in the UK and Ireland last month, and traces have since been found in meat products across Europe.
“Tests on a shipment of Frankfurter sausages found the DNA of horses, chicken, cattle and soya,” Rosselkhoznadzor said in a statement.
Earlier, Rosselkhoznadzor spokesman Alexei Alexeyenko told AFP news agency that the shipment of more than 20 tonnes of sausages had been imported from the Austrian city of Linz. He did not name the supplier.
Russian officials say horsemeat has been detected in sausages advertised as pork and imported from Austria
Horsemeat is considered a traditional delicacy in Russia and is available in many restaurants and stores.
Alexei Alexeyenko said the problem with the contaminated meat was that it was not clear what it was made of and that old or ill animals could have been used.
The meat will either be destroyed or returned to the supplier, he added.
Russian media originally reported the sausages being documented as 100% beef, but later reports said they were labelled as having 80% pork as well as other non-meat ingredients.
At least a dozen countries are involved in the horsemeat affair, which implicates some of the biggest meat processors and food producers.
On Monday, Swedish company Ikea withdrew meatballs from sale in 14 European countries after tests in the Czech Republic found traces of horsemeat in a batch made in Sweden.
EU agricultural officials are looking at ways of tightening up procedures and ensuring greater traceability in the wake of the scandal.
Rachel McAdams and Michael Sheen have decided to end their relationship after two years together.
Rachel McAdams and Michael Sheen, who went public with their romance in October 2010, are said to have called time on their romance, according to Usmagazine.com. Rachel McAdams, 34, and 44-year-old British actor Michael Sheen first met when they worked together on Woody Allen’s critically-acclaimed Midnight In Paris.
The reasons behind the reported break-up are as yet unknown.
Speaking previously about the relationship, Rachel McAdams had said that while the long-distance aspect of their romance was difficult, they did their best to manage it.
Rachel McAdams lives in Toronto, Canada, while Michael Sheen divides his time between his native Wales and Los Angeles.
She said: “Michael and I never spend more than three weeks apart – we rack up a lot of air miles – but you have to be quite adaptable in this business whether you are in a relationship or not.
“Trying to establish roots somewhere is a bit of a joke.”
Rachel McAdams and Michael Sheen have decided to end their relationship after two years together
Rachel McAdams added that the key to the couple’s successful relationship is communication, adding: “You need to trust each other and be able to talk to each other and be best friends.”
Meanwhile, Michael Sheen has previously said that Rachel McAdams is a “genuinely lovely lady, as well as being stunningly beautiful and very talented”.
However, their relationship was not all been plain sailing, as Michael Sheen revealed he quit Twitter last October because of cruel comments about why such a beautiful woman would date him.
He said at the time: “I don’t need to read those things. It was just abuse, people writing stupid things, as people do.
“On the one hand Twitter gives you the opportunity to engage with people, which is great, but on the other there are people who feel they can say whatever they want, put poison out there, really, without fear of any repercussions.”
While Michael Sheen has a 14-year-old daughter Lily from his 8-year relationship with Kate Beckinsale, Rachel McAdams’ most famous former romance was with Ryan Gosling, to whom she was briefly engaged before their split in 2007.
Oscar Pistorius’ family said on Tuesday that the athlete held a private memorial service for Reeva Steenkamp at his uncle Arnold’s home in Pretoria, where he has been staying since he was freed on bail.
His family has asked for privacy but confirmation of the memorial service came after a leak in the media, Sky News reported today.
A statement by Oscar Pistorius’ representatives said: “This statement is released in response to a leak to the media regarding a planned private memorial service for Reeva Steenkamp.
“Oscar Pistorius, will hold a private memorial service for Reeva Steenkamp at the house of his uncle, Arnold Pistorius, tonight.
“Oscar specifically requested the memorial service as he continues to grieve and remains in deep mourning for the loss of his partner Reeva.
“Since it is such a sensitive issue, Oscar has asked for a private service with people who share his loss, including his family members who knew and loved Reeva as one of their own.
“The Pistorius family would like to make a personal request to the media, to please respect their privacy at their home in Pretoria tonight.”
Oscar Pistorius’ family said on Tuesday that the athlete held a private memorial service for Reeva Steenkamp at his uncle Arnold’s home in Pretoria
Also on Tuesday, it was revealed that Desmond Nair, chief magistrate of the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court who presided over the bail hearing, is in mourning after it is believed one of his relatives killed herself and her children.
The bodies of a woman and her two sons were found on Sunday evening at their Johannesburg home by her ex-husband, police warrant officer Balan Muthan said.
Authorities suspect the woman administered a substance that killed her children, and took her own life by ingesting it as well.
“I can confirm the deceased is my first cousin,” Desmond Nair said.
More than 50 unpublished poems by Rudyard Kipling have been discovered by a US scholar. Thomas Pinney found the manuscripts in a number of places including a Manhattan House that was being renovated and among the papers of a former head of the Cunard Line.
He described it as a “tremendously exciting time for scholars and fans”.
The poems will be published alongside 1,300 others in the first ever complete edition of Rudyard Kipling’s verse on March 7.
Rudyard Kipling, who lived from 1865 to 1936, was best known for his fictional short stories including The Jungle Book and poems Mandalay and If.
The newly discovered poems include several from World War I, including one titled Never Again In Any Port, as well as notes from a journal the writer kept on a tour of the war graves of Belgium and France in 1924.
Thomas Pinney, a professor of English at the University of California, said: “Kipling has long been neglected by scholars probably for political reasons. His texts have never properly been studied but things are starting to change.
“There is a treasure trove of uncollected, unpublished and unidentified work out there. I discovered another unrecorded item only recently and that sort of thing will keep happening.”
One poem from 1899 comprises a diatribe against media intrusion titled The Press, which was one of Rudyard Kipling’s pet hates, echoing present day worries.
He wrote: “Had you friend a secret / Sorrow, shame or vice – / Have you promised not to tell / What’s your lowest price? / All the housemaid fancied / All the butler guessed / Tell it to the public press / And we will do the rest.”
More than 50 unpublished poems by Rudyard Kipling have been discovered by a US scholar
There was also Rudyard Kipling’s comic verse, including an example written on a ship sailing from Adelaide to Ceylon, Sri Lanka, which is thought to have been read aloud by Kipling to those around him.
“It was a ship of the P&O / Put forth to sail the sea,” he wrote, going on to show his frustration with the pace of the liner.
“The children played on the rotten deck / A monthly growing band / Of sea-bred sin born innocents / That never knew the land.”
Linda Bree, arts and literature editorial director at Cambridge University Press, said: “Kipling’s If is one of the most popular poems in the English language, but this edition shows that he wrote much else to entertain, engage and challenge readers.”
Rudyard Kipling was born in Mumbai, India, and moved to England with his family when he was five years old.
For much of the 20th Century, his reputation was damaged by his jingoistic imperialist views, with George Orwell describing him as “a prophet of British imperialism”.
Poetry excerpts courtesy of The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty.
Writer Stephane Hessel, the former French Resistance fighter whose 2010 manifesto Time for Outrage inspired social protesters, has died at the age of 95.
Stephane Hessel died overnight, his wife Christiane Hessel-Chabry told France’s AFP news agency in Paris.
A German by birth, Stephane Hessel was imprisoned in Nazi camps during World War II for his activities in France.
In Time for Outrage, Stephane Hessel called for a new form of “resistance” to the injustices of the modern world.
He expressed outrage at the growing gap between haves and have-nots, France’s treatment of illegal immigrants and damage to the environment.
The Indignados protest movement in Spain was inspired by Stephane Hessel’s manifesto, according to Spanish media.
His name was the top trending term on Twitter in Spain and France on Wednesday morning, as admirers paid tribute with quotes such as: “To create is to resist, to resist is to create.”
French President Francois Hollande said he had learnt “with great sadness” about Stephane Hessel’s death.
“His capacity for indignation knew no bounds other than those of his own life,” he said in a statement.
“As that comes to an end, he leaves us a lesson: to refuse to accept any injustice.”
Born of Jewish origin on October 20, 1917, in Berlin, Stephane Hessel arrived in France at the age of eight.
His parents Franz and Helen Hessel (born Grund) inspired two of the characters in Francois Truffaut’s classic romantic film Jules And Jim.
Writer Stephane Hessel, the former French Resistance fighter whose 2010 manifesto Time for Outrage inspired social protesters, has died at the age of 95
A naturalized French citizen from 1939, Stephane Hessel became a prominent Resistance figure, says French news agency AFP. He was arrested by the Gestapo and later sent to the Buchenwald and Dora concentration camps.
However some, like the French Jewish activist Gilles-William Goldnadel, have accused him of exaggerating his role in the work.
According to Giles-William Goldnadel, France’s leftist press idealized the former Resistance fighter, a strong critic of Israeli policy, as a “secular saint”.
Stephane Hessel’s diplomatic postings also included Vietnam in the 1950s and Algeria in the 1960s.
In France, Stephane Hessel took up the cause of illegal immigrants and championed the rights of the oppressed.
Time for Outrage, which has sold more than 4.5 million copies in 35 countries, argues that the French need to again become outraged like those who participated in the wartime Resistance.
Whether Stephane Hessel inspired the global Occupy movement, as some have argued, is more open to debate.
Thousands of pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican for Pope Benedict XVI’s final general audience.
The Pope has admitted he faced “choppy waters” during his eight years at the helm of the Roman Catholic Church, but says he was guided by God and felt his presence every day.
Pope Benedict XVI, 85, will retire on Thursday – the first pope to abdicate since Gregory XII in 1415.
His successor will be chosen in a conclave to take place in March.
Pope Benedict told the crowd his papacy had been “a heavy burden” but he accepted it because he was sure that God would guide him.
At times he “felt like St Peter with his apostles on the Lake of Galilee”, he said, making reference to the Biblical story when the disciples were battling against heavy waves and Jesus Christ appeared to them.
The Church has been beset by scandals over sexual abuse by priests and leaked confidential documents revealing corruption and infighting in the Vatican.
Pope Benedict thanked his flock for respecting his decision to retire and said he was standing down for the good of the Church.
“I took this step [resignation] in full awareness of its gravity and novelty but with profound serenity of spirit,” he said in his address.
As a result of his surprise announcement, the Church has now amended its laws to bring forward the election of a successor.
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, Holy Week, leading up to Easter, which begins on March 24.
Thousands of pilgrims gathered in St Peter’s Square in the Vatican for Pope Benedict XVI’s final general audience
On Thursday the Pope will travel by helicopter to his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, about 15 miles south-east of Rome. He will cease to be Pope at 20:00 local time.
After Benedict XVI steps down, he will become known as “pope emeritus”.
He will retain the honorific “His Holiness” after his abdication and will continue to be known by his papal title of Benedict XVI, rather than reverting to Joseph Ratzinger.
He will wear his distinctive white cassock without any cape or trimmings, but will surrender his gold ring of office and his personal seal will be destroyed.
He will also give up wearing his red shoes.
“On the one hand I felt that since the decision that he would leave office and resign became public, Pope Benedict is relieved,” said the head of the German bishops’ conference, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch.
“But he also now feels the sympathy of the people for him, and therefore he will have a sense of melancholy and nostalgia, a bit of sadness.”
The title “emeritus” is used when a person of status, such as a professor or bishop, hands over their position, so their former rank can be retained in their title.
The Pope is to spend his final hours at his Vatican residence saying farewell to the cardinals who have been his closest aides during his eight-year pontificate.
His personal archive of documents will be packed up and, at 20:00 on Thursday, the Swiss Guard on duty at his Castel Gandolfo residence will be dismissed, to be replaced by Vatican police.
This will mark the formal end of his papacy and the beginning of the period of transition to his successor, due to be chosen next month.
From March 4, the College of Cardinals will meet in general congregations to discuss the problems facing the Church and set a date for the start of the secret election, or conclave, to elect Pope Benedict’s successor.
That successor will be chosen by 115 cardinal-electors (those younger than 80 years old) through ballots held in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.
A two-thirds-plus-one vote majority is required. Sixty-seven of the electors were appointed by Benedict XVI, and the remainder by his predecessor John Paul II.
About half the cardinal-electors (60) are European – 21 of them Italian – and many have worked for the administrative body of the Church, the Curia, in Rome.
Three people have been killed and seven injured in Switzerland during a shooting at a factory near the city of Lucerne, local media quote officials as saying.
The killer is among the dead, police and prosecutors are reported as saying.
Shooting broke out in the canteen at the Kronospan wood processing plant in the town of Menznau at around 09:00.
Police and rescue services are at the scene and the entire area is currently sealed off.
“The workers were eating a snack in the cafeteria during the morning, and there was a massacre,” said a man quoted by the Swiss news website 20minutes, who had phoned the factory to check on the welfare of his father.
An emergency telephone line had been set up for families of the factory’s employees.
“There were three dead and seven injured, some of them seriously injured,” prosecutors’ spokesman Simon Kopp told Swiss newspaper Blick.
Three people have been killed and seven injured in Switzerland during a shooting at a factory near the city of Lucerne
Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in the world, but such gun attacks are relatively rare.
All healthy Swiss men aged between 18 and 34 are obliged to do military service and all are issued with assault rifles or pistols which they are supposed to keep at home.
Until recently, many kept their weapons even after completing their military service – though rules on this have recently been tightened.
According to the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, Switzerland ranks third in terms of gun ownership, behind the United States and Yemen.
Street gun violence is very rare in Switzerland.
However, there are more domestic homicides and suicides with a firearm in Switzerland than virtually anywhere else in Europe except Finland.
