Rafael Correa has been re-elected for a third term as Ecuador’s president with more than 50% of the vote.
His main challenger, Guillermo Lasso, has admitted defeat.
Addressing his supporters in the capital, Quito, Rafael Correa, 49, called for “another four years of revolution”.
First elected in 2007, the socialist leader is widely credited with bringing political stability to a nation that suffered decades of protests and coups.
But critics accuse Rafael Correa of being a dictator in the making.
Rafael Correa, a US-trained economist, has been accused of implementing policies that have served to strengthen his hold on power and erode the influence of political opponents and private media.
But his so-called “citizens’ revolution” has made him popular with many ordinary Ecuadoreans and has won him friends among other Latin American left-wing leaders.
Partial results give Rafael Correa 56.7%, ahead of 23.3% for his nearest rival, former banker Guillermo Lasso. The third-placed challenger was poised to take 6.6%, with four others trailing below 5%.
To avoid a run-off, the president needs to win 50% of the total vote or 40% plus a 10-point margin over the second-placed candidate.
Rafael Correa has been re-elected for a third term as Ecuador’s president with more than 50 percent of the vote
Speaking on TV after 40% of the votes had been counted, the head of the National Electoral Council said the final result would not be significantly larger or smaller.
President Rafael Correa was quick to claim victory.
“Nobody can stop this revolution,” he told a crowd of supporters gathered outside the balcony of the Carondelet Palace in Quito.
“The colonial powers are not in charge anymore, you can be sure that in this revolution it’s Ecuadoreans who are in charge.”
“We are here to serve you,” he added.
“Nothing for us, everything for you: the people who deserve the right to be free.
“This is not just a victory for Ecuador, this is a victory for the great homeland of Latin America.”
During his six years in power, Rafael Correa has expanded access to healthcare and education and improved thousands of miles of highways, creating many jobs in the process. Poverty rates have dropped significantly.
Critics say that, since coming to office, he has filled the courts and government positions with allies and stifled free speech by taking on the media.
They also complain he has restricted free enterprise with heavy taxation and regulatory changes and taken government spending to an unsustainable level.
Rafael Correa is close to Venezuela and Cuba and has sought to establish ties with Iran and China. Last year, he upset the US, Britain and Sweden by granting asylum to wanted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorean embassy in London.
“I don’t recognize the current Correa. He is a different person. He is not the friend I used to have, that I used to love like a brother,” said Alberto Acosta, one of the co-founders of the Alianza Pais governing party and now an opposition candidate.
“He controls everything. He is a sort of Sun King of the 21st Century,” he said referring to France’s King Louis XIV.
Since 2007, Rafael Correa has re-written the country’s constitution: a move that allowed him to run for, and win, a new term in 2009. He is legally barred from running again after this election, the Associated Press reports.
Fragments from the meteorite that struck Russia’s Urals region on Friday, injuring some 1,200 people, have been found around a frozen lake, Russian scientists say.
The fragments were detected around a frozen lake near Chebarkul, a town in the Chelyabinsk region, where the meteorite is believed to have landed.
Viktor Grohovsky, of the Urals Federal University, told Russian media that the material contained about 10% iron.
Russian officials say the strike caused damage costing 1 billion roubles ($33 million).
Fireballs were seen streaking through the skies above Chelyabinsk, about 1,500 km east of Moscow, followed by loud bangs on Friday morning.
An estimated 200,000 sq m of windows were broken; shattered glass causing most of the injuries reported in Chelyabinsk.
While some 9,000 people have been helping in the clear-up and rescue operation, scientists have been concentrating their search for fragments of the rock around Chebarkul Lake, where a 6 m (20 ft) wide crater had been found following the strike.
“We have just completed the study, we confirm that the particulate matters, found by our expedition in the area of Lake Chebarkul indeed have meteorite nature,” Viktor Grohovsky was quoted by Russia’s Ria Novosti news agency as saying.
“This meteorite is an ordinary chondrite. It is a stony meteorite which contains some 10% of iron. It is most likely to be named Chebarkul meteorite,” he added.
The fragments were detected around a frozen lake near Chebarkul, a town in the Chelyabinsk region, where the meteorite is believed to have landed
A search of the lake bottom by a group of six divers on Saturday had found nothing; and it was thought the search would be delayed until the snow melts in the spring.
Russian scientists say the meteor weighed about 10 tonnes before it entered the Earth’s atmosphere, travelling at some 30 km (19 miles) per second, before breaking apart 30-50 km (20-30 miles) above ground.
However, the US space agency NASA said the meteor was 17 m (55 ft) wide and weighed 10,000 tonnes before entering the atmosphere, releasing about 500 kilotons of energy. The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 was 12-15 kilotons.
Scientists have played down suggestions that there is any link between the event in the Urals and 2012 DA14, an asteroid which raced past the Earth later on Friday at a distance of just 27,700km (17,200 miles) – the closest ever for an object of that size.
Such meteor strikes are rare in Russia but one is thought to have devastated an area of more than 2,000 sq km (770 sq m) in Siberia in 1908.
Rita Moreno dedicated much of her new memoir Rita Moreno to her lengthy affair with Marlon Brando, which continued for nearly a decade even though he had two different wives during that period.
Actress Rita Moreno, known best for her role as Anita in West Side Story, met Marlon Brando on the set of his 1954 movie Desiree, when he was 30-year-old and far more experienced than she since she was just 22-year-old at the time.
“Just meeting him that first day sent my body temperature skyrocketing as though I had been dropped into a very hot bath, and I went into a full-body blush. It was the sort of rush that inspires poetry and songs,” Rita Moreno writes in her new memoir.
The New York Post, which has an early copy of the book, reports that Rita Moreno tells how their physical connection created a real emotional entanglement.
“To say that he was a great lover – sensual, generous, delightfully inventive – would be gravely understating what he did not only to my body, but for my soul. Every aspect of being with Marlon was thrilling, because he was more engaged in the world than anyone else I’d ever known,” Rita Moreno wrote.
Their intimacy did not lead to mutual respect, however, as Rita Moreno writes that Marlon Brando cheated on her frequently in order to try to meet his “insatiable” sexual appetite.
In order to stand her ground, Rita Moreno would date other famous men in order to make him jealous, including future Oscar-winner Dennis Hopper. She tells a story about how a man that she didn’t know made aggressive eyes at her while his “regal” wife sat beside him, only to later learn it was then-Senator John F. Kennedy.
Rita Moreno dedicated much of her new memoir Rita Moreno to her lengthy affair with Marlon Brando
The paramour that drove Marlon Brando the most insane, however, was when she went on a number of dates with Elvis Presley.
Little did he know that Elvis Presley and his famous pelvic thrusts did not match up to the sexual chemistry that Rita Moreno had with Marlon Brando.
“My dates…nearly always concluded in a tender tussle on my living-room floor, with Elvis’ pelvis in that famous gyration straining against his taut trousers. I could feel him thrust against my clothed body, and expecting the next move…but it never came,” Rita Moreno said of Elvis Presley.
No matter the emotional toll, Rita Moreno kept coming back to Marlon Brando.
Two of the lowest points in their torrid affair came when Marlon Brando pressured- and paid for- her to have an abortion when she became pregnant with their child.
Shortly after that, he flew away to film Mutiny on the Bounty and she was left heart broken when he fell in love with his new co-star.
After he returned and he picked her back up, Rita Moreno was left alone in his house at one point and she took the chance to attempt an overdose on pills.
“I went to bed to die. This wasn’t a revenge suicide, but a consolation, an escape-from-pain death,” Rita Moreno said, crediting her survival to his assistant who found her and took her to the hospital to have her stomach pumped.
A therapist told the lovers to keep away from each other for their own health and finally, they relented.
Rita Moreno went on to have a successful and made records for being the first Hispanic actress to have won an Oscar, Tony, Grammy and Emmy. She is still working today at the age of 81-years-old, most recently appearing in the television series Happily Divorced.
Her romantic was also far more successful after she finished her affair with Brando, as she was set up with- and ended up marrying- a doctor named Lenny Gordon.
“We balance each other,” Rita Moreno told People Magazine in 1975, ten years after marrying Lenny Gordon.
“I am not exactly Mrs. Good Housekeeping, although I love to cook, bake, even iron, but only because it’s not mandatory.”
Looking back on the suicide attempt, the prospect of ending her life as there was so much left to come- including her daughter Fernanda- leaves her filled with regret.
“The thought that I may never have lived to see that beautiful creature Nandy just tears at me sometimes. But not for long. I can’t dwell on past mistakes,” Rita Moreno told the magazine.
At least six foreign workers have been seized and a security guard shot dead by gunmen who attacked a construction company site in Bauchi, northern Nigeria, officials say.
One of the workers seized was Italian, one was Greek and two others Lebanese.
No-one has admitted the abductions but the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, has staged a series of attacks in northern Nigeria.
A security guard was killed as the attackers targeted the workers’ camp at Jama’are in Bauchi state.
Correspondents say it is the biggest kidnapping in northern Nigeria in recent times.
The kidnapping of foreigners and wealthy Nigerians is common in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, in the south of the country, and has become a lucrative trade for criminals.
Oil workers and other foreign nationals are often targeted because companies pay high ransom money to secure their employees’ release, correspondents say.
Lebanese foreign minister Adnan Mansour said two of those held were from Lebanon.
An Italian and a Greek national were also abducted from the site run by Lebanese-owned firm Setraco, the foreign ministries in Rome and Athens confirmed.
Another of those seized was a Filipino, said a union leader at Setraco.
At least six foreign workers have been seized and a security guard shot dead by gunmen who attacked a construction company site in Bauchi, northern Nigeria
The Italian ambassador in Abuja said: “Italy’s absolute priority is the safety of its compatriot,” Ansa news agency reported.
The raid was preceded by an attack on the local police station, when two vehicles were blown up, in the town of Jama’are, some 125 miles north of the state capital, Bauchi.
The attackers then moved on to a camp belonging to Setraco, killing a guard and seizing the workers. Setraco is currently expanding a major road in the area.
The state capital has itself been attacked several times by Boko Haram, which wants to impose Sharia (Islamic law) across Nigeria.
Earlier this month, nine polio vaccinators were shot dead at two health centres in northern Nigeria.
Some Nigerian Muslim leaders have previously opposed polio vaccinations, claiming they could cause infertility.
Boko Haram has emerged as one of the most prolific militant groups in West Africa, carrying out a large number of low-level attacks but also some more sophisticated attacks.
Rihanna ended her night at The Box nightclub in London with a cut knee after being assaulted by an aggressive man outside the exclusive nightspot.
According to eye-witnesses, the injury came after a crazed fan threw a bottle of Lucozade at Rihanna as he screamed something about her on-off boyfriend Chris Brown.
In the commotion, the singer fell against a shop shutter and grazed her knee.
The injury was deemed serious enough for her to require immediate medical attention, according to Media Take Out.
Rihanna, 24, is in UK for London Fashion Week where she presented her debut clothing collection for high street behemoth River Island.
The singer was enjoying a night of clubbing with Cara Delevingne on Saturday following her London Fashion Week debut.
Tens of thousands of pilgrims have attended Pope Benedict XVI’s Angelus prayer at St Peter’s Square in Rome, one of the pontiff’s final public appearances.
Pope Benedict XVI is stepping down on February 28.
The Pope recited the Angelus prayer and thanked all those who had prayed for him and shown him support over the past few days since his resignation.
The Vatican has said it may hold the conclave that chooses the new pope early, so he can be in place before the start of Holy Week on March 24.
Pope Benedict appeared at his study window overlooking St Peter’s Square at 12.00 p.m, his first such appearance since announcing his resignation last Monday.
The crowd erupted into loud applause and there were chants of “Long live the Pope”.
One banner in the square read: “We love you”.
The Pope used his Angelus appearance to urge the faithful to “renew” and “refocus” on God.
He said: “The Church calls on all its members to renew themselves… which constitutes a fight, a spiritual battle, because the evil spirit wants us to deviate from the road towards God.”
Pope Benedict spoke in a number of languages; speaking in Spanish, he said: “I beg you to continue praying for me and for the next pope.”
After the prayer recital on Sunday the Pope plans to spend the rest of the week on a Lenten prayer retreat closeted inside the Apostolic Palace with senior cardinals and bishops.
The retreat will be a time of reflection about what Pope Benedict’s eight-year long papacy has achieved and what are the priorities now facing a Church whose credibility has been seriously harmed by clerical sex abuse scandals.
Tens of thousands of pilgrims have attended Pope Benedict XVI’s Angelus prayer at St Peter’s Square in Rome, one of the pontiff’s final public appearances
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said earlier: “The Pope is living through these days calmly even though they’re very emotional and packed.”
The Vatican said on Saturday it was considering calls from cardinals to hold the papal conclave earlier than planned, to have a pontiff in place before Holy Week, the most important event in the Christian calendar.
Under current rules, the vote cannot be held before March 15, to give cardinals enough time to travel to Rome. The Vatican is examining the possibility of changing the rule.
After his spiritual retreat, the Pope will have very few public engagements.
He is scheduled to receive Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on February 23.
The Pope will then celebrate Angelus again on 24 February and hold a final audience in St Peter’s Square on February 27.
Pope Benedict will be flown to his summer residence of Castel Gandolfo on February 28 and remain there as accommodation in the Vatican is prepared.
At 20:00 local time on February 28 he will no longer by pope.
One Vatican official told Reuters news agency it was “absolutely necessary” that Benedict lived in the enclave, “otherwise he might be defenceless”.
“He wouldn’t have his immunity, his prerogatives, his security, if he is anywhere else,” the official said.
There are concerns he could be cited in relation to legal cases connected with alleged sexual abuses by Catholic Church officials.
The 85-year-old pontiff announced his shock resignation last Monday, citing his advanced age as the reason for stepping down.
The last pontiff to resign was Pope Gregory XII, who quit in 1415 amid a schism within the Church.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it faces unprecedented challenges in the complex age of modern warfare as it celebrates its 150th anniversary.
These include “new weapons [and] new types of actors coming into conflict”, ICRC chief Peter Maurer said.
The world’s oldest aid organization recently warned it was unable to cope with the “catastrophic” humanitarian crisis in Syria.
The movement currently employs 13,000 people working in 92 countries.
The movement was founded by a Geneva businessman, Henri Dunant, in 1863 in response to the suffering of injured soldiers abandoned on the battlefield of Solferino in northern Italy.
Horrified by what he saw, he documented the slaughter in his book, A Memory of Solferino, and decided to create an organization dedicated to helping war wounded.
Today, the ICRC, together with the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, has become a worldwide movement with tens of thousands of workers and volunteers.
In addition to delivering aid, the organization also aims to ensure that the rules of war are respected in conflict zones, and has a responsibility for looking after the rights of prisoners of war.
But the organization now faces challenges not foreseen in the original Geneva conventions.
At Solferino, there was just one civilian casualty, whereas nowadays it is estimated civilians make up more than 90% of war victims.
The International Committee of the Red Cross says it faces unprecedented challenges in the complex age of modern warfare as it celebrates its 150th anniversary
Warfare in the 21st Century is complex and chaotic, in part because of new weapons such as drones, conflicts – like that in Syria – with multiple armed groups, and shifting frontlines, said Peter Maurer.
“We see conflicts when one convoy has to overcome 35 roadblocks before the convoy gets to areas where food and medicine can be distributed,” he added.
Last November, the ICRC issued a warning over Syria’s escalating humanitarian crisis.
The constantly moving nature of the conflict meant it could not plan, but instead had to seize opportunities for aid delivery on a day-to-day basis, the organization said.
As a result, relief workers were unable to access certain parts of the country.
Despite its strong reputation, the record of the ICRC is not perfect.
Its policy of confidentiality led it to keep silent about Nazi concentration camps in WW2.
Confronted by widespread criticism, the organization was later forced to issue an apology. It said it had feared that speaking out would jeopardize its access to allied prisoners.
Red Cross: Key dates
17 February 1863: Launch of the International Committee for Relief to Wounded Soldiers, later to become the International Committee of the Red Cross.
26-29 October 1863: Creation of National Societies and adoption of the red cross as a protective emblem
22 August 1864: The original Geneva Convention is adopted to protect the sick and wounded in armies in the field. Paves the way for the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
27 July 1929: Red crescent is officially recognized as a protective emblem.
Rapper 2 Chainz has been arrested in Maryland, where he was performing at a college homecoming event, over drug possession.
Maryland State Police spokesman Sgt. Marc Black said troopers stopped a van Thursday night about 9:15 p.m. for speeding near Easton, Maryland., and smelled a strong odor of burnt marijuana in the van.
A backpack in the van had a marijuana grinder and trace amounts of marijuana, police said.
2 Chianz, whose real name is Tauheed Epps, claimed possession of the backpack and was arrested, police said.
The rapper was cited for having drug paraphernalia and marijuana and was released. The citation carries up to a year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.
Last year, 2 Chainz released his solo debut, Based on a T.R.U. Story, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Charts and has achieved gold status.
Rapper 2 Chainz has been arrested in Maryland, where he was performing at a college homecoming event, over drug possession
2 Chainz also has several Top 10 hits on the R&B/Hip-Hop charts as both a lead and featured artist.
After the arrest, 2 Chainz’ website tweeted a photograph that appears to show him posing with two police officers.
Sgt. Marc Black said the Maryland State Police could not confirm the authenticity of the photograph but is investigating.
“Locked me up and then Wanted pictures smh,” read one tweet, using the abbreviation for shaking my head.
2 Chianz was scheduled to perform Thursday evening at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. His website later tweeted a photo from the stage and wrote the “show must go on”.
German carmaker BMW has decided to recall almost 570,000 cars in the U.S. and Canada because a battery cable connector can fail and cause the engines to stall.
The recall affects popular 3-Series sedans, wagons, convertibles and coupes from the 2007 through 2011 model years.
Also included are 1-Series coupes and convertibles from 2008 through 2012, and the Z4 sports car from 2009 through 2011.
The cable connectors and a fuse box terminal in the cars can degrade over time, and that can break the electrical connection between the trunk-mounted battery and the fuse box at the front.
If that happens, the cars could lose electrical power, causing the engines to stall unexpectedly, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in documents posted on its website Saturday.
BMW says in documents sent to NHTSA that the problem stems from movement between the battery cable and the fuse box.
The company says it knows of one minor collision in Canada due to the problem, but no injuries.
BMW says dealers will replace the battery cable connector and secure it for free. It will start notifying owners in March.
BMW is recalling almost 570,000 cars in the US and Canada because a battery cable connector can fail and cause the engines to stall
The 3-Series is BMW’s most popular car in the U.S., dominating the small luxury car market. The company sold nearly 100,000 of them in the U.S. last year.
This is hardly the first time in recent years BMW owners have face stalling issues, Forbesreports.
Examining the NHTSA website, Forbes reported nearly 38 complaints about engines simply ceasing to work, all naming BMW 335 and 535 models between the years 2007 and 2012.
Those complaints mostly complained about the ‘high-pressure fuel pump’ used in the model’s engines.
In October 2012, BMW announced an “emissions recall” of 130,000 vehicles equipped with the pumps.
In that case, BMW claimed it was not aware of any incidents in which the engine failure had caused death or injury.
BMW announced an even bigger recall in March 2012, when they recalled nearly 1.3 million of its 5 series and 6 series cars built between 2003 and 2012.
The issue then was a battery cable cover incorrectly mounted in the truck and prone to cause ignition failure when the key was turned, and could even cause the system to catch fire.
This most recent recall affects more than 504,000 cars in the U.S. and another 65,000 in Canada.
BMW, Toyota and other automakers have experienced large recalls in recent years because they use common parts on multiple models in order to save money.
Owners can call BMW with questions at (800) 525-7417.
Regularly eating fast food can damage your liver in ways that are surprisingly similar to hepatitis, a new study shows.
The results were revealed on the television program, The Doctors, where it was found that even just a month of eating fast food can cause significant changes to your liver.
French fries in particular were dangerous because of the extra ingredients added.
“We know that they are adding salt, and cooking it in fat, but they’re also putting sugar on them too. Why sugar? Because it helps get them golden crispy,” said Dr. Drew Ordon, who appears on the show and is the author of the book Better in 7.
Foods like fried chicken and onion rings were especially bad for the liver.
“The amount of fat and saturated fats creates a condition called fatty liver,” Dr. Drew Ordon said.
He said the changes in liver enzymes are in line with the effects of hepatitis. That disease can ultimately cause liver failure.
The U.S. has 160,000 fast food restaurants serving an estimated 50 million customers every day.
Regularly eating fast food can damage your liver in ways that are surprisingly similar to hepatitis
“We’re all guilty, and every now and then you have to splurge, but the problem is that so many people are getting into eating fast food, especially kids, as their staple, and I think that’s the point,” Drew Ordon said.
Just ordering a salad won’t help as Drew Ordon warned that any item marked healthy or fresh at a fast food restaurant likely has added chemicals, as there aren’t clear regulations for those foods.
“Some places actually put propylene glycol on the salads, which is anti-freeze, the reason behind that is that it prevents wilting,” said Dr. Ordon.
“And although they say a little anti-freeze isn’t going to hurt you, obviously given a choice you don’t want to be eating anti-freeze.”
Taiwanese tech company Polytron Technologies may have the next leap forward in cell phones, promising a transparent mobile by the end of 2013.
Polytron Technologies has already begun marketing a transparent multi-touch.
The company’s prototype uses what they call Switchable Glass technology. That’s a conductive OLED using liquid crystal molecules to display images.
When the phone is off the molecules align to form a milky composition, but when switched on, they realign to form text, icons, and other images.
Electric current is carried through transparent wires.
“It will happen near the end of 2013. Trust me,” said Polytron general manager Sam Yu.
The device still has some parts that are not transparent, including a SD card and SIM card. The microphone, camera, and batteries are also visible, and will be hidden behind a dark glass cover when the model goes into production.
Sam Yu said the company will develop a smaller lithium ion battery that would be much less noticeable.
When complete, the phone will have a dual-sided multi-touch display in front and back.
The prototype has yet to feature any software or operating system.
Taiwanese tech company Polytron Technologies may have the next leap forward in cell phones, promising a transparent mobile by the end of 2013
Still to be determined is what the market demand for such a device is. Samsung and LG have had large transparent displays for years, but there’s been little effort to make smaller devices.
Tokyoflash recently used a transparent LCD in its Kisai Spider wristwatch but had trouble adding hardware to the smaller frame.
“The challenge of using a transparent display in a wristwatch, and I suppose other wearable technology, is that you need to store the batteries somewhere else (usually they are stored behind the LCD panel),” Tokyoflash marketing manager Paul Cooper wrote in an e-mail.
Polytron’s model will offer much more room to work in hardware.
Also at question is whether transparency by itself will attract buyers, as the prototype doesn’t offer significantly different functions than most smartphones.
“Display quality is paramount,” Avi Greengart, research director at Current Analysis, told The Verge.
“If the display quality is not up to par with the best of today’s AMOLED and LCD screens, a phone using it won’t sell even for its novelty value.”
Sam Yu isn’t worried. He even plans to announce a prototype transparent tablet within the next couple weeks.
According to a report released on Thursday, Facebook will not pay any tax for 2012 despite making $1.1 billion in pre-tax profits from U.S. operations.
But Mark Zuckerberg’s company will also get a multimillion dollar tax refund of around $429 million according to Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ).
The refunds reportedly come from tax deductions on executive stock options and share awards.
Facebook released its first annual report as a public company on January 30 after floating in May 2012.
CTJ describe the fact that the company “did not pay even a dime in federal and state income taxes” as an “amazing admission”.
As reported byBusinessweek, Facebook says it had a $559 million federal tax liability in 2012.
But their refunds on the tax deductibility of stock options reduced the companies federal and state income taxes by $1.03 billion for the year, including refunds of earlier years’ taxes of $451 million.
After a small portion is applied to state taxes, this benefit turns Facebook’s liability into a refund.
Yet according to CTJ, Facebook have further stock-option tax breaks that the company generated from its initial public offering of stock (IPO).
Facebook will not pay any tax for 2012 despite making $1.1 billion in pre-tax profits from US operations
Facebook is hoping to reduce future tax liability by carrying forward another $2.17 billion in additional tax-option tax breaks for use in the years ahead.
As CTJ point out, this means “Facebook’s current and future tax reductions from the stock options exercised in connection with its IPO will total $3.2 billion”.
Facebook spokeswoman Ashley Zandy declined to discuss the tax break with Businessweek and instead referred to a transcript of Facebook executives’ conference call with analysts.
In this call, Chief Financial Officer David Ebersman mentioned the accumulated tax benefits before noting that Facebook ended the fiscal year with nearly $10 billion in cash and investments.
David Ebersman claimed this gave the company ‘great flexibility and risk protection.’
Facebook delivered fourth-quarter results above Wall Street’s expectations on January 30 and sought to show that it has finally transformed into a ‘mobile company’ after rising to dominance as a Web-based social network.
But its stock dropped in after-hours trading as investors placed more significance on the company’s growing expenses rather than on its increasing user base and higher advertising revenue.
“Everything was slightly better than expected,” said Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter.
“I don’t see anything here that would make me want to sell the stock.”
Nonetheless, Facebook’s stock fell $1.11, or 3.6%, to $30.13 in after-hours trading following the earnings report.
Facebook Inc. grew its revenue and increased the percentage of it that comes from mobile advertising – a closely watched figure. But expenses also grew sharply.
The company also said 2013 will be a year of “significant investments” and hiring as it focuses on long-term growth rather than short-term profits.
Facebook earned $64 million, or 3 cents per share, in the October-December period. That’s down 79% from $302 million, or 14 cents per share, a year earlier when it was still a privately held company.
Revenue rose 40% to $1.59 billion from $1.13 billion, surpassing analysts’ expectations of $1.51 billion.
Advertising revenue grew 41% to $1.33 billion, increasing at a faster clip than in the third quarter, when it climbed 36% to $1.09 billion.
People in the Republic of Cyprus have begun voting for a new president as centre-right leader Nicos Anastasiades has a 15-point lead in the polls over his main rival, leftist Stavros Malas.
However, Nicos Anastasiades is not predicted to win more than 50% of the vote, which would be required to avoid a run-off vote on 24 February.
The election has been dominated by the global financial crisis. In June, Cyprus became the fifth member of the eurozone to request a bailout.
Shut out of the international financial markets, the cash-strapped government was forced to seek financial help after Cypriot banks suffered huge losses as a result of the restructuring of Greece’s sovereign debt.
It has requested some 17 billion euros ($22.7 billion) from the EU and IMF – a small amount in comparison with other rescues but roughly equal to Cyprus’s gross domestic product.
Negotiations have been stalled by disagreement between the EU, IMF and the outgoing President Demetris Christofias, leader of the communist Akel party, over how to address the country’s debt and who should pay.
Some investors fear that Cyprus will never be able to repay its debt, and many question its commitment to fighting money laundering and its strong links to Russia, which extended a 2.5 billion-euro loan in late 2011.
“Everything is at stake, like it has never been before,” Kyriakos Iacovides, publisher of the Cyprus Mail newspaper, told the Reuters news agency.
“The country must be rebuilt. Cyprus must be rehabilitated in the EU. We need a strong leadership to rebuild the country.”
Centre-right leader Nicos Anastasiades has a 15-point lead in the polls over his main rival, leftist Stavros Malas
Nicos Anastasiades, the head of the centre-right Democratic Rally (DISY) party, has promised a quick agreement on the bailout. He is close to Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, who expressed support for his bid while visiting Cyprus in January.
According to the latest polls, his closest rival among the 10 other candidates is Stavros Malas, who is backed by Akel, closely followed by Giorgos Lillikas, an independent.
More than 545,000 people are eligible to vote in Cyprus. Another 14,000 Cypriots can vote at embassies abroad.
Voting is scheduled to end at 18:00 and the final result is expected to be announced at around 20:30.
The new president will also face pressure to help reunite the island, divided between Greek and Turkish communities since 1974.
A recent huge natural gas find has given some hope to the country, but with unemployment soaring and recession biting, whoever wins this election will face a daunting task.
Tinglan Hong and Hugh Grant have welcomed their second child together, a baby boy named Felix Chang, according to The Mail On Sunday.
Tinglan Hong, the mother of Hugh Grant’s 16-month-old daughter Tabitha, gave birth on December 29 and registered the new arrival on Valentine’s Day.
According to the birth certificate, Felix Chang was born at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, West London – where Kate Middleton is expected to have her child.
The boy’s full name is Felix Chang Hong Grant. Felix is the Latin word for lucky and Chang in Chinese means long-lasting.
It is understood Hugh Grant told his closest friends only in the last week, but swore them to secrecy. His ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley, who is godmother to Tabitha, was among those informed.
Hugh Grant decided to make the news public yesterday on Twitter.
At 3.19 p.m., Hugh Grant posted a message on his Twitter page saying: “In answer to some journos. Am thrilled my daughter now has a brother. Adore them both to an uncool degree. They have a fab mum.”
Hugh Grant, 52, tweeted again at 6.44 p.m: “And to be crystal clear. I am the Daddy.”
The star is on the certificate as the child’s father under his full name Hugh John Mungo Grant with his occupation listed as “actor”.
Tinglan Hong, 32, who lives at a mansion in Fulham, West London, bought for her by Hugh Grant last year, lists her occupation as “housewife”.
Tinglan Hong and Hugh Grant have welcomed their second child together, a baby boy named Felix Chang
Felix Chang’s birth was registered at Westminster Register Office five days later than is technically permitted by Westminster City Council rules. These state that parents should register their children within 42 days of their baby’s arrival.
According to the certificate, the birth was registered by “the signature of Tinglan Hong [and a] statutory declaration made by Hugh John Mungo Grant on January 17”.
A statutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage, which must be made in front of a magistrate, Justice of the Peace or solicitor, can be used to register a birth if the child’s parents are unmarried and one parent is unable to attend the registration.
Felix Chang’s arrival comes almost 17 months after Tinglan Hong gave birth to the couple’s first child, daughter Tabitha Xaio Xi Hong Grant, at London’s Portland Hospital.
Tinglan Hong, who was born in Zhejiang province in eastern China and moved to Britain in 2003, is understood to have met Hugh Grant in a Chelsea wine bar 2008.
Hugh Grant and Tinglan Hong struck up an unlikely friendship before embarking on a relationship in January 2011.
Tabitha’s arrival was kept secret for two months until Hugh Grant’s spokesman released a statement confirming the birth but adding that the actor was no longer in a relationship with Tinglan Hong.
Kim Kardashian is about to welcome her first baby into the world with Kanye West and they are currently planning to renovate a new $11 million Bel Air home and it appears that the reality star is offloading some of her other properties.
Kim Kardashian, 32, was flattered when she recently sold her Beverly Hills mansion to a buyer who wanted all her fine furniture too.
She sold her 4,000-square-foot abode for just under $5 million, and the price included every piece of furnishing including couches, mirrors, coffee tables and even the rugs, according to TMZ.
Kim Kardashian bought another house in a pricey neighborhood in January.
She apparently wanted a quick sale and didn’t bat an eyelash at seeing her top quality furniture go, even her beloved custom-built vanity dresser, all of it worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Kim Kardashian originally bought the Mediterranean home in 2010 for $4.8 million, so it’s not a stretch to guess that she lost money on the deal.
The five-bedroom, four-bath villa features several living areas, a media room and a spa.
The entry way is a spacious two stories high, and dark hardwood floors abound.
Kim Kardashian sold her 4,000-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion for just under $5 million, and the price included every piece of furnishing including couches, mirrors, coffee tables and even the rugs
The beautifully manicured grounds include a vast green lawn, regal swimming pool and jacuzzi, shimmering waterfall, as well as a gazebo with firepit.
The property, which is located on a quiet cul-de-sac, is surrounded by lush landscape and tall trees affording privacy as well as beauty.
Kim Kardashian shouldn’t miss it too much considering the sprawling mansion that she is about to move into.
The gorgeous Bel-Air mansion that Kim Kardashian bought with Kanye West for $11 million is also Mediterranean style, boasting wrought-iron staircases, chandeliers and other “old world” details.
The couple are already planning on doing some extensive work on the private gated property, including building an entire new salon and as it sits on three quarter acres there’s plenty of room to grow.
That 10,000-square-foot manse – which was designed by architect Ron Firestone – features a two-story living room, an infinity pool, an expansive library and spectacular hillside views.
Kim Kardashian’s new master suite has a large steam shower, spa tub and massage room.
Thousands of people have been married in South Korea in the first mass wedding organized by the Unification Church since the death of its founder, Sun Myung Moon.
Some 3,500 identically-dressed couples took part in the ceremony in Gapyeong, north-east of the capital, Seoul.
A further 24,000 followers – often known as “Moonies” – were also married in other countries via video link.
The ceremony was presided over by Hak Ja-han, the widow of Sun Myung Moon, who died in September.
An estimated 30,000 people attended the 92-year-old’s funeral.
Four hundred of the Church’s members who were married on Sunday chose to have their partners selected for them by Hak Ja-han, something her late husband also did.
“I was pretty nervous,” Jin Davidson, a 21-year-old American, told the AFP news agency.
“Then all of a sudden she popped up in front of me, and I said OK.”
Thousands of people have been married in South Korea in the first mass wedding organized by the Unification Church since the death of its founder, Sun Myung Moon
Jin Davidson, whose parents were paired off by Sun Myung Moon, said he struggled to communicate with his Japanese bride, Kotona Shimizu, 21.
“I speak no Japanese at all, and she only speaks a little English, but we see it as an exciting challenge and proof of our faith,” he added.
The mass weddings began in the early 1960s and over the years grew in size. In 1997, some 30,000 couple were married in Washington.
The Unification Church has been accused of brainwashing its followers and embezzlement.
President Hamid Karzai has announced that Afghan security forces are to be banned from calling for foreign air strikes in residential areas.
Hamid Karzai said he would issue a decree on Sunday, less than a week after 10 civilians were killed in a night raid in the eastern province of Kunar.
NATO-led forces in Afghanistan are not expected to make a formal response until the full decree has been issued.
Civilian casualties are a source of tension between Afghan and NATO forces.
“I will issue a decree [on Sunday] that no Afghan security forces, in any circumstances can ask for the foreigners’ planes for carrying out operations on our homes and villages,” Hamid Karzai said in a speech at the Afghan National Military Academy in Kabul.
“Our forces ask for air support from foreigners and children get killed in an air strike,” he added.
NATO troops are scheduled to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and have gradually been handing over responsibility for security to their Afghan counterparts.
Hamid Karzai said Afghans were “happy” about the withdrawal.
“We are happy for all their help and assistance so far, but we do not need foreign forces to defend our country. We want our Afghan forces to defend their homeland,” he said.
Afghan forces now lead 90% of all security operations.
Yet the Afghan air force has limited strength, so NATO air support is considered crucial, especially for operations in harsh terrain and mountainous areas.
President Hamid Karzai has announced that Afghan security forces are to be banned from calling for foreign air strikes in residential areas
Most of the 10 civilians killed in the February 13th air strike on Kunar were women and children.
Four Taliban fighters also died in the attack, in the Shegal district of Kunar, which borders Pakistan. The Afghan army said the dead men had links to al-Qaeda.
Hamid Karzai said he had been told the air strike was requested by Afghan forces.
“If this is true, it is very regrettable and it is very shameful. How could they ask foreigners to send planes and bomb our own houses?” he said.
“I agree we are passing through a challenging phase, but we are the owners of this country… and fortunately, we will show to the world that we can protect our country,” said President Hamid Karzai.
The deaths in Kunar came just after US President Barack Obama confirmed plans for the withdrawal of about half the 66,000 US troops in Afghanistan by early 2014.
Last year a US drone attack in the same area killed Mullah Dadullah, a high-ranking Pakistani Taliban commander.
Civilian casualties rose sharply in every year from 2008 to 2011, though they fell in the first half of 2012, according to figures from the UN mission in Afghanistan.
The figures cover deaths caused both by NATO forces, allied with government troops, and by insurgents.
A UN report earlier this month accused the US of killing hundreds of children in air strikes over the past four years.
The number of child casualties had doubled in 2010-2011 due to a “lack of precautionary measures and use of indiscriminate force”, the study found.
The NATO-led ISAF force called the claims “categorically unfounded” and “false”.
Romanian movie Pozitia Copilului (Child’s Pose) has picked up the coveted Golden Bear prize for best film at the 63rd Berlin film festival.
Child’s Pose, directed by Calin Peter Netzer, tells the story of a wealthy mother who uses her connections to try and stop her son from going to jail.
The film was a favorite among the 19 contenders. Calin Peter Netzer said he was “a little bit speechless” by the win.
An unemployed Roma from Bosnia-Hercegovina won the best actor award.
Nazif Mujic re-enacted his family’s real-life struggle to get vital medical treatment in the low-budget An Episode In the Life of an Iron Picker, which also picked up the runner-up Silver Bear award.
Calin Peter Netzer’s film is a tale of corruption and guilt in modern Romania.
It follows a rich and controlling mother, played by Luminita Gheorghiu, as she bribes witnesses into giving false statements to save her son from jail after he accidentally runs down and kills a boy.
US filmmaker David Gordon Green won best director at the festival for his comic road movie Prince Avalanche, while best actress went to Chile’s Paulina Garcia for her role as a Santiago divorcee in Gloria.
Romanian movie Child’s Pose has picked up the coveted Golden Bear prize for best film at the 63rd Berlin film festival
Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to become the first leader of the Catholic Church to resign since the Middle Ages has left a slew of unanswered questions.
In an official statement, Pope Benedict blamed his resignation on advancing years, saying declining health had left him unable to properly lead the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics.
“Having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry,” he said.
An official spokesman later added that the Pope is suffering from a “decline in vigor, both of the body and spirit”.
To a degree, that’s probably true. Italian newspapers have revealed Pope Benedict suffered a “serious fall” this year and underwent heart surgery in November to replace a pacemaker fitted after an earlier heart attack.
But in a world governed by tradition, serving Popes don’t step aside, no matter how ailing.
Pope Benedict’s predecessor, John Paul II, served for 27 years, surviving an assassination attempt. After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2001, Pope John Paul II suffered severe difficulties speaking and even sitting up. But he carried on until his death in 2005.
The last pope who failed to carry on until the bitter end was Gregory XII, who was forced out in 1415.
The last to go voluntarily was Celestine V, who resigned in 1294.
But if the fact of the Pope’s departure is unusual, its timing looks downright suspicious.
The Vatican claims Pope Benedict had been considering the move for almost a year, praying intensively as he decided whether to quit.
But if so, why did he recently allow officials to schedule an official tour of Brazil for July?
Why, too, insiders wonder, shortly before Christmas did Pope Benedict promote one of the Vatican’s most glamorous figures, fellow German Georg Ganswein, to Archbishop and the high-profile position of Prefect of his Pontifical Household?
At the time of his appointment, 56-year-old Georg Ganswein – who is known as “the Black Forest Adonis” and “Gorgeous George” on account of his good looks – was billed as the perfect right-hand man to protect an ageing Pontiff from the daily grind of Vatican politics.
Georg Ganswein then appeared on the cover of last month’s Italian Vanity Fair, billed as the “George Clooney of Catholicism”.
The article pointed out that papal aides are promoted to archbishop when an ailing Pope wishes to create an unofficial “gatekeeper”. But if Pope Benedict knew he was about to quit, why appoint Georg Ganswein to this position?
The Pope’s resignation also comes at a time of scrutiny over the Vatican’s alleged links to the world of organized crime.
Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to become the first leader of the Catholic Church to resign since the Middle Ages has left a slew of unanswered questions
Last summer saw the scandalous trial of Paolo Gabriele, Pope Benedict’s butler, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing confidential documents from his master’s desk and passing them to a journalist.
The papers were given to Gianluigi Nuzzi, a reporter whose “Vatileaks” scoop alleged corruption at the Vatican Bank, including the laundering of $250 million on behalf of the Mafia.
In the wake of Gianluigi Nuzzi’s revelations, the bank’s president was forced to resign. A replacement is due to be announced in the coming months.
His identity is of great concern to organized criminals, who fear the “wrong” appointee will attempt to wipe clean the tarnished bank’s slate by confessing a raft of previous financial misdeeds.
Pope Benedict was expected to usher in just such a new broom; his successor may not. The fact his departure is good news for the mafia has left many suspicious.
But the most curious figure in the shock resignation is Cardinal Angelo Sodano.
Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Angelo Sodano are hardly allies. Indeed, for years they have been regarded as bitter rivals, clashing repeatedly as they each climbed the slippery pole of the hierarchy.
Months after Benedict became Pope, Angelo Sodano resigned as the Vatican’s Secretary of State, its most senior political and diplomatic post, after 12 years in the high-profile job. This hardly makes him an obvious candidate for a public papal embrace.
The second source of suspicion is Angelo Sodano’s professed surprise at Monday’s news of resignation.
Several Vatican insiders, including Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze, a top contender to be the next Pope, say Angelo Sodano learned of the coming resignation in Benedict’s private quarters the previous Friday.
If that is the case, then why did the Cardinal describe Pope Benedict’s departure, three days later, as a bolt from the blue?
And what really happened at the Friday meeting? Though held in secret, reports in the Italian press claim there was a heated argument between the men over the fraught question of how the Church should deal with clergy accused of sexual abuse.
In recent years, Pope Benedict has taken a relatively hard line on dealing with paedophile priests, an issue that has damaged the hierarchy’s reputation.
Not only has he apologized publicly to victims, he has also insisted that the Vatican, rather than individual diocese, should be in charge of investigating future abuse complaints, referring them to the police whenever possible.
Angelo Sodano takes a different view. The cardinal has been reluctant to proceed with investigations into suspect priests over the years, and famously used a prayer during Easter Mass in 2010 to describe the complaints of victims of abuse as ‘petty gossip’.
He has clashed with Benedict over this issue several times over the years. In 1995, they fell out over how to deal with Cardinal Hans Hermann Groer, who resigned as Archbishop of Vienna after being accused of molesting young men.
Benedict advised the then Pope, John Paul II, to issue an apology over the appalling allegations, which were later proven. Angelo Sodano, as the Vatican’s Secretary of State, chose to over-rule him.
Then, in 1998, Angelo Sodano instructed Benedict – then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger – to drop an investigation into multiple counts of abuse by Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, founder of a holy order called The Legionaries of Christ. In a plot twist worthy of a Dan Brown novel, a Catholic journal uncovered evidence that Angelo Sodano had issued the order after receiving $15,000 from the order for being its “cheerleader”.
Benedict waited eight years for revenge. In 2006, he removed Marcial Maciel Degollado – later revealed to have fathered several children by different women – from his post. Angelo Sodano’s resignation from Vatican Secretary of State came soon afterwards.
Yet while it seems Angelo Sodano had several reasons to seek Pope Benedict’s resignation, that doesn’t necessarily mean he had the ability to execute such an audacious plot.
A hostile cardinal seeking to bring down a Pope would have to unearth a catastrophically devastating scandal from his past.
With Benedict’s childhood in the Hitler Youth and long career in a Church ridden with sex abuse allegations, there are avenues for attack. But eight years of scrutiny from the media has left little mud sticking to him.
There is a dubious incident from 1980, when as Archbishop of Munich he transferred a paedophile priest to another parish. And there have been complaints that during the Eighties and Nineties, in his role as head of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he ignored complaints of abuse.
Getting the Pope to resign would have taken something more damning. Did Angelo Sodano stumble on a scandal? It seems unlikely.
A more plausible explanation is perhaps that constant exposure to Vatican politics had left the monkish and cerebral Benedict tired and desperate to find an escape.
“Maybe an unpleasant meeting with Sodano pushed him over the edge,” says a veteran insider.
“The Vatileaks scandal showed the place to be completely dysfunctional. It’s been that way throughout history.”
As for Angelo Sodano, he’s no doubt hoping one piece of Vatican history repeats itself. The last time a College of Cardinals chose a new Pope was in 2005 and Benedict was Dean of the College of Cardinals. This time, of course, the dean is none other than Cardinal Angelo Sodano.
Hugh Grant has announced today he is “thrilled” that he has become a father for the second time.
Hugh Grant, 52, has had a baby boy with Tinglan Hong, the mother of his daughter Tabitha.
The actor tweeted: “In answer to some journos. Am thrilled my daughter now has a brother.
“Adore them both to an uncool degree. They have a fab mum.”
Hugh Grant already has a daughter with partner Tinglan Hong, who is 19 years his junior.
In September 2011 Hugh Grant welcomed his first child Tabitha, after a “fleeting affair” with Tinglan Hong.
It is not known if Hugh Grant and Tinglan Hong are currently in a relationship.
Hugh Grant announced he has had a baby boy with Tinglan Hong, the mother of his daughter Tabitha
Many of Hugh Grant’s Twitter followers rushed to congratulate him on the arrival.
In a candid interview Hugh Grant explained that he liked his daughter “very much”, but said that she hasn’t changed his life.
Hugh Grant, who has never married, dated Elizabeth Hurley for 13 years before they split in 2000, five years after he was caught cheating with Hollywood prostitute Divine Brown.
The actor and socialite Jemima Khan then dated for three years from 2004.
New reports claimed today that Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius “carried his dying girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp downstairs and tried to resuscitate her as he desperately attempted to save her life”.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, allegedly cradled Reeva Steenkamp, who he allegedly shot four times, as he tried to stop her dying, performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the 29-year-old.
It was reported that Reeva Steenkamp was still breathing when paramedics and security guards rushed to the house.
But paramedics were unable to revive the model and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sources told Beeld, the Afrikaans language newspaper, that security guards heard the shots and rushed to the house, where they saw Oscar Pistorius running down the stairs with the law graduate in his arms.
Oscar Pistorius is said to be on suicide watch due to fears the blade runner might take his own life over charges for the “pre-planned” murder of Reeva Steenkamp, it emerged last night.
The athlete, who wept in the dock yesterday after being charged with shooting dead law graduate Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day, is being held at Brooklyn Police Station prison in Pretoria.
A source said: “Oscar is innocent but he feels as though he has descended into hell. He is absolutely devastated and struggling to deal with his emotions.”
The source told The Sun: “He’s been given a cell to himself at the police station but there are criminals in cells around him and he doesn’t belong there. There are police concerns over his mental state.”
At his hearing earlier yesterday Oscar Pistorius remained silent during the 40 minute hearing but his family and management issued a joint statement insisting: “The alleged murder is disputed in the strongest possible terms.”
It was reported yesterday that Reeva Steenkamp had been hit four times by bullets fired through the door of a bathroom at the luxury complex on the outskirts of Pretoria where Pistorius, a keen marksman, kept a pistol and machine gun.
Reeva Steenkamp, who had only been going out with Oscar Pistorius since November, is said to have been hit in the head, chest, pelvis and hand.
Beeld newspaper said: “The security guards found Pistorius by Steenkamp’s body in the bathroom,” and quoted a neighbour as saying: “The door had bullet holes right through it.”
A 9mm pistol said to have been owned by Oscar Pistorius was seen in a plastic exhibits bag being carried by police officers investigating the killing which has shocked the world.
Oscar Pistorius carried his dying girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp downstairs and tried to resuscitate her as he desperately attempted to save her life
There were gasps from some of the 100 people crowded into Courtroom C of the Magistrates Court as Oscar Pistorius stood with head bowed in front of Chief Magistrate Desmond Nair to the hear the murder charge read out, then started weeping, covering his face with his hands.
“Take it easy,” Desmond Nair told him.
“Come take a seat.”
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the Pretoria court they would argue the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp, a former TV presenter, in the early hours of Thursday was premeditated.
They will tell the court that neighbors heard screaming and shouting from the mansion on the high security Silver Lakes Estate – there had been no robberies there for the past five years – followed by a shot.
Mention of the word “pre-meditated” caused Oscar Pistorius to slump forward and he could be seen to be breathing heavily through his hands.
Lawyers for Oscar Pistorius, who in London last year became the first athlete to compete at both an Olympic and Paralympic Games, are said to be preparing to argue the shooting was a tragic accident.
If found guilty of premeditated murder, Oscar Pistorius faces an automatic life sentence. He would not be eligible to be considered for parole until he is aged 51.
Police have dismissed initial claims that Oscar Pistorius had mistakenly shot his girlfriend believing she was an intruder.
Oscar Pistorius, who was dressed in a grey suit and blue tie, had been expected to apply for bail, but this has been postponed until Tuesday after the defence and prosecution agreed to allow more time for this to be heard.
He will be held in custody at Brooklyn Prison in Pretoria, next door to the firearms registration centre, until then.
Oscar Pistorius said nothing during the 40-minute hearing. His father, Henke, sister Aimee and brother, Carl, sat directly behind him in the packed court-room, occasionally leaning forward to give him a supportive pat on the shoulder.
As the athlete began to weep, Carl Pistorius lent forward and laid a hand on his brother, squeezing him slightly.
His family later issued a staunch denial of the allegation.
They said: “Firstly, and most importantly, all our thoughts today must be with the family and friends of Reeva Steenkamp.
“Oscar Pistorius has made history as an Olympic and Paralympic sportsman and has been an inspiration to others the world over.
“He has made it very clear that he would like to send his deepest sympathies to the family of Reeva.
“He would also like to express his thanks through us for all the messages of support he has received – but as stated our thoughts and prayers today should be for Reeva and her family, regardless of the circumstances of this terrible, terrible tragedy.”
The Vatican is considering calls from cardinals to hold a papal conclave earlier than planned, after Pope Benedict XVI steps down on February 28.
Catholic Church officials want a successor to be in place before the start of Holy Week on March 24 – the most important event in the Christian calendar.
Under current rules, the vote cannot be held before March 15, to give cardinals enough time to travel to Rome.
The Vatican is now examining the possibility of changing the rule.
According to the Holy See’s constitution, a 15-20 day waiting period must be observed after the papacy becomes vacant.
The rule is in place to allow “all those [cardinals] who are absent” sufficient time to make the journey to Rome, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.
But the prospect of bringing forward the date had been raised by a number of cardinals, he added.
And given that they already knew when Pope Benedict was stepping down, they would have plenty of time to plan their trip.
“It is possible that church authorities can prepare a proposal to be taken up by the cardinals on the first day after the papal vacancy,” Federico Lombardi said.
The rules on papal succession were open to interpretation and “this is a question that people are discussing”, he said.
Officials in charge want to ensure that Pope Benedict’s successor is installed well in time for the liturgical celebrations at Easter, the most important date in the church’s calendar.
As there is no precedent in modern times for the resignation of a pope, ecclesiastical lawyers are having to re-examine very carefully the rules for papal elections laid down in past centuries and updated most recently by Pope Benedict himself, our correspondent explains.
Some of the 117 Cardinal electors from around the world who will choose the next pope in a secret ballot in the Sistine Chapel are expected to begin arriving in Rome as early as next week, he says.
As soon as there is a quorum, they will decide on a date to begin their conclave. In order to be elected, the new pope will need a majority of two thirds plus one vote.
Pope Benedict XVI was elected after only four ballots in 2005.
The 85-year-old pontiff announced his shock resignation last Monday, citing his advanced age as the reason for stepping down.
Pope Benedict is expected to spend his retirement in a monastery at the Vatican.
Last week, Pope Benedict hinted he would withdraw into seclusion at the end of this month.
“Even if I am withdrawing into prayer, I will always be close to all of you… even if I remain hidden to the world,” he told a meeting of priests in Rome.
The last pontiff to resign was Pope Gregory XII, who quit in 1415 amid a schism within the Church.
Reality star Kim Kardashian will have to wait another three months before she can fight for a divorce from NFL star Kris Humphries.
On Friday a judge set the trial for May 6, dashing Kim Kardashian’s hopes for a starting date of next month, according to TMZ.
The news comes after Kris Humphries’ lawyer quit, blaming an “irremediable breakdown of the attorney-client relationship”.
Marshall Waller – who had been representing Kris Humphries in his divorce from Kim Kardashian – has left Kris’ legal team.
Kris Humphries still has an out-of-state lawyer – Lee Hutton – but needs another California lawyer for the divorce case, reports TMZ.
Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries split in November 2011 after just 72 days of marriage. The basketball player is seeking an annulment, claiming the marriage was fraudulent while Kim Kardashian is keen to get things done and dusted.
It was previously revealed how Kim Kardashian – who is expecting her first child with boyfriend Kanye West – is worried the drawn out divorce could have “long-term effects” on her baby.
Kim Kardashian, 32, was treated for severe abdominal pains recently.
Her doctor rushed to her home in the middle of the night to examine her and warned her to reduce her stress levels.
Kim Kardashian’s mother and manager, Kris Jenner, confirmed she has been told to relax.
She said: “Kim has been going through this divorce for months.
“She has been under a lot of stress because of it and the doctors told her she had a really tough week and the stress could become a problem if she isn’t careful.”
With golden shoulder length hair, a sophisticated black suit and aviator sunglasses, Knox Jolie-Pitt appears to be the spitting image of his famous father, Brad Pitt.
Knox Jolie-Pitt, 4, and his parents, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and twin sister, Vivienne, spent the day at the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles.
The boy walked with his dad – also in black – looking like his mini-me while mum Angelina Jolie held his twin Vivienne’s hand behind.
The foursome were rather dressed up for a trip down the educational halls of evolution and culture, but obviously Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt hoped to impart a love of learning onto their kids on Valentine’s Day.
With golden shoulder length hair, a sophisticated black suit and aviator sunglasses, Knox Jolie-Pitt appears to be the spitting image of his famous father, Brad Pitt
