Gerard Depardieu has been formally registered as a permanent resident of the central Russian town of Saransk.
Gerard Depardieu, 64, sought Russian citizenship after the French government criticized his decision to move abroad to avoid higher taxes.
The French actor is now registered as living at No 1, Democracy Street in Saransk, in the region of Mordovia.
After the ceremony, Gerard Depardieu beamed and proclaimed a few words in Russian.
“Glory! Glory to Saransk, glory to Mordovia, glory to Russia!” he said.
Gerard Depardieu was quoted as telling Russian television that his registered new address, on Demokraticheskaya [Democratic] Street, was quite “symbolic”.
On Friday, after visiting Moscow’s famed Bolshoi Theatre and the Illuzion cinema, Gerard Depardieu said he was very familiar with Russian culture.
“I love it very much. I also know your composers. I can say that I was born with Russian culture.”
Gerard Depardieu was granted Russian citizenship by a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin on 3 January.
The central Russian region of Mordovia Gerard Depardieu will call home is known for its Stalin-era prison camps.
Gerard Depardieu has been formally registered as a permanent resident of the central Russian town of Saransk
Gerard Depardieu’s highly publicized tax row began last year after French President Francois Hollande said he would raise taxes to 75% for those earning more than 1 million euros ($1.3 million).
He accused the socialist government of punishing “success, creation and talent”, and announced in early December that he would move to Belgium.
French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault branded Gerard Depardieu’s decision to move abroad as “shabby and unpatriotic”.
Gerard Depardieu, described by President Vladimir Putin as a friend, has developed close ties with Russia, which has a flat 13% personal income tax rate.
He currently appears in an advertisement for Sovietsky Bank’s credit card and is prominently featured on the bank’s home page.
In 2011, Gerard Depardieu played the lead role in the film Rasputin, a Franco-Russian production about the life of eccentric monk Grigory Rasputin.
Germany’s development minister has suggested food tainted with horsemeat should be distributed to the poor.
Dirk Niebel said he supported the proposal by a member of the governing CDU party, and concluded: “We can’t just throw away good food.”
The opposition dismissed the idea, but a priest said it should be considered.
Meanwhile, traces of horse DNA have been found in six tons of minced beef and 2,400 packs of lasagne bolognese seized from a company in Italy.
The products were packaged by Italian group Primia, which is based in the town of San Giovanni in Persiceto, near the city of Bologna.
The health ministry said Primia had used meat from another company in Brescia and originally supplied by two other companies, also based there.
It is the first positive test in Italy since the scandal erupted last month.
Earlier, the Italian authorities said they had found no traces of horsemeat in beef products seized this week from the Swiss food giant, Nestle.
The health ministry said the 26 tons of cooked and frozen mince beef meals would be returned. A Nestle spokesman welcomed the decision.
On Monday, Nestle announced that it was withdrawing two types of beef pasta meals from supermarkets in Italy and Spain after test revealed traces of horse DNA.
A problem was identified with a supplier in Germany, H J Schypke, it said.
Another German supplier, Dreistem, has been blamed for recalls of tinned goulash sold by the Lidl in Germany and Scandinavia, while a third, Vossko, has been accused by Liechtenstein’s Hiclona of supplying beef tainted by horse for a pasta product withdrawn in Austria and Germany. All three companies have blamed their own suppliers.
On Friday evening, Germany’s consumer affairs ministry announced that it had now found traces of horse DNA in 67 of 830 food products tested.
Germany’s development minister has suggested food tainted with horsemeat should be distributed to the poor
On Saturday, a prominent member of the governing CDU party, Hartwig Fischer, told Bild newspaper that products tainted with horsemeat should be distributed to the poor.
The opposition has dismissed the idea as “absurd” and an insult to poor people, but Prelate Bernhard Felmberg, the senior representative of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), has backed the proposal.
“We as a Church find the throw-away mentality in our society concerning. How and whether to distribute the products in question would have to be examined,” the priest said.
“But to throw away food that could be consumed without risk is equally bad as false labelling and cannot be a solution.”
Meanwhile, France’s agriculture ministry said several horse carcasses containing the drug phenylbutazone, also known as bute, had probably entered the human food chain.
A ministry spokesman told the AFP news agency that it was alerted by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) that six carcasses had been exported to France in January, but that the meat had already been processed. There was only a “minor” health risk, he added.
Earlier, three major French food companies have agreed to use only French beef in their products.
Findus – one of the firms at the heart of the scandal – and retailers Carrefour and Intermarche announced at the French Agricultural Salon that they would start using labels saying “100% French” from March.
French President Francois Hollande has said he wants mandatory labelling of the origin of meat used in processed food products. However, only a change in European Union legislation can compel manufacturers.
European agriculture ministers are expected to discuss origin labelling and meat traceability at a meeting in Brussels on Monday.
American blues guitarist and leading figure in the Chicago blues scene Magic Slim has died at the age of 75.
Magic Slim had more than 30 albums to his credit since releasing his debut, Born On a Bad Sign, in 1977.
“There’s probably not another bluesman who had quite the repertoire that Slim had,” said his manager, Martin Salzman.
Magic Slim died in hospital in Philadelphia where he was being treated for various ailments, Martin Salzman confirmed.
Born Morris Holt to Mississippi farmers in August 1937, Magic Slim gave up the piano and turned to guitar after losing a finger in a cotton gin accident when he was 13.
He made his first trip to Chicago in 1955, starting off as the bass player for a friend and mentor known as Magic Sam, who allowed the younger musician to take his nickname.
American blues guitarist and leading figure in the Chicago blues scene Magic Slim has died at the age of 75
Magic Slim cut his first single, Scufflin, in 1966 and became a Chicago blues fixture in his own right, developing a guitar style that blended a distinct vibrato with a slide-guitar-like sound formed with his bare fingers against the strings.
The guitarist was recognized as much for his powerful, gruff vocals as his musicianship and was known for playing with picks on both the thumb and index finger of his right hand.
A heavy smoker who suffered from emphysema and heart problems, he cut short a tour with his band, the Teardrops, in late January, Martin Salzman said.
While Magic Slim lived in recent years with his family in Nebraska, “Chicago was always like home to him,” his manager said.
Evidence that Apple has been working on a smart watch concept since at least 2011 has emerged in a US Patent Office filing.
The document describes a flexible touchscreen display which would communicate with a smartphone or other electronic device.
It coincides with a report from a tech consultancy suggesting there is huge pent up demand for such a gadget.
But ABI Research warns that battery life issues still need to be addressed.
It says assuming such problems can be resolved, about 485 million wearable computing devices might ship by 2018, providing a significant growth opportunity for Apple and the wider consumer electronics industry.
Not all published patents lead to actual products, but Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times have all published reports this month saying sources had confirmed Apple was experimenting with a watch-like device.
The US Patent Office only revealed Apple’s filing on Thursday, but the document dates back to August 2011.
The mooted device is likened to a “slap wrap” – a thin strip of metal covered in fabric which snapped around the user’s wrist to form a bracelet.
The toy was popular with teenagers in the late-1980s, but fell out of favor after complaints that it lost its ability to retain its shape over time,. There were also complaints that some users had experienced injuries after the fabric wore away to reveal a sharp metal edge.
Apple puts a hi-tech spin on the idea proposing a “slap bracelet” featuring a flexible circuit board and display, a touch sensitive user interface and a two-way communication chip, which would curl around the user’s skin.
It suggests the gadget could detect which part of its surface was covered so that its readout would be limited to the exposed screen, with information flowing over the join.
Evidence that Apple has been working on a smart watch concept since at least 2011 has emerged in a US Patent Office filing
Apple suggests lights along the device’s edge could be programmed to blink when the user receives an alert, before displaying the details on its screen.
It says the user could then provide a brief response or use the bracelet to command a wirelessly connected smartphone, tablet or laptop to carry out another function such as adjusting the order of a song playlist or reviewing what recent calls had been made.
Apple acknowledges that the relatively thin nature of a wrist band would limit its uses, but suggests a wider armband could also be developed.
“At the width of a few inches the display can function to temporarily view and manipulate the screen of the portable device it is in communication with,” says the paper.
“This might be desirable when the portable electronic device is stored in an inconvenient location such as a cargo pocket, or the bottom of a backpack.
“A larger display is also more desirable for map viewing… as a traveller or explorer can easily reference the information with a flick of the wrist while exploring.”
ABI Research notes that several companies already sell smart watches – such as Fossil, Pebble and Sony – while others (including Samsung and Martian) are known to be working on such products,
For the time being, however, it says the sector is dominated instead by activity trackers – such as Nike’s Fuelband and the Garmin Forerunner – which account for an estimated 61% of the wearable tech market.
Some of these devices do tell the time, but they only offer limited functionality beyond monitoring exercise or the owner’s sleep pattern.
The consultants instead suggest a much wider range of uses giving the example of linking the watch to a home automation system so that “a quick shake of your wrist can turn off/on room lights”.
The idea of a smartwatch has been around for years – but the firm says technology only recently caught up with our imagination.
“Moore’s law has driven silicon to the point where it’s small enough and powerful enough to drive applications that mean things to consumers,” said ABI’s chief research officer, Stuart Carlaw.
“Bluetooth Smart has also brought us high-bandwidth, low-energy connectivity at a less than a dollar a chip and takes up little space while offering robust performance.
“But one note of caution is that when we look at wearable technologies the use of power becomes an issue. You don’t want to have to be plugging in four or five products a night to recharge – energy harvesting or wireless recharging technologies are going to become incredibly important.”
Apple’s patent confirms the company is aware of the problem.
It suggests harvesting energy from the movement of the user’s arms and only coming out of standby mode when a sensor detects the device has been rotated to face a certain way.
It adds that the use of an AMOLED (active matrix light emitting diode) display would also help since it can allow individual pixels to be turned off, allowing the watch to only activate the parts which are facing the owner’s eyes.
Chef Paula Deen shocked on Friday morning after a rather bizarre appearance on the Today show.
A spokesperson for Paula Deen, 66, has denied speculation she was drunk on air.
Paula Deen put on quite a show with racy dance moves and raunchy jokes about cooking “chicken balls”.
She also rattled on about how a skunk sprayed her before the show.
Paula Deen shocked on Friday morning after a rather bizarre appearance on the Today show
Paula Deen’s representative told TMZ on Friday afternoon that she is not a drinker (she insisted her mojito be “virgin” when presented with a cocktail on the show).
A source told Radar “she wasn’t drinking on the set”, adding Paula Deen was simply “really, really tired” after attending a food festival the night before.
Paula Deen is no stranger to controversy or using colorful language when it comes to her own cooking show.
Last year a raunchy blooper reel showed Paula Deen’s foul mouth as she declared her food “smelt like stinky coochie”.
Posted on the New York Post’s website, the video was a series of outtakes from her Food Network show, Paula Deen’s Home Cooking, in which she seasoned her dishes with some colorful language.
The Vatican has criticized the media for reporting “misinformation” about the Catholic Church in many of Pope Benedict XVI resignation articles.
Vatican’s chief spokesperson Father Federico Lombardi said some were trying to profit from a time of disorientation in the Catholic Church to spread “gossip” and “calumny”.
Federico Lombardi made the comments on Vatican radio.
Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation, the first by a pope in nearly 600 years, takes effect on Thursday, February 28. His decision surprised many within the Church.
There have been recent articles in the Italian and international media of intrigue, and corruption in the Church.
One unconfirmed report suggested Pope Benedict had resigned after being presented with a dossier detailing a network of priests who were being blackmailed
One unconfirmed report suggested Pope Benedict had resigned after being presented with a dossier detailing a network of priests who were being blackmailed.
But the Vatican spokesman said those who were putting themselves in a position of judgement had no authority to do so.
“Whoever has money, sex and power at the forefront of the mind sees the world through these parameters and cannot see beyond these even when looking at the Church,” he said.
“Their view cannot look to the heights or go in-depth to understand the spiritual dimensions and motivations of existence,” he added.
Inaki Urdangarin, King Juan Carlos of Spain’s son-in-law, is being questioned by a judge in Mallorca over a growing corruption scandal that has embarrassed the royal family.
Inaki Urdangarin, the Duke of Palma, is suspected of misusing millions of euros in public funds that were given to a charitable foundation he ran.
The duke has denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crime. It is the second time he has been questioned.
A crowd of protesters jeered as he arrived at the court in Palma.
Inaki Urdangarin, 45, and his former business partner Diego Torres are suspected of siphoning off money given by regional governments to the non-profit Noos Institute to organize sporting events.
It is alleged that some of the money ended up in companies controlled by the duke and in offshore bank accounts.
The events allegedly happened between 2004 and 2006, when Inaki Urdangarin stepped down as head of the institute.
Diego Torres – who was questioned by the judge last week – has also denied any wrongdoing.
Inaki Urdangarin, King Juan Carlos of Spain’s son-in-law, is being questioned by a judge in Mallorca over a growing corruption scandal that has embarrassed the royal family
Inaki Urdangarin, a former Olympic handball player, is married to King Juan Carlos’s second child, Princess Cristina. He was suspended from official royal engagements in December last year.
Anti-corruption campaigners have urged the judge to formally name Princess Cristina as a suspect, alleging that she may also have been involved.
The Spanish monarchy has tried to distance itself from the scandal.
But emails published by Spanish newspapers last week appear to show that King Juan Carlos took a close interest in his son-in-law’s business affairs.
Support for the royal family has diminished in recent years, amid criticism that is out of touch with ordinary Spaniards as they struggle with a severe economic crisis.
Last week Pere Navarro of the Catalan Socialist Party became the first prominent politician to call on King Juan Carlos to abdicate in favor of his son, Crown Prince Felipe.
King Juan Carlos is credited with guiding Spain’s transition to democracy after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.
Jennifer Lawrence has admitted to feeling like a “fat” actress by Hollywood standards, but she has proved her high-fashion model credentials in her first shoot for Dior.
As the new face for Miss Dior, Jennifer Lawrence, 22, cuts an elegant and graceful figure in the snaps shot by Willy Vanderperre.
In one shot Jennifer Lawrence is seen peering over her shoulder, with a veil covering her face and a large satin bow tied around her neck.
With full lashes, shaped brows and a flawless complexion Jennifer Lawrence looks every inch the A-list star.
In another picture she is seen tilting her head backwards showing off a bejeweled statement necklace.
Jennifer Lawrence has stepped into the shoes of Mila Kunis, as the face of the handbag line.
While the news of her appointment was revealed in October last year these new images have been released just days ahead of the Oscars.
Jennifer Lawrence has been nominated for the Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her role in Silver Linings Playbook.
Jennifer Lawrence has proved her high-fashion model credentials in her first shoot for Dior
Italian media claims Pope Benedict XVI resignation has been linked to a secret dossier from three cardinals claiming a “gay network” inside the Vatican.
The cardinals uncovered an underground network of senior clergy who have organized gay homosexual parties and faced blackmail, according to newspaper La Repubblica.
The paper claims the explosive allegations were made in a report into the so-called “Vatileaks” scandal which was presented to Pope Benedict on or around December 17.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi has refused to confirm or deny the details of the report which came in two volumes, “hard-bound in red” with the title “pontifical secret”.
The dossier was compiled by Spanish cardinal, Julián Herranz; Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi, a former archbishop of Palermo; and the Slovak cardinal Jozef Tomko.
The cardinals launched the probe after Pope Benedict’s butler, Paolo Gabriele, was arrested and charged with stealing and leaking papal correspondence revealing how the Vatican was a centre of intrigue and infighting.
Now La Repubblica claims the Pope quit because could not face the repercussions of dealing with the 300-page dossier – the first Pontiff to resign in 600 years.
The paper says that the investigation alleges a gay lobby exists within the Church, and has some sort of control on the careers of those in the Vatican.
The report is quoted as saying: “The cardinals were said to have uncovered an underground gay network, whose members organize sexual meetings in several venues in Rome and Vatican City, leaving them prone to blackmail.
“They included a villa outside the Italian capital, a sauna in a Rome suburb, a beauty parlor in the centre, and a former university residence that was in use by a provincial Italian archbishop.”
La Repubblica says that the cardinals described a number of “factions” in their report, including one in which individuals were “united by sexual orientation”.
The newspaper also alleges the dossier states that members of this group were blackmailed by laymen with whom they entertain relationships of a “worldly nature”.
Italian media claims Pope Benedict XVI resignation has been linked to a secret dossier from three cardinals claiming a “gay network” inside the Vatican
La Repubblica quoted an unnamed source said to be close to the report’s authors: “Everything revolves around the non-observance of the sixth and seventh commandments.”
The seventh commandment forbids theft, while the sixth forbids adultery, but is linked in Catholic doctrine to the proscribing of homosexual acts, explained the Guardian.
Father Federico Lombardi said in a statement: “Neither the cardinals’ commission nor I will make comments to confirm or deny the things that are said about this matter.
“Let each one assume his or her own responsibilities. We shall not be following up on the observations that are made about this.”
Federico Lombardi has indicated that Pope Benedict would meet with the three cardinals before stepping down on February 28, in one of his final private audiences.
Pope Benedict announced his decision earlier this month saying he simply no longer has the “strength of mind and body” to carry on.
The dossier will stay in a secret papal safe and delivered to Pope Benedict’s successor when the Pontiff leaves office, claims La Repubblica.
In 2010, Nigerian clergyman Ghinedu Ehiem, who was part of one of the Vatican’s prestigious choirs, was dismissed after police wiretaps found him negotiating for male prostitutes.
In 2007, a senior Vatican official was suspended after he was filmed in a television “sting” while apparently making sexual overtures to a younger man.
Italian newspapers have been rife for days with unsourced reports about the contents of the dossier that three cardinals prepared for Pope Benedict after investigating the origins of the leaks.
Now Monsignor Ettore Balestrero, a senior member of the Vatican’s secretariat of state, has been sent 6,000 miles away to Colombia in South America as the fallout continues.
Father Federico Lombardi said Ettore Balestrero’s transfer had been months in the works, was a clear promotion and had nothing to do with what the Vatican considers baseless reporting.
Given the rivalries, turf battles and allegations of corruption exposed by the leaks themselves, there is some speculation that cardinals entering the conclave might want to know the contents of the dossier before choosing a new pope.
Shoe designer Manolo Blahnik has admitted that he is unclear who Anne Hathaway is.
Manolo Blahnik, 70, told Interviewmagazine: “Anne Hathaway… Pretty? Yes. Wonderful actress? Yes. But, I mean, I don’t even remember her. What is it about her?”
The shoe designer then went on to slam the Oscar nominee’s Les Miserables co-star, Amanda Seyfried, as equally forgettable.
“I don’t even know Amanda Seyfried or whatever – they’re all the same!” he said.
The interviewer tried to jog Manolo Blahnik’s memory of Anne Hathaway, reminding him that the actress was “very good as Cat Woman in The Dark Knight Rises”.
Manolo Blahnik responded: “As Cat Woman, yes, and I’m not saying she’s not beautiful or a great actress.”
He then added dismissively: “I just don’t remember her.”
Manolo Blahnik has admitted that he is unclear who Anne Hathaway is
Indeed, it seems Manol Blahnik only has admiration for a specific type of contemporary actress.
“The only one I remember is Julia Roberts because she’s particular,” he told the interviewer.
Manolo Blahnik says he became nostalgic for old-fashioned acting one weekend after watching the entire series of Nineties show Twin Peaks.
According to him, Twin Peaks stars, Lara Flynn Boyle and Sherilyn Fenn, are “old-school girls like Elizabeth Taylor”.
“[They] should be working now instead of these anonymous girls.”
Manolo Blahnik also recalled being captivated after bumping into Salma Hayek at an awards show when he was feeling unwell.
“I was waiting to be photographed,” he recounts.
“And I almost fainted on that girl, the tiny woman from France, no, from Mexico… Salma Hayek.”
Salma Hayek’s good looks and glamour clearly made an impression on the designer.
“She’s a sweet girl, beautiful,” he said.
“I love that. This is what I really love: Where are those girls?” Manolo Blahnik wondered aloud.
Anne Hathaway has been nominated for an Oscar for her role in Les Miserables.
Microsoft has become the latest technology company to confirm that it has been targeted by computer hackers.
In a blog post, Microsoft announced that “a small number” of its computers had recently been deliberately infected with malicious software.
The firm said it found no evidence that any customer data had been accessed, but an investigation is continuing.
On Tuesday Apple said its computers were attacked by the same hackers who targeted Facebook a week earlier.
At the time, Facebook said it had traced a cyber attack back to China which had infiltrated employees’ laptops.
In Friday’s blog post, Microsoft spokesman Matt Thomlinson said: “This type of cyberattack is no surprise to Microsoft and other companies that must grapple with determined and persistent adversaries.”
Microsoft has become the latest technology company to confirm that it has been targeted by computer hackers
The Pentagon has grounded its entire fleet of 51 F-35 fighter jets after the discovery of a cracked engine blade.
The fault was detected during a routine inspection of an air force version of the jet (F-35A) at Edwards Air Force Base in California, said the Pentagon.
Different versions are flown by the navy and the marine corps. All have been grounded.
The F-35 is the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons programme. with a cost of nearly $400 billion.
The Pentagon said flight operations would remain suspended until the root cause is established.
The Pentagon has grounded its entire fleet of 51 F-35 fighter jets after the discovery of a cracked engine blade
Friday’s order was the second time in two months planes from the F-35 range have been grounded.
The marine corps variant (F-35B), a short take-off and vertical landing variant (STOVL), was grounded for nearly a month after a manufacturing defect caused a fuel line to detach just before a training flight in January.
The air force version takes off from, and lands on, conventional runways while the STOVL version takes off from shorter runways and lands like a helicopter.
With a top speed of 1,200 mph (1,930 km/h), the F-35 can fly almost twice as fast as the Harrier, while it also has radar transparency and stealth capabilities – the Harrier had neither.
The UK has lost its top AAA credit rating for the first time since 1978 on expectations that growth will “remain sluggish over the next few years”.
Moody’s became the first ratings agency to cut the UK from its highest rating, to Aa1.
It said the UK government’s debt reduction programme faced significant “challenges” ahead.
Chancellor George Osborne said the decision was “a stark reminder of the debt problems facing our country”.
“Far from weakening our resolve to deliver our economic recovery plan, this decision redoubles it,” he added.
“We will go on delivering the plan that has cut the deficit by a quarter.”
The UK has had a top AAA credit rating since 1978 from both Moody’s and S&P.
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said the decision was a “humiliating blow to a prime minister and chancellor who said keeping our AAA rating was the test of their economic and political credibility”.
In announcing the ratings cut, Moody’s cited the “challenges that subdued medium-term growth prospects pose to the government’s fiscal consolidation programme, which will now extend well into the next parliament”.
It added that the UK’s huge debts were unlikely to reverse until 2016.
“The main driver underpinning Moody’s decision to downgrade the UK’s government bond rating to AA1 is the increasing clarity that, despite considerable structural economic strengths, the UK’s economic growth will remain sluggish over the next few years due to the anticipated slow growth of the global economy and the drag on the UK economy,” Moody’s said.
But it added that the outlook for the UK is “stable”, meaning it sees no further downgrades in the near future, and added “the UK’s creditworthiness remains extremely high”.
It will massively increase the pressure on George Osborne, from both those who want him to raise taxes and cut spending further and from those who want him to alter course in next month’s Budget and spend more to try to boost growth.
The UK has lost its top AAA credit rating for the first time since 1978 on expectations that growth will remain sluggish over the next few years
The UK’s net sovereign debt was the equivalent of 68% of the country’s annual economic output, or GDP, at the end of last year.
“The very fact that we didn’t see this downgrade happen in the past few years is a testament to the UK’s credibility,” said Lena Komileva, an economist at G+ Economics.
“There are no magic fixes for this kind of problem. It’s not a question of what the government is willing to do, it is what it can do.”
All three major credit agencies last year put the UK on “negative outlook”, meaning they could downgrade its rating if performance deteriorates.
In his Autumn Statement in December, George Osborne acknowledged public finances were taking longer to rectify than planned, and admitted he would be forced to extend austerity measures by at least another year.
Germany and Canada are the only major economies to currently have a top AAA rating – as much of the world has been shaken by the financial crisis of 2008 and its subsequent debt crises.
A downgrade of a credit rating does not necessarily substantially damage the ability to borrow.
The US – the world’s biggest economy – was downgraded from its AAA rating last year, a move that has not materially changed its borrowing costs.
Moody’s removed France’s AAA rating in November.
The UK has experienced a double-dip recession since 2008. It grew in the third quarter of last year – boosted by the impact of the Olympics, but shrunk again by 0.3% in the last three months of 2012.
Earlier this month, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said the Bank of England should be ready to inject more money into the economy to boost growth.
The Bank has so far pumped £375 billion into the financial system, creating money to buy-back government bonds.
The credibility of ratings agencies have also come under attack. S&P is being sued by the US government over ratings it gave to some mortgage-backed assets in the run-up to the global financial crisis in 2007, which subsequently fell dramatically in value.
Moody’s announcement sent the pound falling further in value, but financial analysts said the impact was likely to be limited because the markets had been expecting a downgrade for some time.
Oscar Pistorius, who faces murder charges over the shooting of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has spent his first night out of custody after being granted bail.
At a pre-trial hearing on Friday, a Pretoria magistrate ruled the state had not made a case that the South African Paralympic champion would flee, or that he had a violent character.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, denies murder, saying he shot Reeva Steenkamp, 29, thinking she was an intruder at his home.
The next hearing is set for June 4.
Oscar Pistorius spent eight nights in a police cell in Pretoria, following his arrest on February 14. After Friday’s ruling granting him bail, he left the court in a silver car pursued by photographers.
The sprinter is staying at his uncle’s house in Pretoria.
Reports say Oscar Pistorius may start training again and hold talks with his coach.
Magistrate Desmond Nair set bail at 1 million rand ($113,000).
Oscar Pistorius was also ordered to hand over his passport, avoid his home in Pretoria and report to a police station every Monday and Friday.
Desmond Nair took almost two hours to deliver his judgement.
The magistrate criticized the testimony of Detective Hilton Botha for not following up important leads and changing his evidence.
Oscar Pistorius, who faces murder charges over the shooting of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has spent his first night out of custody after being granted bail
Desmond Nair also said Oscar Pistorius had “reached out to meet the state’s case” and had given a full version of events at an early stage.
Oscar Pistorius’ family and supporters in the court gasped and cheered as the magistrate announced his decision.
His uncle, Arnold Pistorius, said outside court: “We are relieved by the fact that Oscar got bail today, but at the same time, we are in mourning for Reeva Steenkamp and her family.”
The hearing began on Tuesday and both prosecution and defence laid out their cases.
Both sides agree that Oscar Pistorius shot through the bathroom door four times, hitting and killing Reeva Steenkamp.
But prosecutors allege the shooting happened after the couple had an argument at Oscar Pistorius’s home in the early hours of February 14.
Det. Hilton Botha told the court that witnesses had heard shouting, screaming and gunfire from about 600 m (2,000 ft) away.
But later he changed his evidence to suggest the witnesses were much closer.
And on Thursday it emerged that Det. Hilton Botha faces allegations of attempted murder, and he was removed from the case.
Oscar Pistorius says he woke in the middle of the night, and thought there was an intruder in the bathroom.
The prosecutors sought to portray Oscar Pistorius as man with a history of violence who was likely to flee the country.
But the defence argued it would be impossible for Oscar Pistorius to flee because his prosthetic legs would be noticed wherever he went.
Reeva Steenkamp was a model and law graduate with a burgeoning television career.
Oscar Pistorius won gold medals at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.
In London Oscar Pistorius made history by becoming the first double-amputee to run in the Olympics, making the semi-final of the 400 m.
The US government is expected to join a lawsuit against former cyclist Lance Armstrong after talks with his lawyers broke down.
The suit argues Lance Armstrong defrauded the American public by insisting he was not using drugs while riding for the publicly funded US Postal Service team.
Last month, Lance Armstrong admitted using performance-enhancing drugs during all seven of his Tour de France wins.
The suit, filed by his former team-mate Floyd Landis, aims to recover sponsorship money from Lance Armstrong.
Armstrong’s legal team had tried to convince the US government not to join the so-called “whistleblowing” lawsuit filed by Floyd Landis, who himself admitted using drugs throughout his career.
But a statement by Lance Armstrong’s counsel Robert Luskin said: “Lance and his representatives worked constructively over these last weeks with federal lawyers to resolve this case fairly, but those talks failed because we disagree about whether the Postal Service was damaged.
“The Postal Services’s own studies show that the Service benefited tremendously from its sponsorship – benefits totalling more than $100 million.”
NBC News and the Wall Street Journal are both reporting the US government will now throw its weight behind the suit.
By flagging up allegations of fraud, Floyd Landis could receive a substantial share of any money recovered from Lance Armstrong under the federal False Claims Act.The law, introduced by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, stipulates the person bringing the lawsuit can receive 15-25% of any damages.
The US government is expected to join a lawsuit against Lance Armstrong after talks with his lawyers broke down
Lance Armstrong, 41, ended years of denial in January during an interview with chat show host Oprah Winfrey in which he described doping as part of the process of winning the Tour.
He has since said he will not agree to be interviewed under oath by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
Lance Armstrong was charged by USADA in June 2012 with using performance-enhancing drugs.
He filed a lawsuit against the organisation the following month, accusing it of “corrupt inducements” to other cyclists to testify against him.
However, Lance Armstrong then announced in August that he would not fight the doping charges filed against him, and was given a life ban by USADA and stripped of his Tour de France titles.
Lance Armstrong won seven Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005. The US Postal Service sponsored the team between 1996 and 2004.
China’s environment ministry appears to admit the existence of so-called “cancer villages” after years of public speculation about the impact of pollution in certain areas.
For years campaigners have said cancer rates in some villages near factories and polluted waterways has shot up.
But the term “cancer village” has no technical definition and the ministry’s report did not elaborate on it.
There have been many calls for China to be more transparent on pollution.
The latest report from the environment ministry is entitled “Guard against and control risks presented by chemicals to the environment during the 12th Five-Year period (2011-2015)”.
It says that the widespread production and consumption of harmful chemicals forbidden in many developed nations are still found in China.
“The toxic chemicals have caused many environmental emergencies linked to water and air pollution,” it said.
The report goes on to acknowledge that such chemicals could pose a long-term risk to human health, making a direct link to the so-called “cancer villages”.
“There are even some serious cases of health and social problems like the emergence of cancer villages in individual regions,” it said.
China’s environment ministry appears to admit the existence of so-called “cancer villages” after years of public speculation about the impact of pollution in certain areas
China has experienced rapid development, stories about so-called cancer villages have become more frequent.
And China has witnessed growing public anger over air pollution and industrial waste caused by industrial development.
Media coverage of conditions in these so-called “cancer villages” has been widespread. In 2009, one Chinese journalist published a map identifying dozens of apparently affected villages.
In 2007, one scientist found high levels of poisonous heavy metals in the water and believed there was a direct connection between incidences of cancer and mining in the area.
Until now, there has been little comment from the government on such allegations.
Environmental lawyer Wang Canfa, who runs a pollution aid centre in Beijing, told the AFP news agency that it was the first time the “cancer village” phrase had appeared in a ministry document.
Last month – Beijing – and several other cities – were blanketed in smog that soared past levels considered hazardous by the World Health Organization.
The choking pollution provoked a public outcry and led to a highly charged debate about the costs of the country’s rapid economic development.
It has been reported that Kanye West has refused to appear in anymore episodes of Keeping Up With The Kardashians reality show in fear that it will tarnish his image.
Sources have told Radaronline.com that Kanye West’s management have told him that it makes him “look cheap”.
“Kanye has made it perfectly clear to Kim that he doesn’t want to appear at all on Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” an insider told Radaronline.com.
“He has made several brief appearances on the Kardashian reality shows, but wants nothing to do with future filming.
“Kanye’s team believes it’s bad for his image and brand to appear on a reality show because it makes him look cheap.
“And, Kim isn’t pushing the issue at all as she knows Kanye won’t bend on it.”
Kim Kardashian reportedly begged her former boyfriend, NFL football player Reggie Bush, to feature on her show while they were dating, but has apparently backed off when it comes to Kanye West in fear that it could cause problems in their relationship.
“It’s such a departure for Kim because she constantly nagged Reggie Bush when they were dating for him to come on the show. He just refused, and it was one of the reasons why they broke up,” the sourced added.
“Kim will probably be able to talk Kanye into doing several cameos, but that will be it.”
Kanye West has refused to appear in anymore episodes of Keeping Up With The Kardashians reality show in fear that it will tarnish his image
The news comes as Kim Kardashian recently told DuJour magazine that Kanye West had taught her “a lot about privacy”.
“I’m ready to be a little less open about some things, like my relationships,” Kim Kardashian added.
“I’m realizing everyone doesn’t need to know everything. I’m shifting my priorities.”
The interview prompted speculation that Kim Kardashian might make a departure from her reality show and would be leaving the “Kardashian bubble”.
However, Kim Kardashian quickly insisted this week that she would not be leaving her Keeping Up With The Kardashians show after season nine.
Addressing rumors that she would be giving up the series, Kim Kardashian admitted she didn’t know where life would take her, but said she is “staying on through at least season 10” on her blog on Wednesday.
Kim Kardashian wrote: “As everyone knows, we are extremely proud of the show and all of us are staying on through at least season 10. The show remains to be my number 1 priority and it’s a big part of my life and I enjoy every moment of it.
“It has given me such a rare opportunity to share more of my life with all of you and has brought my family closer to each other. I’m looking forward to the new season and beyond.”
The reality star added: “The fact is that I have many goals that I still need to reach and accomplish and I (like so many of you) don’t know where my life will be in the next couple of years, but I’m looking forward to continuing this journey.”
The popular E! show is currently airing its seventh season.
It had been suggested that Kim Kardashian may want to leave the show following the birth of her first child with Kanye West, after claiming her baby will not appear on television.
“I think there’s always an evolution of, you know, what you want to do in life,” Kim told DuJour Magazine.
“It’s all about finding things that really excite you and motivate you and spark you all over again.
“I’m realizing that no matter what, if you go into something with all these expectations and plans, once you’re actually living it, it could be completely different.”
Model Amber Rose has shared her baby boy Sebastian Taylor Thomaz first picture with her Twitter fans.
Amber Rose, 29, posted a picture of her new son, Sebastian “The Bash” Taylor Thomaz being cradled by his father Wiz Khalifa, 25.
She tweeted the photograph of her fiancé in the early hours of Friday morning, adding: “Best daddy ever…. Up with the baby so Muva can go back to sleep :-)”
Wiz Khalifa, whose real name is Cameron Jibril Thomaz, was pictured looking tired and emotional as he held the newborn tot all wrapped up in a white blanket.
He stayed cosy in a pinked floral hooded top as he stood over the child’s cot in the hospital room.
Meanwhile Wiz Khalifa revealed that his partner’s first request after getting over the fuss around her giving birth was for some whiskey.
He posted online: “My wife said she just wants a Jacc & coke, a cheesesteak, and a cigarette. That’s why I’m marrying that woman!”
Amber Rose and Wiz Khalifa welcomed their “perfect” first child into the world on Thursday.
Amber Rose posted a picture of her new son, Sebastian “The Bash” Taylor Thomaz being cradled by his father Wiz Khalifa
North Korean mobile phone provider Koryolink is planning to launch a 3G data service for foreign visitors and residents from abroad.
Egyptian telecoms firm Orascom, which is a partner in Koryolink, estimates that more than 1 million North Koreans use mobile phones.
They will not be able to use the new service, according to reports.
Orascom launched a 3G phone network inside North Korea in 2008, but users can only use it to make phone calls.
International calls, including calls to South Korea, are banned.
North Korean mobile phone provider Koryolink is planning to launch a 3G data service for foreign visitors and residents from abroad
In January 2013 North Korean government began allowing foreign visitors to bring their own mobile devices into the country with them for the first time.
Following a recent visit to the notoriously closed country, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt wrote in a blog post that North Korea’s decision to isolate itself “is very much going to affect their physical world and their economic growth.”
Eric Schmidt added that it would be “very easy” for 3G internet access to be enabled on the existing service.
Current internet access is extremely limited for locals, with most people only having access to a small number of state-run pages.
Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is well enough to return to prison after spending nine months in hospital, the Ukrainian health ministry has said.
Yulia Tymoshenko was being treated for back problems after being jailed in 2011 for abuse of office.
Her supporters regard that conviction as politically motivated.
Last year Yulia Tymoshenko claimed to be too ill to attend court proceedings relating to a separate charge of misappropriation of public funds.
The Ukrainian authorities are also investigating allegations against her of tax evasion and involvement in murder.
Yulia Tymoshenko’s conviction for abuse of office relates to a gas deal she signed with Russia as prime minister in 2009, which critics said paid Russia too high a price.
Her supporters say the former prime minister was jailed to prevent her being a political threat to Viktor Yanukovych, the current president.
Ukraine’s former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko is well enough to return to prison after spending nine months in hospital
Yulia Tymoshenko remains a popular politician despite her imprisonment, after coming second to Viktor Yanukovych in the 2010 presidential election.
She was a face of Ukraine’s pro-democracy Orange Revolution alongside Viktor Yanukovych’s long-time rival Viktor Yushchenko.
Correspondents say the health ministry’s announcement will make it difficult for Yulia Tymoshenko to avoid appearing in court.
Previously Yulia Tymoshenko has boycotted trial proceedings against her, and has also staged hunger strikes in protest at conditions in prison and alleged election fraud.
Steve Tyler has revealed on Australian show 60 Minutes he spent $6 million on drugs, admitting: “You could say I snorted half of Peru.”
Steve Tyler, 65, who with guitarist Joe Perry was known as one of the Toxic Twins, said he estimated he had shoveled millions up his nose in the years – controversially less than the $20 million than had rumored.
Aerosmith frontman said he spent: “Realistically, 5 or 6 [million]. But it doesn’t matter. You also could say I snorted half of Peru, but it doesn’t matter.”
Steve Tyler had been sober for more than two decades until he became addicted to prescription drugs in 2009, although he later was successful with treatment.
He became addicted to drugs in the late 1970s and continued to take illegal substances until 1986 when he received treatment.
In the interview, to be aired on Australian TV this week, Steve Tyler reveals his relationship with Joe Perry has improved since they famously fell out over the rocker’s stint on American Idol – they made up when Steve quit the band.
Without the drugs Steve Tyler is still no stranger to controversy after he made some remarks over fellow judge Nicki Minaj’s competence in December.
Steve Tyler has revealed on Australian show 60 Minutes he spent $6 million on drugs
Nicki Minaj then lashed out at the Aerosmith rocker – who she replaced on the panel of the talent show – after he questioned her suitability, claiming she would’ve passed on legendary musician Bob Dylan if he auditioned.
At the time Steve Tyler said: “It was a moment, I’m sorry if it was taken wrong. But I’m the furthest from a racist.
“I’m not sure how she got that from me saying <<I’m not sure she would have judged Bob Dylan>>.
“I was just saying if Bob Dylan came on the show he would have been thrown off. Maybe I spoke out of turn but a racist I’m not.”
Nicki Minaj, 29, was furious when Steven Tyler insisted she would have turned down Bob Dylan if he auditioned for American Idol and took to twitter to blast the Aerosmith frontman.
Taking to the social networking website she wrote: “Steven Tyler said I would have sent Bob Dylan to a cornfield??? Steven, you haven’t seen me judge one single solitary contestant yet.
“I understand you really wanted to keep your job but take that up with the producers. I haven’t done anything to you. That’s a racist comment.
“You assume that I wouldn’t have liked Bob Dylan??? why? black? rapper? what? go f*** yourself and worry about yourself babe. LOL lets make him a shirt that says <<No Coloreds Allowed>>.”
Kenneth Cherry, aka Kenny Clutch, the driver of a Maserati who was killed in a drive-by shooting on the Las Vegas Strip on Thursday, bragged about stashing a gun in his $120,000 Italian sports car.
Kenneth Cherry was killed when men inside a black Range Rover opened fire on his car while he was sitting at a red light. He accelerated into the intersection and crashed into a taxi.
Cab driver Michael Boldon and his passenger died when the taxi burst into flames. Family members said Michael Boldon had recently moved to Las Vegas to take care of his ailing mother.
Police say the shooting was the result of a fight that erupted in the nearby Aria Resort and Casino that escalated into violence.
Despite initial reports that the chaos on the Strip was the result of a gunfight, authorities are now saying neither Kenneth Cherry nor his passenger fired any shots and that the attack was a drive-by shooting.
The gunmen, driving a Range Rover with black rims, tinted windows and a temporary paper license plate, are still at large.
The shooting took place just two blocks from the spot where rapper Tupac Shakur was infamously gunned down in a drive-by shooting in 1992 on the Las Vegas Strip.
Kenny Clutch was only beginning his rap career when he was killed.
He posted two videos on YouTube last year and each had gained only a few thousand views.
In Stay Schemin, Kenny Clutch rapped about hiding a pistol in his Maserati. Police didn’t say whether Kenneth Cherry was armed the night of the shooting.
“Maserati. Paid 120 for it. Stash box ‘cuz you know I got that semi for it,” he sings.
Kenneth Cherry, aka Kenny Clutch, the driver of a Maserati who was killed in a drive-by shooting on the Las Vegas Strip on Thursday, bragged about stashing a gun in his $120,000 Italian sports car
The gunfire broke about 4:20 a.m. PST when at least one person in the Range Rover opened fire. Several people were inside the vehicle, according to police.
Kenny Clutch’s Maserati sped through the intersection and crashing into a taxi cab, which burst into flames.
The driver of the Maserati, as well as the taxi driver and a passenger in the cab were killed in the fiery crash, police said. One witness said it was like a scene out of Die Hard.
Now authorities are trying to track down the gunman, who remains at large after fleeing the scene. Officials say the shooter remains armed and dangerous.
In a press conference this morning, Las Vegas Police Sgt. John Sheahan said the attack was not a rolling gun battle as previously described, saying that the cars were all stopped at a red light.
Sgt. John Sheahan said police have video from traffic cameras at the intersection where the shooting occurred on Thursday.
“We have a lot of pieces to put together to establish a timeline as to why this confrontation occurred,” he said.
TheLas Vegas Review-Journal reports that the high-speed gun battle could have started as a dispute at a nearby casino.
LVMPD officials are still searching for the gunman and the high-end SUV after it fled the scene of the deadly accident. They said the SUV has black rims and tinted windows.
The identities of the three victims have not yet been released, though it was revealed that the driver of the Maserati was male.
Las Vegas Boulevard is currently shut down as the LVMPD continues their investigation.
The intersection is surrounded by some of the most famous casinos on the Strip, including the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, and Bally’s, and is a popular area for tourists.
A spokesman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Jeremy Handel, issued a statement reassuring people that much is being done to keep them safe.
“Recent incidents, while unfortunate, were isolated events,” he said.
Las Vegas is among the safest travel destinations in the world and utilizes the most advanced technology and training to maintain a secure environment.
The shooting is the latest in a series of violent actions on the tourist corridor since the beginning of the year.
Two people were critically wounded in a shooting at a parking garage February 6, and a tourist was stabbed in an elevator at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay February 16.
Rapper Pitbull has seen Lindsay Lohan’s lawsuit against him quashed in court.
Lindsay Lohan sued Pitbull in 2011 for using her name in his hit song Give Me Everything when he used the line: “I got it locked up like Lindsay Lohan.”
The actress claimed Pitbull never got permission to use her name and shouldn’t profit from its use.
But on Thursday – according to TMZ – a New York federal judge ruled that Lindsay Lohan wrong because the song is a work of art protected by the first.
Lindsay Lohan, 26, was recently accused of ruining the $1,750 designer dress she borrowed for a glitzy New York gala earlier this month.
She wore a floor-length gold and silver beaded gown by Theia Coture to an amfAR fundraiser on February 6.
But a photo of the gown obtained by US Weekly appears to show the same gown cut into a mini dress before its return to the designer.
Lindsay Lohan sued Pitbull in 2011 for using her name in his hit song Give Me Everything
