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Reeva Steenkamp: Who is Oscar Pistorius girlfriend?

Sports

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Feb 14, 2013

Reeva Steenkamp: Who is Oscar Pistorius girlfriend?

Reeva Steenkamp, the girlfriend of “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius, had her promising young life cut tragically short today after she was allegedly shot dead by the Paralympian at his mansion.

Reeva Steenkamp, 29, was about to embark on the next stage of her dynamic and varied career as a TV star when she was killed in what may have been a Valentine’s Day surprise that went horribly wrong.

She was shot in the head, the chest and the arm at around 4:00 a.m. this morning, South African police have said.

Oscar Pistorius, who reportedly may have mistaken her for a burglar, will appear in court charged with her murder later this morning.

Reeva Steenkamp’s publicist, Sarit Tomlinson, said the couple had been together for a “couple of months” in what had been a “healthy, fabulous relationship”.

Sarit Tomlinson told Sky News: “She was the sweetest human being and an absolute angel on earth. She was the kindest, most unbelievable girl.

“At the moment it’s shocking. No-one knows what’s happened. She was a rising star. There was so much in the pipeline for her: she was just about to explode into the media.

“She was a very talented, very bright young girl. It’s too shocking for words. It is a huge loss for everyone and our condolences go out to her family. It is about them right now.”

Just yesterday, Reeva Steenkamp spoke excitedly on Twitter about her plans for Valentine’s Day.

She said: “What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? #getexcited #ValentinesDay.”

Replying to a follower, Reeva Steenkamp later added: “That sounds amazing! Wow that’s what it’s all about! It should be a day of love for everyone 🙂 may it be blessed!”

Just last Sunday Reeva Steenkamp was quoted in a local newspaper as saying that Oscar Pistorius was “an impeccable man who always has her best interests at heart”.

And on February 1, Reeva Steenkamp tweeted to Oscar Pistorius telling him he was “beautiful”.

She wrote: “He certainly doesn’t need more followers but he’s beautiful to look at & says some smart stuff too ;)”

This weekend, Reeva Steenkamp was set to star in South African reality television series Tropika Island Of Treasure, in which celebrities and ordinary people compete in remote, exotic locations in a variety of daily challenges.

On the show’s website, a tribute to Reeva Steenkamp says: “We are deeply saddened and extend our condolences to Reeva’s family and friends.”

Reeva Steenkamp, the girlfriend of “Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius, had her promising young life cut tragically short today after she was allegedly shot dead by the Paralympian at his mansion

Reeva Steenkamp was born in Cape Town on August 19, 1983, and moved to Port Elizabeth as a child.

She graduated with a law degree, but made a dynamic career change after being scouted and named the first face of cosmetics giant Avon South Africa.

Reeva Steenkamp moved to Johannesburg six years ago and since then has travelled between the city and Cape Town to film and shoot some of South Africa’s leading campaigns and commercials.

Toyota, FHM, Clover and Italian brand Zui are some of the more prestigious clients she has worked for.

With a background in TV presenting – she was once the live roaming presenter for FashionTV in South Africa – Reeva Steenkamp had recently been working on some major projects that include smaller TV roles as well as a lead in a new reality TV show.

According to her Facebook page, Reeva Steenkamp had a passion for cars and cooking and prefers to read a book on her off days and spend quality time with friends and family.

She described herself on Twitter as “SA Model, FHM Cover Girl, Tropika Island of Treasure Celeb Contestant, Law Graduate, Ambassador, Child of God”.

Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp were first spotted at the South African Sports Awards last year.

At the time, she claimed she and Oscar Pistorius were just friends.

The Johannesburg-born sportsman was born without fibulas in his legs and had his limbs amputated below the knee when he was just 11 months old.

But he has become one of the worlds’ most recognizable sportsmen. His trademark carbon-fibre running blades mean he revels in the moniker “the fastest man on no legs”.

Oscar Pistorius is first double amputee to run in the Olympics and to reach the 400 semi-finals in London 2012.

Perhaps due in part to his sudden financial and sporting success, Oscar Pistorius has a notoriously complex love life.

Before he got together with Reeva Steenkamp, Pistorius had spent a year-and-a-half dating Cape Town marketing student Samantha Taylor.

But even while he was with Samantha Taylor, he was linked with numerous other women, including Russian model Anastassia Khozissova.

Oscar Pistorius was first seen with Reeva Steenkamp at an awards ceremony in South Africa last November. At the time, the FHM model said the pair were “just friends’.

But when it became clear that Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp were in fact dating, the sportsman’s then ex Samantha Taylor said: “Oscar has such a way with women. She’s probably not the only one he’s got.”

Samantha Taylor went on to tell South Africa’s City Press newspaper: “Oscar is certainly not what people think he is.”

Oscar Pistorius, 26, has a history of risk taking and also, reportedly, of violence.

In November last year, the sportsman reportedly “threatened to break the legs” of the friend of a man whom he believed had slept with his then girlfriend, who is not Reeva Steenkamp.

According to newspaper reports, Oscar Pistorius approached South African football player Marc Batchelor in the VIP room of a horse racing track and verbally threatened him.

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Donald Trump slams Beyonce’s Super Bowl performance on Howard Stern Show

Entertainment

Lisa.Felice

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Feb 14, 2013

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Donald Trump slams Beyonce’s Super Bowl performance on Howard Stern Show

Donald Trump slammed Beyonce’s Super Bowl performance as “ridiculous” and “inappropriate”.

Appearing on the Howard Stern Show, Donald Trump, 66, said Beyonce was too “suggestive” for a national audience.

“When Beyonce was thrusting her hips forward in a very suggestive manner, if someone else would have done that it would have been a national scandal,” Donald Trump said.

“I thought it was ridiculous … I thought it was not appropriate.”

Beyonce’s performance was heavily praised by music critics, despite the unflattering photographs that emerged afterwards of her making particularly aggressive faces while she danced.

Donald Trump said he thought it was strange that no one else has criticized her for her scandalous dance moves.

“There’s been no mention of it,” the media mogul said.

“So obviously, it must not have been so bad. She gets a pass.”

Donald Trump slammed Beyonce's Super Bowl performance as ridiculous and inappropriate — Donald Trump slammed Beyonce’s Super Bowl performance as ridiculous and inappropriate

Donald Trump isn’t shy about making his opinions known on other celebrities and well-known personalities.

His targets in the past have included actress Kristen Stewart and Huffington Post President Arianna Huffington.

“Robert Pattinson should not take back Kristen Stewart,” Donald Trump wrote on Twitter in October.

“She cheated on him like a dog & will do it again – just watch. He can do much better!”

Donald Trump called Arianna Huffington “unattractive inside and out”.

“I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man – he made a good decision,” Donald Trump wrote on Twitter in August.

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American Airlines and US Airways merger creates the world’s biggest airline

Clyde K. Valle

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Feb 14, 2013

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American Airlines and US Airways merger creates the world’s biggest airline

American Airlines and US Airways are to announce their official merge to become the world’s biggest airline after the boards of both companies approved the deal late Wednesday.

The new carrier will keep the American Airlines name but will be run by US Airways CEO Doug Parker. American Airline’s CEO Tom Horton will serve as chairman of the new company until mid-2014.

The merger caps a turbulent period of bankruptcies and consolidation that will leave the U.S. airline industry dominated by four big carriers – American, United, Delta and Southwest.

Together the four companies will control almost 75% of U.S. airline traffic.

The deal has been in the works since August, when creditors forced American to consider a merger rather than remain independent.

American has been restructuring under bankruptcy protection since late 2011. Creditors and possibly the shareholders of AMR, American Airline’s parent company, will own 72% of the stock, and US Airways Group Inc. shareholders will get the rest.

A formal announcement is expected Thursday morning.

Travelers on American and US Airways won’t notice immediate changes.

It likely will be months before the frequent-flier programs are merged, and possibly years before the two airlines are fully combined.

When that happens, American’s presence will grow in key East Coast markets including New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Washington’s Reagan National Airport.

The merger will add US Airways hubs in Charlotte, Philadelphia and Phoenix to American’s in Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Miami, New York and Los Angeles.

US Airways would boost American’s service to Europe and the Latin America-Caribbean market but wouldn’t fix American’s weakness on routes to Asia.

American Airlines and US Airways are to announce their official merge to become the world's biggest airline after the boards of both companies approved the deal late Wednesday — American Airlines and US Airways are to announce their official merge to become the world’s biggest airline after the boards of both companies approved the deal late Wednesday

Just five years ago, American was the world’s biggest airline.

It boasted a history reaching back 80 years to the beginning of air travel. It had popularized the frequent-flier program and developed the modern system of pricing airline tickets to match demand.

But years of heavy losses drove American and parent AMR Corp. into bankruptcy protection in late 2011. The company blamed bloated labor costs; its unions accused executives of mismanagement.

The merger is a stunning achievement for Doug Parker and his management team at US Airways, based in Tempe, Arizona.

Just a few years ago, they were running a mid-sized carrier called America West Airlines when they bought the old US Airways out of bankruptcy.

Doug Parker’s airline is only half the size of American and is less familiar around the world, but he prevailed by driving a wedge between American’s management and its union workers and by convincing American’s creditors that a merger made business sense.

Despite its smaller size, US Airways has prospered in the last several years, earning a record profit of $637 million last year.

American Airlines’ Tom Horton professed no interest in thinking about a merger until his company was out of bankruptcy court, but his creditors pressured him to reconsider.

American Airlines lost more than $12 billion between 2001 and 2010.

It has lost another $2.8 billion since it filed for bankruptcy protection in November 2011 – a period in which US Airways earned about $650 million. Some analysts and creditors called for new management at American Airlines.

Bob Herbst, a financial analyst who studies airlines, said American Airlines has failed to adapt to changes in the industry since consolidation began in the middle of the last decade. He said American Airlines was fixated on gaining market share rather than on profitability.

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Lady Gaga undergoes emergency hip surgery and cancels the rest of her Born This Way Ball tour

Entertainment

Lisa.Felice

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Feb 14, 2013

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Lady Gaga undergoes emergency hip surgery and cancels the rest of her Born This Way Ball tour

Lady Gaga has decided to cancel the rest of her Born This Way Ball tour to undergo emergency surgery.

Lady Gaga, 26, has been forced to cancel all 25 remaining U.S. dates, after suffering a severe injury to her right hip that has been causing her chronic pain.

A statement was posted on Lady Gaga’s official website on Wednesday saying: “Live Nation Global Touring has confirmed that the remainder of the Lady Gaga Born This Way Ball performances have been cancelled.

“After additional tests this morning to review the severity of the issue, it has been determined that Lady Gaga has a labral tear of the right hip. She will need surgery to repair the problem, followed by strict down time to recover.

“This unfortunately, will force her to cancel the tour, so she can heal. Refunds for the cancelled performances will be available at point of purchase starting Feb 14, 2013.”

The announcement came just one day after Lady Gaga issued a public apology after initially cancelling four shows due the injury and revealed she can barely walk due to the inflammation of her joints, known as synovitis.

Lady Gaga has decided to cancel the rest of her Born This Way Ball tour to undergo emergency surgery

The singer said: “I barely know what to say. I’ve been hiding a show injury and chronic pain for some time now, [and] over the past month it has worsened. I’ve been praying it would heal.

“I hid it from my staff. I didn’t want to disappoint my amazing fans. However, after last night’s performance I could not walk and still can’t.”

Lady Gaga admitted she is “devastated” about the cancellation and sought forgiveness from her fans, saying: “I hope you can forgive me, as it is nearly impossible for me to forgive myself. I’m devastated & sad. It will hopefully heal as soon as possible. I hate this. I hate this so much. I love you and I’m sorry.”
Lady Gaga world tour began in Seoul, South Korea on April 27, 2012 and was originally due to end in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on March 20, 2013.

Horsemeat detected in German lasagne

Kathryn R. Bown

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Feb 14, 2013

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Horsemeat has been detected in frozen lasagne on sale in Germany and supermarkets have started removing the product from their shelves.

Real supermarket chain said it had withdrawn TiP frozen lasagne – the latest tainted processed food to figure in a Europe-wide scandal.

Other German retailers including Tengelmann and Rewe are now checking their processed beef products too.

The EU Commission is urging member states to conduct random tests for horsemeat.

All EU members should carry out DNA tests on processed beef for traces of horsemeat for three months from March 1, the health commissioner said on Wednesday.

Horsemeat has been detected in frozen lasagne on sale in Germany and supermarkets have started removing the product from their shelves

Large Hadron Collider shut down for two years

James J. Williams

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Feb 14, 2013

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Large Hadron Collider shut down for two years

Particle accelerator Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has turned off its particle beams ahead of a shut-down period that will last two years.

The LHC is best known for its role in spotting the Higgs boson in late 2012.

But following technical faults shortly after it first switched on, the machine has never been run at the full energies for which it was designed.

A programme of repairs and upgrades should allow that in late 2014.

The LHC’s beams were “dumped” early on Thursday morning, but it will take until Saturday morning for the machine’s 1,734 magnets to warm up to room temperature.

Then an unprecedented period of upgrade and repair – dubbed “Long Shutdown 1” – will begin.

The machine ran at particle energies of 8 trillion electron-volts (TeV) in 2012, up from the prior high point of 7TeV in 2011. But when the shutdown concludes, slated for the end of November 2014, it should be set to run at 13TeV – far and away the highest-energy collisions ever attempted by scientists.

The LHC is best known for its role in spotting the Higgs boson in late 2012

The major work required is to upgrade the connections between the magnets, such that they can handle the enormous electrical currents that may pass through them at higher particle energies and in the event of faults such as the one in 2008.

But the shutdown maintenance schedule also includes upgrades to all four of the LHC’s detectors, the shielding of electronics – even the ventilation system of the 27 km-long tunnel that houses the main accelerator ring.

The shutdown is due to conclude in late November 2014, after which the system will be put through its paces and experiments are expected to resume in February or March 2015.

Oscar Pistorius shoots dead girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria

Clyde K. Valle

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Feb 14, 2013

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Oscar Pistorius shoots dead girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home in Pretoria

South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, aka blade runner, has been arrested over the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, at his home in Pretoria, local media say.

Police said a 26-year-old man, who they have not named, was in custody and a case of murder was being investigated.

The precise circumstances surrounding the incident are unclear. Reports say he may have mistaken her for a burglar.

Oscar Pistorius, 26, is known as the “blade runner”, and was the first double amputee to run in the Olympics.

The suspect is expected to appear in court later on Thursday, reports say.

The news that he may have killed his girlfriend will shock the country as Oscar Pistorius is regarded as one of South Africa’s national icons.

The incident is said to have taken place between 04:00 and 05:00 local time.

South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, aka blade runner, has been arrested over the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, at his home in Pretoria

A police statement said that a 30-year-old woman was “fatally wounded” in the early hours of Thursday morning at a home in the Silverlakes complex in the Boschkop area of the capital.

Reeva Steenkamp had been wounded in her head and upper body. Paramedics were at the house when police arrived, but she died at the scene. A 9 mm pistol was recovered.

Police gave no further details about the woman’s alleged relationship with Oscar Pistorius.

Reeva Steenkamp, 30, a former FHM model who has been dating Oscar Pistorius for two months.

South Africa has among the highest rates of crime in the world and many residents keep weapons to protect themselves against intruders.

But the country also has a careful vetting process before awarding gun licences, said Erika Gibson of Beeld newspaper.

Oscar Pistorius races wearing carbon fibre prosthetic blades after he was born without a fibula in both legs and had both legs amputated below the knee before his first birthday.

He reached the 400 m semi-finals in the London 2012 Olympics. At the Paralympics he won silver in the T44 200 m, gold in the 4×100 relay and gold in the T44 400 m, setting a Paralympic record.

For years he dominated in his category at successive Paralympic Games.

In 2008 Oscar Pistorius won a legal battle over his blades with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) for the right to compete in able-bodied competitions.

The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee said it had been inundated with questions over the incident, but was in no position to comment.

The International Paralympic Committee also declined to comment on the matter as a police investigation was under way.

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No radiation detected following North Korea nuclear test

James J. Williams

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Feb 14, 2013

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No radiation detected following North Korea nuclear test

South Korean experts have not detected any radioactive isotopes from North Korea’s nuclear test, hampering efforts to assess the device.

Eight samples had been analyzed but nothing found, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission said.

Finding certain isotopes – xenon gases in particular – would help experts determine whether a plutonium or uranium-based device was used.

But a well-contained test could yield no radioactive isotopes, experts say.

South Korean planes and ships were sent out immediately after the test to collect samples, as was a Japanese plane.

“Two days since the North’s nuclear test, the commission has completed analyzing eight samples, but no radioactive isotopes have been discovered as of 15:00 Thursday,” the commission said.

No changes had been recorded at 122 unmanned radiation monitoring systems across the country, it added.

North Korea said on Tuesday that it had carried out an underground nuclear test, which it claimed involved a miniaturized but more powerful device.

Seismic activity triggered by the test at the Punggye-ri site in the north-east of the country was detected by several nations.

The UN Security Council has condemned the test – North Korea’s third, following tests in 2006 and 2009 – and promised action.

Xenon isotopes were detected after the first test but not after the second. Experts say finding it can be a matter of luck and has to be done quickly because it decays rapidly.

North Korea’s first two tests involved plutonium, but it is believed to have a uranium-enrichment programme.

While it has depleted its stocks of “reactor-grade” plutonium needed to make the weapons-grade variety, the country has plentiful reserves of uranium ore.

South Korean experts have not detected any radioactive isotopes from North Korea's nuclear test, hampering efforts to assess the device — South Korean experts have not detected any radioactive isotopes from North Korea’s nuclear test, hampering efforts to assess the device

North Korea’s neighbors and the US, meanwhile, are working to coordinate a response to the test.

On Thursday South Korea’s military conducted exercises on both coasts, Yonhap news agency said, while the defence ministry unveiled a missile that it said could hit “precise targets” like “windows of a North Korean command office”.

The National Assembly also adopted a resolution condemning the nuclear test. The two Koreas are still technically at war following the armistice of 1953 that ended armed conflict on the Korean peninsula.

Amid a flurry of diplomatic activity over the issue, US President Barack Obama spoke on the phone with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for about 20 minutes, according to Kyodo news agency.

“They pledged to work closely together to seek significant action at the United Nations Security Council and to co-operate on measures aimed at impeding North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes,” the White House said in a statement.

The Australian government, meanwhile, has also decided to postpone a visit by North Korean diplomats exploring the possibility of reopening an embassy in the capital, Canberra, this weekend, because of the test.

“We postponed the arrival of North Korean diplomats in Australia as a gesture following this detonation,” Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr said.

Bob Carr, however, added that there are still plans to re-establish the embassy, saying that “there’s value in having a North Korean diplomatic presence here”.

North Korea closed its embassy there in 2008 due to financial issues.

Israel confirms Prisoner X Ben Zygier arrest for the first time

Middle East News

Roy Siemens

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Feb 14, 2013

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Israel confirms Prisoner X Ben Zygier arrest for the first time

Israel has confirmed it imprisoned Prisoner X, an Australian-Israeli man under a false identity, for security reasons, and that he died in custody.

The justice ministry did not name the man – previously known as Prisoner X, and recently identified by Australian media as Ben Zygier – but said his family was notified of his detention.

Ben Zygier was held following a court order and his rights were upheld, it added.

The ministry also stated that the man killed himself inside his cell in 2010.

On Wednesday, Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr ordered a review of how diplomats handled the detention of Mr Zygier, who is believed to have worked for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.

On Thursday, Bob Carr told a parliamentary committee that Canberra had been informed of Ben Zygier’s detention in February 2010.

Australia was told through intelligence channels that he had been detained “in relation to serious offences under Israeli national security legislation”.

He “would be treated in accordance with his lawful rights as an Israeli citizen”, Australia was told. No request for consular support was received, Bob Carr said.

Speculation about the existence and identity of Prisoner X has been rife since reports of his death broke in the Israeli media two years ago, despite strict reporting restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities.

The statement published by the Israeli justice ministry on Wednesday evening gave only a few new details about the case.

“For security reasons, the prisoner was held under a pseudonym, but his family was notified of the arrest immediately,” it said.

“The prisoner was held in jail under a warrant issued by a court. The proceedings were overseen by senior officials in the justice ministry and he was duly represented in all the proceedings against him.”

The statement added that he “was found dead in his cell two years ago” and that a closed-door inquiry into the death was ordered at the time.

The justice ministry said the investigation concluded six weeks ago that the cause of the prisoner’s death was suicide, but that the judge recommended that the state “pursue a negligence investigation”.

“National security prevents the release of any other details in this case.”

Israel has confirmed it imprisoned Prisoner X, an Australian-Israeli man under a false identity, for security reasons, and that he died in custody

The identity of Prisoner X was revealed on Tuesday by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which named him as Ben Zygier.

According to its report, he was an active member of Melbourne’s Jewish community before emigrating to Israel in 2000 and serving in the army.

At the time of his death, Ben Zygier was 34 and married to an Israeli woman and had two children.

He is known to have gone by the Hebrew name of Ben Alon in Israel and also carried an Australian passport bearing the name Ben Allen. Fairfax said he had also called himself Benjamin Burrows.

The reason for Ben Zygier’s arrest and imprisonment in Israel is not known, but ABC said it understood he had been recruited by Mossad.

Australia’s Fairfax Media reported on Wednesday that months before he was arrested in Israel, Ben Zygier was being investigated by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) on suspicion of fraudulently using his passport for espionage purposes.

Ben Zygier was found hanged in a cell on 15 December 2010, months after he “disappeared”, and his body was flown to Melbourne for burial the following week, ABC added.

When the story about Prisoner X first emerged, Israeli media said the unidentified man was being held incommunicado at Ayalon Prison, a maximum security facility in central Israel.

ABC said his cell was fitted with surveillance cameras designed to prevent suicide.

The reason for his detention was not disclosed and his identification was so secret that even his guards did not know who he was, it reported.

An Israeli opposition MP said he agreed that the government’s actions were likely to have been in the interests of national security.

“In general I understand it, but practically I think the government took some steps that may irritate anyone who cares for freedom of expression,” Nachman Shai of the Labour party added.

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Apple loses iPhone trademark in Brazil

Science & Technology

Nancy Clayson

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Feb 13, 2013

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Apple does not have exclusive rights to use the “iPhone” trademark in Brazil, local regulators have ruled today.

Apple has already lodged an appeal against the decision with the Brazilian regulators.

The ruling is the result of a local company, Gradiente Eletronica, registering the name in 2000, seven years before the US firm.

Apple can continue to sell iPhone-branded handsets in Brazil.

But the decision means that Gradiente has an option of suing for exclusivity in Latin America’s biggest market.

The Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) said its decision only applied to handsets, and that the California-based company continued to have exclusive rights to use the iPhone name elsewhere including on clothing, in software and across publications.

INPI added that Apple had argued that it should have been given full rights since Gradiente had not released a product using the iPhone name until December 2012.

Gradiente Eletronica registered iPhone name in Brazil in 2000, seven years before Apple

Apple is asking the INPI to cancel Gradiente’s registration through expiration – it is arguing that the Brazilian firm did not use the name between January 2008 and January 2013.

The Manaus-headquartered company now sells its Android-powered iPhone Neo One for 599 reals ($304).

Bloomberg previously reported that the chairman of Gradiente had said: “We’re open to a dialogue for anything, anytime… we’re not radicals.”

Apple’s most recent financial results revealed its cash reserves had grown to $137 billion.

The company’s manufacturing partner, Foxconn, currently produces iPhones and iPads among other equipment at its facilities in Brazil.

John Galliano wears Hasidic outfit at Oscar de la Renta’s New York Fashion Week show

Fashion & Style

Lisa.Felice

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Feb 13, 2013

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John Galliano wears Hasidic outfit at Oscar de la Renta’s New York Fashion Week show

John Galliano made his return to the fashion world yesterday with an outfit that resembled Hasidic Jewish clothing at Oscar de la Renta’s New York Fashion Week show.

John Galliano, who was fired from Christian Dior in March 2011 after several notorious drunken outbursts and anti-Semitic remarks in a Paris cafe, was seen in a long black jacket, charcoal homburg-style hat and twirled peyos – long sidelocks grown to demonstrate faith.

His outfit, seen en route to Oscar de la Renta’s design studio, where he has been helping the designer prepare for last night’s fall 2013 collection, shocked New York’s Jewish community.

Williamsburg community leader Isaac Abraham told the New York Post: “He’s trying to embarrass people in the Jewish community and make money on clothes [while] dressed like people he has insulted.

“It looks like the hairstyle he added was done purposely to insult.”

“I would invite Mr. de la Renta and Galliano to come to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, so I can show them some Holocaust survivors and the clothes they [wear].”

Meanwhile rabbi and fashion designer Tobi Rubinstein Schneier commented: “This was not very smart, unless he really wants attention. I’m hoping that this is not in any way a mockery through this attire.”

John Galliano made his return to the fashion world yesterday with an outfit that resembled Hasidic Jewish clothing at Oscar de la Renta's New York Fashion Week show — John Galliano made his return to the fashion world yesterday with an outfit that resembled Hasidic Jewish clothing at Oscar de la Renta’s New York Fashion Week show

Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi Shankar, admits she was abused as a child

Entertainment

Sonia Pantiss

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Feb 13, 2013

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Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi Shankar, admits she was abused as a child

Musician Anoushka Shankar, daughter of the legendary Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, has admitted she was abused as a child.

In a video to support a global campaign to end violence against women – One Billion Rising – Anoushka Shankar said the abuse had been by “a man my parents trusted”.

Anoushka Shankar said she had suffered “groping, touching and verbal abuse”.

There has been growing outrage in India at the treatment of women after the fatal gang rape of a woman in December.

The One Billion Rising movement was started by American playwright and feminist Eve Ensler to mark the 15th anniversary of the V-day campaign to end violence against women.

A number of events have been organized in India on 14 February – the day the campaign is calling for one billion people around the world to rise up against gender-based crimes.

Anoushka Shankar, daughter of the legendary Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, has admitted she was abused as a child

In the video, recorded in her London home, Anoushka Shankar, 31, appealed for people to support the campaign in memory of the 23-year-old gang rape victim.

The brutal attack on the physiotherapy student on a Delhi bus led to weeks of protests by thousands of people across India and the world.

“As a child I suffered sexual and emotional abuse for several years at the hands of a man my parents trusted implicitly,” she said.

Anoushka Shankar added that she was taking part in the One Billion Rising movement “for the child in me who I don’t think will recover from what happened”.

Anoushka Shankar grew up in London, Delhi and California and began learning to play the sitar from her father at the age of nine. Ravi Shankar, 92, died in a hospital in California in December after an illness.

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Horsemeat scandal: European Commission recommends 3 months of EU-wide testing of beef

Kathryn R. Bown

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Feb 13, 2013

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Horsemeat scandal: European Commission recommends 3 months of EU-wide testing of beef

The EU has outlined an “intensive monitoring plan” to tackle the widening scandal over mislabeled horsemeat.

All members would be asked to carry-out random DNA tests on beef products for traces of horsemeat for the next three months, the health commissioner said.

He was speaking after a crisis meeting with ministers from the UK, France and other affected countries in Brussels.

“This is a Europe-wide issue that needs a Europe-wide solution,” Irish Farm Minister Simony Coveney said.

“This is about someone in the food supply chain selling horsemeat as beef and making money in a fraudulent way by doing that,” Simony Coveney added.

EU Health Commissioner Tonio Berg also said a separate programme of random tests should be carried out on horsemeat to check for the presence of the veterinary medicine phenylbutazone – known as bute.

The measures follow the discovery that meat sold in up to 16 European countries labeled as beef contained horsemeat.

The scandal has raised questions about the complexity of the food industry’s supply chains across the 27-member EU bloc, with a number of supermarket chains withdrawing frozen beef meals.

In the UK, the supermarket giant Tesco, frozen food firm Findus and budget chain Aldi received horsemeat-tainted mince from Comigel, based in north-eastern France.

The EU has outlined an "intensive monitoring plan" to tackle the widening scandal over mislabeled horsemeat — The EU has outlined an “intensive monitoring plan” to tackle the widening scandal over mislabeled horsemeat

Horsemeat has now been confirmed in some frozen lasagne on sale in France too.

In Germany, officials announced that a shipment of frozen lasagne suspected of containing horsemeat had arrived in the country. They were notified of the delivery by authorities in Luxembourg on Tuesday.

Comigel denied wrongdoing, saying it had ordered the meat from Spanghero, a firm in southern France, via a Comigel subsidiary in Luxembourg – Tavola.

The supply chain reportedly led back to traders in Cyprus and the Netherlands, then to abattoirs in Romania.

There are now calls for more specific labeling on processed meat products in the EU, to show country of origin, as in the case of fresh meat. But the cost of doing that may trigger opposition from food manufacturers.

Romania has denied claims that it was to blame for the mislabeling of horsemeat.

“There are plants and companies in Romania exporting horsemeat but everything was according to the standards, and the source and the kind of meat was very clearly put as being horsemeat,” said Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta.

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Pope Benedict XVI holds final public Mass at Ash Wednesday ceremony

Diane A. Wade

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Feb 13, 2013

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Pope Benedict XVI holds final public Mass at Ash Wednesday ceremony

Pope Benedict XVI has held his last Mass as Pope in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome following the shocking announcement of his resignation.

The pontiff presided over an Ash Wednesday ceremony marking the start of the Roman Catholic Church’s season of Lent.

It came two days after the surprise announcement that Pope Benedict XVI, 85, was to retire at the end of the month.

In his homily, Pope Benedict implicitly criticized recent infighting among clerics inside the Vatican.

He said the face of the Church had been marred by divisions and rivalry among the clergy.

Looking tired, the pontiff anointed the foreheads of the faithful with ashes in a service attended by cardinals, bishops, monks, friars and pilgrims.

The season of Lent is marked by fasting and acts of penitence for past sins, with worshippers marking a cross on their foreheads with wood ash to symbolize human mortality.

It is the most solemn season in the Church calendar that ends with Holy Week and Easter Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Pope Benedict held his last but one general audience inside the Vatican, his first public appearance since he stunned the Church and wider world by saying he would retire at the end of the month.

He said he had made his decision only after long reflection.

“I am conscious of the gravity of my action,” he said, receiving a standing ovation from 8,000 pilgrims from around the world gathered in the Vatican’s main audience hall.

“Thank you for the love and prayer with which you have accompanied me… Keep praying for me, for the Church and for the future pope,” he said.

Pope Benedict XVI has held his last Mass as Pope in St Peter's Basilica in Rome following the shocking announcement of his resignation — Pope Benedict XVI has held his last Mass as Pope in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome following the shocking announcement of his resignation

Next week Pope Benedict will carry out no public engagements. He will enter a spiritual retreat and pray inside the Vatican.

The pontiff had originally been scheduled to celebrate Ash Wednesday at the small Sant’ Anselmo church, then lead a procession to Santa Sabina Basilica on Rome’s Aventine Hill.

But the Mass was relocated to St Peter’s to accommodate the crowds, the Vatican said. The change also saved the Pope the effort of the procession.

The pontiff will continue with his usual agenda until the day he officially retires at the end of February, Vatican officials say.

By the end of Lent, in six weeks’ time, there is expected to be a new pope.

Pope Benedict is anxious to ensure a smooth transition of power to his successor, and does not want to go down in history as a pope who abandoned his ministry without sufficient cause.

The pontiff’s daily diary until his departure from the Vatican at the end of the month is already full.

The Vatican holds a Lenten retreat from 17 to 23 February. The Pope will hold one more Wednesday audience on February 27, again in St Peter’s Square.

On February 28, Pope Benedict will fly off to the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo, where he will stay while Church leaders go through the complicated ritual of choosing a successor.

The secret process of selecting a new pope is known as a Conclave, governed by rules which have evolved over centuries.

The behind-the-scenes battle for the succession has already begun.

At 78, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was one of the oldest popes in history at his election.

He took the helm as one of the fiercest storms the Catholic Church has faced in decades – the scandal of child sex abuse by priests – was breaking.

The pontiff said in his resignation statement on Monday: “After 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.”

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EU and US begin formal talks on free-trade agreement

Clyde K. Valle

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Feb 13, 2013

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EU and US begin formal talks on free-trade agreement

The European Union and the US will begin formal talks on a free-trade agreement, paving the way for the biggest trade deal in history.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso made the announcement following President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.

A deal would bring down trading barriers between the two biggest economies in the world.

EU-US trade is worth around 455 billion euros ($613 billion) a year.

Barack Obama announced US support for talks as part of his annual address to Congress on Tuesday, saying a free-trade deal would “boost American exports, support American jobs and level the playing field in the growing markets of Asia”.

In a joint statement, US and EU leaders said trade between the US and EU supported millions of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.

“We are committed to making this relationship an even stronger driver of our prosperity,” the statement said.

The EU estimates that a “comprehensive and ambitious agreement” will boost annual GDP growth by 0.5%.

It is not clear how long the talks will take, but similar trade deals have involved years of negotiations.

The idea was discussed following the formation of a working group in 2011, and the formal talks may begin in the summer, EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said.

He said the deal would focus on bringing down remaining tariffs and other barriers to trade, and standardise technical regulations, standards and certifications.

The European Union and the US will begin formal talks on a free-trade agreement, paving the way for the biggest trade deal in history

Free trade between the US and the EU has been under informal discussion for years.

Previously politicians have been discouraged from pursuing free trade deals for fear of exposing domestic industries to greater competition from abroad.

But Steve Davies from the Institute of Economic Affairs, a think tank, said the economic crisis in Europe has injected more urgency into the talks.

“It’s happening now because there has been seriously depressed growth in the EU, and this will be good news for economic growth,” he said.

“On the American side, the critical factor is that Obama is now in his second term, so he doesn’t have the protectionist pressures from US businesses to worry about.”

Steve Davies said agriculture was likely to be particular area of contention, along with intellectual property, which could lead to political wranglings on both sides of the Atlantic.

Uniunea Europeana și SUA încep tratativele pentru acordul de liber schimb, care va duce la crearea celui mai mare acord comercial din istorie.