Facebook is facing legal action from Rembrandt Social Media over its use of the “Like” button and other features of the social network.
Facebook is being sued by a patent-holding company acting on behalf of a dead Dutch programmer called Joannes Jozef Everardus van Der Meer.
Rembrandt Social Media said Facebook’s success was based, in part, on using two of Joannes Jozef Everardus van Der Meer’s patents without permission.
Facebook said it had no comment to make on the lawsuit or its claims.
A lawsuit has been filed in a federal court in Virginia by Rembrandt Social Media.
“We believe Rembrandt’s patents represent an important foundation of social media as we know it, and we expect a judge and jury to reach the same conclusion based on the evidence,” said lawyer Tom Melsheimer from legal firm Fish and Richardson, which represents the patent holder.
Rembrandt now owns patents for technologies Joannes Jozef Everardus van Der Meer used to build a fledgling social network, called Surfbook, before his death in 2004.
Facebook is facing legal action from Rembrandt Social Media over its use of the “Like” button and other features of the social network
Joannes Jozef Everardus van Der Meer was granted the patents in 1998, five years before Facebook first appeared.
Surfbook was a social diary that let people share information with friends and family and approve some data using a “like” button, according to legal papers filed by Fish and Richardson.
The papers also say Facebook is aware of the patents as it has cited them in its own applications to patent some social networking technologies.
Also cited in the same legal claim was another social media company called Add This.
UK retailer Tesco’s DNA tests have revealed that some of its Everyday Value Spaghetti Bolognese contain 60% horsemeat.
The meal, withdrawn from sale on Tuesday, came from the French factory producing Findus beef lasagne, also at the centre of a row over horsemeat.
Meanwhile, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson has told MPs of plans to test all processed beef in the UK.
Romania has rejected claims that it was responsible for wrongly labeling horsemeat from its abattoirs.
Tesco took the frozen bolognese off the shelves when it found out Findus was concerned about the source of its meat at the Comigel processing plant in Metz, north-eastern France.
It is one of several products that have been withdrawn from UK shelves amid the current scandal over horsemeat in food products in the UK and Europe.
Tesco Group technical director Tim Smith said: “The frozen Everyday Value Spaghetti Bolognese should contain only Irish beef from our approved suppliers. The source of the horsemeat is still under investigation by the relevant authorities.
“The level of contamination suggests that Comigel was not following the appropriate production process for our Tesco product and we will not take food from their facility again.
“We are very sorry that we have let customers down.”
Owen Paterson told MPs he had called in representatives of all Britain’s producers, retailers and distributors and “made it clear” he expected to see immediate testing of all processed beef products across the supply chain.
He said testing should take place every three months, and the Food Standards Agency should be notified of results.
Owen Paterson told representatives from the British Retail Consortium, the Food and Drink Federation, the British Meat Processors Association, the Federation of Wholesale Distributors, the Institute of Grocery Distribution and individual retailers that he expected to see:
“meaningful results from this testing by the end of this week”;
“more testing of products for horse along the supply chain and that the industry must co-operate fully with the FSA on this”;
“publication of industry test results every three months through the FSA”;
“and that they let the FSA know as soon as they become aware of a potential problem in their products”.
Tesco’s DNA tests have revealed that some of its Everyday Value Spaghetti Bolognese contain 60 percent horsemeat
In the Commons, Labour’s Mary Creagh accused Owen Paterson of being too slow to respond as incidents emerged.
“The secretary of state had to be called back to London from his long weekend to deal with the crisis,” she claimed.
“Until Saturday’s panic summit, he hadn’t actually met the food industry to address this crisis.”
News of the tests came after Romanian PM Victor Ponta earlier on Monday denied two abattoirs in his country sold horsemeat purported to be beef to European food companies.
The abattoirs had been linked to the contamination of processed meat products sold in Europe. Victor Ponta said checks were carried out and there had been no breach of rules and standards.
In France, consumer affairs minister Benoit Hamon said that the whole of the food industry would be under heightened surveillance, with more random sampling of products and wider use of DNA tests to determine the origin of meat.
French inspectors were at the Comigel headquarters in Metz in north-eastern France on Monday. Findus meals were made by the company at its Luxembourg factory.
Investigators were also at the offices in the south of France of the importer Spanghero, which brought the meat to France from Romania.
Last week Findus UK took its frozen beef lasagne, made by Comigel, off the shelves after some samples were found to contain up to 100% horsemeat.
Seven French supermarkets have withdrawn frozen ready-meals made by the company.
The controversy surrounding contamination of meat products has also affected firms in the Irish Republic and Poland.
Last month, Irish food inspectors announced they had found horsemeat in some burgers stocked by a number of UK supermarket chains, including Tesco, Iceland and Lidl.
And on Monday night, one Dutch supermarket chain took its Prima Frost brand of lasagne off the shelves amid fears it may contain horsemeat.
Owen Paterson said he would meet with his European counterparts and the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy Tonio Borg later this week in the wake of the scandal.
“At the moment this appears to be an issue of fraud and mis-labeling.
“But if anything suggests the need for changes to surveillance and enforcement in the UK we will not hesitate to make those changes,” he said.
A British hairdresser, who paid £26,000 ($42,000) of wages into the wrong bank account over two years has been left unable to get her missing money back – after the recipient spent it.
The woman logged onto the joint Nationwide account that she shares with her husband in May 2010 to arrange for £1,000 to be transferred into it from her HSBC business account each month.
But unbeknown to her, although she had entered the correct account name and sort code, she had keyed one digit of the account number incorrectly and the money was sent to the wrong person.
It has proved a costly mistake for the hairdresser – she didn’t realize that the money was being paid into the wrong account for more than two years, by which time some £26,650 had gone awry.
Unfortunately for her, the recipient of the money had spent it and is refusing to pay it back.
The building society says that there is nothing that it can do to retrieve the funds, and they can’t even identify the recipient due to data protection laws.
Although the hairdresser is legally entitled to demand the cash back, retrieving it in practice is a more complicated matter.
The woman told The Guardian: “Phone calls to Nationwide that night, many tears and numerous subsequent calls and letters, have left us with just £1,000 returned and a complete blank of information from Nationwide.
“We have been reluctant to tell anyone we know about the error, so have dwelled heavily on it ourselves.
“It leaves a sick feeling in my stomach to think someone has been spending all that hard-earned money and I’ve been going to work – running my own hairdresser’s business – when I could have been enjoying a little more time at home with my two sons.”
Hairdresser loses £26,000 by paying her wages into wrong Nationwide account for two years
The hairdresser did not realize that the cash wasn’t reaching her and her husband’s Nationwide account – the couple only receive online statements, she would only check the balance if she went to a cash machine and her husband sorted out all the bills.
Nationwide says that it has never encountered a case of “mis-applied credit” that went on for so long.
Although legally Nationwide can take funds wrongly attributed to an account back without the account holder’s permission up to six years after the error, the building society was unable to take the money back because it had already been withdrawn.
The building society says that they cannot tell if the funds were transferred to another account – the recipient withdrew the cash from ATMs.
Neither it nor HSBC are willing to reimburse the hairdresser as the mistake was down to customer error and they say that it could encourage fraud if they begin to pay back customers who transfer money to the wrong account.
Her family has been hit particularly hard by the loss of the money – her and her husband, a public sector worker, earn less than £50,000 a year between them and live in a modest semi-detached house.
The couple ended up going overdrawn for a period because they struggled without her income.
Taking her case to the Financial Services Ombudsman, the body which regulates banks and building societies might not help the hairdresser’s case either – it can only make a ruling if the bank has made a mistake and has no powers to get the money back from the other account holder.
Although the body says that it receives around 100 complaints about mis-applied credit each year, they are mostly from people who have wrongly been credited extra funds and believe that they should be able to keep the money.
Unfortunately for them, the law does not entitle them to a penny.
Jamie Foxx has riled conservatives after making a statement about black superiority during an NAACP awards ceremony.
Jamie Foxx declared that black people are the “most talented people in the world” at the 44th annual NAACP Image Awards, drawing the ire of conservative critics who took offense to what they considered a racist remark.
As the actor accepted the Entertainer of the Year Award during the February 1 ceremony, he praised other luminaries such as Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier, saying that he was humbled by the amazing people he shared the stage with.
“Black people are the most talented people in the world. I, it’s, I can’t explain it,” Jamie Foxx said.
“You can’t sit in this room and not watch Gladys Knight sing and go like, <<Golly, what in the world?>>.”
The site NewsBusters, which claims its mission is to expose the media’s bias toward the left, picked up on the comment and writer Noel Sheppard criticized Jamie Foxx for what he lambasted as a “really stupid” remark.
“Can you imagine the heat a white actor would get if he said at a nationally televised awards ceremony, <<White people are the most talented people in the world?>>,” Noel Sheppard wrote.
“Probably be the end of his or her career.”
Jamie Foxx declared that black people are the most talented people in the world at the 44th annual NAACP Image Awards
The site Red Alert Politics, which caters to young conservatives, described the comment as a “backhanded” criticism of “performers of all other races”.
“Foxx shouldn’t ignore other talented actors and singers who may not share his skin color,” wrote Kelsey Osterman.
It was hardly the first time Jamie Foxx had caused this sort of stir.
He took flak for at one point comparing President Barack Obama to Jesus. Some of the jokes he made on a recent Saturday Night Live episode to promote his new film Django Unchained didn’t sit well with some observers, either.
Jamie Foxx said on the comedy show that, in Quentin Tarantino’s latest history-revising revenge-fantasy, he plays a freed slave who kills “all the white people in the movie…How great is that?”.
In interviews after the release of the film, in which he is attempting to rescue his wife from a cruel slave owner played by Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx said he expected the movie would provoke strong reactions from the black community and he revealed how “every single thing in my life is built around race”.
Jamie Foxx said that black people are “always sensitive” about race and often see everything through a racial prism.
“As a black person it’s always racial,” Jamie Foxx reportedly said, according to the Daily News.
“I don’t necessarily speak it because you can’t,” the actor said.
British scientists identified 24 genes containing information that could lead to a drug to stop many children becoming short-sighted.
The discovery could spare families from spending a fortune on contact lenses, as well as the expense of laser surgery.
More importantly, the discovery would mean future generations would no longer be at risk of developing complications of short-sightedness that can lead to blindness in later life.
Short-sightedness is becoming more common as we spend more time indoors and in front of TV and computer screens.
Caused by overgrowth of the eyeball, it usually starts developing in childhood, and in severe cases can lead to macular degeneration and other forms of blindness.
The fact that the condition runs in families means that genes are involved.
Almost three years ago, the first gene that causes short-sightedness was identified by King’s College London researcher Chris Hammond.
Now, leading an international team of scientists and trawling through genetic data from 45,000 people from around the world, including the UK, he has found many more.
Prof. Chris Hammond said: “This study reveals for the first time a group of genes involved with myopia and that carriers of some of the genes have a ten-fold increased risk of developing the condition.”
British scientists identified 24 genes containing information that could lead to a drug to stop many children becoming short-sighted
Working out what the genes do and what goes wrong in short-sightedness could lead to eye drops or other drugs to treat the condition.
Prof Chris Hammond, whose research is detailed in the journal Nature Genetics, said: “Now we understand more about the genetic triggers for the condition, we can begin to explore other ways to prevent progression.
“It is an extremely exciting step forward which could potentially lead to better treatments or prevention in the future for millions around the world.”
However, the need for more research, plus rigorous testing, means any drug to prevent the condition is at least 15 years away.
As it would be aimed at children, it would have to be proved not to slow their overall growth, while still stopping their eyeballs from overdeveloping.
And genes are not the only factor behind the development of short-sightedness. A child’s lifestyle also plays a role, with too much time spent in front of a screen and lack of sunlight helping fuel the condition.
Azam Khan, the head of the Kumbh Mela festival organizing committee in India, has resigned a day after a stampede killed at least 36 people at the train station in the northern city of Allahabad.
State minister Azam Khan said he was “stepping down on moral grounds”.
The victims were among about 30 million Hindu pilgrims returning home after the main bathing day at the gathering.
Earlier, India’s railway minister said the stampede had been caused by too many people being on the platforms.
At least 39 others were injured in the stampede on Sunday evening. Most of the victims were women and children.
Sunday was the most auspicious of six bathing days at the Kumbh Mela, which is billed as the world’s biggest human gathering.
The festival, which is held every 12 years, expects 100 million bathers in total across its 55 days.
The present festival is also a Maha Kumbh Mela, which comes round only once every 144 years.
Hindus believe a festival dip at Sangam – at the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati rivers – will cleanse sins and help bring salvation.
“Though the incident took place outside the Kumbh Mela premises, I take moral responsibility and resign as the in-charge of the Kumbh,” Azam Khan, who is also a cabinet minister in the Uttar Pradesh state government, told reporters on Monday.
Earlier, Railways Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said the railways had made “adequate arrangements well in advance” to deal with the passenger rush during the festival. In addition to “112 routine trains, we also ran 69 special trains on Sunday”, he said.
The minister denied reports that the stampede had been caused after the railing of a pedestrian bridge leading to platform number six collapsed.
“There were too many people on the platforms. The station was overcrowded,” he said.
“Attempts are being made to decongest the railway station.”
Authorities said additional trains were being run on Monday to take people out of Allahabad.
Azam Khan, the head of the Kumbh Mela festival organizing committee in India, has resigned a day after a stampede killed at least 36 people at the train station in the northern city of Allahabad
Officials said tens of thousands of people were at the railway station at the time of the stampede.
Reports said ambulances could not get to the platform for two hours to evacuate the injured to hospital or retrieve the bodies because of the masses thronging the streets and the station.
After the stampede, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh issued a statement, saying he was “deeply shocked to learn of the unfortunate incident… in which precious lives have been lost and many pilgrims to Kumbh Mela among other people have been injured”.
“I send my heartfelt condolences to the members of the bereaved families and wish those injured a speedy recovery,” he said.
Throughout Sunday, millions of pilgrims and holy men (sadhus) belonging to various Hindu monastic orders bathed at Sangam.
Carrying pennants, bow and arrow and banners, many danced and beat drums. Some arrived on gaudily decorated chariots. Others arrived on horses. Most were dressed in saffron.
The sadhus, many of them naked, dreadlocked and smeared in ash, ran to the river amid heavy security.
More than 14,000 policemen, along with paramilitary forces and commandos, were deployed to ensure security on Sunday.
Police officers, many of them on horseback, had a hard time controlling the crowds, as many of the bathers lingered to gaze at the colorful processions of the holy men.
Kumbh Mela chief Devesh Chaturvedi said “by evening the number of bathers had crossed 30 million”.
The bathing on Sunday took place at 18 main locations along the river bank.
The Kumbh Mela has its origins in Hindu mythology.
Many believe that when gods and demons fought over a pitcher of nectar, a few drops fell in the cities of Allahabad, Nasik, Ujjain and Haridwar – the four places where the Kumbh festival has been held for centuries.
What is a Maha Kumbh Mela?
The Kumbh Mela is a mass pilgrimage in which Hindus gather in locations along the holy rivers Ganges, Yamuna and the mythical river Saraswati.
There are three different kinds of kumbh: an ardh (or half) kumbh is held every six years at two set locations; a purna (full) kumbh is held every 12 years at four set locations.
The 2013 gathering is a Maha Kumbh and that only happens after 12 purna kumbhs, every 144 years, and always at Allahabad. Astrology determines most aspects of the festival, including its exact date and length.
Kumbh Mela in numbers:
Number expected to bathe: 100 million
Number of days: 55
Area: 20 sq km (4,932 acres)
Drinking water: 80 million litres
Toilets: 35,000
Doctors: 243
Police: 30,000
Number united at lost-and-found centre since January 14: 40,000
Romanian PM Victor Ponta has denied allegations that two abattoirs in his country sold horsemeat purporting to be beef to European food companies.
Victor Ponta said checks had been carried out and there had been no breach of rules and standards.
The abattoirs had been linked to the contamination of processed meat products sold in Europe.
UK Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is due to update MPs on the horsemeat scandal later on Monday.
The discovery of horsemeat in beef products has led to processed food being withdrawn from sale in Britain, France and Sweden.
Victor Ponta expressed anger that Romania had been blamed.
“From all the data we have at the moment, there is no breach of European rules committed by companies from Romania or on Romanian territory,” he told a news conference.
“I am very angry, to be honest.”
In France, the government has summoned meat industry representatives for crisis talks. Seven French supermarket chains have already withdrawn frozen ready meals made by Findus and food supplier Comigel.
An initial investigation found the meat originated from Romania. French investigators have visited two companies involved in the import and processing of meat to try to establish at what stage the horsemeat was labeled as beef.
Romanian PM Victor Ponta has denied allegations that two abattoirs in his country sold horsemeat purporting to be beef to European food companies
The UK government says that an “extensive” criminal conspiracy may have taken place.
UK Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said: “This is a case of fraud and a conspiracy against the public, this is a criminal action, substituting one material for another.”
Legal action is set to begin in continental Europe on Monday, he added.
The controversy surrounding contamination of meat products has also affected firms in the Irish Republic and Poland.
Last month, Irish food inspectors announced they had found horsemeat in some burgers stocked by a number of UK supermarket chains, including Tesco, Iceland and Lidl.
Owen Paterson said a factory in Luxembourg, which has been linked to the French cases, had to issue warnings to 16 different countries. He said he did not know how widespread the problem was but “we have to be prepared for more unwelcome news”.
Tests were continuing and it was the responsibility of the retailers to “convince their consumers of the validity and quality of their products”, he said.
Owen Paterson added that the UK’s Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) advice was to continue buying and eating processed beef products, but if any evidence of a serious threat to health emerged “we will act very swiftly”.
The FSA has ordered food businesses to conduct authenticity tests on all beef products for significant levels of horsemeat and the deadline for the first set of results is Friday 15 February.
Last week Findus UK took its frozen beef lasagne, made by Comigel, off the shelves after some were found to have up to 100% horsemeat in them.
Findus UK said the only product on sale in the UK using ingredients from the French supplier had been its beef lasagne and all other beef products on sale in the UK had been DNA-tested and cleared.
The FSA has asked Findus to test their contaminated beef lasagne for the veterinary drug phenylbutazone as animals treated with “bute” are not allowed to enter the food chain. The results are expected in the next few days.
The Chief Medical Officer for England, Dame Sally Davies, said: “It’s understandable that people will be concerned, but it is important to emphasize that, even if bute is found to be present at low levels, there is a very low risk indeed that it would cause any harm to health.”
The Beatles’ 10-hour recording session for their debut album Please Please Me is to be recreated by musicians including Stereophonics and Mick Hucknall to mark its 50th anniversary.
The Beatles recorded almost all of the record in one day-long recording session on February 11, 1963.
BBC Radio 2 will broadcast live footage of the stars working on the 10 tracks at London’s Abbey Road Studios.
Gabrielle Aplin and I Am Kloot will also be part of the sessions.
Chart topping newcomer Gabrielle Aplin was the first to arrive at the legendary studio, with Radio 2 breakfast DJ Chris Evans and Welsh rockers the Stereophonics arriving in the same car minutes later.
Evans then joined frontman Kelly Jones outside the studio for a short busking session.
The DJ was in fine voice, despite fluffing some lines in their cover of The Beatles’ I Saw Her Standing There – which the band will perform in the studio later.
Kelly Jones said his favorite Beatles’ record was “probably Abbey Road” but “the great thing about the early albums was the sound of a band capturing their raw energy”.
The sessions for Please Please Me saw The Beatles playing live renditions of the songs which had formed the core of their recent live shows. The tracks were recorded largely as they were performed, with few overdubs or layering of instruments – which became common features of their later work.
The final track to be committed to tape was Twist And Shout, which had been held back over fears that John Lennon’s sore throat may not hold out if he performed it earlier in the day.
The Beatles’ 10-hour recording session for their debut album Please Please Me is to be recreated by musicians including Stereophonics and Mick Hucknall to mark its 50th anniversary
John Lennon sang the huge hit topless but was unable to go for a second take, so the initial recording was used.
Ian MacDonald, the late chronicler of Beatles recordings, wrote: “Trying for a second take, Lennon found he had nothing left and the session stopped there and then – but the atmosphere was still crackling.
“Nothing of that intensity had ever been recorded in a British pop studio.”
Initially, the Beatles’ producer George Martin had considered trying to capture the band’s stage show by making a live album at the Cavern Club, but the plan was dropped.
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr already had four tracks they could put on the album – the singles Love Me Do and Please Please Me, plus the B-sides.
They needed 10 more to complete the album and were booked at Abbey Road amidst a hectic live schedule.
They had 30 gigs to perform in February including a tour with Helen Shapiro, plus a radio and TV show.
John Lennon had a cold and was drinking tea, milk and smoking while sucking lozenges for his throat.
They started recording at 10 a.m. and their first song was There’s A Place, which they managed in 13 takes.
Next was I Saw Her Standing There and several other followed in quick succession. Hold Me Tight also took 13 takes but it was dumped from the album, only to revived for their second album With The Beatles.
Although just two three-hour periods were booked for the recording, the band added a third which ended at 10.45pm.
Mark Lewisohn, in his book The Complete Beatles Chronicle, wrote: “There can scarcely have been 585 more productive minutes in the history of recorded music.”
Broadcaster Stuart Maconie said it was hard to imagine the original sessions.
“I got here this morning and what struck me was that there are so many people here – bands, crews, journalists – and how different it must have been that morning 50 years ago when the Beatles arrived in their van.
“I’m fascinated whether they knew they were changing the history of the world. Did they have an inkling? I wonder if McCartney knew?”
Pope Benedict XVI has announced today his resignation after nearly eight years as the head of the Catholic Church, saying he is too old to continue at the age of 85.
Here is the full text of Pope Benedict XVI statement from the Vatican:
“Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonisations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church.
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.
I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering.
However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to steer the boat of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognise my incapacity to adequately fulfil the ministry entrusted to me.
For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects.
And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff.
With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.”
Pope Benedict XVI has announced today his resignation after nearly eight years as the head of the Catholic Church, saying he is too old to continue at the age of 85
Music stars including Dave Grohl, Janelle Monae, LA Reid and Miguel have paid tribute to Whitney Houston, a year after her death, at the age of 48.
Whitney Houston died in her hotel room on February 11, 2012.
Speaking at a pre-Grammy gala in Los Angeles, Dave Grohl said Whitney Houston would be remembered “as one of the most iconic vocalists of all time.”
“Not only did she sell 800 bazillion records, but she’s [an] amazing singer.”
Dave Grohl was speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at music industry mogul Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party.
Whitney Houston had been due to attend last year’s event, but died hours before it took place.
R&B singer and actress Brandy said: “She was the greatest voice of all time and nobody will ever come close to touching her. I will never forget her.”
Miguel, who received a Grammy for best R&B song on Sunday night, added: “Whitney’s voice was powerful. She was dynamic. I would like her to be remembered for her voice and smile. I think she’d want to be celebrated.”
Whitney Houston remembered by music stars at pre-Grammy Gala
Contemporary soul singer Janelle Monae said she wanted to keep Houston’s “vision” alive.
“The <<regalness>> that she had, the class that she had. That’s something that I value.”
Record executive and X Factor judge Antonio “LA” Reid, who was being honored at the event, worked with Houston on the soundtrack to her hit movie The Bodyguard.
He said he liked to remember the more personal moments he had with Whitney Houston.
“I can’t sing, but I used to sing with Whitney, just for fun,” he said.
“Just that beautiful spirit and warm personality and that amazing voice.”
American Idol judge Randy Jackson said she would be remembered “as one of the greatest ever to grace a microphone. Greatest ever – that’s big”.
Johnny Depp, Sting, Ne-Yo, Quincy Jones and Patti Smith also attended the event at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, which was held in honor of Whitney Houston.
Whitney Houston accidentally drowned in her hotel bathroom. A coroner ruled that chronic cocaine use abuse and heart disease were also factors.
Her death sent shockwaves around the music industry, which was gathered in Los Angeles for the annual Grammy ceremony.
A last-minute tribute was arranged for the 2012 show, with singer Jennifer Hudson performing Whitney Houston’s biggest-selling single, I Will Always Love You.
Pope Benedict XVI is to resign at the end of this month in an entirely unexpected development, the Vatican has confirmed.
He became Pope Benedict XVI in April 2005 following the death of John Paul II.
The reasons behind the 85-year-old pontiff’s surprise resignation have yet to emerge.
At 78, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was one of the oldest new popes in history when elected.
Resignations from the papacy are not unknown, but this is the first in the modern era, which has been marked by pontiffs dying while in office.
Pope Benedict XVI 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.
A Vatican spokesman indicated that even the Pope’s closest aides did not know
what he was planning to do
Pope Benedict XVI is to resign at the end of this month in an entirely unexpected development
The Vatican says it expects the period between the Pope’s resignation and the election of his successor to be as brief as possible, but there has been no confirmation on when cardinals will meet to choose a new pontiff.
In a statement, Pope Benedict XVI said: “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.
“I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering.
“However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.
“For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.”
A German government spokesman said he was “moved and touched” by the surprise resignation of the German-born pontiff.
“The German government has the highest respect for the Holy Father, for what he has done, for his contributions over the course of his life to the Catholic Church.
“He has left a very personal signature as a thinker at the head of the Church, and also as a shepherd.”
French ministers are to hold talks with key players in the meat industry as the horsemeat scandal widens to up to 16 countries.
Seven French supermarket chains have withdrawn frozen beef meals made by Findus and Comigel.
The move followed the discovery that foods sold in Europe and the UK labelled as beef contained horsemeat.
The scandal has raised questions about the complexity of the food industry’s supply chains across the EU.
It has already had an impact on distributors in the UK, France, Sweden, Ireland and Romania.
Food products in a further 11 EU countries may be affected, it is feared.
French Food Minister Guillaume Garot said he wanted to ensure that all contentious products had been removed.
Romania is investigating claims one of its abattoirs is responsible.
In the UK, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is to update MPs on the latest developments in the scandal.
Owen Paterson has already said a moratorium on EU meat imports, which has been called for, was not allowed under EU rules.
The controversy surrounding contamination of meat products has also affected firms in the Irish Republic and Poland.
Last month, Irish food inspectors announced they had found horsemeat in some burgers stocked by a number of UK supermarket chains, including Tesco, Iceland and Lidl.
French ministers are to hold talks with key players in the meat industry as the horsemeat scandal widens to up to 16 countries
The seven French supermarket chains that have already withdrawn some of their frozen meat-based meals, including lasagne, from the shelves are Auchan, Casino, Carrefour, Cora, Monoprix, Grand Jury and Picard.
“We want to get the latest from the whole range of people involved in the food chain on what has happened and start to learn the first lessons,” Guillaume Garot told Agence France Presse.
He said producers, food processors, distributers, supermarkets and representatives from the food industry are expected to attend Monday’s meeting.
An initial investigation by French officials revealed that French firm Poujol bought the frozen meat from a Cypriot trader, France’s Junior Minister for Consumer Goods, Benoit Hamon, said in a statement on Sunday.
The trader had, in turn, received it from a Dutch food trader, and that Dutch company had purchased the meat from two Romanian slaughterhouses.
Poujol supplied the meat to a Luxembourg factory owned by French group Comigel.
The meat was then sold under the Sweden-based brand, Findus, which has said it has been misled by its Romanian meat supplier.
The food giant has already withdrawn ready meals in France and Sweden after it emerged that its frozen beef lasagne sold in Britain contained up to 100% horsemeat.
Responding to the food scandal, the director of Findus France, Matthieu Lambeaux, said in a statement the company would file a legal complaint on Monday.
“We thought we had certified French beef in our products. But in reality, we were supplied with Romanian horsemeat. We have been deceived,” Matthieu Lambeaux said.
The EU commissioner for agriculture is also due to meet Romania’s foreign minister on Monday.
Los Angeles authorities have offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the arrest of fugitive ex-policeman Christopher Dorner suspected of three murders.
Christopher Dorner, 33, has been on the run for the past week, following the attacks in southern California.
Announcing the reward, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said his “reign of terror” must end.
In an online manifesto, Christopher Dorner swore to take revenge on police officers he blamed for his firing in 2008.
“We will not tolerate anyone undermining the security, the tranquility of our neighborhoods,” Antonio Villaraigosa said at a news conference announcing the reward on Sunday.
“We will not tolerate this reign of terror that has robbed us of the peace of mind that residents of southern California deserve,” he added.
Christopher Dorner, a former officer of the LAPD, is suspected of killing three people, including the daughter of a retired captain who represented him in a disciplinary procedure.
Police are now protecting 50 families, many belonging to former LAPD colleagues, against whom Christopher Dorner has vowed revenge for ruining his career.
In his online manifesto, Christopher Dorner suggested that some were motivated by racism.
Police are combing an area near Big Bear Lake, 80 miles east of Los Angeles, after finding the suspect’s burned-out truck near a ski area.
Los Angeles authorities have offered a $1 million reward for information leading to the arrest of fugitive ex-policeman Christopher Dorner suspected of three murders
Christopher Dorner is suspected of:
Shooting dead Monica Quan, 28 – the daughter of a former LAPD captain – and her fiancé Keith Lawrence, 27, on February 3, in their car at their home in Irvine, California
Shooting at two police officers, grazing one, on Thursday morning in Corona, east of Los Angeles
Ambushing two policemen in their patrol car in the town of Riverside a few hours later, killing one and wounding the other
A former US Navy reservist, Christopher Dorner lost his job for making false statements.
According to court documents, Christopher Dorner was fired in 2008 after making a complaint against his field training officer, saying she had kicked a suspect, a schizophrenic man with severe dementia, during an arrest.
Lolong, the largest saltwater crocodile in captivity, has died in the Philippines.
Officials said the six-metre reptile, weighing more than 1,000 kg, flipped over with a bloated stomach and was declared dead several hours later.
The crocodile, blamed for the death of at least one person, was caught in September 2011 and then became the star attraction of an eco-tourism park.
Lolong was formally declared the world’s largest in captivity by Guinness World Records in 2012.
The crocodile was captured in the town of Bunawan after a three-week hunt involving dozens
The giant reptile, which measured 6.4 m (21ft) and weighed in at 1,075 kg (2,370 lb), had begun to draw local and foreign tourists to the town.
Bunawan Mayor Edwin Elorde said Lolong had been off color for a month.
“He refused to eat since last month and we noticed a change in the color of his faeces,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper.
“Our personnel also noticed an unusual ballooning of the reptile’s belly.”
Local vet Alex Collantes said that unseasonably cold weather could have affected the crocodile.
Edwin Elorde told the Inquirer wildlife experts would conduct an investigation into the death and said he hoped Lolong’s body could be preserved.
“In that way, people can still look and marvel at him,” he said.
Australian media say the mantle of largest saltwater crocodile in captivity may now pass back to Cassius, a 5.48 m reptile housed at a crocodile farm near Cairns in Queensland.
Lolong, the largest saltwater crocodile in captivity, has died in the Philippines
Saltwater crocodiles
Also known as the estuarine crocodile, it is the world’s largest living crocodile
It is capable of killing any animal or human that strays into its territory
Body length: usually 4.2 m-4.8 m (13.8 ft-15.8 ft), although specimens of over 7 m (23 ft) have been recorded
Weight: Male generally 408-520 kg (900 lb-1,140 lb), but have been known to exceed 1,000 kg (2,200 lb)
Life expectancy: They can live for more than 100 years.
Michael Christian, one of the two Australian DJs who made a prank call to the London hospital where Kate Middleton was being treated, is back on air.
Michael Christian was suspended two months ago by 2Day-FM in Sydney after nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who answered the phone – and believed the callers to be the Queen and Prince Charles – was found dead.
He is broadcasting on sister-station Fox FM in Melbourne.
His co-presenter at the time of the prank, Mel Greig, is still off the air.
Kate Middleton was being treated at King Edward VII’s Hospital for an extreme form of morning sickness when Michael Christian and Mel Greig made their prank call pretending to be members of the Royal Family.
The nurse answered the call and put them through to another nurse who gave an update on the duchess’s condition.
Jacintha Saldanha, a 46-year-old wife and mother-of-two, was found hanged three days later. She had left three suicide notes, her inquest revealed as it was opened and adjourned.
Michael Christian, one of the two Australian DJs who made a prank call to the London hospital where Kate Middleton was being treated, is back on air
Earlier this month the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was insufficient evidence to charge Michael Christian and Mel Greig with manslaughter over Jacintha Saldanha’s death.
2Day FM is owned by Southern Cross Austereo and its chief executive officer, Rhys Holleran, said: “We are happy to have Michael back on air.
“We have always supported our talent returning to work when appropriate and today marks that occasion for MC [Michael Christian]. We look forward to welcoming Mel Greig back when the time is right.”
Fun, Gotye and Mumford and Sons among the winners of the 55th Grammy Awards which took place last night in Los Angeles.
Fun’s anthem We Are Young, featuring Janelle Monae, was named Song of the Year, with the New York band going on to win the best new artist prize.
Gotye’s international hit Somebody That I Used To Know received the Record of the Year, one of three prizes received by the Belgian-Australian artist.
Surprised Mumford and Sons took home the Album of the Year prize for Babel.
The English folk rockers received their honor from fellow-countrywoman Adele, who had earlier won best pop solo performance for her live version of Set Fire to the Rain.
Adele, who won six awards last year, said: “I just wanted to be part of the night, because I loved it last year, obviously. Thank you, I just wanted to say a massive, send big love to all the other girls, and all us females doing this because we work so hard and we make it look so easy.”
Mumford and Sons had received six nominations ahead of the ceremony. In the event, though, their only other prize came for best long form music video.
Ben Lovett from the band said: “I just want to say how beautiful Adele is looking tonight, and how great it is to be presented this award by another British musician.
“Yeah, there’s a few of us out there, and the Grammys have opened their arms to us, and we’re very grateful for all of this country and the Grammy foundation for being so welcoming.”
Indie rock group The Black Keys enjoyed the most success overall, receiving four of the six awards for which they had been shortlisted.
The event, held at Los Angeles’ Staples Center, kicked off with Taylor Swift singing her hit We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.
The 23-year-old star was joined by performers on stilts, a White Rabbit and human puppets for the Alice in Wonderland-themed performance.
Ed Sheeran and Sir Elton John appeared shortly afterwards to perform Sheeran’s single The A Team, with further performances coming from Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys and country star Carrie Underwood.
Sting, Bruno Mars and Rihanna joined forces for a Bob Marley tribute that featured Rihanna and Marley’s son Ziggy duetting on his father’s 1980 classic Could You Be Loved.
Elton John returned later to perform in another all-star collaboration, paying tribute as he did so to the 26 people killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings last December.
The event was preceded by a pre-awards ceremony at a neighboring venue at which the majority of this year’s prizes were handed out.
Mumford and Sons took home the Album of the Year prize for Babel at Grammy Awards 2013
Winners announced ahead of the main event included the late Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar, whose award for Best World Music Album was collected by his daughter Anoushka.
“I wish he was here to do it himself,” said Ravi Shankar. The 31-year-old had been nominated in the same category alongside her father, who died in December.
Sir Paul McCartney’s Kisses on the Bottom record was named Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, while The Beach Boys won Best Historical Album, their first ever Grammy, for The Smile Sessions.
Yet it was The Black Keys and its singer-guitarist Dan Auerbach who dominated the pre-telecast awards show, receiving prizes for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Album.
Dan Auerbach received an additional prize for non-classical producer of the year, with his band going on to win Best Rock Performance during the main awards ceremony.
“Welcome to the greatest music show on earth,” said rapper LL Cool J at the beginning of the evening in his role as ceremony host.
The event saw a surprise appearance from Prince, who appeared sporting black sunglasses and a white cane to present the Record of the Year award to Gotye.
The Belgian-Australian musician said he was overwhelmed to meet one of his musical heroes.
“A little bit lost for words, to receive an award from the man standing behind us with the cane. Many years listening to this man’s music growing up, and a big reason I was inspired to make music. Thank you.”
Ben Affleck’s Iran hostage drama Argo has continued its award-winning streak, picking up three BAFTAs including the top prize for best film.
Ben Affleck was named best director for his film about the rescue of American hostages in Iran, following its success at the Golden Globes last month.
Daniel Day-Lewis won the award for best actor for his role in Lincoln, while French actress Emmanuelle Riva was the surprise best actress winner for Amour.
James Bond film Skyfall won the award for outstanding British film.
Argo beat Les Miserables, Life of Pi, Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty to win the best film award and Ben Affleck triumphed over Kathryn Bigelow, Michael Haneke, Ang Lee and Quentin Tarantino for the director honor.
Accepting his best director award on stage, Ben Affleck made reference to his career of the past decade, when he fell out of favor in Hollywood.
“This is a second act for me – you’ve given me that and I’m so grateful and proud. I want to dedicate this to anyone that’s trying to get their second act because you can do it,” he said.
Ben Affleck added later it was a “wonderful, warm surprise” to win the best film award, while producer George Clooney praised the star, saying “you are remarkable at what you do”.
Argo also picked up the award for best editing.
During his acceptance speech, Daniel Day-Lewis paid tribute to his fellow nominees – who included Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Hugh Jackman and Joaquin Phoenix.
“I don’t know if I deserve this, but I do know that every single one of you deserve it at least every bit as I do,” he said.
The actor also poked fun at his reputation for method acting, saying he had “stayed in character as myself for the last 55 years” in case he ever won a BAFTA.
Ben Affleck’s Iran hostage drama Argo has continued its award-winning streak, picking up three BAFTAs including the top prize for best film
However, despite going into the awards with 10 nominations, Daniel Day-Lewis’s prize was Lincoln‘s sole success.
Anne Hathaway was named best supporting actress for her role in Les Miserables, while Christoph Waltz won best supporting actor for Django Unchained.
An emotional Anne Hathaway said she was “so honored” to receive her award and paid tribute to her fellow cast members and director Tom Hooper.
Backstage, the actress said taking part in the film was “the most sublime experience – I don’t know how I got so lucky”.
Christoph Waltz put his win down to director, Quentin Tarantino – who won an award himself for best original screenplay for Django Unchained – calling him a “silver-penned devil”.
David O. Russell won the award for best adapted screenplay for Silver Linings Playbook, which he also directed.
Accepting the award on stage, David O. Russell said: “This film is about emotions and this is for every family that faces those emotions every day.”
It was the only award the film received though, despite its stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence being nominated for best actor and actress.
Skyfall beat Anna Karenina, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Les Miserables and Seven Psychopaths to win best British film.
“We all had high expectations for this film and this is really the icing on the cake,” director Sam Mendes said.
Backstage, Sam Mendes said the fact Skyfall star Daniel Craig had not been nominated for an award was due to “the curse of Bond”.
“It was an incredible performance but because Bond is the spine of the movie… you take it for granted.”
Tom Hooper’s adaptation of stage musical Les Miserables came away with the most honors on the night, winning four awards.
In addition to Anne Hathaway’s award, the film also picked up prizes for best sound, make-up and hair and production design.
Ang Lee’s 3D epic Life of Pi – which went into the awards with nine nominations – picked up two awards for cinematography and special visual effects.
Amour won best foreign film, although its director, Michael Haneke, and Emanuelle Riva were not at the ceremony to collect their prizes.
Joe Wright’s adaptation of Anna Karenina came away with the award for best costume design, while Disney Pixar film Brave was named best animation.
Searching for Sugar Man – the true story of 1970s rocker Rodriguez – won best documentary.
Director Sir Alan Parker, whose works include The Commitments and Bugsy Malone, was honored with a British Academy Fellowship – the highest accolade the Academy can bestow.
There was also a special prize for Channel 4 film boss Tessa Ross, who received a lifetime achievement award.
BAFTA Awards 2013, held at London’s Royal Opera House, were hosted by Stephen Fry.
A heavy gunfire is being exchanged between Malian troops and suspected Islamist militants on the streets of Gao in northern Mali.
The clashes began near the central police station but have since spread.
It comes a day after a suicide bomber blew himself up near a checkpoint at a northern entrance to the town – the second such attack in two days.
Gao was retaken just over two weeks ago by French and Malian forces, who supposedly drove out the Islamists.
Security had been tightened in the wake of the suicide attacks, with military patrols stepped up and checkpoints put in place.
The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (Mujao) said it had carried out Sunday’s attack on Malian troops as well as both the suicide bombings, AFP news agency reports.
A heavy gunfire is being exchanged between Malian troops and suspected Islamist militants on the streets of Gao in northern Mali
On Saturday, Mujao spokesman Abou Walid Sahraoui said: “We are dedicating ourselves to carrying out more attacks against France and its allies.”
Sunday’s gun battle appears to have started around the main police station in the town centre, but there is now heavy gunfire coming from different areas.
A Malian soldier holding one army position told him that some gunmen were driving around on motorbikes.
People are barricaded inside their houses and the situation remains unclear.
However, worries that Islamist militants had infiltrated Gao seems to have become reality, as they are waging a guerrilla war in the town.
There was no immediate comment from the Malian and French militaries.
Five crew members have died after a lifeboat they were in fell from Majesty cruise ship docked in the port of Santa Cruz de la Palma in the Canary Islands.
The accident happened on the Majesty, operated by UK-based Thomson Cruises, during a routine safety drill.
Those killed include three Indonesians, a Filipino and a Ghanaian. Three people were also hurt as the boat reportedly fell more than 20 m into the sea.
The MS Thomson Majesty is believed to sail under a Maltese flag.
An estimated 1,400 people were on board the cruise ship when the accident occurred around 12:00 GMT on Sunday.
None of the passengers were involved.
Two of those injured are said to be Greek, and a third Filipino.
Five crew members have died after a lifeboat they were in fell from Majesty cruise ship docked in the port of Santa Cruz de la Palma in the Canary Islands
The ship had been due to sail on Sunday to the Portuguese port of Funchal on the Atlantic island of Madeira, the Associated Press news agency reports.
Thomson Cruises said in a statement: “We are working closely with the ship owners and managers, Louis Cruises, to determine exactly what has happened and provide assistance to those affected.”
The UK Foreign Office said it was aware of the incident and was “urgently looking into it”.
A four-week-old baby boy from London, UK, was dragged from his cot by a fox before the animal tore his finger off.
The child was asleep in his cot when his mother, in the next room, heard a piercing scream then a heavy thud as the baby was flung to the floor.
Local residents said the family had moved from the home in Bromley, Kent, following the attack on Wednesday and the house appeared empty today.
Council chiefs said the incident was “very tragic but rare”.
When the baby’s mother heard the screams from her son’s room, she ran in to find his hand lodged “halfway down the animal’s throat”. She fought desperately to release him, repeatedly kicking the fox until it eventually let go.
Surgeons later reattached the baby’s finger in an “extremely difficult” but successful three-hour operation.
“The baby is recovering well,” said a source.
A four-week-old baby boy from London, UK, was dragged from his cot by a fox before the animal tore his finger off
The child also suffered puncture wounds to the face in what is believed to be the worst attack of its kind in Britain.
The fox had crept into the house through an open back door, which was apparently awaiting repair by the council.
The horrific attack in suburban Bromley, South-East London, has revived the debate over culling urban foxes.
Neighbors said foxes have been a “menace” in the area and are now worried about the safety of their own children.
Some experts believe there are now more than 10,000 foxes living close to humans in London. At the end of winter, when numbers are lowest, there are 258,000 adult foxes in Britain, of which 33,000 are in urban areas.
Steven Sierra, husband of New York mother Sarai Sierra who was bludgeoned to death during a solo trip to Istanbul, posted a series of cryptic online messages about cheating and bad relationships in the weeks prior to her death, it has been revealed.
Steven Sierra wrote on Twitter on December 28 last year: “Don’t cheat in relationship, if you are not happy then just leave.
“A real relationship is where you can tell each other everything & anything. No secrets, no lies.”
Steven Sierra said in an interview with Hurriyet on Sunday that he had not been in conversation with his wife since January 14.
He told the paper: “At the beginning we were talking on Skype. I was following the photos she put on Instagram. But times didn’t match because of the time difference. I was working when she is at the hotel [her flat]. The last time I heard from her was 14th of January. The next day she called home and spoke to the kids, I was at work that time.”
On the day that Sarai Sierra left for her solo trip to Turkey on January 7, her husband wrote on Instagram: “Good relationship [sic] don’t just happen. They take time, patience and two people who truly want to be together.”
On January 17, Steven Sierra added to his account: “People are to be LOVED. Things are to be USED. The reason why the world is in chaos is because THINGS are being LOVED and PEOPLE are being used.”
Sarai Sierra’s husband posted Instagram messages bemoaning cheating just weeks before she was killed in Turkey
The emotional and public declaration came five days before Sarai Sierra was scheduled to board a plane back to U.S. She never showed up for the flight. Her body was found next to the city walls on February 2.
The messages were revealed after it came to light that Steven Sierra alerted her alleged lover, Taylan K, that Sarai was missing on the day she failed to return home.
Sarai Sierra’s husband frantically messaged the Turkish man since accused of having sex with her in a desperate plea for his help in finding her after she failed to return to New York, the New York Daily News reports.
Taylan K told police that Steven Sierra logged onto one of his wife’s online accounts on January 22, the day she went missing, and discovered the pair’s recent communication.
