Gunmen have attacked the convoy of prominent Nigerian religious leader, Emir of Kano al-Haji Ado Bayero.
The emir survived, but his driver and two guards were killed.
No-one has admitted the attack, but suspicion is bound to fall on the militant group Boko Haram, which has previously killed Muslim clerics.
Emir al-Haji Ado Bayero is highly revered by Muslims and the attacks have caused shock in northern Nigeria.
Men on motorbikes and in a car opened fire on the emir’s convoy as he was returning from a ceremony at a mosque.
“There was an unfortunate incident today. The emir’s convoy was attacked by unknown gunmen as he was returning from Koranic graduation ceremony in Kano city,” Kano state governor Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso told AFP news agency.
“Three people in his convoy were killed but the Emir is unhurt,” he said.
Gunmen have attacked the convoy of prominent Nigerian religious leader, Emir of Kano al-Haji Ado Bayero
Boko Haram gunmen have killed Muslim clerics before, including those who have spoken out against the group’s campaign of violence, says our correspondent.
Emir al-Haji Ado Bayero – who is in his 80s – has been on the throne for almost 50 years and has been careful not to openly denounce the activities of the Islamist militants, he says.
Over the past two years, violence in northern Nigeria has escalated.
Boko Haram is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.
The group has admitted being behind a number of attacks against churches and other establishments since 2009.
More than 600 people were killed last year in attacks blamed on it.
Human rights groups say that more than 3,000 people have been killed by Boko Haram since 2010.
A man put a gun to the head of Ahmed Dogan, the leader of Bulgaria’s ethnic Turkish party, during a televised conference in Sofia.
Ahmed Dogan, leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), was unharmed and the unidentified man was wrestled to the ground by security guards.
The incident happened on Saturday at a party congress in the capital Sofia.
Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said the attacker tried to fire two shots but “most likely the gun misfired”.
He also said the assailant had a criminal record for drugs possession, robberies and hooliganism.
A man put a gun to the head of Ahmed Dogan, the leader of Bulgaria’s ethnic Turkish party, during a televised conference in Sofia
Police arrested the attacker, a 25-year-old from the Black Sea town of Burgas, who was also carrying two knives.
The liberal MRF party represents ethnic Turks and other Muslims, who make up about 12% of Bulgaria’s population of about seven million.
Ahmed Dogan, 58, has lead the party for almost 25 years. He returned to the party conference a few hours after the attack and was given a standing ovation.
President Rosen Plevneliev said in a statement: “Bulgarian society is traditionally known for its tolerance, mutual acceptance and respect between different ethnic groups and religions.
“Such an act is unacceptable in a democratic state.”
Attacks on politicians are rare in Bulgaria, but in 1996, former Prime Minister Andrei Lukanov was found shot dead near his home in Sofia.
West African leaders have been told they must be involved in the military offensive to drive Islamist insurgents out of Mali.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said France had been obliged to send in troops “very, very rapidly otherwise there would be no more Mali”.
Laurent fabius has told a meeting in the Ivory Coast that the deployment of African soldiers is now a priority.
Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara also called for more support for Mali.
He said “the hour has come for a broader commitment by the major powers and more countries and organizations… to show greater solidarity with France and Africa in the total and multi-faceted war against terrorism in Mali”.
France’s Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Saturday that 2,000 troops were now on the ground in Mali, and the final total could top the 2,500 originally pledged.
The troops will stay in Mali for as long as necessary “to defeat terrorism” in West Africa, President Francois Hollande has said.
Islamist fighters on Friday withdrew from two towns in central Mali following French air strikes.
Officials say the Islamists have now left the southern town of Diabaly, which they took on Monday, while Mali’s army has also recaptured Konna, which was seized by rebels triggering the French intervention.
West African leaders have been told they must be involved in the military offensive to drive Islamist insurgents out of Mali
Laurent Fabius said upon his arrival in the Ivorian capital Abidjan that it was time for the African nations to take over “as soon as possible”.
“France was obliged to intervene very, very rapidly, otherwise there would have been no more Mali,” he was quoted by the Agence France Presse as saying.
“But it is well understood that it is the Africans that must pick up the baton,” he added.
Laurent Fabius also confirmed that France would lead a European mission next month to help train and rebuild the Malian army.
He has urged Africa’s international partners to help with logistical and financial support and said a donors’ meeting in Addis Ababa at the end of the month would be crucial in addressing the needs of Mali and the region.
The first 100 troops of an African force – from Togo and Nigeria – landed in Mali’s capital, Bamako, on Thursday.
They are being deployed under a UN Security Council resolution.
The original UN-backed strategy to reclaim northern Mali from Islamist rebels had France – among other Western powers – providing logistical support to an African-led force, adds our correspondent, but it is now clear that French troops will remain at the frontline of operations.
Nigeria will lead the West African force, with Chad, Benin, Ghana, Niger, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Togo also sending soldiers.
Nigeria says it will increase its forces to 1,200.
Chad has confirmed it will send 2,000 soldiers and it may also contribute its air force, considered one of the most effective on the continent.
Foreign forces in Mali
2,000 French troops on the ground in Mali, with 500 or more to come
French Mirage and Rafale jets, Gazelle helicopters
Chad to send 2,000 troops
Nigeria to send 1,200 troops; Senegal, Burkina Faso, Niger and Togo expected to send 500 each, and Benin 300
Ghana and Guinea also to send troops
UK providing two C17 cargo planes for French effort
Two Dutch male presenters, Dennis Storm and Valerio Zena, volunteered to experience labor pains for a skit on their TV show – and found it harder to stomach than they realized.
Dennis Storm and Valerio Zena were hooked up to electrodes that replicated the contractions women are forced to undergo – but the men only lasted two hours before they begged for the electrodes to be taken off.
The faux labor was filmed and screened during an episode of their hit TV show, Proefkonijnen (Guinea Pigs).
But the labor challenge proved too much for the hosts, who writhed in agony as the electrodes kicked in.
Speaking ahead of the simulated labor, Dennis Storm and Valerio Zena revealed they wanted to experience the pain of childbirth because they’d heard that “giving birth is the worst pain there is”.
Strapped up to the electrodes and with the stunt seconds from starting, Valerio Zena asks of a nurse: “Do you think the pain will make us scream?”
She replies: “Yes, it definitely will.”
And the nurse’s prediction proved entirely accurate as the pair are left doubled up in pain within moments of the fake contractions kicking in.
Two Dutch male presenters, Dennis Storm and Valerio Zena, volunteered to experience labor pains for a skit on their TV show
Although they make a brave attempt to laugh and joke their way through the experience, the misery on their faces gives the game away.
So bad is the pain, Dennis Zena is left questioning whether he even wants children as his wife would be forced to go through an experience he describes as “torture”.
Dennis Zena and Valerio Storm aren’t the first men to volunteer for fake childbirth.
In 2009, Dr. Andrew Rochford went through a similar experience for Australian TV show, What’s Good for You.
Two hours later, Andrew Rochford was turning the air blue as he struggled to deal with the pain, adding afterwards that he could now “understand why women swear”.
Dennis Storm and Valerio Zena are no strangers to painful stunts. In 2011, they cooked and ate each others’ flesh, which was shown on live TV.
American entrepreneur Tech Tips announces that the iPhone manicure is on its way.
In May 2013, Tech Tips is to launch Nano Nails – a false nail that contains a microchip and performs the same tasks as a traditional smartphone stylus.
According to Sri Vellani, the woman behind Nano Nails, women’s fashion choices should never be limited by a smartphone and she believes the microchipped falsie is the perfect solution.
Expected to retail at $10, Nano Nails, which come in packets of six or four, will also be available in nail tip form.
Tips and falsies can be applied at home or in a salon as part of a manicure.
In May 2013, Tech Tips is to launch Nano Nails, a false nail that contains a microchip and performs the same tasks as a traditional smartphone stylus
Although Nano Nails can be a little tricky to use at first, says Sri Vellani, they work like a normal stylus and are even more convenient as you always have it to hand.
The falsies are a spinoff from Sri Vellani’s first smartphone related brainwave – the Tech Tips stylus.
Also designed to help keep your mani looking fresh, the Tech Tips stylus slips on over your natural fingernails or even gloves and also helps fend off chips, although you do have to fish it out of your bag every time your phone rings.
The latest in a line of unusual nail treatments, the smartphone manicure taps into the huge statement nails trend.
Justin Bieber has won a legal battle in which Stacey Betts claimed her ear drums broke due to the screaming at his concert.
According to TMZ, Stacey Betts who initially filed the lawsuit last summer filed documents last week asking the court to dismiss her case.
Stacey Betts, who doesn’t have a lawyer, says she still believes in the merits of her case however it has now been dismissed.
The woman claimed her hearing had been permanently damaged after she took her daughter to Justin Bieber’s concert on July 14, 2010.
Stacey Betts, who hails from Oregon, attempted to sue Justin Bieber, his label Island Def Jam Records, the concert promoter and the arena for a whopping $9.23 million in damages.
She claimed in the lawsuit, published by TMZ at the time: “I was injured by a sound blast that exceeded safe decibel levels. I suffer hearing loss, tinnitus and hyperacusis in both ears.”
Stacey Betts cited that while the initial screaming in the arena was bad enough, Justin Bieber made it much worse when he was pulled into the crowd in a “heart-shaped aluminum/steel gondola” as part of the show.
Her lawsuit alleged that Justin Bieber “created a wave like effect of screaming by pointing into various sections of the arena”.
Justin Bieber “then enticed the crowd into a frenzy of screams by continuously waving his arms in a quick and upward motion”.
Stacey Betts also claimed: “The gondola that Justin Bieber was suspended in acted as a sound conductor creating a sound blast that permanently damaged both of my ears.”
At the time Stacey Betts stated that the tinnitus creates a “loud high pitched, whooshing, pulsating sound” and claims that this results in “anxiety, loss of sleep, and depression”.
Justin Bieber is currently being sued by a former bodyguard, Moshe Benabou, who claims the pop star beat him up.
Moshe Benabou’s lawsuit claims Justin Bieber berated him and repeatedly punched him in the chest after a disagreement about how to handle a member of the Grammy-nominated singer’s entourage. After he walked away, Justin Bieber fired him, Moshe Benabou’s lawsuit claims.
A SWAT team was sent to Kris and Bruce Jenner’s California mansion on Friday afternoon; with at least two helicopters hovering up above as back up.
Reality star Kim Kardashian, 32, tweeted her panic from the Ivory Coast after being informed of the commotion, which was sparked by a bogus call to the police claiming a shooting had taken place at the Calabasas home.
Her younger sisters, Kendall and Kylie Jenner were less dramatic and saw the funny side of it all… as did patriarch Bruce, who posed for an Instagram with the police officers.
Kylie Jenner, 17, tweeted “my neighbors officially think I’m crazy” to which her sister Kendall replied: “Our whole household is crazy.”
She then posted a picture of her father merrily posing with officers in front of the mansion’s famous sweeping staircase; and of the squad cars lined up outside the home.
A SWAT team was sent to Kris and Bruce Jenner’s California mansion on Friday afternoon following bogus shooting
Kim Kardashian was a tad more dramatic, writing: “Just got a call from my mom telling me about this prank call that someone was shot in their home & 15 swat team & 3 helicopters showed up!”
She added: “These prank calls are not funny! People can get arrested for this! I hope they find out who is behind this. It’s dangerous & not a joke!”
Kendall Jenner wrote, alongside her montage of the events: “I love it when 8 police officers show up at my door and 10 cop cars are outside my house. just another casual Friday evening at the Jenner household. #nbd #EveryonesOk”
These pranks seem to be becoming more common.
Police were sent to Tom Cruise’s house following a report about an alleged armed intruder on the property on Thursday.
The call that alerted police is now believed to be a prank after Los Angeles Police Department officers arrived on the scene and found nothing suspicious.
The action star and his family were not at the mansion when the incident occurred Thursday afternoon.
Boeing has decided to suspend deliveries of its new 787 Dreamliner jet until a battery problem is resolved.
Boeing said it would continue to build the plane, but not deliver any until US safety officials gave their backing.
The Federal Aviation Administration has joined the Dreamliner investigation.
All 50 of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners have been suspended from flying since an All Nippon Airways flight on Wednesday made an emergency landing due to a fault.
“We will not deliver 787s until the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] approves a means of compliance with their recent Airworthiness Directive concerning batteries and the approved approach has been implemented,” said a Boeing spokesman in an email.
US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said earlier the Dreamliner would not fly again under authorities were “1,000% sure” it is safe.
Boeing has decided to suspend deliveries of its new 787 Dreamliner jet until a battery problem is resolved
A string of issues in recent weeks has raised questions about the 787, which is the first major aircraft grounding since 1979.
Dreamliners have suffered incidents including fuel leaks, a cracked cockpit window, brake problems and an electrical fire. However, it is the battery problems that have caused the most concern.
This week, US and European aviation regulators said planes should be grounded while safety checks are carried out on their lithium ion batteries.
On Friday, US officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board joined the Japanese probe at Takamatsu airport in western Japan.
The Japan Transport Safety Board said the battery and the systems around it would be sent to Tokyo for more checks, adding there were similarities with an earlier battery fire on a 787 in Boston operated by Japan Airlines.
The pilot of the ANA plane made an emergency landing on Wednesday after he smelled burning and received a cockpit warning of battery problems. All passengers evacuated the plane on emergency slides.
The investigation is being led by the Japan Transport Safety Board.
Boeing is investing heavily in the 787 Dreamliner, and needs to sell 1,100 over the next decade to break even. It has stood by the integrity of the Dreamliner, which has been in service since October 2011.
Boeing and European rival Airbus dominate the global airliner market.
Algerian military operation has been ended at In Amenas gas facility in the Sahara desert killing 11 Islamist militants after they killed 7 hostages, state news agency APS has said.
The hostages were summarily killed as the Algerian troops tried to free them, it said.
Foreign workers were among the hostages, but the nationalities of the dead are not known.
The militants had been involved in a stand-off since Thursday after trying to occupy the remote site.
APS has previously said 12 Algerian and foreign workers have been killed since rescue efforts began.
On Friday, 573 Algerians and about 100 of 132 foreigners working at the plant were freed, Algerian officials said.
About 30 foreigners remain unaccounted for.
The militants themselves said before the raid that they had been holding 7 hostages.
Shortly before reports of the final assault emerged, the leader of the hostage-takers, Abdul Rahman al-Nigeri, said the government had to choose between negotiating with the kidnappers and leaving the hostages to die.
He said the area had been booby-trapped and swore to blow up the complex if the Algerian army used force.
Algerian military operation has been ended at In Amenas gas facility in the Sahara desert killing 11 Islamist militants after they killed 7 hostages
Algerian national oil and gas company Sonatrach said the army was now clearing mines planted by the militants.
The crisis at the remote In Amenas desert gas facility began on Wednesday when militants attacked two buses carrying foreign workers. A Briton and an Algerian reportedly died in the incident.
The militants then took Algerians and expatriates hostage at the complex. The leader of the hostage-takers is said to be a veteran fighter from Niger, named as Abdul Rahman al-Nigeri by the Mauritanian news agency ANI, which has been in contact with the militants.
The Algerian armed forces attacked on Thursday as militants tried to move some of their captives from the facility.
APS reported before Saturday’s raid that a group of militants remained at the site, holed up in a workshop with the remaining hostages and armed with rocket-launchers and machine guns.
The Algerian newspaper El Watan quoted officials as saying that the militants tried to sabotage the gas installation on Friday evening by starting a fire, but that it was quickly extinguished.
“The terrorists were prepared to commit a collective suicide; the army’s intervention led to their neutralization. Unfortunately, the hostages were executed,” the newspaper added.
Information from the siege has been hard to come by. No foreign reporters are thought to have been given access to the In Amenas plant.
The In Amenas gas field is situated at Tigantourine, about 40 km (25 miles) south-west of the town of In Amenas and 1,300 km (800 miles) south-east of Algiers.
The plant is jointly run by BP, Norway’s Statoil and Algeria’s state-owned oil company.
A statement from the kidnappers said the assault on the gas plant was launched in retaliation for French intervention against Islamist groups in neighboring Mali.
Bus attack: 05:00 a.m. local time January 16: Heavily armed gunmen attack two buses carrying gas field workers towards In Amenas airfield. A Briton and an Algerian die in the fighting.
Hostages taken: The militants drive to the installation at Tigantourine and take Algerian and foreign workers hostage in the living area and the main gas facility at the complex.
Army surround complex: Security forces and the Algerian army surround the hostage-takers. Western leaders urge Algeria to consult them before taking action.
Army attacks: 12:00 p.m. January 17: Algerian forces attack as militants try to move some of their captives from the facility. Reports say some hostages escape, but others are killed.
Final assault: The Algerians ended the raid on January 19, killing the last 11 captors after they had killed 7 hostages, state media reported.
Two pranksters dressed up as a pantomime horse were thrown out of a UK Tesco supermarket after trotting around the frozen beef burger aisle shouting “murderers”.
A video of the incident, believed to have taken place in a Welsh store, has already racked up over 200,000 hits on YouTube in less than two days.
The mobile phone footage shows the pantomime horse rolling on the floor near the frozen food aisle shouting “where’s my mum?” before a security guard asks them to leave.
Earlier this week Tesco was one of several UK supermarkets revealed to have quantities of horse meat in its frozen burgers.
Two pranksters dressed up as a pantomime horse were thrown out of a UK Tesco supermarket after trotting around the frozen beef burger aisle
The alert was first raised by Irish food watchdogs after horse DNA was found in burgers sold through Tesco, Iceland, Aldi, Lidl and Dunnes in Ireland.
It subsequently emerged that burgers from the same batches were sold in the British outlets of both Tesco and Iceland.
Incredibly, the beef content in one Everyday Value burger sold by Tesco was actually 29% horse meat.
More than ten million burgers have now been removed from sale, including more than 100,000 made at the Yorkshire factory of Dalepak.
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and the Co-op immediately decided to remove thousands of packs of frozen burgers as a precautionary measure.
British PM David Cameron reacted angrily, condemning Tesco on Thursday, saying: “People in our country will have been very concerned to read this morning that when they thought they were buying beef burgers they were buying something that had horse meat in it.”
“This is a completely unacceptable state of affairs,” David Cameron added, calling for an urgent investigation by Britain’s Food Standards Agency.
Ray Nagin, New Orleans ex-mayor, has been charged with 21 federal counts of wire fraud, bribery, filing false tax returns and money laundering.
Ray Nagin, 56, mayor from 2002-10, came to national attention when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005.
Beginning in June 2004, Ray Nagin took payments, travel and other gratuities in exchange for city contracts and other favors, prosecutors said.
At least four of his associates have already pleaded guilty in the case.
“Mayor Nagin used his public office and his official capacity to provide favorable treatment that benefitted the business and financial interests of individuals providing him bribery/kickback payoffs,” the indictment reads.
According to the federal indictment, Ray Nagin accepted more than $160,000 in bribes from local businessman Frank Fradella.
Ray Nagin, New Orleans ex-mayor, has been charged with 21 federal counts of wire fraud, bribery, filing false tax returns and money laundering
In exchange, Ray Nagin helped Frank Fradella secure millions of dollars in contracts from the city in the wake of Katrina, including construction at the airport and sidewalk repair projects, prosecutors said.
Ray Nagin is also charged with accepting payoffs worth at least $60,000 from another businessman, Rodney Williams, who was given consulting and construction contracts with the city.
Frank Fradella and Rodney Williams have already pleaded guilty in connection with the case and are expected to testify against the former mayor, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
The indictment alleges that over the course of his time in office, Ray Nagin travelled with his family to Hawaii and Jamaica on trips paid for by local businessmen.
He accepted free travel by private jet to Chicago, Las Vegas and New York City, according to the indictment.
Two former officials in Ray Nagin’s administration have also pleaded guilty to corruption charges dating from their time at city hall.
Ray Nagin was a cable television executive before he entered public life in 2002.
He was backed strongly by white voters in his first run for mayor, styling himself as a candidate with bipartisan appeal and a progressive agenda.
Ray Nagin was thrust into the national spotlight during Hurricane Katrina and was re-elected to a second term as mayor in 2006.
Subsequently, a surge in violent crime, the slow pace of reconstruction, and the burgeoning corruption scandal at city hall undermined his popularity.
Since leaving office in 2010 Ray Nagin has stayed out of the political spotlight and has reportedly relocated to Dallas, Texas.
Are you involved with a cheating man? Here are the top 10 signs of a cheating man.
A cheating man can only hide his cheating ways for so long before he gets caught. The longer a man cheats, the higher probability he will get caught. In this busy day and age, it is difficult to carry on more than one relationship. However, with inventions like the internet, accessibility to willing partners has become easier than ever. There are various ways of how to tell if your man is cheating. We have listed the top 10 signs of a cheating man below. How to know if your man is cheating? If your man exhibits any of the below, it may be time to take a closer look.
1. He spends less time with you. A cheating man must use the excuse of working long hours, extra meetings and dinners or other unexplained functions so he will have time with his “other” woman.
2. He isn’t as affectionate any more. Your sex life is almost non-existent because of his other commitments. He doesn’t want to cuddle, watch a movie, hold hands or do many of the touchy things he used to.
3. He changes his physical appearance. A cheating man usually starts buying new clothes, gets a new hair style or begins working out because he wants to be attractive to the other woman in his life besides you.
4. Car changes. The passenger seat in the car has been moved or there is an unknown hair on the car seat. Perhaps the radio station is on an irregular station because that’s what she likes.
Top 10 signs of a cheating man
5. Cheating man becomes more short-tempered because of the guilty feelings as a result of the infidelity. Things that usually did not bother them suddenly start bothering them.
6. A cheating man may smell of perfume, smoke or alcohol, especially if he hasn’t had time to change them from meeting with her.
7. Behavioral changes. A cheating man frequently becomes defensive when questioned about his whereabouts. He may turn it around to accuse you of being insecure, possessive or snoopy. 8. Cell phone changes. A cheating man cannot leave his telephone turned on when with you because his other woman may phone him. He may leave the room to have a telephone conversation or say strange things after he picks up a message from his lover. Watch for calls in the middle of the night. If you have access to his telephone bill, check it closely. Look for repeated unknown numbers, times and durations.
9. Computer usage changes. A cheating man may utilize a computer to seek out partners or communicate with. If your man is on his computer for long periods of time at night and he closes the door so you won’t see him, he may be communicating or chatting with his love interest.
10. Changes in spending habits. You can tell if your man is cheating if he is suddenly always broke. He’s broke because he is spending all of his money on the other woman. Watch as to whether he is paying with cash and making more frequent ATM withdrawals to cover his paper trail. Check any receipts, bill’s or stubs that you may have access to. Once you know if your man is cheating or not, make sure you have a plan of action that you will take after you accuse him. You need to decide whether it’s time for you to move on or whether this relationship may be worth a second chance.
The Queen, John Napper’s controversial portrait, which was hidden from view for 60 years because it looked nothing like Queen Elizabeth II, has finally gone on public display.
The portrait, painted by John Napper in 1952, shows Queen Elizabeth II with an extraordinary long neck.
John Napper himself described it as “a beautiful painting of a queen, but not this Queen”.
After spending six decades in council vaults, the portrait went on display in Liverpool’s St George’s Hall on Friday.
The city’s deputy Lord Mayor, Gary Millar, said: “We are very proud that Liverpool now has the original first painting hanging in St George’s Hall, which has been rehung to celebrate the anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation.
“It will be the first thing people will see if they come to get married or have a civil partnership or attend a citizenship ceremony.
“It is an honor for us to work with the friends of the hall, the staff there and the city council to rehang this beautiful painting.”
The Queen, John Napper’s controversial portrait, which was hidden from view for 60 years because it looked nothing like Queen Elizabeth II, has finally gone on public display
John Napper, who died in 2001, painted a second portrait of The Queen, with a smaller neck, after the original was rejected by the council. That picture still hangs in Liverpool Town Hall.
The artist’s widow, Pauline Napper, told the Daily Telegraph: “I remember the painting well. He was disappointed with the angle at which he painted it, he only had one sitting.
“It was due to be hung up high so that you would look at it from below. If you looked at it from that angle it looked normal.
“Then when they showed it they didn’t put it up high and then it didn’t look like the Queen.”
Pauline Napper added: “It is a beautiful painting, obviously he would have been pleased that it is going on display. I am pleased too, it is a beautiful portrait.”
The public unveiling of the work comes a week after the first official portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge was panned by some critics.
Paul Emsley’s work, which hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, was accused of making Kate Middleton look older and lifeless.
The Canadian new plastic banknotes feature Norway maple leaves, instead of the Canadian sugar maple leaf, according to botanists.
The botanists argue the leaf shown features more sections and has a more pointed outline than the Canadian version.
The maple leaf is featured on the new C$20, C$50 and C$100 notes, which were introduced in November.
Bank of Canada officials say the image is a “stylized” leaf, created with the help of a botanist.
“I think it’s just an after-the-fact excuse,” said Sean Blaney, senior botanist at the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre, who first brought the image to the attention of the broadcaster CBC.
The Canadian new plastic banknotes feature Norway maple leaves, instead of the Canadian sugar maple leaf
The Norway maple, however, is a popular tree in central and eastern Canada, after being imported from Europe.
“It has naturalized to Canada,” Sean Blaney said.
“This could not be confused with a native species of Canada,” Julian Starr, a botany professor at the University of Ottawa, told the CBC.
The leaf on Canada’s flag is stylized, but in such a way that it still looks like the native species, Julian Starr later told CTV.
In August, the Bank of Canada apologized for removing an image of an “Asian-looking” woman from the design of the new $100 bank note.
The polymer banknotes have also faced criticism for not working in many vending machines.
Sandwichmaker Subway has finally responded to international criticism that its footlong sandwiches only appear to be 11 inches long.
Subway’s reply won’t win them any new fans, as they claimed that the word footlong is a “registered trademark as a descriptive name for the sub” and “not intended to be a measurement of length”.
A man in Australia started uproar on Tuesday when he posted a photo on the company’s Facebook page of one of its footlong subs next to a tape measure showing the sandwich as just 11 inches.
Countless lookalike pictures appeared all over the internet and more than 100,000 people “liked” or commented on the original, which had the caption “Subway pls respond”.
The world’s largest fast food chain did so on Friday with a comment on the original query, posted by Matt Corby from Perth, Australia.
The statement began: “Looking at the photo doing the rounds showing a slightly undersized sub, this bread is not baked to our standards.”
Then Subway went on the offensive, claiming that a footlong sub wasn’t necessarily meant to be exactly a foot long in the first place.
“With regards to the size of the bread and calling it a footlong, <<SUBWAY FOOTLONG>> is a registered trademark as a descriptive name for the sub sold in Subway® Restaurants and not intended to be a measurement of length.”
“The length of the bread baked in the restaurant cannot be assured each and every time as the proofing process may vary slightly each time in the restaurant.”
Subway has finally responded to international criticism that its footlong sandwiches only appear to be 11 inches long
Subway has since removed the statement but, as Buzzfeed points out, this is at odds with previous Subway advertising.
The company has suggested in past promotional material that the footlong sub will measure a foot in length, such as a popular 2008 “Hula” advert.
The Subway photo – and the backlash – illustrates a challenge companies face with the growth of social media sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
Before, someone in a far flung local in Australia would not be able to cause such a stir. But the power of social media means that negative posts about a company can spread from around the world in seconds.
“People look for the gap between what companies say and what they give, and when they find the gap – be it a mile or an inch – they can now raise a flag and say, <<Hey look at this>>, I caught you,” said Allen Adamson, managing director of branding firm Landor Associates in New York.
Subway has always offered footlong sandwiches since it opened in 1965. A customer can order any sandwich as a footlong.
The chain introduced a $5 footlong promotion in 2008 as the U.S. fell into the recession, and has continued offering the popular option throughout the recovery.
An attempt to contact someone with the same name and country as the person who posted the photo of the footlong sandwich on Subway’s Facebook page was not returned on Thursday.
But comments by other Facebook users about the photo ran the gamut from outrage to indifference to amusement.
The Subway footlong photo is just the latest in a string of public relations headaches that were caused by a negative photo or event about a company going viral.
Last year, a Burger King employee tweeted a picture of someone standing in sneakers on two tubs of uncovered lettuce. Domino’s Pizza employees posted a video on YouTube of workers defacing a pizza in 2009. And a KitchenAid employee last year made a disparaging remark about President Barack Obama using the official KitchenAid Twitter account.
During latest UN talks more than 140 countries have agreed on a set of legally binding measures to curb mercury pollution.
Delegates in Geneva approved measures to control the use of the highly toxic metal in order to reduce the amount of mercury released into the environment.
Mercury can produce a range of adverse human health effects, including permanent damage to the nervous system.
The UN recently published data that showed mercury emissions were rising in a number of developing nations.
The deal was agreed after all-night talks.
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) spokesman Nick Nuttall told Reuters: “A treaty to start to begin to rid the world of a notorious health-hazardous metal was agreed in the morning of Jan 19.”
During latest UN talks more than 140 countries have agreed on a set of legally binding measures to curb mercury pollution
The rules, known as the Minamata Convention and named after the Japanese town that experienced one of the world’s worst cases of mercury poisoning, will open for nations to sign at a diplomatic conference later this year.
The convention will regulate a range of areas, including:
the supply of and trade in mercury;
the use of mercury in products and industrial processes;
the measures to be taken to reduce emissions from artisanal and small-scale gold mining;
the measures to be taken to reduce emissions from power plants and metals production facilities.
Ahead of the five-day meeting, the UNEP published a report warning that developing nations were facing growing health and environmental risks from increased exposure to mercury.
It said a growth in small-scale mining and coal burning were the main reasons for the rise in emissions.
As a result of rapid industrialization, South-East Asia was the largest regional emitter and accounted for almost half of the element’s annual global emissions.
Mercury – a heavy, silvery white metal – is a liquid at room temperature and can evaporate easily. Within the environment, it is found in cinnabar deposits. It is also found in natural forms in a range of other rocks, including limestone and coal.
Mercury can be released into the environment through a number of industrial processes including mining, metal and cement production, and the burning of fossil fuels.
Once emitted, it persists in the environment for a long time – circulating through air, water, soil and living organisms – and can be dispersed over vast distances.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says: “Mercury is highly toxic to human health, posing a particular threat to the development of the [unborn] child and early in life.
“The inhalation of mercury vapor can produce harmful effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys, and may be fatal.
“The inorganic salts of mercury are corrosive to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract, and may induce kidney toxicity if ingested.”
The UNEP assessment said the concentration of mercury in the top 100 m of the world’s oceans had doubled over the past century, and estimated that 260 tonnes of the toxic metal had made their way from soil into rivers and lakes.
Another characteristic, it added, was that mercury became more concentrated as it moved up the food chain, reaching its highest levels in predator fish that could be consumed by humans.
Cyclist Lance Armstrong has questioned during interview with Oprah Winfrey whether he deserves his “death penalty” punishment which means he is banned from all sports because of his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Lance Armstrong compared his lifelong ban to six-month penalties given to others.
In the second part of his interview with Oprah Winfrey, Lance Armstrong, 41, said: “I deserve to be punished. I’m not sure I deserve a death penalty.
“I’d love the opportunity to compete, but that isn’t why I’m doing this.”
The second round of Lance Armstrong’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, 58, was broadcast on prime time television on her OWN network in America, and was streamed worldwide through her website.
In the first part of the interview Lance Armstrong ended years of denials by admitting using performance-enhancing drugs during all seven of his Tour de France wins.
During part two, in which he fought back tears as he discussed the impact on his family, Lance armstrong revealed:
he wants the life ban in sports lifted but accepts that is unlikely
he feels “disgraced, humbled and ashamed” by his actions
his “most humbling moment” was being asked to step aside by cancer charity Livestrong
the moment he confessed to his son and said: “don’t defend me anymore”
his actions had left his mother a “wreck”
his sponsors leaving him was a “$75 million day”
Of his desire to return to sport, Lance Armstrong said he wasn’t looking to take part in the Tour de France again, but added: “If you’re asking me if I want to compete again, the answer is <<hell yeah, I’m a competitor>>. It’s what I’ve done all my life. I want to race, want to toe the line.
“There are lots of things I can’t do because of the ban. If there is a window of opportunity would I like to run the Chicago Marathon when I’m 50? Yes.
“When you see the punishment… I got a death penalty meaning I can’t compete. I’m not saying that is unfair but it is different.”
Lance Armstrong said he “selfishly” wanted his life ban to be lifted.
“Realistically, I don’t think that will happen and I’ve got to live with that,” he added.
Lance Armstrong started the second part of the interview by telling the US chat show host he felt “disgraced, humbled and ashamed” at his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
“Do I have remorse? Absolutely. Will it grow? Absolutely,” he said.
“This is the first step and these are my actions. I am paying the price but I deserve it.
“The ultimate crime is the betrayal of these people who support me and believed in me and they got lied to.”
Lance Armstrong said what he had done hit home when his cancer charity Livestrong asked him to step aside last year.
“That was the most humbling moment,” he said.
Lance Armstrong has questioned during interview with Oprah Winfrey whether he deserves being banned from all sports because of his use of performance-enhancing drugs
Lance Armstrong, who launched Livestrong after battling cancer in the mid-1990s, said sponsors started to leave him following the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) investigation last year.
USADA said Lance Armstrong was a “serial cheat” who had led “the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme sport has ever seen”.
He said: “Nike called and said that they’re out. Then the calls started coming.
“A couple of days: everybody out.”
Lance Armstrong described the period in which his sponsors dropped him as a” $75 million dollar day”. “All gone. Probably never coming back,” he said.
“I’ve lost all future income.”
Outlining the build-up to Livestrong’s decision, Lance Armstrong added: “The story was getting out of control which was my worst nightmare. I had this place in my mind they would all leave. The one I didn’t think would leave was the foundation.
“The foundation is like my sixth child and to make that decision and step aside was big.
“I was aware of the pressure and it was the best thing for the organisation but it hurt like hell.”
Lance Armstrong fought back tears as he described the impact of his actions on his five children.
“They know a lot,” he said.
“They hear it in the hallways. Their schools, their classmates have been very supportive. Where you lose control with your kids is when they go out of that space: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, in the feedback columns.
“When this all really started, I saw my son defending me, and saying <<that’s not true>>.
“That’s when I knew I had to tell him. And he’d never asked me. He’d never said <<dad, is this true?>> He’d trusted me.
“I said ‘don’t defend me anymore, don’t’. He has been remarkably calm and mature about it.”
Lance Armstrong said his mother had been left a “wreck” by what had happened but “she is a tough lady and has got through every other moment”.
Despite the fallout from his drugs use, Lance Armstrong said it was not the worst period of his life and pointed to his cancer battle.
“I’ve been to a dark place that was not of my doing where I didn’t know if I would live,” he said.
“You can’t compare this to an advanced diagnosis. That sets the bar. It is close but I’m an optimist and I like to look forward – this has caused me to look back and I don’t like that.
“When I was diagnosed I was better and smarter after that and then lost my way.
“It is easy to sit here and say I feel better but I can’t lose my way again.
“Only I can control it and I’m in no position to make promises but that is the biggest challenge for the rest of my life – not to slip up again and not lose sight of what I have to do. I had it but things got too crazy. Epic challenge.”
In the first part of the interview Lance Armstrong told Oprah Winfrey he was sorry for his “big lie”. He admitted that at the time he viewed his actions as levelling the playing field rather than cheating.
He said he would now co-operate with official inquiries into doping.
In the aftermath of the USADA report the Texan opted not to contest the allegations. Lance Armstrong had always strongly denied doping, but that all changed within seconds of his first appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s show.
Helen Croydon, author of controversial tell-all book The Sugar Daddy Diaries, has gone undercover to ascertain exactly why men stray from long-term relationships – and to lift the lid on how to prevent it.
Helen Croydon undertook the project as research for her new book, F The Fairytale, in which she explores modern models of relationships as alternatives to marriage.
She worked along with adult lifestyle website Bondara to discover why men stray from long term relationships and reveal how to deal with it.
The author says: “While researching my next book I spoke to hundreds of men and women about their relationship blips, successes, affairs or their choices not to commit at all.
“I’ve targeted men on the UK’s largest cheating website, maritalaffair.co.uk and even been undercover on that and so-called sugar daddy websites to get to grips with common male motivations for straying.”
Helen Croydon found that sexual dissatisfaction was the most common “complaint” cited by men as a reason to stray, with men saying things like, “the physical side has faded”, or “our sex has become routine”.
In this case Helen Croydon advises you need to make time for sex – and the more you orgasm, the more you’ll want to.
The sexpert also says if you have relationship problems – another big reason men cheat – try counseling before splitting.
Here are some of Helen Croydon’s findings: 1. Feeling surplus to needs
Common amongst new fathers and the partner of someone with a demanding job. The less busy partner feels unneeded.
Think bored housewife and a husband who doesn’t even notice when she gets a haircut. Or the hard-working husband whose weekend is filled with nothing but more chores.
These types complained that their relationship had become functional. They craved the freshness of new romance and went elsewhere to find it.
What to do:
Relationships should make us feel loved and energized otherwise we’re better off alone. So make your partner feel that way. Stop keeping tabs on who’s done what. In the long run it doesn’t matter.
Take time every day to talk and listen to each other – even if it’s just for 15 minutes over dinner or while you have pre-bedtime cup of cocoa.
Helen Croydon, author of controversial tell-all book The Sugar Daddy Diaries, has gone undercover to ascertain exactly why men stray from long-term relationships
2. In love but lacking romance
I was surprised by how many men said they loved their wives deeply and were not looking to end their marriage, but wanted ‘something extra’.
Not necessarily sex but the romance – dinners and dates.
Many expressed they wanted to “feel like they looked forward to seeing someone again”.
What to do:
Sadly familiarity can cancel out passion even though familiarity is what we all want from a relationship.
It’s easy to steer your relationship away from dreary domesticity though and become fascinated in each other again.
3. Partner health issues
When one partner has health problems which limit their sexual life, the other partner may consider this as an amnesty on fidelity.
Any previous guilt is removed by the fact that their partner can no longer fulfill roles in the relationship that they once could.
I met several men who claimed their wives had consented to them seeking sexual – but not emotional – fulfillment outside of marriage.
What to do:
Consent is key here. Just because you think you’re not cheating, doesn’t mean your partner wouldn’t feel cheated.
There’s nothing wrong with a negotiated open relationship but for those that can’t handle the thought of that, you’ll have to address the sex imbalance some other way.
4. The “one last time” syndrome
Common amongst men and women who are about to get married or make a similar commitment.
They feel they can hold onto their previous identity with one last experience of their old life. They mistakenly believe that one final memory will sustain them for years ahead of “being good”.
What to do:
This is just a fantasy. “One last time” won’t make them feel any more experienced than they already felt when they committed.
If you suspect your partner is daunted by the idea of long-term sexual fidelity, embrace their sexual appetite rather than try to repress it.
Encourage them to talk about things they would like to try and to share their fantasies so they feel you will help them fulfill them rather than hanker them.
Why not organize a naughty weekend away with sexy lingerie and some fun masks and ropes and pretend you’ve just met. Even if it’s just ten minutes from home.
5. Opportunism
Thankfully more rare than people may think. A man or a woman is out of town and a new, exciting and novel experience comes up and they think “no one will ever know”.
It does happen but not often.
To act on a fantasy usually requires mental preparation and lots of suppression of guilt so it’s unlikely a quick chat on a bar stool in a strange hotel will make someone jump into bed.
In my experience, people who stray on a whim have done it before or already given it some thought.
What to do:
It’s easier to say what not to do. Don’t keep tabs on your partner. Don’t be controlling or demand they phone.
Too much control only makes someone want to break free. Trust builds respect and there’s no better defence to cheating than respect.
Chinese economy, the world’s second largest, is showing signs of a rebound that could help it emerge from its worst economic period in 13 years.
According to the latest Chinese government figures, growth picked up to 7.9% in the final three months of 2012, from 7.4% in the previous quarter.
This was driven by state investment in infrastructure projects and efforts to get consumers and companies to spend.
Economic stability is seen as vital for China as its new leaders take over.
“It is obvious that the slowdown in the Chinese economy has halted for the moment,” said Fraser Howie, an economist and co-author of Red Capitalism.
“But one has to be mindful that any recovery will be limited in its scope, not least because of the various headwinds that China is facing,” he added.
“The new leaders, who take charge in March, will now have to find the right balance between trying to prevent the formation of a property bubble and keeping a healthy growth rate going.”
That may prove tricky, not least because China’s economic growth has slowed significantly from the highs of previous years, and analysts warn that state stimulus measures may wane.
Chinese economy, the world’s second largest, is showing signs of a rebound that could help it emerge from its worst economic period in 13 years
On Friday, the statistical office reported that gross domestic product, the main measure of growth, increased by 7.8% in 2012, down from 9.3% in 2011.
That was the slowest annual rate of growth since 1999.
But it is still way above the anemic growth rates experienced by most other major economies last year. Figures for the US, the world’s largest economy, and Japan, the third largest, are expected to show growth of about 2%.
The 17 members of the eurozone are collectively expected to contract by about 0.4%.
These factors brought down the pace of growth late last year to uncomfortable levels, with some economists predicting a “hard landing”, or a sharp slowdown.
However, their pessimistic predictions of a slump to growth of 6% seem to have been too extreme.
Instead the government implemented infrastructure spending programmes to spur growth and also provided incentives to encourage consumer spending and corporate borrowing.
“The government’s stimulus measures implemented last year have managed to stabilize growth and lay the foundations for solid expansion this year,” said Dariusz Kowalczyk of Credit Agricole CIB.
The figures released on Friday were “the best we could have wished for”, he added.
Underlining this optimism were other figures also released on Friday which showed an improvement in house prices and retail sales.
Asian stock markets ticked higher on the news, while the Australian dollar gained. Australia is a key exporter to China, selling minerals that are used to help power its economic expansion.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng stock index was trading 0.7% higher, South Korea’s Kospi added 0.5% and Australia’s main stock index gained 0.3%.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 was the biggest gainer, adding 2.1% and getting an extra lift as a drop in the value of the yen helped exporters.
Actor Mel Gibson is now at the centre of speculation that he could be the biological father of Jodie Foster’s sons.
The rumors began when Jodie Foster, who has never revealed her boys’ paternity, thanked Mel Gibson, 57, for his support during her emotional speech at the Golden Globe awards last week.
And now the reports have been fuelled after the New York Post credited an “amateur genealogist” for saying Charles, 14, and Kit, 12, bear more than a passing resemblance to Mel Gibson.
According to the New York Post, the genealogist said: “The kids look like Gibson but blonder.”
Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson first became friends when they starred together in 1994 movie Maverick, before working together again on the more recent The Beaver in 2011.
They have formed such a strong friendship that Jodie Foster even name-checked Mel Gibson during her Globes speech, saying: “Mel Gibson – you know you saved me too.”
The camera flashed to Mel Gibson during her speech, and showed the actor wolf-whistling and applauding his friend.
Jodie Foster’s speech wasn’t the first time she has waxed lyrical about Mel Gibson.
In 2011, the actress told the Hollywood Reporter about Mel Gibson: “He’s so incredibly loving and sensitive, he really is.
“He is the most loved actor I have ever worked with on a movie. And he’s not saintly, and he’s got a big mouth, and he’ll do gross things your nephew would do.
“But I knew the minute I met him that I would love him the rest of my life.”
Mel Gibson is now at the centre of speculation that he could be the biological father of Jodie Foster’s sons
Jodie Foster added in a later interview that she would jump at the chance to work with Mel Gibson on another project in the future.
She said: “I think he is one of the greatest filmmakers in America that we have.
“That would be a shame, to never see that voice as a director.
“I look forward to anything that he makes whether he’s the boom operator, the actor or, especially, the director.”
Mel Gibson is already the father of eight children – seven by his ex wife Robyn – with one daughter Lucia, by former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva from whom he split in April 2011.
Jodie Foster has previously insisted she won’t reveal the identity of her sons’ biological father until they turn 21.
However, there has previously been speculation that Jodie Foster’s late director friend Randy Stone, who was openly gay, could be the father.
Randy Stone died in 2007 following a battle with heart disease.
Nokia has unveiled design files that will let owners use 3D printers to make their own cases for its Lumia phones.
Files containing mechanical drawings, case measurements and recommended materials have already been released by the phone maker.
Those using the files will be able to create a custom-designed case for the flagship Lumia 820 handset.
The project makes Nokia one of the first big electronics firms to seriously back 3D printing.
In a blogpost, John Kneeland, one of Nokia’s community managers, revealed the Finnish phone maker’s decision to release the 3D drawings.
Printing in 3D involves sending a design file to a printer that then forms a solid version of that object by slowly building it up in layers of plastic. Early 3D printers could only work in one color but the latest versions can produce intricate, multicolored objects.
Nokia has unveiled design files that will let owners use 3D printers to make their own cases for its Lumia phones
John Kneeland said Nokia was releasing what he called a “3D printing development kit” to help people produce the cases. The files are already available on the site Nokia maintains for its developers.
He said 3D printing was another way that the firm wanted to build links to that vast community of software and hardware engineers. To get the files, users must have registered with Nokia.
He said Nokia already used 3D printing internally to do rapid prototyping, but decided to back it more publicly to help the nascent technology realize its “incredible potential”.
In the future, he said, 3D printing was likely to bring about phones that were “wildly more modular and customizable”.
Nokia might just end up selling a phone template, he said, allowing entrepreneurs to use that to produce handsets that satisfy the particular needs of their locale.
“You want a waterproof, glow-in-the-dark phone with a bottle-opener and a solar charger? Someone can build it for you – or you can print it yourself,” he wrote.
He added that, in his view, 3D printing was a technology that justified its hype and said it was “the sequel to the Industrial Revolution”.
“However, it’s going to take somewhat longer to arrive than some people anticipate, and that may disappoint people,” he said.
About 650 hostages have been freed from militants at the In Amenas gas facility in Algeria, state media report, but about 60 foreigners are still being held.
State-run APS news agency said those freed at the In Amenas installation included 573 Algerians and more than half of 132 foreign workers.
The militants remained holed up at the site and the Algerian army wanted a “peaceful end” to the crisis, APS said.
At least four foreign workers died when troops moved in on Thursday.
A “comprehensive total” of the hostages still held was not available and some of them had taken refuge at various points around the site, a security source told APS.
The installation had been put out of action to avoid the risk of an explosion, the agency reported.
Meanwhile, BP said on Friday that hundreds of workers from international oil companies had been evacuated from Algeria on Thursday and that many more would follow.
On Friday morning, a spokesman for the group thought to be behind the attack told the Mauritanian ANI agency that it would carry out further operations.
He warned Algerians to “stay away from the installations of foreign companies as we will strike where it is least expected”.
Algeria has yet to give precise casualty figures from Thursday’s rescue attempt.
The state-run APS news agency cited local officials as saying two Britons and two Filipinos were killed. Two others, a Briton and an Algerian, died on Wednesday when the militants ambushed a bus that was taking foreign workers at the facility to the local airport.
A spokesman for the militants told the ANI agency that 35 hostages and 15 militants had been killed in Thursday’s operation. One Algerian official said the figures were “exaggerated”.
About 650 hostages have been freed from militants at the In Amenas gas facility in Algeria, but about 60 foreigners are still being held
The In Amenas gas field is operated by the Algerian state oil company, Sonatrach, along with the British oil company BP and Norway’s Statoil.
It is situated at Tigantourine, about 40 km (25 miles) south-west of the town of In Amenas and 1,300 km (800 miles) south-east of Algiers.
APS cited local officials as saying the military operation at the gas facility’s living quarters, where most of the hostages were held, had ended on Thursday night.
“Hostages are still being held at the Tigantourine gas treatment plant, which is surrounded by special forces,” APS added.
Later, UK Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament that he had been told by his Algerian counterpart, Abdelmalek Sellal, that troops were “still pursuing terrorists and possibly some of the hostages”.
Japanese officials were meanwhile quoted as saying by the Kyodo news agency that at least 14 Japanese nationals were still missing. At least three managed to escape.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, expressed “deep regret” at the actions of the Algerian security forces and its foreign ministry summoned the Algerian ambassador.
Despite requests for communication and pleas to consider the hostages’ safety, the UK, Japan and US said they had not been told in advance about the military assault.
David Cameron said the Algerian prime minister had told him that commanders had “judged there to be an immediate threat to the lives of the hostages and had felt obliged to respond”.
Algerian Communications Minister Mohand Said Oubelaid said: “Those who think we will negotiate with terrorists are delusional.”
Norway said eight of its nationals were currently unaccounted for. One is being treated at a hospital in In Amenas, while four escaped unharmed.
French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said two French workers were safe. It was unclear if another two were involved, he added.
The Irish government confirmed that one of its citizens was free. Five Americans had survived and left the country, US officials told ABC News. Austria also said one of its nationals had been released and was safe.
A worker from CIS Catering, which employs about 150 Algerians at the facility, told French media he had hidden under the bed in his room for 40 hours before being rescued.
“I put boards everywhere. I had food, water, and I did not know how long I would stay there.”
“When the soldiers came to get me, I did not even know it was over. They were with colleagues, otherwise I would never have opened the door,” he added.
A statement purporting to come from the kidnappers says the raid was carried out in retaliation for the French intervention against Islamist groups, including al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), in neighboring Mali.
The kidnapping was a complex operation which is unlikely to have been planned and carried out since the surprising French intervention in Mali last Friday.
Algerian officials said the militants were operating under orders from Mokhtar Belmokhtar, who was a senior AQIM commander until late last year.
Foreign citizens involved
14 Japanese missing
8 Norwegians missing
Significantly fewer than 30 Britons “at risk”; two Britons (from Scotland) believed to be safe
Unknown number of Americans
Possibly citizens of Romania, Thailand, the Philippines, Colombia, South Korea and Austria
Yesterday Khloe Kardashian shared a 5-year-old photo on her blog of herself and her two sisters, Kim and Kourtney, during one of their first photo shoots together.
Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian are channelling the Eighties in the snapshot, and all sport extremely voluminous hair along with their swimwear.
Khloe Kardashian towers over her siblings in the photo, with her brunette locks styled in wild curls.
Meanwhile Kourtney and Kim Kardashian could pass for twins with their tresses in bold retro bouffant dos.
Kourtney Kardashian shows some skin in a cut-out white bikini with pink and purple trim and a plunging neckline, which displays her exposed belly button.
Khloe Kardashian shared a 5-year-old photo on her blog of herself and her two sisters, Kim and Kourtney, during one of their first photo shoots together
Kim Kardashian, 32, stands in the centre in a white bikini, but covers up her stomach in a translucent gold sarong.
They may be wearing little clothing but the reality stars make up for it with lashings of jewellery in the form of chunky bangles and hoop earrings.
Khloe Kardashian was feeling nostalgic as she posted the image as part of Throwback Thursday, where people share vintage snaps online.
She wrote alongside the snap: “This pic is from one of the first photo shoots my sisters and I ever did together – I think it was about five years ago.”
Cheap sensors that help cars avoid collisions could emerge from research into a lensless imaging system.
US scientists have used metamaterials to build the imaging system, which samples infra-red and microwave light.
Metamaterials are materials that have properties purposefully designed rather than determined by their chemistry.
The sensor also compresses the images it captures in contrast to current compression systems, which only squash images after they are taken.
Most imaging systems, such as those found in digital cameras, use a lens to focus a scene on a sensor studded with millions of tiny sensors. More sensors means more detail is captured and, generally, produces a higher resolution image.
The imaging system developed by graduate student John Hunt and colleagues at Duke University in North Carolina has no lens and instead combines a metamaterial mask or aperture and complicated mathematics to generate an image of a scene.
The aperture is used to focus different wavelengths of light in different parts of a scene onto a detector. The different frequencies in the scene are sampled sequentially.
This sampling helped to work out the distribution and mix of light wavelengths and their relative intensities found in a scene, said John Hunt.
Cheap sensors that help cars avoid collisions could emerge from research into a lensless imaging system made from metamaterials
“Then we use some very elegant maths which was developed in computational imaging to turn that data into a 2D picture,” he told the Science podcast. The wavelength sampling was done electronically so happens very fast, he added.
Currently the imaging system could capture about 10 images per second, he said. In addition, the imaging system compressed the information as it was gathered. Most other image compression systems, such as the widely used Jpeg format, are applied after an image has been snapped.
While imaging systems that capture infra-red and microwave wavelengths already existed, said John Hunt, they were typically expensive, bulky or complicated to build.
By contrast, the Duke imaging system used a thin strip of metamaterial mated with some electronics and processing software. Although it did not yet work with visible wavelengths of light, John Hunt said it could lead to a range of cheap, small, portable sensors that could find a role in many different fields.
“You could build an imager into the body of a car to do collision-avoidance imaging, or you could have a cheap handheld device to look through walls for wires and pipes,” he said.
A research paper detailing the work has appeared in the journal Science.
Pauline Friedman Phillips, the author of widely syndicated advice column Dear Abby, has died at 94 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, her publicist has said.
Pauline Friedman Phillips, known for her glib responses to readers, wrote under the name Abigail Van Buren.
She launched the column in 1956 and she passed it to her daughter Jeanne Phillips in 2002.
The world’s most widely distributed column, it has run in 1,400 newspapers with a daily readership of 100 million.
In 1956, Pauline Friedman Phillips was new to the San Francisco area when she called the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle to tell him she could write a better advice column than the one she had just read, her syndicate Universal Uclick said.
To her surprise, the editor invited the 37-year-old housewife in for a meeting, and after reading samples of her writing later, gave her a job.
Pauline Friedman Phillips, the author of widely syndicated advice column Dear Abby, has died at 94 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease
Pauline Friedman Phillips was known to have a punchy style in her answers to readers’ questions.
Responding to a reader who wanted to trace the reader’s family history without spending much money, Pauline Friedman Phillips wrote: “Run for public office.”
When another reader asked if the contraceptive pill was “deductible”, Pauline Friedman Phillips replied: “Only if they don’t work.”
In interviews, Pauline Friedman Phillips said her advice evolved over the decades. For example, she came to realize that sometimes divorce was the right course of action for unhappily married couples.
For decades, Pauline Friedman Phillips’ column competed with the Ann Landers advice column written by her twin sister Esther Friedman Lederer. Esther Friedman Lederer died in 2002.
The sisters, who grew up in Sioux City, Iowa are said to have had a strained relationship as young adults but later regained the closeness they had as children.
