US researchers have discovered that light passing through the body and into the womb has an important role in the developing eye.
A study, published in the journal Nature, showed that mice spending pregnancy in complete darkness had babies with altered eye development.
It indicated tiny quantities of light were needed to control blood vessel growth in the eye.
The researchers hope the findings will aid understanding of eye disorders.
If you could journey inside a mouse or a person, there would not be enough light to see. However, tiny quantities of light do pass through the body.
This effect has already been used to film an infection spreading through the body.
Now scientists – at the University of California, San Francisco, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center – believe that body-penetrating light can alter the development of the eye, at least in mice.
US researchers have discovered that light passing through the body and into the womb has an important role in the developing eye
Normally, a network of blood vessels known as the hyaloid vasculature is formed to help nourish the retina as it is constructed.
However, the blood vessels would disrupt sight if they remained, so they are later removed – like scaffolding from a finished building.
The researchers said this did not happen when the pregnancy was spent in total darkness.
The critical period was around 16 days – which is very late in mouse gestation, but corresponds to the first trimester in people.
“It’s not something subtle here, it’s a major effect on the way the retina develops that requires light going through the body,” said Prof. Richard Lang, from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
He said it was a “huge surprise” that this was happening.
The researchers hope their findings may aid understanding of human diseases of the eye, as many are down to blood vessels.
Some babies born prematurely develop “retinopathy of prematurity”, when the blood vessels in the eye grow abnormally resulting in damage to the retina and a loss of vision.
Prof. Richard Lang said: “In retinopathy of prematurity there is overgrowth of blood vessels and that’s what you see in these mice.”
The researchers showed that light was activating in the mice a protein, melanopsin, which also has a role in regulating the body clock, and is present in people. However, whether the same processes take place in people or other animals is unknown.
Algerian troops have surrounded a gas facility in the east of the country where foreign workers are being held hostage by Islamist militants.
The kidnappers occupied the complex at In Amenas on Wednesday, after killing a Briton and an Algerian in an attack on a bus.
Algeria says some 20 foreign nationals are being held hostage, although the kidnappers say they have 41.
The captives include British, Japanese, US, French and Norwegian nationals.
One statement purported to be from the hostage-takers demanded an end to the French military intervention against Islamist rebels in Mali.
Algerian Interior Minister Daho Ould Kabila said the militants wanted to leave the country with the hostages, but he had refused to let them go.
“We reject all negotiations with the group,” he told reporters late on Wednesday.
Daho Ould Kabila added that the kidnappers were Algerian and operating under orders from Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a senior commander of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) before late last year, when he set up his own armed group after apparently falling out with other leaders.
Minister Daho Ould Kabila said a heavily armed “terrorist group” had attacked a bus carrying workers from In Amenas at about 05:00 on Wednesday.
The gas field is operated by the Algerian state oil company, Sonatrach, along with the British oil company BP and Norway’s Statoil.
It is located about 1,300 km (800 miles) south-east of Algiers, and about 60 km (37 miles) west of the Libyan border.
The attackers were repelled by police who had been escorting the bus, but a Briton and an Algerian national had been killed, Daho Ould Kabila said.
Two other British nationals, a Norwegian, two police officers and a security guard were also hurt in the fire fight, he added.
Afterwards, the militants drove to the gas facility’s living quarters and took a number of Algerian and foreign workers hostage.
Dozens of Algerian workers were later released.
Senior al-Qaeda commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar has been identified as the leader behind Algeria kidnapping
The foreign nationals were being held in one wing of the living quarters, which the security services and army had surrounded, Daho Ould Kabila said.
“Since then, they’ve been facing off. The security forces are consolidating their position around the base,” he added.
Early on Thursday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed that a Briton had died and that “a number” of others were being held hostage.
He described the killings as the “cold-blooded murder of people going about their business”.
A worker told France’s Le Figaro newspaper the captors had mined the facility and demanded food, water and vehicles.
Daho Ould Kabila said nearby border crossings had been closed as a precaution and that the foreign ministry was in contact with diplomats from the hostages’ countries.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed the captives included “a number of British nationals”, adding: “This is therefore a very dangerous situation.”
He said the UK government was working “around the clock” to resolve the crisis.
US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta said he could not confirm the exact number of Americans seized in the attack.
“By all indications this is a terrorist act and the United States strongly condemns these kinds of terrorist acts,” he said.
Meanwhile Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said 13 Norwegian employees of Statoil were believed held hostage at the gas facility. Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said one of its nationals was a hostage.
Japanese news agencies, citing unnamed government officials, said there were three Japanese hostages.
Two groups led by Belmokhtar – the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade and the Signed-in-Blood Battalion – said they were behind the incident.
Earlier, a man claiming to be a spokesman for the militants said al-Qaeda had carried out the attack.
A list of demands had been sent to Algerian authorities, and the hostages would be killed if troops attempted to rescue them, the spokesman added.
”Storming the gas complex would be easy for the Algerian military, but the outcome of such an operation would be disastrous,” he warned.
In a statement carried on Mauritanian media, the Signed-in-Blood Battalion said it would hold the Algerian and French governments and the nations of the hostages responsible if its demands were not met, saying they must bring an end to the French intervention in Mali.
Militant groups have vowed to avenge the intervention, where French forces have been battling Islamists linked to AQIM for the past week.
Algeria has been allowing French aircraft to use its air space.
Mokhtar Belmokhtar
Fought Soviet forces in Afghanistan in late 1980s
Former leading figure in al-Qaeda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb. Left in late 2012 after falling out with leaders
Now heads the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade and the Signed-in-Blood Battalion
Known as “The One-Eyed” as he wears an eyepatch over a lost eye
French intelligence has dubbed him “The Uncatchable”, while locals refer to him as “Mister Marlboro” for his illicit cigarettes operation
Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner continues to face problems as more aviation regulators and airlines grounded the plane on safety concerns.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered US airlines to stop using 787s temporarily after a battery fault caused an emergency landing in Japan.
Airlines in Chile and India quickly complied by grounding their Dreamliners.
Boeing said that it stood by the integrity of the 787.
A string of issues have raised questions about the 787’s future.
In recent weeks 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.
On Wednesday, an All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight made an emergency landing because of a battery malfunction. That caused them to ground all 17 of their Dreamliners and Japan Airways followed suit.
The FAA said that airlines must demonstrate battery safety before flights can resume.
The FAA added that it had alerted the international aviation community of its airworthiness directive so that other authorities could take parallel action to cover the fleets operating in their countries.
Leithen Francis, from Aviation Week, said that could mean more bad news for Boeing in the coming days.
“When the FAA issues an airworthiness directive civil aviation and airlines around the world have to follow the FAA airworthiness directive, particularly in regards to the 787 because it a US-designed and developed aircraft,” he said.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered US airlines to stop using 787s temporarily after a battery fault caused an emergency landing in Japan
Boeing said it supported the FAA but added it was confident the 787 was safe.
Chief executive Jim McNerney said: “We will be taking every necessary step in the coming days to assure our customers and the travelling public of the 787’s safety and to return the airplanes to service.
“Boeing deeply regrets the impact that recent events have had on the operating schedules of our customers and the inconvenience to them and their passengers.”
Boeing shares closed down more than 3% on Wall Street on Wednesday.
United Airlines, the only US airline currently operating Dreamliners, said it would immediately comply with the FAA’s directive and would begin re-accommodating customers on alternative aircraft.
Chile’s LAN announced it would suspend usage of its three Dreamliners in co-ordination with the Chilean Aeronautical Authority.
Indian aviation regulators also complied by ordering Air India to stop operating its 787s.
“The FAA has issued an advisory to ground the Dreamliners. We took a decision after that,” said director general of civil aviation Arun Mishra.
“As of now there is no clarity on when the Dreamliners will be back in service. Boeing has to satisfy everyone with safety standards.”
Poland’s Lot Airlines, which was due to launch its 787 transatlantic service this week, has also been affected. It went ahead with its first flight from Warsaw to Chicago on Wednesday afternoon, but cancelled the return flight following the FAA’s directive.
All together with the Japanese airlines, who are the Dreamliner’s biggest customers, more than four-fifths of the 787s in use are now not flying.
Leithen Francis said this could have an effect on airlines currently considering ordering 787s, causing them to choose rival Airbus’ A330 instead, which is a comparable aircraft and a proven product.
Late on Wednesday, the FAA said it would work with the manufacturer and carriers on an action plan to allow the US 787 fleet to resume operations as quickly and safely as possible.
“The in-flight Japanese battery incident followed an earlier 787 battery incident that occurred on the ground in Boston on January 7, 2013,” the regulator said.
“The AD [airworthiness directive] is prompted by this second incident involving a lithium ion battery.”
It said the battery failures resulted in the release of flammable electrolytes, heat damage, and smoke, and the cause of the failures was under investigation.
“These conditions, if not corrected, could result in damage to critical systems and structures, and the potential for fire in the electrical compartment,” the FAA said.
A remark from radio jockey Adam Schein that turned into a war-of-words between him and Snooki has erupted with the pint-sized reality television personality reportedly seeking to get him fired.
Adam Schein, who hosts satellite radio show Loudmouths, is apparently subject of a complaint filed with executives at Sirius XM after he tweeted about Snooki needing to shower after walking by her.
Snooki, real name Nicole Polizzi, was at the company’s New York City office to promote the latest season of MTV’s Jersey Shore spin-off Snooki & JWOWW, co-starring her Jersey Shore castmate and best friend Jenni Farley.
After a brush by SportsNet New York’s Loudmouths co-host Adam Schein, he tried to be clever with a cruel tweet.
“Just walked by Snooki at SiriusXM. I feel like I need a shower,” Adam Schein wrote, beckoning an almost instant reply from the Jersey Shore star, who rose to fame as MTV documented her wild antics in Seaside Heights with the rest of the cast.
“Why can’t you say that to my face though? #toughguy,” she responded.
Adam Schein, who hosts satellite radio show Loudmouths, is apparently subject of a complaint filed with executives at Sirius XM after he tweeted about Snooki needing to shower after walking by her
The tweets sparked outrage as Snooki and Adam Shein’s followers came out of their respective corners with vitriolic insults for each other and the TV and radio personalities.
RadarOnlinecredited a popular Twitter source, @IncarceratedBob, who calls himself the “#1 Underground *Breaking Sports News*” with announcing Snooki had taken their argument to higher-ups.
“**UPDATED RADIO NEWS**Source: @snooki just went to #XM management trying to get @Adamschein fired for his comments.. she’s having a tantrum,” he wrote on Monday.
Snooki, 25, appears to have ignored Adam Schein on Twitter since the incident, while thanking fans for offering their support.
Her profile makes one thing clear.
Snooki describes herself as a “Proud Mommy & Fiance 3 Devoted Animal Print Lover” – but only after writing a message to her critics: “Ignorance & Bullies don’t phase this b****.”
Adam Schein was tweeting from the same handle on Wednesday afternoon and appeared to have retained his position at SiriusXM despite his remark and Snooki’s alleged complaint.
Kim Kardashian swapped her usual fashion for a series of veils as she took part in a cover shoot for Arabian luxury women’s magazine, Hia.
But while she may have been veiled, Kim Kardashian was certainly not demure. In a video of the shoot she unwraps her conservative outer gear to reveal a daring plunging gown which shows off her breasts.
In other shots Kim Kardashian looks like a regal Arabian princess in a jeweled goddess headband.
The cover itself was more suitable for the Middle East market, with Kim Kardashian posing in a white Stéphane Rolland dress, her hair covered by a matching long white veil.
Kim Kardashian swapped her usual fashion for a series of veils as she took part in a cover shoot for Arabian luxury women’s magazine, Hia
“I’m excited to share my cover of Hia Magazine!” Kim Kardashian tweeted.
“Hia is the leading luxury lifestyle magazine for Arab woman and I’m honored to be on the cover.
“This shoot was so different from any I have done before and I’m so pleased with how the cover turned out.
“I got to wear some incredible high glamour creations by grand couturier Stéphane Rolland!”
And she later explained: “Working with Stéphane Rolland was such an honor.
“I loved how his couture creations brought a modern twist to old school glamour.
“I wore a series of stunning veils, which added a sense of allure and mystery to the shoot!”
Kim Kardashian recently visited Kuwait and Bahrain to promote the Millions Of Milkshakes chain and has a huge following in the middle east.
Tiger Woods is reportedly attempting to win his ex-wife Elin Nordegren back with a $200 million deal, according to the National Enquirer.
Tiger Woods, 37, is desperate to win his ex-wife back, according to the magazine and has offered the hefty pre-nup deal.
Elin Nordegren, 33, who won a $110 million divorce settlement from the sportsman, is believed to have told him she will consider the proposal – but only if he includes a $350 million anti-cheating clause into the wedding contract.
Swedish blonde Elin Nordegren is the mother of Tiger Woods’ two young children, Samantha, 5, and Charlie, 3.
A source told the Enquirer the deal was worth more than half of Tiger’s $600 million fortune, adding Elin Nordegren feels it’s enough to keep him from straying.
The source claimed: “Tiger didn’t even balk at the demand. Even though his accountants think he’s crazy, he’s ready to sign the pre-nup and set a wedding date.
“The guy has never recovered from being dumped by Elin. He’s dated lots of models and bimbos, but none of them were more than a one night stand.”
Tiger Woods is reportedly attempting to win his ex-wife Elin Nordegren back with a $200 million deal
Once golf’s greatest superstar, Tiger Woods’ career and marriage fell apart after he was revealed as a serial cheater and had a series of mistresses, the most high-profile being New York party girl Rachel Uchitel.
The couple divorced after five years in 2010 and Elin Nordegren is currently spending a lot of time and money on creating her dream home, rebuilding a $12 million North Palm Beach estate in Florida.
Since their divorce, Elin Nordegren has dated several men, including wealthy financier Jamie Dingman.
The stunning Swede, who recently showed off her flawless figure while on holiday in the Bahamas with her children and family, has been spotted around South Florida with professional hockey player Douglas Murray, who she was first romantically linked to in July 2012.
However, the NHL player didn’t appear to be vacationing with Elin Nordegren and her family at the exclusive Paradise Island resort.
A source told the Enquirer: “Tiger swore that he’d never cheat on her again, but Elin told him that she didn’t believe him.”
The magazine claims that Tiger Woods even got down on one knee and proposed, presenting Elin Nordegren with a ring for Christmas.
The Enquirer also alleges the couple are having sex again and a source claimed: “Tiger stopped by Elin’s rental house one afternoon when their kids were out with a nanny and they had sex for the first time since the split.
“It took them both by surprise, but they’ve continued to find alone time when they’re both at their homes in Florida.”
Tiger Woods is believed to have been left upset after seeing pictures of Elin Nordegren frolicking with a young hunk on the beach at the Atlantic resort in the Bahamas earlier this month.
However, he then discovered the man was Elin Nordegren’s brother Axel.
The source said: “Tiger breathed a sigh of relief. He and Elin actually got a big laugh out of it.
“Tiger told me <<I love Elin>>. Without her, I’ll be miserable for the rest of my life.”
Brand new label URB clothing have jumped on board the trend for statement legs creating outlandish punky hosiery that’s not for the faint-hearted.
Most of their dripping paint designs are made by decorating classic low denier black tights.
Their designs take a twist on the gothic look with intentional laddering, holes and contrast between high and low deniers, as well as a gunge-like dripping liquid.
Their website warns that while the Black on Black Melting tights are photographed holey, each product comes out slightly different and will arrive to you without holes.
The legwear is made with thin black or clear tights, latex and a thin layer of baby powder, creating the illusion that your legs are dripping with molten matter.
But their designs are not all made for fans of the dark and gloomy.
Brand new label URB clothing have jumped on board the trend for statement legs creating outlandish punky hosiery that’s not for the faint-hearted
Other creations more suited to “punk princess” types include iridescent reflective blue-pink goo dripping on clear tights, lime green goo on clear, silver glitter on clear and many more.
They also make a leggings version of the wacky tights, and even ones for men.
The legwear is hand made in house by URB in around five to seven days, and they deliver within a fortnight after that.
Shakira and Gerard Piqué have released several portraits of the pregnant singer to celebrate the impending arrival of their first child.
Dressed in just a bikini top and skirt, Gerard Piqué also whipped off his shirt in one of the intimate photos which shows their closeness as they prepare for the birth of their son.
The images which were taken by Jaume Laiguana were uploaded to the internet as the couple have decided to team up with UNICEF to host a virtual baby shower.
Shakira, 35, is following in the footsteps of celebrities such as Demi Moore and Britney Spears, who have posed nude during the latter stages of their pregnancies.
However, rather than posing on a magazine cover, the Colombian born singer decided to share the candid photo on her Twitter page.
Using the social networking site to its full potential, the couple are welcoming fans and family into their interactive living room where they can purchase Inspired Gifts.
Presents such as mosquito nets, polio vaccines and baby-weighing scale can all be bought on the site with each item set to be distributed to children and communities in some of the poorest corners of the globe.
On entering the online baby shower, visitors are greeted with a personal message from Shakira and Gerard Piqué, the clip begins: “As you all know, we will soon be welcoming our first child into the world, and to celebrate his birth we’ve organised a virtual baby shower in association with UNICEF.
“In lieu of receiving gifts for our baby as with a traditional shower we would like to offer support for babies who live in conditions of extreme poverty throughout the world.”
Shakira and Gerard Piqué have released several portraits of the pregnant singer to celebrate the impending arrival of their first child
Taking over from Gerard Piqué, Sharika continues: “Thanks to all of you, they will receive in the form of inspired gifts therapeutic food packages, vaccines, and rehydration salts which will help save the lives of hundred of thousands of babies throughout the world.
“We’d like to thank you in advance, and we are very very happy to know that we can count on your support.”
As an UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Sharika explained why she had chosen to give share her baby shower with the world.
She said: “Every expectant parent around the world shares all the same hopes and dreams for their children that we do.
“Yet many don’t share the same opportunities. Together we know we can change that.”
While the due date hasn’t been revealed to the public, the couple who live in Barcelona will soon share their new home on which building work was recently completed, with a bouncing baby.
Shakira and the FC Barcelona player met in the spring of 2010 when he appeared in the music video for her world cup song Waka Waka(This Time for Africa).
She officially confirmed their relationship on 29 March 2011 via Twitter and Facebook posting a picture of the two with a caption reading: “I present to you my sunshine.”
Gerard Piqué who is a centre-back for FC Barcelona, the city’s illustrious team caused panic by falsely announcing the arrival of their child on December 27.
The sportsman made the false announcement to dupe fans for Dia de los Inocentes, the Spanish equivalent of April Fools Day.
Shakira, who is to be judge on the next series of The Voice, is in her final stages.
Earlier this week Shakira stepped out in Barcelona, Spain, to celebrate the launch of father William Mebarak’s new book Al Viento Y Al Azar(At Wind And At Random).
She has spoken about how she used to watch her father write his stories on a typewriter and asked for one as a Christmas gift.
And by the age of four had already written her first poem, La Rosa De Cristal (The Crystal Rose).
Two foreign nationals, one of them British, have been killed and more than 20 taken hostage in an attack by Islamist militants on a gas facility in eastern Algeria, state media report.
Several people were wounded when a bus was targeted as it carried workers from the facility, near In Amenas,
After being repelled, the militants travelled to the facility’s residential area, where they seized other workers.
Militants linked to al-Qaeda claim to have been behind the incident.
They initially said they were holding six people hostage. But an alleged spokesman later told two Mauritanian news websites they were holding 41 foreigners, including US, French, British and Japanese citizens.
Algeria’s state-run APS news agency, citing local officials, said “slightly more than 20” foreign nationals were being held. Algerian workers at the facility had been released in small groups, it added.
Norwegian public broadcaster NRK quoted the oil company Statoil as saying there had been 17 personnel in total, including 13 Norwegians, at the gas facility when it was taken over by the militants.
The In Amenas gas field is operated by the Algerian state oil company, Sonatrach, along with Statoil and the British oil company BP. It is about 1,300 km (800 miles) south-east of the capital, Algiers, and about 60 km west of the Libyan border.
The attack came after militants vowed to avenge France’s military intervention in Mali, where its forces have been battling Islamists linked to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) for the past week. Algeria has been allowing French aircraft to use its air space.
The Algerian interior ministry said a heavily-armed “terrorist group” using three vehicles had attacked the bus carrying workers from the In Amenas gas field at about 05:00.
The attack was “repelled by the escort units”, but one foreign national was killed and six people – two foreigners, two police and two security personnel – were wounded, a statement said.
“After their failed attempt, the terrorist group headed to the complex’s living quarters and took a number of workers with foreign nationalities hostage,” the ministry added.
“The forces of the People’s National Army and security services arrived at the scene and immediately took all necessary measures to make the area secure and seek a rapid resolution of the situation, which is being very closely followed by the national authorities.”
Later, the APS news agency cited local officials as saying two foreigners had been killed in the attack, one of them a British national. A local source earlier told the Reuters news agency a Frenchman had died.
Two foreign nationals, one of them British, have been killed and more than 20 taken hostage in an attack by Islamist militants on a gas facility in eastern Algeria
The UK government confirmed that “several British nationals” had been involved in a “terrorist incident”.
Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said one of its nationals had been abducted, adding that his government was “ready to use all the resources available to us to ensure that our citizen is released as soon as possible”.
A Japanese contractor at the In Amenas gas facility, JGC Corp, confirmed that Japanese staff had been seized, according to Japanese media.
The wife of a Norwegian gas worker was quoted as saying by the Bergens Tidende newspaper as saying: “I received a phone call from my husband this morning and he said he had been kidnapped.”
BP confirmed that there had been a “security incident”.
“The site was attacked and occupied by a group of unidentified armed people,” a statement said.
“Contact with the site is extremely difficult, but we understand that armed individuals are still occupying the In Amenas operations site.”
A man claiming to be a spokesman for the militants said al-Qaeda had carried out the attack.
He claimed that they had allowed Algerian workers to leave the gas facility and were only holding foreign nationals.
A list of demands had been sent to the Algerian authorities, and the hostages would be killed if troops attempted to rescue them, the spokesman added.
”Storming the gas complex would be easy for the Algerian military, but the outcome of such an operation would be disastrous,” he warned.
Earlier, a group known as the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade told the AFP news agency that it had kidnapped the workers.
The Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade is believed to be led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar – also known as Abu al-Abbas – who was a senior commander of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb before late last year, when he set up his own armed group after apparently falling out with other leaders.
His new group is also known as the Signed-in Blood Battalion, a spokesman for whom told the Mauritanian Sahara Media website that it had “captured 41 Westerners, including seven Americans, two French citizens, two British citizens and two Japanese”.
Former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola will take over as Bayern Munich manager at the end of the season, the German club have announced today.
Pep Guardiola, 41, who had been linked with Chelsea and Manchester City, has signed a three-year contract to 2016.
He will replace current boss Jupp Heynckes, who will retire.
The Spaniard has been on a season-long sabbatical since leaving the Nou Camp in May 2012 after winning 14 trophies – including two Champions League titles.
“We are very pleased that we have managed to convince the football expert Pep Guardiola, who was coveted and contacted by many top clubs, to come to Bayern Munich,” Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.
“He is one of the most successful coaches in the world and we are sure that he can make not just Bayern, but all of German football shine.”
Bayern are currently nine points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, and face Arsenal next month in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Josef “Jupp” Heynckes, 67, informed the Bundesliga club before Christmas that he did not want to extend his contract beyond this summer.
His contract expires on 30 June, with Pep Guardiola taking charge the following day.
Bayern’s general manager Uli Hoeness said: “Only a coach of Guardiola’s calibre came into consideration as a successor to Jupp Heynckes.”
Some of Europe’s biggest clubs had been linked with the Spaniard since he left Barcelona, including English trio Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea, Italian giants AC Milan and big-spending Paris St Germain.
Former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola will take over as Bayern Munich manager at the end of the season
The appointment of former Barcelona duo Txiki Begiristain and Ferra Sorriano at the Etihad Stadium had fuelled speculation City could be a possible destination for Pep Guardiola.
Speaking in November, Milan president Silvio Berlusconi said: “Who would not want someone like Guardiola? There are some English clubs after Guardiola, especially [Manchester] City who have directors that we know very well. We will try to sign him, but it’s going to be difficult.”
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, meanwhile, backed Jupp Heynckes, now in his third spell at Bayern after returning to the club in June 2011, to continue to excel in his final months as coach, having guided Bayern to a nine-point lead in the standings as the Bundesliga resumes following the winter break this weekend.
“As a club and as Jupp Heynckes’ friends we have to show understanding for this decision. We have to accept it and we have to respect it,” Karl-Heinz Rummenigge added.
“During personal talks with Jupp Heynckes we assured each other that we will do anything we can – and even more so now – to have a successful second half of the season and bring the title to Munich.”
He said: “As a player I couldn’t realise my dream to play [in England].”
“But I hope in the future, I have a challenge to be a coach or a manager there.”
Pep Guardiola retired from playing in November 2006 and was named Barcelona B coach in 2007, but spent only a year in charge before being promoted to replace Frank Rijkaard as boss of the senior side.
Under Pep Guardiola, Barcelona established themselves as the dominant force in club football, with two Champions League crowns and three La Liga titles among the trophies claimed by a side containing names such as Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
Pep Guardiola factfile:
Born: 18 January 1971 in Santpedor, Spain.
Playing career: Barcelona B (1990-92), Barcelona (1990-2001), Brescia (2001-02), Roma (2002-03), Brescia (2003), Al-Ahli (2003-05), Dorados (2005-06), Spain (1992-2001).
International caps: 47
Managerial career: Barcelona B (2007-08), Barcelona (2008-2012)
Honours (as manager): 3 La Liga titles, 3 Supercopa de Espana titles, 2 Copa Del Rey titles, 2 Champions League titles, 2 Uefa Super Cups, 2 Fifa World Club Cups.
Honours (as player): 6 La Liga titles, 2 Copa del Rey titles, 1 Supercopa de Espana, 1 European Cup, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, 1 Olympic gold medal.
Die Hard director John McTiernan has lost his appeal to have a one-year prison sentence overturned for lying to the FBI in a wiretapping case.
John McTiernan, 62, was sentenced in 2010 after pleading guilty to lying over hiring a private investigator to wiretap a film producer.
He had been free on bail while he appealed the conviction, however the US Supreme Court declined to review it.
A judge is now expected to order John McTiernan to go to prison.
After serving a custodial sentence, the filmmaker – who also directed The Hunt for Red October and Predator – will be on supervised release for three years.
John McTiernan was originally accused of lying about hiring former celebrity private investigator Anthony Pellicano to wiretap film producer, Chuck Roven, after they both worked on the movie Rollerball.
The director initially pleaded guilty in 2006 after the FBI obtained a recording in which the men discussed the wiretap, but he later withdrew his guilty plea.
Die Hard director John McTiernan has lost his appeal to have a one-year prison sentence overturned for lying to the FBI in a wiretapping case
After failing in his attempt to suppress the recording, John McTiernan pleaded guilty again in 2010 to allow him the opportunity to appeal, however he was then sentenced by a District Court judge and fined $100,000.
Although John McTiernan is likely to be ordered to report to prison, his lawyer said there was still a motion before the judge to reduce or eliminate his sentence on the grounds there has never been any evidence presented that Anthony Pellicano actually wiretapped Chuck Roven.
However, the charge John McTiernan was found guilty of was lying to the FBI and not wiretapping.
Anthony Pellicano was convicted of 78 crimes at two separate trials in 2008 for obtaining the private records of a number of Hollywood stars including Sylvester Stallone.
He is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence for racketeering, conspiracy and wiretapping.
Two people have been killed and thirteen injured when a helicopter crashed into a crane in central London.
Police said the helicopter had hit the crane on top of The Tower, One St George Wharf at about 08:00 GMT.
About 90 firefighters were at the scene near Wandsworth Road in South Lambeth. Doctors said one of the dead was the pilot and the other was on the ground. Six people were taken to hospital.
The pilot had asked to be diverted to a nearby heliport because of bad weather.
Metropolitan Police Commander Neil Basu said it was “miraculous” the crash was not much worse.
Burning wreckage lay in the road but the fire was brought under control within 25 minutes, the fire brigade said.
One of those taken to hospital had a broken leg and the others had minor injuries. Seven people were treated at the scene.
Part of the crane was left hanging from the side of the residential building, which is still under construction. London Fire Brigade said part of the tail section of the helicopter landed on roof of the building and the main section landed in Wandsworth Road, hitting two cars. The fire from the helicopter ignited two buildings.
Police said it was understood the helicopter was on a scheduled flight from Redhill in Surrey to Elstree in Hertfordshire.
A spokesman for London Heliport at Battersea said the pilot had requested to divert and land there due to bad weather.
The incident caused gridlock with all approaches to the Vauxhall Cross one way system closed at the height of the rush hour and Vauxhall Tube station and railway station closed, though the stations have since reopened.
London Fire Brigade said more than 50 other firefighters were at St George’s Wharf to secure the damaged crane.
Weather observations at the time of the crash showed very low cloud but not thick fog. The nearest observation site was London City Airport which at 08:00 reported 700 m visibility with broken cloud at a height of 100ft.
NATS, which runs air traffic control across the UK, said the pilot had been receiving assistance earlier in the flight but not at the time of the crash.
The incident will be investigated by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
An RNLI lifeboat was initially sent to search the Thames near the crash scene following a request from London Heliport after it lost contact with the aircraft, which is understood to be an AgustaWestland AW109, a lightweight, twin-engine helicopter with eight seats.
Fire brigade station manager Bruce Grain said crews arrived at the scene in four minutes.
He said the helicopter fell into Wandsworth Road, hitting various vehicles and bursting into flames and there were also fires in nearby buildings.
A man was rescued from a burning car by firefighters.
Wandsworth Road was blocked by the burning wreckage and aviation fuel and the side of a building also caught fire.
A motorcycle was also lying on its side in the road where it was abandoned.
Witness Michael Krumstets said: “I was on my way to work this morning with my flatmate when the helicopter crashed right next to us.
“We saw the helicopter clip the crane and heard a loud crack, it started spinning out of control and directly towards us. It took just seconds for this to happen.
“We ran as it fell towards us. We got away just in time.
“We were just feet away when it hit the ground and exploded.”
Two people have been killed and thirteen injured when a helicopter crashed into a crane in central London
Mark Osbourne, from a bike shop near the scene, said he ran to try to help the injured.
“There was lots of wreckage and fire,” he said.
“I saw a woman on a motorcycle that must have missed the carnage by six feet.
“It felt like a war movie, it was surreal.”
Craig Dunne, who was walking to work at the time of the accident, said: “When I got to the end of the road there was a massive explosion and the crane is obviously in pieces.
“And I looked to the left-hand side and there were cars – three cars on fire – people screaming, shouting and hollering, and the next thing I know there are police, ambulances and everything everywhere and people going crazy. It’s madness – absolute madness.”
Mark Correll was cycling along Wandsworth Road when debris from the crash started falling around him.
“I heard a massive explosion and looked up to see debris falling everywhere from the sky,” he said.
“I didn’t hang around as there was massive debris falling intermittently and if anything had hit me I would have been killed.
“My first instinct was to dodge the debris – I thought the building was going to collapse.
“It was easily the most frightening thing I have ever witnessed.”
Market worker Andrew Ross said: “I heard a loud bang and I saw this helicopter falling out of the sky.
“[There was] an orange glow and lots of smoke coming up.
“It was flying below cloud cover – it was still foggy and a little bit dark.”
Michael Gavin, who was waiting for a train on a platform at Vauxhall station, said: “I heard the bang – the top of the crane was obscured by the fog so I did not see the impact but I did see the helicopter falling to the ground along with pieces of the crane, then the long plume of smoke from there.
“It was really quite shocking. There was a group of us on the platform waiting, we could not see where it hit because it was blocked by a wall at the end of the station.
“There were a lot of worried people around.”
Nicky Morgan, MP for Loughborough, heard an “enormous bang” as she walked towards Vauxhall Tube before seeing “clouds of black smoke”.
Quinn Murray, who was cycling when he saw the crash, said: “I saw the helicopter hit the top of the crane and come down just to the left of the station.
“There was quite a large amount of fire and a huge smoke cloud. It wasn’t on the road, but into a building site where they are building the new Nine Elms area.”
Erin Rogers, who was waiting at a bus stop outside Vauxhall station, said: “It was a bit surreal actually. I just had a coffee in my hand, I looked up, heard a bang and saw bits of crane debris falling to the floor.
“Then the helicopter was in flames. The rest of the people at the bus station were looking on going <<What was that?>>.
“It’s something I will never forget for a long time.”
The emergency services were praised for their swift response by Councillor Lib Peck, leader of Lambeth Council.
She said: “I understand that swift action by the fire service may well have saved the life of one of the casualties of the crash.
“The safety of Lambeth residents is my major concern and I will be seeking reassurances about the procedures governing helicopter flights.”
Kate Hoey, Labour MP for Vauxhall, said: “My initial thought was that it might have hit one of the many densely populated tall buildings. To hear it had hit the crane was a relief in some way.
“Police said to me that their first fear was it was the police helicopter, however, it had been grounded because of the weather.”
She said the rapid increase in the number of tall buildings in London meant more rigorous controls over who can fly where may be needed.
At Prime Minister’s Questions she asked David Cameron for a review of the rules on helicopters flying over central London.
David Cameron said: “She’s right that it’s not an issue for today but inevitably it’s something that has to be carefully looked at.”
The Civil Aviation Authority said there were 16,374 helicopter flights over London in 2012. It said single-engine craft were required to fly along certain routes, selected to provide safety, and while twin-engine helicopters could operate in wider areas, all were subject to air traffic control clearance.
It said pilots were notified of very tall structures for flight planning purposes, as was the case with the crane involved in the crash.
The Met said there was no suggestion the incident was linked to terrorism.
Anna Kendrick wrote that she pleasured herself in the back row of a movie theatre while watching Ryan Gosling in his latest film Gangster Squad.
Like many women, Anna Kendrick, 27, appears to have a crush on 32-year-old Ryan Gosling who is fast becoming a global heart throb.
And it seems the actor’s latest performance got her so hot and bothered, she took to Twitter to share her lust with more than 600,000 followers.
Writing on the networking site Anna Kendrick joked: “Ugh – NEVER going to a Ryan Gosling movie in a theater again. Apparently masturbating in the back row is still considered <<inappropriate>>.”
The racy tweet has since gone viral – spreading across the Twitter world in lightning fashion.
It has been retweeted nearly 25,000 times since Tuesday evening and has also been favorited more than 21,000 times.
Most of the comments on the inappropriate tweet found it hilarious or expressed agreement with Anna Kendrick’s sentiment.
For instance, Twitter user @1D_For_Me101, who apparently loved her remarks, according to his or her response to her tweet: “@AnnaKendrick47 HAHAHAHA you’re actually amazing omg. I wish you followed your fans cause I would DIE to be followed by you!”
And, according to @whereishawkins, Anna Kendrick is not the only person engaging in illicit behavior during Gosling’s films: “@AnnaKendrick47 the hell it is! I do that at Gosling movies and I never get in trouble,” the excited Twitter user tweeted.
Anna Kendrick wrote that she pleasured herself in the back row of a movie theatre while watching Ryan Gosling in his latest film Gangster Squad
But not all of the responses were positive, as evidenced by the offense taken by @lucyhalenation, who posted the following disapproving comment: “@AnnaKendrick47 uhm you didn’t warn me before I followed you that your tweets are NC-17.”
However, while the cyber frenzy would cause embarrassment to most people, Anna is used to the being the centre of attention having started her acting career as a child.
She won her first major role at the age of 12 as Dinah in the Broadway musical High Society in 1998.
The performance won her Theatre World Award, Drama Desk Award, and Tony Award nominations, making her the third-youngest Tony Award nominee.
Anna Kendrick went on to appear in a number of other theater productions, including the musical A Little Night Music, before making her film debut in the 2003 musical comedy Camp.
But it was her performance as Natalie Keener in the 2009 film Up In The Air, opposite George Clooney, that brought Anna Kendrick to mainstream attention, winning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
While she may confess to having a crush on Ryan Gosling, Anna Kendrick is in fact happily settled with her long-term boyfriend, director Edgar Wright.
The pair have been dating since 2009, when they met during the production of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
eBay seller Aimi Jones last night revealed her horror at accidentally including a na**d view of herself when she posted a picture of a dress for sale on the website.
Aimi Jones, 21, hung the mustard yellow skater dress by ASOS on her wardrobe door to photograph it for listing.
But she failed to notice her own reflection in the door mirror, camera in hand, and in just a black bra and no knickers.
The post soon went viral and now the blunder has sparked a flurry of fake eBay sale ads for the yellow dress with fictional characters accidentally making an appearance.
One eBay user went to the added effort of posting several pictures featuring James McAvoy in his role as Mr. Tumnus in the first Chronicles of Narnia film modeling the yellow dress
The original image and mock-ups have since been shared on Twitter with the hash tag #ebayyellowskaterdress.
eBay seller Aimi Jones revealed her horror at accidentally including a naked view of herself when she posted a picture of a dress for sale on the website
Aimi Jones, from Oxfordshire, told The Sun: “It’s so embarrassing. It is such a dizzy, stupid thing to do and now the whole world’s seen me in the n**e.
“I put it on eBay last Saturday morning and realized straight away so ended the sale. But what I didn’t realize was that people could still it on the site.
“I reported it to eBay and they took it down, but by then it had gone viral. My boyfriend Andy thinks the whole thing is hilarious.”
The new listing read: “Asos yellow skater dress size 10, 2nd time round!! a MUST HAVE!!
“As seen by thousands. Never worn na**d. Needs a good home.”
Bizarrely the listing caused a stir among eBay users. Originally listed at £15.99 ($25.5), the dress has received more than 130 bids and reached more than £153,000 ($245,000).
The picture brought mixed reaction on internet forums. One user commented: “It is a shocking dress.”
Aimi Jones, who has the user ID sugart*t-2, relisted the dress with a similarly-posed picture but this time covered up in a dark Nike top.
Artist Rosea Lake has sparked a debate about what women’s skirt lengths say about the wearer.
Rosea Lake, 18, who is studying graphic design and illustration at Capilano University in Vancouver, posted a photograph titled Judgements to her Tumblr account.
The image shows a woman from behind with ten words written up her left leg indicating various hemlines, with “matronly” scrawled at the bottom of her calf and “whore” seen just below her buttocks.
Resting under her knee is the label “proper” while “flirty” sits above.
In just two weeks Rosea Lake’s photo has attracted more than 270,000 comments as it has been shared on various social networking sites.
One commentator wrote on Facebook: “It doesn’t go down to the ankle, would that be graceful or elegant? I think so.”
While another showed their distaste adding: “Sure, let’s judge women like we did in the 1600’s. Disgusting!”
Artist Rosea Lake has sparked a debate about what women’s skirt lengths say about the wearer
However Laura Beck of Jezebel said: “This picture really resonates with me. Like many women, I’ve been subjected to the finger length test to confirm my skirt was long enough at school and been asked, while wearing a maxidress, why I was so covered up. There’s some days a lady just can’t win.”
Rosea Lake, who shot the picture when she was 17 as part of a high school project, said she wanted the piece to stop people jumping to conclusions when it comes to women and the way they dress.
She told The Province: “I realized that when I looked at a woman in a short skirt I automatically thought <<slut>> – I felt bad about that.
“And I thought all women who wore hijabs were being oppressed. I thought about slut shaming and thought we need to get to a place where we are not judgmental.”
Due to demand she is now planning on selling prints of Judgements, however she says one minor tweak must be made first as the word “prudish” is spelled incorrectly.
“I didn’t catch that when I first did it. But for prints or other stuff I will fix it,” she explained.
Diabulimia, or insulin omission, is a growing problem in young women, the latest UK’s NHS figures suggest.
The NHS National Diabetes Audit says a high proportion of women aged between 15 and 30 are skipping insulin injections to lose weight.
Now a charity wants diabulimia, as it is known, officially recognised as a mental health condition.
Diabulimia is when diabetics deliberately restrict their insulin for weight loss.
Leading doctors and psychiatrists say diabulimia is most common with young women who have type 1 diabetes .
Type 1 diabetes is when the body doesn’t make its own insulin and is unable to control how much sugar there is have in the blood.
The NHS National Diabetic Information Service says although taking less insulin will mean less food is used by your body the side effects can be deadly.
Figures show, in the 12 months up to last March, more than 8,000 people were admitted to hospital in England and Wales, with symptoms of not taking enough insulin.
Doctors can’t say if all the numbers were down to people wanting to lose weight but they see a pattern among young women.
The NHS National Diabetes Audit in UK has found that a high proportion of women aged between 15 and 30 are skipping insulin injections to lose weight
Dr. Bob Young, the clinical lead of the NHS national diabetes information service, sys: “Between 1 April 2010 and 31 March 2011, 8,472 people included in the NDA [national diabetes audit] were admitted to hospital in the UK for diabetic ketoacidosis.
“The data shows it was most common with young females in deprived areas.”
Diabetic ketoacidosis happens when someone is not taking enough insulin.
It has serious side effects from eye sight loss to kidney damage and if left untreated can even kill.
“The fact that the most common [people] were young females supports the fact that they want to lose weight,” he says.
The charity, DWED (Diabetics with Eating Disorders) has been campaigning to have omitting insulin to lose weight officially recognised as a mental illness.
They hope by doing that there will be more specific help made available for sufferers.
President Barack Obama has unveiled wide-ranging measures aimed at curbing gun violence.
The proposals could echo measures, considered the toughest in the nation, passed in New York State on Tuesday.
Barack Obama has said he favors bans on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, as well as broader background checks.
The US gun control debate has been revived by last month’s mass shooting at a school in Newtown, Connecticut.
There, a gunman shot dead 27 people, including 20 children and his own mother.
At 11:45 EST on Wednesday, Barack Obama is expected to unveil the new proposals at the White House, flanked by children who wrote him letters after the Newtown shooting.
Barack Obama has already acknowledged his proposals will face stiff opposition in Congress. But he is said to be weighing as many as 19 specific measures he could take through unilateral executive action.
These could include tougher punishment of gun trafficking, aggressive prosecution of people who lie on background checks, and an end to limits on government research into gun violence.
President Barack Obama is expected today to unveil wide-ranging measures aimed at curbing gun violence
The US top gun lobby, the National Rifle Association (NRA) says it will fight any attempts to limit access to guns or ammunition.
Barack Obama’s expected proposals are the result of a task force led by Vice-President Joe Biden, who met the president on Monday and Tuesday to share the group’s recommendations.
The Biden task force held meetings with gun control advocates and firearms owners’ groups, as well as representatives of the entertainment industry.
On Tuesday, the New York state legislature comfortably passed the first gun control law since the shootings in Newtown. Supporters said the state’s firearms restrictions were now the tightest in the nation.
“Common sense can win,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said.
“You can overpower the extremists with intelligence and with reason and with common sense.”
The New York measures include a wider ban on assault weapons, a law limiting high-capacity ammunition magazines, and provisions to keep guns from mentally ill people who make threats.
Some gun owners will also have to register them with authorities.
According to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Monday evening, about half of Americans say they have grown more supportive of gun control measures since the Newtown shooting.
The poll found 58% of respondents back a ban on the most powerful rifles.
During the press conference, President Barack Obama urged Congress:
to ban “military-style” assault weapons such as those used in several recent mass shootings
impose limits on ammunition magazines to 10 rounds
introduce background checks on all gun sales; currently private sales and some sales at gun shows are exempt
pass a ban on possession and sale of armour-piercing bullets
introduce new gun-trafficking laws
Finally approve the appointment of the head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Barack Obama added he would sign a directive so that government agencies can conduct research into gun crime
Among the unilateral steps Barack Obama pledged to take was to end a ban on gun-violence research by a prominent federal agency.
Barack Obama acknowledged his legislative push would encounter stiff opposition in Congress.
Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson have been engaged for two years, and the star has revealed she and her fiance have set two separate wedding dates.
However, Jessica Simpson admitted that she hasn’t had the opportunity to walk down the aisle – because both times she then fell pregnant.
“We’ve had two different wedding dates, but he keeps knocking me up,” Jessica Simpson said when she appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Tuesday night.
“We’re doing it very backwards, I know… I’ll just keep my legs crossed, I guess, this time.”
Jessica Simpson, 32, who is pregnant with her second child and confessed it was not planned, displayed her blossoming figure in a low-cut leopard print clingy dress, which displayed plenty of her ample cleavage and clung to her tiny baby bump.
“Apparently it was a part of God’s plan for my life,” she laughed as she chatted about her new pregnancy.
“I was extremely shocked because I was going through a lot of hormonal changes, trying to get back to the old, vibrant Jessica. You know, it was kind of like a one-night stand. And it happened, all over again!”
Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson have been engaged for two years, and the star has revealed she and her fiance have set two separate wedding dates
The glowing star is watching what she eats this time around, after gaining what she said was “a lot more than doctors would recommend”.
Jessica Simpson admitted: “I was really happy to be pregnant and I didn’t ever step on the scale. I didn’t realize you could gain that much weight that quickly.”
She added: “I didn’t really make any healthy good decisions.”
It was recently revealed that Jessica is already plotting her return to the small screen in a new sitcom pilot for NBC, which will be inspired by her life, and the blonde was happy to divulged about it.
When asked if it was about “a girl who keeps getting pregnant”, Jessica Simpson replied: “Yes, and how that girl deals with that and everything else. I will be playing myself, which is pretty easy.”
She went on: “We don’t have a name yet, we’re just now in the process of casting everyone, doing the pilot. I will be playing myself but we’ll have actors playing Eric and my dad. That’ll be funny.”
A helicopter has crashed into a crane at a building site in south London.
Police said it appeared the helicopter had hit the crane on top of a building. They said it was too early to confirm any casualties.
Police said they first received calls at 08:00 GMT and the London Ambulance Service said it was also at the scene.
Transport for London has confirmed there has been an incident.
Witnesses reported seeing debris on the ground.
Quinn Murray was cycling when he saw the crash.
He said: “I saw the helicopter hit the top of the crane and come down just to the left of the station.
“There was quite a large amount of fire and a huge smoke cloud. It wasn’t on the road, but into a building site where they are building the new Nine Elms area.
“There’s a huge number of emergency services.”
A helicopter has crashed into a crane at a building site in south London
Commuter Sherna Noah described seeing a “large plume of dark grey smoke” as she crossed Battersea Bridge at about 08:00 GMT.
She said: “I was coming across the bridge and basically I could see a few cyclists on the bridge looking towards the water.
“I looked over to see what they were looking at and could see a pall of grey smoke coming from the south side.
“You could see a large plume of dark grey smoke.”
Nicky Morgan, the MP for Loughborough, witnessed the crash while walking towards Vauxhall station from the Lambeth Palace direction.
She said she heard an enormous bang and saw clouds of black smoke.
At least four ambulances and many police cars were at the scene.
Wandsworth Road near Vauxhall station is closed, with apparent debris on the ground, and a crane at the top of a new high rise development appears to be damaged.
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s two main airlines, have grounded their Boeing 787 Dreamliners after one was forced to make an emergency landing because of battery problems.
ANA grounded its fleet of 17 Dreamliners when its flight NH 692 from Yamaguchi Ube was forced to land shortly after take-off.
Japan Airlines followed suit, saying it would ground its fleet of seven 787s from January 16 until further notice.
This is the latest setback for Boeing and its problem-hit Dreamliner planes.
In recent weeks, Dreamliners have suffered issues including fuel leaks, a cracked cockpit window, brake problems and an electrical fire.
“You’re nearing the tipping point where they need to regard this as a serious crisis,” said Richard Aboulafia, a senior analyst with the Teal Group in Fairfax, Virginia.
“This is going to change people’s perception of the aircraft if they don’t act quickly.”
On Wednesday, ANA’s flight NH 692 left Yamaguchi Ube in western Japan at 08:10 local time and headed for Tokyo’s Haneda airport.
Shortly after take-off, smoke was seen in the cockpit but not in the passenger compartment, and a strange smell was reported.
ANA says that it does not yet know the source of the smoke and is investigating the problem.
However, it added that the battery in the forward cargo hold was the same type as the one involved in a fire on another Dreamliner at a US airport last week.
The ANA flight landed at Takamatsu airport at 08:47 on Wednesday after the pilot saw an error message in the cockpit.
“There was a battery alert in the cockpit and there was an odd smell detected in the cockpit and cabin, and [the pilot] decided to make an emergency landing,” said Osamu Shinobe, an ANA vice president, at a news conference.
Japan Airlines and ANA have grounded their Boeing 787 Dreamliners after one was forced to make an emergency landing because of battery problems
ANA said that the 129 passengers and eight crew were evacuated, with a number of people sustaining minor injuries.
The Reuters news agency reported that five people were injured, while Bloomberg said that one person was sent to hospital. ANA officials were not immediately available to confirm the figures.
Local television footage showed emergency chutes were deployed from the plane. There were also fire trucks on the runway.
Paul Lewis, a spokesman for Boeing, said the planemaker was “aware of the diversion of a 787 operated by ANA to Takamatsu in western Japan”.
He added that Boeing “will be working with our customer and the appropriate regulatory agencies”.
The concerns have spread beyond Japan, however, not least because the Dreamliner was seen as Boeing’s flagship new aeroplane and had attracted orders from many of the world’s biggest and best-known airlines.
The 787 is said to be one of the most fuel-efficient in the industry, and Boeing delivered 46 Dreamliners to customers in 2012.
Following Wednesday’s landing, India’s aviation regulator said it would review the Dreamliner’s safety and talk to parts makers.
Despite this, the regulator said it had no plans to ground the six Dreamliners that are currently being used by Air India.
Australia’s Qantas Airways said its order for 15 Dreamliners remained on track. Its subsidiary Jetstar is due to take delivery of the first of its aircraft in the second half of this year.
United Airlines is the only US carrier currently flying Dreamliners, and the carrier said it was not taking any immediate action.
Even before Wednesday’s emergency landing, Boeing was facing an inquiry by Japanese and US authorities over its Dreamliner issues.
Last week, the US Federal Aviation Administration started a joint review with Boeing of the design, manufacturing and assembly of the Dreamliner.
On Tuesday, Japanese authorities said they would conduct an inquiry after two successive fuel leaks on a different 787 operated by Japan Airlines.
On January, Japan Airlines reported that a fire broke out on a 787 shortly after it landed in Boston. There have also been reports of brake issues.
“It is not abnormal for new aircraft to have some teething problems,” said Chris de Lavigne of Frost and Sullivan in Singapore.
“There were initial issues with the Airbus A380 as well. Look where it is today; it is flying successfully and everyone seems to be happy with it.”
However, he added that a lot would depend on the outcome of the two investigations.
“If it turns out to be a major issue and requires re-engineering to be done, then you may need to ground some of the planes or even the entire fleet.”
Venezuela’s Vice-President Nicolas Maduro has given the annual state of the nation speech in place of Hugo Chavez, who is still recuperating in Cuba after cancer surgery.
In a brief speech to the National Assembly, Nicolas Maduro pledged loyalty to the president and said Hugo Chavez remained in charge of the country.
Nicolas Maduro also denied that there was a political fight for the succession.
President Hugo Chavez was due to be sworn in on January 10 for a fourth term.
The Supreme Court ruled he could take the oath at a later date, a view challenged by opposition figures.
“There is only one president: Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias, supreme commander of the army, commander of the Bolivarian Revolution,” Nicolas Maduro told legislators.
Nicolas Maduro also used his speech to announce that Hugo Chavez had appointed former vice-president Elias Jaua as Venezuela’s new foreign minister.
The post was previously held by Nicolas Maduro.
The vice-president saluted National Assembly president, Diosdado Cabello, and dismissed rumors that they are political rivals.
“They say Cabello and I are fighting. But Cabello and I are united in our heart, in loyalty to a man who has the supreme command of this country.”
Venezuela’s Vice-President Nicolas Maduro has given the annual state of the nation speech in place of Hugo Chavez, who is still recuperating in Cuba after cancer surgery
The vice-president said that his appearance to give the state of the union address was in accordance with the constitution, as Hugo Chavez had been granted leave of absence by the National Assembly.
This view was challenged by some legal experts – they highlight Article 237 of the Constitution, which stipulates that the president should appear “personally” to give the speech within 10 days of the inauguration of the legislature.
The current assembly was sworn in on January 5.
The speech, which in Hugo Chavez’s hands could go on for hours, lasted a matter of minutes with Nicolas Maduro.
President Hugo Chavez underwent a fourth operation for cancer on December 11, and suffered post-operative complications.
Nicolas Maduro told legislators he had met Hugo Chavez in Havana on Monday and that his health was improving.
“He is climbing the hill, he is fighting with his spirit, his vision, his love,” said Nicolas Maduro, adding that Hugo Chavez has been briefed on developments in Venezuela.
Supreme Court justices have ruled that Hugo Chavez, who has been in office since 1999, can be sworn in for another term as president at a later date.
Opposition leaders say the government is riding rough-shod over the constitution and have demanded clarity about who is running the country.
According to the constitution, if a president is permanently incapacitated, the speaker of the National Assembly should take over and elections called within 30 days.
If the absence is temporary, the vice-president assumes charge for a maximum of 180 days.
The United States have strongly criticized Egypt’s Mohamed Morsi for anti-Semitic remarks he apparently made before being elected president.
TV footage shows Mohamed Morsi in 2010 referring to Zionists as “bloodsuckers” and “descendants of apes and pigs”.
US officials want the leader to clarify his “deeply offensive” comments, which they say run counter to Middle East peace efforts.
Egypt receives around $1.5 billion in annual US military and economic aid.
The financial support is linked to Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel, which the US considers a cornerstone of regional stability.
The controversy erupted after the Washington-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) translated and released Arabic footage of interviews Mohamed Morsi gave in 2010, as a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood.
In the clip from Palestinian broadcaster Al-Quds TV, Mohamed Morsi referred to Jewish settlers as “occupiers of Palestine” and “warmongers”.
He called for a “military resistance in Palestine against these Zionist criminals assaulting the land of Palestine and Palestinian”.
Mohamed Morsi also denounced the Palestinian Authority, saying it was “created by the Zionists and American enemies for the sole purpose of opposing the will of the Palestinian people.”
The US have strongly criticized Egypt’s Mohamed Morsi for anti-Semitic remarks he apparently made before being elected president
In another interview, Mohamed Morsi urged Egyptians to “nurse our children and grandchildren on hatred”.
The US State Department said the comments should be repudiated.
“We completely reject these statements, as we do with any language that espouses religious hatred,” the department’s spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.
“This kind of rhetoric has been used in this region for far too long. It’s counter to the goals of peace.”
The White House called the rhetoric “unacceptable in a democratic Egypt”.
“President Morsi should make clear that he respects people of all faiths,” spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.
However, both US officials also highlighted that Mohamed Morsi had shown his commitment to regional peace efforts since taking office in June last year.
The Egyptian leader helped broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after violence flared up in Gaza in November.
And although he has been openly critical of Israel, Mohamed Morsi also pledged to abide by the peace treaty when he was voted into power.
“What he has been doing is supporting that peace treaty, continuing to work with us and with Israel on common goals, including in Gaza,” Victoria Nuland said.
“But we’ll also judge him by what he says.”
Egypt has been a key US ally since it signed the 1979 peace deal as part of the Camp David Accords.
But observers say fears remain that the new leadership might try to renegotiate the treaty.
“As long as peace and justice are not fulfilled for the Palestinians, then the treaty remains unfulfilled,” Mohamed Morsi told the New York Times shortly after winning the election last year.
Victor Garber has confirmed he has a long-term relationship with Rainer Andreesen.
The Argo actor has never publicly addressed his sexuality, but said he is planning to attend the screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards later this month with long-term partner Rainer Andreesen.
Asked about an entry on his Wikipedia page – which is not official and open to editing by users – that says he lives in New York City with the artist-and-model, the 63-year-old actor told blog Greg in Hollywood: “I don’t really talk about it but everybody knows.
“He’s going to be out here with me for the SAG Awards.”
Victor Garber has confirmed he has a long-term relationship with Rainer Andreesen
Six-time Emmy nominated Victor Garber first acknowledged Rainer Andreesen in an April 2012 interview with Canada’s Forever Young.
He said: “My companion Rainer Andreesen and I have been together almost 13 years in Greenwich Village. We both love New York.”
The former Alias actor can next be seen in NBC drama series Deception and says the drama series is like “dessert” because it is everything he ever wanted.
He said: “I’m a lucky actor, I work. But this is the first series that’s come along since Eli Stone, three years ago, that I really wanted to do.
“It was smart, it was interesting, it was dynamic and it wasn’t like the show was going to rest on me.
“I thought this was the perfect thing at this point in my life. It had everything I like, the complexity of the character, the family drama, all of the duplicity.
“For an actor, it’s like getting a dessert – like getting what you hope for and rarely get.
“I love to work and I love the idea of going to work every day and also the fact that I get to do it in New York. It’s like a gift. I feel like I won the lottery.”
Germany’s economy grew by 0.7 percent in 2012, a sharp slowdown on the previous year
Germany’s economy grew by 0.7% in 2012, a sharp slowdown on the previous year, preliminary figures show.
The figure was well below the 3% growth seen in 2011 and suggests the economy contracted in the fourth quarter.
“In 2012, the German economy proved to be resistant in a difficult economic environment and withstood the European recession,” the federal statistics office Destatis said.
Some analysts believe the German economy will enter recession itself.
Destatis said economic activity “slowed down considerably” in the second half of the year, and particularly in the final quarter.
“The full-year growth figure [of 0.7%] implies a contraction of around half a percentage point in the fourth quarter,” the office’s top statistician Norbert Raeth said.
Last month, Germany’s central bank, the Bundesbank, cut its growth forecast for this year to 0.4% and warned that the economy may have contracted in the final three months of 2012, and may do so again in first quarter of 2013.
The eurozone economy as a whole is already in recession, having contracted in both in the third and fourth quarters of last year.
For 2012 as a whole, Destatis said foreign trade was “very robust”, with exports up 4.1% on 2011. Imports grew by 2.3%. The positive trade balance was “once again the main driving force for economic growth in Germany”.
Household expenditure increased by 0.8%, while government spending was up 1%.
The figures also showed that while the service sector of the economy expanded, industry and construction contracted.
Destatis will publish official fourth-quarter growth figures on February 14.
Dan Brown, the bestselling author of The Da Vinci Code, is to release new book Inferno in May.
Inferno it will be the fourth novel in the crime series following Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon.
Dan Brown said he was influenced by Italian poet Dante’s classic work, Inferno, while researching in Florence.
Set in Italy, the book will see Robert Langdon drawn into “a harrowing world centred on one of history’s most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces”.
“Although I studied Dante’s Inferno as a student, it wasn’t until recently that I came to appreciate the enduring influence of Dante’s work on the modern world,” Dan Brown said.
“With this new novel, I am excited to take readers on a journey deep into this mysterious realm…a landscape of codes, symbols, and more than a few secret passageways.”
Dan Brown, the bestselling author of The Da Vinci Code, is to release new book Inferno in May
The book’s title was revealed via posts on social media sites including Twitter and Facebook.
Every time fans mentioned the novel, a piece of a mosaic was unlocked which eventually revealed the name.
The image appears to show The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower – otherwise better known as the Duomo – in Florence.
It is not the first time puzzles have featured as part of the marketing campaign for Dan Brown’s novels.
A number of codes, puzzles and teasers were released to coincide with the launch of his last novel, The Lost Symbol.
Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon novels have sold millions of copies worldwide.
The Da Vinci Code has been translated into 51 languages.
Both The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons have become Hollywood movies, starring Tom Hanks in the title role.
A movie version of The Lost Symbol is still in development.
