According to preliminary results from a nationwide referendum, Austrians have voted by a wide margin to retain compulsory military service.
Some 60% voted to keep the draft with 40% in favor of setting up a purely professional army, in early results.
The issue has divided politicians in the coalition government, and voters.
Supporters of change said a professional army would be more effective – critics said it would put Austria’s cherished neutrality at risk.
Austrian men must serve six months in the army or nine months in civilian service when they reach 18.
Increasingly few European countries demand compulsory military service. France abandoned conscription in 1996, and Germany in 2011.
Calls for an end to conscription are growing in Austria’s neighbor, Switzerland, which is also neutral.
Currently, some 22,000 men are drafted into military service each year.
Those who do not want to serve must spend nine months working in community jobs, such as ambulance drivers and in senior citizens’ homes.
Austrians have voted by a wide margin to retain compulsory military service in nationwide referendum
The centre-left Social Democrats say the current make-up of the armed forces does not work for the 21st Century, arguing that a professional army is needed to work more effectively with other European armies.
Defence Minister Norbert Darabos called the current force outdated in an era of “counter-terrorism, cybercrime… [and] failed states”.
But the conservative People’s Party argued against change. Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner said the current system “fits Austria like a glove and is the best guarantee for all future challenges”.
Opponents feared the move will not only prove more costly, at a time when Austria is trying to cut spending, but would also push the country towards membership of NATO and the abandonment of neutrality they have observed since 1955.
Army Chief of Staff Gen Edmund Entacher also warned that changes to the current set-up would lead “irreversibly to a drop in quality, numbers and ability”.
Barack Obama has officially been sworn in today for his second term as US president in a small ceremony at the White House.
Although the US Constitution requires the oath of office to be taken by noon on January 20, that falls on a Sunday so the public inauguration will take place on Monday.
Barack Obama took his official oath in the White House’s Blue Room.
The public ceremony with pomp and circumstance will follow on Monday.
Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath of office to Barack Obama, witnessed by First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Sasha and Malia as well as some family members and reporters.
Resting his hand on a bible used for many years by his wife’s family, Barack Obama vowed “to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States”.
He will repeat those words during Monday’s public inauguration, in which he will set out his plans for the next four years.
Barack Obama has officially been sworn in today for his second term as US president in a small ceremony at the White House
Vice-President Joe Biden was sworn in for a second term at a small ceremony at his official residence earlier on Sunday morning.
Joe Biden, 70, will also repeat his oath publicly on Monday.
Thousands of workers and volunteers have been working to finish construction for Monday’s celebrations, with white tents, trailers and generators being set up along the Washington Mall’s parade route as nearby buildings were adorned with red, white and blue bunting,
For his part, Barack Obama rolled up his sleeves and donned gloves to spend Saturday sprucing up a school with other volunteers, as part of a National Day of Service kicking off the inauguration ceremonies – similar to the way he spent the day before his first presidential inauguration in 2009.
He urged volunteers to honor the memory of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, whose birthday, a national holiday, falls on Monday. This year is the 50th anniversary of King’s march on Washington.
President Barack Obama’s second term work will be more of a challenge than Saturday’s school work, trying to change America’s gun laws, reforming immigration and dealing with the country’s debt.
In 2009, nearly two million people crammed into Washington to witness President Barack Obama’s first inauguration.
Four years on, the mood is unlikely to match that excitement.
But the second inauguration of America’s first black president is a moment many will not want to miss.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected in Washington for that event – a smaller number than the 1.8 million who flocked for the swearing-in in 2009.
They will crowd onto the Mall leading to Congress wrapped up against the cold, to see their president take the oath of office on the steps of the flag-draped Capitol and listen to his speech.
The day will include music from Beyonce and Fun, parades, black tie balls and very tight security.
Drew Barrymore spoke to Oprah Winfrey about her battles with motherhood as she tries to raise 4-month-old daughter Olive away from the spotlight.
The interview is the first time ever that Drew Barrymore has opened up her home she shares with husband Will Kopelman to cameras, and it’s only fitting she did it for her neighbor.
Oprah Winfrey and Drew Barrymore both own homes in the posh Santa Barbara, California enclave of Montecito.
“In Drew’s backyard swing,” Oprah Winfrey posted on her Twitter account last week.
“Just discovered we live less than 2 miles from each other.”
Drew Barrymore talked about how she plans to shape her new career as a mother as well as troubles with her own, whom she didn’t invite to her wedding in 2012.
“She was not there, which was very hard,” the actress said.
“We both discussed it and thought it would be best to keep her away from the ceremony.”
Drew Barrymore spoke to Oprah Winfrey about her battles with motherhood as she tries to raise 4-month-old daughter Olive away from the spotlight
Drew Barrymore and her mother had a tumultuous past, anchored mostly in Drew’s rebellious childhood in which she started abusing drugs and alcohol from an early age.
She had her first drink at 9, began smoking marijuana at 10, and took cocaine at 12.
Drew Barrymore had multiple stints in rehab in her early teens and at 15, she moved into an LA apartment on her own after being granted an emancipation decree from her parents.
Oprah Winfrey asked Drew Barrymore specifically what she could learn from her childhood – a question that brought the star nearly to tears.
“As a kid what I craved the most was just believing that [my mom] was going to be there,” she said.
“I think the world offers so many wonderful varieties of obstacles, but that shouldn’t be one for kids – is the worry that <<my parents won’t be there>>.”
Oprah Winfrey also asked her about how she plans on telling her daughter about her own series of missteps – especially in the world of Google.
“I will absolutely instill in her that you cannot be ashamed of the journey that it took to get where you are if you are proud of yourself.
“But I will also try to instill on her that I did not have guidance and that is why I lived my life that way.”
Drew Barrymore continued, with the most telling bit of advice: “There is no option for her to take that path because she has guidance.”
The full hour long interview is set to air on OWN on Sunday.
Voters in the German state of Lower Saxony are going to the polls in a regional election seen as a bellwether for national elections later this year.
The state is currently controlled by German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) in coalition with the pro-market Free Democrats.
But opposition parties are hoping to make gains ahead of national elections in September.
Opinion polls suggested the race would be close.
David McAllister, the current leader of Lower Saxony’s government and close ally of Chancellor Merkel, will be hoping for re-election.
He was born in Berlin to a German mother and a Scottish father, and is seen as a possible successor to Chancellor Merkel as CDU leader.
But polls now put his CDU-led coalition neck-and-neck with the opposition Social Democrats (SPD).
The SPD have seen a previously comfortable lead over the incumbents evaporate as polling day approached.
The SDP leader in Lower Saxony, Stephan Weil, said a victory in the state polls would ensure that his party was taken seriously in September’s national elections.
David McAllister, the current leader of Lower Saxony’s government and close ally of Chancellor Merkel, will be hoping for re-election
A CDU defeat in Lower Saxony would set alarm bells ringing for Angela Merkel, who is seeking a third term as chancellor in September.
Since Angela Merkel’s re-election as chancellor in 2009, the CDU has suffered set backs in recent state elections, and have lost power to the SDP and Greens in four other states.
There is also concern that the CDU’s coalition partners, the Free Democrats, will not win enough votes to maintain the coalition.
They require 5% of the vote to gain seats in the state legislature.
Angela Merkel has appeared several times on the campaign trail with David McAllister, who has played heavily on his Scottish roots.
Known as “Mac”, David McAllister has used bagpipes in his election broadcasts, and speaks English with a broad Scottish accent.
Britney Spears came pretty close to losing part of her dress on her way to lunch on Saturday afternoon.
Britney Spears, 31,was looking rosy – and braless – in a pink halter dress as she strolled through the entrance of a posh Los Angeles hotel.
The singer was accompanied by a burly bodyguard who kept onlookers at bay, but low and behold her top started to slide inwards and exposed a generous side view of her boob.
Carrying a grey wrap bundled in her arms, Britney Spears suddenly realized the wardrobe malfunction and quickly pulled the garment back into place before it caused her any more embarrassment.
Britney Spears continued on her way, stepping lightly in brown ankle platform boots.
Britney Spears came pretty close to losing part of her dress on her way to lunch on Saturday afternoon
She was wearing her blonde hair in a high ponytail and shielded her eyes in tinted sunglasses.
Britney Spears wore the slightest hint of make-up including neutral lip gloss.
In spite of the fact that she just broke up with her fiancé Jason Trawick, Britney Spears looked fresh-faced and healthy.
Khloe Kardashian says she no longer listens to what people have to say about her fluctuating weight because she can never please everyone.
Khloe Kardashian, 28, spoke about her impressive weight loss of 30 pounds in 2009 thanks to taking Quick Trim pills, but she revealed that even though she triumphed in some sense, she still found herself being criticized by others.
The reality star told the February 2013 issue of Glamourmagazine: “A few years ago I lost 30 pounds, and people still wanted to criticize. And honestly, I’m happy with myself if I’m a little heavier.”
Khloe Kardashian, who is married to basketball player Lamar Odom, admitted that she now feels comfortable no matter what the scales say.
She continued: “I realized: Why am I trying to conform to someone else’s idea of beauty? I think I’m beautiful either way.”
Khloe Kardashian says she no longer listens to what people have to say about her fluctuating weight because she can never please everyone
While her sisters’ new Keeping Up With The Kardashians spinoff show starts on E! this weekend, Khloe Kardashian has been balancing housewife duties with her recent hosting stint on The X Factor.
She said about splitting time in the kitchen making meals for husband Lamar Odom and being in the TV studio: “I’ll be so busy, but I’ll make his favorite meal. Those little things, he appreciates them so much.”
Khloe Kardashian, who denied feelings of “jealousy over my sisters’ lives” in her blog rant this week – has embraced the differences between her and her sisters.
Khloe Kardashian, who has previously spoken about being labeled “the ugly one”, told Glamour: “I’m a little more silly than they are. I like to do designs on the side of my face, or cut out foil stickers from the crafts store and put them on my forehead.”
The US Federal Reserve released transcripts from its 2007 meetings have shown it may have underestimated the looming global financial crisis.
The documents suggested Fed Governor Ben Bernanke wanted to hold off from addressing rising panic in the markets.
Ben Bernanke said in December 2007 that he did not “expect insolvency or near insolvency among major financial institutions”.
Yet many US banks and other financial firms had to be rescued in 2008.
With most of the country’s major lenders discovering billion-dollar losses linked to bad mortgage debt as the US housing market collapsed, investment banks such as Bear Stearns needed government funds ahead of being sold off cheaply, while another, Lehman Brothers, was ultimately closed down.
In 2008, the US government also had to bailout the federal mortgage agencies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The US Federal Reserve released transcripts from its 2007 meetings have shown it may have underestimated the looming global financial crisis
Although the financial crisis started as a result of the sharp downturn in the country’s housing market, it quickly spread around the world as US mortgage debt had been repackaged and sold to banks and other financial institutions around the globe.
The released Fed documents from 2007 also suggest current US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner underestimated the crisis.
Timothy Geithner, who at the time was president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, said in August 2007: “We have no indication that the major, more diversified institutions are facing any funding pressure.”
Meanwhile in October 2007 Janet Yellen, another member of the Fed’s most senior committee, the Federal Open Market Committee, said: “I think the most likely outcome is that the economy will move forward toward a soft landing.”
The Fed did, however, take some action in 2007 to try to resolve the growing problems in the financial sector, cutting US interest rates three times.
In September 2007 it reduced its core rate to 4.75% from 5.25%, where it had been for more than a year. Two other rate cuts followed by the end of the year, before numerous further reductions in 2008.
And Janet Yellen said in December that “the possibilities of a credit crunch developing and of the economy slipping into a recession seem all too real”.
US rates currently stand at between 0% and 0.25%, where they have been since December 2008.
Some 3,000 people have taken part in a rally in Athens to protest against the rise of Greece’s neo-fascist party Golden Dawn.
The protest, which brought together Greeks and immigrants, was part of a day of anti-racism events.
Golden Dawn, exploiting public anger over the financial crisis, won 18 seats in parliament last June.
One of the most right-wing parties in Europe, it is accused of anti-immigrant attacks, but denies violent activity.
The coffin of a Pakistani immigrant murdered by suspected right-wing extremists was also put on display.
Some 3,000 people have taken part in a rally in Athens to protest against the rise of Greece’s neo-fascist party Golden Dawn
Shehzad Luqman, 27, was stabbed to death by two men who had been riding a motorcycle as he rode his bicycle to work in the Athens neighborhood of Petralona in the early hours of Wednesday.
More than 80% of immigrants to the European Union enter via Greece.
This was a day designed to show the other side of Greece, drowning out the racism of the minority.
Greek hospitality is well-known – but the financial crisis is changing the nation with elements lurching to the right and fearing both the future and the outsider.
Away from Athens, campaigners used a more artistic means of spreading the word: a children’s play with a social message was staged, telling the story of a Greek family that meets Iranians and a Pakistani on holiday, and of initial fears subsiding as the group learns to live together.
The play’s director, Vassilis Koukalani, said: “The play is about prejudice, about racism, about xenophobia and it shows how we can overcome these things with common sense, with a sense of humour, with a sense of justice above all.”
First Lady Michelle Obama paraded her new haircut as she took the stage with her daughters at Kids’ Inaugural Concert, the star-studded gala for military families Saturday night, marking the beginning of inauguration weekend festivities.
Some of Hollywood’s biggest recording artists, from Usher to Katy Perry, Alicia Keys and Fun., gathered at the Washington Convention Center in DC entertain hundreds of DC-area children and spouses of service members.
Dressed in a casual yet chic ensemble consisting of a while loose blouse cinched at the waist with a vibrant belt paired with ankle-length trousers, Michelle Obama appeared on stage accompanied by her daughters. President Barack Obama was not in attendance at the gala.
“Inauguration is a really big deal. There’s balls. Everybody dress up and dances,” Michelle Obama told the children.
“Let me tell you: I love every single minute of it. Every single minute. But I have to tell you that my very favorite part of this entire weekend is being right here with all of you.”
Usher performed his hit song OMG after Yeah and Without You, while Katy Perry put on a patriotic show with Firework set to a slideshow of President Obama shaking hands and talking on the phone.
Far East Movement and a gospel fusion group called Soul Children of Chicago performed as well, but neither Stevie Wonder nor Smokey Robinson, who were both originally reported to be in the lineup, made an appearance.
The night’s entertainment also included Mindless Behavior and members of the cast of the Fox series Glee.
The concert continues a tradition started at the 2009 inauguration by honoring the nation’s military families. It’s being hosted by Michelle Obama and the vice president’s wife, Jill Biden, and emceed by Nick Cannon.
But the Kids’ Inaugural Concert was not the only glamorous event in town Saturday night.
Michelle Obama paraded her new haircut as she took the stage with her daughters at Kids’ Inaugural Concert
To continue the weekend’s festivities, the Texas State Society hosted the Black Tie & Boots Inaugural Ball at the Gaylord National Resort in DC.
The western-themed gala featured performances from several country acts, including legendary signer Charley Pride, Rodney Foster, Jack Ingram, with a special appearance by actor Jamie Foxx.
This year’s ball continues a tradition that has been in place for more than 30 years.
The glamorous variety show featuring musical performances, a presidential puppet show and speeches from dignitaries came just hours after the first family took part in the National Day of Service.
On the brink of a second term, the president invoked Martin Luther King Jr.’s commitment to service Saturday.
“I think we’re on the cusp of some really great things,” Vice President Joe Biden predicted for a country still recovering from a deep recession.
The president made only a glancing reference to race as he spoke at an elementary school not far from the White House after he and first lady Michelle Obama stained a bookcase as part of a national service event organized by the inaugural committee.
“We think about not so much the inauguration, but we think about this is Dr. King’s birthday we’re going to be celebrating this weekend,” the president said.
The National Day of Service and the night’s star-studded event set the stage for a weekend of festivities to mark the beginning of Barack Obama’s second term in office.
Freshly built inaugural stands at the Capitol gleamed white in the sun, and hundreds of chairs for special guests were set out on the lawn that spills down toward the National Mall as the president and vice president began their inauguration weekend.
Officials estimated that as many as 800,000 people will attend Monday’s public ceremonies. That’s more than live in the city, if far fewer than the 1.8 million who were at Barack Obama’s first inauguration in 2009.
Because the date for inauguration set in the Constitution, January 20, falls on a Sunday this year, Barack Obama and Joe Biden were to be sworn in for second terms in separate, private ceremonies on Sunday.
The public ceremonies are set for Monday, when Barack Obama will take the oath of office at noon, then deliver an inaugural address before a large crowd and a national television audience in the millions.
American Idol alum Kelly Clarkson will perform My Country Tis of Thee, James Taylor will sing America the Beautiful and long-time Barack Obama supporter Beyonce will entertain the crowd with her rendition of the national anthem.
The traditional lunch with lawmakers in the Capitol follows, and the inaugural parade down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the White House.
There, a reviewing stand was adorned with the presidential seal and equipped with seats enough for Barack Obama and other dignitaries to watch in relative comfort as military units, marching bands, floats and thousands of participants go past. A pair of inauguration balls will cap the day, including one with a guest list that runs to 40,000 names.
A select few – those who donated as much as $1 million to defray inauguration expenses – received special access to public as well as invitation-only receptions and parties.
Former first daughter Chelsea Clinton headlined a National Day of Service gathering under a tent on the National Mall, where she said she had been inspired by her grandmother, as well as her famous parents. She urged her audience to become part of a “chain of service” by helping the less fortunate.
Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, spent time at an armory pitching in as volunteers packed 100,000 care kits for deployed members of the military, wounded warriors, veterans and first responders.
Joe Biden credited former President George H. W. Bush, a Republican, for starting the “Points of Light” program, which was a sponsor of the event. He said service was an antidote to “the coarsening of our culture. We’ve got to get back to reaching out to people”.
Barack Obama is due to be officially sworn in for his second term as US president in a small ceremony at the White House.
Although the US Constitution requires the oath of office to be taken by noon on January 20, as that falls on a Sunday the public inauguration will take place on Monday.
Barack Obama will take his official oath in the White House’s Blue Room.
The public ceremony with pomp and circumstance will follow a day later.
Thousands of workers and volunteers have been working to finish construction for Monday’s celebration, with white tents, trailers and generators being set up along the Washington Mall’s parade route as nearby buildings were adorned with red, white and blue bunting,
For his part, Barack Obama rolled up his sleeves and donned gloves to spend Saturday sprucing up a school with other volunteers, as part of a National Day of Service kicking off the inauguration ceremonies – similar to the way he spent the day before his first presidential inauguration in 2009.
Barack Obama urged volunteers to honor the memory of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, whose birthday, a national holiday, falls on Monday. This year is the 50th anniversary of Luther King’s march on Washington.
Barack Obama rolled up his sleeves and donned gloves to spend Saturday sprucing up a school with other volunteers, as part of a National Day of Service kicking off the inauguration ceremonies
In 2009, nearly two million people crammed into Washington to witness President Barack Obama’s first inauguration.
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected in Washington for that event – a smaller number than the 1.8m who flocked for the swearing-in of the nation’s first black president in 2009.
They will crowd onto the Mall leading to Congress wrapped up against the cold, to see their president take the oath of office on the steps of the flag-draped Capitol and listen to his speech.
The day will include music from Beyonce and Fun, parades, black tie balls and very tight security.
Texan insurance company SCA Promotions plans to file a lawsuit next week to recoup $12 million from disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong.
SCA Promotions insured bonuses paid to Lance Armstrong when he claimed his fourth, fifth and sixth Tour de France wins.
Lance Armstrong has admitted using performance-enhancing drugs for all seven of his Tour de France wins.
“We will likely file that lawsuit as soon as next week unless we get a satisfactory response from Armstrong’s camp,” SCA lawyer Jeff Tillotson said.
The insurance policy was taken out by Tailwind Sports, owner of the US Postal team, to cover performance bonuses payable to Lance Armstrong if he claimed his fourth, fifth and sixth Tour victories.
SCA initially refused to pay out money covering the bonus for Lance Armstrong’s sixth Tour win in 2004, totalling $5 million, because it argued Armstrong was not a clean rider.
SCA Promotions plans to file a lawsuit next week to recoup $12 million from disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong took the company to an arbitration hearing in Dallas in 2005 and won, because the contract between the parties stipulated the insurance money would be payable if Armstrong was the “official winner” of the Tour.
But, after Lance Armstrong’s confession of doping to Oprah Winfrey this week, Jeff Tillotson said his client would be looking to recover the money, now assessed at $12 million because of legal costs and interest.
The Dallas attorney gave his reaction to the Armstrong interview with Winfrey, saying he found it “jaw-dropping” that Lance Armstrong had admitted all the things he denied in the arbitration hearing in 2005.
“Every question in his testimony that he answered no to when I asked him, he answered yes to Oprah Winfrey,” he said.
“So it was pretty clear from the first few minutes of the interview he was admitting that he had committed perjury in our legal proceedings in the US.
“From our perspective we were somewhat floored by how quickly he admitted that.”
Jeff Tillotson said Lance Armstrong was yet to get in touch with him personally, or SCA Promotions.
There have been suggestions that Lance Armstrong could also be charged with perjury for lying under oath in 2005 but Jeff Tillotson admits this is unlikely to happen.
Kim Dotcom, Megaupload founder, has set up a new cloud storage and file-sharing site.
Mega, a web-based service that lets people upload and store files of any kind, is a sequel to the Megaupload system that was shut down last January.
Police raids on the offices and home of Kim Dotcom led to the closure of Megaupload.
The Mega site went online at dawn on Sunday, with Kim Dotcom due to hold a gala at his New Zealand mansion later.
Kim Dotcom has said the new site complies with the law and warned that attempts to take it down would be futile.
“This is not some kind of finger to the US government or to Hollywood,” Kim Dotcom told Reuters on Saturday.
“Legally, there’s just nothing there that could be used to shut us down. This site is just as legitimate and has the right to exist as Dropbox, Boxnet and other competitors.”
Mega, a web-based service that lets people upload and store files of any kind, is a sequel to the Megaupload system that was shut down last January
Hours after the site was launched, Kim Dotcom tweeted that it had received 250,000 user registrations, although limited server capacity meant Mega was unreachable to many.
In a series of earlier tweets Kim Dotcom said every customer would have 50 gigabytes of free storage – far more than is offered by rival services such as Dropbox or Microsoft’s SkyDrive.
Mega will be encrypted so only those who upload data have access to it.
Data is also being held in the cloud to make it easy for users to get and share files.
The 2012 raids on Megaupload were carried out because, said US law enforcement, many users of Megaupload were engaged in pirating content and illegally sharing it.
They accused Kim Dotcom and other managers at Megaupload of profiting from piracy.
KIm Dotcom has rebuffed the accusations and is fighting a legal battle to stay in New Zealand from where he ran Megaupload.
A hearing on whether he is can be extradited to the US is due to be held in March.
The case has generated controversy in New Zealand over the way the police and intelligence services gathered evidence before the raid and won an apology to Kim Dotcom from the country’s prime minister.
KIm Dotcom has also won support from prominent computer pioneers such as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak.
The raid on Megaupload put 25 petabytes of data uploaded to it by its 50 million members into a legal limbo.
In one message, Kim Dotcom said he was working with lawyers and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which campaigns on digital rights issues, to get access to that seized data and return it to users.
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.
