The Canadian new plastic banknotes feature Norway maple leaves, instead of the Canadian sugar maple leaf, according to botanists.
The botanists argue the leaf shown features more sections and has a more pointed outline than the Canadian version.
The maple leaf is featured on the new C$20, C$50 and C$100 notes, which were introduced in November.
Bank of Canada officials say the image is a “stylized” leaf, created with the help of a botanist.
“I think it’s just an after-the-fact excuse,” said Sean Blaney, senior botanist at the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre, who first brought the image to the attention of the broadcaster CBC.
The Canadian new plastic banknotes feature Norway maple leaves, instead of the Canadian sugar maple leaf
The Norway maple, however, is a popular tree in central and eastern Canada, after being imported from Europe.
“It has naturalized to Canada,” Sean Blaney said.
“This could not be confused with a native species of Canada,” Julian Starr, a botany professor at the University of Ottawa, told the CBC.
The leaf on Canada’s flag is stylized, but in such a way that it still looks like the native species, Julian Starr later told CTV.
In August, the Bank of Canada apologized for removing an image of an “Asian-looking” woman from the design of the new $100 bank note.
The polymer banknotes have also faced criticism for not working in many vending machines.
Sandwichmaker Subway has finally responded to international criticism that its footlong sandwiches only appear to be 11 inches long.
Subway’s reply won’t win them any new fans, as they claimed that the word footlong is a “registered trademark as a descriptive name for the sub” and “not intended to be a measurement of length”.
A man in Australia started uproar on Tuesday when he posted a photo on the company’s Facebook page of one of its footlong subs next to a tape measure showing the sandwich as just 11 inches.
Countless lookalike pictures appeared all over the internet and more than 100,000 people “liked” or commented on the original, which had the caption “Subway pls respond”.
The world’s largest fast food chain did so on Friday with a comment on the original query, posted by Matt Corby from Perth, Australia.
The statement began: “Looking at the photo doing the rounds showing a slightly undersized sub, this bread is not baked to our standards.”
Then Subway went on the offensive, claiming that a footlong sub wasn’t necessarily meant to be exactly a foot long in the first place.
“With regards to the size of the bread and calling it a footlong, <<SUBWAY FOOTLONG>> is a registered trademark as a descriptive name for the sub sold in Subway® Restaurants and not intended to be a measurement of length.”
“The length of the bread baked in the restaurant cannot be assured each and every time as the proofing process may vary slightly each time in the restaurant.”
Subway has finally responded to international criticism that its footlong sandwiches only appear to be 11 inches long
Subway has since removed the statement but, as Buzzfeed points out, this is at odds with previous Subway advertising.
The company has suggested in past promotional material that the footlong sub will measure a foot in length, such as a popular 2008 “Hula” advert.
The Subway photo – and the backlash – illustrates a challenge companies face with the growth of social media sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
Before, someone in a far flung local in Australia would not be able to cause such a stir. But the power of social media means that negative posts about a company can spread from around the world in seconds.
“People look for the gap between what companies say and what they give, and when they find the gap – be it a mile or an inch – they can now raise a flag and say, <<Hey look at this>>, I caught you,” said Allen Adamson, managing director of branding firm Landor Associates in New York.
Subway has always offered footlong sandwiches since it opened in 1965. A customer can order any sandwich as a footlong.
The chain introduced a $5 footlong promotion in 2008 as the U.S. fell into the recession, and has continued offering the popular option throughout the recovery.
An attempt to contact someone with the same name and country as the person who posted the photo of the footlong sandwich on Subway’s Facebook page was not returned on Thursday.
But comments by other Facebook users about the photo ran the gamut from outrage to indifference to amusement.
The Subway footlong photo is just the latest in a string of public relations headaches that were caused by a negative photo or event about a company going viral.
Last year, a Burger King employee tweeted a picture of someone standing in sneakers on two tubs of uncovered lettuce. Domino’s Pizza employees posted a video on YouTube of workers defacing a pizza in 2009. And a KitchenAid employee last year made a disparaging remark about President Barack Obama using the official KitchenAid Twitter account.
During latest UN talks more than 140 countries have agreed on a set of legally binding measures to curb mercury pollution.
Delegates in Geneva approved measures to control the use of the highly toxic metal in order to reduce the amount of mercury released into the environment.
Mercury can produce a range of adverse human health effects, including permanent damage to the nervous system.
The UN recently published data that showed mercury emissions were rising in a number of developing nations.
The deal was agreed after all-night talks.
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) spokesman Nick Nuttall told Reuters: “A treaty to start to begin to rid the world of a notorious health-hazardous metal was agreed in the morning of Jan 19.”
During latest UN talks more than 140 countries have agreed on a set of legally binding measures to curb mercury pollution
The rules, known as the Minamata Convention and named after the Japanese town that experienced one of the world’s worst cases of mercury poisoning, will open for nations to sign at a diplomatic conference later this year.
The convention will regulate a range of areas, including:
the supply of and trade in mercury;
the use of mercury in products and industrial processes;
the measures to be taken to reduce emissions from artisanal and small-scale gold mining;
the measures to be taken to reduce emissions from power plants and metals production facilities.
Ahead of the five-day meeting, the UNEP published a report warning that developing nations were facing growing health and environmental risks from increased exposure to mercury.
It said a growth in small-scale mining and coal burning were the main reasons for the rise in emissions.
As a result of rapid industrialization, South-East Asia was the largest regional emitter and accounted for almost half of the element’s annual global emissions.
Mercury – a heavy, silvery white metal – is a liquid at room temperature and can evaporate easily. Within the environment, it is found in cinnabar deposits. It is also found in natural forms in a range of other rocks, including limestone and coal.
Mercury can be released into the environment through a number of industrial processes including mining, metal and cement production, and the burning of fossil fuels.
Once emitted, it persists in the environment for a long time – circulating through air, water, soil and living organisms – and can be dispersed over vast distances.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says: “Mercury is highly toxic to human health, posing a particular threat to the development of the [unborn] child and early in life.
“The inhalation of mercury vapor can produce harmful effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys, and may be fatal.
“The inorganic salts of mercury are corrosive to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract, and may induce kidney toxicity if ingested.”
The UNEP assessment said the concentration of mercury in the top 100 m of the world’s oceans had doubled over the past century, and estimated that 260 tonnes of the toxic metal had made their way from soil into rivers and lakes.
Another characteristic, it added, was that mercury became more concentrated as it moved up the food chain, reaching its highest levels in predator fish that could be consumed by humans.
Cyclist Lance Armstrong has questioned during interview with Oprah Winfrey whether he deserves his “death penalty” punishment which means he is banned from all sports because of his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Lance Armstrong compared his lifelong ban to six-month penalties given to others.
In the second part of his interview with Oprah Winfrey, Lance Armstrong, 41, said: “I deserve to be punished. I’m not sure I deserve a death penalty.
“I’d love the opportunity to compete, but that isn’t why I’m doing this.”
The second round of Lance Armstrong’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, 58, was broadcast on prime time television on her OWN network in America, and was streamed worldwide through her website.
In the first part of the interview Lance Armstrong ended years of denials by admitting using performance-enhancing drugs during all seven of his Tour de France wins.
During part two, in which he fought back tears as he discussed the impact on his family, Lance armstrong revealed:
he wants the life ban in sports lifted but accepts that is unlikely
he feels “disgraced, humbled and ashamed” by his actions
his “most humbling moment” was being asked to step aside by cancer charity Livestrong
the moment he confessed to his son and said: “don’t defend me anymore”
his actions had left his mother a “wreck”
his sponsors leaving him was a “$75 million day”
Of his desire to return to sport, Lance Armstrong said he wasn’t looking to take part in the Tour de France again, but added: “If you’re asking me if I want to compete again, the answer is <<hell yeah, I’m a competitor>>. It’s what I’ve done all my life. I want to race, want to toe the line.
“There are lots of things I can’t do because of the ban. If there is a window of opportunity would I like to run the Chicago Marathon when I’m 50? Yes.
“When you see the punishment… I got a death penalty meaning I can’t compete. I’m not saying that is unfair but it is different.”
Lance Armstrong said he “selfishly” wanted his life ban to be lifted.
“Realistically, I don’t think that will happen and I’ve got to live with that,” he added.
Lance Armstrong started the second part of the interview by telling the US chat show host he felt “disgraced, humbled and ashamed” at his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
“Do I have remorse? Absolutely. Will it grow? Absolutely,” he said.
“This is the first step and these are my actions. I am paying the price but I deserve it.
“The ultimate crime is the betrayal of these people who support me and believed in me and they got lied to.”
Lance Armstrong said what he had done hit home when his cancer charity Livestrong asked him to step aside last year.
“That was the most humbling moment,” he said.
Lance Armstrong has questioned during interview with Oprah Winfrey whether he deserves being banned from all sports because of his use of performance-enhancing drugs
Lance Armstrong, who launched Livestrong after battling cancer in the mid-1990s, said sponsors started to leave him following the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) investigation last year.
USADA said Lance Armstrong was a “serial cheat” who had led “the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme sport has ever seen”.
He said: “Nike called and said that they’re out. Then the calls started coming.
“A couple of days: everybody out.”
Lance Armstrong described the period in which his sponsors dropped him as a” $75 million dollar day”. “All gone. Probably never coming back,” he said.
“I’ve lost all future income.”
Outlining the build-up to Livestrong’s decision, Lance Armstrong added: “The story was getting out of control which was my worst nightmare. I had this place in my mind they would all leave. The one I didn’t think would leave was the foundation.
“The foundation is like my sixth child and to make that decision and step aside was big.
“I was aware of the pressure and it was the best thing for the organisation but it hurt like hell.”
Lance Armstrong fought back tears as he described the impact of his actions on his five children.
“They know a lot,” he said.
“They hear it in the hallways. Their schools, their classmates have been very supportive. Where you lose control with your kids is when they go out of that space: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, in the feedback columns.
“When this all really started, I saw my son defending me, and saying <<that’s not true>>.
“That’s when I knew I had to tell him. And he’d never asked me. He’d never said <<dad, is this true?>> He’d trusted me.
“I said ‘don’t defend me anymore, don’t’. He has been remarkably calm and mature about it.”
Lance Armstrong said his mother had been left a “wreck” by what had happened but “she is a tough lady and has got through every other moment”.
Despite the fallout from his drugs use, Lance Armstrong said it was not the worst period of his life and pointed to his cancer battle.
“I’ve been to a dark place that was not of my doing where I didn’t know if I would live,” he said.
“You can’t compare this to an advanced diagnosis. That sets the bar. It is close but I’m an optimist and I like to look forward – this has caused me to look back and I don’t like that.
“When I was diagnosed I was better and smarter after that and then lost my way.
“It is easy to sit here and say I feel better but I can’t lose my way again.
“Only I can control it and I’m in no position to make promises but that is the biggest challenge for the rest of my life – not to slip up again and not lose sight of what I have to do. I had it but things got too crazy. Epic challenge.”
In the first part of the interview Lance Armstrong told Oprah Winfrey he was sorry for his “big lie”. He admitted that at the time he viewed his actions as levelling the playing field rather than cheating.
He said he would now co-operate with official inquiries into doping.
In the aftermath of the USADA report the Texan opted not to contest the allegations. Lance Armstrong had always strongly denied doping, but that all changed within seconds of his first appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s show.
Helen Croydon, author of controversial tell-all book The Sugar Daddy Diaries, has gone undercover to ascertain exactly why men stray from long-term relationships – and to lift the lid on how to prevent it.
Helen Croydon undertook the project as research for her new book, F The Fairytale, in which she explores modern models of relationships as alternatives to marriage.
She worked along with adult lifestyle website Bondara to discover why men stray from long term relationships and reveal how to deal with it.
The author says: “While researching my next book I spoke to hundreds of men and women about their relationship blips, successes, affairs or their choices not to commit at all.
“I’ve targeted men on the UK’s largest cheating website, maritalaffair.co.uk and even been undercover on that and so-called sugar daddy websites to get to grips with common male motivations for straying.”
Helen Croydon found that sexual dissatisfaction was the most common “complaint” cited by men as a reason to stray, with men saying things like, “the physical side has faded”, or “our sex has become routine”.
In this case Helen Croydon advises you need to make time for sex – and the more you orgasm, the more you’ll want to.
The sexpert also says if you have relationship problems – another big reason men cheat – try counseling before splitting.
Here are some of Helen Croydon’s findings: 1. Feeling surplus to needs
Common amongst new fathers and the partner of someone with a demanding job. The less busy partner feels unneeded.
Think bored housewife and a husband who doesn’t even notice when she gets a haircut. Or the hard-working husband whose weekend is filled with nothing but more chores.
These types complained that their relationship had become functional. They craved the freshness of new romance and went elsewhere to find it.
What to do:
Relationships should make us feel loved and energized otherwise we’re better off alone. So make your partner feel that way. Stop keeping tabs on who’s done what. In the long run it doesn’t matter.
Take time every day to talk and listen to each other – even if it’s just for 15 minutes over dinner or while you have pre-bedtime cup of cocoa.
Helen Croydon, author of controversial tell-all book The Sugar Daddy Diaries, has gone undercover to ascertain exactly why men stray from long-term relationships
2. In love but lacking romance
I was surprised by how many men said they loved their wives deeply and were not looking to end their marriage, but wanted ‘something extra’.
Not necessarily sex but the romance – dinners and dates.
Many expressed they wanted to “feel like they looked forward to seeing someone again”.
What to do:
Sadly familiarity can cancel out passion even though familiarity is what we all want from a relationship.
It’s easy to steer your relationship away from dreary domesticity though and become fascinated in each other again.
3. Partner health issues
When one partner has health problems which limit their sexual life, the other partner may consider this as an amnesty on fidelity.
Any previous guilt is removed by the fact that their partner can no longer fulfill roles in the relationship that they once could.
I met several men who claimed their wives had consented to them seeking sexual – but not emotional – fulfillment outside of marriage.
What to do:
Consent is key here. Just because you think you’re not cheating, doesn’t mean your partner wouldn’t feel cheated.
There’s nothing wrong with a negotiated open relationship but for those that can’t handle the thought of that, you’ll have to address the sex imbalance some other way.
4. The “one last time” syndrome
Common amongst men and women who are about to get married or make a similar commitment.
They feel they can hold onto their previous identity with one last experience of their old life. They mistakenly believe that one final memory will sustain them for years ahead of “being good”.
What to do:
This is just a fantasy. “One last time” won’t make them feel any more experienced than they already felt when they committed.
If you suspect your partner is daunted by the idea of long-term sexual fidelity, embrace their sexual appetite rather than try to repress it.
Encourage them to talk about things they would like to try and to share their fantasies so they feel you will help them fulfill them rather than hanker them.
Why not organize a naughty weekend away with sexy lingerie and some fun masks and ropes and pretend you’ve just met. Even if it’s just ten minutes from home.
5. Opportunism
Thankfully more rare than people may think. A man or a woman is out of town and a new, exciting and novel experience comes up and they think “no one will ever know”.
It does happen but not often.
To act on a fantasy usually requires mental preparation and lots of suppression of guilt so it’s unlikely a quick chat on a bar stool in a strange hotel will make someone jump into bed.
In my experience, people who stray on a whim have done it before or already given it some thought.
What to do:
It’s easier to say what not to do. Don’t keep tabs on your partner. Don’t be controlling or demand they phone.
Too much control only makes someone want to break free. Trust builds respect and there’s no better defence to cheating than respect.
Chinese economy, the world’s second largest, is showing signs of a rebound that could help it emerge from its worst economic period in 13 years.
According to the latest Chinese government figures, growth picked up to 7.9% in the final three months of 2012, from 7.4% in the previous quarter.
This was driven by state investment in infrastructure projects and efforts to get consumers and companies to spend.
Economic stability is seen as vital for China as its new leaders take over.
“It is obvious that the slowdown in the Chinese economy has halted for the moment,” said Fraser Howie, an economist and co-author of Red Capitalism.
“But one has to be mindful that any recovery will be limited in its scope, not least because of the various headwinds that China is facing,” he added.
“The new leaders, who take charge in March, will now have to find the right balance between trying to prevent the formation of a property bubble and keeping a healthy growth rate going.”
That may prove tricky, not least because China’s economic growth has slowed significantly from the highs of previous years, and analysts warn that state stimulus measures may wane.
Chinese economy, the world’s second largest, is showing signs of a rebound that could help it emerge from its worst economic period in 13 years
On Friday, the statistical office reported that gross domestic product, the main measure of growth, increased by 7.8% in 2012, down from 9.3% in 2011.
That was the slowest annual rate of growth since 1999.
But it is still way above the anemic growth rates experienced by most other major economies last year. Figures for the US, the world’s largest economy, and Japan, the third largest, are expected to show growth of about 2%.
The 17 members of the eurozone are collectively expected to contract by about 0.4%.
These factors brought down the pace of growth late last year to uncomfortable levels, with some economists predicting a “hard landing”, or a sharp slowdown.
However, their pessimistic predictions of a slump to growth of 6% seem to have been too extreme.
Instead the government implemented infrastructure spending programmes to spur growth and also provided incentives to encourage consumer spending and corporate borrowing.
“The government’s stimulus measures implemented last year have managed to stabilize growth and lay the foundations for solid expansion this year,” said Dariusz Kowalczyk of Credit Agricole CIB.
The figures released on Friday were “the best we could have wished for”, he added.
Underlining this optimism were other figures also released on Friday which showed an improvement in house prices and retail sales.
Asian stock markets ticked higher on the news, while the Australian dollar gained. Australia is a key exporter to China, selling minerals that are used to help power its economic expansion.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng stock index was trading 0.7% higher, South Korea’s Kospi added 0.5% and Australia’s main stock index gained 0.3%.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 was the biggest gainer, adding 2.1% and getting an extra lift as a drop in the value of the yen helped exporters.
Actor Mel Gibson is now at the centre of speculation that he could be the biological father of Jodie Foster’s sons.
The rumors began when Jodie Foster, who has never revealed her boys’ paternity, thanked Mel Gibson, 57, for his support during her emotional speech at the Golden Globe awards last week.
And now the reports have been fuelled after the New York Post credited an “amateur genealogist” for saying Charles, 14, and Kit, 12, bear more than a passing resemblance to Mel Gibson.
According to the New York Post, the genealogist said: “The kids look like Gibson but blonder.”
Jodie Foster and Mel Gibson first became friends when they starred together in 1994 movie Maverick, before working together again on the more recent The Beaver in 2011.
They have formed such a strong friendship that Jodie Foster even name-checked Mel Gibson during her Globes speech, saying: “Mel Gibson – you know you saved me too.”
The camera flashed to Mel Gibson during her speech, and showed the actor wolf-whistling and applauding his friend.
Jodie Foster’s speech wasn’t the first time she has waxed lyrical about Mel Gibson.
In 2011, the actress told the Hollywood Reporter about Mel Gibson: “He’s so incredibly loving and sensitive, he really is.
“He is the most loved actor I have ever worked with on a movie. And he’s not saintly, and he’s got a big mouth, and he’ll do gross things your nephew would do.
“But I knew the minute I met him that I would love him the rest of my life.”
Mel Gibson is now at the centre of speculation that he could be the biological father of Jodie Foster’s sons
Jodie Foster added in a later interview that she would jump at the chance to work with Mel Gibson on another project in the future.
She said: “I think he is one of the greatest filmmakers in America that we have.
“That would be a shame, to never see that voice as a director.
“I look forward to anything that he makes whether he’s the boom operator, the actor or, especially, the director.”
Mel Gibson is already the father of eight children – seven by his ex wife Robyn – with one daughter Lucia, by former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva from whom he split in April 2011.
Jodie Foster has previously insisted she won’t reveal the identity of her sons’ biological father until they turn 21.
However, there has previously been speculation that Jodie Foster’s late director friend Randy Stone, who was openly gay, could be the father.
Randy Stone died in 2007 following a battle with heart disease.
Nokia has unveiled design files that will let owners use 3D printers to make their own cases for its Lumia phones.
Files containing mechanical drawings, case measurements and recommended materials have already been released by the phone maker.
Those using the files will be able to create a custom-designed case for the flagship Lumia 820 handset.
The project makes Nokia one of the first big electronics firms to seriously back 3D printing.
In a blogpost, John Kneeland, one of Nokia’s community managers, revealed the Finnish phone maker’s decision to release the 3D drawings.
Printing in 3D involves sending a design file to a printer that then forms a solid version of that object by slowly building it up in layers of plastic. Early 3D printers could only work in one color but the latest versions can produce intricate, multicolored objects.
Nokia has unveiled design files that will let owners use 3D printers to make their own cases for its Lumia phones
John Kneeland said Nokia was releasing what he called a “3D printing development kit” to help people produce the cases. The files are already available on the site Nokia maintains for its developers.
He said 3D printing was another way that the firm wanted to build links to that vast community of software and hardware engineers. To get the files, users must have registered with Nokia.
He said Nokia already used 3D printing internally to do rapid prototyping, but decided to back it more publicly to help the nascent technology realize its “incredible potential”.
In the future, he said, 3D printing was likely to bring about phones that were “wildly more modular and customizable”.
Nokia might just end up selling a phone template, he said, allowing entrepreneurs to use that to produce handsets that satisfy the particular needs of their locale.
“You want a waterproof, glow-in-the-dark phone with a bottle-opener and a solar charger? Someone can build it for you – or you can print it yourself,” he wrote.
He added that, in his view, 3D printing was a technology that justified its hype and said it was “the sequel to the Industrial Revolution”.
“However, it’s going to take somewhat longer to arrive than some people anticipate, and that may disappoint people,” he said.
About 650 hostages have been freed from militants at the In Amenas gas facility in Algeria, state media report, but about 60 foreigners are still being held.
State-run APS news agency said those freed at the In Amenas installation included 573 Algerians and more than half of 132 foreign workers.
The militants remained holed up at the site and the Algerian army wanted a “peaceful end” to the crisis, APS said.
At least four foreign workers died when troops moved in on Thursday.
A “comprehensive total” of the hostages still held was not available and some of them had taken refuge at various points around the site, a security source told APS.
The installation had been put out of action to avoid the risk of an explosion, the agency reported.
Meanwhile, BP said on Friday that hundreds of workers from international oil companies had been evacuated from Algeria on Thursday and that many more would follow.
On Friday morning, a spokesman for the group thought to be behind the attack told the Mauritanian ANI agency that it would carry out further operations.
He warned Algerians to “stay away from the installations of foreign companies as we will strike where it is least expected”.
Algeria has yet to give precise casualty figures from Thursday’s rescue attempt.
The state-run APS news agency cited local officials as saying two Britons and two Filipinos were killed. Two others, a Briton and an Algerian, died on Wednesday when the militants ambushed a bus that was taking foreign workers at the facility to the local airport.
A spokesman for the militants told the ANI agency that 35 hostages and 15 militants had been killed in Thursday’s operation. One Algerian official said the figures were “exaggerated”.
About 650 hostages have been freed from militants at the In Amenas gas facility in Algeria, but about 60 foreigners are still being held
The In Amenas gas field is operated by the Algerian state oil company, Sonatrach, along with the British oil company BP and Norway’s Statoil.
It is situated at Tigantourine, about 40 km (25 miles) south-west of the town of In Amenas and 1,300 km (800 miles) south-east of Algiers.
APS cited local officials as saying the military operation at the gas facility’s living quarters, where most of the hostages were held, had ended on Thursday night.
“Hostages are still being held at the Tigantourine gas treatment plant, which is surrounded by special forces,” APS added.
Later, UK Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament that he had been told by his Algerian counterpart, Abdelmalek Sellal, that troops were “still pursuing terrorists and possibly some of the hostages”.
Japanese officials were meanwhile quoted as saying by the Kyodo news agency that at least 14 Japanese nationals were still missing. At least three managed to escape.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, expressed “deep regret” at the actions of the Algerian security forces and its foreign ministry summoned the Algerian ambassador.
Despite requests for communication and pleas to consider the hostages’ safety, the UK, Japan and US said they had not been told in advance about the military assault.
David Cameron said the Algerian prime minister had told him that commanders had “judged there to be an immediate threat to the lives of the hostages and had felt obliged to respond”.
Algerian Communications Minister Mohand Said Oubelaid said: “Those who think we will negotiate with terrorists are delusional.”
Norway said eight of its nationals were currently unaccounted for. One is being treated at a hospital in In Amenas, while four escaped unharmed.
French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said two French workers were safe. It was unclear if another two were involved, he added.
The Irish government confirmed that one of its citizens was free. Five Americans had survived and left the country, US officials told ABC News. Austria also said one of its nationals had been released and was safe.
A worker from CIS Catering, which employs about 150 Algerians at the facility, told French media he had hidden under the bed in his room for 40 hours before being rescued.
“I put boards everywhere. I had food, water, and I did not know how long I would stay there.”
“When the soldiers came to get me, I did not even know it was over. They were with colleagues, otherwise I would never have opened the door,” he added.
A statement purporting to come from the kidnappers says the raid was carried out in retaliation for the French intervention against Islamist groups, including al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), in neighboring Mali.
The kidnapping was a complex operation which is unlikely to have been planned and carried out since the surprising French intervention in Mali last Friday.
Algerian officials said the militants were operating under orders from Mokhtar Belmokhtar, who was a senior AQIM commander until late last year.
Foreign citizens involved
14 Japanese missing
8 Norwegians missing
Significantly fewer than 30 Britons “at risk”; two Britons (from Scotland) believed to be safe
Unknown number of Americans
Possibly citizens of Romania, Thailand, the Philippines, Colombia, South Korea and Austria
Yesterday Khloe Kardashian shared a 5-year-old photo on her blog of herself and her two sisters, Kim and Kourtney, during one of their first photo shoots together.
Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian are channelling the Eighties in the snapshot, and all sport extremely voluminous hair along with their swimwear.
Khloe Kardashian towers over her siblings in the photo, with her brunette locks styled in wild curls.
Meanwhile Kourtney and Kim Kardashian could pass for twins with their tresses in bold retro bouffant dos.
Kourtney Kardashian shows some skin in a cut-out white bikini with pink and purple trim and a plunging neckline, which displays her exposed belly button.
Khloe Kardashian shared a 5-year-old photo on her blog of herself and her two sisters, Kim and Kourtney, during one of their first photo shoots together
Kim Kardashian, 32, stands in the centre in a white bikini, but covers up her stomach in a translucent gold sarong.
They may be wearing little clothing but the reality stars make up for it with lashings of jewellery in the form of chunky bangles and hoop earrings.
Khloe Kardashian was feeling nostalgic as she posted the image as part of Throwback Thursday, where people share vintage snaps online.
She wrote alongside the snap: “This pic is from one of the first photo shoots my sisters and I ever did together – I think it was about five years ago.”
Cheap sensors that help cars avoid collisions could emerge from research into a lensless imaging system.
US scientists have used metamaterials to build the imaging system, which samples infra-red and microwave light.
Metamaterials are materials that have properties purposefully designed rather than determined by their chemistry.
The sensor also compresses the images it captures in contrast to current compression systems, which only squash images after they are taken.
Most imaging systems, such as those found in digital cameras, use a lens to focus a scene on a sensor studded with millions of tiny sensors. More sensors means more detail is captured and, generally, produces a higher resolution image.
The imaging system developed by graduate student John Hunt and colleagues at Duke University in North Carolina has no lens and instead combines a metamaterial mask or aperture and complicated mathematics to generate an image of a scene.
The aperture is used to focus different wavelengths of light in different parts of a scene onto a detector. The different frequencies in the scene are sampled sequentially.
This sampling helped to work out the distribution and mix of light wavelengths and their relative intensities found in a scene, said John Hunt.
Cheap sensors that help cars avoid collisions could emerge from research into a lensless imaging system made from metamaterials
“Then we use some very elegant maths which was developed in computational imaging to turn that data into a 2D picture,” he told the Science podcast. The wavelength sampling was done electronically so happens very fast, he added.
Currently the imaging system could capture about 10 images per second, he said. In addition, the imaging system compressed the information as it was gathered. Most other image compression systems, such as the widely used Jpeg format, are applied after an image has been snapped.
While imaging systems that capture infra-red and microwave wavelengths already existed, said John Hunt, they were typically expensive, bulky or complicated to build.
By contrast, the Duke imaging system used a thin strip of metamaterial mated with some electronics and processing software. Although it did not yet work with visible wavelengths of light, John Hunt said it could lead to a range of cheap, small, portable sensors that could find a role in many different fields.
“You could build an imager into the body of a car to do collision-avoidance imaging, or you could have a cheap handheld device to look through walls for wires and pipes,” he said.
A research paper detailing the work has appeared in the journal Science.
Pauline Friedman Phillips, the author of widely syndicated advice column Dear Abby, has died at 94 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, her publicist has said.
Pauline Friedman Phillips, known for her glib responses to readers, wrote under the name Abigail Van Buren.
She launched the column in 1956 and she passed it to her daughter Jeanne Phillips in 2002.
The world’s most widely distributed column, it has run in 1,400 newspapers with a daily readership of 100 million.
In 1956, Pauline Friedman Phillips was new to the San Francisco area when she called the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle to tell him she could write a better advice column than the one she had just read, her syndicate Universal Uclick said.
To her surprise, the editor invited the 37-year-old housewife in for a meeting, and after reading samples of her writing later, gave her a job.
Pauline Friedman Phillips, the author of widely syndicated advice column Dear Abby, has died at 94 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease
Pauline Friedman Phillips was known to have a punchy style in her answers to readers’ questions.
Responding to a reader who wanted to trace the reader’s family history without spending much money, Pauline Friedman Phillips wrote: “Run for public office.”
When another reader asked if the contraceptive pill was “deductible”, Pauline Friedman Phillips replied: “Only if they don’t work.”
In interviews, Pauline Friedman Phillips said her advice evolved over the decades. For example, she came to realize that sometimes divorce was the right course of action for unhappily married couples.
For decades, Pauline Friedman Phillips’ column competed with the Ann Landers advice column written by her twin sister Esther Friedman Lederer. Esther Friedman Lederer died in 2002.
The sisters, who grew up in Sioux City, Iowa are said to have had a strained relationship as young adults but later regained the closeness they had as children.
Robert Wagner has “declined to be interviewed” by police reinvestigating the death of his wife Natalie Wood.
Robert Wagner was quizzed after Natalie Wood’s drowning in 1981 but has refused to co-operate since the case was reopened, detectives said.
The body of the actress was found a mile away from the yacht she had been aboard with her husband and fellow-actor Christopher Walken in California.
It is claimed she had a “fight” with Robert Wagner before her disappearance.
Robert Wagner’s solicitor, Blair Berk, insisted the actor had nothing to hide.
In a prepared statement, Blair Berk said: “Mr. Wagner has fully co-operated over the last 30 years in the investigation of the accidental drowning of his wife in 1981.
“He has been interviewed on multiple occasions by the Los Angeles sheriff’s department and answered every single question asked of him by detectives during those interviews.”
Robert Wagner has declined to be interviewed by police reinvestigating the death of his wife Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood’s death was always presumed to be a tragic accident, but the case was reopened in November 2011 when the yacht’s captain, Dennis Davern, told American television shows that he heard the Hollywood couple arguing on the night of her disappearance, suggesting Robert Wagner was to blame for her death.
Blair Berk dismissed the claims as sensationalist, but earlier this week coroner’s officials released an updated autopsy report which reclassified the death from accidental drowning to drowning caused by “undetermined factors.”
The report said part of the reason for the change was because investigators could not rule out that some of the bruises and marks found on Natalie Wood’s body happened before she went into the water.
Lieutenant John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s office claimed detectives have tried to interview Robert Wagner on more than 10 occasions, but had been turned down each time.
He said: “Most of the people we’ve talked to were never talked to 30 years ago. We’ve got a lot of new information.”
But when pressed on whether criminal charges could be brought, Lt John Corina claimed that would be up to prosecutors, adding: “All we can do is collect the facts. We’re still trying to collect all the facts.”
Natalie Wood, who was 43 when she died, was a Hollywood superstar best known for her roles in Miracle on 34th Street, West Side Story and Rebel Without A Cause.
On the night of her death she had been drinking with her husband and Christopher Walken on the yacht. Her body was found near an inflatable dinghy which had been attached to the craft.
In 2008, Robert Wagner, now 82, wrote in a memoir that he had argued with Christopher Walken and when he went to bed, he noticed his wife and the dinghy were missing.
“Nobody knows,” he wrote.
“There are only two possibilities; either she was trying to get away from the argument, or she was trying to tie the dinghy. But the bottom line is that nobody knows exactly what happened.”
Toyota announces it has settled a wrongful death lawsuit following a fatal crash in Utah in 2010 involving sudden, unintended acceleration.
The case was brought by the family of Paul Van Alfen and Charlene Jones Lloyd, who were killed when their Toyota Camry crashed into a wall.
Toyota did not disclose the size of the settlement.
It is thought the case marks the first of hundreds of pending wrongful death and injury lawsuits.
Last month Toyota agreed to pay an estimated $1.1 billion to settle hundreds of lawsuits from other US car-owners, who were claiming economic losses because of safety changes needed for their vehicles.
Toyota announces it has settled a wrongful death lawsuit following a fatal crash in Utah in 2010 involving sudden, unintended acceleration
Since 2009, Toyota has recalled more than 14 million vehicles worldwide over problems with accelerator pedals becoming trapped under floor mats.
Toyota said it sympathized with anyone in an accident involving one of its vehicles, but said it stood behind the safety and integrity of its electronic throttle control system.
“We are satisfied that both parties reached a mutually acceptable agreement to settle this case,” a company statement said of the most recent agreement.
“While Toyota may decide from time to time to settle select cases, we will have a number of other opportunities to defend our product at trial in multidistrict litigation and other legal venues.
“We are confident the evidence will confirm what millions of Toyota drivers prove every day: that they can depend upon their vehicles to provide safe, reliable transportation.”
Sergei Filin, artistic director of Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre, is being treated in a Moscow hospital for severe burns to his face after a masked man threw acid in his face, police say.
The attack happened late on Thursday as Sergei Filin, an award-winning ballet star, was walking home in central Moscow.
Doctors are now fighting to save his eyesight and Interfax news agency says he will be sent to a clinic abroad.
A Bolshoi spokesman said Sergei Filin, 42, had suffered months of threats.
According to local media, it is suspected that he was the victim of infighting and rows between different groups of dancers at the Bolshoi.
According to the Bolshoi statement, the assailant shouted to Sergei Filin as he was approaching the entrance to his apartment block, then threw acid in Filin’s face.
Sergei Filin then got help from a warden keeping watch over nearby cars.
The theatre’s executive director, Anatoly Iksanov, told Russian television that Sergei Filin was “uncompromising” in his management style.
“If he thought a performer was unready to play a certain role, or incapable of it, he would not let the performer do it,” he said.
Tensions at the Bolshoi over its artistic programme have been widely reported in Russian media.
Sergei Filin, artistic director of Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre, is being treated in a Moscow hospital for severe burns to his face after a masked man threw acid in his face
In 2011 two ballet stars – Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev – resigned in protest at the Bolshoi’s new repertoire.
At the time of Sergei Filin’s appointment the head of the Bolshoi’s ballet troupe, Gennady Yanin, resigned after erotic photographs purporting to be him were posted on a website.
Another celebrated performer, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, sharply criticized Sergei Filin in early 2012.
Sergei Filin:
1970 – born in Moscow
1988 – began dancing at Bolshoi
Winner of Russian and international awards
Performs abroad, including at Covent Garden, London
2008 – dancing career ends
March 2011 – takes over as Bolshoi artistic director
Sydney is experiencing its hottest day on record, with temperatures reaching nearly 115 F (46 C).
A temperature of 114.4 F (45.8 C) was recorded at Observatory Hill in the Australian city at 14:55 local time.
Some areas in the wider Sydney region were even hotter, with the town of Penrith, to the west, registering a temperature of 115.7 F (46.5 C).
Firefighters are still battling dozens of wildfires sparked by the intense heat in New South Wales and Victoria.
The small town of Licola in eastern Victoria is reported to have been cut off by a 44,500-hectare fire, as its sole access road is blocked.
Officials said dozens of people had been evacuated but 10 locals were still there.
Rob Gilder, a sheep farmer, said he and two employees had found themselves trapped on their farm and were “in grave danger”.
He told the Herald Sun they were taking steps to protect their house and farm equipment, but that he was concerned for his livestock, and that the situation could worsen.
“I am very worried. But I am hopeful that one of those helicopters will come and get us but I think the smoke might beat them.”
Sydney is experiencing its hottest day on record, with temperatures reaching nearly 115 F
Australia faces wildfires each year as temperatures climb. In February 2009, on what has come to be known as Black Saturday, 173 people were killed in fires in the state of Victoria.
On Friday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard attended a memorial service for fires in 2003 in the capital, Canberra, which killed four people and destroyed thousands of homes.
She reminded Australians to “take the appropriate precautions to stay safe and monitor information from local emergency services as they work to protect lives and property”, the AFP news agency reports.
The previous recorded high in Sydney was in January 1939, when the thermometer topped 113.5 F (45.3 C) at Observatory Hill.
The Bureau of Meteorology said in a statement that Friday’s record-setting temperatures “were not limited to Sydney, with records being set along the coast from Bega (44.6 °C) to Williamtown (44.8 °C)”.
“The highest temperature recorded in the Greater Sydney Area was 46.5 °C at Penrith, where observations started in 1995.”
Officials in Sydney have warned people to be ready for the heat, take care, avoid strenuous activity and stay out of the sun.
The heat has damaged wiring to urban railway lines, bringing delays to much of the network – CityRail have warned passengers to carry water with them.
The emergency services has received dozens of calls from people seeking help for heat-related health issues, including dizziness, fainting and vomiting, ABC News reports.
Chief Superintendent Ian Johns said elderly and ill people tended to suffer the most, but warned that “people underestimate the heat and overestimate their ability and that would be particularly so for younger, fitter Australians”.
The heatwave across Australia in recent weeks has been so intense that the Bureau of Meteorology has had to add a new shade to its color-coded temperature chart, so the scale now reaches above 122 F (50 C).
However, meteorologists have forecast a dramatic change in weather overnight in Sydney, with thunder storms expected to bring a rapid drop in temperatures.
In a series of tweets, 79-year-old Joan Collins has offered slimming tips ranging from the tongue-in-cheek to the frankly bizarre.
Joan Collins’s daily morsels of advice for her 100,000 followers began on January 8, starting with: “Some hot tips for losing those stubborn Xmas pounds, #1 best exercise – push yourself away from the dining table. More tomorrow.”
Since then she has recommended eating nothing but eggs one day a week, brushing your teeth with peppermint toothpaste to quash hunger pangs and drinking tequila instead of wine.
Unfortunately, not all of Joan Collins’ suggestions have been met with the respect she may feel they deserve.
In a series of tweets, 79-year-old Joan Collins has offered slimming tips ranging from the tongue-in-cheek to the frankly bizarre
One fan wrote: “I take the seafood diet: When I see food, I eat.”
And in response to her advice to eat from smaller plates, another quipped: “Have you tried dolly cutlery Joan, fools your brain into thinking you’re having a full meal!”
Joan Collins suggests eating less red meat and white foods such as bread and pasta, and ditching “bloating” fizzy drinks.
Al Vaosa was revealed as one of the key players in the Manti Te’o fake girlfriend Lennay Kekua scandal.
Al Vaosa, who tweets under the username Jay Rahz, is a youth leader at Manti Te’o’s Christian Church and former pharmacy lab technician.
He joked about Lennay Kekua and even said he was “running her profile” last December.
He has even said on Twitter that he knew it was all a hoax back in 2008.
Al Vaosa, 28, claims at that point that he severed all ties with Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, who is the main suspect of being the person behind Lennay Kekua, even though she did not actually exist.
It is not currently known what the relationship between the two of them is or when it began.
Al Vaosa, who is also known as J.R., casts himself as a responsible young adult but he has questions to answer over his role in how Manti Te’o, the star linebacker with Notre Dame college, was apparently duped – and if he was not involved why he did nothing to stop it.
Al Vaosa was revealed as one of the key players in the Manti Te’o fake girlfriend Lennay Kekua scandal
In particular, Al Vaosa tweeted that Lennay Kekua was a fake two days before Manti Te’o found out – and at one point even appears to admit responsibility for the whole thing.
Ronaiah Tuiasosopo remains the main suspect in the bizarre hoax which has led to a 24-hour cat and mouse game on the Internet after it was first reported by Deadspin.com on Wednesday afternoon.
Manti Te’o appears to have maintained a relationship with Lennay Kekua for a year before her death in September from leukemia while he was leading his team to glory in an undefeated run to the BCS championship – turning him into the season’s star.
The death was six hours after his beloved grandmother died and sparked a groundswell of support from fans and the public at large.
Manti Te’o found out about the hoax on December 6 but it has now become public and dragged in at least two other football players, former Arizona Cardinals fullback Reagan Mauia and Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu.
Now the spotlight has turned to Al Vaosa.
On December 4, two nights before Manti Te’o found out the news, Al Vaosa Tweeted: “The person behind @LennayKay created the leukemia death story cause of @WhatIsCatfish.”
Catfish was the 2010 film about the dangers of Internet hoaxes.
The next night, 24 hours before the hoax was exposed, Al Vaosa appears to have become paranoid and Tweeted: “It’s so hard to tweet like nothing is going on LOL.”
He added: “I seriously believe we’re being watched!! No joke!”
Al Vaosa also added: “Omgah now I’m getting a blocked # calling me.”
The most interesting Tweet of all comes from Al Vaosa himself who on December 12 wrote to a relative named Celeste, whose tag is @ceeweezy51: “aka *goes back to running @LennayKay’s profile* lmfao.”
Algerian hostage crisis at a gas facility in the desert, where Islamist militants were holding foreign hostages, has yet to be resolved, the UK says.
The UK Foreign Office said the “terrorist incident” near In Amenas was “ongoing”.
Algerian state media said four hostages and several militants were killed when troops backed by helicopters attempted to free them on Thursday afternoon.
The militants had claimed to be holding 41 foreigners. At least four were freed but the fate of many others is unknown.
Algeria has yet to give precise casualty figures from the rescue attempt.
The state-run APS news agency cited local officials as saying two Britons and two Filipinos were killed. Two others, a Briton and an Algerian, died on Wednesday when the militants ambushed a bus that was taking foreign workers at the facility to the local airport.
A spokesman for the militants told the Mauritanian ANI news agency that 35 hostages and 15 militants had been killed by helicopter gunfire in Thursday’s operation.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said: “Parts of the plant are under Algerian authorities’ control, and other parts are not. This information is changing by the hour.”
The indications on Thursday night were that the military element of the operation had concluded, and that it had moved to the search phase.
But there are now some unconfirmed reports that a small group of militants and hostages remain, possibly near the gas compressor at the main gas plant.
It had always been reported that hostages were being held at different locations.
Algerian hostage crisis at a gas facility in the desert, where Islamist militants were holding foreign hostages, has yet to be resolved
UK government sources said they were trying to establish the fate of as many as 20 British people and were bracing themselves for multiple casualties.
Japanese officials were meanwhile cited as saying by the Kyodo news agency that at least 14 Japanese nationals were still missing. At least three managed to escape.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, expressed “deep regret” at the actions of the Algerian security forces and its foreign ministry summoned the Algerian ambassador.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said the Algerian officials had said “they felt they had no choice but to go in”.
Norway said eight of its nationals were currently unaccounted for. One is being treated at a hospital in In Amenas, while four escaped unharmed.
French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said two French workers were safe. It was unclear if another two were involved, he added.
The Irish government confirmed that one of its citizens was free. Five Americans had survived and left the country, US officials told ABC News.
APS said about 600 local workers had been freed in the raid, but many of those were reportedly allowed to leave on Wednesday by the militants.
The militants said they had seized the foreigners in retaliation for France’s military intervention in Mali, where its forces have been battling Islamists since last week.
Algerian Communications Minister Mohand Said Oubelaid said the militants were intent on “destabilizing Algeria, embroiling it in the Mali conflict and damaging its natural gas infrastructure.”
Algerian officials said the group was operating under orders from Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a senior commander of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) until late last year.
The In Amenas gas field is operated by the Algerian state oil company, Sonatrach, along with the British oil company BP and Norway’s Statoil.
It is situated at Tigantourine, about 40 km (25 miles) south-west of the town of In Amenas and 1,300 km (800 miles) south-east of Algiers.
Cyclist Lance Armstrong has ended years of denials by admitting to Oprah Winfrey that he used performance-enhancing drugs during all seven of his Tour de France wins.
The 41-year-old confessed: “I view this situation as one big lie I repeated a lot of times.”
“I made those decisions, they were my mistake and I’m here to say sorry.”
However, Lance armstrong denied it was “sport’s biggest doping programme”, saying “it was smart, but it was conservative, risk averse”.
The interview with Oprah Winfrey was broadcast on prime time television on her OWN network in the US, and was streamed worldwide through her website.
The tens of millions viewers saw Lance Armstrong reveal:
he took performance-enhancing drugs in each of his Tour wins from 1999-2005
doping was “part of the process required to win the Tour”
he did not feel he was cheating at the time and viewed it as a “level playing field”
he did not fear getting caught
“all the fault and blame” should lie with him
he was a bully who “turned on” people he did not like
his cancer fight in the mid-1990s gave him a “win-at-all costs” attitude
he would now co-operate with official inquiries into doping in cycling
In response the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) called for Armstrong to detail “under oath” the full extent of his doping.
Cycling’s governing body the UCI welcomed Armstrong’s decision “to come clean and confess”, and said the interview had confirmed it was not part of a “collusion or conspiracy”.
Last year Lance Armstrong was stripped of his Tour de France titles after being labelled a “serial cheat” by Usada.
In a detailed report, the body said he led “the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme sport has ever seen”.
Lance Armstrong decided not to contest the charges, saying last year he was tired of fighting the allegations. He had always strongly denied doping.
That all changed within seconds of an explosive opening to the interview when Oprah Winfrey demanded yes or no answers.
“Did you ever take banned substances to enhance cycling performance?”
“Yes.”
“Was one of those substances EPO?”
“Yes.”
“Did you use any other banned substances?”
“Yes.”
Lance Armstrong then admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs Erythropoietin (EPO), testosterone, cortisone and human growth hormone as well as having blood transfusions.
He continued: “All the fault and blame is on me and a lot of that is momentum and I lost myself in all that. I couldn’t handle it. The story is so bad and toxic and a lot of it is true.”
Asked if doping was part of the process required to win the Tour, Lance Armstrong said: “That’s like saying we have to have air in our tyres or water in our bottles. It was part of the job.
“I don’t want to make any excuses, but that was my view and I made those decisions.”
In a key exchange Oprah Winfrey asked: “Did it feel wrong?”
Lance Armstrong replied: “No. Scary.”
“Did you feel bad?”
“No. Even scarier.”
“Did you feel that you were cheating?”
“No. The scariest.”
Lance Armstrong has ended years of denials by admitting to Oprah Winfrey that he used performance-enhancing drugs during all seven of his Tour de France wins
Lance Armstrong continued: “The definition of a cheat is to gain an advantage on a rival or foe. I didn’t view it that way. I viewed it as a level playing field. I didn’t understand the magnitude of that. The important thing is that I’m beginning to understand it.
“I see the anger in people, betrayal. It’s all there. People who believed in me and supported me and they have every right to feel betrayed and it’s my fault and I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to earn back trust and apologise to people.”
On whether it was the biggest doping programme in sport he said: “I didn’t have access to anything that anybody else didn’t.
“Winning races mattered for me but to say that programme was bigger than the East German doping programme of 70s and 80s is wrong.”
Lance Armstrong said his battle with cancer in the mid-1990s turned him into a “fighter”.
“Before my diagnosis I was a competitor but not a fierce competitor,” he said.
“I took that ruthless win-at-all-costs attitude into cycling which was bad.”
Lance Armstrong denied riders had to comply to a doping programme to compete for his US Postal Service/Discovery Channel team, but admitted his personality could imply that.
He said: “Yes, I was a bully. I was a bully in the sense that I tried to control the narrative and if I didn’t like what someone said I turned on them.
“We felt like we had our backs against the wall and I was a fighter.”
Lance Armstrong said he had not been afraid of getting caught.
“Testing has evolved. Back then they didn’t come to your house and there was no testing out of competition and for most of my career there wasn’t that much out-of-competition testing so you’re not going to get caught because you clean up for the races.
“I didn’t fail a test. Retrospectively, I failed one. The hundreds of tests I took I passed them.”
However, he did admit that he received a back-dated therapeutic user exemption certificate for a cream containing steroids at the 1999 Tour to ensure he did not test positive.
Lance Armstrong retired from cycling in 2005 but returned to the sport between 2009 and 2012.
He told Oprah Winfrey that he did not use drugs after his return to the sport.
“That’s the only thing in that whole USADA report that really upset me,” he said.
Lance Armstrong said he regretted his return, and was asked if he would have “got away with it” if he had not come back.
“Impossible to say,” he replied, but added his “chances would have been better”.
However, he conceded that when he discovered George Hincapie, who was the only man to ride in the same team as Lance Armstrong for each of his seven Tour wins, had given evidence against him last year, he knew his “fate was sealed”.
“George is the most credible voice in all of this,” Lance Armstrong added.
“He did all seven Tours. We’re still great friends. I don’t fault George Hincapie, but George knows this story better than anybody.”
Lance Armstrong said he would now co-operate with USADA.
“I love cycling and I say that knowing that people see me as someone who disrespected the sport, the colour yellow,” he said.
“If there was a truth and reconciliation commission – and I can’t call for that – and I’m invited I’ll be first man through the door.”
He went on to say that he wished he had complied with the USADA investigation.
“I’d do anything to go back to that day,” he said.
“I wouldn’t fight, I wouldn’t sue them, I’d listen. I’d do a couple of things first.
“I’d say give me three days. Let me call my family, my mother, sponsors, [the Lance Armstrong Livestrong] foundation and I wish I could do that but I can’t.”
Asked if his former doctor Michele Ferrari, who was banned for life by USADA after being found guilty of numerous anti-doping violations, was the “mastermind”, Lance Armstrong said: “No. I’m not comfortable talking about other people.
“I viewed Dr. Michele Ferrari as a good man and I still do.”
He said he regretted “going on the attack” against masseuse Emma O’Reilly, who was an early whistleblower.
“She is one of these people that I have to apologise to,” he said.
“She’s one of these people who got run over, got bullied.”
He denied making a $100,000 donation in 2005 to the UCI, to cover up a failed drugs test.
“It was not in exchange for help,” he said.
“They called. They didn’t have a lot of money. I did. They asked if I would make a donation so I did.
“That story [of a cover up] isn’t true. There was no positive test. There was no paying off of the lab. There was no secret meeting with the lab director. I’m no fan of the UCI. That did not happen.”
However, Lance Armstrong refused to answer questions regarding allegations made by former team-mate Frankie Andreu, who admitted in 2006 to taking EPO before the 1999 Tour – Armstrong’s first victory – and his wife Betsy,
The duo testified in 2006 that they heard Lance Armstrong tell a cancer doctor that he had doped with EPO in 1996. Armstrong swore, under oath, that it did not happen.
Lance Armstrong told Oprah Winfrey that he had a 40-minute telephone conversation with the Andreus but he was not prepared to reveal what was said.
The Algerian military operation to free hostages being held by Islamist militants at a desert gas plant is now over, state news agency APS reports.
State TV said four foreign hostages were killed in the operation. Others were freed, but there was no confirmation of how many survived.
AFP news agency quoted officials as saying the army had not secured the whole site, which was being searched.
Al-Qaeda-linked fighters occupied the facility near In Amenas on Wednesday.
Reports suggest the facility is still being searched.
During the Algerian military intervention on Thursday as many as 600 Algerians and four foreign hostages – two from Scotland, one from France and one from Kenya – were freed, APS reported.
The Irish government confirmed that one of its citizens was free. Five American hostages had survived and had left the country, US officials were quoted as telling ABC News.
The Algerian military operation to free hostages being held by Islamist militants at a desert gas plant is now over
Earlier, the militants reportedly said that at least 34 hostages and 14 kidnappers died, and that seven foreign hostages had survived.
They had claimed to be holding 41 foreign nationals, believed to include British, Japanese, US and Norwegian citizens, in retaliation for French military intervention in neighboring Mali.
Some workers were reported to have been freed or to have escaped before the Algerian raid.
Algerian Communications Minister Mohamed Said Belaid said a “significant number of terrorists” were killed during the raid.
He added: “Unfortunately, we deplore some deaths and some people wounded. We don’t yet have the numbers.”
Details of how the raid unfolded were slow to emerge.
APS reported that the Algerian military, which had been surrounding the gas plant, had targeted two vehicles as they tried to escape from the site with an unknown number of people on board.
Militants told local media that Algerian forces had opened fire from the air.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said he was told by his Algerian counterpart that Algerian authorities had tried and failed to find a solution to the stand-off on Wednesday night. “The Algerian prime minister said they felt they had no choice but to go in,” he said.
British Prime Minister David Cameron was informed that the raid was under way when he called the Algerian Prime Minister at 11.30 GMT, a spokesman said.
David Cameron, who cancelled a key speech on Europe scheduled for Friday, made it clear that he would have preferred to have been told in advance, the spokesman added.
Japan’s government protested against the raid, urging Algeria “put the highest priority on people’s lives”. The US said it was “seeking clarity” on what had happened.
Algerian Interior Minister Daho Ould Kablia said the kidnappers were Algerian and operating under orders from Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a senior commander of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) until late last year.
Daho Ould Kablia said they had entered Algeria from Libya, AFP reported.
Two people were killed when militants attacked the gas plant.
The Tigantourine gas facility is about 40 km (25 miles) south-west of In Amenas, which is close to the Libyan border and about 1,300km (800 miles) south-east of Algiers.
BP operates the gas field jointly with Algerian state oil company Sonatrach and Norwegian firm Statoil.
NFL player Reagan Mauia was today named in the bizarre hoax surrounding Notre Dame football star Manti Te’o and his “dead girlfriend” Lennay Kekua after he claimed to have actually met her.
Former Arizona Cardinals fullback Reagan Mauia was mentioned in a tweet from “beyond the grave”, which was sent from an account purported to be Lennay Kekua. It asked that he and another NFL star be left out of the scandal.
Reagan Mauia claimed last night that Lennay Kekua was a real person who he met before Manti Te’o in 2011, and described her as being “athletic, tall and beautiful”.
Reagan Mauia was today named in the bizarre hoax surrounding Notre Dame football star Manti Te’o and his dead girlfriend Lennay Kekua after he claimed to have actually met her
This has now raised questions as to whether or not Manti Te’o was the first to fall victim to Lennay Kekua or whoever is behind what is being called a “sick joke”.
Lennay Kekua was reported to have died in September from leukemia while Te’o was leading his team to glory in an undefeated run to the January 7 BSC championship – turning him into the season’s star.
As Michelle Obama turned 49 her office unveiled her new Twitter identity, @FLOTUS, and a second tweet revealed her new blunt bob, with heavy bangs.
Dressed in a burnt-red, elbow-sleeved patterned jersey dress, Michelle Obama showed off her new hairstyle, reminiscent of Katie Holmes’ chop in 2008, when she met with Inaugural citizen co-chair David Hall earlier today.
Michelle Obama has always had shoulder length hair, but since her entry into the White House in 2008, she has so far preferred to keep her look loose and flowing – or tied back.
Her new cut, sharper, more sophisticated, comes in the wake of supermodel Karlie Kloss’ new bob, after she cut off seven inches of hair late last year.
As Michelle Obama turned 49 her office unveiled her new Twitter identity and a second tweet revealed her new blunt bob
The New York Times coined this return to shorter hair, “The Karlie”, last night.
So far the response to Michelle Obama’s new do’ has been positive, with thousands of Twitter users agreeing in unison that they “love” her new bangs.
In an age of the overused term “style icon”, Michelle Obama proves again she is one of the few modern women to deserve it.
Two more football players have been dragged into the bizarre hoax surrounding Notre Dame football star Manti Te’o and his “dead girlfriend” Lennay Kekua after a tweet was sent from a Twitter account claiming to be hers.
Lennay Kekua was reported to have died in September from leukemia while Manti Te’o was leading his team to glory in an undefeated run to the January 7 BSC championship – turning him into the season’s star.
After the tale was revealed yesterday as a “sick joke”, it has now emerged that Manti Te’o may have not been the first victim of the fictitious Lennay Kekua, as Arizona Cardinals fullback Reagan Mauia and Pittsburgh Steelers star Troy Polamalu have been connected to her.
An ambiguous tweet was sent from a Twitter account late last night – the first since her supposed death from leukemia – defending Samoan players Reagan Mauia and Troy Polamalu.
It said: “It isn’t fair to drag Reagan and Troy into this…a lot of truths and myths need to be addressed here, and they will be at noon PST tomorrow.”
The user then announced she would be releasing a statement later today.
In another twist to the already complicated tale, Reagan Mauia told ESPN last night that Lennay Kekua was a real person and he had met her.
Reagan Mauia told the sports network: “This was before her and Manti. I don’t think Manti was even in the picture, but she and I became good friends.
“We would talk off and on, just checking up on each other kind of thing. I am close to her family.”
The sheer scale and detail that went into the hoax was exposed yesterday by Deadspin after an investigation revealed that Manti Te’o was the victim of online predators who invented not only the death of Lennay Kekua, but her actual existence.
It is an intricate and confusing story involving multiple people connected to the college football and now NFL world, though it is still not known who the ‘online predators’ are who seem intent on keeping the joke going.
Several people have since been dragged into the story as well as Reagan Mauia and Troy Polamalu.
A man who calls himself “Jay Rahz” on his Twitter account has taken to his page today to defend himself and claims he is not behind the hoax.
He names Manti Te’o’s old school friend Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, tweeting: “Everyone needs to hit up Ronaiah Tuiasosopo and get the truth.. the truth will set you free!!” and “Perhaps we should have NOT been joking about being @LennayKay cause now people are really believing and retweeting it.”
Ronaiah Tuiasosopo is also a friend of the woman whose picture was used purporting to be Lennay Kekua.
Manti Te’o may have not been the first victim of the fictitious Lennay Kekua, as Arizona Cardinals fullback Reagan Mauia and Pittsburgh Steelers star Troy Polamalu have been connected to her
Back in December, Jay Rahz – who knows Ronaiah Tuiasosopo – insinuated that he was the one behind Lennay Kekua’s Twitter account in online ‘chatter’.
On the night of the BCS title game, Jay Rahz posted: “I wonder if the real Lennay Kekua is watching the game…Cause I know the fake one that didn’t die is not watching over the Irish!”
Other tweets with took place on December 12 with user C. Tuiotimariner also hinted to the fact Jay Rahz might be behind the hoax when he posted that he “Goes back to running @LennayKay’s profile”.
C. Tuiotimariner writes back: “You’ll thank me later Lennay, I mean JayR.”
Delving back further into Jay Rahz’s Twitter history revealed a picture of Troy Polamalu taken almost three years with the caption: “First Skype victim Troy.”
Troy Polamalu is topless in the picture, hinting to the fact he may have been having an intimate Skype call with someone – someone who could have been claiming to be Lennay Kekua.
SB Nation discovered Lennay Kekua’s Twitter account was only created yesterday – meaning the original account had been deactivated and then picked back up again – after Deadspin broke the story.
The people behind it retweeted Manti Te’o’s posts to make it look like the account had been up since September 12 – the day Lennay Kekua is said to have died – because a retweet only shows the original date of the original post.
Lennay Kekua only follows four people on her Twitter feed – Manti Te’o, Troy Polamalu, Reagan Mauia and Rey Maualuga – another Samoan football player who lives in California.
In among the web of deceit is another woman who is accused of posing as Lennay Kekua’s sister U’ilani Rae Kekua.
There has been speculation that the faux-sister and her corresponding Twitter account was another invention of Ronaiah Tuiasosopo.
U’ilani Rae Kekua frequently tweeted with Manti Te’o and a number of Notre Dame fans and people connected to the scandal. When she made arrangements to meet anyone, Ronaiah Tuiasosopo would often show up in her place.
U’ilani Rae Kekua would send pictures of herself sitting at her sister’s grave to Manti Te’o. Deadspin discovered that the woman in the pictures is Donna Tei – who doesn’t seem to have a relationship with anyone involved in the hoax.
Deadpsin connected her to the scandal after she contacted one of the men behind the Catfish documentary about the use of her picture.
The nation was captivated by the story of Mormon star linebacker Manti Te’o, who has been regarded as a future star of the NFL as he played an award-winning season despite personal tragedy.
In numerous published reports, Manti Te’o said that while this past season brought many triumphs to his life, there were also twin tragedies – the deaths of his 72-year-old grandmother and his girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, within a day of each other.
A comprehensive investigation by Deadspin.com found that while his grandmother did indeed die on September 12, 2012, Lennay Kekua did not – nor did she even exist – thus beginning a confusing tale of lies and deceit.
When Deadpsin contacted the pretty brunette used in numerous pictures sent to Te’o and posted on Twitter purporting to be Kakua, she said she had never met the football star but did send one of the pictures used to an old school friend Ronaiah Tuiasosopo.
Ronaiah Tuiasosopo is known to be a good friend of Manti Te’o and the pair are said to have went to a USC game in Los Angeles at the end of November.
Family and friends of Ronaiah Tuiasosopo believe he is the one behind the Kekua hoax and even suggested Manti Te’o was not the first to have an online relationship with her.
They told Deadspin that Lennay Kekua was created in 2008 and had an online relationship with another guy for about one month, which ended after family members grew suspicious that she could never be found on the phone.
It was also pointed out that wherever Lennay Kekua was expected to be, Ronaiah Tuiasosopo was there instead.
Two other sources said it was a simple prank which blew out of control after Manti Te’o became a footballing star almost overnight in the past season.
Ronaiah Tuiasosopo comes from a huge football family.
Pakistani government has reached a deal with cleric Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri to end his mass protest near parliament in Islamabad, the two sides say.
The details of the deal are unclear. Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri’s supporters want the government to resign ahead of elections due to be held in May.
Pakistan was thrown into crisis on Tuesday by the protests and a court order to arrest PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.
Analysts say that Raja Pervaiz Ashraf is unlikely to be arrested imminently.
The head of Pakistan’s anti-corruption agency has refused an order by the Supreme Court to arrest Raja Pervaiz Ashraf for allegedly taking bribes.
Fasih Bokhari of the National Accountability Bureau said investigations had not produced enough evidence to justify an arrest.
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf denies accepting bribes when he approved power generation projects as minister for water and power in 2010.
Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri signalled on Thursday that his four-day protest would end later in the day.
Pakistani government has reached a deal with cleric Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri to end his mass protest near parliament in Islamabad
Talks began in the afternoon when a delegation of cabinet ministers and government members entered the bullet-proof container where he has been holed up since Tuesday with thousands of his supporters gathered alongside.
Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told the AFP news agency that the talks were intended to resolve the stand-off, which has paralyzed much of the centre of Islamabad.
His supporters, who have braved cold and heavy rain, reportedly broke into cheers and danced in the street at news of the dialogue.
Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri’s march from Lahore to the capital culminated in a mass rally on Monday evening.
Clashes briefly erupted on Tuesday but the mass protest has been largely peaceful.
The cleric has said he wants the military and judiciary to be involved in installing a caretaker government to oversee the forthcoming elections.
But he suffered a setback on Wednesday when the leader of the main opposition, the Pakistan Muslim League, refused to back his protests.
There has been speculation that Mohammad Tahir-ul-Qadri may be fishing for a role for the military and the judiciary when it comes to the appointment of a caretaker government to oversee over the forthcoming elections.
