At least four people have been killed by heavy flooding in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, say officials.
The flooding, caused by days of heavy rain, has blocked roads and forced businesses in the capital to close.
Areas including the central business district (CBD) were inundated and traffic was grid-locked as residents struggled to move around the city.
Some 20,000 people have abandoned their homes, as officials warn that the rain could worsen in the next few days.
The governor of Jakarta, Joko Widodo, has declared a state of emergency.
He also said he was committed to making a “breakthrough” in efforts to tackle the flooding.
The CBD normally escapes damage when Jakarta experiences its heavy seasonal rains, but on Thursday, many government offices and businesses were forced to close because staff could not get to work.
At least four people have been killed by heavy flooding in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta
Local television pictures showed people wading through almost neck-high water in some parts of the city, while in others, the waters were up to 2 m (6.5 ft) deep.
The presidential palace grounds are among areas flooded, and images showed President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono walking around the palace compound with Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, wearing trousers rolled up above his knees.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told reporters: “I have no problem with the palace being flooded. The most important thing is the people are protected.”
He had instructed the national police chief and the army chief to deploy their forces and evacuate flood victims, said presidential spokesman Julian Pasha.
The Jakarta Post said two of the people killed in the capital were children, aged 13 and two.
State funds are available to help those affected by the flooding following the declaration of the state of emergency, which will remain in effect until January 27.
A Transport Ministry spokesman said air travel was not disrupted.
A spokesman for state electricity company PLN said it had cut power supplies to a number of areas to minimize the danger of electrocutions, the Jakarta Globe reports.
The last severe flooding in Jakarta was in 2007, when at least 40 people were killed and hundreds of thousands forced from their homes.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is due in Jakarta on Friday to meet top leaders and deliver a foreign policy speech.
Tens of thousands of Kurds have attended the funerals in Diyarbakir, Turkey, of three female Kurdish activists shot dead in Paris last week.
Crowds chanted as the coffins of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) members Sakine Cansiz, Fidan Dogan and Leyla Saylemez were carried through the city streets to a parade ground where the funerals were held.
There was tight security at the event.
No-one has been arrested for the crime and the motive is unclear.
But a prominent Kurdish politician said the killings would not deter those seeking an end to the Kurdish conflict.
The chairman of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, Selahattin Demirtas, told the crowd: “We say now is the time for peace.
“We shout this out in front of the bodies of our dead. Don’t let our children die any more. We can stop this bloodshed by talking.”
“If the process is to advance with confidence, these murders must be a turning point.”
Tens of thousands of Kurds have attended the funerals in Diyarbakir, Turkey, of three female Kurdish activists shot dead in Paris last week
No group has said it killed the women, who French police say were subject to an execution-style shooting. Many Kurds blame elements of the state.
There were calls for revenge as the coffins, draped in the red, green and yellow Kurdish flag, made their way through the crowds in the south-eastern Turkish city.
Some women chanted “Fighting makes you free”, and other pro-PKK slogans, as they followed the funeral procession.
But many female mourners were wearing white scarves, a symbol of peace.
Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had appealed for calm and suggested the deaths may have been intended to sabotage peace efforts.
Officials have been in talks with the jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in an effort to put an end to the group’s armed campaign.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also said his government will continue anti-PKK operations until the Kurdish militants lay down their arms.
On Wednesday, Turkish jets reportedly bombed Kurdish targets in northern Iraq for a third consecutive day.
Last year saw some of the heaviest fighting with the PKK in decades. Since the conflict began, more than 40,000 people have been killed.
The group, regarded by Turkey, the US and EU as a terrorist organization, launched an armed campaign for an ethnic Kurdish homeland in south-east Turkey in 1984.
Turkish security forces were put on alert ahead of possible demonstrations by the Kurdish minority, but only minor clashes were reported by witnesses.
Police helicopters were in evidence over the city, which is seen as the heart of the Kurdish community and culture in Turkey.
After the ceremony the women’s bodies were to be taken to their home villages for burial.
Delhi case of five men charged with the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman has been moved to a fast-track court for trial.
Lawyers for the defendants say that the case will get under way on Monday.
A sixth suspect, who is thought to be 17, will be tried separately in a youth court if it is confirmed he is a minor.
The case has shocked India and sparked a debate about the treatment of women. If convicted, the men could face the death penalty.
In the wake of the public outcry and nationwide protests, the government promised a fast-track legal process for this and other rape cases.
It announced it was setting up six fast-track courts in Delhi to allow crimes against women to be dealt with swiftly. Legal proceedings in India sometimes involve years of delays.
The five accused have been named as Ram Singh, his brother Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur.
The lawyer for Ram Singh, said he would file a petition arguing for the case to be transferred out of Delhi, fearing that the proceedings might be prejudiced because of the intense media interest.
“We are sure we will not get justice in Delhi,” VK Ananad said.
Delhi case of five men charged with the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman has been moved to a fast-track court for trial
Last week another lawyer claimed that the men had been tortured and coerced into confessing they were guilty. Officials refused to comment on the allegations, citing legal restrictions.
The lawyers for two of the suspects have said they will plead not guilty. It is unclear how the three accused will plead. Prosecutors have said they have extensive forensic evidence.
The victim, a physiotherapy student who cannot be named in India for legal reasons, and a male friend were attacked on a bus in south Delhi on December 16. She died two weeks later in hospital in Singapore.
Campaigners are calling for tougher rape laws and reforms to the police, who – critics say – often fail to file charges against accused attackers.
The government has said that it will bring in stronger sexual assault laws and has established several committees to recommend changes in the law.
Al Pacino and Brian de Palma are teaming up for the first time in 20 years to make Happy Valley, a film about disgraced American football coach Joe Paterno.
Al Pacino and Brian de Palma, who worked together on Scarface and Carlito’s Way, are joining forces for Happy Valley, which tells the story of Joe Paterno.
Penn State coach Joe Paterno, who died last year, allegedly covered up child sex abuse by his assistant Jerry Sandusky.
The film will be produced by Edward R. Pressman of American Psycho fame.
Edward R. Pressman, who has acquired the movie rights from Joe Posnanski, author of the best-seller Paterno, said: “Happy Valley reunites the Scarface and Carlito’s Way team of De Palma and Pacino for the third time.
“And I can’t think of a better duo to tell this story of a complex, intensely righteous man who was brought down by his own tragic flaw.”
Al Pacino and Brian de Palma are teaming up for the first time in 20 years to make Happy Valley, a film about disgraced American football coach Joe Paterno
In July last year, six months after Joe Paterno’s death from lung cancer, all of Penn State’s results from 1998 to 2011 were expunged from the records as the result of the child abuse scandal which saw Sandusky jailed for 30 years after being found guilty of 45 counts of sexual abuse.
Al Pacino and Brian de Palma originally worked together on 1983’s Scarface – a remake of a 1930s film – which saw Pacino portray a Cuban refugee who becomes a drug cartel kingpin in the US before his life gradually unravels.
Ten years later the pair reunited for Carlito’s Way – the tale of a career criminal whose determined bid to go straight hits the buffers.
Conrad Bain, best known for playing a white millionaire who adopts two young black boys in 80s sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, has died aged 89.
Actor Conrad Bain, who starred opposite a young Gary Coleman in the show, died in California of natural causes, his daughter said.
The comedy, which played on the contrasting lifestyles of rich white and poor black communities in the US, was seen as groundbreaking in the 70s.
It ran for eight seasons, over six years, coming to an end in 1986.
Its success was largely attributed to the play-off between the mischievous young Arnold (played by Gary Coleman) and Conrad Bain’s character, Phillip Drummond, a rich, widowed industrialist who takes in the two young sons of his housekeeper after she dies.
Gary Coleman’s oft-repeated line to his brother, “What you talkin’ ’bout, Willis?” became a catchphrase of the era.
The younger stars of the show were later caught up in controversy, with Gary Coleman dying following a brain haemorrhage at the age of 42, after years of financial and legal woes.
Conrad Bain, best known for playing a white millionaire who adopts two young black boys in 80s sitcom Diff’rent Strokes, has died aged 89
Co-star Dana Plato, who played Phillip Drummond’s daughter in the show, died in 1999 after an apparent drug overdose, while Todd Bridges, who played Gary Coleman’s elder brother in the show, revealed that years of childhood abuse led to drug addiction.
“It’s painful,” Conrad Bain once told a journalist.
“It is really painful. It leaves you with such a helpless feeling. I can’t bear the thought. I love them all.”
Todd Bridges, who eventually conquered his addiction, told a magazine that Bain had become like a real father to him.
Conrad Bain would revive his character for a one-off episode of the 1990s sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, starring Will Smith – whose storyline, about a rapper from the mean streets of Philadelphia who moves into a life of luxury in California, in many ways echoed the earlier show.
Success for the Canadian-born actor began on the stage and daytime television – notably in the cult vampire drama Dark Shadows – recently made into film by Tim Burton, starring Johnny Depp.
His first prime-time role was opposite The Golden Girls’ Bea Arthur in Maude (1972-78), playing an uptight physician. The success of the show led to his casting in Diff’rent Strokes.
After becoming a household name in the 1980s, Conrad Bain starred in the short-lived political comedy Mr. President, and returned frequently to the stage throughout his career, last appearing on Broadway in 1992.
Conrad Bain is survived by his daughter, Jennifer, and two sons, Mark and Kent. His wife Monica died in 1999.
Prince Albert II of Monaco has criticized the upcoming Hollywood film Grace of Monaco about his late mother, Grace Kelly, saying it is historically inaccurate.
Prince Albert and his sisters released a statement after producers told a French magazine the Palace had supported the film, starring Nicole Kidman.
The Palace said the film contained “major historical untruths and a series of purely fictional scenes”.
The film, titled Grace of Monaco, is due for release next year.
“The Princely family wishes to emphasize that this film is by no means a biopic,” the statement said.
“It recounts one rewritten and needlessly <<glamorized>> page in the history of the Principality of Monaco and its family.”
The film follows the High Society actress in 1962 after she married Prince Rainier III, becoming Princess Grace.
It is said to focus on a six-month period when Monaco was in a heated tax dispute with France and director Alfred Hitchcock offered the former actress a chance to return to acting.
Prince Albert II of Monaco has criticized the upcoming Hollywood film Grace of Monaco about his late mother, Grace Kelly, saying it is historically inaccurate
The Palace said it had been “surprised” when it received the script for the film, as it had “in no way been associated with this project”.
It added it had submitted to producers a number of requests for changes, however they were not all taken into consideration.
“The Palace of Monaco cannot accept that the producers of this film imply they have received Their Highnesses’ support in any way whatsoever, since this is not the case,” the statement concluded.
The film’s producer, Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, told AFP the production was meant to be a work of fiction.
“The palace was aware of the script and made requests for changes. We took most of their remarks into account, but not all,” he said.
“The film is not intended to tell the true story of the principality,” he added.
Facebook has added a feature in its mobile phone app that allows free calling for US iPhone users.
Users can now make calls to each other via the Facebook Messenger app anywhere they have a Wi-Fi or a cellular-data connection.
The feature could be a boon for heavy talkers as they would avoid carrier call charges.
Facebook said it was working on adding the feature to its Messenger app for Android and BlackBerry users.
Facebook has added a feature in its mobile phone app that allows free calling for US iPhone users
Within the app, all a person needs to do is open a conversation with a partner, tap the “i” icon in the upper right hand corner and select “Free Call”.
The calls, however, can only be made to another user who has Messenger installed on their iPhone. Users can neither call a Facebook friend who is logged in through the website or call a landline.
The latest mobile-to-mobile development was independent of the free video-calling software Skype, which was already integrated into Facebook’s website, a spokesman said. The Messenger app is limited to voice calling.
The official said Facebook was expected to roll out the feature in its Messenger app for other operating systems and expand it overseas.
On Tuesday, Facebook unveiled a smart search engine – called Graph Search – that allows users to make “natural” searches of content shared by their friends.
Black Berry 10 media event will take place on January 30, but pictures of BlackBerry X10, the touchscreen, QWERTY-equipped smartphone, and a hands-on video of the full-touch screen Z10 have already reached the internet.
Known as the BlackBerry Nevada or N-series, the X10 has a traditional BlackBerry Qwerty keyboard, but loses the trackpad and soft keys that were above the keyboard on previous phones, and makes more room for a bigger screen.
The photos showing off BlackBerry X10 appeared on Instagram and were posted on fan forum CrackBerry. Pictures may not show the finished device (slightly different models have been provided to developers to get their apps ready for BlackBerry 10). However, they give a clear indication of RIM’s desire to match the physical keyboard with the versatility of a decent-sized touchscreen.
A hands-on video of the BlackBerry Z10, known as the L-series, was published by the Austrian website Telekom-Presse. The all-touch BlackBerry Z10 has a 4.2-inches display size, 2GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage and a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, according to the video. The website has also posted pictures of the smartphone and the interface.
Pictures of BlackBerry X10 prototype leak on the internet.
Details about the BlackBerry 10 L-Series smartphones, from a RIM training manual, were published on the web.
TechRadar website says according to the documentation BlackBerry Z10, has a 1,280 × 768 4.2-inch HD display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and an 1,800mAh battery.
The X10 should have similar internal specs and, along with the Z10, two cameras. The front-facing camera will be 2 MP with a 2× digital zoom and 720p video recording. The back camera should be 8 MP and include a flash, auto focus, 1080 p video recording and a 5× digital zoom. BlackBerry X10 also said to have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, as well as NFC.
Also, a training document from Canadian carrier Rogers, which details RIM’s next-generation operating system features and devices was posted on Crackberry forum. Most of it has been explained by RIM already. Very interesting is the Time Shift mode in Story Maker, which takes multiple photos milliseconds before and after the shutter is pushed. The best picture can be chosen from the frames before and after your photo where everyone blinked.
BlackBerry World has 70,000 apps and more than 15,000 apps have been submitted in the last days.
The Canadian BlackBerry-builder Research In Motion announces that 15,000 apps have been submitted in less than two days and its Secure Element Manager (SEM) solution for NFC (Near Field Communication) mobile payments has been approved by Visa. Because of its enhanced security features, RIM has been a popular choice for corporations, and recently with the upcoming smartphones, 1,600 companies have signed up for the BlackBerry 10 training program.
Prospective carriers to host the handsets have leaked worldwide in the last months: T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T in the U.S., Vodafone in the UK, and Virgin Mobile in Canada.
BlackBerry 10 global launch on January 30 will include press events in cities worldwide: New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Johannesburg and Dubai.
You can read more news and interesting reviews on mobile phones and other devices on phones4u website, where you can compare prices and find useful information.
An amateur prospector in the Australian state of Victoria has astonished experts by unearthing a gold nugget weighing 5.5 kg (177 ounces).
The unidentified man, using a handheld metal detector, found the nugget on Wednesday, lying 60 cm underground near the town of Ballarat.
Its value has been estimated at more than A$300,000 ($315,000).
Local gold experts say gold has been prospected in the area for decades, but no such discovery had been made before.
“I have been a prospector and dealer for two decades, and cannot remember the last time a nugget over 100 ounces (2.8 kg) has been found locally,” said Cordell Kent, owner of the Ballarat Mining Exchange Gold Shop.
“It’s extremely significant as a mineral specimen. We are 162 years into a gold rush and Ballarat is still producing nuggets – it’s unheard of.”
An amateur prospector in the Australian state of Victoria has astonished experts by unearthing a gold nugget weighing 5.5 kg
A video of the Y-shaped nugget was posted on YouTube on Wednesday by user TroyAurum.
He wrote that the man who found it had said it “sounded like the bonnet of a car through the headphones.
“It was lying flat [broad side up] and he carefully dug it up.”
Gold currently trades in Australia at about A$1,600 per ounce, meaning the discovery would be worth about A$283,200, but its rarity and the fact it weighs more than a kilogram would add a premium, said Cordell Kent.
He told Australian media the prospector had been using a state-of-the-art metal detector, which meant he was able to find the gold relatively deep underground in an area which had been searched many times in the past.
The man had only made small finds before, he said, but was a “person that really deserved it”.
“A finding like this gives people hope. It’s my dream to find something like that, and I’ve been prospecting for more than two decades,” the Ballarat Courier quoted him as saying.
“I’ve got no doubt there will be a lot of people who will be very enthusiastic about the goldfields again, it gives people hope,” said Cordell Kent.
“There’s nothing like digging up money, it’s good fun.”
Britney Spears’ friends fear that she will not be able to handle a long-term stint in Las Vegas after being dropped by the X Factor and splitting from her fiancé Jason Trawick all in the space of a week.
The star is on the brink of signing a mega $100 million deal with one of the Caesars group properties – after Jason Trawick formally resigned as her conservator.
Britney Spears, 31, confirmed her departure from the X Factor on the same day as her split from Jason Trawick and the source said: “She’s a homebody, she loves her sons and has her daily routine. At this time, she may need to concentrate on her health and happiness – not rebuilding her career.”
Britney Spears and Jason Trawick announced the end of their one-year engagement on Friday and the singer said in a statement: “Jason and I have decided to call off our engagement. I’ll always adore him and we will remain great friends.”
Jason Trawick added: “As this chapter ends for us a new one begins. I love and cherish her and her boys and we will be close forever.”
The couple were so entwined that Jason Trawick accompanied Britney Spears nearly everywhere. Indeed, on the rare occasions she was seen alone it was to go shopping or get coffee near her California home.
Indeed, shy Britney Spears only seen in public six times without ex-fiancé Jason Trawick in the past year.
One source told how Jason Trawick had helped immeasurably in helping Britney Spears to get her life back on track and was a constant by her side during filming on the X Factor, saying: “At auditions, Jason would calmly escort Britney by the hand back and forth to her seat during breaks. He was there for her.”
Britney Spears’ friends fear that she will not be able to handle a long-term stint in Las Vegas after being dropped by the X Factor and splitting from her fiancé Jason Trawick all in the space of a week
Painting a picture of a rather nervous woman, another source recalled being at an industry party at Soho House in Los Angeles in September where Britney Spears was a guest, saying: “Britney stood in a corner and hid.
“She didn’t speak to anyone – you wouldn’t even have realized she was there. She’s a shy, shy girl.”
Britney Spears and Jason Trawick had been staying at the W Hotel in Hollywood during the X Factor filming, but a friend told how they had their own rooms as they had become “just friends”.
Britney Spears is now believed to be back at her home in Calabasas with her sons Sean, 7, and Jayden, 6, and Jason Trawick has moved out.
Jason Trawick also acted as Britney Spears’ manager, and the pop star has now changed management to CAA, indicating the pair have also severed ties in their business relationship.
Court papers just release show resigned as Britney Spears’ co-conservator, but her father Jamie Spears will remain as conservator.
Reports had suggested that Jamie Spears had in fact brokered his daughter’s break-up with Jason himself, and a friend confirmed: “I did hear this.”
Radar Onlinereported: “Jason wanted out, and in the fragile state that Britney is in, it’s not like he could have a rational conversation with her about it, so it was really between him and Jamie.
“They decided how the relationship needed to end and how to go about the technicalities, such as removing Jason from the conservatorship, when he would move out and how to announce the split. Britney was left out of everything and really didn’t even know what was going on.
“Jason and Jamie wanted to make sure that Britney didn’t lose it, so they had to water things down for her a bit.”
Britney Spears had raked in $15 million for her judging role on the X Factor.
Announcing her departure from the Fox talent show, Britney Spears said: “I had an incredible time doing the show and I love the other judges and I am so proud of my teens but it’s time for me to get back in the studio.
“Watching them all do their thing up on that stage every week made me miss performing so much! I can’t wait to get back out there and do what I love most.”
However, her team has already begun “serious talks” for a lucrative Vegas concert deal.
Khloe Kardashian has become increasingly frustrated with what she has deemed “false stories” in U.S. tabloids about her marriage and efforts to become pregnant.
Khloe Kardashian, 28, took to her Celebuzz page to refute recent reports in a strongly worded post, saying: “These blatant lies are distasteful and shameless.”
“It is disgusting that Life & Style and InTouch magazines continue to print these false stories about my life: the status of my marriage, false reports about a miscarriage, the horrible lie that my dad is not my biological father, jealousy over my sisters’ lives, etc,” Khloe Kardashian writes.
“It is a complete waste of time to address these reports every time they print these ridiculous and absurd tabloid stories, but not only are these stories untrue, they’re also unfair to the people who buy the magazines expecting to read accurate reports.”
Khloe Kardashian is referring to allegations that the late Robert Kardashian is not her biological father, claims vigorously denied by her mother Kris Jenner.
A magazine also this week published a picture of Khloe Kardashian under the caption “Cheating Scandals” along with the allegation that she and husband Lamar Odom had split.
Khloe Kardashian has become increasingly frustrated with what she has deemed false stories in US tabloids about her marriage and efforts to become pregnant
Last year, Khloe Kardashian, who has made no secret of her desire to have a baby, was forced to deny rumors that she and Lamar Odom had suffered a miscarriage.
“Anyone who pays attention to these things can easily see the incredible bond that everyone in my family shares,” she adds in the post.
“I’m happily married to a wonderful man and fall in love with him more and more each day, and we’ll have a baby when god wants us to and when the time is right.”
Later, Khloe Kardashian reiterated her point on her Twitter page, posting: “People say the truth hurts, but the truth is not what makes the tabloids money. I will admit the false might cut a little deeper. At least the truth I can respect and grow from.”
Meanwhile, Kris Jenner also joined in the furor on a post on her own Celebuzz page : “I do my best to ignore the harmful, nasty and often mean-spirited tabloid rumors surrounding me and my family, but I can no longer remain silent amid the blatant lies I am constantly being asked about.”
Kris Jenner then cited “lies” published in a U.S. tabloid regarding her reaction to Kim Kardashian’s pregnancy, another story alleging Robert is not Khloe’s biological father, and the unfounded rumor that she and husband Bruce Jenner plan on getting a divorce.
“The continuous spread of egregious misinformation is just plain wrong, and it would be irresponsible of me and a disservice to my family to not address it at this point,” Kris Jenner continued.
“I want to say loud and clear that these are toxic, baseless and disgusting rumors and none of them are true.”
The tear-jerking story of Notre Dame football player Manti Te’so standout who excelled on the field in spite of the death of his girlfriend has been revealed as an elaborate hoax.
In a press conference tonight, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said that Manti Te’o was the victim of online predators who took advantage of the athlete’s generosity and kindness.
Jack Swarbrick pointed to the documentary film Catfish and an MTV program of the same name in explaining how easy it can be to fool somebody into believing an online relationship is real.
The nation was captivated by the story of the star linebacker, who has been regarded as a future star of the NFL, who played an award-winning season despite personal tragedy.
In numerous published reports, Manti Te’o said that while this past season has brought many triumphs to his life, there were also twin tragedies – the deaths of his 72-year-old grandmother and his girlfriend, Lannay 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, Lannay Kekua did not – nor did she even exist.
Jack Swarbrick said that Manti Te’o approached his coaches on December 26, saying that he had gotten a call from the number he knew to be Lannay Kekua’s – and a voice at the other end of the line said: “I’m not dead.”
The school conducted its own investigation and found that Manti Te’o had been taken for a ride by what Jack Swarbrick calls a sophisticated hoax orchestrated by “a remarkable number of characters – both male and female”.
He said: “It was real to Manti. There was no suspicion that it wasn’t. The pain was real, the grief was real, the affection was real – and that’s the nature of this sad cruel game.”
Jack Swarbrick added that Manti Te’o himself will likely speak on Thursday.
“This is incredibly embarrassing to talk about, but over an extended period of time, I developed an emotional relationship with a woman I met online,” Manti Te’o said in a statement.
“We maintained what I thought to be an authentic relationship by communicating frequently online and on the phone, and I grew to care deeply about her.”
However, he stopped short of saying he had ever met her in person or correcting reports that said he had, though he did on numerous occasions talk about how special the relationship was to him.
“To realize that I was the victim of what was apparently someone’s sick joke and constant lies was, and is, painful and humiliating,” he said.
“In retrospect, I obviously should have been much more cautious. If anything good comes of this, I hope it is that others will be far more guarded when they engage with people online than I was.”
The tear-jerking story of Notre Dame football player Manti Te’so standout who excelled on the field in spite of the death of his girlfriend has been revealed as an elaborate hoax
Among the evidence collected in Notre Dame’s independent investigation was “online chatter” that showed some people knew about the prank and were “taking joy in it”, Jack Swarbrick said.
On the night of the BCS title game, one Twitter user, @jayRahz 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!”
But despite the university’s claims, there is still substantial doubt that Manti Te’o could have been fooled so easily – and for so long.
The story goes that “Lennay” had tweeted Manti Te’o after a college football game between Stanford (where she was a student) and Notre Dame in 2009.
It sparked a friendship, and over the next few years, Manti Te’o would often tweet to a person with the Twitter handle LovaLovaLoveYOU – a name that was later changed to LennayKay and finally LoveMSMK.
On October 10, 2011, Manti Te’o tweeted to lovalovaloveYOU: “Nice to meet you too ma’am.”
The relationship progressed from there, with the football star and his “friend” becoming a couple sometime in January 2012, according to Deadspin.
But the relationship only existed online and by phone, and the two had never met face-to-face, Jack Swarbrick said. He added that they had plans to meet several times, including in Manti Te’o’s native Hawaii, but she never showed up.
The courtship took a tragic turn when it was reported that Lennay Kekua was involved in a serious car accident in California sometime last year.
Lennay Kekua had tweeted Manti Te’o after a college football game between Stanford, where she was a student, and Notre Dame in 2009
After recovering from the accident, she was apparently diagnosed with leukemia.
In September, the South Bend Tribune reported that Manti Te’o’s grandmother, Anette Santiago, had died. Hours later, he learned of Lennay Kekua’s death.
Major media outlets, including the Associated Press, New York Times, the Tribune, Sports Illustrated and ESPN took the bait, and reported on the death of “Lennay Kekua”.
Manti Te’o did not attend Lennay Kekua’s funeral, insisting that she “made me promise that I would stay and play”.
ESPN reporter Gene Wojciechowski, who had reported Lennay Kekua’s death for the network, said on Wednesday that he too found it odd that there was no obituary or death notice.
He said that when he brought his concerns up to Manti Te’o, he was told to “back off”, according to Deadspin.
Numerous online donations were pledged to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, according to Deadspin.
But the photos of Lennay Kekua on Twitter are actually of a California woman known only as “Reba” who told the sports website that she does not know Manti Te’o and is alarmed that she has emerged as the dead woman’s face.
She did, however, reveal that one of the pictures posted to Lennay Kekua’s Twitter account was a photo she took of herself that she sent to a former high school classmate, Ronaiah Tuiasosopo at his request.
Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, 22, a former California student athlete and the son of a pastor, is revealed to be in on the hoax.
Ronaiah Tuiasosopo comes from a huge football family.
His father Titus, now pastor at the Oasis Christian Church of the Antelope Valley, is a former USC football player himself.
An uncle, Navy Tuiasosopo, played three games with the Los Angeles Rams in 1987. Another uncle and cousins also played the game.
The connection between Ronaiah Tuiasosopo and Manti Te’o is not clear, but they were acquaintances who exchanged birthday greetings and other pleasantries, according to Deadspin.
At Roniah Tuiasosopo’s home in Palmdale, California, a person who answered the door refused to comment.
Notre Dame spokesman Dennis Brown told WSBT: “On December 26, Notre Dame coaches were informed by Manti Te’o and his parents that Manti had been the victim of what appears to be a hoax in which someone using the fictitious name Lennay Kekua apparently ingratiated herself with Manti and then conspired with others to lead him to believe she had tragically died of leukemia.
“The University immediately initiated an investigation to assist Manti and his family in discovering the motive for and nature of this hoax.
“While the proper authorities will continue to investigate this troubling matter, this appears to be, at a minimum, a sad and very cruel deception to entertain its perpetrators.”
It was claimed that Manti Te’o came up short in the Heisman trophy voting because the storied award favors offensive players.
But his impressive season was not without merit, as Manti Te’o won each of the seven other awards he was nominated for, including the Butkus and Lombardi awards.
Manti Te’o finished second in the voting, and leading Notre Dame to its first appearance in the BCS championship.
Manti Te’o and the Irish lost the title game to Alabama, 42-14 on January 7.
He has graduated and was set to begin preparing for the NFL combine and draft at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, this week.
Four days ago Manti Te’o posted on his Twitter account: “Can’t wait to start training with the guys! Workin to be the best! The grind continues! (hash)Future.”
US researchers have discovered that light passing through the body and into the womb has an important role in the developing eye.
A study, published in the journal Nature, showed that mice spending pregnancy in complete darkness had babies with altered eye development.
It indicated tiny quantities of light were needed to control blood vessel growth in the eye.
The researchers hope the findings will aid understanding of eye disorders.
If you could journey inside a mouse or a person, there would not be enough light to see. However, tiny quantities of light do pass through the body.
This effect has already been used to film an infection spreading through the body.
Now scientists – at the University of California, San Francisco, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center – believe that body-penetrating light can alter the development of the eye, at least in mice.
US researchers have discovered that light passing through the body and into the womb has an important role in the developing eye
Normally, a network of blood vessels known as the hyaloid vasculature is formed to help nourish the retina as it is constructed.
However, the blood vessels would disrupt sight if they remained, so they are later removed – like scaffolding from a finished building.
The researchers said this did not happen when the pregnancy was spent in total darkness.
The critical period was around 16 days – which is very late in mouse gestation, but corresponds to the first trimester in people.
“It’s not something subtle here, it’s a major effect on the way the retina develops that requires light going through the body,” said Prof. Richard Lang, from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
He said it was a “huge surprise” that this was happening.
The researchers hope their findings may aid understanding of human diseases of the eye, as many are down to blood vessels.
Some babies born prematurely develop “retinopathy of prematurity”, when the blood vessels in the eye grow abnormally resulting in damage to the retina and a loss of vision.
Prof. Richard Lang said: “In retinopathy of prematurity there is overgrowth of blood vessels and that’s what you see in these mice.”
The researchers showed that light was activating in the mice a protein, melanopsin, which also has a role in regulating the body clock, and is present in people. However, whether the same processes take place in people or other animals is unknown.
Algerian troops have surrounded a gas facility in the east of the country where foreign workers are being held hostage by Islamist militants.
The kidnappers occupied the complex at In Amenas on Wednesday, after killing a Briton and an Algerian in an attack on a bus.
Algeria says some 20 foreign nationals are being held hostage, although the kidnappers say they have 41.
The captives include British, Japanese, US, French and Norwegian nationals.
One statement purported to be from the hostage-takers demanded an end to the French military intervention against Islamist rebels in Mali.
Algerian Interior Minister Daho Ould Kabila said the militants wanted to leave the country with the hostages, but he had refused to let them go.
“We reject all negotiations with the group,” he told reporters late on Wednesday.
Daho Ould Kabila added that the kidnappers were Algerian and operating under orders from Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a senior commander of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) before late last year, when he set up his own armed group after apparently falling out with other leaders.
Minister Daho Ould Kabila said a heavily armed “terrorist group” had attacked a bus carrying workers from In Amenas at about 05:00 on Wednesday.
The gas field is operated by the Algerian state oil company, Sonatrach, along with the British oil company BP and Norway’s Statoil.
It is located about 1,300 km (800 miles) south-east of Algiers, and about 60 km (37 miles) west of the Libyan border.
The attackers were repelled by police who had been escorting the bus, but a Briton and an Algerian national had been killed, Daho Ould Kabila said.
Two other British nationals, a Norwegian, two police officers and a security guard were also hurt in the fire fight, he added.
Afterwards, the militants drove to the gas facility’s living quarters and took a number of Algerian and foreign workers hostage.
Dozens of Algerian workers were later released.
Senior al-Qaeda commander Mokhtar Belmokhtar has been identified as the leader behind Algeria kidnapping
The foreign nationals were being held in one wing of the living quarters, which the security services and army had surrounded, Daho Ould Kabila said.
“Since then, they’ve been facing off. The security forces are consolidating their position around the base,” he added.
Early on Thursday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed that a Briton had died and that “a number” of others were being held hostage.
He described the killings as the “cold-blooded murder of people going about their business”.
A worker told France’s Le Figaro newspaper the captors had mined the facility and demanded food, water and vehicles.
Daho Ould Kabila said nearby border crossings had been closed as a precaution and that the foreign ministry was in contact with diplomats from the hostages’ countries.
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague confirmed the captives included “a number of British nationals”, adding: “This is therefore a very dangerous situation.”
He said the UK government was working “around the clock” to resolve the crisis.
US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta said he could not confirm the exact number of Americans seized in the attack.
“By all indications this is a terrorist act and the United States strongly condemns these kinds of terrorist acts,” he said.
Meanwhile Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said 13 Norwegian employees of Statoil were believed held hostage at the gas facility. Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said one of its nationals was a hostage.
Japanese news agencies, citing unnamed government officials, said there were three Japanese hostages.
Two groups led by Belmokhtar – the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade and the Signed-in-Blood Battalion – said they were behind the incident.
Earlier, a man claiming to be a spokesman for the militants said al-Qaeda had carried out the attack.
A list of demands had been sent to Algerian authorities, and the hostages would be killed if troops attempted to rescue them, the spokesman added.
”Storming the gas complex would be easy for the Algerian military, but the outcome of such an operation would be disastrous,” he warned.
In a statement carried on Mauritanian media, the Signed-in-Blood Battalion said it would hold the Algerian and French governments and the nations of the hostages responsible if its demands were not met, saying they must bring an end to the French intervention in Mali.
Militant groups have vowed to avenge the intervention, where French forces have been battling Islamists linked to AQIM for the past week.
Algeria has been allowing French aircraft to use its air space.
Mokhtar Belmokhtar
Fought Soviet forces in Afghanistan in late 1980s
Former leading figure in al-Qaeda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb. Left in late 2012 after falling out with leaders
Now heads the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade and the Signed-in-Blood Battalion
Known as “The One-Eyed” as he wears an eyepatch over a lost eye
French intelligence has dubbed him “The Uncatchable”, while locals refer to him as “Mister Marlboro” for his illicit cigarettes operation
Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner continues to face problems as more aviation regulators and airlines grounded the plane on safety concerns.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered US airlines to stop using 787s temporarily after a battery fault caused an emergency landing in Japan.
Airlines in Chile and India quickly complied by grounding their Dreamliners.
Boeing said that it stood by the integrity of the 787.
A string of issues have raised questions about the 787’s future.
In recent weeks Dreamliners have suffered incidents including fuel leaks, a cracked cockpit window, brake problems and an electrical fire. However, it is the battery problems that have caused the most concern.
On Wednesday, an All Nippon Airways (ANA) flight made an emergency landing because of a battery malfunction. That caused them to ground all 17 of their Dreamliners and Japan Airways followed suit.
The FAA said that airlines must demonstrate battery safety before flights can resume.
The FAA added that it had alerted the international aviation community of its airworthiness directive so that other authorities could take parallel action to cover the fleets operating in their countries.
Leithen Francis, from Aviation Week, said that could mean more bad news for Boeing in the coming days.
“When the FAA issues an airworthiness directive civil aviation and airlines around the world have to follow the FAA airworthiness directive, particularly in regards to the 787 because it a US-designed and developed aircraft,” he said.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered US airlines to stop using 787s temporarily after a battery fault caused an emergency landing in Japan
Boeing said it supported the FAA but added it was confident the 787 was safe.
Chief executive Jim McNerney said: “We will be taking every necessary step in the coming days to assure our customers and the travelling public of the 787’s safety and to return the airplanes to service.
“Boeing deeply regrets the impact that recent events have had on the operating schedules of our customers and the inconvenience to them and their passengers.”
Boeing shares closed down more than 3% on Wall Street on Wednesday.
United Airlines, the only US airline currently operating Dreamliners, said it would immediately comply with the FAA’s directive and would begin re-accommodating customers on alternative aircraft.
Chile’s LAN announced it would suspend usage of its three Dreamliners in co-ordination with the Chilean Aeronautical Authority.
Indian aviation regulators also complied by ordering Air India to stop operating its 787s.
“The FAA has issued an advisory to ground the Dreamliners. We took a decision after that,” said director general of civil aviation Arun Mishra.
“As of now there is no clarity on when the Dreamliners will be back in service. Boeing has to satisfy everyone with safety standards.”
Poland’s Lot Airlines, which was due to launch its 787 transatlantic service this week, has also been affected. It went ahead with its first flight from Warsaw to Chicago on Wednesday afternoon, but cancelled the return flight following the FAA’s directive.
All together with the Japanese airlines, who are the Dreamliner’s biggest customers, more than four-fifths of the 787s in use are now not flying.
Leithen Francis said this could have an effect on airlines currently considering ordering 787s, causing them to choose rival Airbus’ A330 instead, which is a comparable aircraft and a proven product.
Late on Wednesday, the FAA said it would work with the manufacturer and carriers on an action plan to allow the US 787 fleet to resume operations as quickly and safely as possible.
“The in-flight Japanese battery incident followed an earlier 787 battery incident that occurred on the ground in Boston on January 7, 2013,” the regulator said.
“The AD [airworthiness directive] is prompted by this second incident involving a lithium ion battery.”
It said the battery failures resulted in the release of flammable electrolytes, heat damage, and smoke, and the cause of the failures was under investigation.
“These conditions, if not corrected, could result in damage to critical systems and structures, and the potential for fire in the electrical compartment,” the FAA said.
A remark from radio jockey Adam Schein that turned into a war-of-words between him and Snooki has erupted with the pint-sized reality television personality reportedly seeking to get him fired.
Adam Schein, who hosts satellite radio show Loudmouths, is apparently subject of a complaint filed with executives at Sirius XM after he tweeted about Snooki needing to shower after walking by her.
Snooki, real name Nicole Polizzi, was at the company’s New York City office to promote the latest season of MTV’s Jersey Shore spin-off Snooki & JWOWW, co-starring her Jersey Shore castmate and best friend Jenni Farley.
After a brush by SportsNet New York’s Loudmouths co-host Adam Schein, he tried to be clever with a cruel tweet.
“Just walked by Snooki at SiriusXM. I feel like I need a shower,” Adam Schein wrote, beckoning an almost instant reply from the Jersey Shore star, who rose to fame as MTV documented her wild antics in Seaside Heights with the rest of the cast.
“Why can’t you say that to my face though? #toughguy,” she responded.
Adam Schein, who hosts satellite radio show Loudmouths, is apparently subject of a complaint filed with executives at Sirius XM after he tweeted about Snooki needing to shower after walking by her
The tweets sparked outrage as Snooki and Adam Shein’s followers came out of their respective corners with vitriolic insults for each other and the TV and radio personalities.
RadarOnlinecredited a popular Twitter source, @IncarceratedBob, who calls himself the “#1 Underground *Breaking Sports News*” with announcing Snooki had taken their argument to higher-ups.
“**UPDATED RADIO NEWS**Source: @snooki just went to #XM management trying to get @Adamschein fired for his comments.. she’s having a tantrum,” he wrote on Monday.
Snooki, 25, appears to have ignored Adam Schein on Twitter since the incident, while thanking fans for offering their support.
Her profile makes one thing clear.
Snooki describes herself as a “Proud Mommy & Fiance 3 Devoted Animal Print Lover” – but only after writing a message to her critics: “Ignorance & Bullies don’t phase this b****.”
Adam Schein was tweeting from the same handle on Wednesday afternoon and appeared to have retained his position at SiriusXM despite his remark and Snooki’s alleged complaint.
Kim Kardashian swapped her usual fashion for a series of veils as she took part in a cover shoot for Arabian luxury women’s magazine, Hia.
But while she may have been veiled, Kim Kardashian was certainly not demure. In a video of the shoot she unwraps her conservative outer gear to reveal a daring plunging gown which shows off her breasts.
In other shots Kim Kardashian looks like a regal Arabian princess in a jeweled goddess headband.
The cover itself was more suitable for the Middle East market, with Kim Kardashian posing in a white Stéphane Rolland dress, her hair covered by a matching long white veil.
Kim Kardashian swapped her usual fashion for a series of veils as she took part in a cover shoot for Arabian luxury women’s magazine, Hia
“I’m excited to share my cover of Hia Magazine!” Kim Kardashian tweeted.
“Hia is the leading luxury lifestyle magazine for Arab woman and I’m honored to be on the cover.
“This shoot was so different from any I have done before and I’m so pleased with how the cover turned out.
“I got to wear some incredible high glamour creations by grand couturier Stéphane Rolland!”
And she later explained: “Working with Stéphane Rolland was such an honor.
“I loved how his couture creations brought a modern twist to old school glamour.
“I wore a series of stunning veils, which added a sense of allure and mystery to the shoot!”
Kim Kardashian recently visited Kuwait and Bahrain to promote the Millions Of Milkshakes chain and has a huge following in the middle east.
Tiger Woods is reportedly attempting to win his ex-wife Elin Nordegren back with a $200 million deal, according to the National Enquirer.
Tiger Woods, 37, is desperate to win his ex-wife back, according to the magazine and has offered the hefty pre-nup deal.
Elin Nordegren, 33, who won a $110 million divorce settlement from the sportsman, is believed to have told him she will consider the proposal – but only if he includes a $350 million anti-cheating clause into the wedding contract.
Swedish blonde Elin Nordegren is the mother of Tiger Woods’ two young children, Samantha, 5, and Charlie, 3.
A source told the Enquirer the deal was worth more than half of Tiger’s $600 million fortune, adding Elin Nordegren feels it’s enough to keep him from straying.
The source claimed: “Tiger didn’t even balk at the demand. Even though his accountants think he’s crazy, he’s ready to sign the pre-nup and set a wedding date.
“The guy has never recovered from being dumped by Elin. He’s dated lots of models and bimbos, but none of them were more than a one night stand.”
Tiger Woods is reportedly attempting to win his ex-wife Elin Nordegren back with a $200 million deal
Once golf’s greatest superstar, Tiger Woods’ career and marriage fell apart after he was revealed as a serial cheater and had a series of mistresses, the most high-profile being New York party girl Rachel Uchitel.
The couple divorced after five years in 2010 and Elin Nordegren is currently spending a lot of time and money on creating her dream home, rebuilding a $12 million North Palm Beach estate in Florida.
Since their divorce, Elin Nordegren has dated several men, including wealthy financier Jamie Dingman.
The stunning Swede, who recently showed off her flawless figure while on holiday in the Bahamas with her children and family, has been spotted around South Florida with professional hockey player Douglas Murray, who she was first romantically linked to in July 2012.
However, the NHL player didn’t appear to be vacationing with Elin Nordegren and her family at the exclusive Paradise Island resort.
A source told the Enquirer: “Tiger swore that he’d never cheat on her again, but Elin told him that she didn’t believe him.”
The magazine claims that Tiger Woods even got down on one knee and proposed, presenting Elin Nordegren with a ring for Christmas.
The Enquirer also alleges the couple are having sex again and a source claimed: “Tiger stopped by Elin’s rental house one afternoon when their kids were out with a nanny and they had sex for the first time since the split.
“It took them both by surprise, but they’ve continued to find alone time when they’re both at their homes in Florida.”
Tiger Woods is believed to have been left upset after seeing pictures of Elin Nordegren frolicking with a young hunk on the beach at the Atlantic resort in the Bahamas earlier this month.
However, he then discovered the man was Elin Nordegren’s brother Axel.
The source said: “Tiger breathed a sigh of relief. He and Elin actually got a big laugh out of it.
“Tiger told me <<I love Elin>>. Without her, I’ll be miserable for the rest of my life.”
Brand new label URB clothing have jumped on board the trend for statement legs creating outlandish punky hosiery that’s not for the faint-hearted.
Most of their dripping paint designs are made by decorating classic low denier black tights.
Their designs take a twist on the gothic look with intentional laddering, holes and contrast between high and low deniers, as well as a gunge-like dripping liquid.
Their website warns that while the Black on Black Melting tights are photographed holey, each product comes out slightly different and will arrive to you without holes.
The legwear is made with thin black or clear tights, latex and a thin layer of baby powder, creating the illusion that your legs are dripping with molten matter.
But their designs are not all made for fans of the dark and gloomy.
Brand new label URB clothing have jumped on board the trend for statement legs creating outlandish punky hosiery that’s not for the faint-hearted
Other creations more suited to “punk princess” types include iridescent reflective blue-pink goo dripping on clear tights, lime green goo on clear, silver glitter on clear and many more.
They also make a leggings version of the wacky tights, and even ones for men.
The legwear is hand made in house by URB in around five to seven days, and they deliver within a fortnight after that.
Shakira and Gerard Piqué have released several portraits of the pregnant singer to celebrate the impending arrival of their first child.
Dressed in just a bikini top and skirt, Gerard Piqué also whipped off his shirt in one of the intimate photos which shows their closeness as they prepare for the birth of their son.
The images which were taken by Jaume Laiguana were uploaded to the internet as the couple have decided to team up with UNICEF to host a virtual baby shower.
Shakira, 35, is following in the footsteps of celebrities such as Demi Moore and Britney Spears, who have posed nude during the latter stages of their pregnancies.
However, rather than posing on a magazine cover, the Colombian born singer decided to share the candid photo on her Twitter page.
Using the social networking site to its full potential, the couple are welcoming fans and family into their interactive living room where they can purchase Inspired Gifts.
Presents such as mosquito nets, polio vaccines and baby-weighing scale can all be bought on the site with each item set to be distributed to children and communities in some of the poorest corners of the globe.
On entering the online baby shower, visitors are greeted with a personal message from Shakira and Gerard Piqué, the clip begins: “As you all know, we will soon be welcoming our first child into the world, and to celebrate his birth we’ve organised a virtual baby shower in association with UNICEF.
“In lieu of receiving gifts for our baby as with a traditional shower we would like to offer support for babies who live in conditions of extreme poverty throughout the world.”
Shakira and Gerard Piqué have released several portraits of the pregnant singer to celebrate the impending arrival of their first child
Taking over from Gerard Piqué, Sharika continues: “Thanks to all of you, they will receive in the form of inspired gifts therapeutic food packages, vaccines, and rehydration salts which will help save the lives of hundred of thousands of babies throughout the world.
“We’d like to thank you in advance, and we are very very happy to know that we can count on your support.”
As an UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Sharika explained why she had chosen to give share her baby shower with the world.
She said: “Every expectant parent around the world shares all the same hopes and dreams for their children that we do.
“Yet many don’t share the same opportunities. Together we know we can change that.”
While the due date hasn’t been revealed to the public, the couple who live in Barcelona will soon share their new home on which building work was recently completed, with a bouncing baby.
Shakira and the FC Barcelona player met in the spring of 2010 when he appeared in the music video for her world cup song Waka Waka(This Time for Africa).
She officially confirmed their relationship on 29 March 2011 via Twitter and Facebook posting a picture of the two with a caption reading: “I present to you my sunshine.”
Gerard Piqué who is a centre-back for FC Barcelona, the city’s illustrious team caused panic by falsely announcing the arrival of their child on December 27.
The sportsman made the false announcement to dupe fans for Dia de los Inocentes, the Spanish equivalent of April Fools Day.
Shakira, who is to be judge on the next series of The Voice, is in her final stages.
Earlier this week Shakira stepped out in Barcelona, Spain, to celebrate the launch of father William Mebarak’s new book Al Viento Y Al Azar(At Wind And At Random).
She has spoken about how she used to watch her father write his stories on a typewriter and asked for one as a Christmas gift.
And by the age of four had already written her first poem, La Rosa De Cristal (The Crystal Rose).
Two foreign nationals, one of them British, have been killed and more than 20 taken hostage in an attack by Islamist militants on a gas facility in eastern Algeria, state media report.
Several people were wounded when a bus was targeted as it carried workers from the facility, near In Amenas,
After being repelled, the militants travelled to the facility’s residential area, where they seized other workers.
Militants linked to al-Qaeda claim to have been behind the incident.
They initially said they were holding six people hostage. But an alleged spokesman later told two Mauritanian news websites they were holding 41 foreigners, including US, French, British and Japanese citizens.
Algeria’s state-run APS news agency, citing local officials, said “slightly more than 20” foreign nationals were being held. Algerian workers at the facility had been released in small groups, it added.
Norwegian public broadcaster NRK quoted the oil company Statoil as saying there had been 17 personnel in total, including 13 Norwegians, at the gas facility when it was taken over by the militants.
The In Amenas gas field is operated by the Algerian state oil company, Sonatrach, along with Statoil and the British oil company BP. It is about 1,300 km (800 miles) south-east of the capital, Algiers, and about 60 km west of the Libyan border.
The attack came after militants vowed to avenge France’s military intervention in Mali, where its forces have been battling Islamists linked to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) for the past week. Algeria has been allowing French aircraft to use its air space.
The Algerian interior ministry said a heavily-armed “terrorist group” using three vehicles had attacked the bus carrying workers from the In Amenas gas field at about 05:00.
The attack was “repelled by the escort units”, but one foreign national was killed and six people – two foreigners, two police and two security personnel – were wounded, a statement said.
“After their failed attempt, the terrorist group headed to the complex’s living quarters and took a number of workers with foreign nationalities hostage,” the ministry added.
“The forces of the People’s National Army and security services arrived at the scene and immediately took all necessary measures to make the area secure and seek a rapid resolution of the situation, which is being very closely followed by the national authorities.”
Later, the APS news agency cited local officials as saying two foreigners had been killed in the attack, one of them a British national. A local source earlier told the Reuters news agency a Frenchman had died.
Two foreign nationals, one of them British, have been killed and more than 20 taken hostage in an attack by Islamist militants on a gas facility in eastern Algeria
The UK government confirmed that “several British nationals” had been involved in a “terrorist incident”.
Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore said one of its nationals had been abducted, adding that his government was “ready to use all the resources available to us to ensure that our citizen is released as soon as possible”.
A Japanese contractor at the In Amenas gas facility, JGC Corp, confirmed that Japanese staff had been seized, according to Japanese media.
The wife of a Norwegian gas worker was quoted as saying by the Bergens Tidende newspaper as saying: “I received a phone call from my husband this morning and he said he had been kidnapped.”
BP confirmed that there had been a “security incident”.
“The site was attacked and occupied by a group of unidentified armed people,” a statement said.
“Contact with the site is extremely difficult, but we understand that armed individuals are still occupying the In Amenas operations site.”
A man claiming to be a spokesman for the militants said al-Qaeda had carried out the attack.
He claimed that they had allowed Algerian workers to leave the gas facility and were only holding foreign nationals.
A list of demands had been sent to the Algerian authorities, and the hostages would be killed if troops attempted to rescue them, the spokesman added.
”Storming the gas complex would be easy for the Algerian military, but the outcome of such an operation would be disastrous,” he warned.
Earlier, a group known as the Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade told the AFP news agency that it had kidnapped the workers.
The Khaled Abu al-Abbas Brigade is believed to be led by Mokhtar Belmokhtar – also known as Abu al-Abbas – who was a senior commander of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb before late last year, when he set up his own armed group after apparently falling out with other leaders.
His new group is also known as the Signed-in Blood Battalion, a spokesman for whom told the Mauritanian Sahara Media website that it had “captured 41 Westerners, including seven Americans, two French citizens, two British citizens and two Japanese”.
Former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola will take over as Bayern Munich manager at the end of the season, the German club have announced today.
Pep Guardiola, 41, who had been linked with Chelsea and Manchester City, has signed a three-year contract to 2016.
He will replace current boss Jupp Heynckes, who will retire.
The Spaniard has been on a season-long sabbatical since leaving the Nou Camp in May 2012 after winning 14 trophies – including two Champions League titles.
“We are very pleased that we have managed to convince the football expert Pep Guardiola, who was coveted and contacted by many top clubs, to come to Bayern Munich,” Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.
“He is one of the most successful coaches in the world and we are sure that he can make not just Bayern, but all of German football shine.”
Bayern are currently nine points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, and face Arsenal next month in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Josef “Jupp” Heynckes, 67, informed the Bundesliga club before Christmas that he did not want to extend his contract beyond this summer.
His contract expires on 30 June, with Pep Guardiola taking charge the following day.
Bayern’s general manager Uli Hoeness said: “Only a coach of Guardiola’s calibre came into consideration as a successor to Jupp Heynckes.”
Some of Europe’s biggest clubs had been linked with the Spaniard since he left Barcelona, including English trio Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea, Italian giants AC Milan and big-spending Paris St Germain.
Former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola will take over as Bayern Munich manager at the end of the season
The appointment of former Barcelona duo Txiki Begiristain and Ferra Sorriano at the Etihad Stadium had fuelled speculation City could be a possible destination for Pep Guardiola.
Speaking in November, Milan president Silvio Berlusconi said: “Who would not want someone like Guardiola? There are some English clubs after Guardiola, especially [Manchester] City who have directors that we know very well. We will try to sign him, but it’s going to be difficult.”
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, meanwhile, backed Jupp Heynckes, now in his third spell at Bayern after returning to the club in June 2011, to continue to excel in his final months as coach, having guided Bayern to a nine-point lead in the standings as the Bundesliga resumes following the winter break this weekend.
“As a club and as Jupp Heynckes’ friends we have to show understanding for this decision. We have to accept it and we have to respect it,” Karl-Heinz Rummenigge added.
“During personal talks with Jupp Heynckes we assured each other that we will do anything we can – and even more so now – to have a successful second half of the season and bring the title to Munich.”
He said: “As a player I couldn’t realise my dream to play [in England].”
“But I hope in the future, I have a challenge to be a coach or a manager there.”
Pep Guardiola retired from playing in November 2006 and was named Barcelona B coach in 2007, but spent only a year in charge before being promoted to replace Frank Rijkaard as boss of the senior side.
Under Pep Guardiola, Barcelona established themselves as the dominant force in club football, with two Champions League crowns and three La Liga titles among the trophies claimed by a side containing names such as Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
Pep Guardiola factfile:
Born: 18 January 1971 in Santpedor, Spain.
Playing career: Barcelona B (1990-92), Barcelona (1990-2001), Brescia (2001-02), Roma (2002-03), Brescia (2003), Al-Ahli (2003-05), Dorados (2005-06), Spain (1992-2001).
International caps: 47
Managerial career: Barcelona B (2007-08), Barcelona (2008-2012)
Honours (as manager): 3 La Liga titles, 3 Supercopa de Espana titles, 2 Copa Del Rey titles, 2 Champions League titles, 2 Uefa Super Cups, 2 Fifa World Club Cups.
Honours (as player): 6 La Liga titles, 2 Copa del Rey titles, 1 Supercopa de Espana, 1 European Cup, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, 1 Olympic gold medal.
Die Hard director John McTiernan has lost his appeal to have a one-year prison sentence overturned for lying to the FBI in a wiretapping case.
John McTiernan, 62, was sentenced in 2010 after pleading guilty to lying over hiring a private investigator to wiretap a film producer.
He had been free on bail while he appealed the conviction, however the US Supreme Court declined to review it.
A judge is now expected to order John McTiernan to go to prison.
After serving a custodial sentence, the filmmaker – who also directed The Hunt for Red October and Predator – will be on supervised release for three years.
John McTiernan was originally accused of lying about hiring former celebrity private investigator Anthony Pellicano to wiretap film producer, Chuck Roven, after they both worked on the movie Rollerball.
The director initially pleaded guilty in 2006 after the FBI obtained a recording in which the men discussed the wiretap, but he later withdrew his guilty plea.
Die Hard director John McTiernan has lost his appeal to have a one-year prison sentence overturned for lying to the FBI in a wiretapping case
After failing in his attempt to suppress the recording, John McTiernan pleaded guilty again in 2010 to allow him the opportunity to appeal, however he was then sentenced by a District Court judge and fined $100,000.
Although John McTiernan is likely to be ordered to report to prison, his lawyer said there was still a motion before the judge to reduce or eliminate his sentence on the grounds there has never been any evidence presented that Anthony Pellicano actually wiretapped Chuck Roven.
However, the charge John McTiernan was found guilty of was lying to the FBI and not wiretapping.
Anthony Pellicano was convicted of 78 crimes at two separate trials in 2008 for obtaining the private records of a number of Hollywood stars including Sylvester Stallone.
He is currently serving a 15-year prison sentence for racketeering, conspiracy and wiretapping.
Two people have been killed and thirteen injured when a helicopter crashed into a crane in central London.
Police said the helicopter had hit the crane on top of The Tower, One St George Wharf at about 08:00 GMT.
About 90 firefighters were at the scene near Wandsworth Road in South Lambeth. Doctors said one of the dead was the pilot and the other was on the ground. Six people were taken to hospital.
The pilot had asked to be diverted to a nearby heliport because of bad weather.
Metropolitan Police Commander Neil Basu said it was “miraculous” the crash was not much worse.
Burning wreckage lay in the road but the fire was brought under control within 25 minutes, the fire brigade said.
One of those taken to hospital had a broken leg and the others had minor injuries. Seven people were treated at the scene.
Part of the crane was left hanging from the side of the residential building, which is still under construction. London Fire Brigade said part of the tail section of the helicopter landed on roof of the building and the main section landed in Wandsworth Road, hitting two cars. The fire from the helicopter ignited two buildings.
Police said it was understood the helicopter was on a scheduled flight from Redhill in Surrey to Elstree in Hertfordshire.
A spokesman for London Heliport at Battersea said the pilot had requested to divert and land there due to bad weather.
The incident caused gridlock with all approaches to the Vauxhall Cross one way system closed at the height of the rush hour and Vauxhall Tube station and railway station closed, though the stations have since reopened.
London Fire Brigade said more than 50 other firefighters were at St George’s Wharf to secure the damaged crane.
Weather observations at the time of the crash showed very low cloud but not thick fog. The nearest observation site was London City Airport which at 08:00 reported 700 m visibility with broken cloud at a height of 100ft.
NATS, which runs air traffic control across the UK, said the pilot had been receiving assistance earlier in the flight but not at the time of the crash.
The incident will be investigated by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
An RNLI lifeboat was initially sent to search the Thames near the crash scene following a request from London Heliport after it lost contact with the aircraft, which is understood to be an AgustaWestland AW109, a lightweight, twin-engine helicopter with eight seats.
Fire brigade station manager Bruce Grain said crews arrived at the scene in four minutes.
He said the helicopter fell into Wandsworth Road, hitting various vehicles and bursting into flames and there were also fires in nearby buildings.
A man was rescued from a burning car by firefighters.
Wandsworth Road was blocked by the burning wreckage and aviation fuel and the side of a building also caught fire.
A motorcycle was also lying on its side in the road where it was abandoned.
Witness Michael Krumstets said: “I was on my way to work this morning with my flatmate when the helicopter crashed right next to us.
“We saw the helicopter clip the crane and heard a loud crack, it started spinning out of control and directly towards us. It took just seconds for this to happen.
“We ran as it fell towards us. We got away just in time.
“We were just feet away when it hit the ground and exploded.”
Two people have been killed and thirteen injured when a helicopter crashed into a crane in central London
Mark Osbourne, from a bike shop near the scene, said he ran to try to help the injured.
“There was lots of wreckage and fire,” he said.
“I saw a woman on a motorcycle that must have missed the carnage by six feet.
“It felt like a war movie, it was surreal.”
Craig Dunne, who was walking to work at the time of the accident, said: “When I got to the end of the road there was a massive explosion and the crane is obviously in pieces.
“And I looked to the left-hand side and there were cars – three cars on fire – people screaming, shouting and hollering, and the next thing I know there are police, ambulances and everything everywhere and people going crazy. It’s madness – absolute madness.”
Mark Correll was cycling along Wandsworth Road when debris from the crash started falling around him.
“I heard a massive explosion and looked up to see debris falling everywhere from the sky,” he said.
“I didn’t hang around as there was massive debris falling intermittently and if anything had hit me I would have been killed.
“My first instinct was to dodge the debris – I thought the building was going to collapse.
“It was easily the most frightening thing I have ever witnessed.”
Market worker Andrew Ross said: “I heard a loud bang and I saw this helicopter falling out of the sky.
“[There was] an orange glow and lots of smoke coming up.
“It was flying below cloud cover – it was still foggy and a little bit dark.”
Michael Gavin, who was waiting for a train on a platform at Vauxhall station, said: “I heard the bang – the top of the crane was obscured by the fog so I did not see the impact but I did see the helicopter falling to the ground along with pieces of the crane, then the long plume of smoke from there.
“It was really quite shocking. There was a group of us on the platform waiting, we could not see where it hit because it was blocked by a wall at the end of the station.
“There were a lot of worried people around.”
Nicky Morgan, MP for Loughborough, heard an “enormous bang” as she walked towards Vauxhall Tube before seeing “clouds of black smoke”.
Quinn Murray, who was cycling when he saw the crash, said: “I saw the helicopter hit the top of the crane and come down just to the left of the station.
“There was quite a large amount of fire and a huge smoke cloud. It wasn’t on the road, but into a building site where they are building the new Nine Elms area.”
Erin Rogers, who was waiting at a bus stop outside Vauxhall station, said: “It was a bit surreal actually. I just had a coffee in my hand, I looked up, heard a bang and saw bits of crane debris falling to the floor.
“Then the helicopter was in flames. The rest of the people at the bus station were looking on going <<What was that?>>.
“It’s something I will never forget for a long time.”
The emergency services were praised for their swift response by Councillor Lib Peck, leader of Lambeth Council.
She said: “I understand that swift action by the fire service may well have saved the life of one of the casualties of the crash.
“The safety of Lambeth residents is my major concern and I will be seeking reassurances about the procedures governing helicopter flights.”
Kate Hoey, Labour MP for Vauxhall, said: “My initial thought was that it might have hit one of the many densely populated tall buildings. To hear it had hit the crane was a relief in some way.
“Police said to me that their first fear was it was the police helicopter, however, it had been grounded because of the weather.”
She said the rapid increase in the number of tall buildings in London meant more rigorous controls over who can fly where may be needed.
At Prime Minister’s Questions she asked David Cameron for a review of the rules on helicopters flying over central London.
David Cameron said: “She’s right that it’s not an issue for today but inevitably it’s something that has to be carefully looked at.”
The Civil Aviation Authority said there were 16,374 helicopter flights over London in 2012. It said single-engine craft were required to fly along certain routes, selected to provide safety, and while twin-engine helicopters could operate in wider areas, all were subject to air traffic control clearance.
It said pilots were notified of very tall structures for flight planning purposes, as was the case with the crane involved in the crash.
The Met said there was no suggestion the incident was linked to terrorism.
Anna Kendrick wrote that she pleasured herself in the back row of a movie theatre while watching Ryan Gosling in his latest film Gangster Squad.
Like many women, Anna Kendrick, 27, appears to have a crush on 32-year-old Ryan Gosling who is fast becoming a global heart throb.
And it seems the actor’s latest performance got her so hot and bothered, she took to Twitter to share her lust with more than 600,000 followers.
Writing on the networking site Anna Kendrick joked: “Ugh – NEVER going to a Ryan Gosling movie in a theater again. Apparently masturbating in the back row is still considered <<inappropriate>>.”
The racy tweet has since gone viral – spreading across the Twitter world in lightning fashion.
It has been retweeted nearly 25,000 times since Tuesday evening and has also been favorited more than 21,000 times.
Most of the comments on the inappropriate tweet found it hilarious or expressed agreement with Anna Kendrick’s sentiment.
For instance, Twitter user @1D_For_Me101, who apparently loved her remarks, according to his or her response to her tweet: “@AnnaKendrick47 HAHAHAHA you’re actually amazing omg. I wish you followed your fans cause I would DIE to be followed by you!”
And, according to @whereishawkins, Anna Kendrick is not the only person engaging in illicit behavior during Gosling’s films: “@AnnaKendrick47 the hell it is! I do that at Gosling movies and I never get in trouble,” the excited Twitter user tweeted.
Anna Kendrick wrote that she pleasured herself in the back row of a movie theatre while watching Ryan Gosling in his latest film Gangster Squad
But not all of the responses were positive, as evidenced by the offense taken by @lucyhalenation, who posted the following disapproving comment: “@AnnaKendrick47 uhm you didn’t warn me before I followed you that your tweets are NC-17.”
However, while the cyber frenzy would cause embarrassment to most people, Anna is used to the being the centre of attention having started her acting career as a child.
She won her first major role at the age of 12 as Dinah in the Broadway musical High Society in 1998.
The performance won her Theatre World Award, Drama Desk Award, and Tony Award nominations, making her the third-youngest Tony Award nominee.
Anna Kendrick went on to appear in a number of other theater productions, including the musical A Little Night Music, before making her film debut in the 2003 musical comedy Camp.
But it was her performance as Natalie Keener in the 2009 film Up In The Air, opposite George Clooney, that brought Anna Kendrick to mainstream attention, winning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
While she may confess to having a crush on Ryan Gosling, Anna Kendrick is in fact happily settled with her long-term boyfriend, director Edgar Wright.
The pair have been dating since 2009, when they met during the production of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
