Former South Africa’s President Nelson Mandela has been discharged from hospital, the South African presidency says.
Nelson Mandela, 94, will continue to receive treatment at his home in Johannesburg until he has fully recovered, according to a statement from President Jacob Zuma’s office.
South Africa’s first black president was admitted to hospital 18 days ago.
He was treated for a lung infection and gallstones.
Nelson mandela’s wife, Graca Machel, and President Zuma visited him on Christmas Day and said he was in good spirits.
Afterwards, President Jacob Zuma said doctors were happy with the progress Nelson Mandela had made.
In his statement on Sunday, Jacob Zuma thanked South Africans for the messages of good wishes they had sent.
“We request a continuation of the privacy consideration in order to allow for the best possible conditions for full recovery,” the presidency statement said.
Former South Africa’s President Nelson Mandela has been discharged from hospital
The latest stay in hospital has been Nelson Mandela’s longest since leaving prison in 1990.
His grandson, Mandla, said Nelson Mandela’s absence on Christmas Day had “greatly saddened” the family, adding: “We didn’t anticipate that he would be away for so long.”
Nelson Mandela served as South Africa’s first black president from 1994 to 1999 and is regarded by many as the father of the nation.
His health has been a cause of concern for many years.
He first contracted tuberculosis in the 1980s while detained in Robben Island prison.
He has been admitted to hospital on three occasions in the past two years.
Nelson Mandela lives in Qunu, a small rural village in Eastern Cape province, where he says he spent the happiest days of his childhood.
He retired from public life in 2004 and has been rarely seen in public since.
Hundreds of tea plantation workers have set alight their boss’s bungalow at Kunapathar in Assam state north-east India, burning to death the owner and his wife, officials say.
Angry workers surrounded the bungalow at Kunapathar late on Wednesday, following a two-week long dispute with the management.
Police said the incident happened after the management asked some workers to leave their accommodation.
More than half of India’s tea output comes from 800 tea estates in Assam.
Local official SS Meenakshi Sundaram said some 700 tea garden workers surrounded the manager’s bungalow on Wednesday evening and set it on fire. Two vehicles belonging to the manager were also torched.
Hundreds of tea plantation workers have set alight their boss’s bungalow at Kunapathar in Assam state north-east India, burning to death the owner and his wife
The charred bodies of Mridul Kumar Bhattacharyya and his wife, Rita, were later recovered from the debris, Meenakshi Sundaram said.
Police have detained three workers in connection with the incident.
Officials said Mridul Kumar Bhattacharyya and his workers had been locked in a dispute for the past two weeks.
They said Mridul Kumar Bhattacharyya had also faced protests at another tea estate that he owned two years ago.
In that dispute, angry workers set fire to his tea factory near the state capital, Guwahati, after he had allegedly fired on a crowd that had gathered near his house to protest against a reported attack on a local woman.
Several incidents of attacks on tea executives by angry workers have been reported from Assam in recent years.
President Barack Obama has cut short his holidays in Hawaii and is flying to Washington to try to reach a deal to avoid the so-called “fiscal cliff”.
Unless a compromise is found, tax increases and huge spending cuts come into force on 1 January, threatening to tip the US back into recession.
However, Democrats and Republicans are still at loggerheads over the issue.
Meanwhile, the US Treasury is to take extraordinary measures to delay reaching a 31 December borrowing limit.
In a letter to Congress, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said it would take accounting measures to save about $200 billion to prevent reaching the $16.4tn borrowing limit.
Timothy Geithner said this would prevent the government from reaching the borrowing limit for about another two months.
President Barack Obama has cut short his holidays in Hawaii and is flying to Washington to try to reach a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff
This $16.4 trillion is the amount the government is allowed to borrow to finance its operations.
Barack Obama is expected to meet Republican leaders again to try to negotiate a solution, although no new date has been announced.
Failure to do so could damage the US and global markets, and threatens to send the US economy into recession.
The two sides remain far apart on the fiscal cliff’s $600bn in tax rises and spending cuts, but analysts say a short-term deal may be agreed that will postpone the cuts until spring.
On Wednesday, the Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner called on the Democrat-led Senate to come up with legislation on how it would avoid the cliff, and pass it to the House for consideration.
However, a senior administration official said it was up to Republican leaders not to stand in the way of an agreement.
Despite this, there is little sense of urgency in the capital – the corridors of Congress are silent.
George H. W. Bush has been in intensive care with a fever since Sunday, a family spokesman has revealed.
Jim McGrath said he had had a “series of setbacks” and remained in a “guarded condition”, but was alert and conversing with family and doctors.
Former US President George H.W. Bush, aged 88, has been in the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, since he was taken there for bronchitis treatment on 23 November.
He is the oldest living former president and a World War II veteran.
George H. W. Bush has been in intensive care with a fever since Sunday
George H.W. Bush was Ronald Reagan’s vice-president for two terms and became the 41st president in 1989, but was defeated by Democrat Bill Clinton when he stood for re-election in 1992.
The former president was now on a liquids-only diet, the spokesman said, describing his ailment as “a stubborn fever that won’t go away”.
He said George H.W. Bush had not been able to celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense but his family was with him.
“He’s conscious and he’s able to engage in humorous banter with his doctor,” Jim McGrath said.
He also said that doctors were cautiously optimistic about George H.W. Bush’s treatment.
When first admitted, the former president had only been expected to stay in hospital a few days, but a persistent fever kept him in hospital until and over Christmas.
On Christmas Day, George H.W. Bush was visited by his wife, Barbara, his son Neil and other family members.
The former president has also been visited twice by his son George W Bush, who served as 43rd president in 2001-2008.
A severe winter storm that whipped up tornadoes in the southern US has brought heavy snow to the Midwest and threatens disruption in the east.
At least six people have been killed and authorities have told people to stay at home rather than brave freezing temperatures and treacherous roads.
A state of emergency has been declared in Mississippi and Alabama after the storm downed power lines.
Hundreds of flights have been grounded by snow and blizzards.
More delays are expected as the storm moves towards New York state and Maine, where as much as 18 inches (46 cm) of snow is expected in the next 24 hours.
The National Weather Service has warned of near-zero visibility in Buffalo, New York, where heavy snowfall is predicted to combine with high winds.
Weather warnings are in place from Florida and the Gulf Coast all the way up to New England.
A severe winter storm that whipped up tornadoes in the southern US has brought heavy snow to the Midwest and threatens disruption in the east
Little Rock, Arkansas, saw its first snow on Christmas Day in 83 years, while in neighboring Oklahoma seven inches of snow was blamed for a 21-vehicle pile-up on an interstate highway outside Oklahoma City.
Thirty-four tornadoes were reported in the southern states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama on Tuesday. A large section of a church roof in Mobile, Alabama, was ripped off by a twister.
Falling trees claimed the lives of two people in Texas and Louisiana. Deaths were also reported on the roads in Oklahoma and Arkansas.
More than 200,000 people are said to be without power.
Mariah Carey seems to have a higher appreciation for the merry season now that she can share the cheer – and her lavish lifestyle – with husband Nick Cannon and their 20-month-old fraternal twins, Monroe and Moroccan.
Mariah Carey, 42, posted numerous candid snaps of Monroe and Moroccan, affectionately known as “Dem Babies”, enjoying their Aspen holiday Wednesday.
“MERRY CHRISTMAS from the Carey-Cannons!! Pictures from our most festive Christmas yet,” Mariah Carey tweeted to her 8.4 million followers.
The notorious diva and the America’s Got Talent host – dressed as Santa – looked ecstatically happy as they snuggled their toddlers before the Christmas tree littered with gifts at their tastefully rustic cabin in the wintry mountain town.
Nick Cannon, 32, clearly loves to lift his little girl in the air as he is seen doing so in two of the pictures, one of which reveals several opened presents under the Douglas Fir.
Among the numerous items visible on the floor were two luggage trollies, an Etch-A-Sketch, and a toy truck.
At their lavish black-tie birthday party earlier this year, the tots were gifted a toy Ferrari, rocking horse, and miniature white piano while celebrating at the Plaza Athenee in Paris.
Inside Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon’s magical white Christmas with twins Monroe and Moroccan
The two privileged tykes are often seen in designer duds playing on their parents’ grand piano, 1,000-thread count sheets, or taking a dip in their marble-tiled swimming pool.
Mariah Carey, whose net worth was estimated at more than $500 million last year, spares no expense when it comes to spoiling her brood.
However, most of the recent holiday pictures show the family indulging in mostly ordinary, wholesome holiday fun.
In several shots, the entire grinning clan is bundled up in fur-lined snowsuits enjoying a cuddle puddle on the snowy ground.
And while Mariah Carey accented her suit with a Louis Vuitton scarf and Nick Cannon wore a playful Scoobie Doo beanie – Roc and ‘Roe accessorized their suits with matching teddy bear scarves.
The twins could not hide their delight as they sat together in a red sled, and in one shot little Moroccan considerately pulled his sis along behind him.
The girly-girl made sure to matcher her soft pink snowsuit with her glasses frames.
Moroccan looked super-cute with a green star decoration stuck on his forehead and in another shot his famous parents propped him up behind the driver’s seat of a car.
Monroe also got glamorous in a classic red puffed-sleeve holiday dress with Peter Pan collar, matching pigtail bows, and white ruffled socks with black patent leather Mary Janes.
But in most of the shots the children are dressed for bed, with the boy comfortably splayed out on a bed in blue footie pajamas covered in woodland critters.
While Monroe was seen in green polka-dot PJs as she gave a stuffed reindeer decoration an affectionate hug.
Mariah Carey was last seen on Christmas Eve wearing a too-tight green leather jacket and high-heeled platform boots for one final shopping spree, while her husband and kids stayed at home playing Connect 4.
She will soon return to the set of the 12th season of American Idol, which premieres January 16, alongside judges Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban.
Mariah Carey is also working on her new album, due out in March.
Kate Winslet has married boyfriend Ned Rocknroll in a secret ceremony in New York.
Kate Winslet, 37, was given away by her Titanic co-star Leonardo DiCaprio at an intimate service in New York.
A spokesperson for the actress said: “I can confirm that Kate Winslet married Ned Rock’nRoll in NY earlier this month in a private ceremony attended by her two children and a very few friends and family. The couple had been engaged since the summer.”
The service is said to have been so private that even Kate Winslet’s parents weren’t aware she was walking down the aisle again, The Sun newspaper claims.
Neither Kate Winslet’s father Roger nor Ned Rockenroll’s father Robert had any idea about the nuptials.
Ned Rocknroll’s father told The Sun: “It’s not something I know of – but nothing would surprise me with those two.”
The pair were said to have gotten engaged in secret over the summer.
Kate Winslet has married boyfriend Ned Rocknroll in a secret ceremony in New York
Kate Winslet met Ned Rockenroll shortly after calling it quits with her on-off boyfriend Louis Dowler.
This is not the first time that Kate Winslet has wed in secret in 2003 she married Sam Mendes, her second husband, on an island in the Caribbean with just her daughter Mia and three friends.
The actress split from the director, who is the father of her son Joe, in March last year and the pair are now divorced.
In 2001, Kate Winslet split from her first husband, and father of her daughter, Jim Threapleton, after three years together.
Her first love was fellow actor Stephen Tredre, whom she dated for five years.
Kate Winslet described him as “the most important person in my life, next to my family”, but he tragically died of bone cancer aged 34, soon after she finished filming Titanic.
Ned Rockenroll, who changed his name by deed poll from Abel Smith, has also been married before.
Richard Branson’s nephew met Kate Winslet after separating from his wife, 23-year-old Eliza Cowdray, whom he wed in 2009.
Ned Rockenroll works for the space-travel branch of the Virgin empire.
Janet Jackson has reportedly become engaged to Qatari billionaire Wissam Al Mana, whom she’s been dating since 2010.
Wissam Al Mana, 37, “gave her a huge, expensive ring” and Janet Jackson, 46, is so afraid it will get lost, “she keeps it locked up”, according to Us Weekly.
Wissam Al Mana is the managing director of Al Mana Retail, which represents A/X Armani Exchange, and he’s a shareholder in the Saks Fifth Avenue.
Janet Jackson’s wealthy beau plans on sparing no expense for their spring nuptials in Qatar, and “he is flying in all of Janet’s friends and family on private jets”.
One source said that the pair’s ceremony will undoubtedly be “a circus”, and Wissam Al Mana plans to hire a “top chef to create a custom menu”.
Janet jackson, who’s almost a decade older than her Middle Eastern man, wants to start a family as soon as possible.
“If she can’t have them, she will adopt,” said a Janet Jackson insider.
Janet Jackson has reportedly become engaged to Qatari billionaire Wissam Al Mana, whom she’s been dating since 2010
Janet Jackson was last seen with the luxury-brand mogul shopping in West Hollywood earlier this month, and in July the loved-up couple were spotted laughing on a yacht in Sardinia.
The singer, who’s net worth is estimated at $150 million, has been married twice before.
In 1985, Janet Jackson had her marriage to childhood friend and singer James DeBarge annulled after eloping only months earlier.
And in 1991, Janet Jackson secretly married dancer, songwriter, and director René Elizondo, Jr., but the longtime couple divorced in 2000.
Two years later, Janet Jackson began her on/off seven-year relationship with record producer Jermaine Dupri.
In the past, Janet Jackson was linked to actor Rob Lowe, Hollywood screenwriter Gary DeVore, rapper Q-Tip, actor Matthew McConaughey, and Boyz II Men’s Wanya Morris.
France’s President Francois Hollande has ordered tighter security for his country’s embassy in the Central African Republic (CAR), after it was attacked by protesters.
Francois Hollande also told the defence minister to provide extra protection for French citizens there.
Demonstrators threw stones at the embassy in the capital Bangui and tore down the French flag.
They want France to help quash a rebellion in the north of the country.
France, the former colonial power in the CAR, has about 200 soldiers based there, and the government in Bangui has appealed for France to intervene against a rebel movement which has taken several northern towns.
The protesters said France had abandoned them. Protests were also staged outside the Air France office in the city.
The French ambassador has complained to the government over the incidents.
President Francois Hollande has ordered tighter security for French embassy in the Central African Republic, after it was attacked by protesters
France Hollande said he had ordered Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to take “all necessary” protective measures to guarantee the security of the embassy.
The Defence ministry said the embassy perimeter had been secured with the deployment of French troops.
Analysts say Paris is increasingly reluctant to interfere in its former colonies and a spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry told Reuters news agency the crisis needed to be resolved through dialogue.
Rebels in northern CAR on Sunday captured the key city of Bambari, the third largest in the country, having earlier seized the rich diamond mining area around Bria.
The rebels – known as the Seleka coalition – accuse President Francois Bozize of failing to honor a 2007 peace deal, under which fighters who laid down their arms were meant to be paid.
Seleka, which is made up of breakaway factions from three of the former armed groups, has pledged to depose Francois Bozize unless he negotiates with them.
They began their campaign a month ago and have taken several towns in their push towards the capital.
It is unclear how far they have advanced towards Bangui, but an unconfirmed report by Reuters news agency on Sunday quoted sources saying they were only 75 km (47 miles) away.
President Francois Bozize, who seized power in a coup in 2003, has repeatedly relied on foreign intervention to fend off rebellions and the spill-over from conflicts in neighboring Chad and Sudan.
Chad has deployed 150 soldiers to try to stem the rebel advance.
The United Nations has ordered all its non-essential staff to be evacuated due to the worsening security situation.
Abulaziz al-Shalal, commander of Syria’s military police, has defected from President Bashar al-Assad’s government and reportedly fled to Turkey.
Lt. Gen. Abulaziz al-Shalal is one of the highest-ranking officials to join the uprising against the Syrian regime.
The army had failed to protect Syrians and turned into “gangs of murder”, the general said in a video statement.
The announcement came amid reports of a deadly government strike in the northern province of Raqqa.
After reportedly crossing the border into Turkey, Gen. Abulaziz al-Shalal released a statement saying he had defected because the military had perpetrated massacres in towns and villages instead of protecting Syrians.
“I declare my defection from the army because of its deviation from its fundamental mission to protect the nation and transformation into gangs of murder and destruction,” he said in a video message posted online.
Opposition sources said the commander had been secretly co-operating with the rebels from the outset.
This is believed to be the case with many other senior defectors, our correspondent adds.
But Gen. Abulaziz al-Shalal said defecting was becoming more difficult because of the increased level of surveillance.
“Definitely, there are other high-ranking officers who want to defect but the situation is not suitable for them to declare defection,” he said.
An unnamed Syrian security source confirmed the army chief’s defection but played down its significance, Reuters news agency reports.
Abulaziz al-Shalal, commander of Syria’s military police, has defected from President Bashar al-Assad’s government and reportedly fled to Turkey
Gen. Abulaziz al-Shalal was due to retire soon and joined the uprising to “play hero”, the source is quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, reports of a deadly government strike near a village in the northern province of Raqqa have emerged.
Around 20 people, including eight children, were killed in the shelling, according to the UK-based activist group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The organization released video footage purportedly of the victims, showing blood-stained bodies laid out on blankets.
The SOHR is one of the most prominent organizations documenting and reporting incidents and casualties in the Syrian conflict. The group says its reports are impartial, though its information cannot be independently verified
Earlier this week, opposition activists said dozens of people had been killed in a government air strike in the rebel-held town of Halfaya in Hama province.
Although rebels have claimed some major territorial gains in recent months, the regime has hit back with massive firepower at the areas it has lost.
In a separate development, rebel fighters said they had seized the north-western town of Harem near the Turkish border.
On Tuesday the UN peace envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi held talks in Damascus with opposition figures who are tolerated by the regime but not supported by the mainstream opposition, our correspondent says.
Earlier, Lakhdar Brahimi had also met President Bashar al-Assad to discuss “the many steps to be taken in the future” to help end the conflict.
He did not, however, elaborate on what these steps were.
With the government dismissing the uprising as a foreign-backed extremist plot, and the rebels demanding that President Bashar al-Assad leave power immediately, the chances for a peaceful compromise seem slight.
Rebels have been fighting Bashar al-Assad’s government for 21 months. Opposition groups say more than 44,000 people have been killed.
Gerry Anderson, the creator of hit TV shows Thunderbirds, Stingray and Joe 90, has died aged 83.
Gerry Anderson also created Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and his puppet superheroes fired the imaginations of millions of young viewers in the 1960s and ’70s.
Thunderbirds, a science-fiction fantasy about a daring space rescue squad, ran from 1965 and was his most famous show.
Gerry Anderson had suffered from Alzheimer’s since 2010 and the disease had worsened in recent months, his son Jamie said.
Jamie Anderson announced the news on his website, saying his father had died peacefully in his sleep at noon on Wednesday.
“Gerry was diagnosed with mixed dementia two years ago and his condition worsened quite dramatically over the past six months,” he wrote.
“Having already decided with his family on a care home for himself earlier this year, he moved in there in October.”
Gerry Anderson talked publicly about the onset of the disease in June 2012.
His other creations included UFO, Space: 1999, Supercar and Fireball XL5.
Gerry Anderson, the creator of hit TV show Thunderbirds, has died aged 83
Celebrities paying tribute on Twitter included comedian Eddie Izzard, who wrote: “What great creation Thunderbirds was, as it fuelled the imagination of a generation.”
TV presenter Jonathan Ross wrote: “For men of my age, his work made childhood an incredible place to be.”
Gerry Anderson, who lived in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, began his career studying fibrous plastering, but had to give it up when it gave him dermatitis.
After a spell in photographic portrait work, a job in Gainsborough films and time spent in air traffic control, he set up AP Films with some friends.
Commissions were few, however, so he responded eagerly to the opportunity to make a puppet series called The Adventures of Twizzle in 1956. It was eight years before Thunderbirds came into being on ITV.
The action was filmed on Slough Trading Estate in Berkshire.
The story revolved around International Rescue, a futuristic emergency service manned by the Tracy family, often assisted by Lady Penelope and her butler, Parker.
It included the catchphrase “Thunderbirds are go!”.
The show marked the career apex for Gerry and his wife Sylvia, who had honed their “supermarionation” technique on Fireball XL5 and Stingray.
Nick Williams, chairman of Fanderson, the Gerry Anderson appreciation society, described him as “a quiet, unassuming but determined man”.
“His desire to make the best films he could drove him and his talented teams to innovate, take risks, and do everything necessary to produce quite inspirational works,” he said.
“Gerry’s legacy is that he inspired so many people and continues to bring so much joy to so many millions of people around the world.”
Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former US President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is set to become the new face of the Clinton family political dynasty as her mother exits the stage after 31 years of public service.
Chelsea Clinton, now 32, is being tipped to follow in the footsteps of both her mother and former-president father and play an increasingly prominent role in public life.
Hillary Clinton will step down from the helm at the State Department early in the New Year to be replaced by Senator John Kerry – and will take a long break before her rumored run for the White House.
Now experts quoted in Politico.com are saying Chelsea Clinton is ready to take her place as the “young Clinton” to pave the way for Hillary’s Democratic presidential bid.
As a young girl growing up in the White House, Chelsea Clinton was the subject of massive public fascination, although her parents are credited with succeeding in protecting her from much of the media frenzy.
And it seems she has not been put off a political career – Chelsea Clinton joined the board of the Clinton Foundation a few years ago and in July, accompanied her father to Africa on a foundation mission.
In 2011, Chelsea Clinton made what was effectively her first step major in politics on her own, volunteering in campaign to pass New York’s gay marriage law.
It is rumored that she managed to convince her father to change his views on the issue.
Chelsea Clinton is set to become the new face of the Clinton family political dynasty
Chelsea Clinton is now involved in both the Clinton Global Initiative and the Clinton Health Access Initiative and was also seen interviewing her mother at a Clinton Global Initiative event last year.
Former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, a staunch Hillary Clinton backer in her 2008 primary campaign, believes Chelsea could soon be securing the Clinton political legacy for many years to come.
Ted Strickland told Politico.com: “I think she could be a powerhouse.
“She has just, in my judgment, grown up into a person of considerable skill and competence.
“I don’t know if she has a personal goal in elected politics or not, or exactly what her life goals may be, but she certainly has a lot of rich personal experience as a result of [her upbringing].”
While a Chelsea Clinton candidacy still appears a long way off – she was still only a teenager when her mother first ran for the Senate in New York in 2000 – she has gradually become a confident public speaker.
Brian Ellner, an activist who organized the New York marriage campaign told Politico: “Chelsea Clinton speaks for her generation of young Americans who support marriage equality by wide margins, no matter what race or gender or even party.
“She has enormous credibility on the issue dating back to her work on the New York campaign.”
In a recent interview with Vogue Magazine,Chelsea Clinton gave a rare insight into what it was like growing up in the White House.
She revealed: “I was very aware of why we were there and that I was living among history.
“One of the things that my parents did a good job of was talking with me about their work.
“So at the end of the day, over dinner, I would tell them what I learned in biology class and my mother would tell me about advocating for women’s health around the world, and my dad would talk about the budget fight or what was happening in advance of a trip he was planning to Russia.
“I knew that we were having a different type of conversation than most of my friends, but there were normal rhythms that we started in Arkansas that very much carried through.”
Hillary Clinton will step down from the helm at the State Department early in the New Year. She will be replaced by Senator John Kerry.
It is rumored Hillary Clinton is planning for a second run at the presidency, although this is something she has continued to deny.
Although the iPad Mini is still fresh off the Apple’s table and yet reports of a new generation iPad are already circulating on Japanese tech blog Macotakara.
Rumor has it Apple plans to launch a fifth generation tablet in March 2013, in keeping with its yearly Spring releases of previous models.
But with the recent debut in November of the Mini, another model so soon is unexpected and will have technology fans wondering what new features it could possibly offer.
According to Macotakara‘s inside source the new iPad, will look like the iPad Mini in design and detail and the dimensions of a slightly smaller iPad 2.
Deciphering the claim that “the expectation [of the new iPad] comes to have a small 4mm in height, 17mm in width, depth 2mm”, would point to a reduction in size of the original iPad by these dimensions suggests 9to5mac.com.
The current iPad measures 9.50 in (241.2 mm) by 7.31in (185.7 mm) by 0.37 in (9.4 mm) and so according to the reports, the new one would be almost as thin as the iPad Mini at around 0.3 in (7 mm).
Although the iPad Mini is still fresh off the Apple’s table and yet reports of a new generation iPad are already circulating on Japanese tech blog Macotakara
There are currently three models of iPad and five generations.
The first iPad, the iPad 2 and the iPad Retina display all measure the same. Apple released a faster version of the iPad Retina (also known to many as the iPad 3) this past March and some people refer to this as the iPad 4.
Following hot on the heels of the iPad 4 launch was the introduction of the Mini measuring a sleek 7.87 in (200 mm) in height, 5.3 in (134.7 mm) in width and 0.28 in (7.2 mm) in depth.
And blogs are also whispering about plans for a new iPad Mini already in the works.
The new model, according to Macotakara, would feature the Retina display with the same resolution as the third and fourth generation iPads.
These theories have been backed up by Digitimes and come from a source known for its accuracy regarding insider information about Apple products.
If they do prove to be true, it would suggest that Apple is stepping up its game and keeping ahead of the curve within the world of tablets.
Former US President George H.W. Bush has spent Christmas with his wife Barabara and other family members in a Houston hospital after developing a fever and weakness following a monthlong, bronchitis-like cough, his spokesman said Monday.
A hospital spokesman had said George H.W. Bush, 88, would be released in time to spend the holiday at home, but that changed after he developed a fever.
“He’s had a few setbacks. Late last week, he had a few low-energy days followed by a low-grade fever,” Jim McGrath, George H.W. Bush’s spokesman in Houston, told The Associated Press.
“Doctors still say they are cautiously optimistic, but every time they get over one thing, another thing pops up.”
Jim McGrath said the cough that initially brought George H.W. Bush to the hospital on November 23 is now evident only about once a day, and the fever appears to be under control, although doctors are still working to get the right balance in Bush’s medications. No discharge date has been set.
“Given his current condition, doctors just want to hang on to him,” Jim McGrath said, adding that he didn’t know what had caused the fever.
Former US President George H.W. Bush has spent Christmas with his wife Barabara and other family members in a Houston hospital
George H.W. Bush’s wife, Barbara, his son, Neil, and Neil’s wife, Maria, are expected to visit on Christmas, Jim McGrath said.
Since he was hospitalized, George H.W. Bush has been visited by many of his children and grandchildren, including former President George W. Bush, who came twice, and former Florida Gov Jeb Bush, Jim McGrath said. With 37 members in the immediate family, George H.W. Bush has received many emails and phone calls, Jim McGrath said.
George H. W. Bush, the nation’s 41st president, and his wife, Barbara, live in Houston during the winter and spend their summers in a home in Kennebunkport, Maine.
The former president was a naval aviator in World War II – at one point the youngest in the Navy – and was shot down over the Pacific. He achieved notoriety in retirement for skydiving on at least three of his birthdays since leaving the White House in 1992.
Being in the hospital for such a long time has not been easy for George H. W. Bush, who is accustomed to being active, Jim McGrath said. But the president has said he’s determined “not to get grumpy about it”.
“He’s just the most relentlessly positive person and he does enjoy joking with the nurses.”
New York newspaper The Journal News is facing significant backlash from readers after publishing a map of all of the names and addresses of every gun owner in Westchester and Rockland counties.
The Journal News culled the list entirely from public records, legally accessible to all, but many readers were upset by the fact that they had been published on an interactive map on the paper’s website.
“This is CRAZY!!” wrote commenter Curtis Maenza, who is not listed on the map.
“This is the type of thing you do for sex offenders not law abiding gun owners. What next? should i hang a flag outside my house that says I own a gun? I am cancelling my subscription with your paper today!!!”
The paper, which is commonly referred to as LoHud, defended their decision by saying that in the wake of the Sandy Hill Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, residents are rightfully interested in knowing who has legal licenses for weapons in their area.
The Journal News is facing significant backlash from readers after publishing a map of all of the names and addresses of every gun owner in Westchester and Rockland counties
Parts of Westchester and Rockland counties buttress up to the Connecticut border, making the reference to the Newtown shooting even more clear. In fact, a select few of the records that were listed in the maps are in New Fairfield, Connecticut.
The Journal News said in a statement to ABC News that readers “are understandably interested to know about guns in their neighborhoods”.
“We obtained the names and addresses of Westchester and Rockland residents who are licensed to own handguns through routine Freedom of Information law requests.
“We also requested information on the number and types of guns owned by permit holders, but officials in the county clerks offices in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties maintained that those specifics were not public record.”
That was not enough to justify their decision to a host of readers, as nearly all of the 1,392 comments on the article are negative.
“Great job, just post our information and give criminals the exact place they can acquire guns and/or ammo,” wrote Tim Hill, who identifies himself as a member of the Marine Corps.
“We are not sex offenders, we should not have our addresses our (sic) there for the whole world to see.”
He went on to say that he will pursue legal action, as his is one of the names listed on the map.
“If they had a map of where all the idiots lived, all of the lohud employees would be on it,” commentor Vinny Verno said.
Kylie Jenner continued to flaunt her privileged lifestyle by posting Instagram snaps of the two expensive-looking Céline luggage-mini purses she received under the Kardashian Christmas tree.
The 15-year-old reality starlet was clearly enamored, tweeting two shots of the black purse and a smaller grey-and-brown handbag from the French luxury house, which retail upwards of $3,000.
“So Mean Céline,” Kylie Jenner wrote to her 3.2 million followers.
And she wasn’t the only one – 17-year-old Kendall Jenner also received designer goods from her half-sister Khloe Kardashian, who gifted the towering teen with $1,200 “Fifi” spiked patent leather Louboutins.
Kendall Jenner once famously received a $90,000 Range Rover for her sweet 16.
Kylie Jenner continued to flaunt her privileged lifestyle by posting Instagram snaps of the two expensive-looking Céline luggage-mini purses she received under the Kardashian Christmas tree
Both Jenner girls made sure to post their season greetings to their massive fanbase on their official site.
“Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Thank you all for being such amazing, supportive fans! We hope you’re spending the day with loved ones and family! Much love from us to you! Xoxoxo.”
Kylie and Kendall Jenner, who used to be Sierra Canyon School cheerleaders, even donned matching white Alexander McQueen dresses for their Christmas Eve festivities with the family.
Kylie Jenner was feeling particularly snap-happy as she celebrated, capturing moments with brothers Brody and Rob, sisters Khloe and Kourtney, their partners Lamar Odom and Scott Disick, and nephew Mason and niece Penelope.
Twisters hopscotched across the US Deep South, and, along with brutal, straight-line winds, knocked down countless trees, blew the roofs off homes and left many Christmas celebrations in the dark.
Holiday travelers in the nation’s much colder midsection battled treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain and blizzard conditions from the same fast-moving storms.
As predicted, conditions were volatile throughout the day and into the night with tornado warnings still out for some parts of Alabama. The storms were blamed for two deaths, several injuries, and left homes from Louisiana to Alabama damaged.
In Mobile, Alabama, a tornado or high winds damaged homes, a high school and church, and knocked down power lines and large tree limbs in an area just west of downtown around nightfall. WALA-TV’s tower camera captured the image of a large funnel cloud headed toward downtown.
WALA-TV’s tower camera captured the image of a large funnel cloud headed toward downtown in Mobile, Alabama
Queen Elizabeth II gave her Christmas Message to the nation as her Diamond Jubilee year draws to a close.
Since her first message in 1952, The Queen has ruled through enormous historic events and periods of change.
1950s
Queen Elizabeth II gave her first Christmas message in 1952 which was broadcast in sound only on television in the UK.
However, her message five years later was perhaps more significant as it was the first to be televised.
The Queen read from the Long Library at Sandringham House and in her message she noted how it was the 25th anniversary of the first Christmas message broadcast on radio.
She also highlighted the advance of technology which allowed her message to be seen by people up and down the country in their homes.
However, despite marking how things were changing, she also spoke about the importance of holding on to ideals and values such as religion, self-restraint and honesty.
1960s
During this decade the Queen gave birth to Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. It was a period of huge social upheaval which the Queen reflected in her 1966 message.
She used the broadcast to speak about the increasingly prominent and important role played by women in society.
It was also during this year that the Aberfan disaster occurred in which 144 people were killed following the collapse of a colliery spoil tip into the Welsh village of Aberfan.
No Christmas address was given by the Queen in 1969 because Elizabeth felt that with the investiture of Prince Charles and the release of a documentary about the Royal Family she had had enough coverage on television.
1970s
A number of the Queen’s Christmas Day messages during this decade reflected on the continuing troubles in Northern Ireland.
The monarch also celebrated the wedding of her daughter, The Princess Anne, to Captain Mark Phillips.
In 1977, the Queen’s speech celebrated the Silver Jubilee. She used her message to express hope for a reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
In August of that year, she visited Northern Ireland for the first time in 11 years and she attempted to help push for peace.
1980s
The first Christmas Day Message of this decade attracted a record 28 million viewers in the United Kingdom.
The Queen reflected on celebrations for The Queen Mother’s 80th birthday and used her message to address the themes of service in all its forms.
The Queen’s 1982 message marked the 30th anniversary of the first Christmas message. She delivered this message in the library of Windsor Castle for the very first time.
The year was marked by British troops fighting in the Falklands War and so the theme of the message by the Queen was “the sea”.
Prince William was also born during this year with Prince Harry born in 1984.
1990s
In 1990, Her Majesty paid tribute to the role of the armed services as troops prepared for Operation Desert Storm in the First Gulf War.
A year later, her message highlighted the huge changes occurring across Eastern Europe and particularly the Soviet Union, which was dissolved into 15 states on Christmas Day.
In her speech in 1995, the Queen reminded the country of the 50th anniversaries of VE Day and VJ Day and paid tribute to soldiers who had died in the Second World War.
Two years later, the Queen’s message opened with a reminder of a personal loss when Princess Diana died just a few months earlier. But she also spoke of her joy of married life.
In 1999, she told how she was looking forward to the new Millennium.
2000s
The Queen used her first Christmas message of the new Millennium to reflect on the role of faith in communities.
The following year, Her Majesty made reference to foot-and-mouth disease, which had crippled Britain’s farming community, and the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Her 50th Christmas broadcast in 2002 was tinged with personal sadness for the Queen as she reflected on the deaths of The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.
But she also remembered the joyous scenes when the nation celebrated her Golden Jubilee.
In 2005, she drew attention to tragedies such as the south-east Asia tsunami which killed more than 230,000 people in 14 countries, the earthquake in Kashmir and the 7/7 bombings in London.
Critics pointed to her omission of Prince Charles’s wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles, with some in the media describing it as a “snub”.
A year later was the first time the speech was made available as a podcast.
In 2008, she addressed people’s concerns about the global economic crash and called on the nation to work for a better future and not accept defeat.
Queen Elizabeth II gave her Christmas Message to the nation as her Diamond Jubilee year draws to a close
2010s
In 2010, the Christmas message for filmed for the first time at Hampton Court Palace.
She spoke of the unifying force of sport at building communities and featured footage of Prince William and Prince Harry playing football with orphans in Lesotho.
This year, the Queen paid tribute to the success of the Olympic and Paralympic athletes at London 2012 and reflected on the celebrations for her Diamond Jubilee.
It was filmed for the first time in 3D… in stark contrast to that audio-only Christmas message of 1952.
Baseball star Andruw Jones has been arrested for allegedly beating his wife Nicole Derick on Christmas morning at their home in Atlanta, Georgia.
Andruw Jones, 35, was booked into the Gwinnett County jail outside Atlanta, about 3:45 a.m. today on a charge of simple assault.
He won the Golden Glove award ten times in a row between 1998 and 2007 for his performance in the outfield for the Atlanta Braves.
Andruw Jones was released seven hours later on $2,400 bail.
Police were called to his home in the exclusive Sugarloaf Country Club in Duluth, Georgia, about 1.25am on Tuesday, according to theGwinnett Daily Post.
Officers were told that Andruw Jones and his wife of ten years Nicole Derick had been fighting.
The couple have a son and daughter together.
Baseball star Andruw Jones has been arrested for allegedly beating his wife on Christmas morning at their home in Atlanta
Once one of the premier players in the big leagues, Andruw Jones broke into the majors with the Atlanta Braves in 1996 and won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1998-07 as their center fielder.
He has 434 career home runs over 17 seasons in the majors.
Mostly recently, Andruw Jones played for the New York Yankees last season in 2012 and was released as a free agent.
Andruw Jones signed a $3.5 million, one-year contract with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Pacific League earlier this month.
In 2001, Andruw Jones testified in the prostitution case against an Atlanta strip club owner. While he was never charged, he said that he was invited to the Gold Club and that he was propositioned for sex by two strippers.
Andruw Jones testified under oath that he had sex with both the women in front of the club’s owner and six other men.
Former Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been voted in as prime minister again by MPs, after his party’s poll victory earlier this month.
Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its coalition partner have a two-thirds majority in the lower house.
The governing Democratic Party (DPJ) suffered major losses in the poll, with leader Yoshihiko Noda stepping down.
Conservative Shinzo Abe, who was prime minister in 2006-07, is expected to form a new cabinet later on Wednesday.
He is seen as a hawkish, right-of-centre leader whose previous term in office ended ignominiously amid falling popularity and a resignation on grounds of ill health.
The grandson of a former prime minister and son of an ex-foreign minister, Shinzo Abe, 58, has pledged to take a tough line in a territorial row with China.
China has urged the new government to take “practical steps” to deal with the dispute over islands in the East China Sea.
Former Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been voted in as prime minister again by MPs, after his party’s poll victory earlier this month
Shinzo Abe has also called for Japan’s pacifist constitution to be revised and patriotic sentiment nurtured.
The DPJ was elected in 2009 on its promise to increase welfare spending and break ties between the bureaucracy and big business.
But its failure to deliver on the economy and response to the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami lost it support.
This time round Shinzo Abe campaigned on a platform promising an end to years of economic stagnation, with more public spending and a looser monetary policy.
But some economists say there is little new in Shinzo Abe’s policies, or “Abenomics” as they have been called.
He has also said he would allow nuclear energy a role in Japan’s future despite last year’s disaster.
China has officially opened the world’s longest high-speed rail route, linking the capital Beijing with the southern commercial hub of Guangzhou.
The first bullet train left Beijing on Wednesday morning. Trains will initially travel at 300 km/h (187 mph), more than halving travel time.
A Chinese official has described the route – parts of which were already in operation – as “one of the most technically advanced in the world”.
The 2,298 km route will have 35 stops.
They include such major cities as Wuhan and Changsha.
The previously 22-hour journey will now take less than 10 hours.
China has officially opened the world’s longest high-speed rail route, linking the capital Beijing with the southern commercial hub of Guangzhou
The decision was taken to start the passenger service on 26 December to commemorate the birth of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, state media said.
China is currently expanding its high-speed rail network across the vast country.
But the ambitious project has not been free from controversy.
Forty people died last summer in a crash on a rapid train line in eastern Zhejiang province and the entire high-speed scheme has been dogged with reports of corruption.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama wished the troops a merry Christmas with a visit to a U.S. Marine base in Hawaii on Tuesday.
Barack Obama’s appearance with servicemen at a Christmas ceremony was his last public stop in Hawaii before he cuts short his vacation and flies back to Washington to return to negotiations over the fiscal cliff.
The president is expected to arrive in Washington early Thursday, the White House said Tuesday night. Michelle Obama and the couple’s two daughters will remain in Hawaii.
In the past, Barack Obama’s end-of-the-year holiday in his native state had stretched into the new year. The first family had left Washington last Friday night.
Congress has been expected to return to Washington late Thursday. Before he departed for Hawaii, Barack Obama told reporters he expected to be back in the capital the following week.
Automatic budget cuts and tax increases are set to begin on January 1, which many economists say could send the country back into recession. So far, the president and congressional Republicans have been unable to reach agreement on any alternatives.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama wished the troops a merry Christmas with a visit to a Marine base in Hawaii on Tuesday
Lawmakers have expressed little but pessimism for the prospect of an agreement coming before the New Year. On Sunday, Sen Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Texas Republican, said she expects any action in the waning days of the year to be “a patch because in four days we can’t solve everything”.
The Obamas were spending the holiday at a rented home near Honolulu. On Christmas Day, the president and first lady visited with Marines to express thanks for their service.
“One of my favorite things is always coming to base on Christmas Day just to meet you and say thank you,” the president said at Marine Corps Base Hawaii’s Anderson Hall. He said that being commander in chief was his greatest honor as president.
Barack Obama took photos with individual service members and their families.
On Christmas Eve, Barack Obama called members of the military to thank them for serving the nation, then joined his family for dinner, the White House said. The Obamas opened gifts Christmas morning, ate breakfast and sang carols.
Friends were joining the Obamas for Christmas dinner Tuesday night, the White House said.
President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle celebrated Christmas from their tropical Hawaii getaway as they released a more festive looking picture of themselves onto their Twitter feed.
Despite leaving for Barack Obama’s home state of on Friday, the pair released the seasonal picture to the White House twitter feed today and spoke together during the weekly presidential address of how much they enjoy a White House Christmas.
Both the president and his wife spoke of the joy at spending the Holidays with loved ones and paid a special tribute to the men and women of the armed forces – serving abroad with their families in Afghanistan and in other deployments across the globe.
More than 60% of voters backed the new Egypt’s constitution in a referendum, although only a third of the electorate voted.
Critics say the new constitution favors Islamists and betrays the revolution.
President Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power in February 2011 after nearly 30 years of authoritarian rule.
After the referendum result was announced on Tuesday, dozens of anti-constitution protesters blocked one of the main bridges in the capital Cairo, setting tyres alight and stopping traffic.
Parliamentary elections must now take place within two months.
The political divisions surrounding the referendum have led to economic uncertainty and a reported rush to buy US dollars.
Currency exchanges in parts of Cairo were said to have run out of dollars. Before the result was announced, the authorities declared a limit of $10,000 for travelers into and out of Egypt.
On Monday, Egypt’s central bank issued a statement saying that the banks had “stable liquidity” to safeguard all deposits.
President Mohamed Morsi’s government will soon have to take some unpopular measures to prop up the economy, which could hurt his party at the ballot box.
On Tuesday, Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie welcomed the referendum’s results, tweeting: “Congratulations to the Egyptian people on approving the constitution of revolutionary Egypt.”
Echoing his words, Prime Minister Hisham Qandil stressed that there was “no loser” in the vote and called for co-operation with the government to restore the economy.
More than 60 percent of voters backed the new Egypt’s constitution in a referendum, although only a third of the electorate voted
President Mohamed Morsi’s mainly Islamist supporters say that the new constitution will secure democracy and encourage stability.
But opponents accuse the president, who belongs to the Brotherhood, of pushing through a text that favors Islamists and does not sufficiently protect the rights of women or Christians, who make up about 10% of the population.
The US state department responded to the vote by urging all sides in Egypt to commit themselves “to engage in an inclusive process to negotiate their differences”.
In a direct appeal to President Mohamed Morsi, spokesman Patrick Ventrell said that as democratically elected leader he had a “special responsibility… to bridge divisions, build trust and broaden support for the political process”.
Turnout was 32.9% of Egypt’s total of 52 million voters, election commission President Samir Abul Maati told a news conference in Cairo.
Samir Abul Maati rejected opposition allegations that fake judges supervised some of the polling – one of several complaints relating to voting fraud made by the opposition National Salvation Front after each stage of voting.
Egypt has recently seen large demonstrations by both critics and supporters of the constitution, which have occasionally turned violent.
Before the first round of voting on December 15, the opposition considered boycotting the referendum before deciding to back a No vote.
Polling had to be held on two days because of a lack of judges prepared to supervise the process.
Egypt referendum result:
Votes for constitution 10,693,911 (63.8%)
Votes against 6,061,101 (36.2%)
Turnout 32.9% (17,058,317 votes including 303,395 declared invalid)
William Spengler, who allegedly have lured two volunteer firefighters to their deaths in Webster, New York, left a long note outlining his plans, police say.
They told a news conference that the gunman, 62-year-old William Spengler, had three guns and aimed to burn down his neighborhood.
No motive was given but the note said he was planning to “do what I like doing best – killing people.”
The firefighters were shot dead as they arrived to tackle a fire on Monday.
Seven homes on a narrow stretch of land beside Lake Ontario were destroyed by the fire. Another two firemen and an off-duty police officer were wounded in the attack.
Police Chief Gerald Pickering told reporters that Spengler, who apparently shot himself in the head, had used a .38 calibre revolver, a 12-gauge shotgun and a Bushmaster .223 calibre rifle with flash suppression.
The same make and calibre rifle had been used in the murder of 26 teachers and children at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut on 14 December, he said.
The police chief told reporters in Webster that a two- to three-page note from the gunman had been found in which he said: “I still have to get ready to see how much of the neighborhood I can burn down and do what I like doing best – killing people.”
William Spengler had served 17 years in jail for killing his grandmother with a hammer but had done nothing to attract the authorities’ attention since being granted parole in 1998.
As a convicted criminal, he was not allowed to own weapons.
Police said he appeared to have set “a trap” by setting fire to his home. His older sister, Cheryl, whom he reportedly hated, is missing.
Two of the firefighters who responded to the call, Tomasz Kaczowka, 19, and Mike Chiapperini, aged 43, were shot dead in what was described as a “clear ambush” on emergency services.
Their two wounded colleagues are said to be in a stable condition with gunshot wounds.
William Spengler, who allegedly have lured two volunteer firefighters to their deaths in Webster, New York, left a long note outlining his plans
The off-duty police officer, who was also shot and wounded as he came to their aid, was praised by the police chief for saving people’s lives.
Gerald Pickering cited “mental health issues” as a possible factor for the attack, which came months after the death of William Spengler’s mother.
The Newtown killer, Adam Lanza, killed his mother with her own guns before launching his attack on Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut.
His murders of 20 children aged six and seven have prompted a national debate on gun ownership and mental health.
“It’s sad to see that that this is becoming more commonplace in communities across the nation,” Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn told AP news agency after the attack in New York state.
Jessica Simpson has confirmed she’s pregnant for the second time with a sweet tweet on Christmas morning.
Jessica Simpson, 32, who is engaged to Eric Johnson, posted a picture of her 7-month-old daughter Maxwell sitting in garden with the words “BIG SIS” scrawled in the sand.
She wrote alongside the snap: “Merry Christmas from my family to yours!”
Jessica Simpson confirmed her first pregnancy with a similarly playful post – she dressed as an ancient mummy for Halloween in October 2011 and wrote: “It’s true, I’m going to be a mummy!”
The announcement ends weeks of pregnancy rumors surrounding the star, who had just lost 50 lbs with Weight Watchers as part of a $4 million deal.
Her Expect Amazing commercial, which is officially released on TV today, showed her flaunting her lean post baby body on the back of a pick-up truck.
Weight Watchers congratulated Jessica Simpson on her baby news via a tweet which read: “Congrats to @JessicaSimpson, Eric and big-sister-to-be Maxwell! Your WW family is so thrilled for you. What an amazing year you’ve had!”
Jessica Simpson has confirmed she’s pregnant for the second time
Jessica Simpson was last pictured attending her best friend Cacee Cobb’s wedding to Scrubs star beau Donald Faison in Los Angeles on December 15.
She wore a black bridesmaid dress and had a bouquet on hand to strategically cover her bump.
Although the pregnancy wasn’t planned, Jessica Simpson and retired NFL player Eric Johnson, 33, are overjoyed to be having another baby.
A source previously said: “Jessica wasn’t planning the pregnancy but she’s beyond happy about it. She adores being a mother and she’s always wanted to have a big family so she feels totally blessed to have another baby on the way.”
Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson are said to be hunting for a bigger home to accommodate their growing family and have reportedly made an offer on Ozzy Osbourne’s former home.
Ozzy Osbourne’s $13.5 million Hidden Hills home in California boasts six bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a recording studio and a pool.
Jessica Simpson hopes to move before her new baby is born.
Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon bought the property – which is situated in a gated community – for $12.4 million five years ago.
It also has floor-to-ceiling windows, and has examples of the couple’s eccentric style such as a black spiral staircase.
