Kourtney Kardashian and her fiancé Scott Disick welcomed a little girl into the world yesterday morning in Los Angeles.
And today, as they announced the news, they revealed that they had called her Penelope Scotland.
Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick already have a son, Mason, who is two.
Penelope Scotland was born at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and weighed seven pounds and 14 ounces.
Speaking to E! News, Kourney Kardashian said: “Scott and I are overjoyed to welcome our precious angel Penelope Scotland Disick into our lives.
“We are forever blessed. Mommy and baby are resting comfortably.”
Kourtney Kardashian and her fiancé Scott Disick welcomed a little girl into the world yesterday morning in Los Angeles
According to Kourtney Kardashian’s mother Kris Jenner, her daughter had a natural birth and added: “It was a great. She had an easy delivery.
“[Penelope] is so cute. She looks just like Mason. She’s so beautiful. We are so happy.”
Two years ago, when Mason was born, Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick showed his birth on the family’s TV show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians.
But during an appearance on the Tonight Show a couple of weeks ago, Kourtney Kardashian said they hadn’t decided whether they would show Penelope’s.
She said: “We’re gonna film it again ourselves, and honestly, my experience last time was so peaceful and calm and everything you don’t see in the movies.
“And I really wanted to share that with people so they knew it doesn’t have to be a crazy screaming session.”
Back in May, Kourtney Kardashian’ sisters Kim and Khloe and all the family including Kanye West, threw a baby shower for her.
Kim Kardashian revealed in a recent interview with InStyle magazine that she loves being an auntie and is obsessed with Mason.
Kyle Glover, Usher’ stepson, has been declared brain dead by doctors following a jet ski accident on Saturday.
TMZ reports that Kyle Glover, 11, the son of Usher’s ex-wife Tameka “has not experienced any brain activity” since he was admitted to hospital.
According to the website, a decision has yet to be made whether to take Kyle Glover off life support.
Usher is reported to have arrived at the hospital last night to join his former wife at her son’s bedside.
Tameka has spoken to Radaronline since the accident, telling the website that her son is not doing well.
“He’s bad,” she revealed.
Kyle Glover, Usher' stepson, has been declared brain dead by doctors following a jet ski accident on Saturday
The mother-of-five also posted a message on her Facebook page thanking friends and fans for their support.
“Kyle, You are strong.. You’ll be saved I know it. I love you my baby. I need all #Prayers for my son! thanks you everybody!” she wrote.
Kyle Glover was struck in the head by a passing jet ski while riding on an inner tube on Lake Lanier in Atlanta, Georgia.
He was unresponsive when he was rescued from the water.
A 15-year-old female companion is also reported to have been struck.
The accident is now being investigated, with the Department of Natural Resource in Atlanta launching an inquiry.
They plan to recreate the incident to help determine what happened.
The Wildlife Resources Division department’s Critical Incident Response Team will use special computer programs to help them determine how fast the boats were going at the time of the accident.
Robin Hill, a representative for the organization confirmed that rangers have been in touch with the driver of the jet ski and remain in contact with him.
They will hand their recommendation over to the district attorney who can then decide whether or not to file charges, once the department has completed their investigation.
Usher, 33, split from Tameka back in 2009 with their divorce finalized later that year.
The superstar singer is said to have chartered a plane for Tameka, who was out of town, to be at her son’s bedside at the Children’s Healthcare at Egelston Hospital yesterday.
Tameka, who has two children by the singer, Usher Raymond VI, 4, and three-year-old Naviyd Ely Raymond, was reported by TMZ sources to be “extremely thankful” for the gesture and “rushed immediately to be with her son”.
Kyle Glover is one of two sons Tameka had by Atlanta clothier Ryan Glover. She gave birth to her first son as a teenager.
Russia has decided to have a day of mourning for the victims of the flash floods in southern Krasnodar region.
At least 171 people were killed in the disaster, officials said on Sunday.
President Vladimir Putin has ordered an enquiry into whether people were given enough warning of the disaster. A separate criminal investigation is under way into possible negligence.
Officials deny allegations blaming the ferocity of the floods on the opening of reservoir sluice gates.
The day of mourning and enquiry were called by Vladimir Putin after he toured the affected area in a helicopter on Saturday.
Russia has decided to have a day of mourning for the victims of the flash floods in southern Krasnodar region
It was the first major disaster in Russia since Vladimir Putin, 59, returned for a third-term earlier this year, after a four-year term as prime minister.
The flash floods, the worst in living memory in the region, struck in the Krasnodar region on Friday night, after days of torrential rain. People were reportedly given little or no warning.
The rains dumped as much as 28 cm (11 inches) of water overnight, forcing many residents to take refuge in trees or on house roofs.
TV pictures later showed thousands of houses almost completely submerged with people scrambling onto their rooftops to escape the rising waters.
Most of those who died were in and around Krymsk, a town of 57,000 people. But deaths were also reported in the Black Sea resort of Gelendzhik and in the port town of Novorossiysk.
Krasnodar governor Alexander Tkachev said on Sunday that more than 24,000 people had been affected by the floods, according to Russian media reports. The regional authorities say more than 5,000 houses were inundated.
“It’s an unprecedented tragedy. There has been nothing like it in our history,” Alexander Tkachev said.
Local activists blamed the ferocity of the flood on the opening of sluice gates at the local reservoir.
The authorities admitted that an “automatic discharge” of water had taken place.
However, investigator Ivan Sengerov said on Sunday it was not thought that this was the main cause of the disaster in Krymsk, the Interfax news agency reports.
“The discharges were carried out in a normal, planned manner,” he told the agency.
“There was no overflow over the dam, so the discharges could not have caused the disaster.”
More than 7,000 Russian children were attending summer camps in the area and one of the camps was evacuated, Russian media reported.
Oil pipeline operator Transneft said it had halted crude shipments out of Novorossiysk – a major port on the Black Sea.
But the company added that that its infrastructure had been unaffected by the weather.
Actor Ernest Borgnine, whose career spanned more than 60 years, has died aged 95, his spokesman Harry Flynn has said.
The Oscar-winning actor died of renal failure in a Los Angeles hospital with his family by his side Harry Flynn told the Associated Press.
Ernest Borgnine continued acting until recently with a role in the hospital drama ER in 2009.
He won an Oscar in 1955 for his role in the film Marty.
HIs family released a statement saying Ernest Borgnine “had been in excellent health until a recent illness”.
Ernest Borgnine was also known for his roles in western The Wild Bunch and disaster movie The Poseidon Adventure.
Actor Ernest Borgnine has died aged 95
His TV series McHale’s Navy was also a major success in the United States. He is also remembered for his role as the jovial Dominic Santini in the 1980s series Airwolf.
The son of Italian immigrants, he was born Ermes Effron Borgnino on 24 January 1917 in Hamden, Connecticut. His parents later changed the family name to Borgnine.
He initially never considered a career in acting, serving in the US Navy after leaving high school in 1935.
It was only on the prompting of his mother than he enrolled in a drama school after the end of World War II.
After making his acting breakthrough in a Tennessee Williams’ stageplay, The Glass Menagerie, Ernest Borgnine gained his first major film role in From Here to Eternity in 1953, playing a sadistic sergeant who beats up Frank Sinatra’s character, Private Angelo Maggio.
His trademark stocky build, gruff voice and leering grin led him to be frequently cast as the villain.
But he escaped the stereotype in 1955, landing an Oscar-winning lead role as a romantic New York butcher in the low-budget film Marty.
He went on to play character-acting roles in more than 60 films, including The Vikings (1958), The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), The Dirty Dozen (1967), Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch (1969) and The Poseidon Adventure (1972).
Ernest Borgnine’s work in later life included playing the voice of Mermaid Man on children’s TV series SpongeBob SquarePants, as well as that of Carface on the animated film All Dogs Go to Heaven 2.
His personal life was turbulent at times, and included four failed marriages. One, to singer Ethel Merman, lasted barely a month.
“The Oscar made me a star, and I’m grateful,” Ernest Borgnine said in 1966.
“But I feel had I not won the Oscar, I wouldn’t have gotten into the messes I did in my personal life.”
However, his fifth marriage, to Norwegian-born businesswoman Tova Traesnaes in 1972, endured. He is survived by three children from two earlier marriages.
After news broke that Myla Sinanaj is reportedly pregnant with Kris Humphries’ baby, it seemed things were about to get messy between the former lovers.
However it has now been alleged that Myla Sinanaj has changed her tune and decided not to go forward with a lawsuit she was planning on filing against the NBA star.
Myla Sinanaj reportedly had her high-powered lawyer draft up a lawsuit claiming Kris Humphries defamed her by alleging she tried to extort him.
Myla Sinanaj reportedly had her high-powered lawyer draft up a lawsuit claiming Kris Humphries defamed her by alleging she tried to extort him
According to TMZ, Myla Sinanaj has agreed to sign a confidentiality agreement without trying to get any hush money from Kris Humphries.
The website claims that Myla Sinanaj’s shift in attitude is due to the fact she is hoping to win Kris Humphries back.
It was yesterday reported that Kris Humphries is seeking a paternity test from his former flame, who is believed to be three months pregnant.
A source told the New York Post: “This is a huge shock for Kris. He called Myla who told him, yes, she is pregnant, and it is his baby.
“She is three months along. They have dated since January, and Myla told Kris it is definitely his.”
The source added that Myla Sinanaj has claimed: “He is the only person she has slept with in a year.”
Another source said: “He will ask for a paternity test when the baby is born. He had been claiming that their relationship was pretty casual, that she was a <<booty call>> girl.”
Sienna Miller and fiancé Tom Sturridge are claimed to have welcomed their first child over the weekend.
Us Weekly reports that the birth took place in London, with no further details of the gender and name available yet.
News of Sienna Miller’s pregnancy broke in January, and the Alfie star was spotted wearing an engagement ring one month later.
Sienna Miller and fiancé Tom Sturridge are claimed to have welcomed their first child over the weekend
Sienna Miller, 30, and The Boat The Rocked star Tom Sturridge, 26, have been dating for over a year.
The notoriously private star revealed to British Vogue recently: “Even though I’m under strict instructions not to say anything… I’m feeling fine.
“It’s all progressing nicely and it’s very exciting.”
“I feel very grounded, more than ever – it’s a wonderful feeling. But all of a sudden, I’ve started to get cravings. I usually don’t have a sweet tooth but these tarts I could eat all day long!”
Sienna Miller was last seen in late June cooing over Chris Hamsworth and Elsa Pataky’s baby girl India on a London street.
Weeks early, Sienna Miller and Tom Sturridge, who is best friends with Robert Pattinson, enjoyed a last pre-baby holiday in Italy.
Andy Murray’s bid to win Wimbledon was ended by Roger Federer as the Swiss claimed a record-equalling seventh SW19 triumph and 17th Grand Slam title.
Andy Murray, 25, was aiming to become the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to lift a major singles trophy.
Roger Federer, 30, won 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4 on Centre Court to match the mark set by Pete Sampras and reclaim the world number one ranking.
A tearful Andy Murray has now lost all four of his Grand Slam finals.
Andy Murray was the first Briton to contest the Wimbledon men’s singles final since Bunny Austin in 1938, but fell just short of the ultimate goal.
“Everybody always talks about the pressure of playing at Wimbledon, but it’s not the people watching – they make it incredible,” said Andy Murray in the wake of his defeat.
“There are mixed emotions. Most of them are negative. The reaction from the crowd was great. I felt like I was playing for the nation and I couldn’t quite do it.”
Roger Federer claimed a record-equalling seventh SW19 triumph and 17th Grand Slam title
Roger Federer fully deserved his victory, which not only sees him level Pete Sampras on seven Wimbledon titles, but also secures him a record 286th week as world number one.
He is the second-oldest man to occupy top spot, goes away with a cheque for £1.15 million ($1.85 million) and will head to the Olympics – also being staged at the All England Club – as clear favourite.
Andy Murray, who collects the £575,000 ($920,000) runner-up prize, now shares his coach Ivan Lendl’s unenviable record of losing his first four Grand Slam finals.
Having made poor starts in each of the previous three – all of which ended in straight-sets defeats – Andy Murray knew it was vital to secure the early momentum.
All was going to plan as a couple of pummelling backhands down the line, a tactic many highlighted pre-match, helped Andy Murray break in the opening game and then consolidate the advantage for a 2-0 lead.
Roger Federer looked uneasy with the pace his opponent was setting and began deploying sliced groundstrokes to slow things down.
A majestic backhand landed on the baseline to engineer a break-back point in game four, and he converted it when Andy Murray found the net.
Both men needed to serve their way out of trouble as the pressure mounted and, crucially, Andy Murray produced a sensational volley at his feet to save the second of two break points in a 13-minute game eight.
He then struck with the help of a forehand pass that Roger Federer ducked to avoid being hit – reminiscent of the aggression shown by Lendl during his career – and comfortably served out the first set.
Statistically, Andy Murray actually improved in almost every area during the second, but the key difference was that he could not take his chances.
Whereas Andy Murray converted both break points that came his way in the first set, he let two slip at 2-2 and another two at 4-4.
Roger Federer held for 6-5 before going on the attack, and he came from 40-15 down to level the match with a sensational backhand drop volley.
Heavy rain arrived at at 16:14 BST with Roger Federer 40-0 up in game three of set three, and the prospect of further downpours saw the roof closed.
When play resumed 35 minutes later the Swiss, who destroyed world number one Novak Djokovic indoors on Friday, was vastly superior and put andy Murray under the cosh in a marathon game five.
Andy Murray was reeled in from 40-0, Roger Federer moving to deuce when the Scot took a heavy tumble at the net, and he slipped again before finally succumbing on a sixth break point.
Roger Federer served out with a crunching ace and averted danger early in the fourth set before striking for 4-2 with a cross-court backhand pass.
He wrapped up his first Grand Slam title since the 2010 Australian Open when Murray hooked a forehand into the tramlines.
“This fortnight was a step in the right direction. I won’t go back on the court until my mind is right and I am over the loss,” added Andy Murray of his future plans.
“The Olympics is a special event and I want to make sure I am ready. If I play like I did this week I have a good chance of winning a medal.”
Walter Szulc’s first experience in a kayak was enough to deter even the bravest as his quiet maiden voyage in the one-man canoe resulted in him being stalked by one of the sea’s most dangerous predators.
Shocked beachgoers on Nauset Beach near Cape Cod were lining the beach screaming “shark, shark” to attempt to warn Walter Szulc – but he failed to hear them.
The great white shark was estimated at 12-14 ft and was seen less than 100 ft out in the water when it appeared behind Walter Szulc.
Onlookers desperately tried to get his attention to get him back to the beach.
The great white shark was estimated at 12-14 ft and was seen less than 100 ft out in the water when it appeared behind Walter Szulc
One witness said: “There were hundreds of people on the beach, and they were all at the edge, yelling paddle, paddle, paddle!”
Safely on dry land Walter Szulc said he had not heard the warnings and had no idea there was a shark behind him until he was close to shore.
The moment he turns around to see the shark’s fin closing up on him was caught by a bystander.
“I looked behind me and that’s when I saw the shark, it was pretty much right there.
“I got a glimpse of it. It was a good size and it had a fin sticking out, so I just turned and paddled,” Walter Szulc said to local television station WHDH.
“I took a quick glance, it was probably seven to eight feet behind me.”
He added that he had teased his young daughter before going in the kayak.
The girl had refused to go in the water because she was afraid of sharks, but her father had laughed and assured her that there was nothing to be afraid of, the odds being very low.
“I found the odds, and they’re not exactly as good as I thought!”
No one came to harm in the incident but Nauset Beach immediately closed to swimmers. It was reopened on Sunday morning, according to beach officials.
Walter Szulc’s harrowing experience came amid a rash of shark sightings in areas like Cape Cod during its peak of Summer tourism.
Less than a week ago, July 3, two great white sharks were photographed swimming off the coast of Orleans and Chatham with the first sighting of the season having occurred a mere days before.
The sharks are drawn to the waters around Cape Cod as they are filling up with seals, a favorite food for the aquatic carnivore.
Angelina Jolie has become an honorary citizen of Sarajevo at the city’s film festival, in recognition of her film In the Land of Blood and Honey about Bosnia’s 1992-1995 war.
Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey, tells the story of a Bosnian Muslim woman’s love for a Bosnian Serb man during the war.
“This means so much to me. My heart is in this city,” said a tearful Angelina Jolie when given her award.
Angelina Jolie has become an honorary citizen of Sarajevo at the city's film festival
She said her experience making the film had been life-changing.
“The time I spent and the people I met in Bosnia have changed me forever,” she said.
“I can’t tell you how much it means to me to be named an honorary citizen of Sarajevo, a city so dear to my heart.”
The honor was announced in April.
It was presented to her by the prime minister of the Sarajevo Canton, Fikret Music.
In the Land of Blood and Honey, which features stark scenes of rape, executions and other war crimes, was first screened in Sarajevo last December.
Some Bosnian Serbs called for the film to be banned, saying it portrayed them as villains, but others said they wanted the film to be shown.
It was nominated for a Golden Globe earlier this year for best foreign language film.
Angelina Jolie was also attending the Sarajevo Film Festival to promote young talent in Bosnia.
The festival began during the Bosnian War and has gone on to become one of the largest in Europe.
President Mohammed Mursi has ordered Egyptian parliament to reconvene, a month after it was dissolved.
The Supreme Court had ruled parliament unconstitutional as party members contested seats reserved for independents. The military, then running the country, enforced the move.
But Mohammed Mursi, whose Muslim Brotherhood won most seats, said the chamber should reconvene until a new election is held.
His decision will be seen as a direct challenge to the army, analysts say.
President Mohammed Mursi has ordered Egyptian parliament to reconvene, a month after it was dissolved
Mohammed Mursi was installed as the country’s first freely elected president last month.
The military had taken over the reins of power after the revolution that ended strongman Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule last year.
The army move was initially welcomed by many of the protesters, but became increasingly unpopular as critics accused its leaders of wanting to hold on to power.
Army chiefs formally handed power to Mohammed Mursi on 30 June, but before his election they granted themselves sweeping powers.
A constitutional declaration stripped the president of any authority over the military, gave military chiefs legislative powers, and ordered that the military would install a panel to frame new constitution.
However, in his presidential decree, Mohammed Mursi said the recalled parliament would frame a new constitution.
A new election would be held 60 days after the constitution had been agreed by referendum, the decree said.
On a speech on the day of his inauguration, Mohammed Mursi said parliament had been elected in a free and fair vote.
“The army is now returning to its original role, protecting the nation and its borders,” he said.
Eileen Berlin, Tom Cruise’s former personal manager, became his surrogate mother and mentor when he was on the cusp of fame and she says that she knew from the start that his relationship with Katie Holmes was doomed.
Breaking her silence for the first time since she signed the actor as her client soon after his 18th birthday, Eileen Berlin said last week that she blamed Tom Cruise’s pent-up anger created by an abusive childhood for his three broken marriages.
As a child, the star, born Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, suffered from dyslexia, was bullied by his peers, and beaten and then abandoned by his father.
At 15, Tom Cruise entered a seminary, intending to become a priest.
Eileen Berlin, now 77, ran a New York film and theatrical management agency with her late husband and met Tom Cruise some three years later, after he dropped his surname and made acting his calling instead.
As a child, Tom Cruise suffered from dyslexia, was bullied by his peers, and beaten and then abandoned by his father
“His mom had asked him to leave her house, I think because he had had a teenage drinking problem,” Eileen Berlin said.
“She had remarried and he harbored a lot of anger and resentment at his natural father, who had deserted him and his three sisters.
“Every time I saw him, he would be with a girl, but I never saw him with the same girl twice. It was almost like he had to prove he was wanted – or maybe he wanted to feel loved.
“I wasn’t surprised Katie broke up with him. I was just surprised it lasted as long as it did. I was surprised when he married his first wife, Mimi Rogers, and I was surprised it lasted ten years a second time, with Nicole Kidman.
“Tom was moody and would get angry in a snap of your fingers. It was like something was smoldering and it would boil up and explode.”
Carrying a guitar and a duffle bag stuffed with a few possessions, Tom Cruise moved into the manager’s Manhattan apartment for three months after he signed up with her company. In 1981, Tom Cruise signed the contract for his breakthrough action film, Taps.
Eileen Berlin arranged for him to pose for publicity portraits. In one of them, dressed in tight jeans and a tank top, he strikes a belligerent pose and flexes his muscles but in others, he smiles with innocent charm.
“By the time I met him, he had decided he could be a star,” she said.
“He wanted to be treated like a star and he acted like a star. He would walk around my house in a little G-string strap and nothing else. I had a mirrored wall and he would stand in front of it, flexing his biceps and admiring himself.
“I was a bit embarrassed but he liked to show off his body. He had a great pride in it.”
Though he could be moody, the young lodger also had a charming side. Eileen Berlin said: “He was sweet, respectful and mannerly to a fault. He always addressed me as <<ma’am>> and my husband as <<sir>>. But he was so private, he couldn’t show his true feelings. You would get so far and he would close down. I am sure his wives would have come up against that barrier.”
“He would channel his rage into his roles,” Eileen Berlin said.
“For Taps, he locked himself in the closet. He said he thought about someone raping his sister before he filmed a scene where he blasted a machine gun. Once, my husband and I took him out for lunch while they were on location and a waitress said, <<Are you one of the actors?>> Tom said to us, <<Please tell her not to ask me any questions. I’m still in character>>.”
Another time, a row broke out when Eileen Berlin gave him a surprise birthday present – an album in which she had pasted photos of him from fan magazines. Eileen Berlin said: “He screamed, <<I didn’t want to be in the teen mags>>. He threw the album hard at me and it hit me on the cheek.”
Their professional relationship ended in 1983 but they stayed in touch and during a subsequent dinner, Tom Cruise mentioned the Church of Scientology, crediting it with helping him overcome his childhood learning disorder.
Eileen Berlin says she started to receive invitations to church events.
“I think Tom was the perfect candidate for Scientology,” she said.
“He didn’t believe in therapy but he obviously needed help. He just couldn’t have a relationship and I think that was because you have to open yourself up and he’d been too hurt by his father to do that.
“The world sees this good-looking guy, worth millions. I still just see this little boy.”
Nicki Minaj continued her current tour with a performance in Paris on Friday night wearing an interesting multi-colored outfit.
Nicki Minaj, 29, who is known for her wacky and eccentric style, took to the stage in Paris wearing yet another headache inducing ensemble.
While belting out her hits including Super Bass and Starships, the Trinidadian-born star paraded around on stage wearing bright pink studded knickers and a matching neon yellow jacket.
Nicki Minaj, real name Onika Tanya Maraj, teamed the garish items with a pair of graffiti print leggings, wedged adidas trainers and pink lipstick.
Her bleached blonde hair was left down in a curly style and even her microphone matched her look and was covered in pink crystals.
Nicki Minaj continued her current tour with a performance in Paris on Friday night wearing an interesting multi-colored outfit
Some might say that the colorful attire was actually quite tame compared to the look she modeled a few days ago while shooting her new music video in her native Trinidad.
Nicki Minaj adopted a full costume displaying traditional colors that are often worn at the world famous Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.
The video was being shot to accompany her next single release Pound The Alarm.
The singer was driven around the streets on the back of a lorry with music blasting from huge speakers just like a real carnival procession.
Nicki Minaj was dressed as flamboyantly as ever in a pair of fishnet tights with high-waisted black pants and some well placed jewellery to cover her modesty along with a tiny gold bikini.
She was also wearing a huge flume of feathers as she paraded herself in her mostly red attire.
The blonde haired star was happy with the large turnout and thanked everyone for coming on her Twitter page.
Nicki Minaj said: “Just wrapped an amazing video on an amazing island. #Trinidad #poundthealarm.
“The heat in Trinidad is on another level. O-o The girls in the vid are drop dead gorgeous & I’m not just saying it cuz I’m from here!”
Nicki Minaj has been putting a lot of work in lately performing around the world, and it has paid off.
Last month she took to the stage at Hackney Weekend, in London, before jetting off back to the States for the BET Awards.
She achieved a landmark this week on the Billboard charts that was equaled only by British band One Direction.
Nicki Minaj retweeted: “Only two acts have both a top 10 selling song and album this year: One Direction and [Nicki] Minaj.”
Tens of thousands of Americans whose computers are infected with DNS changer malware will lose Internet service on Monday.
However, the meltdown is preventable by following a few simple steps.
The impending crash will affect those whose computers have been infected with the nasty “Alureon/DNS Changer bot” when the FBI takes down the servers at 12:01 a.m. on Monday, July 9.
To avoid the meltdown, users need to determine if their computer is infected with DNS Changer. Antivirus software will not have offered protection, and Mac computers are also at risk.
To check, users can visit www.dns-ok.us. If you see a red background, your machine has been infected, and while green signals good news, you could still be at risk.
You can also go to www.dcwg.org, run by the DNS Changer Working Group, a collection of experts the FBI recruited to help with the problem.
FBI helps you to check if your computer is at risk of meltdown following DNS changer malware infection
The site includes links to commercial sites that will run a quick check on the computer, and it also lays out detailed instructions if users want to actually check the computer themselves.
Once there, click on “Detect” and scroll to “Manually Checking if your DNS server have been Changed”. Click on the option for your system and follow the step-by-step guide.
Your Internet service provider might also be able to help if you think your computer could have been affected.
Scroll to the bottom of www.dcwg.org/detect to see a list of the pages set up by providers for users.
If you discover that your computer has been infected, you can follow the steps at www.dcwg.org/fix. It is recommended to back up your files.
The cause of the crash is a piece of software, which was designed to redirect you from trusted websites to other sites in a bid to steal personal information and which found its way onto hundreds of thousands of computers last year.
When the attack was noticed, the FBI took the unusual step of setting up a “safety-net”, routing infected machines through their server to stop the “spoof” attacks.
These servers will be taken down on 12:01 a.m. on Monday, July 9, and when this happens, people still infected are likely to lose their internet connection without warning.
The warnings about the problem have been splashed across Facebook and Google. Internet service providers have sent notices, and the FBI has set up its special website.
Despite repeated alerts, the number of computers that probably are infected is more than 277,000 worldwide, down from about 360,000 in April.
Of those still infected, the FBI believes that about 64,000 are in the United States.
Users whose computers are still infected on Monday will lose their ability to go online, and they will have to call their service providers for help deleting the malware and reconnecting to the Internet.
According to Tom Grasso, an FBI supervisory special agent, many Internet providers are ready for the problem and have plans to try to help their customers.
Tom Grasso said other Internet providers may come up with technical solutions that they will put in place on Monday that will either correct the problem or provide information to customers.
If the Internet providers correct the server problem, the Internet will work, but the malware will remain on victims’ computers and could pose future problems.
In addition to individual computer owners, about 50 Fortune 500 companies are still infected, Tom Grasso said.
The simple steps to stay safe
If you are worried about the impending meltdown, follow these steps:
1) Visit this FBI-approved site – http://www.dns-ok.us – and see if you get an “all-clear” green background or an “at risk” red background.
2) If you have a red background, visit http://www.dcwg.org/fix which lists free virus scanner and removal software.
Our recommendations from the free range are Microsoft Windows Defender and Avira.
For more information, visit here: http://www.dcwg.org/detect/
US scientist Prof. Philip Low is to unveil details of work on the brain patterns of Prof. Stephen Hawking which he says could help safeguard the physicist’s ability to communicate.
Prof. Philip Low said he eventually hoped to allow Prof. Stephen Hawking to “write” words with his brain as an alternative to his current speech system which interprets cheek muscle movements.
Prof. Philip Low said the innovation would avert the risk of locked-in syndrome.
Intel is working on an alternative.
Prof. Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with motor neuron disease in 1963. In the 1980s he was able to use slight thumb movements to move a computer cursor to write sentences.
His condition later worsened and he had to switch to a system which detects movements in his right cheek through an infrared sensor attached to his glasses which measures changes in light.
Prof. Philip Low is to unveil details of work on the brain patterns of Prof. Stephen Hawking
Because the nerves in his face continue to deteriorate his rate of speech has slowed to about one word a minute prompting him to look for an alternative.
The fear is that Prof. Stephen Hawking could ultimately lose the ability to communicate by body movement, leaving his brain effectively “locked in” his body.
In 2011, he allowed Prof. Philip Low to scan his brain using the iBrain device developed by the Silicon Valley-based start-up Neurovigil.
Prof. Stephen Hawking will not attend the consciousness conference in his home town of Cambridge where Prof. Philip Low intends to discuss his findings.
A spokesman said: “Professor Hawking is always interested in supporting research into new technologies to help him communicate.”
The iBrain is a headset that records brain waves through EEG (electroencephalograph) readings – electrical activity recorded from the user’s scalp.
Prof. Philip Low said he had designed computer software which could analyze the data and detect high frequency signals that had previously been thought lost because of the skull.
“An analogy would be that as you walk away from a concert hall where there’s music from a range of instruments,” he said.
“As you go further away you will stop hearing high frequency elements like the violin and viola, but still hear the trombone and the cello. Well, the further you are away from the brain the more you lose the high frequency patterns.
“What we have done is found them and teased them back using the algorithm so they can be used.”
Prof. Philip Low said that when Prof. Stephen Hawking had thought about moving his limbs this had produced a signal which could be detected once his algorithm had been applied to the EEG data.
He said this could act as an “on-off switch” and produce speech if a bridge was built to a similar system already used by the cheek detection system.
Prof. Philip Low said further work needed to be done to see if his equipment could distinguish different types of thoughts – such as imagining moving a left hand and a right leg.
If it turns out that this is the case he said Prof. Stephen Hawking could use different combinations to create different types of virtual gestures, speeding up the rate he could select words at.
To establish whether this is the case, Prof. Philip Low plans trials with other patients in the US.
The US chipmaker Intel announced, in January, that it had also started work to create a new communication system for Prof. Stephen Hawking after he had asked the firm’s co-founder, Gordon Moore, if it could help him.
It is attempting to develop new 3D facial gesture recognition software to speed up the rate at which Prof. Stephen Hawking can write.
“These gestures will control a new user interface that takes advantage of the multi-gesture vocabulary and advances in word prediction technologies,” a spokeswoman said.
“We are working closely with Professor Hawking to understand his needs and design the system accordingly.”
The “first picture” of character Christian Grey from E.L. James’s novel Fifty Shades of Grey has been created by Dr. Faye Skelton, who has used descriptions and image-generating software.
University of Central Lancashire’s Dr. Faye Skelton made the image using descriptions of how women said they imagined protagonist Christian Grey.
Dr. Faye Skelton said the composite, created with software used to make images of criminal suspects, was “a bit of fun”.
She said she hoped the image would not “intrude on anyone’s fantasies”.
The "first picture" of character Christian Grey from E.L. James's novel Fifty Shades of Grey created by Dr. Faye Skelton
The erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey, which recently became the fastest adult paperback novel to sell one million print copies, tells the story of the steamy relationship between billionaire businessman Christian Grey and “unworldly, innocent” literature student, Anastasia Steele.
Dr. Faye Skelton used the descriptions of 12 women given to a radio station to create the composite and said most had drawn “comparisons with famous film stars”.
“While we don’t want to intrude on anyone’s fantasies, based on a small sample of women, this is the image of Christian Grey they have in their heads when reading the novels,” she said.
“Personally, I think he’s quite handsome – although everyone’s interpretation will be different.”
She added that the image “was just a bit of fun, but it does show the quality of image we can now generate”.
The university’s psychology department has been at the forefront of facial composite technology and created advanced software which uses the selection of multiple complete faces to create an image of a person.
It has been used by police forces across the world to identify criminal suspects.
France’s President Francois Hollande has said he plans a new law to punish denial that the 1915-1916 killing of Armenians was genocide.
A previous law approved by the French parliament was struck down in February by the Constitutional Council, which said it infringed freedom of speech.
Turkey rejects the term “genocide” for the deaths of Armenians during their deportation by the Ottoman Empire.
The issue has strained Franco-Turkish relations in recent years.
Francois Hollande’s predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy had also ordered his government to draft a new law after the old one was struck down.
“Francois Hollande has again expressed his willingness to propose a bill designed to curb the denial of the Armenian genocide, as he had said during his campaign and even before,” the Coordinating Council of Armenian Organisations of France (CCAF) told the AFP news agency.
Francois Hollande has said he plans a new law to punish denial that the 1915-1916 killing of Armenians was genocide
A delegation from the CCAF will meet Francois Hollande before the end of the month to discuss what form the new law would take, French media reports say.
On Thursday, remarks by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius during a meeting with his Turkish counterpart appeared to indicate that the Constitutional Council’s ruling would make it impossible to take up the issue again.
However, Francois Hollande’s office said on Saturday: “The president expressed his commitments during the campaign. He will keep them.
“We must find a path, a road that allows for a text that is consistent with the constitution.”
The vote on the previous bill in January spurred angry protests in both in Paris and Ankara. The Turkish government suspended political and military co-operation with France.
The Turkish government argues that judging what happened in eastern Turkey in 1915-1916 should be left to historians, and that the new French law would have restricted freedom of speech.
Armenia says up to 1.5 million people died in 1915-1916 as the Ottoman empire split. Turkey has said the number of deaths was much smaller.
The killings are regarded as the seminal event of modern Armenian history, a tragic bond uniting one of the world’s most dispersed peoples.
Among the other states which formally recognize them as genocide are Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Russia and Uruguay. The UK, US, Israel and others use different terminology.
France is home to an estimated 500,000 ethnic Armenians while about 550,000 Turkish citizens also live in the country.
Competing laws:
• Both the Holocaust and killing of the Armenians are recognized as acts of genocide in France
• Denial of the Holocaust is punishable under the 1990 Gayssot law, which is based on the findings of the Nuremberg Tribunal
• Some legal experts argue that unless the Armenian killings are formally recognized as an act of genocide by an international commission their denial cannot be made punishable
• In the absence of international certification, some legal experts argue the term “Armenian genocide” may be challenged on grounds of freedom of speech
• French MPs argued they had sufficient authority to legislate both on acts of genocide and their denial
Tens of thousands of people in Mexico City are marching against the result of the presidential election, which was won by Enrique Pena Nieto.
The demonstrators, who are not necessarily linked to any particular party, say the vote was not fair.
They accuse Enrique Pena Nieto’s party, the PRI, of buying votes; some carried banners saying “Not another fraud”.
Enrique Pena Nieto, who was declared the winner after a recount of nearly half the votes, denies the allegation.
The second-placed candidate in Mexico’s presidential election, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has said he will mount a legal challenge to the result.
Tens of thousands of people in Mexico City are marching against the result of the presidential election, which was won by Enrique Pena Nieto
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he would prove that illicit money was used to buy votes in the 1 July poll and secure the victory of centrist candidate Enrique Pena Nieto, who denies this.
Six years ago, after losing the presidential election by a narrow margin, the left-wing Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador led weeks of protests that caused disruption in central areas of Mexico City.
Enrique Pena Nieto was confirmed the winner on Friday after a final recount, with 38.21% to Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s 31.59%.
Third-placed Josefina Vazquez Mota, from the right-wing National Action Party, has admitted defeat.
There is a broad spread of people, not necessarily from the left, who feel that votes in their parts of Mexico were tampered with.
But Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, of the Party of the Democratic Revolution, said the election had been fraudulent and that he would file an appeal next week.
He accuses the party of Enrique Pena Nieto, the Institutional Revolutionary Party, of paying for votes using gift cards for a supermarket chain.
Numerous videos have emerged of people claiming they received credit in exchange for voting for the PRI.
The party governed Mexico for 71 years until it was defeated in the 2000 presidential poll.
A patient has been diagnosed with cholera in the Cuban capital, Havana, days after three people died in a rare outbreak in the south-eastern town of Manzanillo.
More than 50 people were infected and about 1,000 have received medical attention.
The authorities say the outbreak is under control but four hospitals are prepared to isolate patients.
They say people became ill after drinking water from contaminated wells.
A patient has been diagnosed in Havana, days after three people died in a rare outbreak in the south-eastern town of Manzanillo
But it is not clear what the source of the cholera is.
Most of the cases were in Cuba’s south-eastern Granma province, more than 750 km (470 miles) from Havana.
Hundreds of medical professionals from that area, including nurses, have worked and continue to work with patients in Haiti, where tens of thousands of people were infected after a devastating earthquake in 2010.
For over a week doctors in Havana have been doing the rounds of their patients, checking for symptoms of cholera.
The infirm, elderly and pregnant have been prioritized.
Now tests on a 60-year-old woman, admitted to hospital on Wednesday, have confirmed that she has the disease.
As she was diagnosed early, doctors say she is in a stable condition.
Health officials said they had “all the necessary resources to provide adequate attention to patients.”
They said they had taken a series of measures, including taking samples of water and adding chlorine to purify it, to combat the outbreak.
Cholera is a bacterial infection that can cause severe diarrhea and dehydration.
The Health Ministry said the last reported cholera outbreak on the island was soon after the 1959 Revolution.
While Myla Sinanaj allegedly is certain Kris Humphries is the father of her baby, the NBA star isn’t so sure.
Kris Humphries is reportedly seeking a paternity test from his former flame, who is believed to be three months pregnant.
A source told the New York Post: “This is a huge shock for Kris. He called Myla who told him, yes, she is pregnant, and it is his baby.
“She is three months along. They have dated since January, and Myla told Kris it is definitely his.”
The source added that Myla Sinanaj has claimed: “He is the only person she has slept with in a year.”
While Myla Sinanaj allegedly is certain Kris Humphries is the father of her baby, the NBA star isn't so sure
Another source said: “He will ask for a paternity test when the baby is born. He had been claiming that their relationship was pretty casual, that she was a <<booty call>> girl.”
Yesterday Myla Sinanaj stepped out showing off what appeared to be a baby bump on her way to meet friends at Five Guys burger joint.
The brunette sported a black and white striped maxi dress which clung to her visibly rounded belly.
Myla Sinanaj looked happy and smiled for the cameras as she was spotted taking a stroll while toting a red leather handbag.
Myla Sinanaj is believed to have dated the NBA star following his split from wife of 72 days Kim Kardashian.
Myla Sinanaj stepped out showing off what appeared to be a baby bump on her way to meet friends at Five Guys burger joint.
Myla Sinanaj, who is believed to be three months along, sported a black and white striped maxi dress which clung to her visibly rounded belly.
She looked happy and smiled for the cameras as she was spotted taking a stroll while toting a red leather handbag.
Myla Sinanaj stepped out showing off what appeared to be a baby bump on her way to meet friends at Five Guys burger joint
Myla Sinanaj is believed to have dated Kris Humphries following his split from wife of 72 days Kim Kardashian.
The brunette has allegedly claimed she is certain that Kris Humphries is the father, according to TMZ.
The website claims that Myla Sinanaj is planning on keeping the baby, but reportedly does not want Kris to play a part in the child’s life.
She allegedly feels Kris Humphries has betrayed her by speaking about their relationship in the past.
As Kim Kardashian, 31, and Kris Humphries’ divorce disposition gets underway, reality star Kim could utilize the news of Myla Sinanaj’s pregnancy to her benefit in proceedings.
Scientists have developed EP67, a new spray that helps boost the immune system can fight off flu in just two hours – even before symptoms.
The drug, delivered by a nasal spray, contains a synthetic protein that triggers the immune system to fight the flu before the body normally would.
Once a person is exposed to the flu, current treatments are designed to target the current circulating strain exactly, but the virus can sometimes develop a resistance against them.
This new treatment doesn’t need to match the virus exactly and gets the immune system to react almost immediately to the threat before the body normally would.
Scientists have developed EP67, a new spray that helps boost the immune system can fight off flu in just two hours
Flu is potentially fatal to people with a low immune system as they struggle to shake off the infection and can also be lethal to the elderly.
Researchers at San Diego State University in America focused the study on the protein EP67, which has previously been used as something added to a vaccine to help activate the immune response, but they wanted to see if it would work on its own.
They tested EP67 on mice by infecting them with a flu virus – finding those given a dose within 24 hours did not get sick, or as sick, as those not treated with the protein.
The level of illness in mice is measured by weight loss – typically mice lose about 20% of their weight when infected with the flu, but those treated with EP67 lost an average of 6%.
The researchers also found mice who were treated a day after being infected with a lethal dose of influenza did not die.
EP67 is active in animals, including birds, so the finding could also have huge implications for veterinary applications.
It could also be used if there is a new strain of the infectious disease, before the actual pathogen has been identified, like in SARS or the 2009 H1N1 influenza outbreak.
Future research will examine the effect EP67 has in the presence of a number of other pathogens and look closer at exactly how EP67 functions within different cells in the body.
Although this study, published in science journal PLoS ONE, focuses on the flu, EP67 has the potential to work on other respiratory diseases and fungal infections and could have huge potential for emergency therapeutics.
Professor Joy Phillips, of San Diego State University, said: “The flu virus is very sneaky and actively keeps the immune system from detecting it for a few days until you are getting symptoms.
“Our research showed that by introducing EP67 into the body within 24 hours of exposure to the flu virus caused the immune system to react almost immediately to the threat, well before your body normally would.
“When you find out you’ve been exposed to the flu, the only treatments available now target the virus directly but they are not reliable and often the virus develops a resistance against them.
“EP67 could potentially be a therapeutic that someone would take when they know they’ve been exposed that would help the body fight off the virus before you get sick.”
Bub the dwarf cat became an internet sensation after her owner dedicated a YouTube channel and Facebook page to her.
Bub, who was born with several genetic mutations, will remain looking like a kitten for the rest of her life.
But her owner, who describes her as a “happy accident”, is keen to declare that she was not bred to be a “perma-kitten”.
Because of her condition, Bub’s limbs are disproportionately small compared to the rest of her long, serpent-like body and she struggles to walk.
Her tongue often hangs out as she has no teeth and she was born with extra toes, meaning she has 22 claws.
But her unique characteristics have struck a chord with the public. Bub has more than 8,000 Facebook fans and video of her have attracted almost 280,000 hits on YouTube.
Bub the dwarf cat became an internet sensation after her owner dedicated a YouTube channel and Facebook page to her
“I could seriously cuddle you for hours. No joke,” one Facebook user posted.
“You are the most amazing, adorable, courageous cat I have ever seen or heard of and I am in love with you…!!” added another.
“Despite her weird looks and numerous <<deformities>>, BUB is a healthy, happy cat. She may not be able to jump on and off stuff, but she manages by climbing using her 22 claws. She also can’t quite run or walk very well… but she is a fantastic waddler,” Bub’s owner writes on the cat’s Facebook page.
“Even though she has no teeth, she has a fierce appetite, and can take down half of a bowl of dry food without any problems (the other half winds up scattered on the floor).
“Just like other cats, she poops and pees in the litter box, likes to chase bugs and is always cleaning her luxurious coat and sometimes even her dude’s beard.”
Jordanian MP Mohammad Shawabka threw one of his shoes at political opponent Mansour Sayf al-Din Murad during a television debate before pulling a gun on him.
The incident occurred after the debate between MP Mohammad Shawabka and political activist Mansour Sayf al-Din Murad on the private satellite channel Jo Sat became heated, with the pair trading insults.
“You’re a Mossad agent,” said the activist, to which MP Mohammad Shawabka replied: “You’re a big crook.”
Jordanian MP Mohammad Shawabka threw one of his shoes at political opponent Mansour Sayf al-Din Murad during a television debate before pulling a gun on him
Mansour Sayf al-Din Murad stood up and began shouting at the activist. The host, Mohammad Habashneh, who was sitting between them, urged his guests to “calm down”.
But the MP took off his right shoe and threw it before pulling out a silver pistol and pointing it at the activist.
The opponents left their seats and tussled with one another while the host tried to separate them.
The two men continued to struggle as the show ended and the credits ran.
Serena Williams overcame Agnieszka Radwanska to clinch a hard-fought 6-1 5-7 6-2 victory and earn her fifth Wimbledon singles title.
Serena Williams, 30, a winner in 2002, 2003, 2009 and 2010, had eased through the opener with Agnieszka Radwanska rarely threatening to pierce her defences.
But the Pole regrouped as rain delayed the second set, and clawed back a break before swooping late to win the second.
Serena Williams broke twice in the decider to finally kill off Agnieszka Radwanska’s comeback.
It is Serena Williams’ 14th Grand Slam title and her first since spending almost a year out of action between summer 2010 and 2011 with a leg injury and subsequent pulmonary embolism.
“I can’t even describe it. I almost didn’t make it a few years ago,” she said after her win, referring to her health problems.
“I was in hospital but now I’m here again and it was so worth it. I’m so happy.
“Aggie played so well and that’s why she’s had such a great career and she’s so young.”
Serena Williams overcame Agnieszka Radwanska and won fifth Wimbledon singles title
Such an absorbing finish seemed highly unlikely as Serena Williams demolished Agnieszka Radwanska in the opening set, raising the fear that her opponent was struggling with a respiratory illness that forced her to call off a news conference on Friday.
The world number three seemed to lack the energy to realise her hopes of countering Serena Williams’ clubbing baseline power with guile and touch.
A brief rain shower appeared to have opposite effects on the pair however, as Agnieszka Radwanska emerged revitalized and Serena Williams’ forehand grew increasingly erratic.
Serena Williams broke to love in the third game with a walloped return winner, but her nerves tightened and Agnieszka Radwanska raised her game just in time to avert a seemingly inevitable straight-sets win.
Agnieszka Radwanska forced break point for the first time in the match to level at 4-4 and the crowd threw their support behind her renaissance.
Suddenly Agnieszka Radwanska’s scurrying and fetching was asking questions and Williams, apparently beset by mental demons, crashed into the net from midcourt to send the match into a decider.
Serena Williams had lost only four of the previous 194 Grand Slam matches in which she won the opening set however, and reasserted her authority to protect that record and accelerate away from Agnieszka Radwanska.
Agnieszka Radwanska saw off two break points to hold for a 2-1 lead, but Serena Williams served out in less than a minute in the following game and was not to be denied in the next.
A cute drop shot moved her a double break and 5-2 clear and Serena Williams kept any lingering jitters at bay to serve out before dropping to the turf in delight.
Her victory is the first time the title has been won by a woman over 30 since Martina Navratilova’s triumph in 1990 and restores Victoria Azarenka, the Belarussian she beat in the semi-final, to the world number one spot.
Serena Williams also served a total of 102 aces en route to lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish – more than any other woman has managed in a single Wimbledon campaign.
According to Russian officials, at least 99 people have been killed after flash floods caused by torrential rain swept the southern Krasnodar region.
The floods, the worst there in living memory struck at night, reportedly without warning.
Emergency teams have been sent from Moscow by plane and helicopter. TV pictures showed people scrambling onto their rooftops to escape.
At least 88 people died around the worst-hit town of Krymsk.
Crude oil shipments from the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk have suspended.
Russian TV showed thousands of houses in the region nearly completely submerged.
Some users of social media networks in Russia said Krymsk looked liked it was hit “by a tsunami”. Others accused the authorities of not telling the whole truth about the disaster.
At least 99 people have been killed after flash floods caused by torrential rain swept the southern Krasnodar region
At least nine died in Gelendzhik and two in Novorossiysk. Dozens of people are reportedly missing, and there are fears that the death toll will rise further.
The Krasnodar-Novorossiysk motorway was cut, and the transport system in the region is said to have collapsed.
A statement by the Krasnodar regional administration said altogether 13,000 people had been affected by the floods.
Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov is on his way to the region.
Up to 1,000 rescuers are involved in searching for victims and evacuating survivors.
“The floods were very strong. Even traffic lights were ripped out,” regional police spokesman Igor Zhelyabin told AFP news agency, adding that evacuations were under way.
Regional governor Alexander Tkachev tweeted after flying over the affected area that there was “something unimaginable” going on in Krymsk.
He said, quoted by the Russian Itar-Tass news agency, that “no-one can remember such floods in our history. There was nothing of the kind for the last 70 years”.
Anna Kovalevskaya, who says she has relatives in Krymsk, said her family was caught unaware by the floods.
“The water started flooding in at 2:00 a.m.,” she said.
“People were running out into the streets in their underwear and wrapping their children in blankets. People were only able to save their passports.
“There is no electricity and the shops are shut. Many people have lost everything and are in a state of panic.”
The rains dumped as much as 28 cm (11 inches) of water on parts of the Krasnodar region overnight, forcing many residents to take refuge in trees or on house roofs.
Oil pipeline operator Transneft said it had halted crude shipments out of Novorossiysk, but that its infrastructure in the port had been unaffected by the weather.
“Of course, we limited shipments, the port is located in the lower part of town, the whole landslide has moved towards it. As we speak, the rain has started again,” spokesman Vladimir Sidorov told Reuters news agency.
