Anders Behring Breivik says his killings in Norway last July were “a small barbarian act to prevent a larger barbarian act” on what may be his final day of evidence.
Anders Breivik, 33, has already admitted the Oslo bombing and island shootings that left 77 people dead. The main aim of the trial is to decide whether he is sane.
He said he “lost absolutely everything” on 22 July, all his family and friends.
Therefore he understood the loss he imposed on others, he said.
On 22 July 2011, Anders Breivik set off a car bomb near government buildings in Oslo, killing eight, and then massacred 69 participants in a Labour Party youth camp on the nearby island of Utoeya.
Anders Breivik said he wanted to apologize for killing or injuring the “innocent” people in the Oslo bombing who were just passing by and had no political connections.
But he offered no apology for the Utoeya massacre.
Anders Behring Breivik says his killings in Norway last July were "a small barbarian act to prevent a larger barbarian act
In his other evidence on Monday, Anders Breivik said he:
• believed political leaders would be “emotionally unstable” and would instruct police to execute him after his arrest at Utoeya
• told police he believed his family might be executed after his actions
• considered at one stage stealing a small plane from a nearby airfield to flee after his actions
• planned to make a video recording of himself decapitating former PM Gro Harlem Brundtland while reading a prepared text spelling out her “crimes”
• repeatedly replied “no comment” to any questions about other members of an anti-Muslim network called the Knights Templar, which Anders Breivik says he belongs to but which prosecutors believe does not exist
Anders Breivik admits killing all 77 victims, but denies criminal responsibility, saying he was defending Norway from multiculturalism.
He said he had envisaged the most important attack as being the Oslo bombing, but Utoeya “became the most important attack when the government building did not collapse” as planned.
Depending on whether he is found sane or not, he faces either prison or committal to a psychiatric institution.
Anders Breivik himself maintains he is sane, but a practitioner of political extremism.
In earlier statements to the court, he insisted he was “under normal circumstances a very nice person, very caring about those around me”.
He said he “absolutely” understood why his testimony was horrifying to others.
But said he had embarked on a deliberate programme of “dehumanization” in 2006 to prepare to carry out killings.
Anders Breivik has been allocated five days in total to give evidence, with the entire proceedings expected to last 10 weeks.
President Nicolas Sarkozy faces an uphill struggle in the second round of the French presidential election, after coming second in Sunday’s first vote.
Nicolas Sarkozy won 27.1% of the vote, while his Socialist rival Francois Hollande took 28.6%, the first time a sitting president has lost in the first round.
Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy will face each other in a second round of voting on 6 May.
Third-place Marine Le Pen took the largest share of the vote her far-right National Front has ever won, with 18%.
Francois Hollande’s narrow victory in this round gives him crucial momentum ahead of the run-off in two weeks’ time.
Nicolas Sarkozy, leader of the ruling centre-right UMP, will now need to woo the far-right voters who backed Marine Le Pen if he is to hold on to the presidency. But Francois Hollande remains the front runner.
Around one in five people voted for the National Front candidate, including many young and working class voters, putting her ahead of seven other candidates.
The election has been dominated by economic issues, with voters concerned with sluggish growth and rising unemployment.
Marine Le Pen, who campaigned on a nationalist, anti-immigration platform, said she would wait until May Day next week to give her view on the second round.
She told jubilant supporters that the result was “only the start” and that the party was now “the only opposition” to the Left.
Opinion polls taken after voting on Sunday suggested that between 48 and 60% of Le Pen voters would switch to backing Nicolas Sarkozy in the second round.
But pollsters also predict a large abstention rate in the second round.
Nearly a fifth of voters backed a party – the National Front – that wants to ditch the euro and return to the franc.
President Nicolas Sarkozy faces an uphill struggle in the second round of the French presidential election, after coming second in Sunday's first vote
But polls suggest Francois Hollande will comfortably win the second round.
As the results came in, he said he was “best placed to become the next president of the republic” and that Nicolas Sarkozy had been punished by voters.
“The choice is simple, either continue policies that have failed with a divisive incumbent candidate or raise France up again with a new, unifying president,” Francois Hollande said.
It is the first time a French president running for re-election has failed to win the first round since the start of the Fifth Republic in 1958.
Nicolas Sarkozy – in power since 2007 – said he understood “the anguish felt by the French” in a “fast-moving world”.
He called for three debates during the two weeks to the second round – centring on the economy, social issues, and international relations.
Francois Hollande promptly rejected the idea. He told reporters that the traditional single debate ahead of the second round was sufficient, and that it should “last as long as necessary”.
Turnout on Sunday was high, at more than 80%.
Marine Le Pen achieved more than the breakthrough score polled in 2002 by her father and predecessor, Jean-Marie Le Pen, who got through to the second round with more than 16%.
Leftist candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon, who was backed by the Communist Party, came fourth with almost 12%.
He urged his supporters unconditionally to rally behind Francois Hollande in the run-off.
Centrist Francois Bayrou, who was hoping to repeat his high 2007 score of 18%, garnered only about 9%.
If Nicolas Sarkozy cannot change the minds of a substantial number of people, he will become the first sitting president to lose an election since 1981.
Wages, pensions, taxation, and unemployment have been topping the list of voters’ concerns.
Nicolas Sarkozy has promised to reduce France’s large budget deficit and to tax people who leave the country for tax reasons.
Francois Hollande has strongly criticized Nicolas Sarkozy’s economic record.
The Socialist candidate has promised to raise taxes on big corporations and people earning more than 1 million Euros a year.
He also wants to raise the minimum wage, hire 60,000 more teachers and lower the retirement age from 62 to 60 for some workers.
If elected, Francois Hollande would be France’s first left-wing president since Francois Mitterrand, who completed two seven-year terms between 1981 and 1995.
A British team from Newcastle University is developing new technology aimed at helping older drivers stay on the road.
Many give up because their reaction times have slowed down – but this means they become more isolated and inactive.
One of the Intelligent Transport team’s developments is a “Granny-Nav” which identifies the safest route, such as avoiding right turns.
The Age UK charity said such developments could help the elderly maintain their independence.
The work is part of a £12 million ($19 million) “social inclusion through the digital economy (SiDE)” project, led by Newcastle University, which aims to see how technology can improve peoples’ lives.
The researchers have converted an electric car into a mobile laboratory.
The “DriveLAB” has navigation tools, night vision systems and intelligent speed adaptations.
It can monitor concentration, stress levels and driving habits via glasses that can track eye movement, and monitors to assess where the key stress points are for older drivers.
The car also has night vision systems to help driving in the dark.
Around 20 drivers in their 80s from across the north-east of England and Scotland have so far taken DriveLAB out on the road.
Around 20 drivers in their 80s from across the north-east of England and Scotland have so far taken DriveLAB out on the road
The team looked at developing a bespoke sat-nav because the elderly drivers they spoke to said finding a route they were comfortable with was a major factor in making them feel comfortable driving.
Many avoid turning right because they do not feel confident about judging the speed of oncoming traffic.
It also uses pictures of local landmarks, such as a post box or public house, as turning cues for when people are driving in unfamiliar places.
Phil Blythe, professor of intelligent transport systems at Newcastle University, said: “For many older people, particularly those living alone or in rural areas, driving is essential for maintaining their independence, giving them the freedom to get out and about without having to rely on others.
“And people base their whole lives around driving a car, having mobility.
“But we all have to accept that as we get older our reactions slow down and this often results in people avoiding any potentially challenging driving conditions and losing confidence in their driving skills. The result is that people stop driving before they really need to.
“What we are doing is to look at ways of keeping people driving safely for longer, which in turn boosts independence and keeps us socially connected.”
Dr. Amy Guo, who is leading the older driver study, said it had produced some surprises.
“For example, most of us would expect older drivers always go slower than everyone else but surprisingly, we found that in 30mph zones they struggled to keep at a constant speed and so were more likely to break the speed limit and be at risk of getting fined.
“We’re looking at the benefits of systems which control your speed as a way of preventing that.”
The team is also looking at displaying information on the windscreen, rather than the dashboard – so drivers do not feel the need to look away from the road – and systems that can detect if the car has strayed out of its lane.
Car manufactures have expressed interest in the work, and Prof. Phil Blythe said some of the technologies could be seen “soon”, with others within “five to 10 years”.
Michelle Mitchell, charity director general of Age UK, said: “Ability, not age, should determine how safe someone is on the road – so any research should look at all drivers and what makes them safe or unsafe.
“When it comes to driving, everyone is responsible, at whatever age, for making sure they are safe on the road.
“The emphasis should be on supporting older people to continue driving safely so that older people retain their ability to get out and about.”
You have cut out calories and joined a gym, but are seemingly innocuous things stopping you from losing weight?
Researchers say you have to cut more other things to help losing weight:
1. Your oversized handbag
We know those extra Easter eggs don’t help your battle with the dreaded muffin top, but your handbag? After noticing some of his patients carry more fat on one side of their body, cosmetic doctor Michael Prager realized that it was often the side on which the patients held their oversized handbags.
“Before I perform laser fat removal I measure where patients carry fat, so we can measure inch loss post-treatment,” Dr. Michael Prager says.
“Many of my female patients carry more fat down one side of their body and their fat stores were uneven. The only thing these women had in common was their ridiculously big handbags.”
Postural expert Ivana Daniell says that Dr. Michael Prager’s observations are due to the effects of heavy bags on our deportment. Over time, bad posture leads to distorted fat distribution.
“Our posture affects where we store fat,” Ivana Daniell says.
“If you do more weight-bearing exercises on one side – i.e. by carrying a heavy bag – you’re not only activating the muscles more on one side, you’re also creating a muscular and skeletal imbalance which can affect fat distribution.”
Her advice? “Don’t carry so much, because it affects your posture, and good posture makes you look slimmer. And switch your handbag from side to side.” As well as evening out fat stores, this will also reduce pain in your neck, shoulders, and back.
Over time, bad posture due to the effects of heavy bags on our deportment leads to distorted fat distribution
2. Fake tan
For years we’ve thought a fake tan will leave us looking slimmer and more toned. But could it actually make us fatter in the long run? Scientists in Sweden have discovered that chemicals known as phthalates in self-tanning lotions make us more prone to weight gain and twice as likely to develop diabetes.
The chemical is also found in make-up, cleaning products and plastic containers. The study has raised concerns that phthalates can encourage your body to store fat around the stomach area because they disrupt the hormone balance (in a similar way to puberty or the menopause) which can cause weight gain.
Study author Monica Lind says: “These phthalates are making people obese. Many are used in body products like fake tan and they are absorbed into the body and bloodstream through the skin.”
3. Multi-tasking
For most women, continuously switching between chores is part and parcel of daily life. But new research has found that serially switching tasks exhausts the part of our brain that regulates self-control.
“When you help your kids with their homework, then respond to a work email on your BlackBerry, then go right back to algebra, you’re doing tasks that require very different mindsets, which is what we found saps self-control resources,” says Professor Ryan Hamilton, who worked on the study.
“Being busy also affects the food choices you make,” says personal trainer Dalton Wong, who trains Hunger Games actress Jennifer Lawrence.
“If you’re so busy you can’t think straight, you’re more likely to grab a coffee and a pile of biscuits to keep going.
“However, while this type of snack provides a quick hit of energy, it will lead to more stress and exhaustion. Artificial sugar disrupts the body’s blood-sugar levels, leading to tiredness and more sugar cravings, and more than two or three cups of coffee will flood your body with the stress hormone cortisol.”
Dalton Wong advises never eating a meal while distracted (“You won’t chew properly because you’ll be in a rush, and this leads to bloating”).
He also says you should snack on nuts and berries, or vegetables and hummus, until you’re completely distraction-free.
4. Leggings
That trusty wardrobe staple, a pair of black leggings, can hide a multitude of sins. But can wearing them too often make you fat? Sammy Margo, a physiotherapist who works with the England football team, has warned that too-tight leggings can cause your muscles to become lazy, which results in a flabby stomach, bottom and legs.
“Leggings feel good and look great, and I am as addicted to them as anyone, but there is a downside,” Sammy Margo says.
“They hold in and support the thigh muscles, buttocks and core muscles in your tummy, and do the job the muscles are supposed to do.
“As a result, the muscles are allowed to relax and switch off. So when we reveal our bodies for the first time as summer approaches, they are not as svelte or firm as they otherwise would be.”
Sammy Margo advises that people “should already be weaning themselves off their leggings if they want to look their best in time for summer”, and they should also try the String Workout.
“Suck your stomach in as far as it will go, then breathe out about halfway,” she explains.
“Tie a piece of string around your stomach at that point and keep it there all day.”
This ensures you’re working your abdominal muscles and not letting them get slack.
5. High heels
You wouldn’t believe it from looking at super-slim stiletto lovers like Victoria Beckham, but high heels can give you a pot belly. That’s the opinion of personal trainer Dax Moy, who thinks that wearing vertiginous heels too often can cause your stomach muscles to spill forward.
“Wearing very high heels causes the forward tilting of the pelvis, which allows the abdominal contents to spill forward, producing a pot belly which many women have wrongly come to think of as a fat stomach,” says Dax Moy.
Dalton Wong agrees. He says: “High heels can weaken your abdominals, leading to a tummy that sticks out just below your belly button. I tell my clients to wear their heels on the red carpet, but to slip them off once they’re sitting down.
“So wear them in a nice restaurant, but travel there in your trainers and put your heels on at the last minute. Then slip them off underneath the table once you’re seated. When you’re at home, walk around barefoot throughout the house. This strengthens muscles that have been weakened by wearing high heels.”
Knowing that would be photographers waiting for her at LAX airport yesterday, Kim Kardashian chose to wear Kanye West’s initials in her ear with her hair swept up.
Limelight loving Kanye West is presumably happy with this, despite him possessing an actual.
One night before Kanye West took his new girlfriend Kim Kardashian to one of New York City’s hottest restaurants.
Kim Kardashian wearing Kanye West's initials in her ear
The lovebirds caused a major stir last night as they emerged from Spice Market, a trendy Asian Fusion spot in the city’s Meatpacking District.
The couple, now known as Kimye to their fans, was spotted arriving at the restaurant and later leaving with several members of the Kardashian clan.
Carla Bruni looked almost unrecognizable yesterday as she voted in the French presidential elections alongside with her husband President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Just before exit polls predicted that Nicolas Sarkozy would suffer a humiliating defeat, Carla Bruni, 44, ticked her ballot paper close to her home in Paris’s 16th arrondissement.
Many suggested that too much Botox and other surgical procedures had transformed Carla Bruni’s fresh good-looks into something a lot stranger.
“She looks like the Bride of Wildenstein,” said one onlooker, referring to former millionaire art dealer’s wife Jocelyn Wildenstein who severely altered her face through cosmetic procedures intended to make her look younger.
“Carla is barely recognizable as the glamorous young woman who married Sarkozy in 2008. She looks extremely tired and as if she’s been trying too hard to hold back the years.”
Carla Bruni looked almost unrecognizable yesterday as she voted in the French presidential elections
In January, it was claimed a leading American dermatologist said Carla Bruni has had so much Botox she “looks like a chipmunk”.
Los Angeles skin expert Dr. Ben Behnam launched the astonishing personal attack after seeing photos of the former supermodel.
Dr. Ben Benham said: “Carla is over Botoxed. She’s had way too much done.
“That’s why she has the surprised look on her face and looks like a chipmunk.”
Carla Bruni had had a “lateral brow lift” and fillers in her cheeks, Dr. Ben Benham said.
He added: “She looks like she’s had Radiesse, which is a filler for wrinkle reduction. But her results do not look natural.
“A lot of celebrities these days look the same. They all have the puffy cheeks and cat like eyes.
“What they should do is just do a little bit so it just makes them look like a younger version of themselves rather than a 50-year-old trying to look 25.
“A good treatment to get is Sculptra because it looks more natural and can make patients look pretty and attractive rather than that ridiculous fake look.”
Carla Bruni has been the focus of intense French media attention and a raft of unflattering photographs since marrying French president Nicolas Sarkozy four years ago.
She gave birth to their first baby, a daughter named Giulia, late last year.
British cosmetic surgeon Dr. Alex Karidis said a year ago that Carla Bruni – who once dated Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton – was showing “all the classic signs of a devotion to Botox and fillers”.
Dr. Alex Karidis said: “The tiny shadows you can just see beneath her nose were probably caused by injectable fillers to get rid of nose-to-mouth lines.”
Kim Kardashian knows exactly how to dazzle in swimwear and obviously doesn’t keep her trim body by just lying by the beach.
On a family holiday in the Dominican Republic, Kim Kardashian’s showed her love of adventure by diving straight into the sea.
Kim Kardashian, 31, flaunted a fabulous figure in her aqua bikini.
Her curves were made for bikinis and the string number, accessorized with a perfect tan meant Kim Kardashian certainly stood out from the crowd.
On a family holiday in the Dominican Republic, Kim Kardashian's showed her love of adventure by diving straight into the sea
According to TMZ, Kim Kardashian’s relationship with rapper Kanye West is going from strength to strength with him even being introduced to the Kardashian crew who “absolutely loved him”.
A source said: “Kanye and Kim were excited for the family gathering and the opportunity to show them just how great they are together.
“The meeting went great and the family thinks they make the perfect couple.”
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West celebrated by going on a romantic stroll in New York City but perhaps soon it will be a family holiday for the pair.
Iran has begun building a copy of RQ-170 Sentinel, the US surveillance drone it captured last year, after breaking its encryption codes, Tehran officials say.
“The Americans should be aware to what extent we have infiltrated the plane,” General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, military aerospace chief said.
The RQ-170 Sentinel was shown on Iranian state television last December.
Tehran says it was brought down using electronic warfare; Washington says it malfunctioned.
US Senator Joe Lieberman dismissed the claim that a copy was being made as “Iranian bluster” saying, “they’re on the defensive because of our economic sanctions against them”.
Iran has begun building a copy of RQ-170 Sentinel, the US surveillance drone it captured last year, after breaking its encryption codes
But Gen Hajizadeh said: “Our experts have full understanding of its components and programmes.”
He said that Iran had managed to hack the controls of the drone, thus enabling the Iranians to reverse-engineer the aircraft to make its own copy.
US officials have previously asked for the drone to be returned but Iran has refused, saying that the US should instead apologize for invading Iranian air space.
Washington has long said that Iran will find it hard to exploit any data and technology aboard it because of measures taken to limit the intelligence value of drones operating over hostile territory.
Although analysts believe lessons could certainly be learnt about how the machine was put together, reverse-engineering has generally been seen by experts as beyond Iran’s capability.
According to a British research, compliments beat sex, shopping and even chocolate when it comes to boosting a woman’s mood.
Nearly half of 1,056 British women aged 25 to 45 polled also said they get more of a buzz from getting their hair done than reaching for a chocolate treat.
A third of women said that making an effort with their outfit gives them more of a boost than a steamy session in the bedroom.
And when it comes to shoes, more than one in 10 women say that slipping on their sexiest heels makes them feel better.
However, having a bad hair day or arguing with a partner can make all the difference to women’s moods, making them most likely to lose their sparkle.
The research, commissioned by Appletiser to mark the launch of its “Sparkle on” campaign, found it’s actually the simpler things in life that make women feel happier.
Compliments beat sex, shopping and even chocolate when it comes to boosting a woman's mood
Nearly two-thirds (64%) said that nice weather puts them in a sunny mood, and more than a third said that a compliment (41%) or a nice text message (35%) lifts their mood.
The one stereotype that does ring true, according to the poll, is women’s dedication to ensuring they look good.
But it’s not about vanity as more than a third (35%) said they wear makeup and make an effort with their clothes every day as a way to boost their confidence and feel good in their own skin.
The feel-good-factor that women get from looking good is so powerful that the women questioned rate having their hair done as giving them more of a confidence boost than being promoted at work, completing a gym session, or going on a date.
Dr. Pam Spurr, author and relationship expert, said: “In a world where we all lead busy lives and many things are out of our control, it’s natural for us to focus on those things that we can control – such as how we look.
“But rather than being a tactic for attracting the opposite sex, for women, looking their best is all about feeling confident.
“If we feel that our hair and makeup looks good, or we’re pleased with the outfit we’re wearing, this not only has the power to alter our mood for the day ahead, but can have a long-term positive effect on our self-esteem.”
It’s not just hair and makeup that makes women feel confident about themselves, it seems a change of routine can also have a positive effect.
In a world of endless to-do lists and busy lives, 90% of the women polled said “doing something spontaneous” lifts their mood and helps them to “sparkle”.
Dr. Pam Spurr added: “Women are stretched and pulled in so many different directions – often everyday life doesn’t allow for much change in routine, so it’s no wonder we’re craving spontaneity.
“Changing everyday habits helps us to feel like we’re living life to the full – and that doesn’t have to mean jumping in your car to go on a road trip – it can be as simple as saying <<yes>> to a last minute catch up with friends after work instead of going straight home.”
Gaklle Deschamps, European marketing manager for Appletiser, said: “At Appletiser, our new <<Sparkle on>> campaign is a call to action for every woman in the UK, to remind them that every one of them has the right to sparkle, whether that’s having a gossip with their girlfriends, or going for a work out.”
Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix has taken place despite continuing anti-government protests and the race track has been heavily guarded by police, dogs and armored vehicles to keep activists away.
On Saturday, protests intensified after the body of a Shia activist killed in overnight clashes with security forces was discovered on a rooftop.
Many protesters wanted the race to be cancelled, but the government was determined it would go ahead.
West of the capital, Manama, demonstrators have set up barricades of burning tires.
Witnesses say police have set up checkpoints near the circuit and officers armed with pump-action shotguns are lining nearby roads.
Inside the circuit the atmosphere was relaxed, and it felt like any other grand prix in the calendar.
Ahead of the race Bahrain’s King Hamad al-Khalifa said that he was committed to reform in the kingdom.
“I also want to make clear my personal commitment to reform and reconciliation in our great country. The door is always open for sincere dialogue amongst all our people,” the king said in a statement.
King Hamad’s comments came after police fired tear gas to disperse thousands of protesters who took to the streets on Saturday. Many of them had gathered near the village where anti-government demonstrator Salah Abbas Habib’s body was found.
Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix has taken place despite continuing anti-government protests
British Foreign Secretary William Hague also called for restraint in dealing with protesters.
The protesters are demanding an end to discrimination against the majority Shia Muslim community by the Sunni royal family.
Ahead of Sunday’s race, armored vehicles patrolled the streets to stamp out any demonstrations.
Formula 1’s governing body, the FIA, only went ahead with the Grand Prix after the government said it had security under control. The race was eventually won by two-time world champion Sebastian Vettel.
Last year’s Bahraini Grand Prix was cancelled after 35 people died during a crackdown on mass demonstrations calling for greater democracy.
The Bahraini government, headed by the al-Khalifa dynasty, had been keen for this year’s race to go ahead to prove it had the 14-month uprising under control.
Staging the event has had the opposite effect, highlighting the small Gulf state’s political problems.
On Friday, Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa said cancelling the Grand Prix “just empowers extremists”, and insisted that holding the race would “build bridges across communities”.
FIA President Jean Todt said he had no regrets about the race. He said extensive investigations into the situation in Bahrain had unearthed “nothing (that) could allow us to stop the race”.
“On rational facts, it was decided there was no reason to change our mind,” Jean Todt said.
Shia protesters say going ahead with the race lends international legitimacy to a government that is continuing to suppress opposition with violent means.
Human rights groups and activists estimate that at least 25 people have died since the start of the latest protests, many as a result of what has been described as the excessive use of tear gas.
Meanwhile, the Danish ambassador visited hunger striker Abdul Hadi al-Khawaja – who also holds Danish citizenship – in hospital on Sunday, Bahrain’s BNA news agency said.
It said that the human rights and political activist was in “good health”. His family has consistently maintained that he is in a critical condition.
Abdul Hadi al-Khawaja has been on hunger strike for more than 70 days after being arrested for protesting against the government. He is now reported to be refusing water.
His daughter, Zeinab al-Khawaja, was also briefly detained amid protests on Saturday afternoon.
The visit by the Danish ambassador is fuelling suggestions that Abdul Hamid al-Khawaja will be stripped of his Bahraini citizenship and sent to Denmark.
Abdul Hadi al-Khawaja is scheduled to appear in court on Monday to appeal against his conviction and life sentence for plotting to overthrow the government.
Researchers say men will soon live longer than women for the first time since records began after abandoning their unhealthy, macho lifestyles.
Once boys born in 2000 reach the age of 30, they can expect to match girls of the same age by living to 87.1.
Researchers predict younger males will then go on to surpass the life spans of their female counterparts.
In 1970, a man aged 30 was expected to die 5.7 years before a woman of the same age – the widest gap since records began in 1841.
The common view has been that men are condemned to earlier graves by underlying genetic factors – despite growing life expectancies for both sexes.
Researchers say men will soon live longer than women for the first time since records began after abandoning their unhealthy, macho lifestyles
Leslie Mayhew, professor of statistics at Cass Business School at London’s City University – which advises the Office of National Statistics (ONS) on population projections – points to lifestyle changes to explain his controversial forecast.
Prof. Leslie Mayhew told The Sunday Times: “There has been a huge decline in the numbers working in heavy industry; far fewer males smoke than before, and there is much better treatment for heart disease, which tends to affect males more than females.”
Lung cancer rates have also halved among men since 1975, while nearly doubling among women.
Leslie Mayhew’s predictions – which exclude Scotland, where men are expected to continue to trail women because of lifestyle factors – are due to be published next month.
But the forecast does not match that of the ONS, which predicts a boy born in the millennium year who reaches 30 can expect to die 3.5 years before a girl of the same age.
Prof. Leslie Mayhew argues the ONS has been consistently too cautious in acknowledging the shifts in life expectancy over the past few decades.
The longer longevity for men only kicks in at 30, with life expectancy remaining much better for baby girls and mortality rates higher among men between their reckless years of 16 and 30.
The research also highlights discrepancies between men and women in other countries, such as Russia, where there is a 12 year gap, and India, where it is just 12 months or less.
The report also predicts that the gap will close in Sweden in 2024 – six years ahead of Britain – but not until 2046 in France.
Duchess of Cornwall gave Kate Middleton her first pot of Heaven Bee Venom face mask soon after her engagement.
Then Camilla encouraged Kate to have her first £165 ($260) bee venom facial with Deborah Mitchell herself.
Deborah Mitchell, 46, is known for developing her own organic, locally sourced beauty treatments and – most importantly – for her discretion. Her celebrity clients include Kylie and Dannii Minogue, Victoria Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow.
The beautician works from a small salon, called Heaven, in the Shropshire market town of Shifnal, and from a room at London’s Hale Clinic, and usually refuses point-blank to talk about her work.
Speaking for the first time about her Royal and celebrity clients, Deborah Mitchell says: “It was extraordinary watching the wedding on television, knowing I had been chatting to Kate a few days beforehand. What I still find amazing was the lack of tension at Clarence House in the run-up to the ceremony.
“It just shows how perfect the couple are for each other and how happy the Duchess of Cornwall was to be gaining a new daughter-in-law.
“Everybody was just so excited. It was like looking forward to Christmas.”
Deborah Mitchell will be at Charles and Camilla’s Scottish home, Birkhall, this weekend and has been a regular visitor to Clarence House and Highgrove since she first started working with Camilla in 2005.
She says her introduction to Camilla and her enduring relationship with the Duchess came as a huge personal boost at a time when she was struggling with low self-esteem after the death of her father, from whom she had been estranged since he walked out on the family when Deborah Mitchell was six.
Her mother, Sheila, later remarried and Deborah Mitchell adored her stepfather Peter Brown, but says that she spent years trying to please her absent father.
Deborah Mitchell, who has two children Ella, 14, and Christopher, 13, is in the throes of a divorce herself – from her second husband Chris Cox, who owns a meat processing firm.
She says she started right at the bottom of her profession after studying at Telford College of Arts and Technology, travelling from house to house in the Midlands as a mobile beauty therapist, before opening her first salon in 1998.
“I started off with one £10 pack of nail extensions and my first customer gave me a £1 tip,” Deborah Mitchell recalls.
“I invested that and eventually I bought my own couch and rented the beauty salon at the Holiday Inn in Telford.”
Duchess of Cornwall gave Kate Middleton her first pot of Heaven Bee Venom face mask soon after her engagement
Her first celebrity client was Tracey Taylor, the wife of Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor, who introduced her to the other band members and their wives.
She was a regular visitor at Taylor’s home, the Grade II listed mansion Beckbury Hall in Shropshire.
“Duran Duran had a recording studio there and I would often encounter musicians such as George Michael and Rod Stewart jamming in the hall,” Deborah Mitchell said.
Later, she met Kylie and Dannii Minogue.
“Kylie first came to me at the Hale Clinic about ten years ago,” she says.
“She was very inconspicuous. She arrived in a taxi, wearing no make-up, glasses and with her hair scraped back underneath a hat. Dannii came to me just before she was made a judge on The X Factor.
“I remember telling her that I thought Simon fancied her, and she just smiled.”
But Deborah Mitchell’s big breakthrough came when she was summoned to treat Camilla Parker Bowles.
“I remember the first time I went to Clarence House,” Deborah Mitchell recalls. “I was wearing a shift dress – I don’t wear a uniform – and I arrived in a taxi. The Duchess’s lady-in-waiting Jackie Meakin met me at the police barrier and walked me inside. I was taken to a private reception room where I was offered tea or coffee and Duchy biscuits, which I love.
“Then I was shown to Her Royal Highness’s bedroom, which is a beautiful cream room full of amazing antiques with the Royal crests on them, and wonderful paintings. I felt so honored to be somewhere that the public never gets to see.
“I had taken my own treatment couch from the Hale Clinic. I set it up while I worked out how to curtsey and put her on the treatment couch at the same time. I wasn’t nervous – I never get nervous with celebrities because I’m confident of my treatments – but I was stunned how relaxed and comfortable it was working for her.”
Camilla loved the effect of the treatment and the favorable press comments about her appearance that followed. Deborah Mitchell was soon a key member of her wider entourage. That Christmas, Camilla gave Deborah Mitchell a signed photograph in a leather frame.
Since then, Deborah Mitchell has regularly treated Camilla. She looked after her when she broke a leg while hill-walking at Birkhall and it was one of Deborah’s Heaven Scent candles that helped revive Camilla after she was caught up in last year’s riots.
Unlike some of Deborah Mitchell’s demanding celebrity clients, Camilla is very thoughtful and considerate.
“Once I shifted around some of my other clients to fit her in, but she was most upset anybody would be put out on her behalf,” says Deborah Mitchell.
“She said to me, <<Please don’t do that again>>.
“She is very different from clients such as Simon Cowell and Victoria Beckham. The first time he came into the Hale Clinic, he tried to persuade one of my clients to swap her treatment for X Factor tickets so that he could have her appointment. And once I got a phone call from Posh Spice wanting to know why she hadn’t got my Bee Venom mask.
“Her close friend, the make-up artist, Maria Louise Featherstone, had a pot and she was a bit put out that she hadn’t had it first. So she asked me to send her six jars.”
Deborah Mitchell has met most of the other members of the Royal Family and has treated both Camilla’s daughter, Laura, and her daughter-in-law, Sarah Buys, and, of course, Kate.
It was only after her engagement that Deborah began treating Kate.
“I feel very proud to have been one of the first people to know the name of her cocker spaniel. He ran up to me when I was doing a treatment for her one day so I began stroking him and she said, <<Come on Lupo>>.”
The success of her Heaven beauty products, developed using organic ingredients, have seen her named International Businesswoman of the Year.
Deborah Mitchell now has salons in China, Taiwan and Japan, and is launching in New York this autumn.
But until she met the Duchess of Cornwall in 2005, Deborah Mitchell was not a household name. A year after the wedding that brought her work in front of an incalculably huge global audience, Deborah still values the Royal connections that she sees as the crowning glory of her career.
Kate and Camilla, meanwhile, still draw on her expertise to help them face the world as two of the most photographed women on the planet.
Charles Colson, President Richard Nixon’s aide who was involved in the Watergate scandal and later became an evangelical preacher, has died aged 80.
Charles Colson was known as the “hatchet man” for Richard Nixon and served seven months in jail for his role in discrediting a political opponent.
Later, Charles Colson started a prison ministry and campaigned for penal reform.
Charles Colson, a father-of-three, died in hospital in Fairfax, Virginia, of complications from a brain haemorrhage.
Charles “Chuck” Colson had a reputation as a hard-nosed political operator and was once described by President Richard Nixon as the son he never had.
He helped the Republican candidate to a landslide victory in 1972, saying he would “walk over his own grandmother” to ensure Richard Nixon’s re-election.
Charles Colson, President Richard Nixon’s aide who was involved in the Watergate scandal and later became an evangelical preacher, has died aged 80
In 1971, Charles Colson wrote a now infamous “enemies list” naming his boss’s major political critics and opponents.
His role in the Watergate scandal was limited, but he pleaded guilty to obstructing justice after he was involved in earlier efforts to discredit Daniel Ellsberg, who had leaked secret government documents about the Vietnam War, which became known as the Pentagon Papers.
A break-in was organized at the office of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist, in a search for documents which could be used to blacken his reputation.
President Richard Nixon’s right-hand man served seven months in jail, although he was not convicted of organizing the Ellsberg or Watergate break-ins themselves.
Charles Colson came out of prison claiming to be a new man, renouncing the political machinations of his past and embracing his religious faith.
He spent the next 35 years as a leading campaigner for prison reform, founding the Prison Fellowship Ministries in 1976.
Charles Colson was named as one of Time magazine’s “25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America” in 2005, having written over 200 books in his lifetime.
Later in life Charles Colson lived in Naples, Florida, and in 2000 the state Governor Jeb Bush restored his civil rights, including the right to vote, which he lost after he was convicted.
It seems that the Pinterest bubble has already burst after a meteoric rise in popularity in January and February as the new figures show that the photo-sharing site is unexpectedly losing users this month.
The majority of Pinterest users sign up through Facebook and the number of people doing this has significantly dropped in the past few months, according to data collected by the Business Insider.
Pinterest works as a “timeline app” within Facebook, allowing Facebook users to use one log-in across both and share “pins” – Pinterest’s term for posts – via a Facebook page.
AppData, which monitors how often users of third-party apps and other web sites interact with Facebook, has shown the site’s decline.
Pinterest’s growth slowed last month and it is now revealed that users are turning away from the network, which was launched in March 2010.
New figures show that Pinterest is unexpectedly losing users this month
Monthly active users are down from 11.15 million on April 1 to 8.3 million today.
With endorsements from President Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerburg the picture-sharing program that allows users to essentially create “vision boards” of their favorite things, was quickly labeled the social media craze of 2012.
It is speculated that the people who signed up to the site simply to try out the latest fad have now decided that it is not for them.
However, Pinterest may not need to worry just yet – after a media frenzy and celebrity support the site’s traffic soared up by 50% from January to February.
And by the beginning of April it was declared the third most popular social network based on visits from American users coming after only Facebook and Twitter.
This surge in popularity meant Pinterest has more visitors than established social media giants like LinkedIn, Tumblr, and the continually-flailing Google+.
Unlike many other sites, Pinterest has a much clearer demographic make-up, with female users accounting for 60% of users. The site’s focus is largely on sharing interior design sites and recipes.
Pinterest has an exclusivity model which calls for users to request invitations, or be invited by friends, and while it does still extend those invitations to whomever wants one, the company does make the desperate wait to log on for two or three days before they can start highlighting their interests.
Prize-winning Philips LED light bulb that lasts for 20 years is going on sale in the US on Sunday – also known as Earth Day.
Made by Dutch electronics giant Philips, the bulb swaps filaments for light-emitting diodes to provide illumination.
Using LEDs endows the light with a long life and a hefty price tag. The first versions are set to cost $60.
Philips has arranged discounts with shops that will sell the bulb meaning some could buy it for only $20.
The bulb triumphed in the Bright Tomorrow competition run by the US Department of Energy (DoE) that aimed to find an energy efficient alternative to the 60-watt incandescent light bulb.
Prize-winning Philips LED light bulb that lasts for 20 years is going on sale in the US on Sunday
The DoE challenged firms to develop a design that gave out a warm light similar to that from an incandescent bulbs but was much more energy efficient.
Philips was the only entrant for the competition and its design underwent 18 months of testing before being declared a winner.
A cheaper and less efficient version of the LED bulb is already sold by Philips in the US and Europe.
LED bulbs face competition from compact fluorescent lights which are almost as energy efficient and cost a lot less.
Sales of more energy efficient bulbs are being aided by official moves to end production of higher wattage incandescent bulbs.
Production of 100 watt bulbs has ceased in the US and Europe. Production of 60 watt bulbs has been stopped in Europe and is being phased out in the US. From 2014, incandescent bulbs of 40 watts or above will be banned in the US.
FBI has warned that hundreds of thousands of people worldwide could lose access to the internet by July following a hackers’ scam – and they don’t even know it.
Unknown to most of them, their problem began when international hackers ran an online advertising scam to take control of infected computers around the world.
In a highly unusual response, the FBI set up a safety net months ago using government computers to prevent Internet disruptions for those infected users. But that system is to be shut down.
Now, the FBI is encouraging users to visit a website run by its security partner that will inform them whether they’re infected and explain how to fix the problem. After July 9, infected users won’t be able to connect to the Internet.
Most victims don’t even know their computers have been infected, although the malicious software probably has slowed their web surfing and disabled their antivirus software, making their machines more vulnerable to other problems.
Last November, the FBI and other authorities were preparing to take down a hacker ring that had been running an Internet ad scam on a massive network of infected computers.
Tom Grasso, an FBI supervisory special agent, said: “We started to realize that we might have a little bit of a problem on our hands because … if we just pulled the plug on their criminal infrastructure and threw everybody in jail, the victims of this were going to be without Internet service.
“The average user would open up Internet Explorer and get `page not found’ and think the Internet is broken.”
FBI has warned that hundreds of thousands of people worldwide could lose access to the internet by July following a hackers' scam
On the night of the arrests, the agency brought in Paul Vixie, chairman and founder of Internet Systems Consortium, to install two Internet servers to take the place of the truckload of impounded rogue servers that infected computers were using.
Federal officials planned to keep their servers online until March, giving everyone opportunity to clean their computers. But it wasn’t enough time. A federal judge in New York extended the deadline until July.
Tom Grasso added: “The full court press is on to get people to address this problem.”
Hackers infected a network of probably more than 570,000 computers worldwide.
They took advantage of vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Windows operating system to install malicious software on the victim computers. This turned off antivirus updates and changed the way the computers reconcile website addresses behind the scenes on the Internet’s domain name system.
The DNS system is a network of servers that translates a web address – such as www.ap.org – into the numerical addresses that computers use. Victim computers were reprogrammed to use rogue DNS servers owned by the attackers. This allowed the attackers to redirect computers to fraudulent versions of any website.
The hackers earned profits from advertisements that appeared on websites that victims were tricked into visiting.
The scam netted the hackers at least $14 million, according to the FBI. It also made thousands of computers reliant on the rogue servers for their Internet browsing.
When the FBI and others arrested six Estonians last November, the agency replaced the rogue servers with Vixie’s clean ones. Installing and running the two substitute servers for eight months is costing the federal government about $87,000.
FBI officials said they had taken the unusual step of organizing a system to avoid any appearance of government intrusion into the Internet or private computers. And while this is the first time the FBI used it, it won’t be the last.
Eric Strom, the FBI’s Cyber Division unit chief, said: “This is the future of what we will be doing.
“Until there is a change in legal system, both inside and outside the United States, to get up to speed with the cyber problem, we will have to go down these paths, trail-blazing if you will, on these types of investigations.”
Now, he said, every time the agency gets near the end of a cyber case, “we get to the point where we say, how are we going to do this, how are we going to clean the system” without creating a bigger mess than before.
Justin Bieber has used a humorous clip of Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat to send Mariah Yeater, the woman who falsely accused him of fathering her child, a message.
During “RANDOMTWITTERHOUR”, Justin Bieber, 18, gave a shout-out to his former fan Mariah Yeater that she might not want to tell her friends about.
Mariah Yeater, 20, filed a false paternity claim, accusing Justin Bieber of impregnating her after the two allegedly had sex backstage at one of his concerts.
Last night, Justin Bieber wrote: “Dear mariah yeeter [sic] …we have never met…so from the heart i just wanted to say…” and posted a link to a clip from the movie Borat with Sacha Baron Cohen’s character repeatedly saying: “You’ll never get this.”
Mariah Yeater’s case against was thrown out of court and hasn’t been in the headlines since last year, but it’s the first time Justin Bieber has shown any level of resentment for the pain she must have caused him.
Single mother Mariah Yeater quietly dismissed her paternity suit against the teenage star in November.
Her lawsuit seeking a paternity test and child support was withdrawn in November.
The withdrawal of the suit came after Justin Bieber not only said he would submit to a DNA test, but was also planning to sue Mariah Yeater for making a bogus claim.
Justin Bieber has used a humorous clip of Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat to send Mariah Yeater a message
Mariah Yeater shocked Justin Bieber’s legions of fans – and his girlfriend Selena Gomez – when she claimed he had fathered her son during a 30-second tryst in a bathroom after his concert at Los Angeles’ Staples Center on October 25 last year.
In an interview on U.S. TV show The Insider last year, Mariah Yeater claimed: “He [Bieber] immediately took a liking to me and we just got to talking and then he eventually asked me, <<Do you mind if we can go somewhere and be alone?>>”
When Mariah Yeater was quizzed over what evidence she has to support her claims, she said she has provided some to her attorney but could not discuss it on camera.
She added: “It’ll show in court to prove that my allegations are true.”
The Insider confronted Mariah Yeater with a security guard who claims that on the night in question, Justin Bieber’s dressing room was full of friends and family, staying with the teenage heartthrob until he left.
Asked for her response on the guard’s claims, Mariah Yeater said: “No comment.”
The authenticity of Mariah Yeater’s claims and her character were put under the microscope after photos of her stripping leaked online last week.
Mariah Yeater was also arrested in 2010 for slapping an ex-boyfriend and charged with battery.
Justin Bieber addressed the rumors on the U.S Today Show, saying: “I would just like to say basically that none of those allegations are true.
“I know that I’m going to be a target but I’m never going to be a victim.
“I think it’s crazy because every night after the show I’m gone, right from the stage to my car so it’s crazy that some people want to make up such false allegations but to set the record straight, none of it is true.
Nanette Kinkade, the ex-wife of Thomas Kinkade, the successful Painter of Light who died earlier this month, has filed a restraining order against his live-in girlfriend.
Thomas Kinkade’s family wants to stop Amy Pinto-Walsh from breaching a confidentiality agreement she signed more than a year ago.
Nanette Kinkade fears Amy Pinto-Walsh will attempt to sell her story and could release private family photographs.
Thomas Kinkade was one of the most successful artists in the US, but he struggled with alcoholism before his death at the age of 54, and split from his wife Nanette in 2010.
Thomas Kinkade was one of the most successful artists in the US, but he struggled with alcoholism before his death at the age of 54, and split from his wife Nanette in 2010
The so-called Painter of Light used to estimate that around one out of every 20 homes in America.
Thomas Kinkade’s estate – of which Nanette Kinkade is the principal trustee – has filed documents with a Santa Clara court seeking an injunction against Amy Pinto-Walsh, according to Los Gatos Patch.
The attorneys argue that the painter’s mistress, who is still living in his mansion in Monte Sereno, California, is planning to disclose information which would breach a confidentiality agreement signed in February 2011.
The restraining order would ban Amy Pinto-Walsh from saying or doing anything which would make Thomas Kinkade, his ex-wife or his business “appear in a negative light or false light”.
Amy Pinto-Walsh would also be prevented from writing or contributing to any sort of book, article or other publication about the late artist.
In particular, the lawsuit seeks to stop Amy Pinto-Walsh divulging personal information which she found out “as a personal assistant and companion to Thomas Kinkade”.
Thomas Kinkade’s family, his ex-wife Nanette (right) and their four daughters
While it is not clear what exactly prompted the legal battle, the suit alleges that Amy Pinto-Walsh told a family friend that she intended to sell the story of her relationship with Thomas Kinkade and release unseen photographs of the painter.
The suit continues: “The release of these items would be personally devastating not only for Mrs. Kinkade, but also for the family’s four daughters, who are grieving the sudden loss of their father.”
The family also fears that Amy Pinto-Walsh could jeopardize Thomas Kinkade’s business empire, which relied on the production of prints and reproductions as much as original paintings.
They say Amy Pinto-Walsh had access to “trade secrets” such as the artist’s painting techniques and computer programmes, and could try to sell them on to others.
Amy Pinto-Walsh, who had been in a relationship with Thomas Kinkade for 18 months before his death, told Los Gatos Patch at the time that the painter “had a heart condition”.
Nanette Kinkade’s lawsuit cites this revelation of a “non-public health condition” as one breach of Amy Pinto-Walsh’s confidentiality agreement.
The suit also says that Thomas Kinkade died on the night of April 5, which contradicts previous reports that he was found dead the next morning.
While Thomas Kinkade was phenomenally successful and extremely wealthy, he apparently suffered from a drinking problem throughout much of his life, and in June 2010 was arrested for DUI.
Thomas Kinkade was also saddened by constant attacks on the quality of his work by art critics, and devastated by his divorce from Nanette.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West stepped out for a romantic stroll in New York City.
Kim Kardashian and her new beau laughed and smiled as a crush of cameras and fans trailed them this afternoon around the city.
At one point during their romantic stroll, Kim Kardashian, 31, even stopped to grab a scoop of ice cream and could be seen walking with the cone in her hand.
Dressed in black leather trousers, spike heels and a grey sweatshirt, Kim Kardashian wore her hair pulled back and sported nude make-up.
According to Radaronline.com, rapper Kanye West might even appear on the new series of Kim Kardashian’s reality show.
A source recently told the website: “Kanye is head over heels in love with Kim, and he has told her he would love to appear on the reality show if she wants him to.
“Kim is a bit leery of having her man appear on camera because of the whole fiasco with her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Kris Humphries, but watch for Kanye to make several appearances on the show towards the end of the season.”
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West stepped out for a romantic stroll in New York City
However, the Huffington Post has reported that all 18 episodes of the new show have already been filmed and were shot before Kim Kardashian and Kanye West officially got together.
Kanye West is no stranger to reality TV and was seen on camera with Kim Kardashian in the first season of Kourtney and Kim take New York shot in 2010.
Rumors about Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have been swirling for some time now.
Reports of them getting together began even before Kim Kardashian started dating and eventually married NBA player Kris Humphries.
Bee Gees star Robin Gibb has woken from a coma after more than a week and begun to show signs of recovery.
Spokesman Doug Wright said Robin Gibb, 62, was able to nod and communicate with his family who has held a constant vigil at his beside in a central London hospital.
Robin Gibb fell into a coma after contracting pneumonia in his battle against colon and liver cancer.
His wife, Dwina Gibb, has revealed he cried when she played him Roy Orbison’s 1962 song Crying.
His brother and fellow Bee Gees star, Barry Gibb, had also been singing to his brother to try to rouse him.
Robin Gibb has woken from a coma after more than a week and begun to show signs of recovery
Dwina Gibb told her local paper The Impartial Reporter, based in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland their children Robin John, Spencer and Melissa have been playing him music to “try and bring him back to us”.
She said thousands of people have been saying prayers for him every day, and thanked his fans for their support.
In February, Robin Gibb said he had made a “spectacular” recovery from cancer but was later back in hospital for surgery.
Robin Gibb was too ill to attend last week’s premiere of his latest work The Titanic Requiem, a classical piece composed with his son to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ship’s sinking.
He was due to sing Don’t Cry Alone in person at Central Hall Westminster in London.
Robin Gibb’s website is down because of traffic volumes, with fans directed to his Facebook page, where messages of support can be left.
The British-born singer had surgery on his bowel 18 months ago for an unrelated condition, but a tumor was discovered and he was diagnosed with cancer of the colon and later of the liver.
It had been thought his cancer was in remission as early as last month.
Robin Gibb’s musical career began when he formed the Bee Gees with his brothers Barry and Maurice in 1958.
Bee Gees is among the biggest-selling groups of all time with hits spanning six decades including Stayin’ Alive, How Deep Is Your Love, Massachusetts and Words.
Their soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever was one of the best-selling albums of the 1970s and the band have won seven Grammy Awards.
Robin Gibb’s twin brother Maurice died in 2003 aged 53 due to complications from a twisted intestine.
His younger brother Andy Gibb, who had a successful solo career, died of a heart ailment in 1988, aged 30.
Robin Gibb last performed on stage at the London Palladium in February, supporting injured servicemen and women in a charity concert.
Polls are opened for France’s presidential election, which takes place amid widespread concern over the eurozone crisis and high unemployment.
Centre-right incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy is seeking re-election, saying only he can preserve a “strong France”.
But Nicolas Sarkozy is facing a tough challenge from Socialist Francois Hollande, who has said it is “the left’s turn to govern”.
There are 10 candidates in all, and if none wins more than 50% of the votes there will be a run-off round on 6 May.
Polls in mainland France and Corsica are open until 18:00, with voting stations in big cities remaining open for a further two hours.
The first official results will be released after the last stations close at 20:00.
Nicolas Sarkozy is facing a tough challenge from Socialist Francois Hollande, who has said it is "the left's turn to govern"
President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has been in office since 2007, has promised to reduce France’s large budget deficit and to tax people who leave the country for tax reasons.
He has also called for a “Buy European Act” for public contracts, and threatened to pull out of the Schengen passport-free zone unless other members do more to curb immigration from non-European countries.
Francois Hollande, for his part, has promised to raise taxes on big corporations and people earning more than 1 million Euros a year.
He wants to raise the minimum wage, hire 60,000 more teachers and lower the retirement age from 62 to 60 for some workers.
If elected, Francois Hollande would be France’s first left-wing president since Francois Mitterrand, who completed two seven-year terms between 1981 and 1995.
If Nicolas Sarkozy loses he will become the first president not to win a second term since Valery Giscard d’Estaing in 1981.
French presidents are now elected for five years.
Wages, pensions, taxation, and unemployment have been topping the list of voters’ concerns.
But the candidates have been accused of failing to address the country’s problems during a lacklustre campaign.
Frustration with Nicolas Sarkozy’s flashy style and with Francois Hollande’s bland image has also allowed radical candidates to flourish.
Marine Le Pen, a media savvy far-right leader, has invigorated her anti-immigration National Front.
Meanwhile Jean-Luc Melenchon, who is supported by the Communist Party, has galvanized far-left voters.
Centrist leader Francois Bayrou is standing as a presidential candidate for the third time. In 2007, he came third, with nearly 19% of the vote.
Voting was held on Saturday in France’s overseas territories – including Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Caribbean, Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean and French Polynesia.
Those territories vote early because results will be known on Sunday evening in mainland France – when it is still mid-afternoon in Caribbean islands and other overseas territories.
The presidential vote will be followed by a parliamentary election in June.
At least 60 people have been injured in a two-train collision Saturday evening outside Amsterdam, Dutch transport police said.
“There are 60 people injured – some 15 to 20 badly,” police spokesman Ed Kraszewski told AFP, after the head-on smash near Sloterdijk, in the western suburbs of Amsterdam.
The accident happened at around 6:30 p.m. local time when a local train leaving Amsterdam smashed head-on into a high-speed train, Dutch rail network spokeswoman Babet Verstappen told AFP.
Emergency personnel were treating the wounded at the scene, on a bridge between Sloterdijk and Amsterdam Centraal Station, she added.
At least 60 people have been injured in a two-train collision Saturday evening outside Amsterdam
Neither train was derailed, and footage from the scene appeared to show minor damage.
The injured were taken to hospital by ambulance. It was not immediately known what caused the head-on collision on Saturday evening.
“We assume many people were thrown around the train by the crash: against walls, seats and other people,” Ed Kraszewski told Amsterdam’s AT5 news station.
He added that some of the victims had broken bones and also sustained neck injuries.
The crash has disrupted rail traffic to Amsterdam Central station, as well as to Schiphol airport, Babet Verstappen said.
Vietnam plans to ask for international help to find out what is causing a skin infection that has already killed 19 people.
More than 170 people in the country’s central province of Quang Ngai have reported symptoms.
The disease begins with a rash on the hands and feet: it can progress to liver problems and multiple organ failure.
Vietnamese health ministry tests have failed to pinpoint the cause.
The mystery illness was first reported between April and December 2011 and then subsided, but broke out again last month.
Health workers say it responds well to early intervention but is difficult to treat once established.
Frightened residents of Reu village in an impoverished, mountainous part of Quang Ngai, have laid branches across the path to the houses of infected people to try to isolate the outbreak.
Vietnam plans to ask for international help to find out what is causing a skin infection that has already killed 19 people
“We have to block the entrances here to stop patients from getting out and spreading the disease,” one resident, Pham Van Tray, told Vietnamese TV.
“Since we don’t know what caused the disease, we will have to rely on our rituals and prayers.”
Vietnamese media quoted officials in Quang Ngai as saying that the condition might be caused by chemicals.
But the health ministry said it had yet to draw conclusions from its own tests: it hoped to have preliminary results within 10 days.
Dozens of people are being treated at a leprosy hospital in the neighboring province of Binh Dinh.
The government has said it will ask the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to join its investigation.
Those organizations have yet to comment on the disease: a WHO spokesman told the Associated Press news agency it had not yet received a request from Vietnam for help.
Anti-government protesters in the Czech Republic have staged what they describe as the biggest rally since the fall of communism in 1989.
Demonstrators say 120,000 people packed the capital Prague, protesting against austerity measures and corruption. Police put the numbers at 90,000.
Echoing 1989, people jangled their keys – a signal to the centre-right coalition cabinet to lock up and leave.
The government has recently been rocked by splits and defections.
It is no longer clear if the coalition of Prime Minister Petr Necas commands a majority in parliament.
Anti-government protesters in the Czech Republic have staged what they describe as the biggest rally since the fall of communism in 1989
On Saturday, the protesters – including many pensioners and students – marched through Prague, gathering in Wenceslas Square – the heart of the capital.
Chanting and whistling, they carried banners which read “Stop thieves!” and “Away with the government!”
Rene Koncilova, one of the marchers, said she was struggling to survive on her monthly $350 disability pension.
“Vaclav Klaus [current president] told us in 1989 that we had to tighten our belts, and the country became anorexic,” she said.
“Fortunately, doctors managed to cure it, but now they’re asking us to tighten our belts again. I think we’ll all be anorexic before long.”
Czech government says there is no alternative to cuts in public spending and tax rises if the country is to avoid the fate of debt-ridden Greece.
