Ukraine has decided to postpone the 18th summit of Central European states planned for 11-12 May in Yalta after several of European leaders said they would boycott it.
Europe-wide concern about the treatment of jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko prompted the boycott. Yalta was the 11-12 May summit venue.
Former PM Yulia Tymoshenko has chronic back pain and is on hunger strike.
The presidents of Germany, Austria, Romania and the Czech Republic were among those who cancelled their trips.
Ukraine has not set a new date yet. There is also a threat that leaders may boycott Euro 2012 football matches in Ukraine next month.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Dykusarov said: “As a number of European heads of state cannot take part in the 18th summit of Central European states, Ukraine deems it necessary not to hold the summit on 11-12 May in Yalta.”
Ukraine has postponed the 18th summit of Central European states planned for 11-12 May in Yalta after several of European leaders said they would boycott it
Yulia Tymoshenko is in jail in the eastern city of Kharkiv and on Tuesday she refused to be moved to a local hospital.
She has alleged that prison guards beat her during a previous attempt to move her to hospital and her supporters released photographs showing bruises on her body.
Ukraine denies her allegations, including her claim that she is being punished as an act of political revenge by President Viktor Yanukovych.
Yulia Tymoshenko was jailed for seven years in October 2011 for abuse of office during her time as prime minister. She is an arch-rival of Viktor Yanukovych, whom she helped oust from power in the 2004 Orange Revolution.
Viktor Yanukovych had been elected president in a rigged election. However, in 2010 he staged a political comeback, defeating Yulia Tymoshenko in a new presidential election.
The world’s first driverless cars will soon be a reality on the roads of Nevada after the state approved America’s first self-driven vehicle license.
The first to hit the highway will be a Toyota Prius modified by Google, which is leading the way in driverless car technology.
Its first drive included a spin down Las Vegas’s famous strip.
Other car companies are also seeking self-driven car licenses in Nevada.
The car uses video cameras mounted on the roof, radar sensors and a laser range finder to “see” other traffic.
The first self-driven car to hit the highway will be a Toyota Prius modified by Google, which is leading the way in driverless car technology
Engineers at Google have previously tested the car on the streets of California, including crossing San Francisco’s Golden Gate bridge.
For those tests, the car remained manned at all times by a trained driver ready to take control if the software failed.
According to software engineer Sebastian Thrun, the car has covered 140,000 miles with no accidents, other than a bump at traffic lights from a car behind.
Bruce Breslow, director of Nevada’s Department of Motor Vehicles, says he believes driverless vehicles are the “cars of the future”.
Nevada changed its laws to allow self-driven cars in March. The long-term plan is to license members of the public to drive such cars.
Google’s car has been issued with a red license plate to make it recognizable. The plate features an infinity sign next to the number 001.
Other states, including California, are planning similar changes.
“The vast majority of vehicle accidents are due to human error,” said California State Senator Alex Padilla, when he introduced the legislation.
“Through the use of computers, sensors and other systems, an autonomous vehicle is capable of analyzing the driving environment more quickly and operating the vehicle more safely.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed on a deal with Israeli opposition Kadima party, avoiding the early general election he had sought.
Kadima’s recently-elected leader, Shaul Mofaz, is set to be named deputy PM.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu said their new coalition wanted a “responsible” peace process with the Palestinians and “serious” talks about Iran’s nuclear programme.
The move came as parliament debated its dissolution before an election Benjamin Netanyahu had planned for September.
Kadima is currently the biggest party in the Knesset, but recent polls have suggested the number of seats it holds could be halved.
The new coalition will have a majority of 94 – one of the biggest in Israeli history.
President Shimon Peres welcomed the deal as “good for the people of Israel”.
According to an outline of the deal, Kadima would back Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party in return for changes to the so-called Tal Law, which allows ultra-Orthodox Jewish seminary students to defer military conscription.
It was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in February.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed on a deal with Israeli opposition Kadima party, avoiding the early general election he had sought
Secularists say the Tal Law is unfair, but small religious parties – which are crucial to Benjamin Netanyahu’s present coalition – want ultra-Orthodox youths to continue to be allowed to opt for religious study over military service.
Labour party leader Shelly Yachimovich has condemned the deal, saying it is a “pact of cowards.”
“This is the most ridiculous zigzag in the history of Israeli politics,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
Four months ago Shaul Mofaz publicly called Benjamin Netanyahu a “liar”, saying he had leaked an inaccurate quote in his name.
In March, he publicly pledged never to join Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
In addition to becoming vice PM, Shaul Mofaz will also join Netanyahu’s inner circle – previously known as the Forum of Eight, and will become a member of the security cabinet.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing administration had been scheduled to remain in power until October 2013.
He earlier announced plans to bring elections forward after disagreements with a junior coalition partner.
Opinion polls suggest Likud could win at least a quarter of the Knesset’s 120 seats if the elections were held in the autumn.
The polls are not very accurate or trustworthy in Israel, but Benjamin Netanyahu is, by some stretch, the most popular politician.
Benjamin Netanyahu must be credited with leading one of the country’s most stable governments of recent times.
He says the main issues in any election would be, as ever, security, including now the threat from Iran, and relations with the Palestinians.
Painter Thomas Kinkade died of accidental acute intoxication from alcohol and an anti-anxiety medication, an autopsy report revealed late Monday.
The Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office reported Thomas Kinkade’s cause of death as “acute ethanol and Diazepam intoxication” and manner of death as “accident”, according to NBC Bay Area.
Diazepam is the active ingredient in name-brand drug Valium.
The self-proclaimed Painter of Light Thomas Kinkade, whose works captivated millions of Americans despite the scorn of many art critics, died in April at his home in Northern California at the age of 54.
The coroner’s report also said the painter suffered from “hypertensive and atherosclerotic heart disease”.
In layman’s terms, Thomas Kinkade had high blood pressure and thickened artery walls in his heart due to high cholesterol.
The painter’s brother told the San Jose Mercury News newspaper that the painter had battled alcoholism for several years and suffered a relapse before he died.
Patrick Kinkade said his brother had been burdened in recent years by a separation from his wife, financial troubles and the low opinion of his work by critics.
The Santa Clara County Coroner's Office reported Thomas Kinkade's cause of death as “acute ethanol and Diazepam intoxication” and manner of death as “accident”
Thomas Kinkade was arrested for drunk driving in 2010, the same year his company filed for bankruptcy.
Art galleries reported a surge in sales of Thomas Kinkade’s paintings following his death.
Thomas Kinkade’s scenes of country gardens and pastoral landscapes led to a commercial empire that was said to fetch some $100 million a year in sales. The artist’s paintings hang in an estimated one out of every 20 homes in the United States.
A key feature of Thomas Kinkade’s paintings is their glowing highlights and saturated pastel colors. His works often portray bucolic, idyllic settings such as gardens, streams, stone cottages, and main streets.
The painter is notable for the mass marketing of his work as printed reproductions and other licensed products through his company The Thomas Kinkade Company.
The prices of his painting’s range from $200 to more than $10,000.
“Thomas Kinkade, the celebrated <<Painter of Light>> is one of the most widely collected and beloved artists of our day,“ his official website says.
“Each year millions of people are drawn to the luminous light and tranquil mood of Kinkade’s paintings and include his creations in their lives through prints, books, and other fine collectibles.”
The University of California Berkeley graduate was a devout Christian and has said his inspiration comes from his religious beliefs and that his work is intended to contain a larger moral meaning.
“I try to create paintings that are a window for the imagination,” Thomas Kinkade said on his website.
“If people look at my work and are reminded of the way things once were or perhaps the way they could be, then I’ve done my job.”
US officials say FBI has foiled a plot by al-Qaeda in Yemen to detonate an upgraded version of the failed 2009 “underwear bomb”.
The device was seized in the Middle East following a CIA operation in Yemen and is now being studied by the FBI.
Reports say no target had been chosen and no plane tickets purchased by the time the alleged plot was foiled.
Officials say there was never any risk to the public. It is not clear what has happened to the would-be bomber.
Peter King, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee of the US House of Representatives, said counter-terrorism officials had told him: “We don’t have to worry about him anymore.”
The officials revealed that the would-be bomber was alive, but would not say whether he was in foreign custody, Peter King added.
US officials said the device had been seized in an unspecified Middle Eastern country outside Yemen within the last 10 days.
“As a result of close co-operation with our security and intelligence partners overseas, an improvised explosive device (IED) designed to carry out a terrorist attack has been seized abroad,” the FBI said.
“Initial exploitation indicates that the device is very similar to IEDs that have been used previously by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in attempted terrorist attacks, including against aircraft and for targeted assassinations,” it added.
President Barack Obama was first informed of the plot in April, White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said, adding the device had not posed a threat to the public.
The plot, disrupted as a result of US co-operation with other unnamed intelligence agencies, appears to have been caught at a relatively early stage – after the making of the bomb, but before the public was put at risk.
Fahd al-Quso, a senior al-Qaeda leader, was killed on Sunday by a drone strike, behind the updated underpants bomb plot
“What this incident makes clear is that this country has to continue to remain vigilant against those that would seek to attack this country. And we will do everything necessary to keep America safe,” Defence Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters on Monday.
Officials said it appeared that AQAP leaders in Yemen had instructed a suicide bomber to board any flight of his choosing to the US with the bomb under his clothes, but that he had been stopped before reaching an airport.
It is not clear who built the device, but officials said it shared some features with the bomb sewn into the underwear of would-be suicide bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.
The Nigerian was arrested when his device failed to explode fully while on a plane bound for Detroit on Christmas Day 2009.
A US intelligence official said the latest device bore the “hallmarks” of the 2009 underwear bomb, which was built by the Saudi militant, Ibrahim al-Asiri.
It seems it is an improved model, with a more effective detonation system; it has no metal parts and probably would not have been detected by most airport security magnetometers.
It is not even clear if it would have been found by the body scanners that have been installed in some US airports after that attempted attack three years ago.
Abdulmutallab’s “underwear bomb” was not detected during security checks at airports in Lagos, Nigeria, and Amsterdam before he boarded Northwest Airlines Flight 253 for Detroit.
On the flight, the bomb did not detonate fully and passengers had to put out the fire. He has been sentenced to life in prison.
In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said air security would continue to incorporate threat and vulnerability analysis, pre-screening and screening of passengers, as well as random searches at airports, air marshals and other unspecified security measures.
It added: “We have no specific, credible information regarding an active terrorist plot against the US at this time, although we continue to monitor efforts by al-Qaeda and its affiliates to carry out terrorist attacks, both in the homeland and abroad.”
News of the operation emerged shortly after the US marked one year since the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.
It also comes one day after Fahd al-Quso, an al-Qaeda leader in Yemen, was killed by a US drone strike.
The US had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Fahd al-Quso’s capture or death.
The Yemeni government has stepped up its battle against AQAP since Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down as president in November.
However, the group and its allies still control large parts of the country.
Anthony Edgar “Tony” Sale’s life is to be commemorated with an award for the best computer restoration project.
British pioneering computer conservationist Tony Sale is best known for the mammoth project that resulted in the re-creation of the Colossus computer.
At Bletchley Park, the original Colossus cracked messages sent by Adolf Hitler’s generals during World War II.
The award will recognize the project that has made a singular engineering achievement in restoration.
Overseen by the Computer Conservation Society (CCS) and backed by Google, the award will seek out those projects carried out in the same spirit that Tony Sale brought to his work, said David Hartley, chairman of the CCS.
Anthony Edgar “Tony” Sale’s life is to be commemorated with an award for the best computer restoration project
Dr. David Hartley said the idea for the award emerged soon after Tony Sale’s unexpected death in August 2011.
“This has all been stimulated by Tony Sale,” he said.
“We hope it will be a fitting tribute to him.”
Prior to embarking on the Colossus rebuild, Tony Sale worked at the Science Museum and, with Doron Swade, drove the recreation of other pioneering computers and helped found the CCS. He was also involved in the campaign to save Bletchley Park and was one of the founders of the National Museum of Computing.
To be considered for the award, a restoration project would have to demonstrate how it advanced understanding of how older machines were built and worked, said Kevin Murrell, secretary of the CCS.
“Computer history gets lost very quickly and it can be a very forensic job to piece all the information together,” he said.
The design process and inner workings of relatively modern machines and game consoles were often not well known, he said.
“Tony Sale would expect to see good research and the understanding of the machine as well as a working replica built in either software or hardware,” he said.
Potential candidates for the award are the restoration of the PDP 1 at the Computer History Museum or the recreation of Konrad Zuse’s Z1.
Victoria’s Secret model Anja Rubik didn’t leave much to the imagination when she walked the up red-carpeted steps at the 2012 Met Gala.
Wearing an Anthony Vaccarello slinky silk dress, Anja Rubik gave viewers more than they bargained for with her hip-high split and cut-away chest holes.
The 28-year-old Pirelli calender model is no stranger to showing off her toned, thin frame, however her cream-colored dress also revealed her obvious lack of underwear.
Wearing an Anthony Vaccarello slinky silk dress, Anja Rubik gave viewers more than they bargained for with her hip-high split and cut-away chest holes
Paying tribute to Angelia Jolie’s right leg meme from this year’s Academy Awards, Anja Rubik turned heads and drew a few gasps with her jutting hipbones.
The dress’s gaping holes over her chest and lower abdomen areas added to the near-naked effect.
At one point during the red-carpet arrivals, Anja Rubik hugged fellow model Karolina Kurkova, and if it wasn’t for her strategically bent knee, an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction seemed more than likely.
This year Met Costume Institute Gala, held in New York last night, was all about who can sparkle hardest, as the celebrities slip into futuristic fabrics.
Gwyneth Paltrow had no problems, paying tribute to last night’s hostess Muccia in a stunning short and backless lilac-silver dress that was probably the most elegant outfit on the red carpet tonight.
Sparkle seems to work best when given a slant, like Gwyneth Paltrow’s Barbarella minimalism or Sofia Vergara’s sensational Marchesa silver lace column dress.
The color is so subtle it allows the drama of the lace and the sexy shape of the gown to really do the talking, and Sofia Vergara finished off her look with a bright, bright slick of fuchsia pink lipstick which sealed the deal.
In the gold corner, Cameron Diaz was a column of light in a retina-searing Stella McCartney gold dress which she paired, rather cheekily, with the hairstyle made famous in her 1998 smash hit movie, There’s Something About Mary.
And Jessica Alba offers a masterclass in how to really shine, without looking like a gaudy street hoarding.
She added a frisson of Hollywood glamour to her burnished gold Michael Kors dress, with gothic touches such as black nails and a vintage style Roger Vivier‘s Pilgrim Coeur clutch.
It transforms the timeless beauty into a pewter dipped antique goddess, while Mad Men’s Jessica Paré, breathtaking beauty though she is, false foul of an all over large sequin fabric that seemed to drown her gloriously dainty figure.
Camilla Belle in Ralph Lauren worked the trend with a gothic slant, just like Alba, and triumphantly her dark lips stood out on a carpet filled with fashionable peach pouts.
Sofia Vergara's sensational Marchesa silver lace column dress
Lana Del Rey, unsurprisingly, also jumped at the chance to mine this fusion of old school glamour and film noir stylings, and debuted darker colored hair with her Joseph Altuzarra outfit which featured a stunning cape.
Carey Mulligan went furthest on this space oddity, in giant sequins by Prada; this dress ran the gamut of metallic hues and perhaps worked best on the newly married beauty’s slender shoulders as the skirt flared out in a Judy Jetson style hoop that looked awkward on the willowy Brit.
Leighton Meester also opted for metallic Marchesa, this time in gold, it was a bold move from the Gossip Girl star but one that aged her as her youth became lost within the archaic gold filigree patterned lace and giant diaphanous ruffles.
Scarlett Johansson filled out her Dolce and Gabbana fishtale dress admirably, but it’s pale color blended into the actress’s skin too softly and she always shines more brightly in rich colors.
Renee Zellweger was a vision in Pucci, an surprise choice for the star who was expected to wear Caroline Herrera, but a masterstroke, as she looked incredible in the dramatic backless black gown which, yes you guessed it, had accents of gold.
Rihanna played it reasonably safe in Tom Ford’s applique crocodile, but her stunning figure proved to be her winning accessory.
Her hair was slicked back to showcase her incredible cheekbones, but that was the same look chosen by Rooney Mara and Gisele Bundchen to heighten their air of Victorian melodrama in detailed Givenchy lace and embellished satin respectively.
Other stars wore their black in a gothic style, which was easily the second most popular trend of the evening.
Cate Blanchett, peerless beauty as always, nailed the look in a ravishing dress by Alexander McQueen that was at both extravagant and strangely minimalist, giving her the air of an elegant raven.
Another black look was sleek, as best personified by Rihanna, but also showcased to great effect by Rosario Dawson in super-sexy Calvin Klein and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley flying the British flag in Burberry.
Emma Roberts, Katharine McPhee and Eva Mendes were good enough to eat in various shades of orange, while the in the minority (for once) ladies in red, Chelsea Clinton, Emma Stone and Milla Jovovich made the most of the scarlet hue.
Mad Men star January Jones put pop into pastel in her fresh yellow dress, while Victoria’s Secret model Candice Swanepoel was a hip shade of blue to Brooke Burke’s slightly soppy take on the color.
Christina Ricci and Lily Collins boldly refused to follow the crowd and wore daring individual gowns.
Christina Ricci donned an incredible number by cult designer Thakoon, that certainly marked her out from the crowd with it’s large bow any celebrity other than Ricci would’ve looked plain ridiculous, but she managed to pull it off, just.
Not so Lily Collins, who just didn’t look glamorous enough in her pretty Victorian-style Valentino gown.
Rolling Stones Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood wore their rock ‘n’ roll credentials on their suited sleeves, and Jagger had his designer girlfriend L’Wren Scott cheering up his arm, while Wood had theatre producer Sally Humphreys by his side.
According to a new study, Amish children raised on rural farms in northern Indiana suffer from asthma and allergies less often even than Swiss farm kids, a group known to be relatively free from allergies.
“The rates are very, very low,” said Dr. Mark Holbreich, the study’s lead author.
“So there’s something that we feel is even more protective in the Amish than in European farming communities.”
What it is about growing up on farms – and Amish farms in particular – that seems to prevent allergies remains unclear.
Researchers have long observed the so-called “farm effect” – the low allergy and asthma rates found among kids raised on farms – in central Europe, but less is known about the influence of growing up on North American farms.
Dr. Mark Holbreich, an allergist in Indianapolis, has been treating Amish communities in Indiana for two decades, but he noticed that very few Amish actually had any allergies.
Amish children raised on rural farms in northern Indiana suffer from asthma and allergies less often even than Swiss farm kids, a group known to be relatively free from allergies
As studies on the farm effect in Europe began to emerge several years ago, Dr. Mark Holbreich wondered if the same phenomenon might be found in the United States.
He teamed up with European colleagues to compare Swiss farming children and non-farming children to Amish kids in Indiana.
Amish families, who can trace their roots back to Switzerland, typically farm using methods from the 1800s and they don’t own cars or televisions.
The researchers surveyed 157 Amish families, about 3,000 Swiss farming families, and close to 11,000 Swiss families who did not live on a farm – all with children between the ages of six and 12.
They found that just 5% of Amish kids had been diagnosed with asthma, compared to 6.8% of Swiss farm kids and 11.2% of the other Swiss children.
Similarly, among 138 Amish kids given a skin-prick test to determine whether they were predisposed to having allergies, only 10 kids – or 7% – had a positive response.
In comparison, 25% of the farm-raised Swiss kids and 44% of the other Swiss children had a positive test, the researchers report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
The study did not determine why the kids who grew up on farms were less likely to develop asthma and allergies, but other research has pointed to exposure to microbes and contact with cows, in particular, to partially explain the farm effect.
Drinking raw cow’s milk also seems to be involved, Dr. Mark Holbreich said.
The going theory is this early exposure to the diverse potential allergens and pathogens on a farm trains the immune system to recognize them, but not overreact to the harmless ones.
As for why the Amish kids have even lower allergy and asthma rates than the other farming kids, “that piece of the puzzle we really haven’t explained”, Dr. Mark Holbreich told Reuters Health.
He speculated that it could be at least partly a result of the Amish having larger families or spending even more time outside or in barns than people on more modern working farms.
Dr. Corinna Bowser, an allergist in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, said there’s also a possibility that inherited factors could play a role.
“The Amish are still of a limited genetic pool, I would assume, because they’re much more segregated than the Swiss kids are,” Dr. Corinna Bowser told Reuters Health.
Dr. Mark Holbreich said upcoming studies will further investigate the differences between the farming groups, with an eye toward designing possible interventions.
For instance, pregnant mothers or young children could be exposed to the mysterious factors that seem to protect farm kids as a preventive treatment, he explained.
“The goal is to try to find a way to prevent this allergy and asthma epidemic that western populations are facing,” Dr. Mark Holbreich said.
Kim Kardashian has been spotted sporting an eye-catching halterneck orange bikini as she hit the beach with older sister Kourtney and her two-year-old nephew Mason on a recent holiday to Mexico.
Kim Kardashian, 31, was not content to just spend the day sunbathing – instead trying her hand at bodyboarding in the warm sea.
And she certainly seemed to be taking to the sport like a duck to water, laughing as she cruised in to shore on her bright yellow board.
Kim Kardashian later let her hair down for a stroll down the beach, and looked pensive as she shielded her eyes from the sun.
The reality star later joined sister Kourtney and nephew Mason, carrying the little boy as she splashed around in the water.
At one point, Kim and Kourtney swung delighted little Mason along on the sands.
Mason was dressed in black swimming trunks and a black hat with orange detail which matched his auntie Kim Kardashian’s swimming costume.
Kim Kardashian sporting a halterneck orange bikini as she hit Mexico beach with sister Kourtney and nephew Mason
Kourtney Kardashian meanwhile, dressed her growing baby bump in a black swimsuit and sheer patterned wrap.
She kept herself protected from the sun in a straw colored hat with black ribbon.
The sisters were in Mexico to celebrate Kourtney Kardashian’s 33rd birthday last month, but were without Mason’s father Scott Disick.
However, the sisters were also joined by her friend Robin Antin who also tried her hand at bodyboarding.
Robin Antin, an entrepreneur, actress and choreographer, who founded girl group The Pussycat Dolls, wore a patterned blue and purple bikini to splash around in the surf.
Kim Kardashianis regularly seen at the gym near her home on Los Angeles, and the results were clear to see as she displayed her washboard stomach and toned legs.
She admitted last month that she is working out up to six times a week to keep her famous figure in shape and has been changing her diet for the better.
Kim Kardashian wrote via Twitter: “I’ve been trying to change my bad eating habits – slow process but its working. I feel so much better! Sugar, dairy & gluten free. HARD!”
She added: “I will have sweets every once in a while & dairy but this is a huge step for me! Its a lifestyle change but I’m loving it so far!”
Kim Kardashian clearly appreciated the break, while divorce proceedings from estranged husband Kris Humphries are still ongoing.
She yesterday spent three hours at her lawyer’s Los Angeles home.
Euro fell against the dollar and the pound on Monday following French and Greek election results, which cast doubt on European austerity plans.
Pro-bailout parties in Greece performed poorly, while Francois Hollande won the French presidency, promising to focus more on growth.
The euro fell as low as $1.295, its lowest since January, and dropped to three-year lows against the pound.
The main European stock markets fell early on before recovering.
In Germany, the DAX fell by more than 2%, but by mid-afternoon was only down by 0.1%.
In Paris, the CAC 40 recovered to trade up by 0.7%.
Athens shares fell by as much as 8.3%. In London, markets were closed for a bank holiday.
Euro fell against the dollar and the pound on Monday following French and Greek election results, which cast doubt on European austerity plans
In New York, the Dow Jones opened down by 0.3%.
The interest rates on some government debt has also gone up, indicating a fall in investor confidence. The yield in the secondary markets for Greek 10-year bonds has gone up from 20% to 22.2%.
Asian markets also fell, with the Nikkei in Tokyo dropping 2.8%. South Korea’s KOSPI shed 1.8% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 2.4%.
In Greece, the socialist Pasok party saw an unexpectedly poor result, while Syriza, which has opposed austerity measures, had a strong performance.
The result has cast doubt on whether the country’s policies that currently include large spending cuts, tax increases and state job losses, can continue.
“The knee-jerk reaction was a little strong, but there’s chaos in Greece, and [politicians] being against the deal that was already agreed upon is almost like progress being set back a year and a half,” said Scott Freeze, president of StreetOne Financial.
While the French result was expected, there is still concern about whether Francois Hollande will be able to work as closely with German Chancellor Angela Merkel as his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy did.
The two were the driving force behind the eurozone’s fiscal compact.
Francois Hollande stood on a platform of promoting growth rather than concentrating on austerity.
“The global financial markets aren’t thrilled by the idea that France and Greece have voted for governments less willing to work with the Germans on a consistent approach to addressing their fiscal deficits,” said Dick Green at Briefing.com.
During the campaign, Francois Hollande pledged to renegotiate the fiscal pact in which European countries agreed to strict controls on their budgets.
But following his victory, and the defeat of the governing coalition parties in Greece, Angel Merkel said that the deal was “not up for grabs”.
“It is a matter of principle in Europe that following elections, be they in small or large countries, we do not renegotiate what’s already been agreed,” she said.
“Otherwise we could not work together in Europe.”
The ratings agency Standard and Poor’s, which downgraded France from its triple-A rating in January said the election result would have no immediate impact on its credit status.
“We will analyze the policy choices of France’s president elect and the new government, taking into account the outcome of the parliamentary elections in June,” the agency said.
“The chances are that the next move is going to be down. The chances are it’s going to be slightly earlier than it would have been otherwise, but the agencies themselves will have a measured response,” said Georg Grodski, head of credit research at Legal and General.
“There is still hope that Mr. Hollande will tone down some of his rhetoric and accept that you can’t fix an economic problem by living on other people’s money.”
Customs officials in South Korea have discovered thousands of pills filled with powdered human flesh coming from China, it was revealed today.
South Korea says it will increase customs inspections targeting capsules containing powdered human flesh.
The Korea Customs Service said it had found almost 17,500 of the capsules being smuggled into the country from China since August 2011.
The powdered flesh, which officials said came from dead babies and foetuses, is reportedly thought by some to cure disease and boost stamina.
But officials said the capsules were full of bacteria and a health risk.
“It was confirmed those capsules contain materials harmful to the human body, such as super bacteria. We need to take tougher measures to protect public health,” a customs official was quoted as saying by the Korea Times.
The powdered flesh, which officials said came from dead babies and foetuses, is reportedly thought by some to cure disease and boost stamina
The San Francisco Times reported that tests carried out on the pills confirmed they were made up of 99.7% human remains.
Inspections are to be stepped up on shipments of drugs arriving from north-east China, Yonhap news agency reported.
The Dong-a Ilbo newspaper said that capsules were being dyed or switched into boxes of other drugs in a bid to disguise them.
Some of the capsules were found in travelers’ luggage and some in the post, customs officials said.
Allegations that human flesh capsules were being trafficked from north-east China into South Korea emerged last year in a South Korean television documentary.
At the time China’s Health Ministry said it was investigating the claims raised by the programme.
Ministry spokesman Deng Haihua, quoted at the time in China Daily, said China had “strict management of disposal of infant and foetal remains as well as placentas”.
“Any practice that handles the remains as medical waste is strictly prohibited,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.
Experts have found that men and women in their 30’s are more dissatisfied with their sex life than any other age group.
Financial worries and the stress of caring for children leave them too listless for bedroom fireworks, a survey claims.
But they should not despair. The best sex apparently happens in the 50’s, while sexual confidence peaks between the ages of 60 and 69.
The Sex Census 2012, which involved almost 25,000 respondents, suggests that 25% of those aged 30 to 39 are unhappy with their sex lives owing to money worries and the demands of modern life.
In the same age group 35% said caring for babies and young children was having a negative impact on their sexual relationships as they were just too tired.
Low body confidence and depression also played a part in their lack of desire.
But as the respondents got older their satisfaction levels increased. Of those between 50 and 59, 52% said they had a good sex life, with only a fifth saying they were unhappy.
Experts have found that men and women in their 30’s are more dissatisfied with their sex life than any other age group
Moreover, at age 18 women rated their sexual confidence at only four out of ten, while those aged 60 to 69 rated theirs at six out of ten.
The survey was funded by British charity Relate and the Ann Summers shop chain.
Paula Hall, sex therapist for Relate, said: “We know from previous research that the thirties can be a difficult period for some.
“Pressures such as mortgages, children and work can really hit hard in this decade, but combined with the impact of a double dip recession, it creates a pressure cooker for our relationships and sex lives and naturally something has to give.
“This age group is always a tricky one. The pressures to have it all are well documented but it’s important that people don’t give up on their sex lives.
“The results tell us that this age group actually want more sex, so people need to take time to work out what’s stopping them.
“It could be a communication barrier, or it might be the fact that you aren’t putting time aside for each other – whatever it is, having an open discussion can help get your sex life back on track.”
One of the more surprising findings of the survey was that 19% of the 70-plus age group had used a social networking site to meet a stranger for sex, as opposed to 13% in the 50 to 59 age group.
Perhaps unsurprisingly the highest percentage (26%) to use a site such as Facebook or Friends Reunited were the 30 to 39-year-olds.
Jacqueline Gold, chief executive of Ann Summers, said: “We are all aware of the impact stress has on our lives, but it is interesting to see the negative effect it has on our sex lives.
“Sex is a hugely important aspect of relationships and communication is a major part of this.”
The non-profit Institute for Economics and Peace has released its U.S. peace index for the second-straight year.
According to 24/7 Wall St., the rankings were compiled based on five categories, including violent crime, amount of law enforcement and the ability to obtain small arms.
Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) founder Steve Killelea told 24/7 Wall St.: “In perfect states, there’d be no crime, therefore you’d have no need for police, nor would you lock anyone up.”
Steve Killelea said that because peace is not an exact science, the organization’s findings are based on several factors.
He told 247WallSt.com: “I don’t think there’s a single silver bullet which creates peace. I think it’s multi-dimensional and really complex. So, on that basis, we’ve pulled out the correlations.”
Louisiana was marred by its murder rate, which – at 11.2 per 100,000 people – is the highest among each of the 50 states.
Maine, which has been crowned the most peaceful state in the nation, had the lowest levels of violent crime, incarceration and police officers.
A state’s education system also comes into play in the IEP data, with education appearing to have the most impact on where a particular state wound up on the list.
High school graduation rates in particular had a striking effect on that state’s rank in the peace index.
Steve Killellea told the 24/7 Wall St.: “It is not so much the quality of education that matters for peace, but that states keep children in school and off the streets.”
The IEP, which is based in Australia, first released the U.S. peace rankings last year.
According to IEP, Maine has been crowned the most peaceful state in America, having the lowest levels of violent crime, incarceration and police officers
US sitcom actor George Lindsey, who found fame as petrol station attendant Goober Pyle on the Andy GriffithShow, has died at the age of 83.
The Marshall-Donnelly-Combs Funeral Home in Nashville said George Lindsey had died on Sunday following a brief illness.
George Lindsey played Goober on the Andy Griffith Show from 1964 to 1968.
He went on to play the same character in Hee Haw from 1971 until it ended in 1993. His other TV credits included M.A.S.H. and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
US sitcom actor George Lindsey, who found fame as petrol station attendant Goober Pyle on the Andy Griffith Show, has died at the age of 83
“America has grown up with me,” George Lindsey said in an interview with the Associated Press in 1985.
“Goober is every man, everyone finds something to like about ol’ Goober,” he added.
In a statement released by the funeral home, Andy Griffith said: “George Lindsey was my friend. I had great respect for his talent and his human spirit.”
George Lindsey also appeared in several movies, including Cannonball Run II.
And he lent his voice to animation films such as Robin Hood, The Rescuers and The Aristocats.
George Lindsey began his professional acting career on Broadway in the musicals Wonderful Town and All American.
Supermodel Miranda Kerr can afford the costliest products on the planet, but last week she revealed that her luminous skin is all down to a slick of rosehip oil.
“I put it on at night and I wake up glowing,” Miranda Kerr said.
Derived from the wild rose bushes that grow high in the Chilean Andes, where the altitude and pollutant-free environment produce the highest quality rosehips, the oil’s benefits have been known by the indigenous population for hundreds of years.
Extracted from the seed of the fruit, it makes an anti-ageing oil that’s more potent – and far cheaper – than the more well-known face oils, such as rose otto.
So just why is it such a wonder oil? Not only is it rich in vitamin C and high in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, known to heal scar tissue, it’s also a great source of retinoic acid, which studies show reduces the appearance of wrinkles and brightens skin.
This combination means that it’s particularly good for fine lines and pigmentation problems – two of our most common skin complaints.
Extracted from the seed of the fruit, the rosehip oil is an anti-ageing ingredient that’s more potent, and far cheaper, than the more well-known face oils
Another key benefit is its ability to sink into skin without leaving a greasy finish, a common gripe with many facial oils that you can apply only at night for fear of shiny cheeks.
“Rosehip is a dry oil, so it penetrates to the deepest layers of the skin where it regenerates skin cells, producing more collagen and elastin,” explains aromatherapist Denise Leicester, founder of organic skincare brand Ila.
“It’s so light, you can even apply a small amount over make-up to perk up tired office skin, yet it is so moisturizing that studies prove it reduces the appearance of scars and burns, too.
“My inbox is buzzing with women who’ve recently had surgery who say their scars have dramatically reduced after using rosehip.”
It is results like these that prompted Kate Middleton’s facialist, Deborah Mitchell, to add rosehip oil to her signature LIA therapy treatment, which is also a favorite of Gywneth Paltrow and Victoria Beckham.
“Rosehip is perfect for all ages and skin types, including those with sensitive skin conditions like rosacea and acne. I add a drop to moisturizer to boost the results – Kate loves it because it gives skin a luminous glow,” says Deborah Mitchell.
You can even do your own treatment at home.
“Mix 15ml of extra virgin olive oil with one drop of rosehip oil and apply to damp skin for an intensive night treatment,” advises Deborah Mitchell.
And if you’ve had a bad day, then drop a splash in your bath.
“Rosehip lifts your spirits. It releases endorphins that make you smile,” she adds.
Anna Nicole Smith left behind one lasting legacy to her angelic appearance in the form of her daughter Dannielynn Birkhead, who is now five years old, and a beauty just like her mother.
The little girl is growing up fast, and is the spitting image of her mother, who was aged just 39 when she was found dead in a Florida hotel room.
Dannielynn Birkhead was named after her half-brother Daniel, who died from a lethal combination of drugs after collapsing in his mother’s hospital room in the Bahamas while visiting his newborn sister.
But her father Larry Birkhead, who was forced to establish paternity in a suit against Anna Nicole Smith’s then partner and lawyer Howard K. Stern, seems to have done a good job of making sure that this little girl who endured such tragedy around her during her first days on this planet, has a normal life.
Dannielynn isn’t seen in the public eye aside from the annual father-daughter pilgrimage to the Kentucky race, and then it’s impossible not to be taken aback by the likeness.
The full lips, wide eyes and even the arch of the eyebrows are almost exactly the same.
Dannielynn Birkhead isn't seen in the public eye aside from the annual father-daughter pilgrimage to the Kentucky race
This year, Dannielynn looked even more darling, if it could be possible, in an outfit paying homage to her mother’s home state of Texas.
Her headband featured the yellow rose, which is the emblem of the state.
“I see her mom in everything she does,” Larry Birkhead commented.
“We were at the Kentucky Derby and she started smiling and posing like her mom would. People ask me to put her in modelling, but I don’t want to push,” he told Us Weekly after last year’s event.
Larry Birkhead also explained how he told his daughter about his mother’s death: “At first I said, <<Your mommy’s up in the clouds>>. Then we were on a plane from Kentucky and she asked, <<Which cloud is my mom on, maybe she can come play?>>.”
Larry Birkhead is admirably protective of his daughter, and her late mother’s reputation.
He was livid about the Anna Nicole Smith opera which ran in London in late February and early March.
Larry Birkhead was furious with the Royal Opera House production’s exaggerated depiction of Anna Nicole Smith, and branded it “trash”.
He said he was particularly concerned about the effect of such material on Dannielynn.
“One day my daughter is going to see this trash,” Larry Birkhead said.
“These aren’t the images you want to relate to your child.”
Anna Nicole Smith was played by Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek.
Photos of the production show Eva-Maria Westbroek flaunting massive breasts and a blonde wig. One scene is said to depict Anna Nicole Smith performing a sex act on a character in a wheelchair.
“That lady is no Anna Nicole,” Larry Birkhead said of the soprano.
Will Smith was so used to people suggesting his marriage is on the rocks that he says he is now desensitized by said rumors.
Still, mere days after laughing off reports that he and wife Jada Pinkett Smith are splitting up, they made a show of family support by turning up at LAX together yesterday with daughter Willow in tow.
The only missing member of the family was their 13-year-old son Jaden.
All three present Smith members looked fashionable, cool and collected as they arrived for their departing flight.
They were a cohesive unit, given that both Willow, 11, and her mother wore plaid tops that matched Will’s cap.
Mere days after laughing off reports that Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett are splitting up, they made a show of family support by turning up at LAX together yesterday with daughter Willow in tow
Will Smith, 43, also coordinated with his wife by wearing vests over their tops.
They all also wore shades of grey and black somewhere in their ensembles.
This show of sartorial unity accompanies recent interviews that both Will Smith and Jada Pinkett, 40, gave regarding the state of their marriage.
Will Smith, whose upcoming film Men in Black III hits movie theatres on May 25, is well aware that split rumors are par for the course in Hollywood.
He told Access Hollywood: “It’s just part of the game. I’m not going to play that part, but I can understand where somebody would have something in their heart where they have to stab somebody, they have to poke at somebody, but I’m indestructible.
“Your gonna hurt yourself stabbing at me.”
Jada Pinkett Smith, too has spoken out about the subject.
She told Gala magazine: “I almost want to say that we should have been expecting it [but] Will and I know the truth.
“We’re waiting peacefully for the storm to blow over.
“These rumors are completely untrue. I travel a lot because of my work, just like Will does… But our lifestyle hasn’t changed.”
Kim Kardashian was seen at lawyer-to-the-stars Laura Wasser’s residence in Beverly Hills, where she spent few hours.
Make-up free, Kim Kardashian, 31, appeared as though she had come from or was going to the gym in her work-out leggings.
The reality star slipped on a denim jacket and wore a scarf around her neck to keep warm.
Furiously checking her phone, Kim Kardashian appeared somewhat anxious.
The fact that she also went to Laura Wasser’s residential home means things are quite serious, and by reports a war is ready to kick off between Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries.
Reportedly Kris Humphries wants his former wife to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Kim Kardashian spent hours with lawyer Laura Wasser after Kris Humphries pressed for a divorce trial
Laura Wasser accused Kris Humphries of attempting to prolong the proceedings to dissolve their marriage for publicity’s sake during a brief hearing on Friday morning.
But the NBA player is not intimidated, according to Radar Online, and he is pressing for a divorce trial rather than an out-of-court settlement in order to get the truth out.
“The only way that this case won’t go to trial is if Kim publicly apologizes to Kris and admits that she only married him for television ratings,” revealed a source close to Kris Humphries.
“Kris just wants the truth to come out and Kim is just absolutely livid that she isn’t getting her own way. Kris wants Kim to answer questions about their relationship, under oath.”
The source continued: “Kris is ready for a fight and he has said that Kim should <<bring it on>>. Kris won’t be silenced and he isn’t after her money, he doesn’t want one dime from her.
“It’s just about the truth coming out, something that Kim’s camp seems to be petrified about.”
Kris Humphries wants to know what happened to one of their wedding presents – a $325,000 white Ferrari – given to the couple by a wealthy Malaysian businessman, among other things.
“Kris is ready to be deposed and answer questions under oath. He looks forward to Kim being deposed and he will be there when it happens,” the source said.
Curcumin, a chemical found in curry, is to be tested for its ability to kill bowel cancer tumors in patients.
Curcumin, which is found in the spice turmeric, has been linked to a range of health benefits.
Studies have already shown that curcumin can beat cancer cells grown in a laboratory and benefits have been suggested in stroke and dementia patients as well.
Now a trial at hospitals in Leicester will investigating giving curcumin alongside chemotherapy drugs.
If the disease spreads around the body, patients are normally given a combination of three chemotherapy drugs, but about half will not respond.
Curcumin, a chemical found in curry, is to be tested for its ability to kill bowel cancer tumors in patients
Forty patients at Leicester Royal Infirmary and Leicester General Hospital will take part in the trial, which will compare the effects of giving curcumin pills seven days before starting standard chemotherapy treatment.
Prof. William Steward, who is leading the study, said animal tests combining the two were “100 times better” than either on their own and that had been the “major justification for cracking on” with the trial.
He said: “Once bowel cancer has spread it is very difficult to treat, partly because the side effects of chemotherapy can limit how long patients can have treatment.
“The prospect that curcumin might increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy is exciting because it could mean giving lower doses, so patients have fewer side effects and can keep having treatment for longer.
“This research is at a very early stage, but investigating the potential of plant chemicals to treat cancer is an intriguing area that we hope could provide clues to developing new drugs in the future.”
Vladimir Putin is back to Kremlin where he is inaugurated as president of Russia in a ceremony in the capital, Moscow.
Vladimir Putin is returning to the presidency after an absence of four years in which he served as prime minister. The outgoing President, Dmitry Medvedev, was widely seen as an ally of Vladimir Putin.
He won a third term as president in controversial elections in March.
On Sunday, thousands of protesters opposed to the inauguration clashed with police in Moscow.
Vladimir Putin took the presidential oath at the Grand Kremlin Palace, in a hall that was once the throne room of the Russian tsars.
Vladimir Putin is back to Kremlin where he is inaugurated as president of Russia in a ceremony in Moscow
In a short speech he said Russia was “entering a new phase of national development”.
“We will have to decide tasks of a new level, a new quality and scale. The coming years will be decisive for Russia’s fate for decades to come.”
Vladimir Putin said Dmitry Medvedev had given a new impulse to modernization, and the “transformation” of Russia must continue.
He also spoke of the need to strengthen Russian democracy and constitutional rights.
If he completes his six-year term, Vladimir Putin will be the longest serving Russian leader since Soviet supreme ruler Joseph Stalin.
However, Vladimir Putin faces many problems; the political system he created has been showing cracks, economic growth is forecast to slow, and violence in the volatile North Caucasus continues.
How Vladimir Putin deals with the wave of opposition protests which broke out last December will also be a key test of his administration.
Sunday’s protest against the inauguration was peaceful until a small group of demonstrators tried to break through the lines of riot police.
Some of the protesters launched a sit-in by the police lines, refusing to leave unless the inauguration was cancelled.
They were also demanding an hour of TV airtime and new elections.
Prominent opposition activists Alexei Navalny, Sergei Udaltsov and Boris Nemtsov were among dozens detained.
A rival demonstration in support of Vladimir Putin also took place in the city.
British researchers have raised the tantalizing prospect of treating a range of brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, all with the same drug.
In a study, published in Nature, researchers prevented brain cells dying in mice with prion disease.
It is hoped the same method for preventing brain cell death could apply in other diseases.
The findings are at an early stage, but have been heralded as “fascinating”.
Many neuro-degenerative diseases result in the build-up of proteins which are not put together correctly – known as misfolded proteins. This happens in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s as well as in prion diseases, such as the human form of mad cow disease.
Researchers at the University of Leicester uncovered how the build-up of proteins in mice with prion disease resulted in brain cells dying.
They showed that as misfolded protein levels rise in the brain, cells respond by trying to shut down the production of all new proteins.
Researchers at the University of Leicester uncovered how the build-up of proteins in mice with prion disease resulted in brain cells dying
It is the same trick cells use when infected with a virus. Stopping production of proteins stops the virus spreading. However, shutting down the factory for a long period of time ends up killing the brain cells as they do not produce the proteins they actually need to function.
The team at the Medical Research Council laboratory in Leicester then tried to manipulate the switch which turned the protein factory off. When they prevented cells from shutting down, they prevented the brain dying. The mice then lived significantly longer.
Each neuro-degenerative disease results in a unique set of misfolded proteins being produced, which are then thought to lead to brain cells dying.
Prof. Giovanna Mallucci said: “The novelty here is we’re just targeting the protein shut-down, we’re ignoring the prion protein and that’s what makes it potentially relevant across the board.”
The idea, which has not yet been tested, is that if preventing the shut down protects the brain in prion disease – it might work in all diseases that have misfolded proteins.
Prof. Givanna Mallucci added: “What it gives you is an appealing concept that one pathway and therefore one treatment could have benefits across a range of disorders.
“But the idea is in its early stages. We would really need to confirm this concept in other diseases.”
The study has been broadly welcomed by other scientists although many point out that the research is in its infancy.
Superhero movie The Avengers has broken the record for the biggest US opening weekend, taking $200 million, early figures show.
The previous best opening weekend was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, which opened in July 2011 with $169 million.
Included in the top five of biggest openers are The Dark Knight and Spider-Man 3.
The Dark Knight, starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader, took $158 million in its opening weekend in 2008, while Spider-Man 3 took $151 million.
Both superheroes will once again be seen on screen during the summer.
Superhero movie The Avengers has broken the record for the biggest US opening weekend, taking $200 million
The Avengers, directed by Joss Whedon, failed to beat the final Harry Potter’s first day takings record of $91 million but surpassed it over the following two days.
No other big films dared go up against it, with only the British film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel being released on the same day.
The Avengers has so far taken $641 million worldwide.
