An Australian mother on board a Qantas flight discovered live maggots crawling inside a packet of the airline nuts after she’d already begun eating them.
Victoria Cleven, 42, didn’t see the maggots when she started to eat the snack on a Los Angeles to Melbourne flight because she hadn’t turned on her overhead light.
But after thinking the nuts tasted a bit strange she turned the light on to inspect the packet and saw maggots wriggling out of the packet all over her.
The mother-of-two told Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper: “It tasted strange and I turned the light on and looked at the rest of the packet and started seeing maggots coming out of it everywhere.
“I couldn’t talk. I was nearly throwing up. I was beside myself.”
Victoria Cleven on board a Qantas flight discovered live maggots crawling inside a packet of the airline nuts
Victoria Cleven’s 15-year-old son then checked another two packets of the Australian made “trail mix” they had got on the plane and found they contained maggots as well.
She took a photo and video of the maggots to prove her story and now says she is unhappy with Qantas’ response.
Victoria Cleven says she was offered a flight refund but claims the money she was offered eventually amounted to AUD$400 when the total cost of her flight was AUD$1,600.
A spokesman for the airline says the incident last week is being investigated.
He added: “Qantas sincerely apologizes to Mrs. Cleven for the incident that occurred on her return flight from LAX to Melbourne.
“Qantas has also contacted the supplier and is currently investigating how this issue occurred.”
The Sydney Biscuit Company, which makes the snack, told the newspaper that moths could have got into the packets when they were stored at a warehouse.
At least five people are believed to have been injured in a shooting at a Christian university in Oakland, California, police say.
US TV footage showed wounded people emerging from buildings at Oikos University in the city of Oakland.
Policemen have surrounded the buildings, but it is not clear whether there is still a suspect on the scene.
Oikos University is a religious institution offering courses in theology, music and nursing, according to its website.
The Associated Press news agency is quoting law enforcement sources as saying five people are dead.
At least five people are believed to have been injured in a shooting at Oikos University in Oakland, California
Johnna Watson, of Oakland Police, said: “We know this to be a Korean college. A gunman came in to the college and fired multiple shots.
“We do have fatalities, I cannot confirm the number of fatalities we have at this time. We additionally have victims who have suffered from gunshot wounds.”
Johnna Watson added that medical services as well as police were at the scene.
The Oakland Fire Department says it was first notified of the shooting at about 10:50 local time .
One witness, Brian Snow, told local news station KGO-TV: “One of the people who was inside the building, she was saying there is a crazy guy inside.
“She did say someone got shot in the chest right next to her before she got taken off in an ambulance.”
A police officer at the scene told reporters the gunman had not been identified.
Reports described the suspect as a Korean man in his 40s, with heavy build and wearing khaki clothes.
Model Lauren Scruggs ventured out in public with her stump on display for the first time four months after the horrific accident which saw her lose her left hand and eye in a plane propeller accident.
Until now, Lauren Scruggs kept her missing limb covered with clothes or scarves any time she left her home but yesterday the pretty blonde finally had the courage to venture outside with her missing limb visible.
Lauren Scruggs was out shopping with her parents near her home in Texas, likely spending some of the settlement she received as a result of the December 3 accident.
There have been reports Lauren Scruggs received more than $1million in the settlement that was reached last week after rejecting the first offer of $200,000.
TMZ reported she received several millions.
Model Lauren Scruggs ventured out in public with her stump on display for the first time
Wearing a blue baseball cap, green sports vest and black jogging pants, Lauren Scruggs was beaming from ear to ear as she emerged from sports shop Luke’s Locker in Plano with her parents.
A flesh-colored bandage was wrapped around the end of her arm where her hand should have been and she had hooked a white purse over it, making no attempt to cover it, signs that she may be growing more accustomed to her disability.
Last week Lauren Scruggs was pictured with her prosthetic eye after receiving it three weeks ago.
According to the Courthouse News Service, the plane which injured Lauren Scruggs was insured by Aggressive Insurance Services, along with a separate plane owned by the pilot Curt Richmond, a friend of the Scruggs family from Dallas, Texas.
Curt Richmond’s policy extended to other planes he pilots, the service said. Both have a $100,000 limit for passengers riding in the planes.
The report stated that Curt Richmond’s insurance “verbally offered” to pay Lauren Scruggs $200,000 after the December 3 accident.
The complaint, issued in Dallas County Court, alleged that Lauren Scruggs was not a passenger at the time of the incident, and therefore eligible for more compensation.
Alec Baldwin has got engaged to his younger lover Hilaria Thomas over the weekend.
Alec Baldwin, who turns 54 tomorrow, proposed to 28-year-old girlfriend Hilaria Thomas this weekend in Long Island, New York.
His representative told Us Weekly magazine: “Yes, it’s true! Alec proposed to Hilaria this weekend and we’re all excited for the newly engaged couple. Alec’s birthday is tomorrow. Great way to celebrate!”
Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Thomas have been a couple for almost a year and first appeared in public together at several bashes in New York in May 2011.
Alec Baldwin has got engaged to his younger lover Hilaria Thomas over the weekend
The actor was previously married to actress Kim Bassinger but the pair divorced in acrimony in 2002 after nine years of marriage and the pair was then embroiled in a bitter custody battle over their daughter Ireland, who is now 16.
Spanish-born Hilaria Thomas has not been married before.
Hilaria Thomas grew up between Boston and Spain, studying dance and history at NYU before becoming a yoga instructor.
In recent months Alec Baldwin has been sporting a noticeably trimmer physique, perhaps in a bid to appear more youthful alongside his younger partner.
Things had been getting more and more serious between Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Thomas for months, and the actor recently revealed he was considering having children with her.
Alec Baldwin said: “Have I thought about having more kids? Oh sure, that would be great, that would be heaven, that would be fantastic.”
The actor jokingly added: “As my friend said to me, <<When you have children, typically in a second marriage, when you’re older and you get married again to a woman who would have children, you must always remember that you make sure the children attend a college where the commencement ceremonies are held in a facility with a wheelchair accessible ramp>>.”
Last August Alec Baldwin sold his home in the Upper West Side of New York and moved in with Hilaria Thomas in the city’s SoHo district.
Sony Pictures has released the first trailer for Whitney Houston’s final movie, Sparkle, which hits theaters on August 17.
Jordin Sparks takes on the lead role as Sparkle Williams, a singer from Detroit who teams up with her two siblings Sister (Carmen Ejogo) and Dolores (Tika Sumpter) to form a girl group during the Motown era.
Sparkle is loosely inspired by the story of Diana Ross’s The Supremes and is a remake of the 1976 film of the same name.
Whitney Houston and Jordin Sparks in Sparkle
Whitney Houston, who tragically died on February 11 this year, plays the girls’ mother, Emma, and also served as a producer on the movie.
Whitney Houston’s final recordings – a version of gospel classic His Eye is on the Sparrow and Celebrate, written by R Kelly and performed with Jordin Sparks – will feature in the musical drama.
Sparkle is Whitney Houston’s fourth feature film, following The Bodyguard (1992), Waiting to Exhale (1995) and The Preacher’s Wife.
Cee Lo Green and Derek Luke also star in director Salim Akil’s Sparkle, which opens in the US on August 17 and October 5 in the UK.
The already “extreme” risk of a flu pandemic spreading in the UK will increase during the Olympics, a report has said.
Britain has been ranked by analysts Maplecroft as second only to Singapore for the speed at which influenza could spread, because of its dense cities and status as a global travel hub.
The report said the “large influx of visitors” at Olympic Games time would raise the “already significant” risk of spread.
But the Health Protection Agency (HPA) disagreed, saying the risk was low.
“We have done our own review and we don’t believe that there is a risk,” said Dr. Brian McCloskey from the HPA.
“We have sporting events and music festivals all around England and we had the swine flu pandemic at Glastonbury. We also looked at research from the Vancouver Games – neither produced any significant problems.”
Dr. Brian McCloskey said that at Glastonbury in 2009, hundreds of thousands of people were densely packed in fields together for days at a time during the outbreak of influenza strain H1N1.
Whereas he said at London 2012 visitors would only be at the Olympic Park for four or five hours, so the risk was reduced.
Maplecroft report said the "large influx of visitors" at Olympic Games time would raise the "already significant" risk of flu spread in UK
Maplecroft’s influenza pandemic risk index rates five countries at the “extreme” level of risk for the pandemic spread of the disease, with Singapore top, followed by the UK, South Korea, the Netherlands and Germany.
The study said that the Olympics would increase the danger of flu spreading because of the extra 5.3 million overseas tourists expected to visit Britain for the Games.
But it also found that Britain was in the top 10 of countries best placed to withstand any outbreak.
The Department of Health (DoH) said that the NHS had contingency plans in place for any eventuality.
“Outbreaks of infectious diseases during the Games have been very rare,” a spokesperson said.
“The Health Protection Agency (HPA) responds to over 5,000 disease outbreaks each year and has robust systems and processes in place to do this.
“There is a comprehensive testing and exercising plan in place to make sure that all systems are ready.”
Dr. Brian McCloskey said the chance of flu spreading during sporting events was quite low.
“It is much the same as it would be in any summer,” he said.
“The fact lots of people are going to London during the Games, doesn’t really change it.
“We have to be very careful about new diseases coming in but that doesn’t mean we are high risk. Conditions won’t be as such during the summer to make flu spread easily.”
He added that the HPA would not be recommending any specific health precautions, other than those it already gives.
“Our normal advice would be if you feel unwell then stay at home. Then there is the standard advice we give across London at all times about sneezing, coughing and washing your hands.
“The simple advice would be, don’t worry. But anyone feeling unwell – where they feel there is a cold, or have diarrhoea and vomiting then stay at home and don’t bring it out with you.
“It’s not an area people should worry about in any sense.”
In January a series of reports, in The Lancet Infectious Disease journal, highlighted the risks of mass gatherings, such as London 2012.
Health experts said they can be a hotbed of diseases from across the world – the theory being that so many people, packed closely together, increases the risk of diseases spreading.
Successful smartphone app Angry Birds will be turned into an animated series, game designers Rovio have confirmed.
Angry Birds series will be made into 52 short episodes that will be released on “all possible platforms”.
Rovio’s head of animation Nick Dorra announced the news at a media conference in Cannes, France.
“I am happy to say we are going to roll out a weekly animation series this year of short format content,” Nick Dorra said.
“It’s a great way for us to connect with our existing fans, to give them more and keep them engaged.
“But it’s also important for acquiring new fans because not everyone might want to play the game or is not able to play the game.
“We want to offer people different points where they can interact and experience our characters.”
Successful smartphone app Angry Birds will be turned into an animated series
Rovio first revealed it was working on a series of short videos last October.
But Nick Dorra said a film version of the game, also first announced in 2011, would not be released until at least 2015.
Rovio, which is based in Finland, bought an animation studio based in Helsinki last year to work on projects outside gaming.
Nick Dorra said that was the way forward now for the company.
“Angry Birds is not just about the game-play,” he said.
“It will, in the future, be less and less about the slingshot and more about the characters and their adventures and all different kinds of games in different forms.”
Angry Birds has now been downloaded more than 700 million times across all platforms and its new game, Angry Birds Space, is number one in nearly 100 app stores across the world.
Kourtney Kardashian has embraced her changing shape by slipping into a bikini on holiday.
Kourtney Kardashian, 32, is currently holidaying with her family in the scorching La Romana, Dominican Republic, where temperatures are currently soaring into the region of 30°.
But rather than hiding beneath loose-fitting sundresses or baggy kaftans, Kourtney Kardashian opted to parade in a skimpy patterned two-piece while topping up her sunkissed tan.
While her stomach is clearly in bloom for the new arrival, the rest of Kourtney Kardashian still remains slim.
Kourtney Kardashian revealed her baby bump by slipping into a bikini on holiday
She revealed she still engages in gentle exercise ferrying her two-year-old son Mason around, tweeting: “Lots of walks pushing stroller!” when asked how she stays active while being pregnant.
Never one to shy away from a moment for flaunt her figure, Kim Kardashian too poured her curves into a bikini.
But it seems the famous silhouette might be in store for some Tinseltown shrinkage, as the middle sibling has revealed she intends to change her diet.
Kim Kardashian tweeted: “Workout time!!! Gonna focus on abs today. I’ve been trying to change my bad eating habbits (sic) – 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!”
A group of employees at a McDonald’s in Maryland are outraged at co-worker Mirlande Wilson who claims she won $105million in Mega Millions but says as she bought the ticket for herself she will not share her winnings.
McDonald’s employees pooled their money for tickets for the biggest lottery in world history but Mirlande Wilson, 37, claims she herself bought one of the three tickets nationwide that will split a record $656 million payout.
“We had a group plan, but I went and played by myself. [The winning ticket] wasn’t on the group plan,” Mirlande Wilson told The New York Post.
“I was in the group, but this was separate. The winning ticket was a separate ticket,” the single mother of seven said as she and her fiancé left her home.
Mirlande Wilson, a Haitian immigrant who has seven children, claimed she had hidden the winning ticket and would present it to lottery officials today.
But later she started to backtrack saying she wasn’t sure whether she had won or not.
“I don’t know if I won. Some of the numbers were familiar. I recognized some of them,” Mirlande Wilson said.
“I don’t know why people are saying differently. I’m going to go to the lottery office today. I bought some tickets separately.”
With winning tickets also sold in Illinois and Kansas, a single Maryland winner would get an after-tax lump sum of $105 million, or $5.59 million a year for 26 years.
Mirlande Wilson’s co-workers – who make little more than $7.50 an hour – are furious at her claims she bought the winning ticket with her own money.
“She can’t do this to us!” said Suleiman Osman Husein, a shift manager and one of 15 members in the pool.
“We each paid $5. She took everybody’s money!”
Mirlande Wilson of Maryland claims she herself bought one of the three winning Mega Millions tickets and she will not share the prize with her colleagues
A man identifying himself as the boyfriend of a McDonald’s manager named Layla, who was part of the pool, said Mirlande Wilson bought tickets for the group at the 7-Eleven in Milford Mill, where the winning ticket was sold.
The group’s tickets – along with a list of those who contributed to the pool – were left in an office safe at the fast food outlet, said the man, who gave only his first name, Allen, as he stood next to Layla. She declined to comment.
Then, late Friday, before the night’s drawing, the owner of the McDonald’s, Birul Desai, gave Mirlande Wilson $5 to buy more tickets for the pool on her way home from work, and she went back to the 7-Eleven and bought them, Allen said.
Mirlande Wilson took those tickets home with her, Allen said.
But Mirlande Wilson insisted yesterday that the batch with the winning ticket in it was bought separately by her while she was with a friend.
According to the Post, when Mirlande Wilson found out she had the winning ticket, she called coworkers and told them she – rather than they – had won.
“I won! I won!” she told a colleague.
McDonald’s worker Davon Wilson said he was there when Mirlande Wilson called.
“She said, <<Turn on the news>>. She said she had won. I thought it was a joke or something. She doesn’t seem like a person who’d do this,” Davon Wilson said.
Allen told the Post he and Layla then went to Mirlande Wilson’s home to question her about the winning ticket. Though she first refused to come out, they banged on her door for 20 minutes until she finally relented.
“These people are going to kill you. It’s not worth your life!” Allen said he told her.
“All right! All right! I’ll share, but I can’t find the ticket right now,” she said, according to Allen.
A clerk at the 7-Eleven where Mirlande Wilson bought the tickets said they believed it was a man who had bought the winning ticket and doubted that her story was actually true after lottery officials reviewed the store’s CCTV footage.
Carole Everett said they had no information about the Maryland winner and whether it was a man or a woman who bought the winning ticket.
She said: “Right now, everything is just speculation and gossip. Until someone comes through that door and hands over the winning ticket we will not know who the winner is.”
If Mirlande Wilson won, and if it was with a pooled work ticket, the situation would be very similar to that of New Jersey man Americo Lopes, who was sued by his former colleagues after he claimed he was the sole winner of a $38.5 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot.
The five construction workers say they and Americo Lopes were members of a weekly lottery pool, each person contributing $2 and Lopes would buy the tickets.
Americo Lopes claimed he played the lottery both by himself and as a member of the pool and that the winning ticket in the November 2009 drawing was one he bought for himself.
He chose the lump-sum payment option and received $24 million.
A jury found that Americo Lopes wrongly refused to share the lottery win with his friends and ordered that he pay them $4 million each.
The three jackpot-winning tickets were purchased in Red Bud, Illinois, Baltimore County, Maryland, and Kansas, where state lottery officials have said only that the ticket was sold in the northeast part of the state.
In Illinois, the Chicago Tribune said a second jackpot winner, who also has yet to step forward, bought a quick-pick ticket at a gas station and convenience store in Red Bud, a community of about 3,700 in southwestern Illinois.
There were also some big consolation prizes. Lottery officials said 161 ticket holders won $250,000 apiece by matching the first five numbers, and 897 won $10,000 apiece by matching four numbers plus the stand-alone Mega Ball.
The Maryland and Kansas winners are allowed to remain anonymous because of state laws, but in Illinois, the winner has to be publicized. Though lottery officials say they encourage winners to come forward and enjoy their 15 minutes of fame.
The winning numbers in Friday night’s drawing were 02-04-23-38-46, and the Mega Ball 23.
Hungarian President Pal Schmitt has announced his resignation, after being stripped of his doctorate over plagiarism.
Pal Schmitt, 69, elected in 2010, said “my personal issue divides my beloved nation rather than unites it”.
“It is my duty to end my service and resign my mandate as president,” he told parliament.
Last week, Budapest’s Semmelweis University revoked Pal Schmitt’s 1992 award after finding that much of his thesis had been copied.
Hungarian President Pal Schmitt has announced his resignation, after being stripped of his doctorate over plagiarism
Pal Schmitt won gold medals for fencing at the 1968 and 1972 Olympic Games.
He was elected to the largely ceremonial role of president for a five-year term, with strong backing from the conservative ruling Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
The university said whole passages of his thesis about the modern Olympic Games had been copied from the work of two other academics.
Pal Schmitt denied wrongdoing and resisted calls for him to go, but on Saturday protesters in Budapest stepped up the pressure for him to resign.
The scandal comes at a sensitive time for the Fidesz government, whose news laws on the judiciary, media and central bank have proven highly controversial.
The European Commission and Euro MPs accuse Viktor Orban of limiting media freedom and the independence of the judiciary and central bank. The row has delayed financial help that Hungary desperately needs to ease its debt crisis.
Pal Schmitt served as Hungary’s ambassador to Spain in 1993-1997, and to Switzerland in 1999-2002.
He was Hungary’s fourth democratically elected president since the collapse of communism in 1989.
Pal Schmitt told parliament he would appeal against the decision which revoked his doctorate. He argues that only a court has the power to take such a decision.
Fidesz support for Pal Schmitt wavered from the very start of the plagiarism allegations.
A single comment from Viktor Orban’s spokesman Peter Szijjarto, that the allegations were “ridiculous”, was not followed up by the party as a whole.
When a committee of the Budapest Semmelweis University issued its 1,157-page report last week, Fidesz simply declared the matter “closed”, while the Christian Democrats (KDNP), their junior partner in government, issued a much more strident attack on the president’s critics, our correspondent says.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban would only say last Friday that the president should make up his own mind.
Normally pro-government newspapers have bristled with articles calling for Mr Schmitt’s resignation, though the same authors also pointed to the failure of former leftist leaders – notably ex-Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany – to resign, after admitting to lying in 2006.
On Sunday, the university rector Tivadar Tulassy stepped down, on the grounds that he had not received support from the relevant ministry. The university’s report was returned unopened by the minister.
New research might help explain why black women are much more likely than whites to develop and die from cervical cancer: they seem to have more trouble clearing HPV, the virus that causes the disease.
Doctors have long thought that less access to screening and follow-up health care were the reasons black women are 40% more likely to develop cervical cancer and twice as likely to die from it.
The new study involving young college women suggests there might be a biological explanation for the racial disparity, too.
The vaccine is recommended for all girls starting at age 11.
The study was presented Sunday at an American Association for Cancer Research conference in Chicago.
Certain strains of HPV, the human papillomavirus, cause cervical cancer, but brief infections are very common in young women. They usually go away on their own within a year or so and only pose a cancer risk when they last long-term.
Researchers at the University of South Carolina in Columbia studied 326 white and 113 black students taking part in a wider federal health study.
All were given Pap tests – lab exams of cells scraped from the cervix – and HPV tests every six months throughout their years in school.
Although the groups were similar in how many new HPV infections were detected and risk factors such as how many sex partners they had, doctors saw striking differences in how long their infections lasted.
The research found that the African-American women were clearing HPV virus about six months longer
At any check-up, blacks were 1.5 times more likely to test positive for infection with one of the HPV strains that raise cancer risk, said study leader Kim Creek.
“The African-American women weren’t clearing the virus as fast. They were actually holding onto it about six months longer,” for 18 months versus 12 months for whites, Kim Creek said.
10% of blacks had abnormal Pap tests versus 6% of whites.
Two years after initial infections were found, 56% of black women were still infected but only 24% of whites remained infected.
The government’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities sponsored the study. Kim Creek is a paid speaker for Merck & Co., one of the makers of HPV vaccines.
Cervical cancer has declined dramatically in the United States because of Pap tests, which are recommended every three years for women 21 to 65.
Starting at age 30, women can also have an HPV test every five years; they’re not recommended before then because brief infections are so common, they would give too many false alarms.
About 12,000 new cases and 4,200 deaths from cervical cancer occur each year in the United States, mostly in women who have never been screened or not in the past five years.
Paps cost $15 to $60; HPV tests run $50 to $100.
Doctors don’t know how the vaccine will affect HPV test results or how long the vaccine lasts, so women should still be screened for cervical cancer if they are within the recommended screening ages.
Ashton Kutcher will play the role of Apple founder Steve Jobs after being cast in his biopic.
Ashton Kutcher, 34, will play the technology pioneer in an indie movie which will simply be titled Jobs.
The move to cast Ashton Kutcher may shock some, as he is best known as a comedic actor.
However, Ashton Kutcher has also featured in drama projects in the past, such as 2004 science fiction thriller The Butterfly Effect, and 2006 coastguard action film The Guardian.
But tackling the role of the iconic Apple CEO will surely be the biggest test yet of his acting ability.
One thing the actor will not have to worry about hours of make-up work, as the pair look uncannily alike.
Ashton Kutcher will play the role of Apple founder Steve Jobs after being cast in his biopic
According to Variety, Joshua Michael Stern will begin shooting the film in May, with Five Star Institute’s Mark Hulme producing and financing.
The latter seems to be a newcomer to the film financing scene, and he is CEO and founder of a Dallas-based mortgage industry group.
It will have a big studio competitor though, as Sony is planning a separate biographical movie.
However it looks this version could be cut and dried before the latter’s effort is complete.
Joshua Michael Stern is set to begin principal photography in May while Ashton Kutcher is on hiatus from CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men.
The fact the news emerged on April 1 is sure to have many wondering about the veracity of the reports, but it appears to be true.
It will surely leave bosses at Sony fuming, as they snapped up the film rights to Walter Isaacson’s authorized biography of Steve Jobs, which was published within weeks of Jobs’ death last October, in Autumn.
Joshua Michael Stern will be shooting from a script by Matt Whiteley.
It will feature the visionary businessman’s rise from a California hippie to co-founder of Apple.
Steve Jobs died in October last year after a battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of just 56.
Ashton Kutcher is something of a technology businessman of his own, and was part of the management team for Ooma, a start-up launched in September 2007.
The service allows users to make phone calls anywhere in the United States with no monthly service fees.
Ashton Kutcher will not be the first actor to play Steve Jobs however.
Noah Wyle played him in the critically acclaimed 1999 television movie Pirates of Silicon Valley, which followed the respective rises of perennial rivals Apple and Microsoft.
Nearly 1.5 million US Visa and MasterCard accounts have been hacked in a major credit card heist.
The data leak was revealed on Friday, when both companies confirmed that a major theft of U.S. consumers’ credit card data was being investigated.
It was first thought that as many as 10 million customers’ information had been stolen.
The companies, which are the two largest global credit card processors, said the issue stemmed from a third-party vendor, Global Payments, and not their own internal systems.
“Less than 1,500,000 card numbers may have been exported by hackers who had access to the firm’s payment processing system,” Global Payments said in a statement.
“Cardholder names, addresses and social security numbers were not obtained by the criminals.”
However, even without this information, the company admitted that the data taken from each account would be enough to make fraudulent transactions.
Nearly 1.5 million US Visa and MasterCard accounts have been hacked in a major credit card heist
It also said hacker access was limited to North America.
Following the news, trading in the company’s shares was halted after they dropping more than 9.1%.
Global Payments said it had “identified and self-reported unauthorized access into a portion of its processing system” and had determined in early March that the intruders might have gained access to credit-card data.
Customers have been urged to check their accounts online or contact their financial institution regarding any concerns they have.
MasterCard said in a statement: “MasterCard is concerned whenever there is any possibility that cardholders could be inconvenienced and we continue to both monitor this event and take steps to safeguard account information.”
Visa also released a statement saying their customers were victims of data theft, but said its own systems were not hacked.
The company has provided the issuing banks with the affected account numbers and assured customers they would not be responsible for fraudulent purchases.
The companies’ statements came after the blog Krebs on Security reported that MasterCard and Visa have been alerting banks across the U.S. about a “massive” breach that may affect more than ten million cardholders.
Brian Krebs told Technology Live: “Law enforcement asked everyone to keep it quiet so as not to disturb investigations.”
The breach likely occurred at a central aggregation point where card information is calculated, said Avivah Litan, security analyst at Gartner Research.
Avivah Litan believes the data is already being used on the street by identity thieves.
She wrote on her blog: “I’ve spoken with folks in the card business who are seeing signs of this breach mushroom. Looks like the hackers have started using the stolen card data more recently.
“From what I hear, the breach involves a taxi and parking garage company in the New York City area, so if you’ve paid a NYC cab in the last few months with your credit or debit card – be sure to check your card statements for possible fraud.”
Avivah Litan also said that unverified reports point to a Central American gang that broke into the company’s system by answering the application’s knowledge-based authentication questions correctly.
“Looks like the hackers took over an administrative account that was not protected sufficiently.”
Researchers at the University of Buffalo have developed a special software that focuses solely on the subject’s eyes, monitoring the movements of the pupils, which determines if someone is telling you the truth or attempting to pull the wool over your eyes.
Scientists recorded a series conversations in which a number of lies were told.
And having tested their program against a trained human interrogator, they found that the software had a higher success rate.
While the specially-trained examiner correctly identifies 65% of false statements, the computer recorded an impressive 82.5% reading.
Assistant professor Ifeoma Nwogu said: “What we wanted to understand was whether there are signal changes emitted by people when they are lying, and can machines detect them?”
Researchers at have developed a software that focuses solely on the subject's eyes, which determines if someone is telling you the truth
The study centred around conversations in which subjects could chose whether or not to steal a cheque, before later being questioned on their decision.
A wide range of individuals were selected, with varying skin colors, age and height with someone even wearing glasses in an attempt to conceal their lies.
Despite most of those interviewed being caught out, there were a select number who managed to keep their eye movements to a bare minimum, which consequently resulted in the wrong conclusions.
Now scientists plan to carry out additional studies on a larger scale, with a long-term view to developing a system that could work alongside human interrogators.
An UTair passenger plane having 43 people on board has crashed shortly after take-off in Siberia, Russian officials say.
Thirty-two people were killed and 11 survivors have been taken to hospital, Russia’s emergencies ministry said.
The ATR-72 turboprop aircraft had just left Tyumen on a flight north-east to the oil town of Surgut when it crashed.
Officials said 39 passengers and four crew members were on board the plane. It remains unclear what caused the crash.
At least five survivors are in a critical condition, according to the state-run RIA news agency quoting hospital officials in Tyumen.
The UTair passenger plane having 43 people on board has crashed shortly after take-off in Siberia
The ITAR TASS news agency is reporting that all the crew, which was made up of two pilots and two flight attendants, died.
Flight 120 disappeared from radars at 05:35 local time (01:35 GMT), state-owned Russian news channel Rossiya 24 reported.
The carrier UTair is a domestic Russian airline. The company said on its website that the pilot had been trying to make an emergency landing when the plane came down.
A search team found it had crashed and burst into flames in a snowy field about 35 km (22 miles) from Tyumen.
The ATR-72 turbo-prop aircraft was built by a French-Italian company.
The transport ministry has launched an investigation and the deputy transport minister has flown to the site.
Some reports suggest the flight recorder has been found which should help establish what caused the crash.
Air safety has been notoriously bad in Russia – but it had seemed to be improving, correspondents say.
Last year, at least 15 Russian planes crashed, killing 120 people and questions were raised about maintenance.
More than 600 Russian anglers stranded on an ice floe in far east have been rescued.
The operation to airlift them off the ice involved 48 people, two helicopters and 11 ships, the emergencies ministry said.
The 675 fishing enthusiasts were carried out to sea when the floe, off the island of Sakhalin, broke free.
Fishing through bore-holes on ice-bound waters is a popular winter pastime in Russia.
More than 600 Russian anglers stranded on an ice floe in far east have been rescued
None of the rescued anglers airlifted off the ice floe needed medical assistance, the ministry said in a statement.
The ice floe had drifted 500 m away from the coast before running aground again.
One of the rescued anglers, Vladimir Vasilenko, said he had ventured on to the ice floe knowing that windy conditions might pose a risk.
“The wind was blowing from the shore, and it was clear that something might happen, but people were still going out, so we did too,” he said.
“It was the excitement, of course. We also heard on the radio that it would be the last chance for fishing on the ice. And so we rushed out to go fishing.”
Halle Berry was the first star to fall victim of the awful green goo at the 2012 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in Los Angeles and funny man and host Will Smith set up the practical joke.
Halle Berry, 45, sat down in the audience at the start of the show after apparently arriving late to the ceremony due to the notorious traffic in the area.
She ended up being the butt of the joke as she was covered in gunge by a young attendee sitting behind her.
Halle Berry wasn’t the only striking star to be punished by the television network’s annual gag.
Supermodel Heidi Klum found herself being spurted by the slippery liquid as she presented at the 25th annual event with Chris Colfer.
After tricking Chris Colfer into taking to the microphone where the offending orange blip was situated, the gunk which he got covered in, hit her accidentally and ruined her beige frock.
In a section of the show where Taylor Lautner competed against host Will Smith in a push-up contest, the comedian arranged that the Twilight Saga hunk be sprayed the hardest and he could barely contain himself to stand up and run away as a result.
The awards were broadcast from the Galen Center at USC in Los Angeles where kids’ top choices in television, movies, music and sports were revealed through a flying blimp, silver robot and sword swallower.
Will Smith made a stunning aerial entrance by parachuting down from the official KCA blimp, a 246-foot orange airship situated above the arena.
He then kicked off the silver anniversary celebration with a performance of Can U Handle This.
Halle Berry was the first star to fall victim of the awful green goo at the 2012 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in Los Angeles
Throughout the ceremony, Will Smith’s mission was to find the culprit known as Creepy Voice, who wanted to ruin the show.
Although it turned out to be The Voice mentor Cee Lo, the presenter got so worked up about the game that he jokingly kicked his children Willow and Jaden out of the venue, much to their older brother Trey and mother Jada’s disappointment.
However he hadn’t really turfed his famous offspring from the show, instead they were preparing backstage to present their friend Justin Bieber with a gong.
Will Smith trapped Justin Bieber into the biggest slime fest of the event and the stage ended up covered by the luminous stuff as did the pair.
While much of the audience were in the firing line too, Victoria Beckham sat in the third row with son Cruz on her knee and Brooklyn and Romeo next to X Factor USA judge L.A Reid.
Victoria Beckham was wearing a super short black dress which she kept trying to adjust for the family show.
Highlights of the show included a spectacular performance by Katy Perry who sang her new single Part of Me while prancing around with numerous dancers.
After collecting her gong for Favourite Voice in an Animated Movie, Katy Perry told the audience: “The only reason why I’m still here today – and remember this – is because I’ve never grown up!”
Additionally Taylor Swift was recognized for her charitable personality and the First Lady of The United States, Michelle Obama, praised her for helping causes such as more books in schools and libraries and trying to tackle the bullying issue in her songs.
The 22-year-old was blown away by the unexpected Big Help award and told Michelle Obama: “Thank you so much I have always wanted to meet you. I am freaking out.”
2012 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Winners List
Favourite TV Show: Victorious
Favourite Reality Show: Wipeout
Favorite TV Actor: Jake Short (A.N.T. Farm)
Favourite TV Actress: Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place)
Funniest TV Sidekick: Jennette McCurdy (iCarly)
Favourite Cartoon: SpongeBob SquarePants
Favorite Male Athlete: Tim Tebow
Favorite Female Athlete: Danica Patrick
Favorite Movie: Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
Favorite Movie Actor: Adam Sandler (Jack & Jill)
Favorite Movie Actress: Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1)
Favorite Animated Movie: Puss in Boots
Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie: Katy Perry (The Smurfs)
Sophia Loren is defying her age by refusing to tone down her outfits or cover up her curves.
Sophia Loren, 77, showed off her impressive figure in Russia last night as she stepped out in a floorlength gown with a daring low cut.
The iconic actress was joined by her eldest son Carlo Ponti Jr. as she wowed in the black gown with intricate detailing on the bust and sleeves.
Most women her age would be trying to cover up their skin and opt for dowdy items.
But Sophia Loren clearly isn’t most women as she happily posed with her cleavage on full show as she cuddled up to Carlo.
Sophia Loren looked tanned and happy as she held her son’s hand, who was dressed in a dapper suit with white shirt and bow tie.
Sophia Loren is defying her age by refusing to tone down her outfits or cover up her curves
And she wasn’t the only one who upped their glamour stakes as they showed up to the Charitable Foundation Federation gala auction in Moscow.
Carmen Electra was also on hand as she walked on to the red carpet in a pretty yellow frock emblazoned in diamante.
And she looked more comfortable back to doing what she does best following her unsuccessful bid to impress Britain’s Got Talent viewers with her monotone appearance.
Carmen Electra ensured she looked her best for the event with her hair half up and wavy.
Actress Andie MacDowell also attended, as she also defied her age of 53 with her black lace frock with a plunging neckline.
Former American Idol judge Paula Abdul was also a star guest and went for a floorlength white dress with a black panel around her waist.
Paula, who was recently dropped as The X Factor USA judge, accessorized with a small black clutch bag with her hair worn down.
But it was a fashion miss for singer Craig David, who turned up to the glamorous bash in some odd head wear.
The star looked dapper in a beige suit with a white shirt and thin black tie.
But he failed as he completed the look with a tight black hat that looked like a swimming cap which covered up his hair.
Brigitte Nielsen was also on hand as she wore a strapless pink dress to the event.
A breakthrough vaccine that dramatically reduces fat in the arteries has been developed for the prevention of heart attacks.
The new vaccine, which can be administered by injection or nasal spray, could be available within five years.
Current treatment involves medication that reduces cholesterol and blood pressure.
But the study by Lund University in Sweden is the first which has targeted the underlying cause of heart disease.
Prof. Peter Weissberg, the British Heart Foundation medical director, said the vaccine was “very promising”.
Fatty deposits can place great strain on the heart by narrowing the arteries and forcing it to pump far harder.
A breakthrough vaccine that dramatically reduces fat in the arteries has been developed for the prevention of heart attacks
This treatment works by stimulating the body’s immune system to produce antibodies which tackle this build-up.
In tests on mice, researchers found that it could reduce plaque by 60 to 70%, it was reported in the Daily Telegraph.
The resulting injection is waiting regulatory clearance to start clinical trials.
A second vaccine has been created as a nasal spray. A trial on 144 heart disease sufferers is under way in the U.S. and Canada.
But Prof. Jan Nilsson, professor of experimental cardiovascular research at Lund University, said it was unlikely that the drug would be administered like traditional vaccines in childhood.
“The antibody therapy in particularly is likely to be expensive, so you could probably only afford to give it to high-risk populations rather than everyone,” he told the Daily Telegraph.
Different ways of administering the vaccine are being developed and could be licensed within five years, the Frontiers in CardioVascular Biology conference at Imperial College London were told.
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has won Burma by-election for parliament after a landmark vote which saw 45 seats contested.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) said she had easily won the vote in Kawhmu, though official counts have not yet finished.
The NLD was competing in its first elections since 1990.
The vote is a key test of promised political reforms, though the military-backed ruling party remains dominant.
During the campaign, foreign journalists and international observers were given the widest access for years.
The European Union hinted that it could ease some sanctions if the vote went smoothly.
“We hope the whole day can be run in a peaceful way and we’ll make an evaluation later on the basis of all the polling sessions that we will be seeing,” EU observer Ivo Belet said.
Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi has won Burma by-election for parliament
The NLD alleged some voting irregularities in the capital, Naypyidaw.
A NLD spokesman told AFP news agency he had sent a letter of complaint to the election commission over allegations ballot forms had been tampered with.
Nyan Win said there had been complaints that wax had been put over the check box for the party, which could later be rubbed off to cancel the vote.
“This is happening around the country. The election commission is responsible for what is occurring,” he said.
Burma’s current government is still dominated by military and ex-military figures from the old regime that ruled the country for decades and was accused of widespread rights abuses.
But since 2010, when a transition to a new generation of leaders began, the government has impressed observers with the pace of change.
Most political prisoners have been freed, media restrictions have been relaxed and, crucially, Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD have been persuaded to rejoin the political process.
They have taken no part in Burma’s political process since 1990, when the NLD won a landslide victory in a general election but the military refused to accept the result.
Aung San Suu Kyi spent much of the following 20 years under house arrest and refused to take part in the 2010 election, which ushered in the current reforms.
The NLD is one of 17 opposition parties taking part in Sunday’s election. Only a fraction of seats are up for grabs and the military-backed party will still dominate.
Aung San Suu Kyi, 66, was standing for a lower house seat in the Kawhmu Township constituency, outside Rangoon.
On Sunday, she visited polling stations in Kawhmu before heading back to Rangoon.
Earlier, Aung San Suu Kyi described this year’s election campaign as not ”genuinely free and fair” and warned that reforms were “not irreversible”.
But she said she and the NLD did not regret taking part.
“Still we are determined to go forward because this is what our people want,” she said.
A small number of representatives from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), along with the EU and US, have been invited to observe polling.
More than 100 foreign journalists are believed to have received permission to cover the vote.
A rare watercolor artwork of Paul Cezanne missing since 1953 is expected to sell for as much as $20 million at auction in May, Christie’s said on Tuesday.
The late 19th-century work on paper is one of Paul Cezanne’s preparatory studies for his seminal Card Players series of five paintings, “Joueurs des cartes”.
Its whereabouts had been unknown for decades until it re-emerged from the collection of a doctor in Texas. The auction house found the drawing when it was working with the estate of Dr. Heinz Eichenwald, who died at his Dallas home in September at the age of 85.
“They were very private people,” Christie’s president Marc Porter said, adding the work had been in the family for eight decades.
“The art was for their enjoyment rather than for public display. It was not hidden away in the house, it was enjoyed. But it wasn’t as important for their social position as it was for them,” Marc Porter said.
The late 19th-century work on paper is one of Paul Cezanne's preparatory studies for his seminal Card Players series of five paintings
In 2011, the catalog of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition of Paul Cezanne’s Card Players listed the work as “whereabouts unknown”.
Sharon Kim, Christie’s international director of Impressionist and modern art, said it had been feared the work had been lost to history by collectors and scholars.
When a Cezanne watercolor was mentioned in the estate Christie’s was intrigued.
“We checked and found it fit the description of the <<whereabouts unknown>> piece and knew this was really likely it,” Sharon Kim said.
The study is most closely linked to the two-figure version of the Card Players series at the Musee D’Orsay in Paris.
“You can see the immediacy in the work, like the D’Orsay’s. He’s working through the process of how he’s going to execute this on canvas,” Sharon Kim explained, adding that it looks like it was painted yesterday.
“The colors were astonishing,” she added.
The doctor’s estate was aware of the work’s importance but astounded by it estimated value.
Paul Cezanne's painting Two Card Players is said to have been sold for $250 million
It is thought Heinz Eichenwald’s parents brought the drawing with them to the U.S. when they fled the Nazi occupation of Europe. The deceased doctor was a keen art enthusiast and collector, and it is expected there will be many more items to feature in the Christie’s sales.
Heinz Eichenwald is said to have “transformed medical care for children across north Texas and around the world for more than 40 years”, according to The Dallas Morning News.
Christie’s estimates the work will sell for up to $20 million. It will be the first time in a decade that the leading highlight of its sale of Impressionist and Modern Art has been a work on paper.
The work will be exhibited in Geneva in April before a New York showing ahead of the May 1 sale.
Earlier this week, Sotheby’s announced a find of its own, a painting by the pioneering female artist Tamara de Lempicka, which is expected to fetch nearly $5 million at auction.
A West Coast construction company owner had the work in his home for years before being advised it might be a Lempicka.
Raffles Van Exel, Whitney Houston’s close friend, seems to be “extremely relieved” he is not in the crosshairs of the Beverly Hills Police Department in the singer’s death investigation.
Several reports were posted this week that someone removed cocaine from Whitney Houston’s hotel room before authorities arrived, and the reports say detectives were targeting Raffles Van Exel.
The stories are not true, because authorities actually found cocaine in Whitney Houston’s Beverly Hilton hotel room and detectives are satisfied they have all the evidence they need to close the case.
Raffles Van Exel, Whitney Houston's close friend, seems to be "extremely relieved" he is not in the crosshairs of police in the singer's death investigation
There is no investigation focusing on anyone removing evidence from the hotel room.
As for Raffles Van Exel, sources told TMZ that he is going to the Beverly Hills PD next week with his lawyer to make sure they’re square with him.
Whitney Houston’s personal effects, which went on the first public sale since the singer’s death in February, raised $18,750 on Saturday.
Whitney Houston’s earrings worn in 1992 film The Bodyguard went under the hammer for $2,812 at a two-day auction of Hollywood greats’ treasures, alongside other items that once belonged to the late singer.
The Hollywood Legends sale of stars’ possessions was held at Julien’s Auctions which is just down the road from the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where Whitney Houston was found dead aged 48.
A grey velvet gown Whitney Houston wore to music mogul Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party in 1996 went for $11,250.
Pearl drop earrings worn by Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard were sold for $2,812, while a vest she sported in the film commanded $3,437.
Pearl drop earrings worn by Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard were sold for $2,812 at The Hollywood Legends sale on Saturday
Other items included a plum velvet dress, which brought $7,500, and a black and gold pants outfit that fetched $2,125.
Other lots include Charlie Chaplin’s iconic cane, a suit and his driving license, a Superman costume and a vintage Christian Dior gown worn by Princess Diana.
Clark Gable’s riding jacket from Gone with the Wind is expected to fetch between $10,000 and $15,000.
Charlton Heston’s screen robe, staff and tablets from The Ten Commandments will go under the hammer too.
Julien’s Auctions owner Darren Julien has revealed over 50 friends, family and former colleagues have contacted his office offering to sell items since her tragic death at the age of just 48 in February 11.
Darren Julien said: “This is something that commonly happens after somebody passes … especially someone with the status of Whitney Houston. Her items can increase 10, 20 even 30 times compared to their previous value prior to her death. These items become part of history really.
“Whitney is a legend so it’s definitely an appropriate auction for her. It’s a reason to celebrate her life, not put these items in a box under the bed … Her items are now more sought after.”
Darren Julien believes bids for Whitney Houston’s dresses will reach tens of thousands of dollars because she is someone “that will maintain a collectability” because of her incredible career.
Four contemporary artworks worth $1 million stolen from a New York gallery have been recovered in Germany 24 years on.
A total of six artworks were taken from the Soloman Gallery in 1988, with one turning up in 2003.
But the remainder of works remained hidden until they turned up in the estate of a dead German art dealer.
The dealer’s daughter had attempted to get the paintings authenticated, alerting the Art Loss Register (ALR) to their whereabouts.
The ALR said there was still one painting yet to be found.
Mulberry Centre by Franz Kline was stolen along with five other works by Robert Motherwell, Karel Appel, Jean Dubuffet and Fernand Leger.
In 2003 the Karel Appel canvas was recovered after a solicitor working for the unnamed German art dealer searched the ALR database, alerting authorities to its existence.
The Blue Bottle by Fernand Leger was found in the estate of a German art dealer
The dealer claimed to have unwittingly bought five of the six stolen paintings, but no financial records could be located and none of the other paintings could be located as the lawyer refused to divulge his client’s name.
Four of the paintings were discovered when the daughter of the now deceased art dealer, approached New York’s Dedalus Foundation to authenticate one of the artworks.
The organization alerted the ALR, who dispatched a team to identify the artworks.
ALR lawyer Christopher A Marinello said: “We’re going to make life difficult for those who attempt to sell stolen art.
“You can hide behind lawyers and look for loopholes in civil law jurisdictions, but eventually you’re going to have to deal with some very uncomfortable issues.
“The problem will not simply disappear with the passage of time. Leaving stolen artworks to the next generation is a losing proposition.”
The paintings are now owned by the gallery’s insurance company which is currently holding talks with the former gallery owners about returning the pictures to their collection.
Tuareg rebels have taken control of the Malian garrison town of Gao, including the largest military base in the north of the country.
Capt. Amadou Sanogo, whose troops seized power in a coup last week, said in a statement that his soldiers had ceded control to avoid fighting in residential areas.
There are reports of casualties but no figures have been given.
The loss of Gao is a serious blow to the coup leaders.
They deposed the president in protest at what they saw as the poor conduct of the fight against the Tuareg rebels.
Tuareg rebels have taken control of the Malian garrison town of Gao
The historic city of Timbuktu is now the only major northern town that remains under the control of the Malian army.
Rebel sources say they are already positioned in its outskirts and residents fear fighting could erupt soon.
Regional group Ecowas has put 2,000 troops on standby in case of a possible intervention in Mali.
It has threatened to close land borders, freeze assets and impose a financial blockade if the army does not stand down before Monday.
The rebels took Gao hours after another town, Kidal, fell to them.
Witnesses reported heavy gunfire coming from the main military camp in Gao and helicopters engaging rebel fighters.
Before the coup, Malian forces had struggled to drive back the rebels and officers had complained that the army needed more equipment to fight.
Capt. Amadou Sanogo has asked for foreign help to fight the rebels but has been condemned over the coup.
Members of the military leadership are in neighboring Burkina Faso for talks with President Blaise Compaore, who is mediating in the crisis.
Separatist rebels seeking to carve out a desert homeland began a rebellion in the West African state in January.
The National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) want an independent north while a smaller, Islamist group called the Ansar Edine wants to impose Sharia law.
Azawad is the Tuareg name for their home region in the Sahara Desert.
The Tuaregs have launched several rebellions over the years, complaining that the government in Bamako ignores them.
The conflict has been fuelled by the return of Tuareg fighters from Libya last year after fighting for the late Muammar Gaddafi or his opponents.
It appears these fighters are heavily armed with looted weapons.
Analysts say the rebels have taken advantage of Mali’s military coup to move swiftly across the north.
