India’s new PM Narendra Modi has overtaken the White House on Twitter, a study of political use of the social network has found.
Narendra Modi’s account @NarendraModi has 4.99 million followers, ahead of the @WhiteHouse account which has 4.98 million followers.
His huge victory in the recent general election was partly credited to a well-organized social media campaign.
Narendra Modi has overtaken the White House on Twitter
Narendra Modi, leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is also the most followed Indian leader on Twitter.
“Mr. Modi’s seen a stratospheric rise,” said Matthias Luefkens, who heads the annual Twiplomacy, a study conducted by global public relations and communications firm Burson-Marsteller.
Although Narendra Modi speaks mostly in Hindi, his tweets are always in English, preferred for business in a nation with 22 official languages.
Narendra Modi, who was elected in May, scored 24,000 re-tweets for his own “India has won!” victory message.
“I am a firm believer in the power of technology and social media to communicate with people across the world,” Narendra Modi has said in a message on his new website.
The five most followed world leaders were President Barack Obama (@BarackObama) with 43 million followers of his campaign account, Pope Francis (@Pontifex) with 14 million followers on his nine different language accounts, Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (@SBYudhoyono) with 5 million followers, with @WhiteHouse and @NarendraModi in fourth and fifth places.
Two companies have received US Commerce Department permission to export oil, after it has been lightly processed – a move that could see oil exports from the US increase.
Exports of unrefined crude oil produced in the US have been mostly banned for nearly four decades.
But there have been calls to ease that ban, not least due to rising oil production and a shale oil boom.
However, the White House said the move by the Commerce Department did not indicate a change in policy.
Two companies have received US Commerce Department permission to export oil
“As the Commerce Department has said, oil that goes through a process to become a petroleum product is no longer considered crude oil,” spokesman Josh Earnest said.
The US Commerce Department, which controls oil exports, has given permission to Pioneer Natural Resources Co and Enterprise Products Partners to ship a type of ultra-light oil to foreign buyers.
The US has restricted most crude exports since mid-1970s, in response to the Arab oil embargo.
While there have been calls for the restrictions to be eased, some have cited concerns that any such move may see fuel prices in the US rise and hurt domestic businesses and consumers.
However, some analysts said that the latest decision was unlikely to have an impact on domestic fuel prices.
Meanwhile, analysts also suggested that the ruling could see other firms take a similar route of processing oil in order to make it eligible for exports.
Such moves, they said, could see US oil exports increase in the short term.
Analysts say that some 200,000 to 300,000 barrels per day of US condensate could be exported by the end of this year and the volume could double in 2015.
Australian government has announced a new search area for the missing Malaysian plane after further analysis of satellite data.
The search will now shift south to focus on an area 1,100 miles off the west coast of Australia, Deputy PM Warren Truss confirmed.
Flight MH370 vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8 with 239 passengers on board.
Officials said they believed the plane had been on autopilot when it crashed.
The search for missing MH370 flight will now shift south to focus on an area 1,100 miles off the west coast of Australia
A 64-page report released by the Australian government concluded that the underwater search for the plane should resume in the new area.
An extensive search of the ocean floor was conducted in April after several acoustic pings, initially thought to be from the plane’s flight data recorders, were heard. However, officials now believe the pings were not caused by the plane.
“It is highly, highly likely that the aircraft was on autopilot otherwise it could not have followed the orderly path that has been identified through the satellite sightings,” Warren Truss said.
The underwater search for the plane was put on hold to allow more time for survey vessels to map the ocean floor.
The new search is expected to commence in August and is expected to be completed within a year, Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) chief Martin Dolan confirmed.
Submarines will scour the ocean floor to look for signs of the missing Boeing 777.
The search for the missing plane is already among most expensive in aviation history.
After more than 100 days since the disappearance of the airliner, many of the relatives of the missing passengers have continued to express frustration at the lack of progress in the search.
GM has told dealers in the US and Canada to stop selling some Chevrolet Cruze cars due to a potential problem with the airbag.
It said the driver’s side airbag in the affected cars may not deploy properly, due to a wrong part being used.
The part was supplied by Japan’s Takata Corp. A defective part from Takata is already the subject of a major global recall by various car manufacturers.
But General Motors said its issue was not related to a defective part.
GM has told dealers in the US and Canada to stop selling some Chevrolet Cruze cars due to a potential problem with the airbag
Jim Cain, spokesman for GM, was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying that the affected Cruze cars “may have been assembled with an incorrect part”.
The recent moves by various car makers to recall million of cars globally were triggered by the use of a defective part rather than a wrong one.
On Monday, Japanese carmakers Honda and Nissan added two million and 755,000 vehicles respectively to the recall they issued last year to replace the defective part.
Toyota, the world’s biggest car maker, recalled an additional 650,000 cars earlier this month to address the issue, taking its total recall tally due to the problem to nearly 2.8 million vehicles.
For GM, the latest move has added to the issues it has faced this year.
The company has recalled more than 17 million cars in the US this year – more than it sold in 2013.
The recalls have been issued due to various problems including faulty ignition switches, possible faulty seat belts, transmissions and air bags, as well as potential fire issues.
In May, GM was fined $35 million for failing to address defects with the ignition switches which have been linked to 13 deaths.
According to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Board (NHTSA), it was the single highest civil penalty ever levied as a result of a recall investigation.
GM has also raised its expected second-quarter charge for recall expenses to $700 million, up from $400 million.
Donald Tusk’s government has won a parliamentary vote of confidence sparked by a scandal over leaked tapes of Polish senior officials.
PM Donald Tusk had told parliament that without a pledge of majority support he would not be able to effectively represent Poland in the EU.
The apparently secret recordings have been released by Wprost magazine.
In one, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski allegedly says that Poland’s alliance with the US is worthless.
Donald Tusk’s government has won a parliamentary vote of confidence sparked by a scandal over leaked tapes of Polish senior officials
In another, Central Bank head Marek Belka and Interior Minister Bartlomiej Sienkiewicz are apparently heard discussing how the bank could help the governing party win re-election in 2015; such action would be in violation of the bank’s independence.
All have said their words were taken out of context and they deny any wrongdoing.
Wprost said it obtained the recordings from a businessman.
In Wednesday’s vote, Donald Tusk’s centre-right two-party coalition received backing from 237 lawmakers, with 203 against in the 460-member parliament. The prime minister needed a simple majority of 231 for the vote of confidence to pass.
Donald Tusk had called for the vote before heading to the EU summit in Brussels later this week.
The secret recordings were made over several months at locations including high-end Warsaw restaurants.
In a speech to parliament earlier on Wednesday, Donald Tusk said he believed a criminal group was behind the recordings.
Polish prosecutors say they have charged two people with illegally recording conversations and were questioning two more.
The summer is here, the weather is gorgeous, and everybody is making plans to spend the season having a great time with leisurely, outdoor activities. Well, not everybody.
Some people will have to spend at least a few hours each week in a classroom going through the undesirable but sometimes necessary ritual of summer college courses. If you are among the lucky few spending inordinate amounts of time both in class and studying this summer for a college course, these are a few tips to help make the experience as pain free and productive, as possible.
Take Advantage of the Quiet
Most campuses are not nearly as crowded for summer classes as they are in the spring and fall. While this may seem unfair at first if it seems like everybody is elsewhere having fun, try thinking about it in this way: you may just be able to have the library and other nice air-conditioned study spots pretty much all to yourself.
Students have to spend at least a few hours each week for the undesirable but sometimes necessary ritual of summer college courses
Of course, your classes will ultimately be easier with more out-of-class studying, but if the idea of studying for endless hours does not seem appealing during the summer, less crowded facilities give you more expansive schedule options. If you like, you can divide your studying up amongst a few days of the week instead of just one or two — this way you also have some time for summer activities while the material remains fresh in your mind.
Avoid the Urge to Skip
This is a tough one when the weather’s nice and your friends have something planned, but you are earning credits and adding to your education. Skipping class unnecessarily will only make passing the course more difficult and ultimately add to the stress and work you need to do, and may make the added work of taking summer courses to begin with all for naught. Simply going to class will be worth both in the short term as well as the long run.
Eat Well
Diet has a much larger effect on productivity and mood than many people realize. While students often have the choice of gulping down nothing but sugary cereal and fast food, and these foods may be temporarily satisfying, there is nothing wrong with enjoying some vegetables and fruit as well, not to mention generous amounts of plain old water, especially while the weather is hot. Your body will thank you, and you will be much better equipped mentally and physically for the rigors of academia.
Caffeine Can Be Your Friend
While gulping down pots of coffee everyday may not be the best approach, a good deal of recent research is showing that reasonable amounts of caffeine not only improves mood and concentration, which is obvious to anybody who enjoys coffee, but can also help prevent diseases such as diabetes and certain types of cancer. Beyond that, when you are taking summer classes coffee can simply help you get through a morning class and/or an afternoon study session. Whether you have a personal coffee maker at home or like to study at your favorite coffee shop, having a cup or two might help keep you focused.
Practice Thoughtful Time Management
While divvying up your study sessions between shorter, more manageable segments is part of this, another part of good time management during the summer to make sure to set aside some time for activities that you enjoy. Whether it is setting aside a day for hitting the beach with friends or just a few hours playing Xbox, knowing that you have some enjoyable leisure time coming up can help get you through what your classes require. If you try dedicating all of your time to being a super-dedicated student without any balance, this can lead to burnout and skipped classes.
Even if you start out enthusiastic about your summer courses, the practice of taking one or more classes during the summer often presents some unique challenges. These tips will help get you through your summer studies with ease.
A South Korean research team has developed a sensor capable of measuring goose bumps on the human body in real time.
The sensor uses a stick-on transparent conductive polymer to quantify how big the bumps are and how long they last.
It works by recording a drop in the sensor’s capacitance – its ability to store an electrical charge – caused by it being deformed by the buckling of the skin’s surface.
The sensor uses a stick-on transparent conductive polymer to quantify how big the goose bumps are and how long they last (photo Wikipedia)
The engineers say it could be used to study changes in people’s emotions.
The work was carried out at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, and details have been published in the Applied Physics Letters journal.
The article explains that the thin, flexible, square sensor, whose sides are about 0.8in long, was tested on the arm of a subject who was asked to grab ice cubes to induce the reaction.
Although, by its nature, this involved a response to physical stimuli, the researchers noted that other scientists had previously shown that goose bumps could be used to deduce changes in a subject’s emotional state brought on by music, movies and other causes.
“In the future, human emotions will be regarded like any typical biometric information, including body temperature or blood pressure,” Prof. Young Ho-cho told the journal.
Although more work needs to be done to correlate the measurements with specific emotional states, and only certain strong reactions might result in goose bumps, the journal still suggested the technology could ultimately be used to create kit to personalize adverts, music and other services based on the user’s reactions.
House Speaker John Boehner has confirmed he will file a lawsuit against the Obama administration for its use of executive actions to change laws.
John Boehner said: “I believe the President is not faithfully executing the laws of our country, and on behalf of the institution and our constitution standing up and fighting for this is in the best long term interest of the Congress.”
He would not say which executive action the lawsuit would target specifically.
The specifics and mechanics of the suit have yet to be worked out, but John Boehner could enlist an organization called the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) to carry it out.
John Boehner has confirmed he will file a lawsuit against the Obama administration for its use of executive actions to change laws
Because that body is controlled by the Speaker, the Majority Leader, the Majority Whip, the Minority Leader and the Minority Whip, Republicans could order the lawsuit to go ahead even if Democrats objected.
John Boehner insisted Wednesday that the lawsuit does not amount to an effort to impeach the president.
“This is not about impeachment, this is about his faithfully executing the laws of our country,” he said.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said he is confident President Barack Obama has operated well within the confines of the law and that Republicans have brought the suit simply because they disagree with Obama’s policies.
The GOP’s unwillingness to compromise has forced the president to take more executive actions, Earnest said.
“The fact that they are considering a taxpayer-funded lawsuit against the president of the United States for doing his job, I think, is the kind of step that most Americans wouldn’t support,” Josh Earnest said.
“This lawsuit is not going to consume the attention of the White House,” he added.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-California, on Wednesday called the lawsuit “subterfuge”.
Justin Bieber was involved in a car accident in Beverly Hills on June 24, ET Online reported.
The singer was not driving at the time of the collision, the Beverly Hills Police Department said. The non-injury traffic accident involved two cars in front of The Montage, according to police.
Justin Bieber was involved in a car accident in Beverly Hills
The accident happened after a car driven by a paparazzo was chasing the Escalade in which Justin Bieber was a passenger. The Escalade was going down Canon Drive at a fast clip, trying to lose the photographer, when a BMW was pulling out of a parking structure near Bouchon restaurant. The BMW misjudged the speed of the Escalade and smashed into it. Justin Bieber almost immediately got out of the SUV and into another car and sped off.
Justin Bieber was not present when the police arrived on the scene.
While nothing related to the World Cup is as serious as the 48 people who were killed in Kenya while watching the tournament, there have been other costs that are also serious. The games have brought about tremendous cost for those who attended them, and also for the countries who hosted them. These countries have ended up having to spend tremendous amounts of money on security, and also on the property being utilized. The cleanup costs in some of these areas are estimated to be greater than the revenue that was generated, and this has called the sustainability of the tournament into question.
The World Cup soccer tournament is the most popular sporting event on Earth
The World Cup soccer tournament is the most popular sporting event on Earth, because soccer is played all over the world. This type of fanfare is going to continue to drive the sport to the forefront of the sports world, but there needs to be more of an effort to make it sustainable. Those in charge of the event need to begin looking at not only the financial cost, but also the costs that are not tallied which hosting areas must endure. While no one wants the World Cup to go anywhere, there is a whole lot of room for improvement.
The amount of water being used in the World Cup is not the only problem though, waste water is very hazardous, and a sample use case of a plumbing disaster in Anaheim, where the Ducks play hockey and large concerts are played, is a catastrophe just waiting to happen. The type of plumbing used both in California and at the World Cup could be modified in order to accommodate the high demand and low supply of water. Without the right infrastructural accommodations being made, there is a chance that a water shortage could end up causing a lot of trouble for everyone concerned.
The infrastructural adaptations that a large scale sporting event requires, is always going to test the tolerance of any city center, but there are preparations that can be made. When it comes to water, having an ample supply of bottled water for visitors to the city can help to cut back on the impact with regard to the local water supply. Utilizing portable toilets in crowded areas as opposed to traditional toilets will cut back on the impact to the local sewer system. While these techniques were utilized at the World Cup this year, they should have been used a whole lot more than they were.
Authorities in Kazakhstan have removed a monument after locals likened the figures on it to hobbits taking a “selfie”, reports say.
The statue in the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk was built to honor two 19th Century figures – Abay Kunanbayev, a local writer and thinker, and Yevgeny Mikhaelis, a Russian scientist and pro-democracy activist who was exiled to eastern Kazakhstan.
The statue in the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk was built to honor two 19th Century figures (photo YK.kz)
The monument immediately attracted the scorn of locals who – according to Tengri News website – took to social media to point out that the figures looked like they were taking a selfie. Other people pointed out their similarity to hobbits, said the news website Nur.kz.
Even one of the co-authors of the monument, Vladimir Samoylov, admitted that there was something wrong with it. The sculptors were given too little time to finish the monument, he told YK.kz, a website based in Ust-Kamenogorsk.
“We were in a huge rush, and look what happened.”
Following the criticism, the monument was removed on June 24, just one day after it was erected at the intersection of Abay Avenue and Mikhaelis Street.
The statue “deviated from the agreed design”, and the sculptors were told to correct the deviations as soon as possible, the local government told Tengri News.
A huge explosion rocked an area near Banex Plaza shopping centre in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Wednesday, two witnesses said.
The blast hit Abuja’s Wuse 2 district, reports said.
It is not yet clear what was behind the explosion. Emergency services are attending the scene.
Boko Haram has staged previous attacks in Abuja, but most of its targets have been in the north-east of the country
Nigeria, including the capital, has experienced several bomb attacks in recent months. Many places have been targeted by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram.
Manzo Ezekiel, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, told AFP news agency: “You can see smoke billowing from the sky. It’s a very crowded place.”
One witness said the blast shattered shop windows, and that people could be seen running out of the shopping centre with blood on their clothes.
Boko Haram has staged previous attacks in Abuja, but most of its targets have been in the north-east of the country.
In April, more than 70 people were killed in a bomb blast at a bus stop on the outskirts of the capital in an attack claimed by Boko Haram.
In May, a car bomb near a bus station in the suburbs killed at least 19 people and injured 60 others.
The group has hit Abuja several times before, including an attack on the UN national headquarters in 2011.
Iraq’s PM Nouri al-Maliki has rejected calls for a national salvation government to help counter the offensive by jihadist-led Sunni insurgents.
Such calls represented a “coup against the constitution and an attempt to end the democratic experience”, Nouri al-Maliki warned.
The US has led appeals to Iraq’s political leaders to rise above sectarian and ethnic divisions.
Government forces have been unable to recapture the territory seized by the rebels this month.
PM Nouri al-Maliki has rejected calls for a national salvation government to help counter the offensive by jihadist-led Sunni insurgents
Almost half of the 300 US military advisers assigned to help the Iraqi security forces have arrived.
Fighting was reported to have continued on Wednesday, with an attack by rebels on the Balad airbase, about 50 miles north of Baghdad.
In his weekly televised address, Nouri al-Maliki called on “all political forces to reconcile” in the face of a “fierce terrorist onslaught”.
But the Shia prime minister gave no promise of greater representation in government for the minority Sunni Arab community, whose anger at what they say are his sectarian and authoritarian policies has been exploited by jihadist militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).
Nouri al-Maliki said forming an emergency administration that included all religious and ethnic groups would go against the results of April’s parliamentary elections, which were won by his State of Law alliance.
“The dangerous goals of forming a national salvation government are not hidden,” he said.
“It is an attempt by those who are against the constitution to eliminate the young democratic process and steal the votes of the voters.”
Nouri al-Maliki committed to start forming a new governing coalition by July 1st.
Aretha Franklin had married the much older Ted White in 1961, despite strong objections from her father.
Ted White was her manager in the ’60s. Aretha Franklin’s third child, Ted White Jr., was born in 1964. Today he is known as Teddy Richards and is a professional musician, often playing guitar in his mother’s band.
After a contentious marriage that involved domestic violence, Aretha Franklin divorced Ted White in 1969.
According to people who worked with Aretha Franklin during this period, Ted White had no prior management experience before becoming her manager. She was to spend most of the decade in the middle of a tug-of-war between Columbia Records and her husband. To this day, Aretha Franklin refuses to discuss any aspect of her relationship with Ted White. She also refuses to speak to him. They have had only two conversations since their divorce in 1969.
Aretha Franklin had married the much older Ted White in 1961, despite strong objections from her father (photo Rancurel)
Aretha Franklin married actor Glynn Turman on April 11, 1978, at her father’s New Bethel Baptist Church. She subsequently became a stepmother to Glynn Turman’s three children. They split in late 1982 and officially divorced in early 1984.
In 2012, Aretha Franklin again announced plans to walk down the aisle with her longtime companion Willie Wilkerson. Within several weeks of the announcement, Aretha Franklin called the wedding off.
North Korea has threatened “merciless” retaliation if a forthcoming Hollywood movie about killing Kim Jong-un is released, say agencies.
A North Korean foreign ministry spokesman said in state media that the movie’s release would be an “act of war”.
He did not mention the title, but a Hollywood movie called The Interview with a similar plot is due in October.
Actors James Franco and Seth Rogen star in the action-comedy film.
James Franco and Seth Rogen play a talk show host and his producer who are invited to interview Kim Jong-un, and are subsequently recruited by the CIA to assassinate the leader.
In The Interview, James Franco and Seth Rogen play a talk show host and his producer who are invited to interview Kim Jong-un
The movie’s teaser trailer, posted on Youtube, shows a lookalike actor playing Kim Jong-un, as well as fight scenes involving what appear to be North Korean tanks and helicopters, and a nuclear missile launch.
The North Korea spokesman was quoted by agencies as saying: “Making and releasing a movie on a plot to hurt our top-level leadership is the most blatant act of terrorism and war and will absolutely not be tolerated.”
He added that the “reckless US provocative insanity” of mobilizing a “gangster filmmaker” to challenge North Korea’s leadership was triggering “a gust of hatred and rage” among North Korean people and soldiers.
“If the US administration allows and defends the showing of the film, a merciless counter-measure will be taken,” the spokesman was quoted as saying.
Evidence emerged last week of North Korea further developing its missile technology. Experts identified a new anti-ship cruise missile shown in a North Korean propaganda film.
North Korea is holding three Americans in custody. The latest to be detained is said to be a tourist named Jeffrey Edward Fowle who reportedly left a Bible at a hotel.
Seth Rogen, one of the directors of The Interview, recently said he was inspired by journalists’ trips to North Korea.
He told Yahoo: “People have the hypothetical discussion about how journalists have access to the world’s most dangerous people, and they hypothetically would be in a good situation to assassinate them.”
Seth Rogen added that the movie was originally about meeting Kim Jong-il, but they had to revise the script when he died in 2011 and his son Kim Jong-un took power.
George Lucas has selected Chicago as the future site of a museum of his movie memorabilia and prized art collection.
Chicago had been battling for the site against San Francisco.
The selection of Chicago was a surprise given George Lucas’ close ties with the state of California.
George Lucas has selected Chicago as the future site of a museum of his movie memorabilia and prized art collection
Star Wars creator’s home and visual effects company LucasFilm are based in California. The museum is currently scheduled to open in 2018.
The news was confirmed by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office on Tuesday, though no further details were offered.
George Lucas has referred to Chicago as his “second home” in the past. His wife, Mellody Hobson, is from Chicago and they celebrated their wedding there.
Chicago has reportedly offered a patch of real estate along Lake Michigan near other popular attractions including the Field Museum of Natural History and the Shedd Aquarium.
San Francisco is said to have rejected George Lucas’ first choice of sites near the Golden Gate Bridge.
A vote by the museum’s board to accept the decision is expected on Wednesday, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The board is also expected to change the museum’s name from the Lucas Cultural Arts Museum to the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
Among the items said to be in the museum’s collection are Norman Rockwell paintings and a scale model of the Millennium Falcon, the spacecraft helmed by Han Solo in Star Wars series.
Luis Suarez’s World Cup biting inspired plenty of hilarious memes in honor of soccer’s most famous flesh eater.
Luis Suarez appeared to bite Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay’s 1-0 win over Italy at the World Cup.
Luis Suarez’s World Cup biting inspired plenty of hilarious memes (photo Twitter)
The Uruguayan striker could now face a long ban.
FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings after Luis Suarez was seen pressing his mouth into the shoulder of the Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini on Tuesday.
Luis Suarez has been suspended twice before for biting at club level, once with Ajax and once with Liverpool.
Some of the most popular memes appeared within minutes of the incident.
An investigating judge recommended that Princess Cristina of Spain, sister of King Felipe VI, be charged in a tax fraud and money laundering case that has helped inflame opposition to the monarchy.
Infanta Cristina, 49, was questioned in court in February about the business dealings of her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, and could now face trial.
However, an appeal has been lodged against the decision.
The judge’s ruling will come as an embarrassment to Felipe VI, who came to the throne only six days ago.
The tax fraud case was one of several scandals that weakened the popularity of the Spanish monarchy and prompted the abdication of King Juan Carlos.
Princess Cristina’s appearance in court in Mallorca was unprecedented for the royal family and if she goes to trial, she could face up to 11 years in jail.
Princess Cristina’s appearance in court in Mallorca was unprecedented for the royal family and if she goes to trial
The investigating judge’s decision is a major development in this investigation and a huge embarrassment for the Spanish royal family.
Judge Jose Castro believes Infanta Cristina knew more than she has let on regarding the allegedly corrupt activities of her husband, Inaki Urdangarin.
This inquiry has now lasted more than three years and during that time it has heavily eroded the popularity of the royal family. Princess Cristina has already appeared in court to testify, but the door is now open for her to face trial, which would take the scandal to a new level.
Judge Jose Castro has been investigating allegations that the princess’s husband embezzled millions in public funds with a former business partner.
Inaki Urdangarin, who is the Duke of Palma, and Diego Torres were alleged to have received 5.6 million euros ($7.5 million) by overcharging regional governments for organizing sporting events as part of a not-for-profit organization called Noos.
Announcing his decision, Judge Jose Castro said the princess should be tried alongside her husband and other suspects.
Anti-corruption prosecutors had already opposed his decision to name Princess Cristina as a suspect, saying there was insufficient evidence against her. Prosecutor Pedro Horrach said on Wednesday an appeal was being lodged “because there is still no piece [of evidence] against” the princess.
A final decision on whether Princess Cristina should stand trial will be made by the provincial court at Palma de Mallorca.
US troops have been deployed to Iraq to assist the Iraqi army in combating a growing Sunni militant insurgency, the Pentagon has announced.
Nearly half the 300 special operations soldiers promised by President Barack Obama are in Baghdad or on the front lines of the fight.
The rest are expected within days.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry called for regional unity to expel the Sunni ISIS rebels who have taken large swathes of Iraq.
On Tuesday, two teams totaling 40 US troops began work assessing Iraqi troops on the front line, the Pentagon said.
US troops have been deployed to Iraq to assist the Iraqi army in combating a growing Sunni militant insurgency (photo NBC News)
An additional 90 personnel will work in Baghdad to set up a new joint operations command centre.
Those teams will be joined by an additional four teams of 50 troops each in the next few days.
The Obama administration has stressed the troops are not intended as operational forces but instead are there to advise the Iraqis and provide intelligence.
The Iraqi government had requested American air strikes, but Barack Obama has been reluctant to do anything that could lead to accusations the US was taking sides in a sectarian conflict.
The insurgents, spearheaded by Islamists fighting under the banner of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), have overrun much of north and west Iraq, including the second-biggest city, Mosul.
The violence has claimed at least 1,075 lives in Iraq in June alone, most of them civilians, a UN human rights team has reported.
The UN said the figures, which include a number of verified summary executions, should be viewed as an absolute minimum.
FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Uruguay striker Luis Suarez after he appeared to bite Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup match.
Luis Suarez, 27, and the Uruguayan Football Association have until 17:00 Brazilian time on Wednesday to respond to FIFA.
The Liverpool forward clashed with Giorgio Chiellini during Tuesday’s Group D game, which Uruguay won 1-0 to qualify for the last 16.
The referee took no action at the time.
Uruguay’s Luis Suarez appeared to bite Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup match
The maximum ban Luis Suarez could face if FIFA takes retrospective action is 24 matches or two years.
Luis Suarez has defended himself in an interview with Uruguayan television, saying: “These are just things that happen out on the pitch.”
“It was just the two of us inside the area and he bumped into me with his shoulder.
“There are things that happen on the pitch and you should not make such a big deal out of them.”
Giorgio Chiellini, 29, described Luis Suarez as “a sneak”.
He added: “I’d love to see if FIFA has the courage to use video evidence against him. The referee saw the bite mark, but he did nothing about it.”
After the clash between the players, Luis Suarez went to ground holding his mouth, apparently suggesting he had been elbowed.
Giorgio Chiellini ran after Mexican referee Marco Rodriguez in an attempt to show him the alleged bite mark, pulling his shirt down to bare his left shoulder.
As he did so, Uruguay forward Gaston Ramirez tried to stop Giorgio Chiellini by pulling the Italian’s jersey back into place.
The incident occurred towards the end of the game, shortly before Luis Suarez’s team-mate Diego Godin scored the only goal of the match.
Diego Godin’s winner eliminated four-time champions Italy from the World Cup and secured Uruguay, semi-finalists in South Africa four years ago, a match against Colombia in the next round.
Republican Senator Thad Cochran has narrowly beaten Tea Party candidate Chris McDaniel in a high-profile primary in Mississippi.
Thad Cochran, a six-term senator seeking re-election, had the backing of establishment Republicans but was forced into a run-off by Tea Party challenger Chris McDaniel.
Republican Senator Thad Cochran has narrowly beaten Tea Party candidate Chris McDaniel in a high-profile primary in Mississippi
The race was seen as a crucial test of the direction of the Republican Party ahead of midterm elections in November.
Moderate Republican candidates also won primary races in Oklahoma and Colorado.
Earlier this month, establishment Republicans suffered the shock defeat of former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor by a little-known Tea Party challenger in his Virginia district.
Senator Thad Cochran, 76, is expected to retain his seat in November’s congressional elections.
Eli Wallach – who began his film career in 1956 after 10 years on stage – was admired for his wide range, in a career spanning six decades.
His portrayal of bandit chief Calvera in The Magnificent Seven was regarded by many as his definitive role.
A “quintessential chameleon”, Eli Wallach won an honorary Oscar in 2011.
Eli Wallach began his film career in 1956 after 10 years on stage
Though he was never nominated for an Oscar during his 60-year career, the Academy rewarded him in 2011 for “effortlessly inhabiting a wide range of characters, while putting his inimitable stamp on every role”.
Eli Wallach’s films included roles in the classic westerns How the West Was Won, The Misfits and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
Arguably best known for his villains, he made a lasting impression as Tuco opposite Clint Eastwood, in Sergio Leone’s 1966 spaghetti western.
Years later, Eli Wallach said strangers would recognise him and start whistling the distinctive theme tune.
He was also successful in light comedy and appeared in many TV shows, including playing Mr Freeze in the 1960s TV series.
Eli Wallach continued making films into his 90s, making his last big screen appearance in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps in 2010.
He was married to the actress Anne Jackson, with whom he often worked. In 1974 the two of them appeared with their two daughters in Saturday, Sunday, Monday.
Eli Wallach’s death was confirmed by his daughter Katherine in the New York Times.
Uruguay’s striker Luis Suarez appeared to bite Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during their Group D clash at the World Cup tournament in Brazil.
Luis Suarez pushed his head towards Giorgio Chiellini in the penalty area just before Diego Godin’s Uruguay winner.
Giorgio Chiellini pulled his shirt down to show the referee an apparent mark on his shoulder made during the clash.
“It was ridiculous not to send Suarez off. It is clear, clear-cut,” Giorgio Chiellini told Italian television station Rai TV.
“Then there was the obvious dive afterwards because he knew very well that he did something that he shouldn’t have done.”
Uruguay’s striker Luis Suarez appeared to bite Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during their Group D clash at the World Cup tournament in Brazil (photo Reuters)
After the clash between the players, Luis Suarez, 27, went to ground holding his mouth, apparently suggesting he had been elbowed.
As the Italian ran after referee Marco Rodriguez, Uruguay forward Gaston Ramirez attempted to get Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini, 29, to cover his shoulder.
Luis Suarez has twice been banned for biting and, at the 2010 World Cup, committed a handball on the line to stop Ghana from scoring.
FIFA will wait to receive the referee’s report. The disciplinary committee of world football’s governing is responsible for “sanctioning serious infringements which have escaped the match officials’ attention”.
Any suspension could range from “up to three matches or up to two months”.
Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez tried to play down the incident and believes there is a vendetta from certain media towards Luis Suarez.
“I’d like to see the images first before making any comment. If it happened, then the referee probably didn’t see it,” said Oscar Tabarez.
“Despite mistakes Suarez has made, he is the target of certain media, a certain press.”
Italy manager Cesare Prandelli said he was resigning after the defeat by Uruguay, which eliminated his side from the tournament in Brazil.
“I didn’t see the images of Suarez but I did see the bite marks in Chiellini’s shoulder,” said Cesare Prandelli.
Liverpool’s Luis Suarez was banned for 10 games for biting Branislav Ivanovic in a Premier League match in April 2013.
Luis Suarez was also banned for seven games for biting PSV Eindhoven midfielder Otman Bakkal’s shoulder while Ajax captain in 2010.
