According to the South Korean coastguard, the number of people who survived the Sewol ferry disaster three weeks ago has been over-counted by two passengers.
Coastguard chief Kim Suk-kyoon said only 172 people survived the April 16 sinking – not 174, as the government had been saying since April 18.
Kim Suk-kyoon said the miscount was due to mistakes in the counting process.
PM Chung Hong-won has said that the search for victims in the sunken ferry must be completed by the weekend.
The number of people who survived the Sewol ferry disaster has been over-counted by two passengers (photo Yonhap)
Correspondents say that the changes to the survivor count means that the number of people feared dead has risen to 304.
So far 269 bodies have been recovered.
More than 80% of the victims are students from a single high school near Seoul who were on a trip to southern Jeju island.
Kim Suk-kyoon said that one miscount was because one of the survivors was accidentally listed twice – the other was due to an inaccurate report supplied by a passenger who survived.
Correspondents say that families of the victims and many other South Koreans will see the miscount as the latest manifestation of the government’s mishandling of the rescue effort.
The authorities have also been accused of a series of regulatory failures before the ferry sunk.
Rescuers on Wednesday continued their intensive search, with coastguard, navy and civilian divers working in shifts to open all of the 64 passenger cabins where the missing are thought to be trapped.
In addition fishermen have been asked to search the waters near the site of the sinking because of fears that bodies and belongings of the passengers could be swept away from the sunken vessel despite the installation of nets that were supposed to stop this from happening, Yonghap reported.
Divers who had been battling bad weather and fast currents to retrieve bodies over the past three weeks faced better conditions on Wednesday, officials said.
A cousin of Tyrannosaurus rex with a very long nose has been nicknamed Pinocchio rex.
The ferocious carnivore is 9m-long with a distinctive snout.
Its skeleton was dug up in a Chinese construction site and identified by scientists at Edinburgh University, UK.
The 66-million-year-old predator, officially named Qianzhousaurus sinensis, is described in Nature Communications.
Pinocchio looked very different to other tyrannosaurs.
Pinocchio rex is 66-million-year-old predator, officially named Qianzhousaurus sinensis (photo National Geographic)
“It had the familiar toothy grin of T. rex, but its snout was long and slender, with a row of horns on top,” said Edinburgh’s Dr. Steve Brusatte.
“It might have looked a little comical, but it would have been as deadly as any other tyrannosaur, and maybe even a little faster and stealthier.
“We thought it needed a nickname, and the long snout made us think of Pinocchio’s long nose.”
Researchers now think several different tyrannosaurs lived and hunted alongside each other in Asia during the late Cretaceous Period, the last days of the dinosaurs.
The enormous Tarbosaurus (up to 13 m) had deep and powerful jaws like T. rex – strong enough to crush the bones of giant herbivores.
The thinner teeth and lighter skeleton of Qianzhousaurus suggest it hunted smaller creatures, such as lizards and feathered dinosaurs. But at 9 m tall and weighing almost a tonne, it was still a gigantic carnivore.
Pinocchio’s snout was 35% longer than other dinosaurs of its size.
The discovery of “Pinocchio” settles an argument over a series of strange new fossil finds.
Paleontologists are now confident that Qianzhousaurus and Alioramus are part of a new subgroup of tyrannosaurs with elongated skulls.
Their discovery from Mongolia to southern China suggests these “second tier” carnivores were widely distributed, according to Prof Junchang Lu of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, a co-author on the paper.
With these “weird” creatures now accepted as being part of a whole family, more and more of their long-snouted relatives are expected to be unearthed.
As for the riddle of Pinocchio’s nose, the scientists hope to solve it via biomechanical studies of its jaw – which may hint at its feeding habits.
Nigeria is offering a 50 million naira ($300,000) reward to anyone who can help locate and rescue more than 200 abducted schoolgirls.
The schoolgirls were kidnapped more than three weeks ago by Islamist Boko Haram militants from their boarding school in the north-eastern state of Borno.
Eleven other girls were taken on Sunday night after two villages were attacked.
Boko Haram’s leader admitted earlier this week that his fighters had abducted the girls in the middle of the night from their school in the town of Chibok on April 14.
Nigeria is offering a $300,000 reward to anyone who can help locate and rescue more than 200 abducted schoolgirls
Abubakar Shekau threatened to “sell” the students, saying they should not have been in school in the first place, but rather should get married.
The group, whose name means “Western education is forbidden” in the local Hausa language, began its insurgency in 2009.
More than 1,500 have been killed in the violence and subsequent security crackdown this year alone.
A statement from the police said the 50 million naira reward would be given to anyone who “volunteers credible information that will lead to the location and rescue of the female students”.
Six phone numbers are provided, calling on the general public to be “part of the solution to the present security challenge”.
“The police high command also reassures all citizens that any information given would be treated anonymously and with utmost confidentiality,” the statement said.
The abductions have prompted widespread criticism of the Nigerian government and demonstrations countrywide.
The girls are mostly aged between 16 and 18 and were taking their final year exams.
The governments of Chad and Cameroon have denied suggestions that the abducted girls may have already been smuggled over Nigeria’s porous borders into their territory.
A team of US experts has been sent to Nigeria to help in the hunt.
Security has been tightened in Abuja as several African leaders and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang are attending the World Economic Forum for Africa in the city, following two recent attacks there blamed on the insurgents.
South Africa is voting in general elections as it marks 20 years since the end of white-minority rule.
The African National Congress (ANC) is tipped to win, returning President Jacob Zuma for a second five-year term.
These are the first elections since the death in December of Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president.
Correspondents say voting has begun smoothly with long queues and there is an air of excitement, especially amongst first-time voters.
Those born after the end of apartheid in 1994 are casting their first national ballots.
Correspondents say police have been deployed to areas where there have been scene of violent protests and political tensions.
South Africa is voting in general elections as it marks 20 years since the end of white-minority rule
The ANC is expected to win more than 60% of the vote, but its campaign has been hit by concern over economic problems such as high unemployment and a number of corruption scandals.
Opinion polls show there is disaffection with the country’s leadership but it is not clear whether this will translate into a significant swing to either main opposition party – the Democratic Alliance, led by anti-apartheid activist Helen Zille – or the newly launched Economic Freedom Fighters, headed by former ANC youth leader Julius Malema.
The polling station is at Orlando West High, a school steeped in the anti-apartheid struggle history and not far from Nelson Mandela’s old home.
Those lining up acknowledge the problems of corruption and high unemployment but say they are voting for all the years black people were denied the right to vote under racial oppression.
The ANC’s campaign has drawn heavily on past glories and on the outpouring of grief over the death last year of Nelson Mandela.
“Do it for Madiba, Vote ANC!” campaign posters read, referring to Nelson Mandela by his clan name.
But many commentators say this election could be the last to be dominated by South Africa’s post-apartheid legacy.
About a quarter of South Africa’s workforce is jobless and unemployment is the major issue among young voters, followed by education.
Some 22,000 polling stations are open at schools, places of worship, tribal authority sites and hospitals, while dozens of vehicles serving as mobile voting centers will operate in remote areas.
About 25 million people have registered to vote – roughly half the population.
Police say at least one officer will be on duty at every polling station and troops have also been deployed to keep order at various hotspots.
There was rioting in Bekkersdal township, south-west of Johannesburg, on Tuesday and reports that some temporary polling stations had been burned down.
Bekkersdal has suffered intermittent unrest since last year as residents protested over a lack of public services. Many have vowed to boycott the election.
Polls opened at 07:00 and are due to close 14 hours later.
President Jacob Zuma cast his ballot at his Nkandala homestead in rural KwaZulu-Natal while Helen Zille voted in Cape Town, which is under the control of her party.
Michael Jordan offered some comments of his own about race, in a biographic book, Michael Jordan: The Life, released Tuesday.
Michael Jordan: The Life is a biography of the former NBA star written by Roland Lazenby.
In the book, Michael Jordan explains how growing up in an area of North Carolina heavily influenced by the Ku Klux Klan in the 1960s and ’70s shaped his views on race and they were far from what would be viewed as politically correct.
Michael Jordan offered some comments of his own about race, in his biographic book, Michael Jordan: The Life
Reportedly, these views really took shape shortly after Michael Jordan watched the iconic television miniseries Roots, and after a girl at his school called him the N-word in 1977.
“So I threw a soda at her,” Michael Jordan says in the book.
“I was really rebelling. I considered myself a racist at the time. Basically, I was against all white people.”
The book also includes anecdotes of Michael Jordan’s time on the school baseball team, when he was one of only two black players and was called inferior while on the team.
In many ways, the book serves as a testament to Michael Jordan’s drive, which many people close to him believe was fueled by negative experiences, particularly in his early life.
Michael Jordan was among the first NBA owners and high-profile figures in the sport to go on record against Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s comments when they were first released, issuing this statement: “I look at this from two different perspectives — as a current owner and a former player. As an owner, I’m obviously disgusted that a fellow team owner could hold such sickening and offensive views. I’m confident that (NBA commissioner) Adam Silver will make a full investigation and take appropriate action quickly. As a former player, I’m completely outraged. There is no room in the NBA — or anywhere else — for the kind of racism and hatred that Mr. Sterling allegedly expressed. I am appalled that this type of ignorance still exists within our country and at the highest levels of our sport. In a league where the majority of players are African-American, we cannot and must not tolerate discrimination at any level.”
Donald Sterling’s alleged mistress, V. Stiviano, is being investigated for allegedly extorting Sterling, TMZ reported.
This is reportedly not her first run-in with the law.
According to TMZ, V. Stiviano has been arrested four times and has used six different aliases since 2002.
She reportedly has gone by Vanessa Maria Perez, Monica Gallegos, Maria Valdez, Maria Vanessa Perez and Mariamonica Perez Gallegos before taking on the V. Stiviano identity.
V. Stiviano has been arrested four times and has used six different aliases since 2002 (photo WPTV)
According to TMZ, she was first arrested by the LAPD for petty theft in 2002.
V. Stiviano was convicted and placed on probation only to again be arrested for another petty theft in 2004. In 2010, Stiviano reportedly was arrested by LAPD for possession of a controlled substance and two years later she was arrested on charges of driving under the influence.
Court papers show that V. Stiviano legally changed her name in 2010, nine months after the drug charges, from Maria Vanessa Perez because she hadn’t “yet been fully accepted because of my race” among other reasons.
“I wish I had just paid her off,” Donald Sterling said last week, according to DuJour.com.
In an interview with Barbara Walters, V. Stiviano identified herself as Donald Sterling’s personal assistant and “silly rabbit”. She also told Barbara Walters that there are hours of recorded conversations between her and the Clippers owner – though she denied releasing to the public the recording in which Donald Sterling admonished her for bringing “black people” to his games and told her not to “promote” her association with them.
Donald Sterling’s estranged wife, Rochelle, sued V. Stiviano in March seeking the return of more than $2.5 million in gifts Stiviano allegedly received from Sterling, including luxury cars and a $1.8 million duplex.
Syrian rebels are being evacuated from their last stronghold in Homs, activists say.
Within the past hour, buses have begun leaving the Old City under a deal brokered by the United Nations.
At least two buses have arrived in rebel-held territory to the north, carrying a number of armed fighters.
Syrian rebels are being evacuated from their last stronghold in Homs
It marks the end of any rebel presence in the heart of the major city once dubbed the “capital of the revolution” against President Bashar al-Assad.
The rebel fighters and their families are sad and bitter as they say goodbye to a place they swore they would never leave.
They buckled finally after two years of siege – the government’s forces following a tactic of what some Syrian army officers called “surrender or starve”.
The siege of the Old City was tightened in recent months with intense shelling and air strikes.
The deal was brokered by the UN – which is also supervising the buses now heading into the Old City – and was agreed only after many months of negotiation.
The deal reportedly also involves easing a siege of two predominantly Shia Muslim towns in the north loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
The armed groups within the Old City were deeply divided about whether to accept a ceasefire.
The al-Nusra Front, which is affiliated to al Qaeda, wanted to try to break the siege with a series of suicide bombings. It attempted to do this, but failed, and al-Nusra fighters will be on the evacuation buses too.
One more district of Homs is still holding out, al-Wair on the periphery.
Fighters there have accepted a ceasefire and will leave, too, as soon as arrangements are made.
Ukraine troops have retaken Mariupol city hall from pro-Russia separatists, reports say.
The rebels, who had seized the building last week, reportedly left early on Wednesday. The reason is not clear.
Pro-Russia separatists have captured official buildings in dozens of towns in eastern Ukraine in recent weeks.
Ukraine troops have retaken Mariupol city hall from pro-Russia separatists
The government has accused Russia of helping the rebels and sent troops to restore Kiev’s authority.
Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted a pro-Moscow militiaman in Mariupol as saying government forces had taken over the city hall.
“No shots were heard,” he said.
“All the militia members were removed from the building.”
He added that government forces had started to clear the barricade on the central square with a bulldozer.
There were also reports of clashes between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russia militants in Sloviansk, a rebel stronghold, early on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian government has rejected the pro-Russian activists’ demands for greater autonomy for eastern regions, fearing they could lead to the break-up of the country or more regions being annexed.
Kiev has called a presidential election on May 25, and said it was ready to back new international talks in Geneva, as long as Moscow supported the poll.
On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ruled out holding another round of international talks unless pro-Russian opposition groups were involved.
The separatists in Donetsk have proclaimed a “People’s Republic” and are preparing to hold an independence referendum on Sunday.
Hollywood stars are boycotting Beverly Hills Hotel because of a harsh Islamic penal code introduced by Brunei’s government.
Comedians Jay Leno and Ellen DeGeneres are among the celebrities supporting the boycott against the Beverly Hills Hotel and other hotels owned by Brunei.
After a heated debate, the city council unanimously voted to condemn Brunei.
Brunei’s leader, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, announced the first phase of the new penalties last week.
They will eventually include death by stoning for homos**uality and adultery.
Jay Leno speaks at the protest across from the Beverly Hills Hotel
The mayor of Beverly Hills, Lili Bosse, had urged the city council to adopt a resolution condemning Brunei’s new laws and force the country to sell the hotel and others it owns through the Dorchester Collection chain.
The council unanimously passed a resolution condemning the sultanate but the meeting was divided on whether to boycott the hotel. Many disagreed with Mayor Lili Bosse’s decision to no longer attend functions there.
Earlier, Virgin group founder Richard Branson tweeted on Saturday his employees and family would not stay at the luxury hotel chain “until the Sultan abides by basic human rights”.
Several organizations have cancelled events at the hotel, long a gathering place for Hollywood celebrities, including the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s annual Night Before the Oscars charity event and the Feminist Majority Foundation’s annual Global Women’s Rights Awards.
During a small protest in front of the hotel on Monday, Jay Leno said: “I’d like to think that all people are basically good and when they realize this is going on, hopefully they’ll do something about it.”
But Christopher Cowdray, the chief executive of the Dorchester Collection chain, said those protesting have ignored local hotels owned by countries with poor human rights records.
“There are other hotel companies in this city that are owned by Saudi Arabia… you know, your shirt probably comes from a country which has human rights issues,” Christopher Cowdray said, adding a boycott would hurt local employees the most.
The US government has been largely quiet on the change to Brunei’s penal code, but the state department said on Tuesday it had privately relayed concerns to the Brunei government.
The initial phase of the new penal code introduces fines or prison terms for offences including indecent behavior, failure to attend Friday prayers and pregnancies out-of-wedlock.
The second phase due to start later this year will cover crimes such as theft and robbery and will involve more stringent penalties such as amputations and flogging.
The most severe punishments, such as death by stoning for offences including sodomy and adultery, will be introduced late next year
Brunei officials have previously said that judges would be given discretion in sentencing. It is not clear to what extent the code will apply to non-Muslims.
The tiny state, on the island of Borneo has grown rich on oil and gas exports.
Almost three-quarters of those who live there are Malay Muslims, but there are sizeable Buddhist and Christian communities.
Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ruled that PM Yingluck Shinawatra must step down over abuse of power charges.
The court ruled that Yingluck Shinawatra acted illegally when she transferred her national security head.
It has also ruled that some cabinet ministers involved in the transfer must also step down.
The ruling follows months of political deadlock. Anti-government protesters have been trying to oust Yingluck Shinawatra since November 2013.
Thailand’s Constitutional Court has ruled that PM Yingluck Shinawatra must step down over abuse of power charges (photo Reuters)
The move is likely to trigger protests by supporters of the government, which remains very popular in rural areas.
PM Yingluck Shinawatra had been accused of improperly transferring Thawil Pliensri, her national security chief appointed by the opposition-led administration, in 2011.
Appearing court on Tuesday, she had rejected the suggestion that Yingluck Shinawatra’s party had benefited from the move – but the court ruled against her.
“The prime minister’s status has ended, Yingluck can no longer stay in her position acting as caretaker prime minister,” a judge said in a statement.
It is not yet clear whether one of Yingluck Shinawatra’s ministers can step in or whether Thailand now faces a political vacuum.
Anti-government protests began in the Thai capital late last year, with demonstrators blockading several parts of the city.
In response, Yingluck Shinawatra called a snap general election in February that her party was widely expected to win. But the protesters disrupted the polls and the election was later annulled.
Her supporters believe that the courts are biased against her and side with the urban elite at the heart of the protest movement.
Thailand has faced a power struggle since Yingluck Shinawatra’s brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, was ousted by the military as prime minister in a 2006 coup.
Thaksin Shinawatra and his family are hated by the urban and middle-class elite who accuse them of corruption and abuse of power.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford turned back after landing in the US last week, shortly after he announced he was entering rehab, say media reports.
The Canadian consulate said Rob Ford “voluntarily withdrew” his request to enter the US after talks with border officials in Chicago.
Rob Ford’s lawyer and brother have said he is now in treatment for substance abuse, but they refused to say where.
He admitted to using crack cocaine in a “drunken stupor” last year.
Rob Ford has already been stripped of many of his mayoral powers but refused calls to step down, running for re-election in October.
Rob Ford turned back after landing in the US last week, shortly after he announced he was entering rehab (photo The Canadian Press)
The embattled mayor announced he was starting a 30-day treatment course on Wednesday.
The following day, he boarded a plane in Toronto and flew to Chicago.
Roy Norton, the Canadian counsel general in Chicago, told the Globe and Mail Rob Ford had “voluntarily withdrew his application to enter the US” and was “not denied entry, per se”.
He told broadcaster CBC Rob Ford turned back after “discussion” with US border officials.
On Tuesday, Councilor Doug Ford confirmed his brother was in a treatment program but would not say where.
“Yes, for the one-millionth time, Rob Ford is in a rehabilitation program,” Doug Ford said, adding if he identified the location, he feared media organizations would stake it out.
Doug Ford refused to comment on what happened when his brother landed in Chicago.
The mayor’s lawyer, Dennis Morris, also refused to disclose his client’s location but said the “bottom line is he’s in rehab”.
“He’ll be there for a number of weeks – and that’s the answer,” Dennis Morris told the Globe and Mail.
“It’s not like he’s at a baseball game in Los Angeles or something.”
Rob Ford has visited the US this year, going to Los Angeles and appearing on a chat show earlier this year.
Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly will serve as mayor during Rob Ford’s leave of absence.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has ruled out holding fresh talks in Geneva to defuse the Ukraine crisis, unless pro-Russian opposition groups are involved.
Sergei Lavrov added there was no point as an April accord between the US, EU and Russia had not been implemented.
He spoke after a Council of Europe meeting which was expected to support Ukraine’s plans for a May 25 election.
But Sergei Lavrov called an election “unusual” at a time when the army was being used against the population.
Ukrainian acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia said Ukraine was ready to back a new round of talks in Geneva as long as Moscow supported presidential elections.
“If Russia is ready to commit itself to support these elections and to eliminate this threat and eliminate its support for the extremist elements in Ukraine, we are ready to have such a round of meetings,” he said at a news conference.
Andriy Deshchytsia later appealed for international observers to be sent to Ukraine to monitor the elections on May 25.
“[We] also asked the partners to make everything possible to eliminate the external threats and provocations supported by Russia in Ukraine to allow these elections to take place in a free and democratic way,” he added.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has ruled out holding fresh talks in Geneva to defuse the Ukraine crisis
OSCE Chairman Didier Burkhalter said there should be a ceasefire in Ukraine ahead of the May presidential election – as holding it is very difficult in the current situation, the AFP news agency reports.
In recent days, security forces have launched a crackdown on pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country, triggering clashes outside the town of Sloviansk.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on Tuesday that four soldiers and an estimated 30 separatists had been killed in the “anti-terrorism operation”.
He said that up to 800 well-trained militants armed with large-calibre weapons and mortars were hiding among civilians in the town, where government buildings have been seized and checkpoints set up.
A Russia Today reporter in Sloviansk said residents were stockpiling food and there were barricades on almost every road.
In the southern port of Mariupol, where the city council building was seized a week ago by pro-Russia militants, there were reports of gunfire near a military base close to the city’s airport, local media reported.
Tyres were also set on fire in the city centre, giving off thick smoke, they said.
Meanwhile, many flights in and out of Donetsk were suspended. The Ukrainian aviation authorities gave no reason for the move.
New checkpoints were earlier set up around Kiev. The interior ministry said it wanted to prevent the movement of weapons and explosives.
The authorities also attempted to re-establish control over Odessa, with Interim President Oleksandr Turchynov dismissing the acting head of the regional administration, Volodymyr Nemyrovskyy.
Forty-six people died in the Black Sea city on Friday in a fire at an official building and fighting between pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian protesters.
At a news conference in Vienna on Tuesday, Sergei Lavrov said holding further international talks on Ukraine as some have suggested would be like “going round in circles”.
Instead, he explained, the government in Kiev and their Western backers needed to implement the series of steps to resolve the crisis that they had agreed in Geneva on April 17.
Under the agreement, all parties, including the separatists in eastern Ukraine, were to “refrain from violence, intimidation and provocative acts”. It also said those occupying buildings would have to leave them and be disarmed in return for an amnesty.
They also agreed to an inclusive constitutional process that would include the establishment of a broad national dialogue and consideration of proposed amendments.
Sergei Lavrov said he was not against a follow-up meeting to discuss the accord, but that it would not “have any added value” unless representatives of the separatists were invited.
The May 25 presidential election was called after pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown by pro-Western protesters in February.
“Scheduling an election during a time when the army is being used against a part of the population is not conventional – it’s not Afghanistan,” Sergei Lavrov noted.
Former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, whose affair with President Bill Clinton lead to his impeachment in the US Senate, has broken her long silence in the media.
In Vanity Fair magazine, Monica Lewinsky, now 40, writes that she deeply regrets the fling.
President Bill Clinton “took advantage” of her, Monica Lewinsky writes, though she describes their relationship as consensual.
In 1998, Republicans failed in their effort to oust him from office on the grounds he had lied about the affair.
With Hillary Clinton said to be mulling a 2016 run for the presidency, the Lewinsky matter has remerged in US political discourse, in part because Republicans are eager to wield it against her.
In an advance excerpt of the article released by Vanity Fair, Monica Lewinsky writes she hopes to reclaim her story and says she is still recognized every day and sees her name thrown about in pop culture and the news media.
Monica Lewinsky’s affair with President Bill Clinton lead to his impeachment in the US Senate
“I, myself, deeply regret what happened between me and President Clinton,” Monica Lewinsky writes.
“Let me say it again: I. Myself. Deeply. Regret. What. Happened.”
Monica Lewinsky writes that she suffered abuse and humiliation after the scandal broke in 1998, in part because she was made a “scapegoat” to protect the president.
“The Clinton administration, the special prosecutor’s minions, the political operatives on both sides of the aisle, and the media were able to brand me,” she wrote.
“And that brand stuck, in part because it was imbued with power.”
Arguing Bill Clinton had lied to federal investigators about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, who was in her early 20s, the Republicans in the House of Representatives impeached the president, essentially bringing him up on charges in the Senate to determine whether he could be expelled from office.
That effort failed, and Bill Clinton served in the White House until his term ended in 2000.
Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, went on to be elected US senator and to serve as secretary of state under President Barack Obama, and is currently tipped as a frontrunner for the Democratic 2016 presidential nomination.
The Republicans have indicated recently that Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky will be fair game should Hillary Clinton indeed run.
Republican Senator Rand Paul – also tipped to run for the presidency in 2016 – said this year that “bosses shouldn’t prey on young interns in their office”.
Bill Clinton “took advantage of a girl that was 20-years-old and an intern in his office”, Rand Paul added.
“There is no excuse for that and that is predatory behavior.”
In her piece, Monica Lewinsky signals that her desire in breaking her silence after so many years is to “give a purpose” to her past.
“Perhaps by sharing my story, I reasoned, I might be able to help others in their darkest moments of humiliation,” she writes.
Monica Lewinsky now aims “to get involved with efforts on behalf of victims of online humiliation and harassment and to start speaking on this topic in public forums”.
Scotty McCreery was the victim of an early morning home invasion near the campus of North Carolina State University, where he is a student, police say.
Scotty McCreery was the victim of an early morning home invasion near the campus of North Carolina State University
Raleigh Police spokesman Jim Sughrue says officers were called shortly before 2 a.m. Monday to an apartment about a mile from campus.
Three suspects armed with guns are reported to have taken wallets, cash and electronic items.
Police say the 20-year-old Scotty McCreery was among the victims. No one was injured.
Cornelius Gurlitt, known as the “Nazi art hoarder”, has died aged 81, with no definitive answer on what will happen to his secret collection, which included many Nazi-looted pieces.
More than 1,400 works were found in Cornelius Gurlitt’s Munich apartment, including pieces by Picasso and Matisse.
Many of the artworks were feared lost or destroyed before tax investigators uncovered his priceless collection in 2012.
More than 1,400 works were found in Cornelius Gurlitt’s Munich apartment, including pieces by Picasso and Matisse
Cornelius Gurlitt was the son of Adolf Hitler’s art dealer, Hildebrand Gurlitt.
Hildebrand Gurlitt was ordered to deal in works that had been seized from Jews, or which the Nazis considered “degenerate” and had removed from German museums.
Cornelius Gurlitt, whose death followed ill-health after heart surgery, told Der Spiegel magazine last November that he would never willingly give up the paintings.
“I haven’t loved anything more than my pictures in my life,” he said.
But he changed his position, agreeing to co-operate with the German authorities on establishing the paintings’ provenance, and returning them if they were shown to be stolen.
German Culture Minister Monika Gruetters praised him for that, saying: “He will be rightly recognized and respected for taking this step.”
Cornelius Gurlitt died “in his apartment in Schwabing, in the presence of a doctor,” spokesman Stephan Holzinger said in a statement.
He did not live an extravagant life but would sell a painting only when he needed money.
Cornelius Gurlitt’s collection only came to light after a routine check found he was carrying wads of cash on a train from Switzerland, triggering a tax inquiry.
Investigators found more than 1,400 works in his flat in Munich in February 2012 – though they only revealed the discovery in late 2013 – and a further 60 in his house near Salzburg, Austria, earlier this year.
Among them were works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Marc Chagall, Emil Nolde and Max Liebermann.
The collection is estimated to be worth up to a billion euros ($1.35 billion).
Under German law, Cornelius Gurlitt was not compelled to return any paintings to their owners, as he was protected by a statute of limitations, which negates any claim for incidents that happened more than 30 years ago.
The Norwegian army has put virtual-reality Oculus Rift headset to a novel use – helping soldiers to drive tanks.
By mounting cameras on the outside of the tank, Norwegian soldiers were able to create a 360-degree feed to the Oculus headset, worn by the driver.
The device – still just a prototype – is much cheaper than conventional military camera systems.
By mounting cameras on the outside of the tank, Norwegian soldiers were able to create a 360-degree feed to the Oculus headset, worn by the driver
But the picture quality is not yet good enough for operational use.
The army began testing the headset in 2013 and in April of this year tried out the latest iteration of the hardware.
The virtual-reality headset hit the headlines when Facebook bought the company behind it – Oculus VR – for $2 billion in March.
To date neither has said much about what they plan to do together, but this week Oculus VR chief executive Brendan Iribe talked about hopes “to build a one billion player MMO”.
Massively multi-player online games (MMO) using virtual reality (VR) would be the “holy grail” for the technology, he told delegates at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference.
Facebook’s large audience would help make such a platform possible although such an enormous player base would require a much larger network than existed currently, he said.
And while Oculus is starting off with a big focus in gaming he said that a lot of where VR would go in the next decade would be about “face-to-face communication and social”.
Keith Richards’ 1972 Ferrari Dino 246GT is coming up for auction.
Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards bought the Dino brand new in California in 1972, bringing it over to the UK in 1975.
Keith Richards bought his Ferrari Dino brand new in California in 1972
He kept the Dino for fourteen years until April 1986, covering just 25,000 miles.
The car is being offered up for sale at Coys’ Monaco auction on May 9. There’s no reserve on the car, which means there’s no minimum price at which the Dino has to sell at.
“A Dino offered at no reserve is rare enough in itself, but when one adds to this proven long-term ownership by rock and roll aristocracy, the Keith Richards car has to be the ultimate Dino,” a Coys spokesman said.
Ferrari first premiered the Dino 246GT at the Turin Motor Show in November of 1969, taking over from the 206GT that preceded it. Underneath sat a rear-mounted, transverse engine 2.4-litre V6 pushing out 195bhp, though the only acceleration figure we can provide is a 0-1000m time of 26.8s and a top speed of 146 mph.
With her wedding date less than three weeks away, Kim Kardashian revealed that she has selected the gown.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West get ready to wed later this month.
With her wedding date less than three weeks away, Kim Kardashian revealed that she has selected the gown
As Kim Kardashian and Kanye West walked the red carpet at the 2014 Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala, they were quickly bombarded with questions about their upcoming wedding day, which is set to take place on May 24.
Vogue’s contributing editor Andre Leon Talley spoke with the couple at fashion’s biggest night, quizzing Kim Kardashian, 33, about her dress for the big day.
“I tried on quite a few,” Kim Kardashian, who wore Lanvin to the Met Ball, revealed.
Police searching for Madeleine McCann will begin activity in Portugal.
The disclosure comes amid reports Portuguese authorities have given permission for sites in Praia da Luz, where the toddler went missing, to be searched.
Met Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said he would be unable to provide details of activity.
But he said he believed it “will occur in the coming weeks”.
A letter was sent to media editors amid speculation about excavation work.
Madeleine McCann was three when she went missing from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in 2007
Madeleine McCann was three when she went missing from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Algarve, in May 2007.
A request to search a number of sites was among a series of requests made to police in Portugal by British detectives working on the case, according to reports.
Mark Rowley said he had discussed the case with his opposite number in Portugal and highlighted the “high levels of interest” that activity would generate in the British media.
But he said Portuguese police do not provide the media with updates on current investigations.
He adds that “activity will cease” if police in Britain provide information or reporters “cause any disruption to their work in Portugal”.
Mark Rowley also said the processing of requests had been “more bureaucratic and slower than we would wish”.
But he asked media editors to respect the requests of Portuguese authorities as they carry out the work.
“We do not want to undermine our prospects of providing Mr. and Mrs. McCann with answers in this tragic case,” he added.
The development comes after the seventh anniversary of Madeleine McCann going missing was marked on Saturday.
Gerry McCann, Madeleine’s father, expressed his family’s gratitude that the Metropolitan Police team investigating Madeleine’s disappearance was now moving on to a “very active” phase in their investigation.
Kate McCann also disclosed last week that she returns to the Portuguese resort where her daughter disappeared to “walk those streets” and “look for answers” once or twice each year.
Apple has awarded its new retail chief Angela Ahrendts a pay package which includes $68 million in shares.
The pay award, which amounts to 113,334 shares, was revealed in a regulatory filing to the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC).
Apple announced the appointment of Angela Ahrendts in October, but she only started her job on May 1.
Angela Ahrendts was previously chief executive of UK luxury retailer Burberry.
She will receive 85% of the shares as long as she stays with Apple for four years, regardless of performance.
Apple has awarded its new retail chief Angela Ahrendts a pay package which includes $68 million in shares (photo CNN)
Angela Ahrendts will receive the shares award over a number of vesting periods beginning on June 1, 2014, and ending on June 14, 2018.
The first tranche will vest on June 1, 2014, and is worth $9.8 million at Apple’s closing price of $600.96 on Monday.
She can expect the next tranche to vest on May 1, 2015.
At Monday’s closing price the second tranche would be worth $13.6 million.
The pay package makes her among the most highly paid female executives in the world.
Angela Ahrendts is the first woman to be appointed to Apple’s board of directors in a decade and will take charge of its global retail and online stores, which employ around 42,400 people.
She was credited with the turnaround of Burberry doubling sales thanks to overseas expansion, while the retailer’s share price rose by 250% under her tenure. She was appointed chief executive in 2006.
Burberry has seen significant overseas growth, particularly in China. As of last year three-quarters of Burberry stores were located in emerging markets.
In contrast nearly half of Apple’s 431 stores are in its home market of the US. Despite this only 31% of Apple’s revenues last year came from America.
Activision Blizzard has committed $500 million to making, updating and promoting its Destiny video game.
The games-maker boss, Bobby Kotick, revealed the cash commitment at an industry conference last week.
But industry analysts questioned whether an entirely new game like Destiny would prove a hit with fans.
The Sci-Fi themed game is scheduled for release on September 9 this year.
Activision Blizzard has committed $500 million to making, updating and promoting its Destiny video game
“If you’re making a $500 million bet you can’t take that chance with someone else’s IP,” Bobby Kotick said during his speech at the Milken Institute’s global conference.
“The stakes for us are getting bigger.”
Destiny is being made by the Bungie studio which is best known for its work on the Halo series of games.
Set in a post-apocalyptic future 700 years from now, Destiny gives players the job of defending the last human city from invaders and, eventually, expanding mankind’s sphere of influence. Bungie has said the game will mix elements from both massively multiplayer games and single-player shooting games. So far, the game is a console-only title.
Activision has billed Destiny as a next-generation game that will constantly change over its predicted decade-long lifespan. The game will be an “open world” and place far fewer restrictions on what players can do than other titles.
Activision Blizzard is believed to be putting so much money behind Destiny to help compensate for the falling interest in some of the other game franchises it owns and runs. In particular, the 2013 sales of Call of Duty: Ghosts were lower than those in 2012 and subscriber numbers for World of Warcraft have been on a steady downward slide for some time.
With Destiny, Activision hopes to emulate the success of the well-known Grand Theft Auto game. The latest version- GTAV – sold more than 32 million units.
However, said analysts, the GTA’s long history and its dedicated fanbase contributed to its huge success. Neither of those would apply to a new title such as Destiny.
Oscar Pistorius’ defense team is calling more witnesses at his murder trial in Pretoria, as it seeks to prove that he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp by mistake.
Two of Oscar Pistorius’ closest neighbors said on Tuesday they heard a man crying loudly on the night of the shooting.
On Monday two other people – who were the first at the scene – described his frantic efforts to revive Reeva Steenkamp.
The South African athlete is accused of murdering Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day last year.
Oscar Pistorius, 27, denies intentionally killing Reeva Steenkamp and says he shot her through a toilet door in a state of panic, mistaking her for an intruder.
Two of Oscar Pistorius’ closest neighbors said on Tuesday they heard a man crying loudly on the night of the shooting (photo WPTV)
The trial adjourned early on Monday after defense lawyer Barry Roux failed to get further witnesses to court following a two-week adjournment over the Easter break.
Oscar Pistorius’ next-door neighbor, Michael Nhlengethwa, told the court on Tuesday that on the night of the shooting he went to the house after hearing a man “crying very loudly”.
“I saw Oscar kneeling next to the lady, he was just crying,” the witness said.
His wife, Eontle Nhlengethwa, also testifying, said she heard the loud sound of a “male person’s voice” crying “help, help, help”.
Both witnesses said they did not hear a woman screaming, contradicting prosecution witnesses who had testified to hearing a woman scream.
A ballistics expert is expected to take the stand later on Tuesday.
On Monday, the court heard from two other neighbors who were first at the scene – Johan Stander and his daughter Carice.
Johan Stander said the athlete “was broken” as he desperately tried to save his girlfriend, sobbing and praying for her life. He was the first person Oscar Pistorius called after the shooting.
He implied that he thought Oscar Pistorius’ reaction showed that the shooting had been a mistake.
“I saw the truth that morning and I feel it,” he told the court.
He said Oscar Pistorius told him: “I shot Reeva. I thought she was an intruder, please come quick.”
In an emotional testimony, his daughter, Carice Viljoen, told the court she feared Oscar Pistorius would shoot himself with the gun used to kill Reeva Steenkamp.
Before the Easter break, Oscar Pistorius faced several days of cross-examination from the state prosecutor Gerrie Nel, who accused him of using emotional outbursts “as an escape”.
As well as a ballistics expert, the defense is expected to call a psychologist to speak about Oscar Pistorius’ disability and his acute sense of vulnerability.
The prosecution has sought to show a pattern of reckless behavior by Oscar Pistorius and has argued that a reasonable man would have checked before firing four bullets through a locked door.
Amazon has announced a partnership with Twitter that allows users to add products to their shopping carts by tweeting a special hashtag.
Twitter users can do so by replying to tweets containing a link to an Amazon product with #amazoncart in the US and #amazonbasket in the UK.
Amazon has announced a partnership with Twitter that allows users to add products to their shopping carts by tweeting a special hashtag
They will still need to go to Amazon to pay and complete the purchase.
The move comes as companies are looking at ways to use social media platforms as tools to attract customers.
The move also comes just days after Twitter reported a net loss of $132 million for the first quarter of 2014.
The number of active users on Twitter reached 255 million in 2014 Q1, up 5.8% on the previous quarter. However, that growth was below analysts’ expectations.
There have been concerns that the pace of growth the Twitter has seen in the past years may be slowing, which may hurt its revenues.
Meanwhile, Amazon said the partnership would make it easier for users to purchase products they saw on their Twitter timeline.
“No more switching apps, typing passwords, or trying to remember items you saw on Twitter,” Amazon said in a video it posted about the tie-up.
