A woman has been caught by Atlanta police sleeping in a bedroom at a house rented by Justin Bieber in Sandy Springs.
Sandy Springs police say 23-year-old Qianying Zhao of nearby Doraville was discovered at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
Qianying Zhao told officers she was there to go to Justin Bieber’s birthday party and got in through an unlocked door.
The home, which is owned by music producer Dallas Austin, was unoccupied at the time.
Justin Bieber is back in Miami for a legal deposition unrelated to his January arrest
Police say the party was held somewhere else, earlier in the week.
Qianying Zhao told officers she was Justin Bieber’s friend, police added, but investigators believe she’s one of millions of fans who follow him on Twitter.
She faces a charge of criminal trespass.
This week police have also released a video showing Justin Bieber urinating.
He was giving a sample for a drug test following his arrest by police in Miami Beach on January 23 on a charge of driving under the influence.
Justin Bieber, 20, is back in Miami for a legal deposition unrelated to his January arrest.
We all have to speak in public from time to time, whether it’s contributing to a team meeting or delivering a presentation to a large group of people. Public speaking is a key leadership skill to have; it is valuable in both our personal and professional lives and can enhance future career opportunities. The pressure of speaking in public however can cause a lot of stress and anxiety for an individual who perhaps lacks in confidence, and this can result in a poor delivery. According to the Daily Mail, public speaking is one of the most common fears in women.
Getting the message across can be difficult if you don’t plan ahead and understand the audience’s mindset. One of the top keynote speakers on branding will tell you that. Take the time to research what you are saying and who you are sharing it with, and at the start of your presentation, tell your audience what they can expect. Below are some effective ways to ensure your presentation is received well:
Don’t let nerves get the better of you First things first, to deliver a memorable speech, you’re going to need to overcome the nerves. Easier said than done, but when you learn how to control them, you can use the adrenaline to stay alert and be more enthusiastic. A public speaking coach can show you the proper way to do this. Many people will try to rush when they’re speaking in public but it is important to breathe slowly and take your time. One of the biggest mistakes people make is being unprepared. If you know you are going to be delivering a presentation or speech, start preparing as soon as possible. The earlier you start, the more time you’ll have to practice and the more you’ll know the content inside out. Remember that people in the audience want you to succeed, as they want to take something away from it too. You are there to help or educate them in some way so think about them, not you.
Think about how you present yourself This is where your appearance, posture and body language comes into play. The way you present yourself will make a difference in whether your speech is memorable or not. If you deliver with passion, this will come across to your audience who will then take your message more seriously. Giving advice about public speaking, Speaker Mentor, Deborah Meaden, told the BBC:
“Find the thing that you are passionate about. Automatically you’ll deliver it with conviction. You believe, they’ll believe it”.
Dress smartly and stand tall, with shoulders back and your chest out, don’t slouch or lean and remember to smile. Walk around and use gestures to engage with your audience and make sure you keep your eyes up and focused on them to ensure each individual feels connected.
Enliven the delivery and make it interesting One of the best ways to convey a message is to add variation to your presentation. It can be difficult to captivate an audience by simply talking for 30 minutes, but there are a number of things a speaker can introduce to enliven the presentation. By mixing up your speech, you have a better of chance of reaching a broader range of people. Visual aids such as photos, graphs and data can be extremely effective, and videos can be powerful too. Don’t try and be too clever though; if you’re new to public speaking, stay within your comfort zone, for example don’t plan a 10 minute video spectacular if you’ve never done it before!
Isaiah Washington is to return to medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, seven years after he was fired from the show.
Isaiah Washington, 50, who played heart surgeon Preston Burke during the first three seasons, was axed after he used a homophobic slur during an on-set altercation.
The actor will make a guest appearance to coincide with the departure of series regular Sandra Oh, his former on-screen love interest.
The episode will be screened in the US in May.
Isaiah Washington is to return to Grey’s Anatomy, seven years after he was fired from the show
Series creator Shonda Rhimes said Isaiah Washington’s return was integral to Cristina Yang’s storyline.
Isaiah Washington was one of the original stars of Grey’s Anatomy, but his contract was not renewed after he used the anti-gay slur during an argument with co-star Patrick Dempsey.
Soon after, fellow cast member TR Knight revealed he was gay and said he was offended by what the actor had said.
Isaiah Washington then further angered network bosses by repeating the slur backstage at the Golden Globes while denying he had said it.
The actor later apologized for his comments, saying it was “unacceptable in any context or circumstance”. He received counseling and met with gay rights groups to discuss ways to address homophobia.
After his controversial exit from Grey’s Anatomy, Isaiah Washington struggled to find continuous work and mainly landed bit parts in television shows including Law & Order: LA and the re-make of Bionic Woman which was cancelled mid-way through its first series.
Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto, the man named by the Newsweek magazine as the creator of Bitcoin earlier this week, has denied any involvement.
Satoshi Nakamoto, who changed his name to Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto in 1973, said he had not even heard of virtual currency Bitcoin until a few weeks ago.
He was singled out as the man who wrote the code underpinning Bitcoin by Newsweek.
But he said that quotes attributed to him that seemed to suggest his discontinued involvement with the project had been “misunderstood”.
“I got nothing to do with it,” Satoshi Nakamoto told a reporter on Thursday.
The man was identified as the “face behind Bitcoin” in a Newsweek article published this week. A reporter spent about two months investigating the claim and tracking him down.
When the reporter – flanked by two police officers – found the 64-year-old former physicist at his home in California and asked him if he was involved with Bitcoin, he is reported to have said: “I am no longer involved in that and I cannot discuss it.”
However, Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto told an Associated Press reporter on Thursday: “I’m saying I’m no longer in engineering, that’s it. And even if I was, when we get hired, you have to sign this document, contract, saying you will not reveal anything we divulge during and after employment. So that’s what I implied.
Newsweek named Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto as the creator of Bitcoin
“It sounded like I was involved before with Bitcoin and looked like I’m not involved now. That’s not what I meant. I want to clarify that.”
Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto said he was born in Japan and moved to America in 1959 and that English was not his first language.
The value of Bitcoin has fluctuated as knowledge of and interest in what was until recently a little-known currency has increased. It is used to bypass financial institutions, making it attractive to people who want to trade directly. That has led to a level of adoption by speculative investors and some criminal enterprises.
This week, a Democratic Congressman is reported to have called for it to be banned. Jared Polis called the currency “unregulated and unstable”.
In 2012, a leaked FBI report showed that the agency was concerned that Bitcoin could become widely used by criminals.
The report said that the virtual currency was an “increasingly useful tool for various illegal activities beyond the cyber realm”.
In August 2013, it was announced that the “scale of the risk posed by” Bitcoin was to be investigated by the FBI on behalf of a US Senate committee.
The entity behind it has always been known as “Satoshi Nakamoto”, although it is unknown whether or not that is a pseudonym.
Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto insisted he had never heard of Gavin Andresen, a leading Bitcoin developer.
Gavin Andresen told Newsweek he had worked closely with the person or entity known as Satoshi Nakamoto in developing the system, but that they never met in person or spoke on the phone.
Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto told the AP that he would have had the technical ability to come up with Bitcoin.
He said: “Capability? Yes, but any programmer could do that.”
He also admitted that elements of the Newsweek story were correct. He said that he did once work for a defense contractor.
Dorian Prentice Satoshi Nakamoto added that he also worked on missile systems for the US Navy and Air Force and, consequently, it was necessary to keep many details of his work was confidential.
Newsweek reporter Leah McGrath Goodman, who spent two months researching the story, told the AP: “I stand completely by my exchange with Mr. Nakamoto. There was no confusion whatsoever about the context of our conversation – and his acknowledgment of his involvement in Bitcoin.”
The sporting world is back to Sochi on Friday for the Winter Paralympics opening ceremony.
Less than two weeks after the Winter Olympics ended, 547 athletes from 45 countries will compete for 72 gold medals in five sports over 10 days.
It is the largest number of countries to take part in the event since it was first held in 1976.
The sporting world is back to Sochi on Friday for the Winter Paralympics opening ceremony
The Games, opened by Russian president Vladimir Putin, will begin amid an escalating political crisis in Ukraine.
A number of the world’s politicians have said they will snub the showpiece event following Russian intervention in Crimea, situated just 300 miles from Sochi.
Ukraine had contemplated a boycott of the event but on Friday, the Ukraine Paralympic Committee president Valeriy Suskevich confirmed that their 23-strong team would take part.
The opening ceremony at the Fisht Stadium gets underway at 8 p.m. local time with action due to get start on Saturday.
The fifth day of Oscar Pistorius’ trial in South Africa has begun with his ex-girlfriend Samantha Taylor telling the court the athlete once fired his gun from his car sunroof after becoming angry with police.
Earlier, Samantha Taylor broke down while discussing two breakups with the athlete.
Samantha Taylor said Oscar Pistorius had twice been unfaithful, with the relationship finally ending when he “cheated” on her with Reeva Steenkamp.
Oscar Pistorius denies both murdering Reeva Steenkamp and the alleged shooting incident.
The defense also pointed to emails it said proved the relationship with Samantha Taylor was already over by the time Oscar Pistorius began seeing Reeva Steenkamp.
Samantha Taylor insisted the relationship was not “officially” over when he started dating Reeva Steenkamp.
She also said the alleged shooting incident happened when he became angry after a police officer stopped him for speeding, saw the gun on the car seat and told him it could not be left there.
Samantha Taylor insisted her relationship with Oscar Pistorius was not officially over when he started dating Reeva Steenkamp (photo Getty Images)
Samantha Taylor accepted that he laughed around the time he actually fired the gun.
She testified that Oscar Pistorius kept his gun “on him all the time,” and described him as a man who could get very angry.
On Wednesday, the court heard evidence from boxer Kevin Lerena, about another incident in which Oscar Pistorius is alleged to have fired a gun – in a restaurant – after it was passed to him by another friend in the group. He said Oscar Pistorius asked the gun’s owner to take the blame.
Towards the end of Samantha Taylor’s evidence on Friday, the court was adjourned a second time when she broke down again in the witness box.
After returning, she was asked by the prosecution if there had been other occasions when Oscar Pistorius thought there was an intruder in his house.
Samantha Taylor replied that it had happened at least twice. Crucially, she said he always woke her up before taking his gun with him to check.
Oscar Pistorius claims that he shot Reeva Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder.
If found guilty, Oscar Pistorius, 27, could face life imprisonment.
Friday’s trial began with more testimony from neighbor Johan Stipp, who on Thursday told the court he found Oscar Pistorius praying over Reeva Steenkamp’s body as she lay dying.
The latest episode of Duck Dynasty showed the Robertson family helping Jep to build out a playhouse.
“Basically I messed up big time,” admitted Jep Robertson.
“I promised Jessica this playhouse would be ready for the kids [and it’s not].”
When Jep Robertson told his brother Jase he would be hiring builders to assemble the playhouse, Jase said he could get the job done in one day.
“All men should be able to build and assemble,” said Jase Robertson.
“As men, we’re holding up our end of the bargain. Be a man, build something, anything.”
Jep and Jessica Robertson (photo A&E TV)
While Jase seemed up for the challenge, Jep was a bit loopy from the pain medication he was taking for an arm injury.
“We’ll build it while you sleep it off and we’ll give you all the credit it,” Jase offered.
But when Jep came to and saw what his brother had created he realized he was going to be in a lot of trouble.
“Jessica is not going to like this,” Jep Robertson said as he saw the playhouse had no slides or windows and looked like it would fall apart at any second.
“Anybody can call and order some prefab playhouse,” said Jase.
“Forts are for kids who want to defend themselves from other neighborhood kids. The kids who play in playhouses, they’re just looking for other places to have snack.”
As soon as Jessica saw the strange structure, she asked her husband: “Jep, I thought you were here, what were you doing this whole time? This is not what we talked about.”
“Don’t freak out, I got a plan B,” answered Jep.
“You’re going to take another nap?” snapped Jessica.
In the end, Jep hired builders to make a playhouse and although his father Phil called it a “yuppie move”, even he had to admit it was “better than letting his kids play in that death trap Jase built”.
The latest episode of Duck Dynasty revealed how Willie Robertson broke the family rule of never being late for duck hunting.
Uncle Si Robertson said: “Willie broke the cardinal rule of duck hunting and that rule is wake up in time to go duck hunting.”
Last year, Willie Robertson woke up late for opening day of duck season, a first for the Robertson men. So this year he was forced to help prepare all of Phil Robertson’s 64 duck blinds.
“I must say that I’ve never known a Robertson son to sleep in the opening day of duck season. You just wouldn’t do something like that. Ever,” said Phil Robertson.
It wasn’t enough to just subject his son to hard manual labor, Phil and Si also spent the day bossing around the Duck Commander CEO.
The latest episode of Duck Dynasty revealed how Willie Robertson broke the family rule of never being late for duck hunting (photo A&E)
“Out here on the land we go by age,” explained Si Robertson who was having a little too much fun ordering around his nephew.
“Look, the boy needs to get his delicate little CEO hands dirty and callused. He’s the commander general. I’m second in command and Willie he’s way down on the bottom of the totem pole.”
“Make one simple mistake about hunting and pay dearly for it with humiliation and hard labor,” whined Willie.
“Welcome to the Robertson family.”
While Willie worked, the rest of the Robertson men were busy helping Jep get out of a bind.
According to Japan’s government, Bitcoin is not a currency but some transactions using the virtual unit should be taxed.
“If there are transactions and subsequent gains, it is natural…for the finance ministry to consider how it can impose taxes,” said chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga.
Japan also said banks cannot provide Bitcoin as a product to customers.
The government is trying to determine the total volume and value of Bitcoins in circulation around the world.
Japan’s government says Bitcoin is not a currency but some transactions using the virtual unit should be taxed
Some estimates put the global market for Bitcoins at about $7 billion.
Countries and their tax authorities have been grappling with how to regulate Bitcoin, with some seeing it as a route for tax evasion or money laundering.
Russia has declared transactions illegal, China has banned its banks from handling Bitcoin trades, and there have been calls for the US to do the same.
Singapore has imposed a tax on Bitcoin trading and using it to pay for services, after classifying it as goods, rather than a currency.
Last month leading Bitcoin exchange, Tokyo-based MtGox, filed for bankruptcy after losing an estimated 750,000 of its customers’ Bitcoins.
President Barack Obama has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine, in a lengthy telephone call.
In their hour-long conversation, Vladimir Putin said Moscow-Washington relations should not suffer.
Russian troops have taken de facto control of Crimea following the fall of Ukraine’s pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych.
The crisis has led to a boycott by many foreign dignitaries of the Sochi Winter Paralympics, which open on Friday.
Barack Obama stressed to Vladimir Putin that Russia’s actions in Crimea were a violation of Ukrainian sovereignty, the White House said in a statement.
Barack Obama has urged Vladimir Putin to seek a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Ukraine
The US president said there was a solution available that suited all parties, involving talks between Kiev and Moscow, international monitors in Ukraine and Russian forces returning to their bases.
For his part, Vladimir Putin said US-Russian “relations should not be sacrificed due to disagreements over individual, albeit extremely significant, international problems”, the Kremlin said.
It was Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin’s second telephone call concerning Ukraine in less than a week.
It comes after the EU and US joined Ukraine’s government in condemning as “illegal” a move by the Crimea region to set up a referendum to endorse joining Russia.
The Crimean parliament on Thursday said it had decided “to enter into the Russian Federation with the rights of a subject of the Russian Federation” and asked President Putin “to start the procedure”.
Crimea – whose population is mostly ethnic Russian – earlier set a date of March 16 for a referendum on the issue.
A new study suggests that warmer temperatures are causing malaria to spread to higher altitudes.
US researchers from the University of Michigan have found that people living in the highlands of Africa and South America are at an increased risk of catching the mosquito-borne disease during hotter years.
They believe that temperature rises in the future could result in millions of additional cases in some areas.
The research is published in the journal Science.
Prof. Mercedes Pascual, who carried out the research, said: “The impact in terms of increasing the risk of exposure to disease is very large.”
Areas at higher altitudes have traditionally provided a haven from this devastating disease.
Both the malaria parasite and the mosquito that carries it struggle to cope with the cooler air.
Prof. Mercedes Pascual said: “The risk of the disease decreases with altitude and this is why historically people have settled in these higher regions.”
Warmer temperatures are causing malaria to spread to higher altitudes
But the scientists say the disease is entering new regions that had previously been malaria-free.
To investigate, scientists looked at densely populated areas in the highlands of Colombia and Ethiopia, where there are detailed records of both temperature and malaria cases from the 1990s to 2005.
They found that in warmer years, malaria shifted higher into the mountains, while in cooler years it was limited to lower elevations.
“This expansion could in a sense account for a substantial part of the increase of cases we have already observed in these areas,” said Prof. Mercedes Pascual.
The team believes that rising temperatures could cause a further spread.
In Ethiopia, where nearly half of the population live at an altitude of between 5,250ft and 7,875ft, the scientists believe there could be many more cases.
“We have estimated that, based on the distribution of malaria with altitude, a 1C rise in temperature could lead to an additional three million cases in under-15-year-olds per year,” said Prof. Mercedes Pascual.
The team believes that because people living in areas that have never been exposed to malaria are particularly vulnerable to the disease, attempts to stop the spread should be focused on areas at the edge of the spread. The disease is easier to control there than at lower altitudes where it has already established.
According to WHO estimates, there were about 207 million cases of malaria in 2012 and an estimated 627,000 deaths. Most deaths occur among children living in Africa.
Mark Johnston, who lost $500,000 at a Las Vegas casino, says he should not have to pay because he was too drunk.
The 52-year-old Californian businessman has sued the Downtown Grand for serving him drinks and lending him money while he says he was clearly intoxicated.
Mark Johnston arrived at the casino on January 30 and played at the tables for 17 hours.
Under Nevada law, patrons who are visibly drunk are not meant to gamble.
The casino, which has not commented, reportedly intends to legally pursue Mark Johnston for the debt.
A car dealership and real estate businessman, Mark Johnston lost the money at the casino on Super Bowl weekend.
Mark Johnston has sued the Downtown Grand for serving him drinks and lending him money while he was clearly intoxicated
He says the Downtown Grand served him 20 alcoholic beverages during his gambling session, on top of about 10 drinks he had consumed before even arriving at the casino.
“Look, I had some drinks at the airport,” he told CNN.
“I had a drink on the plane. You know, at some point that’s my responsibility, OK.
“But the unfortunate part about it for them [the casino] is that they have a more, bigger responsibility than I do.”
Mark Johnston added: “Just picture a drunk walking down the street and somebody goes up and just pickpockets him. That’s how I characterize it.”
His lawyer, Sean Lyttle, told the Associated Press news agency it was an “extraordinary case”.
“Someone was blackout intoxicated where they couldn’t read their cards, and yet a casino continued to serve them drinks and issue them more markers,” he said.
Sean Lyttle said his client had put a stop-payment order on the markers issued by the Downtown Grand, and was also seeking damages from the casino for sullying his name.
The Nevada gaming control board is said to be investigating the matter.
Venezuela has given 48 hours to leave the country to Panama’s ambassador and three other diplomats amid growing tensions over opposition protests.
The move comes a day after President Nicolas Maduro broke diplomatic relations and froze economic ties with Panama.
At least 20 people have died in anti-government protests in Venezuela in the last month.
Nicolas Maduro has accused Panama of conspiring to bring down his government.
The latest fallout comes after Panama requested a meeting at the Organization of American States (OAS) to discuss Venezuela’s crisis.
Four diplomats working at Panama’s embassy, including ambassador Pedro Pereira, were declared “persona non grata” on Thursday, according to Panama’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mayra Arosemena.
Nicolas Maduro has accused Panama of conspiring to bring down his government
Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Elias Jaua said his country also had suspended debt negotiations over $1 billion owed to Panamanian exporters, according to reports.
Meanwhile a member of Venezuela’s National Guard and a motorcyclist became the latest victims of the unrest in the country on Thursday.
The pair were shot dead during clashes that broke out when a group of men of motorcycles tried to clear opposition barricades in a street in Caracas.
The opposition accuses the government of using armed civilian groups on motorcycles to break up demonstrations.
Thousands of government supporters and troops took part in a huge parade through the centre of the capital, commemorating the first anniversary of former President Hugo Chavez’s death on March 5.
Panama said it was “astonished” by Venezuela’s decision to break diplomatic relations and called Nicolas Maduro’s words “unacceptable”.
The US and EU have joined Ukraine’s new government in condemning as “illegal” the Crimean referendum to endorse joining Russia.
The EU, meeting in Brussels, threatened “serious consequences” if Russia did not act to de-escalate the crisis.
Crimea’s parliament earlier set a date of March 16 for a vote on the referendum.
Russian troops took de facto control of Crimea, whose population is mostly ethnic Russian, in the wake of the fall of Ukraine’s pro-Moscow president.
The Crimean parliament on Thursday said it had decided “to enter into the Russian Federation with the rights of a subject of the Russian Federation”.
It said it had asked Russian President Vladimir Putin “to start the procedure”.
The US and EU have joined Ukraine’s new government in condemning as “illegal” the Crimean referendum to endorse joining Russia
Before the Brussels summit, some EU members – led by Germany – had indicated they preferred mediation with Russia to try to solve the crisis, rather than any stronger measures.
But correspondents say the Crimean parliament move has clearly toughened the line taken by the EU.
In press conferences after the talks, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy both said the Crimean referendum was contrary to the Ukrainian constitution and therefore illegal.
The EU said it was suspending talks with Moscow on easing travel restrictions on Russians entering the EU.
It said that if Russia did not move to de-escalate the situation quickly, it would “decide on additional measures, such as travel bans, asset freezes and the cancellation of the EU-Russia summit”.
The EU statement said that “any further steps by the Russian Federation to destabilize the situation in Ukraine would lead to severe and far-reaching consequences… which will include a broad range of economic areas”.
President Barack Obama said the Crimea referendum would “violate the Ukrainian constitution and international law”.
The US president said there was a way to resolve the crisis with Russia through diplomacy but that “if the violation continues, the resolve of the US and its allies will remain firm”.
Barack Obama praised the “international unity on display at this moment”.
The US had earlier issued visa restrictions on a number of unnamed Ukrainian and Russian officials and individuals “to deny visas to those responsible for, or complicit in, threatening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.
Oscar Pistorius was praying over the body of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp as she lay dying, the Paralympic champion’s neighbor Dr. Johan Stipp told his murder trial today.
In the trial’s first account of the moments after the shooting, Johan Stipp said he tried to revive Reeva Steenkamp.
During Dr. Johan Stipp’s testimony, Oscar Pistorius cried and seemed to retch.
The double amputee denies intentionally killing her, saying he mistook Reeva Steenkamp, 29, for an intruder.
If found guilty, 27-year-old Oscar Pistorius could face life imprisonment.
Oscar Pistorius was praying over the body of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp as she lay dying
Dr. Johan Stipp, who was testifying on the fourth day of the trial at the high court in Pretoria, said he could see Reeva Steenkamp’s brain tissue in her hair.
It was at this point in the testimony that a police officer passed a plastic bag to Oscar Pistorius.
Recalling the early hours of Valentine’s Day 2013, Dr, Johan Stipp said he had heard gunshots and after making sure it was safe, went to help.
When he got to Oscar Pistorius’ house, he found the athlete kneeling by Reeva Steenkamp, with “his left hand on her right groin, and his right hand – the second and third fingers – in her mouth”.
“Oscar was crying all the time,” Dr. Johan Stipp said.
“He was praying to God [saying] <<Please let her live>>.”
Dr. Johan Stipp said Oscar Pistorius had been in an emotional state, and fearing he might hurt himself, had asked where the gun was.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, has said that it will take the US two years and possibly billions of dollars to overcome the harm done by Edward Snowden’s intelligence leaks.
Gen. Martin Dempsey said the “vast majority” of documents taken by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden were military-related.
Since last year, news organizations have published dozens of stories based on the leaked intelligence documents.
Gen. Martin Dempsey said the vast majority of documents taken by Edward Snowden were military-related
Edward Snowden faces spying charges in the US but has been given asylum in Russia.
Gen. Martin Dempsey told the House armed services committee on Thursday that a mitigation task force had been established to investigate the extent of Edward Snowden’s theft and to determine how to overcome it.
“The vast majority of [the pilfered documents] were related to our military capabilities, operations, tactics, techniques and procedures,” Martin Dempsey said.
Gen. Martin Dempsey said the “magnitude of this challenge” suggested the task force would need to run for about two years.
This weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS), Danica Patrick will be racing only in the Sprint Cup Series.
Danica Patrick, 31, will be sporting a new look with sponsorship from Aspen Dental instead of her traditional GoDaddy.com colors.
Danica Patrick will be sporting a new look with sponsorship from Aspen Dental at LVMS
She is in serious need of a good finish this weekend.
In her first two races of the season, Danica Patrick was caught up in crashes, finishing 40th at Daytona and 36th at Phoenix.
While she wasn’t at fault in starting either crash, qualifying 27th at Daytona and 33rd at Phoenix left Danica Patrick back where trouble tends to happen.
Newsweek magazine’s claim that it has found the creator of the Bitcoin virtual currency sparked controversy.
Before now it was assumed that the name behind Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto, was a pseudonym for the group of coders who developed the system.
Now Newsweek claims Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto is a 64-year-old model train enthusiast who lives on the outskirts of Los Angeles.
The claim has drawn criticism with many saying Newsweek had only circumstantial evidence for its assertion.
Newsweek reporter Leah Goodman said she tracked Satoshi Nakamoto down by seeking public records for US citizens bearing that name. She then investigated people whose background, education and employment history showed they might be capable of creating the crypto-currency.
Newsweek claims Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto is a 64-year-old model train enthusiast who lives on the outskirts of Los Angeles (photo Newsweek)
Leah Goodman’s enquiries focused on one candidate in particular who seemed to have the right profile and whose involvement was hinted at by other Bitcoin developers.
Further evidence, she said, arose when talking to his family members revealed his obsession with privacy, his political leanings and his facility with maths.
The evidence led Leah Goodman to confront Satoshi Nakamoto as his home where she asked if he was the creator of Bitcoin.
In response, Satoshi Nakamoto said: “I am no longer involved in that and I cannot discuss it.”
Many Bitcoin commentators on social networks have expressed skepticism about the find saying the evidence Leah Goodman gathered was not convincing. The story was called “fake” by some commentators on the Bitcoin Talk forum who demanded Satoshi Nakamoto carry out signed Bitcoin transactions to prove that he was the currency’s originator.
Others criticized Newsweek for publishing a picture of Satoshi Nakamoto and revealing so much about his life.
On Twitter, Leah Goodman said Newsweek magazine had only printed information that was publicly available.
Jeffrey Hubbard has been sentenced to four years in prison in the sea scooter crash case that killed Usher’s 11-year-old stepson Kile Glover.
The incident in July 2012 on Lake Lanier near Atlanta killed Kile Glover and left another teenager injured.
A jury found Jeffrey Hubbard “guilty of homicide by vessel” last month.
Kile Glover had been raised by Usher since the age of four
In addition, Jeffrey Hubbard was found guilty of several other charges including serious injury by vessel and reckless operation of a vessel.
Investigators said the sea scooter Jeffrey Hubbard was riding hit the children as they were being towed on an inner tube.
Jeffrey Hubbard’s defense lawyers said he tried to avoid the children and that what happened was a tragic accident.
Since the incident, a bill has been introduced in America which lowers the blood-alcohol limit for boat drivers to match the car driving limit.
The bill also requires a boat safety education course for those operating motorized vessels bought after January 1998.
Kile Glover was the son of Tameka Foster Raymond and Atlanta television executive Ryan Glover, and had reportedly been raised by Usher since the age of four.
The Philadelphia School District has been sued for alleged religious discrimination over a rule that requires employees to keep their beards at a certain length.
The lawsuit, filed by the US Department of Justice, claims that the Philadelphia School District discriminated against a school police officer by instituting a policy in October of 2010 that prevented school officers from having beards longer than one-quarter inch.
Siddiq Abu-Bakr, a school police officer since 1987, told district officials that the rule conflicted with his Islamic faith, which requires him to not cut his beard.
The man says he has had an untrimmed beard longer than one-quarter inch for the 27 years he has worked with the district.
Siddiq Abu-Bakr, a school police officer since 1987, told district officials that the beard rule conflicted with his Islamic faith
According to the lawsuit, Siddiq Abu-Bakr notified his supervisor that he could not comply with the new rule due to his religious beliefs. Justice Department officials say he was then issued a written reprimand for violating the policy.
The complaint accuses the district of failing to consider Siddiq Abu-Bakr’s request for “reasonable accommodation” to its grooming policy.
Officials say Siddiq Abu-Bakr filed a charge of religious discrimination with the Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC’s Philadelphia district office investigated the case and determined that there was reasonable cause to believe that discrimination occurred. They then notified the Department of Justice.
The lawsuit requires the district to “develop and implement new grooming policies that would prevent its employees from being discriminated against based upon religion”.
Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni are to launch legal action after secret recordings of them were leaked online.
Lawyers for Nicolas Sarkozy say France’s former president and first lady will file a request for an injunction to prevent more from being published.
They say the recordings were made by a former aide, Patrick Buisson, without the couple’s knowledge.
Though embarrassing, the transcripts are unlikely to cause political damage, correspondents say.
Nicolas Sarkozy was said to be furious after it emerged that Patrick Buisson had recorded hundreds of hours of meetings and private conversations during his 2007-2012 term as French president.
Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni are to launch legal action after secret recordings of them were leaked online
In a statement, Patrick Buisson’s lawyer confirmed that the tapes had been made but claimed they had been done to help him to keep a proper record of all discussions with Nicolas Sarkozy and other officials.
Most of the recordings were destroyed and those that have been made public must have been stolen, the lawyer added.
Some of the recordings were published by satirical magazine Le Canard Enchaine and website Atlantico on Wednesday.
The initial revelations contain excerpts in which top officials express scorn over the presence of Nicolas Sarkozy’s wife at meetings at the Elysee.
They also suggest that Carla Bruni-Sarkozy was unhappy she had lost income when she married Nicolas Sarkozy, and hoped to boost her finances by advertising anti-ageing products.
Nicolas Sarkozy himself is shown to have been dismissive, even mocking, of the capacities of some of his ministers.
Another neighbor of Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius has told his murder trial he heard the athlete saying that he had shot his girlfriend after mistaking her for a burglar.
Johan Stipp, a qualified doctor, says he tried to revive Reeva Steenkamp but could tell she was dying.
During Dr. Johan Stipp’s testimony, Oscar Pistorius cried and seemed to retch.
The double amputee denies intentionally killing Reeva Steenkamp, saying he mistook the 29-year-old model for an intruder.
Dr. Johan Stipp said he could see Reeva Steenkamp’s brain tissue in her hair.
Oscar Pistorius on the fourth day of his murder trial in Pretoria
At this point, a police officer passed a plastic bag to Oscar Pistorius.
Recalling the night of February 14, 2013, Dr. Johan Stipp said he had heard gunshots.
He said he had found OScar Pistorius kneeling by her body.
“I shot her,” Oscar Pistorius told him.
“I thought she was a burglar.”
Dr. Johan Stipp said Oscar Pistorius had been in an emotional state. Fearing he might hurt himself, he had asked where the gun was.
Earlier, defense lawyer Barry Roux said that two neighbors, Michell Burger and Charl Johnson, had discussed their testimony with each other and amended the rough notes they had made a few days after the shooting.
“Your interpretation [of events] is designed to incriminate the accused and it’s unfortunate,” Barry Roux said.
Charl Johnson denied this. He insisted that he had heard a woman screaming “help”, followed by a man doing the same.
On Wednesday, boxer Kevin Lerena said Oscar Pistorius had been responsible for a weapon being fired at a restaurant last year.
In a recent interview, Angelina Jolie has revealed she was “very moved” by the support and personal stories fans have shared with her since she underwent a double mastectomy last year.
Angelina Jolie, 38, shocked the world by declaring she had undergone preventative cancer surgery in a New York Times article which was published last May.
Now she reveals the news of her double mastectomy inspired fans to talk candidly with her about their own personal experiences with the deadly disease.
Angelina Jolie has revealed she was “very moved” by the support and personal stories fans have shared with her since she underwent a double mastectomy last year
Angelina Jolie told Entertainment Weekly: “Wherever I go, usually I run into women and we talk about health issues, women’s issues, breast cancer, ovarian cancer. I’ve talked to men about their daughters’ and wives’ health.
“It makes me feel closer to other people who deal with the same things and have either lost their parents or are considering surgeries or wondering about their children. I was very, very moved by all the support and kindness from so many people.”
Crimea’s parliament has voted to become part of the Russian Federation.
The southern Ukrainian region’s parliament said the decision would be put to the Crimean people for their verdict in a referendum on March 16.
A government minister in Kiev said they believe it would be unconstitutional for Crimea to join Russia.
Crimea, a region whose population is mostly ethnic Russian (58.5%), has been at the centre of tensions following the fall of Ukraine’s pro-Moscow president.
Pro-Russian and Russian forces have been in de facto control of the peninsula, which already enjoys a degree of autonomy from Kiev, for several days.
The announcement from Crimea’s parliament comes as EU leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss how to respond to Russia’s troop deployment on Ukrainian soil.
The Crimean parliament resolved “to enter into the Russian Federation with the rights of a subject of the Russian Federation”.
Crimea’s parliament has voted to become part of the Russian Federation (photo Reuters)
In a statement on its website, parliament said it has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin “to start the procedure” of formally allowing Crimea to join the Russian Federation.
The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin was aware of developments in the Crimean parliament, but no response has yet been made public.
If Russia agrees to Crimea’s request, the Crimean people will be asked two questions in the March 16 referendum, the statement says.
1. Are you in favor of reuniting Crimea with Russia as a subject of the Russian Federation?
2. Are you in favor of retaining the status of Crimea as part of Ukraine?
Ukraine’s interim Economy Minister Pavlo Sheremeta, speaking in Kiev soon after the announcement was made, said: “We’re not working out what to do if Crimea joins the Russian Federation because we believe it’s unconstitutional.”
A recent Pew Research Center poll has found that 40% of American Catholics are praying more often than they did a year ago.
As Pope Francis wraps up his first year in the Vatican, analysts say the survey’s findings could be explained by what is called the “Francis Effect”.
The “Francis Effect” is the impact of a very popular pope with the common touch who isn’t afraid to shake things up.
Although Pope Francis has an average approval rating from his constituency that any US presidents would envy, it’s not fully clear how much the former Argentinian archbishop is influencing Catholic behavior.
Pope Francis has an average approval rating from his constituency that any US presidents would envy
“We’re not seeing any increase in the number of people who identify as Catholics. There is no increase in the frequency with which Catholics say they go to church. People are not going to confession or volunteering more often,” said Greg Smith, director of religion surveys for the Pew Research Center.
At the same time, pollsters did detect pockets of growing enthusiasm, especially among the most committed Catholics.
“One in four tells us they’re more excited about their faith in the last year. Four out of 10 say they’re praying more often. And one in five say they have been reading the Bible or other religious materials more often,” Greg Smith said.
Since he succeeded conservative Pope Benedict last March, Pope Francis has been heralded as a breath of fresh air: down-to-earth and focused on the downtrodden.
Pope Francis inspired the Twitter hashtag #bestpopeever — but the Pew data reveals he’s not actually the most-liked man to occupy the throne of St. Peter in modern times.
Eighty-five percent of American Catholics have a favorable opinion of Pope Francis, substantially higher than Pope Benedict’s 75% rating but still lower than the 93% that John Paul II basked in during the 1990s.
