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Nicki Minaj apologizes for using Malcolm X picture alongside racial insult

Lisa.Felice
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Nicki Minaj apologizes for using Malcolm X picture alongside racial insult

Nicki Minaj has apologized for using a famous picture of African-American minister Malcolm X on her website, alongside a racial insult.

The image of the activist holding a gun was also posted on her Instagram page, promoting her new song.

After criticism on social media, Nicki Minaj posted an apology to the estate of Malcolm X.

Known for his civil rights work with black communities in the US, Malcom X was assassinated 49 years ago this month.

“That was never the official artwork nor is this an official single. This is a conversation. Not a single,” Nicki Minaj wrote.

“I apologize to the Malcolm X estate if the meaning of the photo was misconstrued. I have nothing but respect [and] adoration for u.”

Nicki Minaj added that the artwork was in no way meant to “undermine his efforts and legacy”.

Nicki Minaj has apologized for using the famous picture of Malcolm X on her website, alongside a racial insult
Nicki Minaj has apologized for using the famous picture of Malcolm X on her website, alongside a racial insult

In a radio interview Nicki Minaj said that she wrote the song to empower women because there are too many songs that attack women.

“It was almost parallel in my opinion because he has this big gun ready to shoot,” the singer said to Hot 97’s Angie Martinez.

“I looked at it as this is one of the most memorable people in our history, in black history, who voiced his opinion no matter what, and I understand how my intent was overlooked and I definitely didn’t want to offend his family or his legacy.”

The song was made “to have fun” not “to be disrespectful”, she added.

In her online apology, Nicki Minaj, 31, expressed confusion over why people had been offended by the image.

“What seems to be the issue now?” the 31-year-old wrote.

She added: “I am in the video shooting [the song] and there happened to be an iconic photo of Malcolm X ready to do the same thing for what he believed in!”

The picture was deleted from Nicki Minaj’s Instagram account, but was still on her website on Friday morning.

The track will appear on Nicki Minaj’s next album and a compilation album featuring artists including Lil Wayne and Drake.

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Berlin Film Festival 2014: Ken Loach wins Honorary Golden Bear

Sonia Pantiss
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Berlin Film Festival 2014: Ken Loach wins Honorary Golden Bear

British director Ken Loach won an Honorary Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, recognising films such as Kes and Cathy Come Home.

Ken Loach, 77, has addressed reports that his next film will be his last, as he received a lifetime achievement prize in Germany.

“We’ll have to see,” said Ken Loach noting that filmmaking requires “a physical stamina” that tails off “when you get into the wrong end of the 70s”.

He was also celebrated with a gala screening of Raining Stones, a 1993 film about a poverty-stricken suburban family that Ken Loach said was “still relevant” and, despite the subject, “quite a cheerful film”.

Ken Loach has spent a lifetime battling to make uncompromising films, often focusing on Britain and Ireland’s overlooked underclasses.

The Oxford University graduate began his film career in what was known as “kitchen-sink” realism.

Ken Loach won an Honorary Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival
Ken Loach won an Honorary Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival

He came to prominence in 1966 with Cathy Come Home, a Jeremy Sandford television play about a family’s slide into poverty and homelessness.

Kes, released in 1969, was his first major feature film. The story of an abused teenager and his falcon, it remains one of the director’s best-known works in the UK.

Since then, he has made more than 30 films, and won the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 2006 for The Wind that Shakes the Barley, about Ireland’s struggle for independence.

It was Ken Loach’s seventh entry for the festival’s top film prize, but his first win. He previously won the jury prize in 1990 for Hidden Agenda, about a British army shoot-to-kill policy in Northern Ireland.

Ken Loach’s next film is Jimmy’s Hall, about James Gralton, the Irish communist leader who set up a dance hall in County Leitrim, which he used to disseminate his political views.

The Berlin Film Festival continues this weekend with the premiere of literary adaptation The 100 Year-Old Man who Climbed out of the Window and Disappeared; and a screening of the first two episodes of Netflix’s political drama House Of Cards.

It culminates with an awards ceremony on Sunday.

In 2013, Berlin Film Festival’s main prize was awarded to Romanian film Child’s Pose.

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Bahrain bombing kills policeman during anniversary protests

Roy Siemens
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Bahrain bombing kills policeman during anniversary protests

A Bahraini policeman has died of wounds from a bomb blast during protests marking Friday’s third anniversary of the country’s uprising.

According to the interior ministry, he was one of two officers wounded in a “terror blast” in the village of Dair.

Another three policemen were injured by an explosion near the village of Dih.

Protesters were marking the 2011 unrest fuelled by demands for more rights and an end to discrimination against the majority Shia community.

On Friday demonstrators attempted to reach the site of a bloody crackdown on demonstrators almost three years ago.

Several demonstrators were reportedly wounded by security forces. The interior ministry said in a statement that 26 people were arrested on suspicion of “rioting and vandalism”.

Police used tear gas to stop them from reaching the Pearl Roundabout, which was a focus of protests in 2011.

A Bahraini policeman has died of wounds from a bomb blast during protests marking Friday's third anniversary of the country's uprising
A Bahraini policeman has died of wounds from a bomb blast during protests marking Friday’s third anniversary of the country’s uprising

Since then, police and demonstrators have scuffled almost daily. Thousands of people have been arrested.

Associated Press quoted the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights as saying 38 protesters had been hurt in clashes since Thursday evening, with injuries caused by birdshot fire, tear gas and beatings.

The government and opposition have held two rounds of fruitless reconciliation talks, with a third expected soon.

The protesters are mostly from poorer, Shia areas in the villages outside the capital.

Protesters have repeatedly used burning tyres and other debris as a tactic to block police vehicles from entering Shia areas.

Sunni Muslims are a minority in the country but through the al-Khalifa dynasty have ruled over the Shia Muslim majority for more than 200 years.

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The Use of a Web Site to Promote Business Growth

Ricky Robinson
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The Use of a Web Site to Promote Business Growth

Currently, in the US statistics show that 80 per cent of the population have access to the internet. The potential for business growth through having a company website is positive. A web presence can attract loyal clients or customer. Most individuals use the internet for reference purposes, keeping up to date with the daily news, or browsing,which increases the probability of accessing your small business website. Your competitors may or may not have a website. The small business website is an effective marketing tool. Your website is accessible worldwide exposing your business to new business territory as the geographical limitations are eliminated as well as time constraints.

Website design- how to make a website

Consumers like well designed websites, that are logical and easy to navigate. The online store is a definite attraction which generates an income 24/7 for the owner if products or services are sold. Website can be designed cost effectively and enhances one’s professional image. E commerce websites are popular and allow one to interact with the customer maintaining dialogue and excellent customer service.

Communication

Website presentation has to be considered thoughtfully during the design process. The images one uses on the site and the clarity of the written text, including detailed information about the company will answer most consumer/clients questions. A regular blog can be added to the website informing customers about latest company and product development and news. Overall websites enable one to communicate with your target audience.

The company

Current company vacancies can be listed online, and one can develop one’s workforce through accepting applications for significant roles. One can utilize social media sites to write an introductory script about the company and include links to the main website. Online referrals of companies are read quite frequently by the public and can drive more traffic to your specialist company website. It is easier to view a company prospectus online initially or view a company’s products rather than making a visit to the business.

The role of a website designer

To create a website it is recommended to look for a website designer who can advise you about what is possible for your potential website. Website designers tend to think that a website is quite vital for the success of small businesses. Websites are informative and can improve the long-term financial prospects of a business. Many young entrepreneurs rely on innovative technology to build their businesses.

Overall importance of websites

Websites are versatile; they can be updated at anytime to provide current information. One can begin to gather useful customer information which is important leads for the future. One can email special offers for products to customers who have logged their information on the website. One can target products to a select niche of customers. Not all companies have a website. Some market their business offline or through telemarketing departments within companies. One will find a website can enhance one’s authenticity and extend one’s accessibility.

Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: Day Eight, February 15

Clyde K. Valle
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Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: Day Eight, February 15

Sochi Winter Games: Day Eight, February 15

Medals to be won today: Alpine skiing (women’s super-G), cross country skiing (women’s relay), short track speed skating (women’s 1,500m, men’s 1,000m), skeleton (men), ski jump (men’s large hill), speed skating (men’s 1,500m).

Highlights include:

10:00 Short track – women’s 1500m, men’s 1,000m.

Sochi Winter Olympics 2014
Sochi Winter Olympics 2014

12:30 Ice hockey – men’s group game, US vs. Russia.

14:45 Skeleton – men’s third and fourth heats.

17:30 Ski jump – men’s large hill.

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Drake apologizes for slamming Rolling Stone over losing cover to Philip Seymour Hoffman

Lisa.Felice
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Drake apologizes for slamming Rolling Stone over losing cover to Philip Seymour Hoffman

Drake has apologized for his rant over Rolling Stone editors’ decision to drop his picture from the magazine’s cover in favor of a Philip Seymour Hoffman tribute.

The rapper insisted he did not mean to offend the late actor’s family.

Drake hit headlines on Thursday when he took to Twitter to rant about Rolling Stone bosses’ decision to drop him as cover star for the latest issue following Philip Seymour Hoffman’s sudden death earlier this month.

Drake has apologized for his rant over Rolling Stone editors' decision to drop his picture from the magazine's cover in favor of a Philip Seymour Hoffman tribute
Drake has apologized for his rant over Rolling Stone editors’ decision to drop his picture from the magazine’s cover in favor of a Philip Seymour Hoffman tribute

The singer he was “disgusted” by the move and vowed to boycott all future magazine interviews, tweeting: “They… took my cover from me last minute and ran the issue… I’m disgusted with that. RIP to Philip Seymour Hoffman. All respect due. But the press is evil… I’m done doing interviews for magazines.”

Now, Drake has released a statement in a bid to clarify his angry comments, insisting he actually agrees with the decision to ditch his cover, saying: “[I want] to clear the air about an extremely emotional day. I completely support and agree with Rolling Stone replacing me on the cover with the legendary Philip Seymour Hoffman. He is one of the most incredible actors of our time and a man that deserves to be immortalized by this publication. My frustration stemmed from the way it was executed.”

Drake went on to add an apology for his comments: “The circumstances at hand are completely justifiable [on the magazine’s behalf], but I was not able to salvage my story or my photos and that was devastating… That made me feel violated. I apologize to anybody who took my initial comments out of context because in no way would I ever want to offend the Hoffman family or see myself as bigger than that moment… I once again apologise to everybody who took my cover comments the wrong way.”

Ukraine frees last protesters arrested during demonstrations

Diane A. Wade
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Ukraine frees last protesters arrested during demonstrations

The last of 243 Ukrainian protesters detained during almost three months of unrest have been freed, the opposition has confirmed.

But charges will not be dropped unless protesters vacate government buildings and clear a barricade in Kiev, the authorities warned.

Many of the freed detainees will remain under house arrest.

After the releases, the opposition said it would comply with some of the government’s demands.

The detainees were released under an amnesty passed last month to defuse an increasingly violent stand-off.

The last of 243 Ukrainian protesters detained during almost three months of unrest have been freed
The last of 243 Ukrainian protesters detained during almost three months of unrest have been freed

Ukraine has been gripped by demonstrations since President Viktor Yanukovych abandoned plans to sign a far-ranging association agreement with the EU in November.

Instead, he advocated closer trade relations with Russia, which dominated Ukraine for centuries until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Dmytro Poltavets was the last jailed demonstrator to be released, according to the Headquarters of National Resistance, which unites Ukraine’s three leading opposition parties.

He had been detained on 23 January on Hrushevskyy Street in central Kiev, the scene of clashes with riot police, on a charge of joining in mass disturbances.

Prosecutor-General Viktor Pshonka said that if protesters met the conditions of the amnesty by Monday, all criminal cases against the detainees would be closed within a month.

The conditions include vacating Kiev city hall and other buildings, and clearing barricades on Hrushevskyy Street.

In a statement, the opposition movement said it would partially re-open the street to traffic.

A new mass protest rally has been called for Sunday, on the capital’s Independence Square.

Ralph Waite dies at the age of 85

Sonia Pantiss
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Ralph Waite dies at the age of 85

Ralph Waite, best known for his role in the long-running TV show The Waltons, has died at the age of 85.

An ordained Presbyterian minister, social worker and former Marine, Ralph Waite turned to acting in the early 1960s, starring on Broadway opposite Faye Dunaway in Hogan’s Goat.

Small screen roles followed, working alongside the likes of Paul Newman and Jack Nicholson in films such as Cool Hand Luke and Five Easy Pieces.

But it was with The Waltons, which began in 1972, that Ralph Waite found global fame.

Ralph Waite played Depression-era homesteader John Walton in The Waltons
Ralph Waite played Depression-era homesteader John Walton in The Waltons

Ralph Waite, already in his mid-40s played Depression-era homesteader John Walton – the father of seven, living in rural Virginia, who worked hard to look after his family while imparting wisdom and authority to his homespun brood.

The show was an unexpected hit. Running for nine seasons, it prompted a series of movie spin-offs and found viewers around the world.

He once recalled a woman who told the actor she was inspired to go to college by the paternal figure of John Walton, Sr.

Ralph Waite received an Emmy nomination for his role in The Waltons, and another for his performance in the 1977 mini-series Roots, playing Slater, the first mate of a slave ship.

In 1975 he founded the Los Angeles Actors Theatre, donating $50,000 to get the company off the ground.

Ralph Waite was married three times, and is survived by two daughters from his first marriage.

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Valentine’s Day Recipe: Raspberry White Chocolate Buttercream Cupcakes

Kathryn R. Bown
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Valentine’s Day Recipe: Raspberry White Chocolate Buttercream Cupcakes

Raspberry White Chocolate Buttercream Cupcakes

 

Ingredients (2 dozen cupcakes):

1 (18.25 ounce) package vanilla cake mix

1 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

8 ounces fresh raspberries

1 tablespoon water

3 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Raspberry White Chocolate Buttercream Cupcakes
Raspberry White Chocolate Buttercream Cupcakes

1/4 cup water

2 cups white chocolate chips

1 cup butter

5 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons milk, or as needed

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).
  2. Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper liners.
  3. Mix together vanilla cake mix, 1 cup water, vegetable oil, and eggs in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until cake mix is moist. Raise mixer speed to medium and beat until batter is smooth, 2 minutes.
  4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling them about 2/3 full.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven until cupcakes are very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 23 minutes.
  6. Cool cupcakes in the pans for 5 minutes; transfer cupcakes to cooling rack to finish cooling.
  7. Place raspberries, 1 tablespoon water, and white sugar in a blender and pulse several times to chop raspberries; blend until pureed, about 30 seconds.
  8. Whisk cornstarch with 1/4 cup water until thoroughly combined; pour mixture into the raspberry mixture in the blender and blend again until smooth.
  9. Pour raspberry mixture into a saucepan and simmer over low heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Let the raspberry filling cool.
  10. Cut a core out of each cupcake about 1 1/2 inches long and 1 inch in diameter.
  11. Spoon about 2 teaspoons raspberry filling into each cupcake.
  12. Place white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second intervals until chips begin to melt, about 1 minute. Stir and repeat, heating chips about 10 seconds at a time, until thoroughly melted. Stir until chocolate is smooth and no more lumps remain.
  13. Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed in a mixing bowl until fluffy. Beat in half the confectioners’ sugar, melted white chocolate chips, and milk until mixture is smooth and creamy.
  14. Slowly beat in remaining confectioners’ sugar until smooth; if frosting is too stiff, beat in more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.
  15. Spread or pipe the white chocolate frosting over the cupcakes to cover the raspberry filling; drizzle or pipe any remaining raspberry filling over cupcakes. If using a piping bag and decorative tip to ice the cupcakes, make sure that the white chocolate is completely melted and there are no small chunks.

Rare British Guiana stamp expected to fetch $20 million at New York auction

Sonia Pantiss
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Rare British Guiana stamp expected to fetch $20 million at New York auction

An 1856 postage stamp from British Guiana is set to fetch a record $20 million when it goes on sale in New York in June, Sotheby’s auction house has said.

The one-cent Magenta, regarded by collectors as the world’s most famous rare stamp, might sell for up to $20 million (15 million euros), Sotheby’s says.

The unique stamp has set a world record each of the three times it has been sold at auction.

The current record for a single stamp sold at auction is $2.3 million.

The Swedish Treskilling Yellow was last officially sold in Zurich in 1996 for 2.88 million Swiss francs (about $2.3 million at the time).

It is believed to have set another world record in May 2010 but its buyers did not disclose how much they paid.

The one-cent Magenta, regarded by collectors as the world's most famous rare stamp, might sell for up to $20 million
The one-cent Magenta, regarded by collectors as the world’s most famous rare stamp, might sell for up to $20 million

The British Guiana one-cent Magenta is the sole surviving example of its kind and regarded as the most well-known of rare stamps.

It was last bought in 1980 by John du Pont, a chemical industry millionaire, who kept it largely out of public view, locked away in a vault.

John Du Pont was jailed for shooting dead an Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler in 1996 and died in 2010. The stamp is being sold as part of his estate.

Printed in black on magenta paper, the British Guiana stamp bears the image of a three-masted ship and the Latin motto “we give and expect in return”.

It was produced in Georgetown, British Guiana (now Guyana) after a shipment of stamps was delayed from London, threatening to disrupt the postal service. It carries a post mark, showing it has been used, and is initialed by a post-office employee.

The stamp’s first owner was a 12-year-old Scottish boy who apparently found it among family papers in 1873.

It has not been on view publicly since the 1986, when it was exhibited at the Ameripex 1986 International Stamp Show in Chicago, Sotheby’s said.

The British Guiana stamp will travel to cities including London and Hong Kong, before returning to New York where it will go on sale at auction on June 17.

Matteo Renzi set to become Italy’s prime minister

Diane A. Wade
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Matteo Renzi set to become Italy’s prime minister

Matteo Renzi is expected to be offered to become Italian prime minister, as talks begin on forming a new government.

Italy’s President Giorgio Napolitano is starting consultations following the resignation of Enrico Letta.

Enrico Letta was ousted in a vote called by Florence mayor Matteo Renzi at a meeting of their centre-left Democratic Party.

Matteo Renzi, 39, would become Italy’s youngest prime minister.

Enrico Letta was under increasing pressure over Italy’s poor economic performance.

After accepting the prime minister’s resignation, Giorgio Napolitano’s office said talks would begin with political leaders on finding a replacement.

Matteo Renzi is expected to be offered to become Italian prime minister, as talks begin on forming a new government
Matteo Renzi is expected to be offered to become Italian prime minister, as talks begin on forming a new government

The consultations would be conducted swiftly to find an “efficient solution” and they would conclude on Saturday, the statement added.

Enrico Letta’s position became untenable once the Democratic Party backed a call for a new administration.

Matteo Renzi had argued that a change of government was needed to end “uncertainty”.

A new government should take over until the end of the current parliamentary term in 2018, he said.

Matteo Renzi had accused Enrico Letta of a lack of action on improving the economic situation, with unemployment at its highest level in 40 years and the economy shrinking by 9% in seven years.

Enrico Letta, 47, was also accused of failing to implement promised reforms of what is seen as an often corrupt and wasteful bureaucracy.

Youth unemployment has risen and Italians have grown increasingly impatient of the slow pace of reform and the continuing decline of families’ income and living standards.

Enrico Letta only lasted 10 months in the post after forming a coalition government with the centre-right last year. The prime minister, who drove himself from the presidential palace after resigning, took to Twitter to thank “all those who have helped me”.

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Silk Road 2 loses $2.7 million in Bitcoins after hacking attack

Nancy Clayson
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Silk Road 2 loses $2.7 million in Bitcoins after hacking attack

Silk Road 2 says it has been hacked resulting in the loss of all its customers’ Bitcoins.

An administrator for the anonymous online marketplace said hackers had manipulated computer code enabling them to withdraw $2.7 million worth of the virtual currency.

It follows similar attacks on two exchanges that trade in Bitcoins earlier in the week.

Silk Road 2 is known for selling drugs and other illegal items.

The site is only accessible through Tor, a network that allows users to browse anonymously online. The virtual currency Bitcoin is often used in transactions as it also grants users a degree of anonymity.

The original Silk Road site was shut down by the FBI in 2013 but those behind it said they would start a new site and shortly afterwards Silk Road 2 appeared online.

In a statement posted on Silk Road 2 forums, the administrator of the site, known as Defcon, said: “We have been hacked.”

“Nobody is in danger, no information has been leaked, and server access was never obtained by the attacker.

“Our initial investigations indicate that a vendor exploited a recently discovered vulnerability in the Bitcoin protocol known as <<transaction malleability>> to repeatedly withdraw coins from our system until it was completely empty,” he said.

Silk Road 2 says it has been hacked resulting in the loss of all its customers' Bitcoins
Silk Road 2 says it has been hacked resulting in the loss of all its customers’ Bitcoins

Transaction malleability involves someone changing the cryptographic code – known as a transaction hash – used to create an ID for the exchange of funds before it is recorded in the blockchain – a database of every transaction carried out in the currency.

This method can result in the system thinking a transaction has not been carried out when it has and therefore repeatedly paying out Bitcoins.

The two exchanges hit by attacks earlier in the week, MtGox and Bitstamp, had suspended transactions to prevent it happening again.

Defcon admitted that Silk Road 2 should have done the same.

“I should have taken MtGox and Bitstamp’s lead and disabled withdrawals as soon as the malleability issue was reported. I was slow to respond and too skeptical of the possible issue at hand,” he said in the forum posting.

On CoinDesk, a news site for digital currency, Danny Bradbury an expert on Silk Road, said that Bitcoin-based sites should put “Bitcoins under management in cold storage (i.e. stored offline) so that they could not be stolen by online attackers”.

Defcon said that all its customers’ Bitcoins were being stored online because of planned relaunches of some of the site’s features.

“In retrospect this was incredibly foolish, and I take full responsibility for this decision.”

Despite Defcon denying that he had “run with the gold”, several Silk Road 2 users questioned whether the operators of the site were involved or covering for people involved.

The site said as a result of the attack it would no longer host “escrow wallets” – an account where Bitcoins are held until goods ordered are delivered.

The chief executive of the company that runs the MtGox bitcoin exchange was confronted by an angry customer at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo this week.

Kolin Buges, a bitcoin trader from London, said he had travelled to Japan as he was unhappy at MtGox’s explanation for its recent problems on the site which prevented customers from making withdrawals.

He had 250 Bitcoins, worth $155,000 in his MtGox account.

“I want to get my Bitcoin back, or get MtGox to bring back public confidence that the company is solvent and people’s money [is] safe,” Kolin Buges told the Wall Street Journal.

One Bitcoin is currently trading for around $620, significantly lower than the $830 level it was at before news of the various attacks broke.

Piers Morgan questioned by police over phone hacking at Mirror Group Newspapers

Lisa.Felice
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Piers Morgan questioned by police over phone hacking at Mirror Group Newspapers

Piers Morgan has been questioned by police over phone hacking, it has emerged.

Police confirmed a 48-year-old journalist was interviewed under caution on December 6.

The CNN host, who has not been named by Scotland Yard, was questioned as part of an investigation into alleged hacking at Mirror Group Newspapers.

Former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan, who has always denied any knowledge or involvement the practice, confirmed he attended the interview.

He was interviewed as part of Operation Golding, the investigation into allegations of phone interception at Mirror Group Newspapers, which is a strand of the wider Operation Weeting.

In a statement released through his spokeswoman, Piers Morgan said: “In early November I was asked to attend an interview by officers from Operation Weeting when I was next in the UK.

“This was further to a full witness statement I had already freely provided. I attended that interview as requested on 6 December 2013.”

Piers Morgan was questioned by police as part of an investigation into alleged hacking at Mirror Group Newspapers
Piers Morgan was questioned by police as part of an investigation into alleged hacking at Mirror Group Newspapers

Scotland Yard did not name Piers Morgan, but said: “A 48-year-old man who is a journalist was interviewed under caution on 6 December 2013 by officers from Operation Golding in connection with suspected conspiracy to intercept telephone voicemails.

“He was interviewed by appointment at a south London police station. He was not arrested.”

Piers Morgan’s interview by detectives means that six journalists from Mirror Group have been either arrested or interviewed under caution in relation to allegations of phone hacking.

Last March former Sunday Mirror editor Tina Weaver was arrested and questioned, as were former deputy editor Mark Thomas, People editor James Scott and People deputy editor Nick Buckley.

Tina Weaver’s partner, former Daily Mirror Editor Richard Wallace, was also interviewed under caution the day after the four arrests.

When contacted today Mirror Group Newspapers said it had “nothing to say at all” on the questioning of Piers Morgan.

Piers Morgan is now best known as a talk show host in both the UK and the US.

He was editor of the Daily Mirror from 1995 to 2004, when he was sacked after the newspaper conceded that photographs of British soldiers abusing an Iraqi were fake.

Piers Morgan joined the Daily Mirror from the News of the World, where he became editor in 1994 at the age of just 28.

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Eurozone’s economy grows by 0.3% in Q4 2013

Clyde K. Valle
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Eurozone’s economy grows by 0.3% in Q4 2013

Eurozone’s economy grew by 0.3% in Q4 2013, up from 0.1% growth in the previous quarter.

It was the third quarter of growth since the end of an 18-month recession, the longest period of contraction to affect the single currency area.

The eurozone figures include 17 of the EU’s economies. Latvia became the currency zone’s 18th member in January.

Across the whole 28-nation EU, including the UK, growth for October-to-December 2013 period was 0.4%.

The figures from Eurostat, the EU’s statistics office, also showed that during 2013, GDP contracted by 0.4% in the eurozone, but increased by 0.1% in the EU as a whole.

“The eurozone’s recovery has moved up a gear,” said Chris Williamson, chief economist of Markit.

“Not only has the pace of growth picked up to the fastest since the second quarter of 2011, but the recovery is also becoming more broad-based, encompassing core and so-called ‘periphery’ countries alike.”

Eurozone's economy grew by 0.3 percent in Q4 2013
Eurozone’s economy grew by 0.3 percent in Q4 2013

Earlier, French government figures indicated the country’s economy grew by 0.3% in the last three months of 2013.

The INSEE statistical office also reported that growth was zero in the third quarter of 2013, revised up from an initial estimate of a 0.1% contraction.

The figures mean that the world’s fifth-largest economy escaped falling back into recession.

Over the whole of 2013, the French economy grew by 0.3%.

The German economy also notched up higher growth in the October-to-December period.

According to the federal statistics office, Destatis, Germany’s GDP expanded by 0.4% in the final quarter of 2013, after seeing growth of 0.3% in the previous three months

Destatis said the figures were boosted by exports and capital investment, but there were “mixed signals” from domestic demand, with a drop in household spending.

According to preliminary figures, Germany’s economy grew by 1.3% in 2013, the statistics office said.

In general, the German figures were better than analysts had been expecting.

Italy’s official statistics office also issued figures showing that its economy returned to growth after a two-year recession.

Istat said GDP grew by 0.1% in the final quarter of 2013, after showing zero growth in the previous three months.

However, during 2013 as a whole, the economy shrank by 1.9%.

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Valentine’s Day Recipe: White Chocolate Cheesecake with White Chocolate Brandy Sauce

Kathryn R. Bown
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0
Valentine’s Day Recipe: White Chocolate Cheesecake with White Chocolate Brandy Sauce

White Chocolate Cheesecake with White Chocolate Brandy Sauce

 

Ingredients (10-inch cheesecake)

White Chocolate Cheesecake:

4 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 eggs, room temperature

White Chocolate Cheesecake with White Chocolate Brandy Sauce
White Chocolate Cheesecake with White Chocolate Brandy Sauce

1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

White Chocolate Brandy Sauce:

2 cups finely chopped white chocolate

1 cup heavy cream

2 fluid ounces brandy

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Wrap the outside of a 10-inch springform pan with foil. Grease the inside of the pan.
  2. Place the cream cheese, sugar, and flour in a mixing bowl and cream until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape bowl.
  3. Melt 4 ounces of the white chocolate. With an electric mixer on low speed, mix melted white chocolate into cream cheese mixture. Keeping electric mixer on low, slowly beat in the vanilla and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Blend well. Pour mixture into the prepared springform pan.
  4. Place cheesecake pan in a water bath filled with warm water. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes, or until center of the cheesecake is just firm. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Refrigerate until set before removing from pan.
  5. To make White Chocolate Brandy Sauce: place chopped white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Pour 1 cup cream into a saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Watch carefully so it doesn’t boil over. Pour hot cream over chopped white chocolate; let soften for 2 minutes. Stir with a wooden spoon until melted. Add brandy and continue stirring until incorporated. Pour over chilled cheesecake and serve.

Valentine’s Day boycotted in Shanghai cinema

Nancy Clayson
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Valentine’s Day boycotted in Shanghai cinema

A Chinese man launched an anti-Valentine’s Day campaign by buying up odd-numbered seats at a cinema in Shanghai to stop couples sitting together.

Others joined his online campaign and now there are no two seats together for the main showing of Beijing Love Story.

The man who started it all said it was just a joke and hoped couples would understand.

The campaign focused on a cinema in Shanghai’s fashionable Xintiandi district, an older part of the city full of shops, restaurants and bars.

The unnamed man started buying up odd-numbered seats at a cinema in Shanghai to stop couples sitting together
The unnamed man started buying up odd-numbered seats at a cinema in Shanghai to stop couples sitting together

It was orchestrated by a man who split up with his girlfriend last year and decided to get his revenge on couples by targeting the prime-time showing of Beijing Love Story.

He bought odd-numbered seats and, within hours, others followed his lead.

The story was picked up by a number of Chinese newspapers, which showed a graphic of the cinema’s seating plan with no room for couples to cuddle up together.

The man behind the campaign said he hoped people watching the Valentine’s Day show at the cinema on Friday might find themselves sitting next to someone they do not know, sparking new relationships.

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California bill requires warning labels on sodas and sugary-drinks

Kathryn R. Bown
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California bill requires warning labels on sodas and sugary-drinks

California Senator William Monning wants to make his state the first in the nation to require warning labels on soda and other sugary drinks.

Democratic Sen. William Monning’s bill proposed Thursday would require the warning on the front of all beverage containers with added sweeteners that have 75 or more calories in every 12 ounces.

The label would read: “STATE OF CALIFORNIA SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.”

California new bill would require the warning on the front of all beverage containers with added sweeteners that have 75 or more calories in every 12 ounces
California new bill would require the warning on the front of all beverage containers with added sweeteners that have 75 or more calories in every 12 ounces

The new bill is backed by several public health advocacy groups.

The first proposal of its kind would put California, which banned sodas and junk food from public schools in 2005, back in the vanguard of a growing national movement to curb the consumption of high-caloric beverages that medical experts say are largely to blame for an epidemic of childhood obesity.

A growing body of research has identified sugary drinks as the biggest contributors to added, empty calories in the American diet, and as a major culprit in a range of costly health problems associated with being overweight.

More than a third of all US adults and nearly 17% of children between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

State Senator Bill Monning, who sponsored the warning label bill and whose effort to push a state tax on sugary drinks died last year, said the new measure was crafted in such a way as to address criticism leveled at other measures.

CalBev, the California arm of the American Beverage Association said in a statement that it is misleading to suggest that soft drink consumption is uniquely responsible for weight gain.

“Only 4.0 percent of calories in the average American diet are derived directly from soda,” they said.

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Kelud volcano eruption kills at least two people in Indonesia

Nancy Clayson
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Kelud volcano eruption kills at least two people in Indonesia

Some 200,000 people are told to evacuate their homes in Indonesia after Kelud volcano erupts on the island of Java, with at least two people killed.

Mount Kelud spewed ash and debris over a large area, including the city of Surabaya, about 80 miles away.

Two people died after their houses collapsed under the weight of ash, officials said. Some towns were said to be covered by 1.6 in of ash.

Three major airports in Surabaya, Solo and Yogyakarta were forced to shut down because of low visibility.

There are also fears that debris could damage aircraft engines.

Some 200,000 people are told to evacuate their homes in Indonesia after Kelud volcano erupts on the island of Java
Some 200,000 people are told to evacuate their homes in Indonesia after Kelud volcano erupts on the island of Java

Andi Wirson, general manager at the Yogyakarta airport, said: “The current conditions are that volcanic ash is now covering the runway, apron and tarmac. We have already measured the thickness of the volcanic ash, which is at 5 cm on the runway and tarmac.”

Indonesia’s disaster agency on Friday said that more than 100,000 people had evacuated to temporary shelters.

Many in Indonesia are quite used to volcanic eruptions, and are reluctant to leave their homes and belongings, correspondents say.

Officials said two people died after their homes, which appeared to have weak structures, could not withstand the weight of gravel and ash, and caved in.

Some of the evacuees tried to visit their houses on Friday morning to gather clothing and valuables, but were forced to turn back by the continuous stream of volcanic ash and rocks from the volcano, AFP news agency reported.

The 5,600 ft Mount Kelud – which had been rumbling for several weeks – erupted on Thursday evening.

However, the head of Indonesia’s Volcano and Geology Agency, Hendrasto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, said the eruption was gradually subsiding.

Experts say the volcano tends to quieten down after a large eruption, and more big eruptions are unlikely.

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Georgia sheriff cancels Valentine’s Day in Oconee County

Nancy Clayson
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Georgia sheriff cancels Valentine’s Day in Oconee County

Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry has designated northern Georgia a “NO VALENTINE’S DAY ZONE” in a post on the department’s Facebook page Wednesday night.

Men are “exempt from having to run out and buy lottery scratchers and Hershey bars from the corner stores until February 18, 2014, due to ice, snow, freezing rain,” the tongue-in-cheek post said.

Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry has designated northern Georgia a NO VALENTINE'S DAY ZONE
Oconee County Sheriff Scott Berry has designated northern Georgia a NO VALENTINE’S DAY ZONE

It’s all in fun. But rescheduling the festival of lovers to Tuesday would give the ice-storm battered region time to get roads back to normal and make Valentine’s Day a safer affair.

Though it sounds like a pretty practical safety suggestion to motorists, it was more likely something else that drove Sheriff Scott Berry to the decision.

“I think he was just trying to cut the monotony,” dispatcher John Ogle told CNN.

Deputies have been practically snowed in at the office for a marathon 34-hour shift, and the sheriff wanted to give them something to smile at, John Ogle said.

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Comcast buys Time Warner Cable for $45 billion

Clyde K. Valle
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Comcast buys Time Warner Cable for $45 billion

Comcast has acquired Time Warner Cable for about $45 billion, creating a company that could control three-quarters of the US cable industry.

Comcast will pay about $159 per share for TWC in an all-stock deal.

The deal comes after Time Warner Cable rejected a $60 billion bid from Charter Communications last month, calling their offer “grossly inadequate”.

However, any merger is likely to face tight scrutiny from US regulators.

Time Warner Cable has been the subject of an eight-month takeover battle by smaller cable operator Charter Communications.

Comcast is the biggest cable television provider in the US and owns the NBC broadcast network, as well as the Universal film studio.

Comcast has acquired Time Warner Cable for about $45 billion
Comcast has acquired Time Warner Cable for about $45 billion

With 22 million of its own pay TV customers and Time Warner Cable’s 11 million, the combined entity will end up with about 30 million subscribers when the deal is complete.

Comcast argues that as it and Time Warner Cable serve different markets, their combination will not reduce competition for consumers.

Comcast operates mainly in the northeast, including its home town of Philadelphia and Boston, Washington and Chicago.

Time Warner Cable’s subscribers are centered around its New York headquarter, as well as Los Angeles, Dallas and Milwaukee.

In many of those areas, the new Comcast/Time Warner Cable group will face competition from rivals such as AT&T and Verizon.

However, Public Knowledge, a Washington-based consumer rights group, called on regulators to stop the deal.

It said the merger would give Comcast “unprecedented gatekeeper power in several important markets.”

Comcast and Time Warner Cable hope to make significant cost savings – of up to $1.5 billion in annual costs over three years, with half of that coming in the first year.

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Oscar Pistorius mourns for Reeva Steenkamp on first anniversary of day he killed her

Clyde K. Valle
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Oscar Pistorius mourns for Reeva Steenkamp on first anniversary of day he killed her

South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius, who became a murder suspect, said Friday that he is consumed by grief on the first anniversary of the day that he fatally shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in his home.

The rare statement by the double-amputee runner came ahead of the March 3 start of his trial for the killing of Reeva Steenkamp, shot in Oscar Pistorius’ bathroom in the pre-dawn hours of Valentine’s Day.

“No words can adequately capture my feelings about the devastating accident that has caused such heartache for everyone who truly loved – and continues to love Reeva,” said Oscar Pistorius, who told a court last year that he mistook Reeva Steenkamp for a dangerous nighttime intruder.

Prosecutors allege Oscar Pistorius, 27, who is out on bail, intentionally killed Reeva Steenkamp after an argument.

Oscar Pistorius said that he is consumed by grief on the first anniversary of the day that he fatally shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp
Oscar Pistorius said that he is consumed by grief on the first anniversary of the day that he fatally shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp

“The pain and sadness – especially for Reeva’s parents, family and friends consumes me with sorrow,” Oscar Pistorius said.

“The loss of Reeva and the complete trauma of that day, I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”

The statement from Oscar Pistorius was unusual because his uncle, Arnold, has normally been quoted in statements from his camp, which has sought to shield the runner from intense media and public interest in a case that transfixed many people around the world.

Reeva Steenkamp’s mother, June, plans to attend the trial in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria. No members of Reeva Steenkamp’s immediate family have attended any of Oscar Pistorius’ previous court dates.

Oscar Pistorius also faces other firearms-related charges.

Oscar Pistorius was the first double-amputee to run at the world championships and the Olympics. He faces a possible life sentence with a minimum of 25 years in prison before the chance of parole if he is convicted of premeditated murder in Reeva Steenkamp’s killing.

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Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: Track worker airlifted to hospital after being hit by bobsleigh

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: Track worker airlifted to hospital after being hit by bobsleigh

A bobsleigh hit a track worker at Sochi Winter Olympics.

The track worker has been airlifted to hospital.

The icemaker “suffered two compound fractures in the legs, but arrived conscious at the hospital”, the International Olympic Committee said.

The accident happened near the braking zone of the Sanki Sliding Center.

The track worker has been airlifted to hospital after being hit by bobsleigh
The track worker has been airlifted to hospital after being hit by bobsleigh

The man – whose name was not released – was hit by the forerunner bobsleigh used to check whether track conditions were suitable for athletes.

“It is unclear why he was in this zone or what exactly happened,” IOC President Thomas Bach told reporters.

An investigation is now under way.

The Sochi Games organizers said that a warning signal had been given before the forerunner bobsleigh was sent down the track.

Some reports suggest the icemaker – who was using a motorized air blower – may not have heard the warning announcement.

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Second wave of heavy snowfall hits Northeast

Nancy Clayson
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Second wave of heavy snowfall hits Northeast

A “catastrophic” winter storm is unleashing a second wave of heavy snowfall on the US Northeast, as hundreds of thousands of people remain without power in the states in its southern wake.

About 550,000 homes and businesses are still in the dark and almost 1,000 Friday flights are cancelled.

The ice storm has been blamed for at least 22 deaths, including that of a pregnant woman struck by a snowplough.

It is the latest miserable weather to pummel the winter-weary eastern US.

Early this month, Washington DC, Detroit, Boston, Chicago, New York and St Louis had recorded two to three times as much snow as normal by this time in the winter season.

This storm system has already dumped as much as 15in  of snow in the Washington DC region and 8in around New York City by Thursday.

Up to another foot is forecast in a second snowfall that began on Thursday evening and is expected to continue through Friday morning, with the heaviest precipitation in the US states of Connecticut and Massachusetts.

The National Weather Service predicted the weather would ease by the weekend.

“Heavy snow will continue tonight… but will begin to taper off from south to north through the morning hours on Friday,” the official forecaster said.

The snow-covered streets in the nation’s capital were largely deserted on Thursday, after the federal government closed its Washington-area offices to spare its widely dispersed workforce the trouble and danger of the drive to work.

A second wave of heavy snowfall hits the US Northeast
A second wave of heavy snowfall hits the US Northeast

On Friday, official Washington will start work two hours behind the ordinary schedule, the Office of Personnel Management said.

More than 6,500 US flights were cancelled on Thursday, according to airline-tracking website FlightAware.com. Another 1,000 on Friday’s schedule have already been grounded.

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio was criticized for keeping schools open on Thursday despite the snow piling on the ground.

The head of the city schools teachers union said it was a “mistake” to have students, parents and school staff travelling under such conditions, while a prominent meteorologist and television personality opened a public spat on Twitter with the mayor.

“It’s going to take some kid or kids getting hurt before this goofball policy gets changed,” Al Roker of NBC wrote on Twitter from Sochi, Russia, where he is covering the Winter Olympics. Al Roker has a daughter in the city schools.

Bill de Blasio responded that many parents depended on schools to watch over their children while they work – and noted the city had closed schools only 11 times for snow since 1978.

“We were convinced that kids could get to schools this morning,” he said.

The multi-day storm has been blamed for almost two dozen deaths.

In New York City on Thursday, a pregnant woman was killed after being struck by a snowplough. Her baby was delivered in critical condition via caesarean section.

The storm moved into the north-east on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, leaving in its southern wake a wreckage of snapped tree branches and power lines coated in as much as an inch of ice.

Most of the remaining power cuts are in South Carolina and Georgia, where President Barack Obama declared a disaster, opening the way for federal aid.

Forecasters said it was one of the worst storms to strike Atlanta, the largest city in the South, since 1973.

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Phil Robertson rules out Senate run in Louisiana

Sonia Pantiss
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Phil Robertson rules out Senate run in Louisiana

A poll released earlier this week suggested that Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson could be a formidable competitor against current Senator Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana).

However, Phil Robertson’s son, Alan, quickly shot down any speculation that his father would be willing to run.

“While Phil is humbled and honored that so many fellow Louisianans have confidence in him, he has no interest in running for public office,” Alan Robertson told The Hill in an email.

“He is interested in helping the electorate know more about the gospel of Christ, so they, in turn, can elect more godly men and women to serve and lead our great country.”

Phil Robertson could be a formidable competitor against current Senator Mary Landrieu
Phil Robertson could be a formidable competitor against current Senator Mary Landrieu

According to a Democratic poll from Tuesday, Republican challenger Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), lagged behind Mary Landrieu by one percentage point. In contrast, Phil Robertson beat Mary Landrieu by five points, garnering 46% of the votes to her 41%.

The poll also suggests that despite national controversy in December about anti-gay comments 67-year-old Phil Robertson for which A&E suspended him from his reality television show for over a week, have had little effect on how the Louisiana esteems the businessman.

While Bill Cassidy’s numbers were lower than Phil Robertson’s, many interpreted them as sign that the race was a dead heat.

Bill Cassidy is running against current state representative Paul Hollis and retired Air Force Colonel Rob Maness. Some have speculated that former Louisiana politician and current Family Research Council President Tony Perkins may run.

Mary Landrieu has been in office since 1997 and currently holds a 37% approval rating, a major drop from her August 2013 numbers that gave the senator a 46% approval score.

Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: Day Seven, February 14

Clyde K. Valle
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0
Sochi Winter Olympics 2014: Day Seven, February 14

Sochi Winter Games: Day Seven, February 14

Medals to be won today: Alpine skiing (men’s super combined), biathlon (women’s individual), cross country skiing (men’s classic), figure skating (men), freestyle skiing (women’s aerials), skeleton (women).

Highlights include:

06:00 Alpine skiing – men’s super combined.

Sochi Winter Olympics 2014
Sochi Winter Olympics 2014

10:00 Curling – group stage.

15:00 Figure skating – men’s free skate.

15:40 Skeleton – women’s third and fourth heats.

Also: Ice hockey group games, ski jump (men’s large hill qualifying).

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