Costa Rica is voting to choose a successor to President Laura Chinchilla.
The governing party’s Johnny Araya, a former mayor of San Jose, is expected to face strong opposition from left-wing candidate Jose Maria Villalta.
Centre-left politician Luis Guillermo Solis is also seen as a contender.
With many voters undecided, pollsters are predicting a tight race. If no candidate wins outright, there will be a run-off on 6 April.
Johnny Araya, who served as the capital’s mayor for more than 20 years, has promised to reduce poverty and attempted to distance himself from the scandal-hit government of President Laura Chinchilla.
Costa Rica is voting to choose a successor to President Laura Chinchilla
Analysts said that Jose Maria Villalta could become the first left-wing president in Costa Rican history. He was the only one of the main candidates not to attend a Sunday Mass.
“I don’t usually go to church. It would be hypocritical of me to go now, just because we are holding elections,” Jose Maria Villalta told reporters.
His opponents accuse him of being a “communist” and planning to legalize abortion.
Another leading contender, right-wing candidate Otto Guevara, promised to rebuild the “social fabric” and lower electricity prices.
Laura Chinchilla became the first female president of Costa Rica in 2010.
Correspondents say Laura Chinchilla’s successor will have to tackle not only the country’s economic woes but a deeply divided Congress.
Voters are electing both a new president and members of Congress.
Philip Seymour Hoffman has been found dead at his home in New York, police say.
The 46-year-old actor was found in his Manhattan apartment after a friend called the emergency services.
The police said the cause of death was an apparent drug overdose.
Philip Seymour Hoffmann made his name in the 1990s in films including Boogie Nights and the Big Lebowski, before winning the best actor Oscar for his 2005 portrayal of writer Truman Capote.
Throughout his career Philip Seymour Hoffman featured in independent films as well as Hollywood blockbusters such as Mission Impossible III.
Philip Seymour Hoffman has been found dead at his home in New York
Philip Seymour Hoffman’s latest role was in the Hunger Games series of films.
As well as films, the actor also starred in Broadway plays and was nominated for two Tony Awards.
Last year Philip Seymour Hoffman told celebrity news website TMZ that he had sought treatment for drug abuse.
He told the website he had used prescription drugs, and briefly heroin, before seeking help.
Philip Seymour Hoffman has over 60 film credits to his name, including Magnolia and The Master with director Paul Thomas Anderson, for which he was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar.
Philip Seymour Hoffman made his debut as a film director in 2010 with the New York-set Jack Goes Boating, in which he also starred.
Ukrainian opposition activist Dmytro Bulatov, who says he was abducted and tortured in Kiev, has left the country for medical treatment.
Dmytro Bulatov has flown to Latvia. It was reported earlier that his final destination was Lithuania.
The protest leader appeared on TV last week with a gash on his face and part of his ear cut off. He said he had been held and beaten for eight days.
Dmytro Bulatov’s case became a new rallying point for protesters, who want President Viktor Yanukovych to resign.
Thousands are currently in Maidan square, a focal point for the protesters.
Viktor Yanukovych has offered a number of concessions and his cabinet quit their jobs.
But the demonstrators, many of whom want to see closer ties with the EU rather than Russia, have not been placated.
Dmytro Bulatov was a leader of a group called Automaidan, made up mainly of drivers who would protect the protest camps and blockade streets.
Dmytro Bulatov says he was abducted and tortured in Kiev
He went missing on January 22 and re-emerged eight days later on the outskirts of Kiev.
Dmytro Bulatov told the media he had been “crucified” by his abductors, who he could not identify other than to say they had Russian accents.
Opposition politicians Western diplomats expressed outrage at the incident.
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton condemned the “deliberate targeting of organizers and participants of peaceful protests”.
On Sunday, opposition leader Vitali Klitschko said European diplomats had helped to arrange medical care outside Ukraine.
“Now everything is done in that regard to finalize everything and give him a possibility to leave abroad for further treatment,” he said.
Dmytro Bulatov left Kiev on Sunday evening on a flight to the Latvian capital Riga.
On Friday, interior ministry investigators turned up at the hospital, apparently with a court order for the detention of Dmytro Bulatov.
But protesters had already arrived and prevented the investigators from questioning him.
Officials have suggested his account of the abduction might have been fabricated.
“The only thing he has is a scratch on one of his cheeks,” Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara told broadcaster al-Jazeera.
“It looks like the alleged story that he was kidnapped and tortured is not absolutely true.”
Ukraine’s foreign ministry later said the comments did not reflect Leonid Kozhara’s “real attitude to the tragic situation”, and said the minister wished Dmytro Bulatov a speed recovery.
Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck were in agreement in their prognostications on this year’s Groundhog Day.
While Punxsutawney Phil tends to get the most attention, Staten Island Chuck stole the show as he squirmed out of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s arms.
Staten Island’s furry prognosticator, Charles G. Hogg, called for six more weeks of cold winter weather on February 2 during a ceremony at the Staten Island Zoo.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, officiating his first Groundhog Day ceremony on Staten Island, said: “This is one of the great events on Staten Island.”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at his first Groundhog Day ceremony on Staten Island
“Chuck and my predecessor didn’t always get along,” said de Bill de Blasio,
“But I’m hoping we can start a new day,” he added.
Wearing protective gloves, Bill de Blasio lost his grip on Chuck for a moment, as the famous groundhog fell to the floor, drawing gasps from the crowd.
With temperatures nearing the 40s, hundreds of folks crowded around Chuck’s log cabin to see the prediction.
Thousands of people in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, have been celebrating Groundhog Day.
Groundhog Phil is famous for predicting whether or not winter is due to end.
The rodent saw his shadow which means winter will extend well into March according to folklore. Had Phil not seen his shadow, it would have meant spring is around the corner.
Phil’s prediction may depress residents in the eastern US, weary from repeated outbreaks of arctic air.
Thousands of people in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, have been celebrating Groundhog Day
Since the Groundhog’s first prediction in 1887, Phil has seen his shadow 100 times and not seen it on just 17 occasions. There are nine missing years in the record, but Phil has issued a forecast without exception.
No one questions Phil’s dedication to prognostication, but his accuracy is an unending source of controversy.
Last Groundhog Day, Phil did not see his shadow, a supposed harbinger of an early spring. Yet, bitter cold and snow affected the eastern US deep into March.
The prosecuting attorney in Butler County, Ohio went as far as to seek the death penalty for Phil for “misrepresentation of early spring” before a Pennsylvania law firm came to Phil’s defense, claiming the Ohio attorney had no jurisdiction to prosecute the Groundhog.
The main rivals are current Vice-President Salvador Sanchez Ceren of the left-wing FMLN party and Norman Quijano of the conservative Arena alliance.
Neither is expected to win outright because a third candidate standing for a new independent party is likely to make a strong showing.
The campaign has been dominated by poverty and crime. El Salvador’s murder rate is among the highest in the world.
Correspondents say there are signs that a recent truce agreed between the two main street gangs is falling apart.
The main rivals are current Vice-President Salvador Sanchez Ceren of the left-wing FMLN party and Norman Quijano of the conservative Arena alliance
Salvador Sanchez Ceren, 69, was a rebel commander when the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) was a guerrilla group during the 1980-1992 civil war.
He has promised to tackle crime through education and social programs.
Opinion polls suggest he had a lead over Norman Quijano, who stood down from his position of mayor of San Salvador to stand for president.
Many voters are critical of the 2012 truce with gangs, and Norman Quijano has accused the administration of outgoing President Mauricio Funes of negotiating with criminals. He is advocating tougher policies against drug gangs.
The truce has led to a decrease in El Salvador’s murder rate, but gradually the number of killings is going back up.
Analysts say the vote may hinge on the popularity of the third candidate, former President Antonio Saca who is running for the new Unidad party.
The second round of voting, if needed, is to be held on March 9.
Former media tycoon Conrad Black has been stripped of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest honor.
Lord Conrad Black was also removed from the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada.
He served three years in prison in the US for fraud and obstruction of justice, and was released in 2012.
Lord Black of Crossharbour remains a member of the UK House of Lords. He was awarded the Order of Canada, which recognizes a lifetime of achievement, in 1990.
Conrad Black once controlled Hollinger International, which published the Daily Telegraph and the Chicago Sun-Times
In a statement on Friday, the Canadian government said it had accepted a recommendation by the Advisory Council for the Order of Canada to remove Conrad Black as an officer of the order.
The Queen’s Privy Council is a board of prominent Canadians appointed to advise the head of state, the Queen, although for non-ministers it is normally only honorary.
Conrad Black, who was born in Montreal and now lives in Toronto, hosts a Canadian television show.
He once controlled Hollinger International, which published the Daily Telegraph and the Chicago Sun-Times.
In 2007 Conrad Black was found guilty in the US of conspiring with other executives to siphon off millions of dollars from the sale of newspapers as they unwound Hollinger.
Some of those convictions were later overturned, and his sentence shortened to 42 months.
Conrad Black moved back to Canada following his release from a Florida prison in May 2012.
Prince George is having his first family vacation as he jetted away to the Caribbean with his mother Kate Middleton, Us Weekly reported.
Kate Middleton, 32, and 6-month-old Prince George traveled to the island of Mustique, and have also been joined by her parents Carole and Michael Middleton, brother James, and sister Pippa and her boyfriend Nico Jackson.
Prince George is having his first family vacation as he jetted away to the Caribbean with his mother Kate Middleton
Prince William joined the group last year at the same villa, but unfortunately couldn’t make it this time around as he has to continue with his Cambridge agricultural management studies.
Kate Middleton and Prince George will be heading home “[by the] end of next week,” a source told Us Weekly.
On February 11, Kate Middleton is expected to attend the National Portrait Gallery gala, her first royal engagement of 2014.
Ireland Baldwin shared a photo of herself spending time with her adorable half-sister, baby Carmen.
Ireland Baldwin spending time with her adorable half-sister, baby Carmen
“Spending my morning with chubby bunny,” Ireland Baldwin, 18, wrote alongside an Instagram picture of herself cradling the 5-month-old daughter of Hilaria and Alec Baldwin.
Jay Leno’s final Friday Tonight Show delivered its highest overnight rating in 15 months on Friday night, while Late Night With Jimmy Fallon generated its biggest metered-market household rating in nearly four years.
Jay Leno earned a 3.9 rating/9 share in the 56 metered-market households, the late-night talk show’s top results since Wednesday October 24, 2012, when President Barack Obama guested (4.0/10). It was the actually the highest Friday Tonight Show With Jay Leno rating since July 27, 2012, the night of the London Olympics Opening Ceremony (4.0/13).
Jimmy Fallon received a 2.2/7 in households on Friday, his highest rating in the markets metered by Nielsen since Friday, February 12, 2010, the night of the Vancouver Olympics Opening Ceremony (2.5/9).
Jay Leno welcomed animal expert Dave Salmoni and his lions on Friday night
Tim Allen, animal expert Dave Salmoni and musical guest Sara Bareilles were Jay Leno’s guests Friday night. As for Jimmy Fallon, he welcomed David Beckham, David Steinberg and musical guest Busta Rhymes with his house band The Roots.
Jay Leno’s final Tonight Show will air Thursday, February 6, with special guest Billy Crystal.
Billy Crystal was the very first Tonight Show guest 22 years ago when Jay Leno took over.
Jimmy Fallon’s final Late Night will be the following evening, Friday, February 7, when he will take a bow with pal Andy Samberg and the Muppets.
Jimmy Fallon takes over The Tonight Show on February 17, when his guests will be Will Smith and U2.
Seth Meyers takes over Late Night the following week, debuting with guest Amy Poehler.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara and opposition leader Vitali Klitschko have clashed face to face at this year’s Munich Security Conference.
They appeared in a discussion, during which Vitali Klitschko showed Leonid Kozhara images of injuries he said were inflicted by the police on protesters.
Leonid Kozhara suggested some of the opposition were right-wing extremists.
Ukraine has been in turmoil since November, when it scrapped an EU accord in favor of a Russian bailout.
“The Ukrainian people have shown and have proven that they are able to defend their decision on Europe despite repressive measures being taken,” Vitali Klitschko said, the Associated Press reports.
Vitali Klitschko added that the opposition felt stronger because of the support from western friends of Ukraine.
Earlier, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy had said the “future of Ukraine belongs with the EU” while US Secretary of State John Kerry had said the US backed Ukraine’s “fight for democracy”.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had accused Western countries of double standards over violent protests.
Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara and opposition leader Vitali Klitschko have clashed face to face at this year’s Munich Security Conference
After Vitali Klitschko showed Leonid Kozhara the images he said were of the effects of police brutality, Kozhara replied by accusing some of the protesters of belonging to far-right groups.
“Are you with the extremist groups who wear some logos and emblems that looks like Nazi style emblems on them?” he asked Vitali Klitschko.
“Are you with the extremists who are attacking the police with Molotov cocktails?” he added.
On the issue of whether Ukraine should orient itself more towards the EU or Russia, Leonid Kozhara also pointed out that “there are eight million ethnic Russians living in the country”.
“Do you think they are happy when European politicians say: <<You must make a strategic choice, you must take Ukraine away from Russia and put it somewhere else>>?”
The issue of Ukraine protester Dmytro Bulatov was also raised at the conference.
Dmytro Bulatov went missing for eight days and said he had been kidnapped and tortured by captors who spoke with Russian accents.
The activist is now in hospital in Kiev under guard from both police and anti-government demonstrators.
Leonid Kozhara told Al-Jazeera television: “Physically this man is in a good condition. The only thing he has is a scratch on one of his cheeks.”
He went on to say it seemed that Dmytro Bulatov’s claim to have been kidnapped and tortured was “not absolutely true”.
However, the foreign ministry later issued a statement saying his comments “do not reflect the real attitude of Minister Kozhara on this tragic situation”.
“The minister is profoundly sorry for what happened to Dmytro Bulatov and wishes him a speedy recovery.”
The Thai polling has now ended in a general election boycotted by the opposition and blighted by protests.
Anti-government activists forced some polling stations in Bangkok and the south to close but a large majority elsewhere were said to be peaceful.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra called the vote to head off weeks of mass protests aimed at forcing her to resign.
Her party is widely expected to win but legal challenges and a lack of a quorum of MPs may create a political limbo.
Yingluck Shinawatra, who won the last election in 2011, voted soon after polls opened on Sunday near her Bangkok home.
Her opponents took to the streets in November after her government tried to pass an amnesty law that would potentially have allowed her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, to return from exile.
Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister who fled during a court case in 2008, is reviled by the protesters, who say he controls the government from abroad.
Security has been heavy throughout Thailand, with vast areas under a state of emergency because of the protests.
“The situation overall is calm and we haven’t received any reports of violence this morning,” National Security Council chief Paradorn Pattanatabutr told Reuters.
Security officials said about 130,000 personnel had been deployed across Thailand on Sunday, including 12,000 in Bangkok.
Yingluck Shinawatra, who won the last election in 2011, voted soon after polls opened on Sunday near her Bangkok home
There has been little campaigning for the election and it was unclear how many Thais had turned out.
Voting in 13 of Bangkok’s 33 constituencies, and in 37 of 56 constituencies in the south was disrupted.
These are strongholds of the opposition Democrat Party, which is boycotting the election.
Some voters expressed frustration when they found their local polling stations blocked.
One high-profile politician, independent candidate and anti-corruption campaigner Chuwit Kamolvisit, brawled with anti-election activists.
“They tried to attack me while I was trying to vote,” he said.
Polling in the rural north and east, where Yingluck Shinawatra’s Pheu Thai party has overwhelming support, was largely unaffected.
“Today is an important day,” Yingluck Shinawatra said as she voted.
“I would like to invite Thai people to come out and vote to uphold democracy.”
However, disruption to candidate registration means that even if she wins, there will not be enough MPs in parliament for Yingluck Shinawatra to have full power over government policy, and by-elections will be needed.
The opposition is also likely to mount legal challenges to the election.
Yingluck Shinawatra’s party is already facing a host of challenges in the courts aiming to disband it, as has happened with pro-Thaksin parties in the past.
The Democrat Party, which is allied to the protesters, has been unable to win a majority in parliament for more than two decades.
Many of its members want the government to be replaced by an unelected “people’s council” that would oversee wide reform of the political system.
Trouble broke out in Bangkok on Saturday in a violent clash between pro- and anti-government groups.
A gun battle erupted in the Lak Si constituency as anti-government protesters blockaded a building storing ballot papers. At least seven people were wounded.
The costs of Jodi Arias’ trial have topped $2 million, a tab being footed by Arizona taxpayers that will only continue to climb with a new penalty phase set for March, officials said.
Jodi Arias, 33, was convicted of Travis Alexander murder in May, but the jury couldn’t reach a verdict on her sentence. Prosecutors are now pursuing a second penalty phase with a new jury in an effort to get the death penalty. Trial is set for March 17.
The former waitress has been held in jail in Maricopa County awaiting her fate while her legal bills continue to mount.
As of Monday, the county had paid $2,150,536.42 for Jodi Arias’ court-appointed attorneys, expert witnesses and other costs associated with her case, Maricopa County spokeswoman Cari Gerchick told The Associated Press.
Maricopa County had paid $2,150,536.42 for Jodi Arias’ court-appointed attorneys, expert witnesses and other costs associated with her case
Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery has refused to provide a tally of how much it has cost to prosecute the case, citing a court order that attorneys not discuss Jodi Arias-related matters.
Jodi Arias admitted she killed her boyfriend, Travis Alexander, in 2008 at his suburban Phoenix home but claimed it was self-defense.
Prosecutors argued it was premeditated murder carried out in a jealous rage when Travis Alexander wanted to end their affair.
The case captured headlines worldwide and became a cable television staple while every minute of the trial was broadcast live. This time around, the judge will be limiting media coverage in hopes of avoiding the same publicity. There will be no live video coverage of the second penalty phase, and electronic devices will be banned, meaning reporters won’t be able to provide real-time updates via Twitter as occurred during Jodi Arias’ first trial.
Under Arizona law, while Jodi Arias’ murder conviction stands, prosecutors have the option of putting on a second penalty phase with a new jury.
If the second panel fails to reach a unanimous decision, the death penalty will automatically be removed from consideration, and the judge will sentence Jodi Arias to spend her entire life behind bars or be eligible for release after 25 years.
Michigan State University student Dominique Nolff has died after he and another student were attacked by a gunman in their apartment near the school’s campus.
Dominique Nolff, 20, was pronounced dead at 9:23 a.m. Saturday from multiple gunshot wounds, East Lansing police say.
The second shooting victim, also 20, has been treated and released from a hospital.
Michigan State University student Dominique Nolff has died after he and another student were attacked by a gunman in their apartment near the school’s campus
Officers were called about 8:50 p.m. Friday to a report of a shooting at the Cedar Village apartment complex. Dominique Nolff and the other student were found inside one of the apartments.
Dominique Nolff was from Middleville. The other victim is a Grand Haven resident.
According to East Lansing police, the suspect being sought was believed to be in his 20s and the shooting “does not appear to be a random act”.
A Miami Beach police officer is under investigation for attempting to take a photograph of Justin Bieber while he was in custody on DUI and other charges.
Sgt. Bobby Hernandez confirmed Friday that a female officer is being investigated for possible conduct unbecoming an officer.
Punishments can range from a verbal reprimand to termination. The officer’s name wasn’t released.
A Mimi Beach officer attempted to photograph Justin Bieber while he was in a temporary holding cell
Justin Bieber, 19, was arrested January 23 during what police describe as an illegal street drag race. In addition to DUI, Justin Bieber was charged with resisting arrest and having an invalid driver’s license. The singer has pleaded not guilty.
Police say the officer attempted to photograph Justin Bieber while he was in a temporary holding cell, and a higher-ranking officer intervened to stop the attempt.
Jesse Eisenberg will play villain Lex Luthor in the upcoming Superman vs. Batman film, Warner Brothers has announced.
Jesse Eisenberg, 30, is most famous for his Oscar-nominated performance as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network.
Superman vs. Batman, which will also star Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck, is due out in 2016.
The film is being directed by Zac Snyder, who worked on the Superman reboot TheMan Of Steel.
The Man of Steel, released in 2013, took the Superman franchise back to its start.
Jesse Eisenberg will play villain Lex Luthor in the upcoming Superman vs. Batman film
The movie was a financial success, taking more than $660-million at the worldwide box office.
Henry Cavill will reprise his role as Superman, with Ben Affleck starring as Batman.
Speaking about the latest casting news, director Zac Snyder said Jesse Eisenberg allows the film to take Lex Luthor, Superman’s most famous adversary, in “some new and unexpected directions”.
Lex Luthor was previously been played by Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey.
Jeremy Irons will play Alfred, the butler to Bruce Wayne, Batman’s real identity.
Other stars on board include Laurence Fishburne (Perry White), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) and Amy Adams (Lois Lane).
Sinabung volcano has erupted on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, engulfing villages in ash and killing at least 14 people.
Mount Sinabung spewed hot gas, ash and rocks 1.5 miles into the air in a series of eruptions during the morning.
Emergency official Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said three schoolchildren and a teacher were among the dead.
Sinabung volcano has erupted on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, engulfing villages in ash and killing at least 14 people
Thousands of people were evacuated in September when Sinabung erupted after being dormant for three years. Many were allowed back to their homes on Friday.
Officials fear there may have been more casualties, but they cannot get closer because of the heat from the eruption.
Pictures taken at the scene showed rescue workers recovering bodies that were buried in ash.
When Sinabung volcano erupted in 2010, at least two people were killed and 30,000 others were displaced. Before 2010, Sinabung had not erupted in 400 years.
Most probably Italy will ask the US to extradite Amanda Knox and the decision will probably come down to Secretary of State John Kerry.
According to legal experts, it would be difficult for John Kerry to refuse the request.
Amanda Knox, who was convicted for a second time by an Italian court on Thursday in the 2007 murder of her roommate, vowed to “fight this until the very end”. And Italy would probably wait until the appeals process plays out before asking the US to expel her.
Italy and the US have an extradition treaty, and unless American authorities find clear evidence of a miscarriage of justice, legal experts say, it would be difficult for the US to say no.
Amanda Knox, 26, an American citizen, was convicted by an Italian court in 2009 in the murder of Meredith Kercher, a British student who was found dead in a pool of blood in the apartment she shared with Knox.
An appeals court in Italy threw out the conviction in 2011 after independent experts said DNA evidence had been contaminated by the police.
Amanda Knox, who had spent four years in prison, returned to the US.
Amanda Knox was convicted by an Italian court in 2009 in the murder of Meredith Kercher
The highest court in Italy later dismissed the acquittal because of “contradictions and inconsistencies”.
Then, on Thursday, an Italian court convicted Amanda Knox again and sentenced her to 28 years and six months behind bars.
Meredith Kercher’s family is pushing for Amanda Knox to be returned to Italy. Her brother, Lyle, told reporters that it would be “strange” and would set “a difficult precedent” if she were not handed over.
Marie Harf, a State Department spokeswoman, said Friday that the department has followed the case closely, but she declined to address the prospect of extradition for Amanda Knox.
“The case is still working through the Italian legal system, so we don’t want to get ahead of that process,” she said.
An extradition request would go first to the US State Department. It would review whether a treaty exists (it has since 1984), whether the crime is an extraditable offense (murder qualifies), and whether there are “any potential foreign policy problems”.
If the State Department decided that the request was proper, it would go to the Justice Department, which would check to see whether the request established probable cause that the American committed the crime – a relatively low bar to clear.
If the request cleared that hurdle, it would go to a federal judge.
If a judge failed to intervene, the extradition request would go back to the State Department and John Kerry.
Some legal analysts have said that Amanda Knox could cloak herself in the Fifth Amendment’s protection against double jeopardy, being tried again for a crime after an acquittal. However, that protection wouldn’t apply to Amanda Knox.
Because extradition requests mix law and diplomacy, there are cases in which a country looks at the facts and simply declines to turn someone over.
FaceRig is a program that lets you embody awesome characters, with total freedom of face expressions and emotions in real time, by just using a webcam.
Developed by a Romanian team, FaceRig is a Digital Alter-Ego Framework enabling anyone with a webcam to instantly embody any character they want.
FaceRig is a program that lets you embody awesome characters by just using a webcam
According to FaceRig website, the output can be streamed to Skype, Twitch or any service that uses a webcam. It can also be instantly recorded as a movie.
Developers say for now they are focusing on the portrait and the audio, but aiming to do more in the future.
A lawyer for Chris Christie’s former ally David Wildstein said the New Jersey governor knew about the closures of local lanes leading to George Washington Bridge to New York City while they were happening.
David Wildstein said he had evidence to show Chris Christie knew about the lane closures, which caused a huge traffic jam at the George Washington Bridge.
Documents suggest the traffic jam was orchestrated by Chris Christie’s aides.
Chris Christie on Friday reiterated he had “no prior knowledge” of the closures.
The scandal has damaged Chris Christie’s standing as a potential candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
In a letter to the general counsel of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which manages the George Washington Bridge and other bridges and tunnels between the two states, David Wildstein’s lawyer wrote: “Evidence exists… tying Mr. Christie to having knowledge of the lane closures, during the period when the lanes were closed.”
Alan Zegas’ letter described the lane closure as occurring under “the Christie administration’s order”, and said David Wildstein suggested Chris Christie had not spoken truthfully in a January news conference.
David Wildstein said he had evidence to show Chris Christie knew about the lane closures, which caused a huge traffic jam at the George Washington Bridge
Chris Christie said then that he had been “blindsided” by the revelations his aides were involved in the traffic jam.
“I had no knowledge or involvement in this issue, in its planning or execution,” the governor said.
The four-day September traffic jam in the streets of Fort Lee, New Jersey, which sits at the foot of the bridge, is believed to have been orchestrated by Chris Christie’s aides to punish its Democratic mayor for his refusal to endorse the governor in his 2013 re-election campaign.
The traffic jam was caused when workers closed off two local lanes from Fort Lee onto the bridge, ostensibly to conduct a traffic study.
State legislators and federal prosecutors have launched inquiries into the matter, and Chris Christie has pledged to co-operate.
David Wildstein, a high school friend of Chris Christie, was a senior political appointee on the Port Authority until he resigned in December as the probe into the traffic jam began gathering steam.
In January, Chris Christie sacked Bridget Anne Kelly, his deputy chief of staff.
“Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee,” Bridget Ann Kelly wrote on August 13 to David Wildstein, according to a copy of the email obtained by the news media in January.
“Got it,” David Wildstein replied.
David Wildstein has refused to testify in legislative inquiries into the matter, citing his constitutional protection against self-incrimination.
In a statement released by his office to the news media on Friday, Chris Christie said David Wildstein’s lawyer “confirms what the governor has said all along – he had absolutely no prior knowledge of the lane closures before they happened”.
According to the statement, Chris Christie believed only that a traffic study was under way until he read “otherwise” on the morning of January 8, when his aides’ involvement was revealed in the news media.
Maximilian Schell has passed away in an Austrian clinic at the age of 83.
The Austrian actor, who won an Oscar for his role in the 1961 film Judgment at Nuremberg, died overnight at a clinic in Innsbruck after “a sudden and serious illness”, his agent said.
Maximilian Schell had been treated for pneumonia earlier this week.
He was one of the most famous German-speaking actors to have gained international fame.
The actor’s wife was reportedly at his bedside when he died.
Maximilian Schell had been in filming in Austria when he fell ill last Saturday.
He was taken to hospital and treated for a lung infection, but discharged on Tuesday.
Born in the Austrian capital, Vienna, in 1930, Maximilian Schell was one of four children of a Swiss author and an Austrian actress.
Maximilian Schell has passed away in an Austrian clinic at the age of 83
His parents emigrated to Switzerland eight years later when Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany.
A stage actor, Maximilian Schell began his Hollywood career in the late 1950s when he starred alongside Marlon Brando in the World War Two film, The Young Lions.
In 1961, Maximilian Schell was awarded an Oscar for best actor for his role as the defense lawyer of a Nazi war criminal.
The cast also included Marlene Dietrich, Burt Lancaster and Spencer Tracy.
Over the next three decades, Maxmilian Schell appeared in numerous big US productions.
His diverse characters ranged from a museum treasure thief in Topkapi (1964), to a mad scientist in sci-fi film The Black Hole (1979), to a Russian KGB colonel in Candles in the Dark (1998).
Maximilian Schell featured in a large number of international TV productions. His part as communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin in series Stalin earned him a Golden Globe in the early 1990s.
Maximilian Schell also directed several movies, including his 1984 Oscar-nominated documentary Marlene, about Marlene Dietrich.
Justin Bieber was allowed to re-enter the US Friday after a brief detention when customs officials used drug-sniffing dogs to search his private jet.
No illegal drugs were found on the plane and no charges were brought, but Justin Bieber, 19, and his fellow passengers were questioned for several hours.
The search of the plane was undertaken after US customs officials believed they smelled marijuana on some of Justin Bieber’s entourage.
It was not immediately clear who or how many other passengers were on the plane that touched down at New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport.
A Port Authority spokesman said his agency was notified at 8:20 p.m. that Justin Bieber had been released from US Customs, and had no further comment.
Justin Bieber was allowed to re-enter the US Friday after a brief detention when customs officials used drug-sniffing dogs to search his private jet
Earlier Friday, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office charged a friend of Justin Bieber’s with drug possession in connection with a raid last month on Justin Bieber’s home in Calabasas, California, about 30 miles northeast of Los Angeles.
Xavier Smith, 20, better known as rapper Lil Za, was charged with possession of MDMA and oxycodone and vandalizing the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s jail where he was held, said Ricardo Santiago, a spokesman for the district attorney.
Justin Bieber was arrested last week in Miami Beach on charges of driving under the influence, resisting arrest and driving with an expired license. He was also charged on Wednesday with assaulting a limousine driver in Toronto.
The ongoing debate over the future of Ukraine has exposed a deep rift between the opposing visions of the EU, US and Russia at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said the “future of Ukraine belongs with the EU” while US Secretary of State John Kerry said the US backed Ukraine’s “fight for democracy”.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused those defending violent protests of double standards.
Ukraine has been in turmoil since November, when it scrapped an EU accord in favor of a Russian bailout.
The security conference is an annual event held to discuss military and political affairs.
Herman Van Rompuy’s opening speech referred to the EU’s offer of close association with Ukraine.
“The offer is still there and we know time is on our side. The future of Ukraine belongs with the European Union,” he said.
John Kerry launched a broad attack on “a disturbing trend in too many parts of Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans”.
He said: “The aspirations of citizens are once again being trampled beneath corrupt, oligarchic interests – interests that use money to stifle political opposition and dissent, to buy politicians and media outlets, and to weaken judicial independence.”
John Kerry added: “Nowhere is the fight for a democratic, European future more important today than in Ukraine. The United States and EU stand with the people of Ukraine in that fight.”
The secretary of state said the “vast majority of Ukrainians want to live freely in a safe and prosperous country – they are fighting for the right to associate with partners who will help them realize their aspirations”.
In an apparent swipe at Moscow, John Kerry added that “their futures do not have to lie with one country alone, and certainly not coerced”.
Sergei Lavrov said that a “choice is being imposed [on Ukraine] and Russia is not going to be engaged in this”.
He asked: “What does incitement of violent street protests have to do with the promotion of democracy? Why do we not hear condemnation of those who seize government buildings and attack police and use racist, anti-Semitic and Nazi slogans?”
Secretary of State John Kerry had harsh words for corruption in Eastern Europe and the Balkans at Munich Security Conference
Sergei Lavrov said: “Why are many prominent European politicians actually encouraging such actions, although back home they are quick to severely punish any violations of the law?”
Interfax also quoted Sergei Lavrov as saying: “When John Kerry… says that Ukraine should choose who it is with – with the whole world or with one country, Kerry – with his experience, good sense – is the last person I would expect such propaganda from.”
On Saturday John Kerry is scheduled to meet Ukraine opposition leaders said to include Arseniy Yatsenyuk, boxer-turned-politician Vitaly Klitschko, legislator Petro Poroshenko and pop star Ruslana Lyzhychko.
The White House has confirmed it is discussing possible sanctions against Ukraine with the US Congress.
It was unclear whether John Kerry will meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara, who is at the summit.
Before arriving in Munich, John Kerry said that concessions from President Viktor Yanukovych had “not yet reached an adequate level of reform”.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who heads the Batkivshchyna party, recently refused an offer from President Viktor Yanukovych to become PM, one of the concessions.
President Viktor Yanukovych, who is currently on sick leave, has also tried to ease the crisis by repealing anti-protest laws, signing an amnesty for protesters and accepting the resignation of his cabinet.
However, opposition leaders are calling for his resignation and early elections.
One key issue for John Kerry and the opposition leaders will be the issue of Ukraine protester Dmytro Bulatov.
Activist Dmytro Bulatov went missing for eight days and said he had been kidnapped and tortured by captors who spoke with Russian accents.
He is now in hospital in Kiev under guard from both police and anti-government demonstrators.
Both White House spokesman Jay Carney and EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said they were “appalled” by the apparent signs of torture.
US ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt went to the hospital on Saturday to try to meet Dmytro Bulatov.
Ukraine’s interior ministry says it wants to interrogate Dmytro Bulatov on suspicion of organizing mass unrest, and to examine his account of torture.
