Judge Mahmoud el-Rachidi has ordered a media blackout during the next phase of the retrial of Egypt’s former leader Hosni Mubarak.
Judge Mahmoud el-Rachidi said the sessions, to be held on October 19-21, would involve national security issues.
Hosni Mubarak, 85, appeared in court on charges of complicity in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising.
Defense lawyers are seeking to blame Islamists from the Muslim Brotherhood and foreign forces for the deaths of about 850 people killed in the unrest.
Hosni Mubarak was jailed for life in June last year for contributing to the killings.
Hosni Mubarak appeared in court on charges of complicity in the killing of protesters during the 2011 uprising
But he appealed against his sentence and a retrial was ordered.
Hosni Mubarak is on trial along with his two sons, the former interior minister, and six security chiefs.
Certain parts of his original trial were also held behind closed doors.
Judge Mahmoud el-Rachidi had promised more transparency with the retrial.
However, the judge said on Saturday that all journalists would be barred from the next hearings and forbidden from quoting lawyers.
“This decision does not go against my previous promise to the media, because I had announced from the start that the people will know about everything, except for proceedings of hearings, in order for us to allow the witness to testify,” he said.
The interior minister’s lawyer said the people called to testify had information on who killed the protesters, and “which foreign factions joined forces with the Muslim Brotherhood in the events of the 28 January [2011] to cause chaos and the killing of protesters”.
Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate Mohamed Morsi won Egypt’s first free election last year, but was eventually overthrown by the military after widespread protests.
Hosni Mubarak was freed from custody shortly after the overthrow, and placed under house arrest.
During Hosni Mubarak’s 29-year rule the Muslim Brotherhood was outlawed.
Morrissey has halted plans to release his autobiography, three days before it was due to be published.
The memoirs were set to give details about the 54-year-old former Smiths frontman’s life growing up in Manchester and his relationship with former songwriting partner Johnny Marr.
A statement on his fan website said there had been a “last minute content disagreement” with its publisher.
A Penguin Books spokeswoman said there would be no comment on the issue.
Morrissey has halted plans to release his autobiography, three days before it was due to be published
“Although Morrissey’s autobiography was set to be available throughout the UK on September 16th, a last-minute content disagreement between Penguin Books and Morrissey has caused the venture to collapse,” the statement said.
“No review copies were printed and Morrissey is now in search of a new publisher.”
It is the latest setback for Morrissey, who suffered a series of what he referred to as “medical mishaps” which led to him cancelling his US tour earlier this year.
Morrissey was also forced to cancel part of his South American tour in July due, he said, to a “lack of funding”.
Justin Bieber posted a photo of his very own copy of the Batman Vs. Superman script.
Justin Bieber, a huge Batman fan, received a customized Bat bike as his 19th birthday present from his father.
In the Instagram snap posted on Friday, Justin Bieber is holding up the personalized script, printed with “Bieber” across the front.
Justin Bieber posted a photo of his very own copy of the Batman Vs. Superman script
A fan of taking photos of himself, Justin Bieber also made sure to capture his reflection in the mirror as he used his smartphone to take the shot.
With a caption of “#robin??”, Justin Bieber left fans wondering whether he may be auditioning for the upcoming role in Henry Cavill’s sequel to Man Of Steel.
Batman Vs. Superman is currently in the works, with Ben Affleck taking on the powerful role of the Dark Knight himself.
Yet, Justin Bieber could have just been playing a trick on his social media followers.
Because earlier in the day, the pop star was seen arriving at the studio to film Funny Or Die with Lil Za and Lil Twist.
“Off to do something funny or…die :),” he tweeted.
Fans will just have to wait to find out the truth behind Justin Bieber’s mystery script.
Khloe Kardashian’s husband Lamar Odom has been formally charged with DUI two weeks after he was pulled over and arrested.
Los Angeles City Attorney’s office charged Lamar Odom, 33, with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence.
Prosecutors have not revealed specific details of what Lamar Odom was under the influence of.
Lamar Odom will face court later this month with his arraignment scheduled for September 27.
The charges stem from Lamar Odom’s August 30 arrest.
Lamar Odom has been formally charged with DUI two weeks after he was pulled over and arrested
Officers from the Californian Highway Patrol pulled over the former LA Lakers star’s Mercedes-Benz on the 101 freeway in the San Fernando Valley, California, at 4 a.m.
Officers claim Lamar Odom was driving well below the speed limit and in a “serpentine manner”.
Lamar Odom reportedly initially refused a field sobriety test, then failed it and was held at Van Nuys police station before being released later that day on $15,000 bail.
California Highway Patrol public information officer Leland Tang, told Radaronline at the time that the basketball player also refused a drug test which resulted in the immediate suspension of his license.
The officer said: “He did what no one should ever do, he refused the chemical tests.
“That means that his license is revoked and Lamar could get the most powerful attorney in the world and he is still not going to have a license for a year.”
Lamar Odom is now facing six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted.
For the last month there has been increased speculation that Lamar Odom has abused drugs and the basketball pro is allegedly battling an addiction to crack cocaine.
A source has alleged that Lamar Odom entered an outpatient program this week to seek treatment but went on to claim that he missed a session on Tuesday.
There have also been allegations that Lamar Odom had cheated on Khloe Kardashian with multiple women.
Ellen DeGeneres unveiled a new invention on her show as part of the Ellen Shop Outcasts bit, in which she presents ludicrous – and often failed – products.
Her grand creation was the Auto-Twerk, which aims to revolutionize twerking for the non-coordinated masses.
“Not everyone knows how to twerk properly, so I – I’m always thinking of you,” Ellen DeGeneres told the audience as she introduced the product.
Ellen DeGeneres unveiled Auto-Twerk, which aims to revolutionize twerking for the non-coordinated masses
She then grabbed a plastic cutout of posterior that was attached to a belt.
Ellen DeGeneres carefully buckled the belt around her waist and grabbed what appeared to be a small remote.
With the press of a button, the plastic product began waving up and down.
The crowd naturally cackled with belly laughs as Ellen DeGeneres bounced her hips back and forth.
“I’m telling you, I get free drinks all night with this thing on,” she cracked.
Ellen DeGeneres also had a weight-lifting competition with Hugh Jackman on the show, and it appeared at first that the buff Aussie would beat her handily.
She has tricks up her sleeve, and easily upstaged Hugh Jackman, much to his amusement.
It looks like Ellen DeGeneres just can’t help but think of clever ways to show off – and thankfully for her, the audience can’t help but laugh.
Cassidy Hooper, who was born with no eyes or nose, is just days away from a surgery that will give her a nose.
Cassidy Hooper, 17, of Charlotte, North Carolina, will have an operation that will graft bone or cartilage from another part of her body before stretching skin over the area to create a nose. The final surgery is scheduled for September 18.
The teenage has already gone through two other surgeries this summer that prepared her for the final step, after which she will finally have a nose.
Cassidy Hooper told ABC News she is excited that she will soon be able to breathe and smell through her nose.
“I’ll have a real nose like everyone else’s,” Cassidy Hooper said.
Her father couldn’t be happier.
“It’s been a long process, but the day has finally come,” her father, J. Aaron Cassidy, 48, told ABC.
“Cassidy is certainly excited for this day to be here.”
Cassidy Hooper has had numerous procedures performed since she turned 11-yeard-old, but the courageous girl has kept a positive spirit throughout.
“Things always may be hard,” she told ABC.
“But here’s what I think: I don’t need easy, I just need possible.”
An operation in June moved Cassidy Hooper’s eyes closer together while taking a section of her forehead bone, folding it down and also pulling enough skin downwards to create enough necessary for the bone to be implanted and create a nose at the end of the month.
Her prosthetic eyes, which she’s had since birth, need to be replaced, but they will not happen right away, her mother told ABC.
“Insurance didn’t pay one cent,” Cassidy Hooper’s mother lamented.
Cassidy Hooper, who was born with no eyes or nose, is just days away from a surgery that will give her a nose
“We had already started the process to do her nose, moving her eyes closer together and having her skull reshaped. We were not going to pay for it then have to pay again.”
The prosthetic eyes cost $10,000 per pair, according to ABC.
Cassidy Hooper and her family spoke to a local television station earlier this summer.
Telling WBTV that the surgery has left her in some pain, Cassidy Hooper said that she was looking forward to her years of surgery coming to an end.
“I was actually thinking of what the reaction of everyone would be when that last surgery finished,” she said.
“And I think everyone’s going to be so excited.”
Friends of the Hooper family have recently established a website to help with Cassidy’s mounting medical bills.
Susan Hooper says insurance covers 80% of what’s “reasonable and customary”. The other 20% is left to the Hooper family. To get more information or help, go to www.CassidyHooper.org.
And the good news has left the energetic teen ecstatic because for the first time she will be able to smell and breathe through her own nose.
When Cassidy Hooper was born, her condition left doctors baffled, especially since had no other medical problems and leads a healthy life.
“Her heart and brain are normal,” said her mother, kindergarten teacher, Susan Hooper to ABC News.
“Nothing else is going on with her.”
Cassidy Hooper has been going through skin graft surgeries to adapt her face since she was 11 years old and is pleased to be entering the final straight.
“I’ll have a real nose like everyone else’s,” said Cassidy Hooper of her July surgery.
Her surgeon, Dr. David Matthews has worked for the past five years expanding her face to create a bony opening.
Experts who spoke to ABC News explained how the surgery to replace Cassidy Hooper’s nose will be completed.
“The nose is a little like the ear – what you see isn’t functional,” said Dr. Sherard A. Tatum III, director of facial and reconstructive surgery at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y.
“A lot of people have noses they lost to trauma and cancer and breathe fine and have a sense of smell. The nose is something we expect to see in its conventional place and it’s good to put glasses on, but it’s not 100 percent necessary.”
“The soft tissues that make up the inside and the outside skin and mucus membrane don’t have a lot of strength to stick out of the face like the nose does. You can’t just slap some skin up there and make it look like a nose.”
Cassidy Hooper’s doctors have taken a layered approach – placing the inside membrane first, then using cartilage and bone from her skull create a nose structure and then cover it with skin.
The hardest part for Cassidy Hooper has been overcoming the social difficulties.
Cassidy Hooper has been attending Governor Morehead School, a specialist school for the blind since the fifth grade and deals with taunts from children well.
“Honestly, there’s been a bit of teasing, but not more than any other child on a regular day,” said her mother.
Russia and the US have agreed in Geneva that Syria’s chemical weapons must be destroyed or removed by mid-2014.
US Secretary of State John Kerry outlined a six-point framework under which Syria must hand over a full list of its stockpile within a week.
If Syria fails to comply, the deal could be enforced by a UN resolution backed by the threat of sanctions or military force.
The US says the Syrian regime killed hundreds in a gas attack last month.
Russia and the US have agreed in Geneva that Syria’s chemical weapons must be destroyed or removed by mid-2014
The government of Bashar al-Assad denies the allegations and has accused the rebels of carrying out the attack.
In a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, John Kerry called on the Assad government to live up to its public commitments.
“There can be no room for games. Or anything less than full compliance by the Assad regime,” he said.
John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov said if Syria failed to comply, then a UN resolution would be sought under Chapter VII of the UN charter, which allows for the use of force.
The US Secretary of State said inspectors must be on the ground by November, and that the stockpiles should be removed or destroyed by mid-2014.
More than 100,000 people have died since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began in 2011. Millions of Syrians have been displaced.
A recently discovered virus has killed multiple dogs in Ohio.
Widely reported as being the result of infections of a rare canine virus – Canine Circovirus – contracted during kennel stays, the summer dog deaths have shocked the state and have left many weary of boarding their pets away from home.
Reports across the US have cited Canine Circovirus, a rare and only recently discovered bug that can kill dogs in isolated cases.
According to reports, four dogs have died of symptoms resembling those found in pets infected with circovirus – bloody diarrhea and vomiting. Other symptoms of the virus include hemorrhaging, lethargy, vasculitis and weight loss, according to the state.
Three of the deceased dogs stayed at the same kennel in Cincinnati in August, with another dog dead of similar symptoms discovered recently near Akron, reports said. Not all dogs with those symptoms have died, according.
Samples from all four dead dogs have been sent to a California lab for further testing, but authorities are no closer to determining the exact cause of the dogs’ deaths than they were when the announcement was made.
A recently discovered virus has killed multiple dogs in Ohio
Officials are more concerned with eliminating possibilities than they are blaming a recently-discovered virus and causing a panic.
No other dogs have died of similar symptoms since the DOH announcement was made last week.
Canine Circovirus, discovered earlier this year, is closely related to a similar virus that kills pigs, according to the Centers for Disease Control. It is not thought to be specific to any one breed, but scientists know very little about it at this time.
Akron veterinarian Melanie Butera told the Columbus Dispatch that she had treated many dogs with similar symptoms, but they had survived.
An unidentified doggie day care in the Cincinnati area has closed as a result of the outbreak and a nearby dog park has been closed until further notice to protect vulnerable pooches, according to WEWS.
This despite health officials saying they aren’t sure how the circovirus is spread, but that they believe the window for transmission among dogs is very small.
“The circovirus is not shed in the stool of sick dogs for more than a few days,” Melanie Butera told the Akron Beacon Journalhealth officials cautioned her.
She added: “This makes it less likely to be transmitted dog to dog unless the dog is in contact with a sick one at that time. Sick dogs are unlikely to be at the dog park.”
For now, authorities are asking that people keep a close eye on their pets and that if they notice anything unusual to bring it to the attention of a vet.
Ohio television station WDTN-TV in Dayton has issued an apology to CBS reality show host Julie Chen after she revealed that she had undergone surgery to look “less Asian” in response to remarks from her then-news director.
Julie Chen, 43, best known as the presenter of the Big Brother show, made the admission on The Talk Wednesday, describing how as a young reporter, she was told by her supervisor at WDTN-TV that she would never be an anchor because she looked too Chinese.
The same sentiment was echoed some time later by a talent agent, who told Julie Chen that her eyes were too small and inexpressive.
Julie Chen’s revelations sparked an outcry online, prompting the management of WDTN to release a statement apologizing to the TV personality for the comments made by a news director at the station nearly two decades earlier.
WDTN-TV in Dayton has issued an apology to Julie Chen after she revealed that she had undergone surgery to look less Asian
“We are sorry to hear about what happened to CBS’ Julie Chen in 1995 when she was a reporter at WDTN-TV,” Joe Abouzeid, the station’s president and general manager, stated.
“The station was under different management and ownership during that time. At WDTN and WBDT, we don’t tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind.”
During Julie Chen’s tenure at WDTN, the station was owned by the Hearst Corporation, according to Dayton Daily News,but has since been sold to LIN Media.
On Friday, The Talk co-host spoke toUs Magazine about her bombshell revelation, saying through her publicist that she was both relieved to get the secret off her chest, but also concerned about a possible backlash.
“I felt vulnerable and nervous that the haters who hide behind their computers on the Internet would come out and say mean things,” Julie Chen said in a statement.
“And some did. That was expected.”
Julie Chen went on to say, however, that she was pleasantly surprised when her Twitter and email accounts were flooded with messages of support from viewers, many of them not Asian, who said they empathized with her experience.
The veteran journalist also got positive feedback from her parents, who had no idea she was going to make the confession on national TV until the episode aired Wednesday.
“I was overwhelmed with love and relief when she [Julie Chen’s mother] sent me an email right after it aired, saying she and my father could not be more proud of me,” Julie Chen’s statement said.
Friends of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, Robel Phillipos, Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov, pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges that they hindered the investigation into the deadly attack.
Authorities allege that the friends went to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s dorm room at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth three days after the bombings, soon after the FBI released photographs of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his older brother.
Robel Phillipos, Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov are accused in an indictment of removing several items from the room, including Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s laptop computer and a backpack containing fireworks.
Robel Phillipos, 19, of Cambridge, was indicted last month on two counts of lying to authorities while he was being questioned.
His lawyers declined to comment after the brief arraignment in U.S. District Court but said in a statement that Robel Phillipos “had nothing to do whatsoever with the Boston Marathon bombing or destroying any evidence”.
“In the end, it will be clear that this prosecution should never have been brought in the first place,” Derege Demissie and Susan Church said in the statement.
Authorities allege that 20-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan, 26, ethnic Chechens from Russia, planned and carried out twin bombings near the finish of the marathon on April 15.
Authorities allege that the friends went to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s dorm room at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth three days after Boston Marathon bombings
Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a gun battle with police as authorities closed in on the brothers several days after the bombings.
Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov, both Kazakhstan nationals, are charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
All four men attended the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.
Robert Stahl, an attorney for Dias Kadyrbayev, said his client was “shocked and horrified” by the bombings and had “no intent” to obstruct justice.
“I’m saying he didn’t dispose of evidence, didn’t understand it was evidence, and the rest will come out at trial,” Roberts Stahl said after the arraignment.
More than two dozen family members and friends attended the hearing to support Robel Phillipos. During an argument for bail in May, his lawyer portrayed him as a frightened and confused young man who was subjected to intense interrogation.
Azamat Tazhayakov’s parents and sister were in court during the brief arraignment. A translator said the family traveled from Kazakhstan in April and plan to remain in the U.S. until the case is resolved.
His attorney, Nicholas Wooldridge, said the government “rushed into things” by charging his client.
“This is a witch hunt,” Nicholas Wooldridge said after his arraignment.
All three men are due back in court on October 29.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Capin said he expects to call about 20 witnesses during a two-week trial. No date has been set yet for it.
Kanye West has been charged with battery and attempted theft over a fight with photographer Daniel Ramos at Los Angeles Airport in July.
Paparazzo Daniel Ramos sued Kanye West after the singer apparently punched him and threw his camera to the ground.
Lawyers for Kanye West said he had only been trying to prevent the photographer from taking his picture.
If found guilty, Kanye West faces a maximum penalty of six months in prison.
Kanye West has been charged with battery and attempted theft over a fight with photographer Daniel Ramos at Los Angeles Airport in July
Prosecutors refused to press more serious felony charges because the alleged victim sustained only minor injuries.
The altercation took place on July 19 when several paparazzi, including Daniel Ramos, were waiting for the rapper’s arrival at the airport.
A video posted on celebrity news website TMZ purported to show Kanye West appearing visibly irritated by the photographers’ presence.
He is then said to have lunged at Daniel Ramos and tried to seize his equipment.
“When Kanye West attacked me, I was in complete shock,” Daniel Ramos told reporters.
“All I had done was ask him a question. I was terrified when Kanye started to come at me. I backed up because I felt from the look in his eyes that he was going to attack me.”
Daniel Ramos added that he had been forced to use crutches and a cane after the incident.
Kanye West’s arraignment has been set for October 10.
United Airlines has decided to honor airline tickets sold for as little as $0 because of a computer error.
United Airlines, one of the largest in the US, said it was unsure how many steeply discounted tickets it had issued.
It temporarily shut down its website and ceased taking telephone orders after discovering the error.
United Airlines has decided to honor airline tickets sold for as little as $0 because of a computer error
The tickets were sold on Thursday through its online booking system. Passengers must still pay US security fees of about $5 – $10.
“We’ve reviewed the error that occurred yesterday and based on these specific circumstances, we will honor the tickets,” the airline wrote in a tweet.
US travelers snatched up tickets for destinations as far afield as Hawaii.
Bob Stokas of Oak Lawn, a suburb of Chicago, told a local NBC affiliate he had been shopping for a return fare to Los Angeles, expecting to pay as much as $800.
“When I scrolled down past the non-stop fares, when I got to the connecting flights, the flights to and from Los Angeles per person was $10,” he told the broadcaster.
“That was a shock and a surprise, and I was like, <<I’ve got to book this flight right now before they rescind their offer of $10 for this flight>>.”
Charlotte Crosby won this year’s Celebrity Big Brother, but the world found out 30 minutes before the official announcement.
During the break between the first and second half of the Live Final on Friday night, the front page of the Daily Star was shared on Twitter, which read: “Charlotte wins Celebrity Big Brother.”
A BBC journalist and Sky News shared the front page via their Twitter account, which was met by confused replies from fans of the show.
One Twitter user wrote: “It’s pre-recorded wtaf #CBB”
Another asked: “How do the papers know Charlotte wins cbb? It’s not on for 30 min !?????”
Charlotte Crosby won this year’s Celebrity Big Brother, but the world found out 30 minutes before the official announcement
They were responding to the tabloid front page shared by Nick Sutton, editor of the BBC Radio Four show The World At One; but the journalist was unaware of any embargo when questioned: “No mention of an embargo. Sent to many people.”
Author Emma Kennedy found it amusing that the Daily Star – which is owned by the same company as Channel 5 which broadcasts the show – could make such a faux pas.
“Utterly hilarious that the Daily Star has announced winner of CBB before its been broadcast.”
A spokesperson from Celebrity Big Brother said: “While the first part of the live final was recorded live, the second half was pre-recorded because of the weather and because of programme scheduling.”
The first episode of Celebrity Super Spa aired at 10 p.m., directly after the first part of the the CBB Final. During the hour break, the channel recorded Charlotte Crosby’s win and exit from the house as well as the following interviews of the Geordie Shore star and runner-up Abz Love with host Emma Willis.
This was then ready to air at 11 p.m., but an apparent miscommunication between Channel 5 and The Daily Star led to the winner being revealed half an hour before it was meant to be aired.
While the Live Final was pre-recorded, the phone lines had been closed at 10 p.m.
Riot police have clashed with striking teachers during an operation to clear an occupied Mexico City square.
The police used tear gas and water cannons to remove the protesters from the city’s main square, the Zocalo.
Striking teachers had been camped out there for weeks. Some responded with petrol bombs as police moved in after a government deadline passed.
The teachers have been demanding changes to education reforms approved by President Enrique Pena Nieto.
The authorities said they wanted to clear the Zocalo for the Independence Day celebrations at the weekend.
Riot police have clashed with striking teachers during an operation to clear occupied Mexico City’s Zocalo Square
Most of the protesters left peacefully by Friday’s deadline. But some stayed on, and police backed by armored vehicles and helicopters clashed with missile-throwing protesters on the square and in nearby streets.
Officers tore down the teachers’ temporary shelters and put out small fires started by the demonstrators and made a number of arrests.
Some of the demonstrators were thought to be radical anti-government activists who were not necessarily associated with the teachers union.
The educations reforms introduced by the government include performance-related tests for teachers.
Critics accuse Mexico’s teachers’ unions of being corrupt and having too much control over job allocation.
Last week, thousands of its members protested outside the Senate in an attempt to disrupt the passing of the bill, which had already been approved by the Chamber of Deputies.
The government has argued that union control over teaching jobs has contributed to corruption, which has seen poorly trained teachers promoted over more qualified colleagues.
Japan has launched Epsilon, the first in a new generation of space rockets, hoping the design will make missions more affordable.
The Epsilon rocket is about half the size of Japan’s previous generation of space vehicles, and uses artificial intelligence to perform safety checks.
Japan’s space agency JAXA says the Epsilon cost $37 million to develop, half the cost of its predecessor.
Epsilon launched from south-western Japan in the early afternoon.
Epsilon rocket is about half the size of Japan’s previous generation of space vehicles, and uses artificial intelligence to perform safety checks
Crowds of Japanese gathered to watch the launch, which was also broadcast on the internet.
It was carrying a telescope that is being billed by JAXA as the world’s first space telescope that will remotely observe planets including Venus, Mars and Jupiter from its Earth orbit.
JAXA said the rocket successfully released the Sprint-A telescope as scheduled, about 620 miles above the Earth’s surface.
Epsilon’s predecessor, the M-5, was retired in 2006 because of spiraling costs.
JAXA said the Epsilon was not only cheaper to produce, but also cheaper to launch than the M-5.
Because of its artificial intelligence, the new rocket needs only eight people at the launch site, compared with 150 people for earlier launches.
Japan’s other recent space innovations included sending a talking robot to the International Space Station (ISS).
Microsoft has launched a US marketing offer for people to exchange “gently used” iPads for its products such as Surface tablets.
Microsoft is offering at least a $200 token to go towards products such as the Surface RT and the Surface Pro.
The company is far behind Apple in terms of global tablet sales and market share.
One US-based analyst expressed doubts that many people would swap their iPad for a Microsoft product.
“Do I think that many people will take [Microsoft] up on this offer? In a word, no,” said Gartner mobile device analyst Van Baker.
Microsoft has launched a US marketing offer for people to exchange “gently used” iPads for its products such as Surface tablets
“The app ecosystem is the problem for Microsoft and this offer doesn’t fix that problem.”
There was a far greater range of mobile apps available for iPads than for Windows devices, giving Apple a competitive edge, said Van Baker.
Microsoft has been engaged in an aggressive US marketing campaign to try to tempt Apple iPad users to buy Windows-based tablets.
In May, Microsoft launched an iPad v Windows comparison website, coupled with head-to-head advertising campaigns.
Microsoft has experienced problems trying to sell Surface devices.
In the first quarter of this year, Apple shipped 19.5 million iPads, compared with 900,000 Microsoft tablets.
In the second quarter, Microsoft shipped only 300,000 Surface devices, technology publication CiteWorld said.
Although Microsoft announced a revenue of $853 million on Surface sales in its latest financial regulatory filing, the company took a $900 million loss after failing to shift Surface RT devices.
Microsoft’s $200 gift certificate offer is valid in its bricks and mortar stores. A Surface RT tablet costs $349, and a Surface Pro retails at $799.
Duck Dynasty’s Sadie Robertsonrecently weighed in on Miley Cyrus’s VMAs performance.
“My family has been praying for her [Miley Cyrus’s] family,” Sadie Robertson, 16, told FOX411.
“We feel very bad for her because we know how entertainment can get wrapped up in your head. We try to stay strong as a family. We just pray that their family comes back together.”
“I would never twerk in public,” the teenage added.
Duck Dynasty’s Sadie Robertson recently weighed in on Miley Cyrus’s VMAs performance
“It is not modest to me but for the girls out there that do, it’s their decision.”
Sadie Robertson’s father, Willie, added that raising kids in the public eye can be a challenge.
“It’s tough,” the Duck Commander CEO said.
“You know, the whole world is different now, so everyone knows who you are. It wasn’t the way we were raised because we were raised really poor so nobody knew who we were. We’ll put it in the Lord’s hands and see what happens.”
Duck Dynasty premiered in spring 2012, and last month’s Season 4 premiere drew 11.8 million viewers, making it the most-viewed non-fiction telecast in cable TV history.
Louisiana Tech held a ceremony during Thursday’s game honoring two former quarterbacks: football legend Terry Bradshaw and Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson.
Phil Robertson, who played quarterback at Louisiana Tech, was the first string quarterback ahead of Terry Bradshaw and set a record of passing in a single game.
“The quarterback playing ahead of me, Phil Robertson, loved hunting more than he loved football,” Terry Bradshaw wrote in his 2001 book It’s Only a Game.
Phil Robertson, who played quarterback at Louisiana Tech, was the first string quarterback ahead of Terry Bradshaw and set a record of passing in a single game
“He’d come to practice directly from the woods, squirrel tails hanging out of his pockets, duck feathers on his clothes. Clearly he was a fine shot, so no one complained too much.”
Phil Robertson was benched for Terry Bradshaw for being distracted. The Duck Dynasty patriarch himself said he was distracted during his playing days.
“One time a bunch of geese came over and I was over there with the coach and talking about techniques or whatever, a big skull session on the practice field. I heard these geese,” Phil Robertson told ESPN.
“Remember we were practicing in the fall of the year – and the grand passage as we call it – the ducks and geese were coming from Canada. I heard these blues and snow geese coming over and I sort of fell into a trance. Of course I had my headgear next to my chest and I’m looking toward the sky and finally one of them coaches looked around, and he started cursing at me, <<What the hell you doing son? Get over here! What are you looking up at?>> I said, <<A bunch of them geese, Coach. Boy they pretty, ain’t they?>> He said, <<Get your butt over here>>.”
Duck Dynasty’s Sadie Robertson will be adding singer to her impressive resume, which already includes fashion designer and model.
Sadie Robertson made her modeling debut at New York Fashion Week on Monday, September 9, to show off her Sadie Robertson Live Original line during the Evening By Sherri Hill Spring 2014 show at the Trump Tower.
In addition to styling a black-and-white polka-dot ball gown, the A&E reality star walked down the runway in a beautiful, short beige dress.
Sadie Robertson’s parents, Willie and Korie, and other family members took a break from operating their Duck Commander company, which makes products for duck hunters, and traveled from Monroe, Louisiana, to support Sadie at the show.
Sadie Robertson will be lending her voice to the upcoming Duck the Halls -A Robertson Family Christmas album
“First time at New York Fashion Week,” Korie Robertson told Us Weekly.
“We’ve been to New York before, of course, but first time at Fashion Week and we’ve had a great time. We’re so proud and so happy about the partnership with Sherri Hill. She’s been awesome. And they’re a family business like we are, so we feel really great.”
Sadie Robertson said she likes to design dresses that are “unique” and “daddy-approved”, but she also has a celebrity fashion icon that she admires.
“I’ve been saying Carrie Underwood,” she said.
“She’s a country girl and she dresses very nice, classy.”
Korie Robertson also revealed that Sadie will be lending her voice to the upcoming Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas album.
“Sadie sings on it. Yeah, she has a couple of solos,” Korie Robertson said.
“And Willie wrote a song for it, so it’s really a lot of fun.”
Nicki Minaj is being sued by electronic artist Clive Tanaka for copyright infringement over her hit song Starships.
Clive Tanaka has filed a lawsuit against the rapper, producer RedOne and songwriters Carl Falk, Wayne Hector and Rami Yacoub.
He claims they copied “substantial portions” of his song Neu Chicago for the chart-topping single, which reached number two in the UK last year.
The mysterious electronic artist, who has never revealed his real identity, had attorney Christopher Niro file legal documents on his behalf in Chicago court on Wednesday.
Nicki Minaj is being sued by electronic artist Clive Tanaka for copyright infringement over her hit song Starships
Neu Chicago has amassed 100,000 listens on YouTube and was licensed for two major television adverts in Scandinavia.
The lawsuit alleges RedOne, Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub, who have all lived in neighboring Sweden, had “a very good opportunity” to hear the song.
According to the Chicago Tribune newspaper, Christopher Niro contends: “We believe [the songs] are similar to the point that it is nearly impossible for it to be a coincidence.”
Clive Tanaka is seeking compensation for the damage done to his “professional reputation and goodwill” following the song’s release in March 2012, as well as all the profits Nicki Minaj, 30, and her collaborators have earned from Starships.
This isn’t the first time Nicki Minaj has faced legal trouble over her music.
In 2010, Nicki Minaj was sued for allegedly damaging a pink Lamborghini sports car she rented for her Massive Attack music video shoot.
Kate Middleton made her first red carpet appearance since becoming a mother.
The Duchess of Cambridge beamed as she accompanied husband Prince William to the Tusk foundation gala dinner at The Royal Society in London.
Kate Middleton, 31, wore a glittering floor-length Jenny Packham dress covered in sequins with her brunette hair carefully curled over her shoulders and simple, pretty make-up.
She finished the look with sparkling stiletto heels and diamond jewellery.
Kate Middleton made her first red carpet appearance since becoming a mother
Prince William, who wore smart black tie, is a patron of the Tusk charity, and expected to make a speech at the end of the awards ceremony which will be hosted by journalist Kate Silverton.
Last night’s awards aim to celebrate outstanding achievement in the field of African conservation, recognizing the achievements of individuals who are ensuring the future of Africa and bringing the challenges faced by the continent to a global audience.
Just last month, Kate Middleton made her first public appearance since the birth of Prince George when she attended the Anglesey ultra-marathon with Prince William.
Then, Prince William had revealed that Kate was bearing the brunt of the night duties – and that their son was proving to be quite a nocturnal little fellow.
The Duchess revealed that her mother, Carole, – or granny as she called her – had come up to babysit, and told locals that he was “sleeping well”.
Kate Middleton mentioned during the visit she was keen to get “back into shape” after the birth.
Last night’s outing marks the start of a new role for Prince William as he begins a new life outside the military.
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has issued a message marking the 12th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
In the audio message, Ayman al-Zawahiri talks of the need for small-scale attacks – and even a boycott – to damage the US economy.
The message may be seen as a sign of diminishing ambitions and a more realistic assessment of what al-Qaeda’s central organization can achieve.
Ayman al-Zawahiri’s message also praised the bombings in Boston in April.
His message begins with a familiar claim that his organization has the upper hand.
He says that the US has fled Iraq and Afghanistan in “defeat”.
He goes on to emphasize the importance of so-called “lone-wolf”, or small-scale attacks as part of al-Qaeda’s strategy.
Such attacks, he argues, will have an economic impact above all.
“We must bleed America economically by provoking it, so that it continues its massive expenditures on security. America’s weak spot is its economy, which began to totter from the drain of its military and security expenditure,” Ayman al-Zawahiri says.
Ayman al-Zawahiri advocates “continuing the drain of military and security expenditures so that we keep America in a state of tension and anticipation, [wondering] when and where the next blow will come”.
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has issued a message marking the 12th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks
“Keeping America in a state of tension and anticipation does not cost us anything but [organizing] dispersed strikes here and there. In other words, just as we defeated it in a war of nerves in Somalia, Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan, we must afflict it with a similar war in its own home.
“These dispersed strikes can be carried out by one brother, or a small number of brothers.”
The emphasis on smaller-scale strikes may well be seen as an acknowledgement of a diminishing ability of al-Qaeda’s central leadership to plan and carry out major, organized attacks of the type it managed in the past.
That shift is evident in Ayman al-Zawahiri calling on supporters to begin an economic boycott.
“We must explain to them that every dollar’s worth of goods that we buy from America and her allies amounts to a bullet or shrapnel that kills a Muslim in Palestine or Afghanistan.”
Most analysts believe that the al-Qaeda core in Pakistan has been severely damaged and this message appears to be an acknowledgement of that reality.
However, affiliates in other parts of the world – notably al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, based in Yemen – are said by government officials to remain a threat.
Ayman al-Zawahiri, who has historically tended to focus more on ideology and strategy, also spends a significant amount of the message talking about recent events in Egypt.
He says that the US was behind the “coup” against the Muslim Brotherhood.
He also criticizes Mohamed Morsi, the deposed president who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood, saying he was not governing according to Islamic law and had committed to abide by security agreements with the US and Israel.
Ayman al-Zawahiri, whose background before joining al-Qaeda was in Egypt’s Islamist movements, also emphasizes his opposition to the Brotherhood’s willingness to work through democratic politics.
He criticizes other Islamist movements in places like Tunisia for coming to “an understanding with America”.
The events in the Middle East have raised serious ideological challenges for al-Qaeda, with it appearing increasingly irrelevant amid signs that protests, people power and even democratic elections might be a more viable vehicle for change than the kind of violence that al-Qaeda espoused.
However, with the optimism of the past few years fading fast, Ayman al-Zawahiri appears to be hoping that al-Qaeda’s ideology of rejecting democracy and promoting uncompromising violence might be able to gain more of a foothold.
Syria remains a key focus for international attention – including for al-Qaeda. Ayman al-Zawahiri warns Islamist opposition groups there not to come to any agreement with “secularists” who are also fighting the Assad regime.
“Let what happened in Egypt be a lesson to them,” Ayman al-Zawahiri says, before arguing that the jihadists groups need to unite in the region.
This may well be a reference to recent reports of splits and divisions, not just within Syrian jihadist groups but also with the Iraqi-based groups.
At least 37 people have died in a fire that engulfed a psychiatric hospital in north-western Russia, officials say.
The blaze occurred in the village of Luka, in Novgorod region. The timber-built hospital housed some 60 people.
A nurse who tried to guide patients to safety was among the dead, Russian media report. So far 22 bodies have been recovered at the scene.
The fire broke out just before 03:00 local time. A patient smoking may have started it.
Officials had previously ordered the building to be closed because of safety concerns.
The fire started in the male ward and spread quickly through the single-storey Oksochi hospital, emergency ministry officials say. TV pictures later showed the gutted building.
At least 37 people have died in a fire that engulfed a psychiatric hospital in north-western Russia
“Medical personnel saw a patient who was shrouded in flames. It’s possible that he was smoking in bed and the mattress caught fire,” regional governor Sergei Mitin told Russia’s Interfax news agency.
He added that the ward housed severely ill patients.
The patients and staff had been ordered to move to a new building by August 2014 because the timber hospital was unsafe.
Twenty-three people managed to flee the blaze. A senior investigator from the ministry for emergencies, Yuri Deshevykh, said the fire alarm had worked, triggering an evacuation.
The fire was extinguished overnight, and hundreds of rescuers are searching the nearby forest, hoping to find any survivors who may have taken refuge there.
A criminal investigation is now under way for “causing death by negligence”.
Several fires at state institutions across Russia in recent years resulted in heavy loss of life.
In April, a blaze at another psychiatric hospital near Moscow killed 38 people.
In 2009, 23 people died at an old people’s home in the north-west Komi region, while in 2007, 63 were killed at a home in Krasnodar, southern Russia.
In 2006, a fire at a Moscow drug rehabilitation clinic killed 45 women.
Twitter plans to join the stock market in the most hotly anticipated flotation since Facebook’s last year.
Referring to the official paperwork needed to join the market, the company tweeted: “We’ve confidentially submitted an S-1 to the SEC for a planned IPO [initial public offering].”
Investors value Twitter, founded in 2006 by Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone and Evan Williams, at more than $10 billion.
Twitter gave no further details as to the timing or price of the offering.
The microblogging service is on track to post $583 million in revenue in 2013, according to advertising consultancy eMarketer, up from $288 million in 2012.
Most of Twitter’s funding comes from advertising, with companies paying for “promoted tweets” that appear in users’ Twitter feeds.
Advertisers are keen to target Twitter’s 200 million active users, who send more than 500 million tweets a day.
Twitter plans to join the stock market in the most hotly anticipated flotation since Facebook’s last year
But some analysts believe the risk for Twitter post-flotation is that if the drive for greater advertising revenue leads to increased numbers of adverts in and around the site, they could become intrusive and unpopular with users.
Nearly two-thirds of users access Twitter via mobile devices that have traditionally been difficult for advertisers to reach.
This is one reason why Twitter has acquired MoPub, a mobile-focused advertising exchange, for a reported $350 million.
Facebook listed on the stock market in May last year. Although it initially created excitement among investors, its share price performed poorly, before recovering this summer.
The timing of the IPO is likely to be related to renewed activity in stock market flotations. There have been 131 IPOs priced so far in 2013, according to IPO tracking firm Renaissance Capital – a 44% increase on the same period last year.
Analysts say Twitter must continue to innovate under the scrutiny of public ownership.
Once a company has filed paperwork with US regulators for a planned IPO, it enters a so-called “quiet period” when it is not allowed to speak to the media.
According to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website, a company can file a confidential prospectus for a public share sale if it is classified as an “emerging growth company” with revenue of less than $1 billion.
Head of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Hassan al-Thawadi has rejected calls for the tournament to be awarded to another country.
FIFA is expected to move the tournament to winter to avoid Qatar’s high summer temperatures.
And Football Association chairman Greg Dyke said the tournament might have to move location if a suitable time to play in Qatar could not be agreed.
But Hassan al-Thawadi insists there is “no reason” why Qatar should not host the event as planned in 2022.
“We’ve worked very, very hard to ensure we’re within the rules of the bidding, within the rules of the hosting agreement,” he said.
Head of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Hassan al-Thawadi has rejected calls for the tournament to be awarded to another country
“At the same time we’re delivering on all the promises that we’ve made. We’re working very hard to deliver it. The commitment is there.”
FIFA president Sepp Blatter is determined to switch the 2022 World Cup to the winter as summer temperatures can reach 50C in the Middle Eastern country.
Sepp Blatter, 77, has admitted the governing body may have made a “mistake” in awarding the tournament to Qatar in the summer.
“[Qatar] is the right place, the Middle East is the right place,” said Hassan al-Thawadi, who is Secretary General of the Qatar 2022 Organizing Committee.
“We are representing the Middle East, it is a Middle Eastern World Cup, so it is the right place. The Middle East deserves to host a major tournament.”
The Premier League has taken an opposing stance, with chief executive Richard Scudamore insisting the tournament should go ahead in the summer.
However, Europe’s leading clubs have said they are “open” to the possibility of a winter World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, chairman of the European Club Association (ECA) believes it is “probably” better to switch the finals to winter.
