Turkish police clashed with protesters in Istanbul’s Taksim Square, despite a warning from PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he would not show “any more tolerance”.
Police firing tear gas cleared the square on Tuesday morning, but protesters returned later in the day.
Istanbul’s governor, Huseyin Avni Mutlu, said operations would go on night and day to clear the square.
Protests began 12 days ago over the redevelopment of nearby Gezi Park.
The protests then widened, with demonstrators accusing Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government of becoming increasingly authoritarian and trying to impose conservative Islamic values on a secular state.
On Tuesday evening, protesters in Taksim Square lit bonfires, set off fireworks and threw stones at police.
Officers responded by firing tear gas, but crowds still remain in the square.
Turkish police clashed with protesters in Istanbul’s Taksim Square, despite a warning from PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan
“We will continue our measures in an unremitting manner, whether day or night, until marginal elements are cleared and the square is open to the people,” Huseyin Avni Mutlu said in televised comments.
But he also said the action would “be conducted with care, in front of our people’s eyes, in front of televisions and under the eyes of social media, with caution and in accordance with the law”.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended the police intervention on Tuesday, saying that an environmental movement had been hijacked by people who wanted to harm Turkey.
In a televised speech to members of parliament belonging to his Justice and Development Party (AKP) that was frequently interrupted by applause, he asked: “They say the prime minister is rough. So what was going to happen? Were we going to kneel down in front of these [people]?
“If you call this roughness, I’m sorry, but this Tayyip Erdogan won’t change.”
“To those who… are at Taksim and elsewhere taking part in the demonstrations with sincere feelings: I call on you to leave those places and to end these incidents and I send you my love.
“But for those who want to continue with the incidents I say: ‘It’s over.’ As of now we have no tolerance for them.”
Early in the day, police made loudspeaker announcements, telling protesters to withdraw from the square, before using water cannon, tear gas and rubber bullets to clear them.
Bulldozers were sent in to clear barricades and shelters.
They also removed protesters’ banners from a building overlooking the square, replacing them with the national flag and a portrait of the father of the Turkish state, Kemal Ataturk – who has also been used as a symbol by demonstrators.
The protests began on 31 May.
The Turkish Human Rights Foundation says four people have been killed, including one policeman.
Some 5,000 protesters have been treated for injuries or the effects of tear gas, while officials say 600 police have also been injured.
Protests have also occurred in the capital, Ankara, with smaller demonstrations in many other cities.
Police in Ankara have used water cannon and tear gas to break up demonstrations almost every night.
The European Union is demanding assurances that Europeans are not having their rights infringed by a massive US surveillance programme.
Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding plans to raise the concerns with US Attorney General Eric Holder on Friday.
Last week a series of leaks by a former CIA worker led to claims the US had a vast surveillance network with much less oversight than previously thought.
The US insists its snooping is legal under domestic law.
The Obama administration is investigating whether the disclosures by former CIA worker Edward Snowden were a criminal offence.
Edward Snowden’s employer, defense contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, said on Tuesday it had fired the 29-year-old infrastructure analyst for violating its ethics code.
US officials say the snooping programme known as PRISM, revealed in last week’s leaks, is authorized under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
It gives the US National Security Agency (NSA) the power to obtain emails and phone records relating to non-US nationals.
But details about the individuals targeted under the act remain secret, and there are concerns the NSA is overstepping its powers.
The EU is demanding assurances that Europeans are not having their rights infringed by US surveillance programme
Documents leaked to the Guardian and Washington Post newspapers claimed the US authorities had direct access to the servers of nine major US technology firms, including Apple, Facebook and Google.
Edward Snowden told the Guardian that individual operatives had the power to tap into anyone’s emails at any time.
Although the firms have denied granting such access, saying they agreed only to legal requests, US officials have admitted PRISM exists.
One of the Guardian journalists who wrote the PRISM stories, Glenn Greenwald, has promised “more significant revelations” to come.
In the US, the controversy has focused on the possibility that conversations of US citizens may inadvertently be captured.
But overseas, governments and activists point out that US law provides foreigners with no protection.
Justice Commissioner Reding tweeted: “This case shows why a clear legal framework for the protection of personal data is not a luxury but a necessity.”
Edward Snowden is believed to be in hiding a day after he reportedly checked out of a Hong Kong hotel.
In the US, Senator Dianne Feinstein, the chairwoman of the Senate intelligence committee, said the American authorities were “aggressively” pursuing him.
The California Democrat also accused Edward Snowden of “an act of treason”.
The top Republican in the US House of Representatives, Speaker John Boehner, labeled Edward Snowden a “traitor”.
“The disclosure of this information puts Americans at risk,” he told ABC News on Tuesday morning.
“And it’s a giant violation of the law.”
The government began wireless wiretapping after the 9/11 attacks, but the surveillance policy expanded under President Barack Obama.
The Greek government has decided to shut down the radio and TV services of the state broadcaster ERT.
A government spokesman said transmissions would cease early on Wednesday.
More than 2,000 employees will be suspended until the company reopens “as soon as possible.”
Greece suspends state broadcaster ERT to save money
It is the latest move in successive rafts of spending cuts and tax rises that the government hope will lead the country out of recession.
“ERT is a case of an exceptional lack of transparency and incredible extravagance. This ends now,” government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said, according to the AFP news agency.
Unions voiced strong opposition to the move.
An engineer at the broadcaster’s multimedia department who gave his name as Yannis said: “The government announced that channels will shut down at midnight – after that the screens will go black.
“According to the government, from tonight I will be unemployed. It is a complete shock. In four hours’ time I will not have a job.”
ERT is funded by a direct payment by of 4.3 euros added monthly to electricity bills.
Erin Brockovich – who was famously portrayed by Julia Roberts in a movie about her life – has apologized for her drunken boating arrest last Friday as it’s revealed that her blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit.
“At no time was the boat away from the dock and there was no public safety risk,” Erin Brockovich said in a statement, denying police claims that she operated the boat in open waters.
“That being said, I take drunk driving very seriously, this was clearly a big mistake. I know better and I am very sorry,” she added.
“After a day in the sun and with nothing to eat it appears that a couple of drinks had a greater impact than I realized.”
Legal clerk and environmental activist Erin Brockovich, 52, was booked into jail around 10 p.m. on Friday after game warden in Lake Mead, Nevada spotted her struggling with her boat at a marina.
Erin Brockovich had been out on the boat with a male companion but was alone when she tried to dock it.
Edwin Lyngar of the Nevada Department of Wildlife said her blood alcohol content was over twice the legal limit of 0.08 when she was arrested.
“She was obviously struggling to put the boat in the slip, and if you’ve had any experience, it’s a simple enough operation,” Edwin Lyngar said.
“This incident is an important reminder that boating under the influence is on par with driving under the influence,” he added.
The mother of three, who has an estimated net worth of $42 million, had slurred speech and was unsteady on her feet as she tried to dock the boat. She failed a sobriety test and was taken to jail, where she was later released on a $1,000 bail.
Under Nevada law, a first-time offense of boating while intoxicated is a misdemeanor that draws fines from $1,000 to $2,000 but no jail time. Authorities were unsure whether it was Erin Brockovich’s first arrest on the charge.
Erin Brockovich was arrested last Friday for drunken boating as it’s revealed that her blood alcohol content was twice the legal limit
Erin Brockovich, who married her third husband, Eric L. Ellis, in 1999, became a worldwide celebrity after the 2000 Steven Soderbergh film about her life.
As a legal assistant she helped win a record $333 million settlement from a power company after dozens of people were poisoned by chemicals released into the water supply in the California town of Hinkley.
After suffering an injury in an auto accident, Erin Brokovich hired the California law firm Masry and Vititoe to represent her in a civil lawsuit against the other driver. While the firm won her a small settlement, the single mother needed a job to support her family.
The law firm hired Erin Brokovich as a file clerk, which is what ultimately launched the former Miss Pacific Coast’s career in law and public advocacy.
While organizing files for a pro-bono real estate case, Erin Brokovich uncovered medical records that would lead to the largest settlement ever paid out in a direct action lawsuit in U.S. history.
Erin Brokovich’s investigation found that the Pacific Gas and Electric company had been poisoning Hinkley residents for more than 30 years.
Between 1952 and 1966, the company used the chemical hexavalent chromium (often referred to as Cr-6) to fight corrosion in the cooling tower in the Hinkley compressor, which was part of a natural gas pipeline connecting much of northern California to the San Francisco Bay area.
The waste water dissolved the Cr-6 and it ended up in unlined ponds near the cooling tower.
The Cr-6 then found its way into the groundwater, contaminating a two-by-one-mile area around the plant.
Because of Erin Brokovich’s research, more than 600 Hinklley residents shared the giant $333 million settlement.
For her work, Brokovich was given a $2 million bonus.
Julia Roberts won a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Erin Brockovich in the self-titled movie about the case.
Erin Brokovich and Masry then became the face of environmental litigation and went on to file several lawsuits against various corporations for pollution issues.
Since the film, Erin Brockovich has become a high profile campaigner and TV star with her own series, Final Justice.
Just last year, Erin Brockovich was back on the big screen in the documentary Last Call at the Oasis, which explores challenges related to the planet’s dwindling and increasingly polluted water supply.
On Saturday night, Robert Pattinson and Katy Perry spent time together as they attended a Bjork concert at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.
Robert Pattinson and Katy Perry were said to have met up “discreetly” and made their way into the gig together before leaving separately to avoid photographers waiting outside the venue, X17Online.com reports.
Katy Perry, 28, opted for a gothic inspired ensemble for her evening out with her showbiz pal, teaming a punky leather miniskirt with a black and silver crucifix logo T-shirt.
She teamed her outfit with a long black satin coat, black tights and heels, while wearing a black and silver choker around her neck.
Showing off her perfect porcelain skin with natural make-up, Katy Perry wore her raven locks poker straight around her face.
And in spite of her A-list pal, Katy Perry paid no reference to her company as she expressed her delight at the gig over Twitter, writing: “Dear Bjork, how do I join your traveling girl cult? #brilliantshow.”
Katy Perry and Robert Pattinson have been spending a lot of time together in recent weeks, and it’s even been claimed the songstress has even taken her pal to visit her parents in Santa Barbara, California.
Robert Pattinson and Katy Perry spent time together as they attended a Bjork concert at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles
A source told Grazia magazine: “Katy and Robert have been spending a lot of time together recently and it’s safe to say there is serious chemistry. Katy thought the break from LA would do Rob good, and since he was no longer living with Kristen, she didn’t hesitate in inviting him to join her.”
“But she doesn’t want to ruin their friendship by rushing into anything.”
Katy Perry and Robert Pattinson puzzled onlookers earlier this month when they were spotted checking out the wedding rehearsal of two strangers at San Ysidro Ranch, not far from where Katy grew up.
Rehearsal guest Stephanie Sands told People.com: “Katy and Rob were just sitting next to each other watching the wedding rehearsal in the main courtyard area. They were dressed very casually.
“She was wearing a hoodie and big sunglasses. There was no PDA between them and no body language that showed they were dating. They just sat together and watched. They were not affiliated with the wedding party and were not seen mingling with guests.”
Katy Perry was said to have been disapproving of Robert Pattinson’s reconciliation with Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart last year following her fling with married director Rupert Sanders.
A source told Life & Style magazine: “Katy never really supported Rob’s decision to get back with Kristen. She always said they wouldn’t last.
“Katy told Rob she didn’t think their relationship could withstand the cheating scandal. And he deserved better than someone who would destroy a family [like Rupert’s].”
Despite the couple managing to patch things up after a two-month break following Kristen Stewart’s “momentary indiscretion” with Rupert Sanders last year, it is thought their relationship is over for good this time after Robert Pattinson was spotted moving his belongings out of her home in Los Feliz earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Katy Perry split from musician John Mayer in mid-March, but the on-off couple are recently said to have rekindled their turbulent romance.
The world’s first double leg-transplant patient has had his legs amputated, a Spanish hospital has confirmed.
The amputation was carried out after an unrelated illness forced the man to stop taking anti-rejection drugs, according to Valencia’s Hospital La Fe.
The hospital said treatment of the unspecified illness was “more urgent”.
The transplant was carried out in July 2011 by surgeon Pedro Cavadas, who also led a team that carried out the first double hand transplant in 2006.
The first double-leg transplant was carried out in July 2011 by surgeon Pedro Cavadas, who also led a team that carried out the first double hand transplant in 2006
The man who received the double leg transplant, who was in his 20s at the time and has not been named, initially lost his legs above the knee in a road accident.
Pedro Cavadas and his team of more than 50 at Hospital La Fe took more than 10 hours to attach the new legs, a procedure that included connecting nerves, blood vessels, muscles, tendons and bone structure.
The patient was expected to take immuno-suppressant drugs for the rest of his life, but had to stop because the medicine was complicating the treatment of an illness he contracted, doctors said.
“In these cases the protocol is that, if the transplanted organ is not a vital organ, it should be removed from the patient so as to allow treatment of the illness that is more serious and urgent,” the hospital said in a statement.
Pedro Cavadas is referred to as a “miracle doctor” by parts of the Spanish media for his pioneering procedures.
Edward Snowden, the whistleblower who leaked the NSA’s surveillance secrets, thought about marrying his girlfriend Lindsay Mills and had previously taken her on a romantic break to Hong Kong – where he was last seen fearing arrest.
Edward Snowden, 29, and Lindsay mills, 28, were deeply in love and on her blog, she dotingly called him her “man of mystery” who she had followed around the world for the last four years.
On Monday Lindsay Mills took to the blog – where she has posted dozens of photos of herself – to tell of her heartbreak.
She wrote: “My world has opened and closed all at once. Leaving me lost at sea without a compass.
“As I type this on my tear-streaked keyboard I’m reflecting on all the faces that have graced my path.
‘The ones I laughed with. The ones I’ve held. The one I’ve grown to love the most. And the ones I never got to bid adieu.
“But sometimes life doesn’t afford proper goodbyes.”
Edward Snowden fled to Hong Kong after exposing the NSA’s PRISM program which gives officials easy access to data held by nine of the world’s top internet companies, including Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Skype.
It was a heartbreaking turn of events for Lindsay Mills who had lived with Edward Snowden since at least 2009 when they were in Japan together.
Last year Edward Snowden whisked her 8,000 miles from their home south of Baltimore, Maryland to Hong Kong where family friends thought they got married because it was a “special place” for them.
Now he is back there, hiding out and terrified he will be arrested and extradited back to the US for leaking details about how the NSA puts millions of Americans under surveillance.
Lindsay Mills’ blog gives an insight into the ups and downs the couple went through – and her own feelings against the snooping state.
Their relationship may have been brought to an unconventional end – but it hardly seems conventional from the start.
Written under the name “L’s Journey”, Lindsay Mills calls Edward Snowden “E” and her “man of mystery”, whilst referring to herself as a “vagabond”.
On the face of it they are totally different people – she is an extrovert who enjoys walking around whenever she can, spends her Sunday evenings in circus classes and surrounds herself with bohemian eccentrics.
The title of her blog reads: “Adventures of a world-traveling, pole-dancing super hero.”
Edward Snowden by contrast is a shy computer geek from a suburban family who likes to spend Sundays at football games and needs to be coaxed out of his shell to even do karaoke.
Lindsay Mills writes that when she finally introduced him to her friends in Hawaii they didn’t believe he actually existed because he was so hard to pin down.
Before they moved to Hawaii they spent their days doing things like camping, pumpkin picking or skeet shooting together near their Maryland homes.
He bought her gifts like a Star Trek style visor and took many of the dozens of pictures of her on her blog.
Some of the posts now have a certain irony, such as her joking that she likes pretending to be a spy.
Their lives also seem to be very much up in the air and she writes of having traveled through 17 countries in her life.
In March last year she writes of how her “inevitable lover Change is knocking and I wish I had an answer for him”.
Lindsay Mills wrote: “We received word that we have to move out of our house by May 1.
“E is transferring jobs. And I am looking to take a mini trip back East. Do I move with E, on my own, to Antarctica? How long do I spend back home and when should I go?
“For now I’ll spin my magic ball and see where I land.”
Edward Snowden thought about marrying his girlfriend Lindsay Mills and had previously taken her on a romantic break to Hong Kong
That month Edward Snowden moved to Hawaii and two months later Lindsay Mills joined him.
She freely admits that it was to save their relationship as they appear to having been going through a rocky patch that continues after her arrival.
She writes how she seriously considers taking a plane home most days and that she can’t settle down – until July comes.
According to the rest of the blog, it was all idyllic until earlier this month, when the darkness returned to their lives.
Writing on June 3, Lindsay Mills said: “While I have been patiently asking the universe for a livelier schedule, I’m not sure I meant for it to dump half a year’s worth of experience in my lap in two weeks time.
“We’re talking biblical stuff – floods, deceit, loss. Somehow I’ve only managed a few tears amongst all of the madness of May.”
Another revealing aspect of her blog is that Lindsay Mills seems to share Edward Snowden’s views on the surveillance society.
Writing on July 4 last year Lindsay Mills said that the America she loves is “ever-changing” and that she is in “fear it’s straying from the freedom it has always represented”.
She wrote: “America is still one of the greatest, but she’s falling in my eyes. I hope her people see where she’s going and ask themselves <<is this really how I want to live?>>.
Another post will be of interest to investigators looking to find out what she knew – a poster in protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which is currently being considered by Congress.
If passed SOPA will make copyright rules more strictly enforced to a level which Mills claims is draconian.
On her blog she writes in terms that sound as if they could have been written by Snowden himself.
She wrote: “Normally I’d be hitting you with a riveting entry about my super hero life, but today I wanted to join others in protest of SOPA.
“A bill that poses to allow the government to control the very thing you’re reading my blog on – the internet. The way users (people like you and me) share information and ideas freely across the internet would most certainly change.”
She then urged readers to sign a petition and email their Congressional representatives.
Edward Snowden left Lindsay Mills behind in Hawaii weeks ago when he leaked classified information about PRISM, a secret government phone surveillance program that harvests data on millions of Americans from telecommunications and online companies.
He never told her where he was going or what he was doing – only that he needed to leave for a few weeks.
Edward Snowden is currently on the run, location unknown, after he fled the Hong Kong hotel where he is holed up
The TV news programInside Editionclaims to have tracked Lindsay Mills down in Hawaii, where she is the member of an acrobatic troupe.
It appears that she was performing with the Waikiki Acrobatic Troupe. She also took classes last year from another troupe, Samadhi Hawaii, though never performed with the company.
Lindsay Mills lives in the home that Edward Snowden, a private contractor making $200,000 working with the National Security Agency (NSA), rented in Hawaii.
She graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art and is a former ballet dancer.
When Edward Snowden revealed his identity in the Guardian newspaper on Sunday, he also revealed that his girlfriend knew nothing of his plans to make the biggest leak of classified government information since WikiLeaks.
Edward Snowden told the newspaper that Lindsay Mills was not surprised that he was packing his backs and not telling her where he was going.
“That is not an uncommon occurrence for someone who has spent the last decade working in the intelligence world,” he explained to the Guardian.
FBI agents visited the Pennsylvania home of Edward Snowden’s father and stepmother, just hours after the 29-year-old NSA whistleblower checked out of his plush Hong Kong hotel and went on the run from U.S. and Chinese authorities.
Two men, identifying themselves as FBI agents, dropped in on Lonnie Snowden, 52, and his wife Karen Snowden, 48, at their property in Upper Macungie Township, as the couple were still “digesting and processing” the news about their son.
Karen Snowden said on Sunday night that they had been “bombarded” by media since Edward Snowden revealed himself to have leaked top-secret documents detailing the government’s extensive surveillance programs.
The woman refused to give any details about her stepson, other than what he’d already offered up in interviews, but she told Lehigh Valley’s The Morning Call the family would be making a public statement in the coming days.
According to mcall.com, shortly after Karen Snowden shut the door, the two men approached the house, telling a photographer they were agents with the Allentown FBI office.
Lonnie Snowden, a former officer in the Coast Guard, told ABC News on Sunday that he had last seen his son “months ago” for dinner and the pair hugged as they said goodbye.
Tammy Reck, a neighbor, told mcall.com that she spoke briefly to the couple on Sunday, when they came out front to warn the residents of the media firestorm that was about to descend.
She said Karen Snowden was upset at the possibility of never seeing her stepson again.
“Not seeing a child anymore, that’s sad, no matter how old that child is,” Tammy Reck said.
The woman described the couple, who were married around five years ago in a backyard wedding, as “great neighbors”. On her Twitter feed, Karen Snowdon describes herself as a certified physical therapist specializing in women’s health, the pelvic area and obstetrics.
She has lived at her current address since at least 1998, records show. Lonnie Snowden lived in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, where Edward Snowden was raised, then Crofton, Maryland, with his son’s biological mother Elizabeth Snowden, 52.
The whistleblower told The Guardian his family had no idea what he was planning, and that their safety was his greatest fear.
Two FBI agents dropped in on Lonnie Snowden and his wife Karen Snowden at their property in Upper Macungie Township
New York Republican Peter King, a member of the House Intelligence Committee and chairman of a House Homeland Security subcommittee, was the first to claim the former CIA worker, who he said “has done extreme damage to the US and to our intelligence operations”, should be brought home to face charges.
In a written statement today, Peter King said: “If Edward Snowden did in fact leak the NSA data as he claims, the United States government must prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law and begin extradition proceedings at the earliest date.
“The United States must make it clear that no country should be granting this individual asylum. This is a matter of extraordinary consequence to American intelligence.”
Republican senator for South Dakota John Thune later echoed Peter King’s views.
“As long as you have laws on the books, and we do, you’ve got to enforce the laws,” he told CNBC.
“This is somebody who – it appears, at least – leaked sensitive classified information, and I think he needs to be prosecuted.”
And Republican senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham tweeted on Monday afternoon: “I hope we follow Mr. Snowden to the ends of the earth to bring him to justice.”
Meanwhile, former UN Ambassador John Bolton told a US radio station he thinks Snowden is guilty of treason.
In a passionate tirade onWLS,John Bolton said: “Number one, this man is a liar. He took an oath to keep the secrets that were shared with him so he could do his job.
“Number two, he lied because he thinks he’s smarter and has a higher morality than the rest of us… that he can see clearer than other 299-million 999-thousand 999 of us, and therefore he can do what he wants. I say that is the worst form of treason.”
Edward Snowden could face decades in jail if he is extradited from Hong Kong, said Mark Zaid, a lawyer who represents whistleblowers.
According to The Daily Beast, Edward Snowden was already being hunted by government officials even before last week’s explosive news stories triggered shockwaves across the globe.
The Daily Beast’s sources, former U.S. intelligence officers, said the agents trailing Edward Snowden work for the Associate Directorate for Security and Counterintelligence, or “the Q Group”. The same group are more urgently searching for the whistleblower now.
The directorate in effect is the National Security Agency’s internal police force. The group monitor the NSA’s staff and contractors for unusual behavior that may pose an intelligence risk, the Beast writes.
The whistleblower, who earned $200,000 a year, exposed chilling details of how the covert agency, based in Maryland, gathers private information from Americans and others around the world using a program called PRISM.
Revealing why he blew the whistle Edward Snowden said on Sunday: “I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded. That is not something I am willing to support or live under.”
On Monday, Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1971, hailed Edward Snowden a hero for fighting back against the government’s invasion of privacy.
“I think there has not been a more significant or helpful leak or unauthorized disclosure in American history ever than what Edward Snowden shared with The Guardian about the NSA — and that definitely includes the Pentagon Papers,” Daniel Ellsberg told The Daily Beast.
Edward Snowden spoke to The Guardian and Washington Post newspapers from a room in Hong Kong’s five star Mira Hotel, located in the Tsim Sha Tsui neighborhood just across the harbor from the mainland.
Honey Boo Boo attended the fifth annual National Redneck Olymp-Hicks in Augusta, Georgia, on Saturday, and won a medal for her dance moves.
The athletic tournament includes competitions for the biggest beer belly, redneck belly-flop, loudest belch, and the by far most daunting “bobbin for pig’s feet”.
Honey Boo Boo, 7, donned a frilly outfit with matching pants and tank top for her day of athletic competition and mud sliding fun.
The former pageant clearly having the time of her life as she skidded down a make shift water slide, constructed out of a plastic tarp and covered in brown mud.
Honey Boo Boo, whose real name is Alana Thompson, even enjoyed a dip in the belly flopping pools, which were simply large holes dug into the ground and filled with muddy water.
Midway through the day of competitive redneck challenges Honey Boo Boo took a break and enjoyed an icy treat, which seemed to be a departure from her normal diet of “sketti” and caffeine-infused “go-go juice”.
Meanwhile, her sister Anna “Chickadee” shined on the winner’s podium as her daughter Kaitlyn won an award for “cutest redneck baby”.
As the day progressed the girls took to the sidelines to watch the tournament’s main event, belly flopping.
After their day of fun, Honey Boo Boo was spotted rinsing off the mud and grime with the aid of a fire truck’s hose.
Honey Boo Boo attended the fifth annual National Redneck Olymp-Hicks in Augusta, Georgia, and won a medal for her dance moves
But this was not the first time the famous girl and her family have attended the Olymp-Hicks games.
The Here Comes Honey Boo Boo stars famously competed in last year’s tournament, and even participated in the “bobbin’ for pig’s feet” event – which consists of fishing for raw uncooked swine limbs swimming in a plastic bucket full of murky water with one’s teeth.
During a taping for an episode of Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, Mama June, aka June Shannon, said of last year’s event: “It’s just like the Olympics except for a lot of missing teeth and butt cracks showing.”
She added: “There are some broke down people out there.”
June Shannon, 33, first shot to fame after her daughter Alana won national attention with her appearance on the reality show Toddlers and Tiaras before landing their own programme.
The redneck tournament, held in a field beside Augusta’s Savannah River Lock and Dam hosted thousands of attendees over the weekend.
In addition to the impressive and muddy feats performed, Olymp-hicks included a fair where youngsters, and anyone less interested in getting dirty, could take a ride down an inflatable slide, among other attractions.
An appropriate addition to the day’s fun was the actual car, the General Lee, from the 1980s television series The Dukes of Hazzard.
Lady Gaga took a step out of the spotlight as a bridesmaid at her best friend’s wedding.
Lady Gaga, 27, blended in with her fellow maids by wearing a pale pink halterneck gown.
The singer had flown out to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico for the wedding of her school friend Bo following her recovery from a hip injury that put her world tour on hold.
As she watched her friend hold hands with her future husband, she was less Lady Gaga and more Stefani Germanotta.
Playing the dutiful Maid of Honour, Lady Gaga held the bride’s white and pink bouquet, as well as her veil throughout the wedding ceremony.
Her fellow bridesmaids looked just as elegant as Lady Gaga, with each dress cut from the same cloth but in a different style to suit the wearer.
Posing together in one special photo, Lady Gaga held hands with one friend who also styled her hair with a beautiful flower.
Lady Gaga took a step out of the spotlight as a bridesmaid at her best friend’s wedding
Only hints of the real Lady Gaga were evident with her eyelids fluttering with false lashes and a sharp manicure, while she sported bright blonde wig in contrast to the dark brown and ginger looks she had been wearing over the past few days in Mexico.
And though the singer is used to having an entourage to help her with her every need, she was on hand to support her best friend as she got ready to become Mrs. O’Connor.
The bride wore a strapless gown with fishtail shirt and a statement origami detail to the bust, and she styled her hair into an elegant chignon.
Lady Gaga made sure Bo’s veil flowed beautifully over her face before, it seemed, she headed to the wedding ceremony.
Her wedding gift may well have been the use of her good friend and make-up artist Tara Savelo, who made the bridal party glow on the big day.
But Lady Gaga seemed to be attending the day without her Chicago Fire boyfriend Taylor Kinney, allowing her to spend quality time with her old Sacred Heart school friends at the reception.
Taylor Kinney, 31, has been busy filming The Other Woman with Cameron Diaz in her hometown of New York.
Meanwhile Lady Gaga has been using her recovery to write latest album ArtPop, out later this year.
Sony has announced its forthcoming PlayStation 4 will cost $399, which is $100 less than the competing Xbox One.
PlayStation 4 will cost 399 euros in Europe and £349 in UK.
“The gaming landscape is changing with new business models and new ways to play,” said Andrew House, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment.
The price announcement wasn’t the only shot fired at Microsoft during Sony’s presentation at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the gambling industry’s annual U.S. trade show.
The loudest applause at the company’s event show came when Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, announced that the company would not try to restrict used game sales.
Jack Tretton also said the PS4 would not require a persistent online connection.
“PlayStation 4 disc-based games don’t need to be connected online to play or any type of authentication,” said Jack Tretton.
“If you enjoy playing single-player games offline, PS4 won’t require to you check in online period and it won’t stop working if you haven’t authenticated in 24 hours.”
Microsoft has been criticized for its vague statements about whether it will allow buyers of its Xbox One to play secondhand software, as well as its requirement that the new console be connected to the Internet at least once every 24 hours.
Beyond those issues, Sony gave potential PS4 buyers plenty of games to look forward to later this year.
Sony has announced its forthcoming PlayStation 4 will cost $399, which is $100 less than the competing Xbox One
The company’s Santa Monica Studios, the developer of the God of War franchise, introduced the steampunk thriller The Order: 1866. Quantic Dream, the French studio behind Heavy Rain and the upcoming Beyond: Two Souls, provided a comical glimpse at the fantasy The Dark Sorcerer.
Shu Yoshida, president of Sony Worldwide Studios, said the company’s studios have more than 30 PS4 games in development, including 12 brand new intellectual properties.
Sony also showed new footage from previously announced PS4 games like the superhero adventure InFamous: Second Son, the auto racing simulator Drive Club and the sci-fi shooter Killzone: Shadow Fall.
Several third-party developers also debuted next-generation titles at Sony’s event.
Bungie, the creator of the blockbuster Xbox series Halo, showed the first in-game footage of its highly anticipated first-person shooter Destiny. Warner Bros. showed a clip from a new Mad Max game, while Square-Enix announced the long-awaited Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy XV. Overall, Jack Tretton said, more than 140 PS4 titles are in the pipeline.
That includes an assortment of games from smaller, independent developers, which Sony featured onstage next to giant publishers like Activision and Ubisoft.
The processing chips in the PS4 are similar to those in PCs rather than the complex, idiosyncratic “Cell” architecture used in the PS3. That should make it easier for developers of all sizes to build games for Sony’s new console.
Like Microsoft, Sony is betting big on social networking features. The new version of its DualShock controller includes a ‘share’ button that allows you to post gameplay footage and screenshots.
Friends can watch as you play a game, and you’ll even be able to let a pal take control of your game from afar if you can’t get past a tough battle.
The controller also includes a touchpad and a Move motion sensor that works with a camera placed near the TV set.
The PS4’s main features include:
New DualShock 4 controller with built in touchpad
Dramatically improved graphics and processing power
Based on same X86 chips used in desktop computer to help game developers
3D camera that can track the controller, and the player
Games can also be played on Sony’s Vita handheld console
Former CIA employee Edward Snowden, who leaked details of US top-secret phone and internet surveillance, has disappeared from his hotel in Hong Kong.
Edward Snowden, 29, checked out from his hotel on Monday. His whereabouts are unknown, but he is believed to be still in Hong Kong.
Earlier, he said he had an “obligation to help free people from oppression”.
It emerged last week that US agencies were gathering millions of phone records and monitoring internet data.
A spokesman for the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence said the case had been referred to the Department of Justice as a criminal matter.
Meanwhile a petition posted on the White House website, calling for Edward Snowden’s immediate pardon, has gathered more than 30,000 signatures.
Edward Snowden, who leaked details of US top-secret phone and internet surveillance, has disappeared from his hotel in Hong Kong
However, an opinion poll commissioned by the Washington Post suggests a majority of Americans think government monitoring of phone records is acceptable if the aim is to fight terrorism.
Hong Kong’s broadcaster RTHK said Edward Snowden checked out of the Mira hotel on Monday.
Reuters news agency quoted hotel staff as saying that he had left at noon.
Ewen MacAskill, a Guardian journalist, said he believed Edward Snowden was still in Hong Kong.
The Chinese territory has an extradition treaty with the US, although analysts say any attempts to bring Edward Snowden to America may take months and could be blocked by Beijing.
Edward Snowden was revealed as the source of the leaks at his own request by the UK’s Guardian newspaper.
He is believed to have arrived in Hong Kong on May 20. A standard visa on arrival in the territory for a US citizen lasts for 90 days.
His revelations have caused transatlantic political fallout, amid allegations that the UK’s electronic surveillance agency, GCHQ, used the US system to snoop on British citizens.
Foreign Secretary William Hague cancelled a trip to Washington to address the UK parliament on Monday and deny the claims.
Edward Snowden is described by the Guardian as an ex-CIA technical assistant, currently employed by Booz Allen Hamilton, a defense contractor for the US National Security Agency (NSA).
Riot police have entered Istanbul’s Taksim Square, where Turkish anti-government protesters have been staging demonstrations for close to two weeks.
Hundreds of officers have been using tear gas and water cannon to disperse activists.
The move comes after PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to meet the protest organizers on Wednesday.
The unrest was sparked by a police crackdown on a local protest over an Istanbul park.
Riot police have entered Istanbul’s Taksim Square, where Turkish anti-government protesters have been staging demonstrations for close to two weeks
The protests then widened, with demonstrators accusing Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government of becoming increasingly authoritarian and trying to impose conservative Islamic values on a secular state.
Backed by armored vehicles, police wearing helmets and carrying shields gathered around the square early on Tuesday.
They then began to move past barricades erected by protesters.
According to correspondents, the move is a deliberate show of force.
The demonstrations are now in their 12th day, with activists controlling much of Taksim Square.
The unrest was sparked after police moved to suppress environmental protests over the redevelopment of Gezi Park, which is part of Taksim Square, on May 31.
More than 5,000 people have been injured and three people have died since the protests began.
It takes one hour, six minutes and 48 seconds for our high heels to start hurting, according to a recent survey by the College of Podiatry in UK.
The survey involved 2,000 women and men and for a more delicate 20% of respondents, the pain starts after just ten minutes, while more than a third said their feet had been so sore on a night out that they danced shoeless and walked home barefoot.
So what can we do to lessen the pain?
1. Never buy online
“First things first, shoes have to fit properly,” says podiatrist Emma Supple.
“If they’re tight or rubbing, even just a tiny bit, don’t buy them. You will not break in the shoes – they will break you. This is why you should never buy them online, as you’ve got to try them on.”
The right fit should be snug but with some room for your toes to wriggle and not be squashed. Too small and you’ll get blisters and deformed toes – a condition called hammer toe.
Too big and your feet will slide down and put more pressure on your toes. Where possible, ask to try a half size up or down to see if that helps.
If the shoe is pointed, the point must come after your toes end so they’re not squished together.
According to Emma Supple, it’s better to avoid them altogether.
“A slightly rounded toe is always going to be more comfortable,” she says.
2. Are your heels in the right position?
Contrary to popular belief, wedges are not necessarily better for your feet than spiked heels.
“I’ve seen a woman doubled over with pain after wearing wedges,” says Emma Supple.
“There’s very little flexibility in them and you have to lift your feet right off the ground to walk, stomping your foot back down afterwards.
“The important thing is not the style or thickness of the heel, it’s the position of it. It needs to be right under the heel bone, not at the back of the foot, as is the case with some shoes. If the stiletto is positioned too far back, you are going to be thrown off balance and everything will hurt.”
It takes one hour, six minutes and 48 seconds for our high heels to start hurting
3. Why budget buys may cost you dear
Avoid the temptation to buy cheap heels for a night out. Chances are they will be made of plastic, which will make your feet sweat and swell – making the shoes pinch.
Also, plastic has very little give, meaning you are more likely to get blisters where it rubs. Shoes with a leather lining, on the other hand, are softer and suppler and less likely to rub.
4. How to stop them rubbing
If your shoes are stiff and rubbing at the heel, try a suede heel grip.
Hikers – who have to deal with blisters every day – swear by Moleskin Plus by Dr Scholl’s, which comes in a roll. It’s very soft and you cut as much as you need and stick it to different areas of the foot.
Pedag’s anti-slip slingback stickers are also brilliant. You stick the soft leather strip into your slingback straps and it stops them from falling down and prevents friction.
5. Non-surgical solutions
Die-hard heel lovers are now having fillers injected into the balls of their feet to help with the pain, but there are less drastic alternatives. Soft gel-filled cushions can relieve the pressure put on the balls of your feet, especially if your shoes have thin soles.
Dr Scholl’s “party feet” gel cushions are still the most popular but M&S do a good range, too.
“Be careful of ones that are so thick they squish your feet more than they already are,” says Emma Supple.
6. Put your feet in ice
“Forget soaking your feet in a hot bath after a long day – you need to ease the pain with cold,” says Emma Supple.
“After wearing high heels your feet get swollen, so when you come home put them in a cold bath for 15 minutes to reduce the swelling. Then before you go to bed apply some foot cream. This restores the suppleness of the skin, which will help prevent it from cracking and blistering.”
Try Supple London Mineral Foot cream or Eucerin Dry Skin Intensive Foot Cream. Keep your toenails short so they don’t dig into your skin when your toes are in narrow shoes.
7. Which brands are best?
Not all heels are equal but many high-street brands are now designing heels with comfort in mind.
From autumn, all M&S’s shoes will have padded “Insolia” soles, which promise to re-distribute the weight away from the balls of your feet and are meant to be three times more comfortable than normal heels. They already have a selection in the Autograph range.
Clarks have really upped their game recently and combined comfort and style, even more so with the Mary Portas collections and their “soft wear” styles.
Geox used to be known for their practical styles made of breathable materials and thick shock absorbing soles, but they’ve started to make more glamorous styles, teaming up with designer Patrick Cox.
Spanish shoemaker Chie Mihara studied orthopedics, which means her collection of high heels are the most comfortable around. Most come with thick, adjustable ankle straps to support the foot.
Even Lucy Choi, the niece of Jimmy Choo and the latest darling of the shoe world, has just launched a gorgeous but practical collection of mid-height heels with gel-padded soles.
Researchers from Reading University, UK, recently identified Matrixyl, a chemical included in everyday skincare products, as a genuinely effective anti-wrinkle ingredient – despite its lack of publicity.
Apparently, Matrixyl could double the amount of collagen produced by the skin, giving you a fresh-faced look.
Matrixyl stimulates the body to make more collagen, a natural skin-plumping agent, and more hyaluronic acid, which also helps skin look younger.
It is found in creams made by High Street brands such as Olay and Ponds, and in designer brands such as Chanel and Dior.
Experts are now convinced that its inclusion is the secret behind which anti-ageing creams work and which don’t.
Matrixyl could double the amount of collagen produced by the skin, giving you a fresh-faced look
Matrixyl was first patented in 2000 by Sederma, a French company that is the world leader in developing anti-ageing ingredients.
The first scientific paper showing that Matrixyl stimulated collagen production and improved the texture of sun-damaged skin was produced in 2005 by scientists working for Procter & Gamble.
They performed a three-month trial involving 93 women aged 35 to 55, who were asked to put a moisturizer containing Matrixyl on one half of their face and the same moisturizer without Matrixyl on the other half.
The scientists then reported a “significant improvement and reduction in fine lines and wrinkles” in the skin that had been treated with Matrixyl.
Olga Gracioso, of Sederma, says: “We know Matrixyl is effective, but manufacturers want consumers to believe efficacy is coming from something else – an ingredient that is unique to their product.
“That’s why they are constantly coming up with new formulations and prefer not to highlight that they still contain Matrixyl.”
In other words, cosmetic companies would rather shout about how their products contain another new ingredient than hail one that several companies use, even if that’s the one that actually makes all the difference.
Companies are constantly trying to come up with different fragrances, textures, serums and oils.
Matrixyl has been included in these for years, but because so many cosmetic products already used it, no one tried to focus on it as a selling point.
Pentagon papers, 1971: Daniel Ellsberg leaks study showing the government had knowledge it was unlikely to win Vietnam war
Watergate, 1972: Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein reveal extent of cover-up over burglary at Democrat National Committee HQ
Iran-Contra affair, 1986: Iranian cleric reveals illegal US arms sales to Iran, the proceeds of which are later used to fund Nicaraguan Contras
Valerie Plame, 2003: She is revealed to be an undercover CIA agent, ending her covert career
Abu Ghraib, 2004: Publication of pictures showing abuse of detainees at Iraq prison by US officials turns initial media reports of abuse into full-blown scandal
Bradley Manning, 2010: The soldier downloads thousands of classified documents from military servers and hands them over to Wikileaks
Ex-CIA employee Edward Snowden has said he acted to “protect basic liberties for people around the world” in leaking details of US phone and internet surveillance.
Edward Snowden, 29, was revealed as the source of the leaks at his own request by the UK’s Guardian newspaper.
Edward Snowden, who says he has fled to Hong Kong, said he had an “obligation to help free people from oppression”.
It emerged last week that US agencies were gathering millions of phone records and monitoring internet data.
A spokesman for the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence said the case had been referred to the Department of Justice as a criminal matter.
The revelations have caused transatlantic political fallout, amid allegations that the UK’s electronic surveillance agency, GCHQ, used the US system to snoop on British citizens.
Foreign Secretary William Hague cancelled a trip to Washington to address the UK parliament on Monday and deny the claims.
The Guardian quotes Edward Snowden as saying he flew to stay in a hotel in Hong Kong on 20 May, though his exact whereabouts now are unclear.
He is described by the paper as an ex-CIA technical assistant, currently employed by Booz Allen Hamilton, a defense contractor for the US National Security Agency (NSA).
Edward Snowden told the Guardian: “The NSA has built an infrastructure that allows it to intercept almost everything. With this capability, the vast majority of human communications are automatically ingested without targeting.
“If I wanted to see your emails or your wife’s phone, all I have to do is use intercepts. I can get your emails, passwords, phone records, credit cards.
“I don’t want to live in a society that does these sort of things… I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded. That is not something I am willing to support or live under.”
Edward Snowden has said he acted to “protect basic liberties for people around the world” in leaking details of US phone and internet surveillance
He told the paper that the extent of US surveillance was “horrifying”, adding: “We can plant bugs in machines. Once you go on the network, I can identify your machine. You will never be safe whatever protections you put in place.”
Edward Snowden said he did not believe he had committed a crime: “We have seen enough criminality on the part of government. It is hypocritical to make this allegation against me.”
He said he accepted he could end up in jail and fears for people who know him.
Edward Snowden said he had gone to Hong Kong because of its “strong tradition of free speech”.
Hong Kong signed an extradition treaty with the US shortly before the territory returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.
However, Beijing can block any extradition if it believes it affects national defense or foreign policy issues.
A standard visa on arrival in Hong Kong for a US citizen lasts for 90 days and Edward Snowden expressed an interest in seeking asylum in Iceland.
However, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post quoted Iceland’s ambassador to China as saying that “according to Icelandic law a person can only submit such an application once he/she is in Iceland”.
In a statement, Booz Allen Hamilton confirmed Edward Snowden had been an employee for less than three months.
“If accurate, this action represents a grave violation of the code of conduct and core values of our firm,” the statement said.
At a daily press briefing on Monday, White House press secretary Jay Carney said he could not comment on the Snowden case, citing an ongoing investigation into the matter.
The first of the leaks came out on Wednesday night, when the Guardian reported a US secret court ordered phone company Verizon to hand over to the NSA millions of records on telephone call “metadata”.
The metadata include the numbers of both phones on a call, its duration, time, date and location (for mobiles, determined by which mobile signal towers relayed the call or text).
On Thursday, the Washington Post and Guardian said the NSA tapped directly into the servers of nine internet firms including Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo to track online communication in a programme known as PRISM.
All the internet companies deny giving the US government access to their servers.
PRISM is said to give the NSA and FBI access to emails, web chats and other communications directly from the servers of major US internet companies.
The data is used to track foreign nationals suspected of terrorism or spying. The NSA is also collecting the telephone records of American customers, but said it is not recording the content of their calls.
US director of national intelligence James Clapper’s office said information gathered under PRISM was obtained with the approval of the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court (FISA).
PRISM was authorized under changes to US surveillance laws passed under President George W. Bush, and renewed last year under Barack Obama.
President BarackObama has defended the surveillance programmes, assuring Americans that nobody was listening to their calls.
Standard and Poor’s has raised its credit outlook for the US economy from negative to stable.
In August 2011, S&P downgraded the US rating one notch from AAA to AA+, but now believes further downgrades are less likely as the economy continues to recover.
The news saw the US dollar strengthen 1.3% against the Japanese yen, and 0.2% against the euro.
But S&P is still concerned about the high levels of US debt.
The US Treasury Department, which had said that S&P’s calculations in making its initial downgrade were flawed, welcomed the latest action.
“We’re pleased that they are recognizing the progress in the US economy and fiscal results,” said Mary Miller, the Treasury’s under secretary for domestic finance.
Standard and Poor’s has raised its credit outlook for the US economy from negative to stable
The rating agency said in its report the strengths of the US include “its resilient economy, its monetary credibility, and the US dollar’s status as the world’s key reserve currency”, while its weaknesses include “its fiscal performance, its debt burden, and the effectiveness of its fiscal policymaking”.
It noted “tentative improvements”, namely Congress’s avoidance of the “fiscal cliff” at the end of 2012 and the higher-than-expected tax receipts that followed.
But it also said the ability of policymakers to address medium-term fiscal challenges had decreased over the past decade due to a deepening of the partisan divide between Republicans and Democrats in Washington.
“We believe that our current <<AA+>> rating already factors in a lesser ability of US elected officials to react swiftly and effectively to public finance pressures over the longer term in comparison with officials of some more highly rated sovereigns and we expect repeated divisive debates over raising the debt ceiling,” S&P said.
It said the likelihood of it downgrading the US’s rating in the near term was now “less than one in three”.
The move came as the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said that economic growth in the US and Japan was outstripping that of the eurozone.
But most US analysts remained cautious about the upgrade and the equity markets were little changed in New York.
Omer Esiner, chief market analyst at Commonwealth Foreign Exchange in Washington DC, said: “The revised rating is positive news for the dollar but I do not see it being a major catalyst.
“This is just the latest indication that we are seeing a broad stabilization and improvement in the economy and ultimately the government’s fiscal position is improving, albeit slowly.”
Rival rating agencies Moody’s and Fitch have both kept their AAA ratings for the US.
Stephane Richard, CEO of France Telecom-Orange, has been held in custody for questioning in Bernard Tapie corruption case.
Stephane Richard, who previously worked in the French Finance Ministry, was quizzed over his role in a 2008 payment made to the businessman Bernard Tapie.
The businessman denies any wrongdoing.
Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has also been called upon to testify in the case.
She was the French Finance Minister at the time in question while Stephane Richard was her chief of staff.
Stephane Richard, CEO of France Telecom-Orange, has been held in custody for questioning in Bernard Tapie corruption case
France Telecom-Orange said the questioning was expected and that Stephane Richard remained in charge. He can be held for up to 48 hours.
His contract at the partly state-owned company is up for renewal next year and the position is chosen by the government.
“The state in its role as a shareholder will take a position if needed at the right time on the continuing case,” Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg said in a statement.
The Court of Justice of the Republic, which investigates ministerial misconduct in France, is looking into claims that Bernard Tapie may have received favorable treatment because of his support for the former President, Nicolas Sarkozy.
He received a payment of 400 million euros ($520 million) as part of a settlement in a long-running business dispute, which critics say was too generous.
After two days of questioning Christine Lagarde was made a key witness in the case – a status that means she is unlikely to be prosecuted.
AstraZeneca, the second largest drugs company in UK, has announced it is buying California-based Pearl Therapeutics in a deal worth up to $1.15 billion.
Privately-owned Pearl specializes in drugs used in the treatment of lung disease and asthma.
AstraZeneca said it will pay $560 million initially, then $450 million subject to drug development milestones being reached.
It could also make sales-related payments of up to $140 million in addition.
The acquisition will give AstraZeneca a foothold in the emerging market for a new class of lung treatments known as LABA/LAMA drugs, administered via an inhaler.
AstraZeneca has announced it is buying California-based Pearl Therapeutics in a deal worth up to $1.15 billion
These drugs are used in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which affects about 210 million people worldwide.
Anglo-Swedish AstraZeneca, under its new chief executive Pascal Soriot, who took over in October 2012, has identified respiratory treatments as one of its core businesses.
AstraZeneca has been suffering falling profits and sales as several of its blockbuster drugs, such as the anti-psychotic Seroquel and anti-cholesterol Crestor, have lost their patent protection, allowing cheaper generic drugs to enter the market.
It was also forced to write off $140 million relating to a failed arthritis drug.
AstraZeneca is simplifying its drug development programme, cutting 5,000 jobs by 2016, and is looking to expand through acquisitions instead.
Apple has unveiled iOS7 revamp, a new look for the user interface of its smart device operating system, the first to be overseen by its design chief Jony Ive.
Jony Ive said the aim was to make the system look “cleaner” to help “elevate” users’ content.
It involves a shift away from skeuomorphism – the use of leather, wood and other real-world inspired textures and artifacts in apps.
A similar change has also been made to its OS X system for Mac computers.
Highlighting the new look of the firm’s Game Center app, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi joked: “We just completely ran out of green felt and wood – this has got to be good for the environment.”
Craig Federighi also showed off a parallax effect which means icons shift against the background image as an iPhone-user tilts their handset one way and another, based on feedback from the device’s accelerometer sensor.
“The new version is almost unrecognizable, which will make it polarizing,” said Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at the consultancy Ovum.
“Some people will love that their phone feels new and different, while others will be disoriented by the newness.
“Finding your Settings app is hard when the icon has totally changed, and the many people who easily get disoriented by their gadgets may well have a negative experience.
“On the other hand, this is a clear statement from Apple that it acknowledges the need to refresh the user interface and is willing to do something pretty dramatic.”
Apple has unveiled iOS7 revamp
Apple also announced iTunes Radio – a streaming music service offering access to themed stations which can be tailored according to a person’s listening history on iTunes, as well as tracks from specific bands – including unreleased exclusives – which they do not own.
The firm suggested it was a way for users to “discover new music”, and Apple will promote the ability to buy songs that a user likes via its store.
The feature is accessible via iOS 7’s music app and poses a challenge to LastFm, Pandora, Spotify and other similar products.
It comes a month after Google unveiled Play Music All Access, a similar facility for Android devices. But unlike the search firm’s pay-to-use model, Apple is making iRadio accessible without charge if users are willing to listen to adverts, as well as an ad-free option to users buying an iTunes Match subscription.
One music industry watcher suggested Apple’s move could prove disruptive in light of the fact the firm has 575 million iTunes accounts.
Other new features to iOS 7 include:
Automatic app updates
A swipe-up Control Center feature which brings together frequently used functions such as turning on Wi-Fi or bluetooth, and using a phone as a “flashlight”
The ability to carry out searches via Microsoft’s Bing service within the voice-controlled Siri app, which also features new voices
An anti-theft measure which requires a user to enter an associated ID and password before being able to deactivate a device’s Find My iPhone feature
Redesigned fonts to create the appearance of sharper text
About 37.4 million iPhones shipped worldwide in the January-to-March quarter according to market intelligence firm IDC, confirming its status as Apple’s biggest source of revenue.
Although that was a rise on the same period in 2012, the study indicates the firm’s smartphone market share slipped to 17.3% while Android’s grew to 75%, thanks in large part to Samsung’s success. It also indicated Apple is facing a similar trend in the tablet sector.
Apple’s products might still be more profitable, but IDC suggested it needed the refresh.
“People were getting a bit bored with the old design so Apple needed to make significant changes,” said IDC’s mobile device research director Francisco Jeronimo.
Apple said iOS 7 would be released to the public in the autumn.
Microsoft has announced its new Xbox One’s launch date and price.
Xbox One console will go on sale in November this year, with a recommended retail price of $499 in the US, £429 in the UK and 499 euros in Europe.
The announcement was made during its keynote opening event at the E3 games expo in Los Angeles.
Rival console manufacturer Sony said its console would be out during the “holiday 2013” period, although no official date has been set.
If both the PlayStation 4 and the XBox One go on sale in November this year, it would be the first time the two rivals have launched simultaneously. Previous consoles were released at least a year apart.
Aoife Wilson, a Staff Writer with Xbox 360: The Official Xbox Magazine, said there did not appear to be any reason for the increased price in Europe compared to the US.
“There’s a 34% mark up on the price this side of the Atlantic and there’s no real reason I can see for that”, she said.
Microsoft has announced its new Xbox One’s launch date and price
“The price seems to be a real sticking point for many people, based on the comments I’ve seen on Twitter. But the XBox One has so many unique capabilities over its rival, that it might just give them the edge.”
“I think people will be willing to pay that price and I do think that price will come down next year”, she added.
Most of the event was used to showcase the new titles that would accompany the launch.
As both Sony and Microsoft know, a good exclusive title can dramatically increase the popularity and sales of a new console. Many have put the initial success of Microsoft’s first console – the XBox – when it launched in 2001 down to securing the exclusive on the first person shooter Halo.
The first game shown at the event was Ryse: Son of Rome. A first person hack and slash action game, developed by Crytek, it puts you in the boots of a soldier of the Roman empire. The game had originally been announced as a XBox 360 exclusive at E3 two years ago.
Other exclusive titles, such as Killer Instinct and Forza 5 were also shown.
Microsoft also announced it was going to set up five in-house development studios to create exclusive content.
A number of other titles were also showcased, including Minecraft ,the block mining and building game; a new version of Halo due out in 2014; DeadRising 3, a zombie horror game; and a new version of the first person shooter Battlefield series.
While Kim Kardashian was stuck in Los Angeles awaiting the birth of their first child due next month, Kanye West was due to appear at the Governor’s Ball on Sunday night.
The couple reportedly received some generous gifts from millionaire friends Beyonce and Gwyneth Paltrow.
They both declined invitations to Kim Kardashian’s baby shower but instead sent some pricey gifts to the reality star in their absence.
“Both Gwyneth and Beyonce politely declined Kim’s offer of attending her baby shower. Beyonce is busy touring and Gwyneth doesn’t really know Kim that well,” a source told the Sunday Mirror.
“But Beyonce and Jay Z [gave her] a $15,000 Swarovski crystal-studded high chair designed by Carla Monchen.”
Health nut Gwyneth Paltrow – who shares the same fitness trainer as Kim Kardashian – sent a typically health-conscious gift option.
Beyonce and Gwyneth Paltrow both declined invitations to Kim Kardashian’s baby shower but instead sent some pricey gifts to the reality star in their absence
“Gwyneth sent six-month-pregnant Kim a $550 Vitamix blender and 21-day cleanse,” the source alleged. No doubt with the good intentions of helping Kim Kardashian bounce back into shape.
Meanwhile, Kim Kardashian while has struggled with trying to please everybody in the fashion world since becoming pregnant even sister Khloe recently admitted that the floral dress she wore to the Met Gala was a bad choice.
The dress had been widely mocked, with Robin Williams hilariously claiming that he “wore it better” as Mrs. Doubtfire in the 1993 movie.
When asked what she thought of the dress, Khloe Kardashian said: “I think Kim is beautiful. I wish, like, the gloves…”
She added: “I just felt like it was too covered somehow, just because her body, her b**bs, her belly, just all looked like one.”
Khloe Kardashian recently admitted that she was “offended” by Kim and Kourtney’s decision not to tell her Kim was pregnant.
Khloe Kardashian said: “I found out by watching Kourtney and Kim Take Miami that Kourtney said, <<This is going to push Khloe over the edge and we can’t tell her>>. I got offended by that.”
She added: “Of course I would be happy for my sister to have a baby.”
