According to recent figures, the US consumer spending fell in April, for the first time in nearly a year.
The Department of Commerce said consumer spending fell 0.2% in April.
Analysts had expected a rise of 0.1%, which was the change seen in March. Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of US economic activity.
Spending was held back by weaker demand for utilities and less money being spent on petrol, following a fall in the price of fuel. Tax increases may also have hit spending.
An increase in social security payments has reduced the take-home pay of workers. A person earning $50,000 a year has about $1,000 less to spend a year because of the increase in the social security taxes. A household with two highly paid workers has up to $4,500 less.
Also, because petrol prices declined sharply in March and April, the amount of money consumers were spending at fuel stations fell.
Figures showed that household income was unchanged last month, after a 0.3% rise in March and 1.2% gain in February.
The US economy has also been hit by government spending cuts, which took effect at the beginning of March.
The US consumer spending fell 0.2 percent in April 2013
Figures released on Thursday showed that the US economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.4% in the first three months of the year, down slightly from the original estimate of 2.5%.
The rate of growth is expected to slow in the current quarter, because of the impact of federal spending cuts and continuing weakness in the global economy.
However, there could be some relief later in the year.
House prices have risen 11% over the past 12 months, which could spur spending. Some economists contend that for every dollar rise in the value of house prices, consumer spending can rise by as much as 10 cents.
In addition, the slow, but steady, improvement in the employment figures in the US could also provide support to consumer spending. Figures due out next week are expected to show that 165,000 jobs were created in May.
Kelly Brook has finally retaliated at love rival Katie Price as the bitter war of words between the enemies intensifies.
Labelling Katie Price “desperate” and claiming the 35-year-old star has been “threatening” her via text message, Kelly Brook seemed to have got wind of the fact that the pregnant mother-of-three was planning on doing a “kiss and tell” on Danny Cipriani over the weekend.
Branding the move “hilarious”, Kelly Brook, 33, slammed Katie Price for being “one of many” when she briefly dated Danny Cipriani in October 2011.
Writing on her Twitter page in a series of posts, Kelly Brook said: “@MissKatiePrice Your doing a Kiss&Tell on Danny?? Haha that’s hilarious you dated for 5mins and was one of many at that time. Desperate.
“@MissKatiePrice I saw the texts you sent him threatening me. So yes I’ve seen the messages. Will happily call you. DM me.”
While Katie Price is yet to respond to the tweet, it would seem the feud between the warring pair is set to continue for a while longer.
Glamour model Katie Price upped the spat earlier this week by warning Kelly Brook that her boyfriend will never be faithful to her.
Katie Price, also known as Jordan, reignited her war of words with the TV presenter on Twitter on Tuesday night, claiming Danny Cipriani is always trying to contact her, just days after Kelly Brook mocked her recent marriage to Kieran Hayler on Celebrity Juice.
The 35-year-old mother-of-three lashed out at Kelly Brook, writing: “@IAMKELLYBROOK pick up the phone if you hav a prob instead of hiding behind a tv screen to bully me!
“@IAMKELLYBROOK ask danny about his emails & texes sent to me behind your back which will show you kieran agrees he will never be faithful.”
Katie Price’s comments come after Kelly Brook made fun of her third marriage on Celebrity Juice on Thursday, when host Keith Lemon asked the panel: “What did Katie Price do for her husband on their wedding day?”
Kelly Brook replied: “Did she burn my calendar hanging on his wall?”
When a fan tweeted Katie Price about the joke, she replied: “I’m sure kelly wouldn’t be laughing if I said the things Danny Cip said to me about her in the bedroom when I was with him hahaha (sic).”
Kelly Brook then hit back and implied that she was still in touch with Danny Cipriani, when he briefly dated Katie Price in October 2011, despite living with then-boyfriend Thom Evans at the time.
She wrote: “No but I did laugh when he turned up at my house driving your car the next day 😉 I don’t think you know anything.”
Kelly Brook and Danny Cipriani on holiday in Tobago
On Tuesday night, Katie Price thanked Kelly Brook for confirming that Danny Cipriani had driven her car “without a license and insurance”.
She then teased fans that she would reveal all about her brief fling with the rugby player in her upcoming autobiography.
But Kelly Brook had been ignoring Katie Price’s last comments, instead choosing to post pictures of her holiday with Danny Cipriani instead – until now.
The models have been embroiled in a bitter feud since Kelly Brook reunited with Danny Cipriani in February and Katie Price called her a “heffer”.
She added: “Rumor has it she’s been hanging out with our mutual ex Danny Cipriani. Knowing him, I guess she’s probably been doing a bit of comfort eating.”
Kelly Brook and Katie Price seemed to have reached a ceasefire recently after weeks of trading barbs. However, the rift between the pair is well and truly back on, and seems to have reached a new level after the latest bout of tweets started last weekend.
When someone tweeted Katie Price telling her she was being “mugged off hard” by Kelly Price’s comments, she responded: “I’m flattered she must be obsessed with me as has to keep mentioning me.”
When one Twitter user included Kelly Brook and Katie Price’s handles in her message, it ended up creating an online dialogue between the rivals.
On Friday night, Katie Price initially refrained from replying to Kelly Brook’s comment directly, she did retweet a comment from a follower suggesting Kelly should keep quiet.
The tweet, by @TysonPrice4 read: “@IAMKELLYBROOK Why don’t you leave @MissKatiePrice name out of you’re mouth u stupid b**ch !!!”
Katie Price briefly dated Danny Cipriani in October 2011, (during a break from ex-fiance Leandro Penna) who has since reunited with Kelly Brook in February this year.
Kelly Brook and Danny Cipriani originally dated from 2008 until 2010, before she went on to have a two year romance with his former Wasps teammate Thom Evans.
However, Kelly Brook returned to her ex just weeks after splitting from Thom in January 2013.
The row between Katie Price and Kelly Brook kicked off in February this year, when the former accused the brunette model of looking heavier after seeing photos of her shooting her New Look swimwear campaign in Miami.
She wrote her column in The Sun: “The pictures of Kelly modelling her latest New Look swimwear range in Miami don’t seem to be airbrushed and I’m FLABbergasted to see how big Kelly really is. You’re a heffer (sic), Kelly, but still a hot one.”
She even suggested Kelly Brook was “comfort eating” because she was seeing her ex-boyfriend Danny Cipriani again.
Soon after, Kelly Brook responded, accusing the mother-of-three of being “rude”.
Kelly Brook said: “I actually wish her all the best. It’s sad isn’t it? I think it’s a bit sad… I think girls can get away with having a bit of meat on our bones; I don’t mind a wobbly arm or a bit of cellulite.”
However, a few days later, Kelly Brook couldn’t resist making a pop of Katie Price on Celebrity Juice, when she compared her to the character Magda from the hit movie There’s Something About Mary.
When asked by host Keith Lemon what she would do if Katie Price was there, she replied: “What, Magda from There’s Something About Mary?”
Magda was the fiftysomething, sun-worshipping next door neighbor of Cameron Diaz’s character Mary in the hit 1998 comedy.
Played by actress Lin Shaye, she was known for her bleached blonde hair, permatan and caked on make-up… not unlike Katie Price.
That fired up Katie Price even more, who posted a zoomed-in photo of Kelly Brook’s na**d breasts, which had been taken on holiday in St Barts in 2008.
However, Kelly Brook responded with another dig a few weeks later on the ITV2 show, when she played a game where an image of Katie Price’s swimsuit-clad figure had been projected over her.
Unaware of Katie Price’s body being projected across the green screen she had stuck her head through, Kelly Brook eventually realized who she was supposed to be and asked: “Do I talk a lot of s**t?”
Madonna was campaigning for female empowerment across the globe at the 2013 Sound Of Change concert, but fans seemed more fixated on her “swollen” face as she took to the stage at London’s Twickenham Stadium on Saturday night.
Within moments of Madonna appearing in front of a crowd of thousands, audience members took to Twitter to slam her somewhat puffy-faced look as she presented a segment of the charity gig.
Madonna’s look was all the more obvious thanks to her conservative ensemble, which saw her cover up from head to toe in a black high-necked sweater and matching trousers.
Wearing her honey blonde locks pulled back from her face, Madonna’s facial features were clear to see.
One fan wrote on Twitter: “Madonna, please stop messing with your face. It used to be a lovely face and now it’s looking weird.”
While one viewer stated: “Madonna looks absolutely ridiculous these days. Why on earth would anyone want to do THAT to their face?”
And although fans seemed thrilled to see Madonna, 54, support such a worthwhile cause, some admitted they were a little distracted by her puffy-faced appearance.
One wrote: “Brava Madonna at #Chime for speaking out (I’m trying not to be distracted by how much work she’s had on her face).”
While one viewer implored: “Madonna leave your face alone.”
Madonna swollen face at Sound Of Change 2013 concert
But it didn’t seem as though the star cared too much about her appearance as she received a rapturous applause from the packed-out stadium as she called on her fans to start a “revolution of love”.
Madonna said: “I keep telling people I want to start a revolution, but my revolution doesn’t involve bloodshed and violence. My revolution starts with education. My revolution is about achieving a higher level of consciousness, but this cannot start without education.
“We cannot change this world, nor begin to treat each other with human dignity, without an education. Let tonight be the beginning of this revolution because education is not a luxury, it is a basic human right.
“I invite you all to join my revolution of love. Join me tonight. The revolution of love starts here. I believe my girls out there deserve the best education. They deserve the best in health. And I believe in justice for my girls everywhere.”
Madonna has previously insisted she hasn’t undergone any cosmetic procedures, but would not rule it out in the future.
The star said: “I am what I am. And I don’t like the idea of someone putting you to sleep then taking knives to you.
“I am not going to hold a press conference if I have plastic surgery. But I’ve said many times, I think about it and I sure don’t rule it out.”
The Sound Of Change concert was part of Gucci’s new global campaign for girls’ and women’s empowerment, and is being broadcast across six continents to over 150 countries, with more than one billion people expected to see it in total.
The charity has put on the concert in conjunction with the Chime For Change initiative, which aims to raise awareness of education, health and justice for women everywhere.
Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Rita Ora were among the stars taking to the stage to perform for at the star-studded event, while the likes of Blake Lively, Jessica Chastain and Ryan Reynolds presented segments of the gig.
Matt Smith is to leave his role in Doctor Who at the end of this year
Matt Smith is to leave his role in Doctor Who at the end of this year, the BBC has announced.
After four years as the Time Lord on Doctor Who, viewers will see Matt Smith’s Doctor regenerate in the 2013 Christmas special.
Matt Smith, 30, said working on the show had been “the most brilliant experience”.
Doctor Who marks its 50th anniversary in November with a special episode, which Matt Smith has already filmed.
Matt Smith’s “spectacular exit” was yet to be revealed and would be “kept tightly under wraps”.
He first stepped into the Tardis as the 11th Doctor in 2010. Taking over from David Tennant, he was the youngest actor to play the role of the Doctor.
Speaking after the announcement, Matt Smith said he was “incredibly proud” of what the show had achieved over the last four years under Steven Moffat, the show’s lead writer and executive producer.
Matt Smith also thanked fans around the world for their “truly remarkable” dedication to the show.
During his tenure, Matt Smith’s floppy-haired, bow tie-wearing Time Lord has fought enemies such as the Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels and the Silence.
His Doctor has shared his adventures with Amy Pond (Karen Gillan), Rory Williams (Arthur Darvill) and most recently, Clara Oswald (Jenna-Louise Coleman).
Referring to his time-travelling companions, Matt Smith said: “It’s been an honor to play this part, to follow the legacy of brilliant actors, and helm the Tardis for a spell with ‘the ginger, the nose and the impossible one’. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go…”
Show runner Steven Moffat said: “Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised me. The way he’d turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or out of nowhere make me cry – I just never knew what was coming next.
“The Doctor can be clown and hero – often at the same time – and Matt rose to both challenges magnificently. And even better than that, given the pressures of this extraordinary show, he is one of the nicest and hardest-working people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. Whatever we threw at him – sometimes literally – his behavior was always worthy of the Doctor.”
Steven Moffat added: “Great actors always know when it’s time for the curtain call, so this Christmas prepare for your hearts to break as we say goodbye to number 11. Thank you Matt – bow ties were never cooler.”
The announcement of Matt Smith’s exit is likely to spark months of fevered speculation about his replacement.
“Somewhere out there right now – all unknowing, just going about their business – is someone who’s about to become the Doctor,” Steven Moffat hinted.
“A life is going to change, and Doctor Who will be born all over again. After 50 years, that’s still so exciting.”
Matt Smith’s first adventure in April 2010, the Eleventh Hour, saw his newly-regenerated Doctor crash his Tardis into the garden of a young Scottish girl who was later to become his new companion – Amy Pond.
In his most recent adventure, the Name of the Doctor – which aired two weeks ago – Matt Smith’s Time Lord visited his own grave on the planet Trenzalore.
In 2011, Matt Smith became the first actor to be nominated for a BAFTA in the role.
And he won the most popular male drama performance award at the National Television Awards in 2012.
Born in Northampton in 1982, Matt Smith studied drama and creative writing at the University of East Anglia.
He made his TV debut in the 2006 adaptation of Philip Pullman’s the Ruby in the Smoke, which starred former Doctor Who companion Billie Piper.
Matt Smith’s stage work has included stints with theatre companies such as the Royal Court and National Theatre. His West End debut was in Swimming With Sharks opposite Christian Slater.
During his time in Doctor Who, Matt Smith also appeared in TV films Christopherand His Kind, in which he played novelist Christopher Isherwood, and in Olympic rowing drama Bert and Dickie.
Michael Adebolajo has been charged with the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich, south-east London, on May 22.
Michael Adebolajo, 28, of Romford, Essex, was also charged with the attempted murder of two police officers and possession of a firearm.
He has been remanded in custody to appear in Westminster Magistrates Court on Monday.
Michael Adebowale, 22, has already been charged with the soldier’s murder and appeared in court on Thursday.
Michael Adebowale, of Greenwich, south-east London, was remanded in custody and is due to appear at the Old Bailey, London, on Monday.
He was charged after spending six days in hospital, having been shot by police and arrested following the attack on May 22.
Michael Adebolajo, who was also shot and arrested at the scene, was charged after spending nine days in hospital and taken into custody at a south London police station.
Both Michael Adebowale and Michael Adebolajo were filmed and photographed by witnesses following the attack, which took place on a busy street during the afternoon.
Michael Adebolajo has been charged with the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich
On Wednesday, a post-mortem examination found Drummer Lee Rigby, from Middleton, Greater Manchester, died of “multiple incised wounds” after the attack.
Thousands of flowers have been laid at the scene of the killing by members of the public in honor of Drummer Lee Rigby.
The total number of arrests made in connection with the attack stands at 12. So far, eight of those arrested have been bailed and two released without charge.
Meanwhile, far-right and anti-fascist groups have held rival demonstrations in central London amid increased tensions following Drummer Lee Rigby’s murder.
Police said 58 members of Unite Against Fascism had been arrested at a counter-protest sparked by a British National Party demonstration in Westminster. All were arrested for breaches of the Public Order Act.
On Friday, Drummer Lee Rigby’s family appealed for calm after reports of a rise in anti-Muslim incidents following the killing.
In a statement, his family said Lee Rigby would not have wanted his death used to excuse reprisal attacks, and called for people to “show their respect in a peaceful manner”.
Complex magazine named Rihanna number one on its 100 Hottest Women Right Now list, released this week.
The publication, which Rihanna covered in January, credited her busy year as the main attribute to her hotness.
Deeming Rihanna’s seventh Grammy Award win for her We Found Love music video as her greatest accomplishment this year, Complex never once mentioned her oft-revealed killer body as one of the qualities that made her the hottest.
Complex magazine named Rihanna number one on its 100 Hottest Women Right Now list
Rihanna, 25, has been touring in Barcelona as of Saturday.
The singer tweeted a picture of herself with Brigitte Bardot-esque new blonde locks, saying: “It’s about that time #BARCELONA.”
In the image, Rihanna peered through her newly short fringe that she parted in the centre, and large barrel curls flowed around her face.
Rihanna launched her world tour back in March, taking overseas in May and continuing with dates in the UK, France, Netherlands and ending in Australia and New Zealand in October.
The tour, which is Rihanna’s fifth since releasing her first single Pon De Replay in 2005, features specially designed couture by Givenchy, Christian Dior, Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin.
Bruce Jenner, Kim Kardashian’s stepfather, revealed he has only met Kanye West once.
Bruce Jenner, 63, admits that he doesn’t know Kanye West well because he has barely been around during Kim Kardashian’s pregnancy.
“[I’ve] only met him once,” Bruce Jenner told Extra.
“Yeah, he’s not around, he was in Paris the whole time writing, and he just hasn’t been around.”
Kim kardashian, 32, has also failed to introduce her boyfriend of more than one year to her step-brother Brody Jenner, who is joining their show Keeping Up With The Kardashians this season.
“I’ve never met [Kanye West],” Brody Jenner said.
“But everyone in the family says great things about him.”
But Kanye West, 35, is set to make a brief appearance at Kim Kardashian’s baby shower in Beverly Hills on Sunday alongside her younger sister Khloe’s husband Lamar Odom and her older sister Kourtney’s boyfriend Scott Disick.
“It’s girls, but Kanye will come at the end,” Khloe Kardashian revealed to Us Magazine.
Bruce Jenner revealed he has only met Kanye West once
“I said I want Rob [Kardashian] to be there the whole time because I feel bad he’s like left out of all this stuff. So I said come the whole time, but I don’t know if he is.”
Khloe Kardashian continued, adding that Kanye West hasn’t really assimilated himself with the family: “I think Scott and Lamar might bring Kanye at the end, because Kanye feels it’s a little weird if he’s the only guy.”
While men aren’t traditionally included in the pregnancy milestone, rumors were sparked last month that Kim Kardashian had to beg Kanye West to attend her upcoming baby shower because it will be highlighted for an E! special.
And while Kim Kardashian has been busy filming the eight season ahead of her July due date, Kanye West has yet to make an appearance as he is adamant about keeping his life details private.
It was previously revealed that Kanye West wants his girlfriend of more than a year to quit reality TV because he thinks it is a waste of time.
A source previously said: “Kanye doesn’t want to film the show anymore. And he doesn’t want Kim to do reality TV either. He’s pushing her to stop.
“Kanye wants to be in control of his image, not at the mercy of show producers. The Kardashian show hurts his cool image.”
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have also expressed resistance to raising their child-to-be in front of the cameras, but Kim seems to be pulling back at the restriction.
In a recent sit down with The Times magazine, she declined to give a straight answer as to whether she will be including her newborn in any upcoming episodes.
“I don’t think so. Not as of now,” she wavered.
Khloe Kardashian, 28, was quick to clarify, adding that the possibility of having the Kimye baby on the show could be a very real one.
Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj are leaving American Idol after one season as judges on the talent show.
The announcement comes in the same month as original judge Randy Jackson also left the panel.
Nicki Minaj told her 16 million Twitter followers: “Thank you American Idol for a life changing experience! Wouldn’t trade it for the world! Time to focus on the Music!!! Mmmuuuaahhh!”
Mariah Carey’s departure was also announced on Twitter.
Her spokesperson said the singer was now working on a world tour.
Mariah Carey, 43, and Nicki Minaj, 30, joined country singer Keith Urban and Randy Jackson for the show’s 12th season.
It is unclear whether Keith Urban will return for the show’s next series.
Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj are leaving American Idol after one season as judges on the talent show
Mariah Carey reportedly earned $18 million while Nicki Minaj’s salary was reported to have been $12 million.
American Idol‘s ratings fell to their lowest point in 12 years this series with 14.2 million watching the season finale, which was won by Candice Glover.
Fox, which broadcasts the show, said Mariah Carey was a “true global icon” and that they felt “extremely fortunate” that she was part of the show.
In a joint statement with American Idol‘s production company, FremantleMedia, the network added: “Nicki Minaj is a superstar who brought a level of honesty and passion to American Idol and who had a tremendous positive impact on so many contestants this season.
“Given her extremely busy career, we understand and respect her decision and wish her the best.”
Turkish police have pulled out of Istanbul’s Taksim Square which has become the focus of the largest anti-government protest in years.
Thousands of people are in Taksim Square after days of unrest sparked by plans to redevelop nearby Gezi Park.
In recent days police have fired tear gas and water cannon several times to break up the demonstrations.
PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said police may have used excessive force but that the park development will go ahead.
Earlier on Saturday, he called for an end to the protests, saying Taksim Square “cannot be an area where extremists are running wild”.
In a defiant speech to the exporters’ union, Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted plans to reconstruct an Ottoman era military barracks on the Gezi Park site would go ahead and that a shopping mall “might be built on the ground floor or a city museum”.
The protesters say the park is one of the few green spaces left in Istanbul, and that the government is ignoring their appeals for it be saved.
Their protests initially began as a sit-in in the park, but erupted in clashes on Friday as police fired tear gas to try to clear them out.
Correspondents say that what was initially a local issue has spiraled into widespread anti-government unrest and anger over the perceived “Islamisation” of Turkey.
Thousands of people are in Taksim Square after days of unrest sparked by plans to redevelop nearby Gezi Park
One woman told Agence France-Presse: “They want to turn this country into an Islamist state, they want to impose their vision all the while pretending to respect democracy.”
Another, Oral Goktas, said the protest had brought together people from many different backgrounds.
“This has become a protest against the government, against Erdogan taking decisions like a king,” she told Reuters news agency.
The perception that police had been heavy-handed by firing tear gas and water cannon – a view adopted by many of the country’s mainstream media – also fuelled the unrest. Dozens of people have been injured in the clashes.
Turkey’s Hurriyet newspaper quoted police as saying 138 people were in custody.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said there had been “some mistakes, extremism in police response”, while the authorities have insisted that any allegations of abuse of power by the police will be investigated.
In an apparent bid to reduce tensions, police and riot vehicles were withdrawn from the square on Saturday afternoon, and barricades removed, allowing thousands of people to enter the square.
The scene in the central square appeared to be peaceful, with protesters chanting slogans, dancing and waving banners, some calling for the government to resign.
However clashes continued in the Besiktas district of the city to the east.
Police were using tear gas and water cannon to hold back protesters near the Shangri-la hotel.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in power since 2002 and some in Turkey have complained that his government is becoming increasingly authoritarian.
His ruling AK Party has its roots in political Islam, but he says he is committed to Turkey’s state secularism.
The US has expressed concern over Turkey’s handling of the protests and Amnesty International condemned the police’s tactics, saying: “The use of violence by police on this scale appears designed to deny the right to peaceful protest altogether and to discourage others from taking part.”
In his speech, Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the “preaching” of foreign governments, saying they “should first look at their own countries”.
Iraqi authorities say they have uncovered an al-Qaeda plot to use chemical weapons, as well as to smuggle them to Europe and North America.
Iraqi defense ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said five men had been arrested after military intelligence monitored their activities for three months.
Three workshops for manufacturing the chemical agents, including sarin and mustard gas, were uncovered, he added.
Remote-controlled toy planes were also seized at the workshops.
Mohammed al-Askari said they were to have been used to release the chemical agents over the target from a “safe” distance of 1.5 km (0.9 miles).
All of the arrested men had confessed to the plot, and said they had received instruction from another al-Qaeda offshoot, he added.
As the defense ministry spokesman spoke on Iraqi TV, footage was shown of four men with black hoods on their heads, our correspondent adds. Three of them were wearing bright yellow jumpsuits and a fourth was in a brown jumpsuit.
Iraqi authorities have uncovered an al-Qaeda plot to use chemical weapons
Their arrests were possible because of co-operation between Iraqi and foreign intelligence services, Mohammed al-Askari said.
Al-Qaeda in Iraq is believed the only offshoot of the Islamist militant network to have used chemical weapons.
It detonated a 16 crude chlorine bombs in Iraq between October 2006 and June 2007.
Chlorine inhalation made many hundreds of people sick, but no deaths resulting from exposure to the chemical were recorded, US officials said at the time. Instead, the bomb blasts are believed to have caused the fatalities.
At the time, US officials said al-Qaeda appeared to want to use debilitating agents like chlorine in their bombs to cause casualties beyond those hit by the initial explosion.
US and Iraqi troops subsequently killed or detained many of the militants who were building the chlorine-laced bombs and seized much of their stockpiled chemicals.
A letter written by the late al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden five days before he was killed in a US military raid in Pakistan in 2011 urged members of the group’s offshoot in Yemen who he believed were considering using “poison” to be “careful of doing it without enough study of all aspects, including political and media reaction”, according to CNN.
Experts believe a lack of clinical trials aimed at younger breast cancer patients could be partly to blame for longer-term survival problems.
The study, funded by Cancer Research UK and the Wessex Cancer Trust, analyzed nearly 3,000 women under 40 in the UK with diagnosed breast cancer.
It found a rapid rise in relapse after five years in younger patients with a certain type of the cancer.
This contrasts with what normally happens with the disease.
Experts believe a lack of clinical trials aimed at younger breast cancer patients could be partly to blame for longer-term survival problems
The data, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, showed that survival five years after diagnosis was 85%. By the eight-year mark it was 68%.
Breast cancer is mostly diagnosed in post-menopausal women, although those with a diagnosis under 40 represent fewer than 5% of all breast cancers treated in the UK.
The study looked at cases involving oestrogen-receptor-positive disease, whose cancers are fuelled by the female hormone oestrogen.
This form of the disease is usually treated by chemotherapy followed by the drug tamoxifen for five years to block oestrogen receptors.
Researchers suggested that taking tamoxifen for a longer period may help, but they said the underlying problem was that trials needed to involve more younger patients.
Chief investigator Prof. Dianna Eccles said: “This study adds to the evidence that breast cancer can behave very differently when diagnosed in younger women.
“They may require a different approach to treatment, which isn’t necessarily understood from cancer trials in older patients.”
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, Helen Fielding’s first novel in 14 years, is to be published later this year.
The novel is Helen Fielding’s third about the hapless singleton, following Bridget Jones’s Diary, which was published in 1996, and sequel The Edge Of Reason in 1999.
The books sold more than 15 million copies in 40 countries and were adapted for the movies starring Renee Zellweger in the lead role, Colin Firth as Mark Darcy and Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver.
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, which will be published on October 10, is set in present day London and ‘represents a totally new phase in Bridget’s life’.
An extract released by publishers showed that Bridget Jones is still prone to mishaps.
She writes after sending a text message: “You see, this is the trouble with the modern world. If it was the days of letter-writing, I would never even have started to find his address, a pen, a piece of paper, an envelope, a stamp and gone outside at 11.30 p.m. to find a postbox.
“A text is gone at the brush of a fingertip, like a nuclear bomb or Exocet missile. Dating Rule No 1: Do not text when drunk.”
Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy, Helen Fielding’s first novel in 14 years, is to be published later this year
A statement from publishers Jonathan Cape said: “Bridget is older, she is still keeping a diary, but she is also immersed in texting and experimenting with social media, with an emphasis on <<social!>>.”
Jonathan Cape publishing director Dan Franklin said: “As a comic writer, Helen is without equal. Over 15 years ago she gave a voice to a generation of young women with the original Bridget book.
“Now they’ve grown up and she’s doing it again….this time with all the joys and complications of social media.”
Bridget Jones, who filled the pages of her diary with her failed efforts to find love and measured her life in the amount of cigarettes she smoked, units of alcohol she drank and number of calories she lost or gained, started life as a weekly column in The Independent in 1995.
Best-selling English author Helen Fielding recently wrote that the dating scene had become even more difficult for women thanks to the advent of email, Twitter, Facebook and texting.
Writing in the margins of her novel Bridget Jones’ Diary for a charity book sale, she said that she thought that finding a partner is “so much worse now”.
Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth recently dashed hopes that a third Bridget Jones film would be hitting the big-screen soon.
“Unfortunately, it might be a bit of a long wait. I wouldn’t say that it’s completely dead in the water, but the way it’s going you might be seeing Bridget Jones’ granddaughter’s story being told by the time we get there,” he quipped.
According to a Scottish research, the cheap inflatable leg wraps may save the lives of patients after a stroke.
The devices regularly squeeze the legs to keep blood flowing and prevent formation of fatal blood clots.
A trial with 2,876 patients, published in the Lancet, showed there were fewer clots with the wraps.
The UK’s Stroke Association said the results were “extremely encouraging” and had the potential to save thousands of lives.
A clot in the leg, a deep vein thrombosis, is normally associated with long flights, but is a problem for hospital patients unable to move.
Doctors at Western General Hospital and the University of Edinburgh said compression socks did not improve survival and clot-busting drugs led to other problems, including bleeding on the brain.
They tested the devices, which fit around the legs and fill with air every minute. They compress the legs and force the blood back to the heart.
They were worn for a month or until the patient recovered and was able to move again.
In the study, 8.5% of patients using the compression device developed blood clots, compared with 12.1% of patients who were treated normally.
According to a Scottish research, the cheap inflatable leg wraps may save the lives of patients after a stroke
Prof. Martin Dennis said: “At last we have a simple, safe and affordable treatment that reduces the risk of deep vein thrombosis and even appears to reduce the risk of dying after a stroke.
“We estimate that this treatment could potentially help about 60,000 stroke patients each year in the UK.
“If this number were treated, we would prevent about 3,000 developing a deep vein thrombosis and perhaps save 1,500 lives.”
He said the system should also be tested in other immobile patients, such as those with pneumonia.
Prof. Tony Rudd, who chairs the Intercollegiate Stroke Guideline Group at the Royal College of Physicians, said: “This study is a major breakthrough showing how a simple and safe treatment can save lives.
“It is one of the most important research studies to emerge from the field of stroke in recent years.”
Dr. Dale Webb, of the Stroke Association charity, said: “The results of this research are extremely encouraging and show that using a compression device on the legs of patients at risk of developing blood clots could be a more effective treatment.
“This new device has the potential to save thousands of lives and we would like to see it incorporated into national clinical guidelines.”
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to press ahead with controversial Taksim Gezi Park redevelopment that has sparked violent clashes in central Istanbul.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would not yield to “wild extremists” and urged an end to the protests.
Clashes over Taksim Gezi Park in Istanbul began on Friday and continued there and in the capital, Ankara, on Saturday.
Correspondents say the local issue has spiraled into more widespread anger over perceived “Islamisation”.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in power since 2002 and some in Turkey have complained that his government is becoming increasingly authoritarian.
His ruling AK Party has its roots in political Islam, but he says he is committed to Turkey’s state secularism.
Last week, Turkey’s parliament approved legislation restricting the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks between 22:00 and 06:00.
In a defiant speech to the exporters’ union, Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted that the park project would go ahead.
“We will rebuild the [Ottoman era military] barracks [at the site],” he said, without referring to the shopping mall that protesters fear will be located there.
Opponents say Gezi Park in Taksim Square is one of the few green areas left in central Istanbul.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed order would be restored “to ensure the safety of people and their property”.
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to press ahead with Taksim Gezi Park redevelopment that has sparked violent clashes in central Istanbul
He said: “Police were there [Taksim Square] yesterday; they’ll be on duty today and also tomorrow because Taksim Square cannot be an area where extremists are running wild.”
Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused protesters of using the issue as an excuse to create tension and called on them to end their action immediately to avoid “further damage to visitors, pedestrians and shopkeepers”.
He said of the protests: “All attempts apart from the ballot box are not democratic”, adding that he could summon a million pro-government protesters if he wanted to.”
However, the prime minister did admit that the police response may have been “excessive” and that “necessary instructions” had been given to the minister of the interior and the governor of Istanbul.
The protest began on Friday as a sit-in over the redevelopment plans but escalated after police used tear gas. A dozen people were admitted to hospital and more than 60 people detained.
On Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators marched over the bridge connecting the Asian and European shores of Istanbul to try to reach the main square.
Police fired tear gas to try to disperse them and some protesters threw rocks.
Police also fired water cannon and tear gas in Taksim Square as demonstrators chanted “unite against fascism” and “government resign”.
Clashes were also reported in the Besiktas district.
One Istanbul resident, who gave her name as Lily, revealed that police had dropped tear-gas canisters from helicopters overnight.
“About half past one the entire city started to reverberate. People were banging on pots, pans, blowing whistles,” she said.
One woman protesting in Istanbul told Agence France-Presse: “They want to turn this country into an Islamist state, they want to impose their vision all the while pretending to respect democracy.”
In Ankara on Saturday, hundreds of demonstrators gathered at a park, many drinking alcohol in protest at the new restrictions.
Some chanting anti-government slogans tried to march on parliament but were dispersed by police.
Many postings on Twitter have complained angrily about the lack of media coverage of the protests within Turkey.
The US has expressed concern over Turkey’s handling of the protests and Amnesty International condemned the police’s tactics.
In his speech, Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the “preaching” of foreign governments, saying they “should first look at their own countries”.
France’s far right National Front leader Marine Le Pen is facing criminal charges for inciting racism.
The French authorities opened a case against Marine Le Pen in 2011 after she likened the sight of Muslims praying in the streets to the Nazi occupation of France.
As a European Parliament member (MEP), Marine Le Pen enjoyed immunity from prosecution.
However, this protection was removed by a European parliamentary committee in a secret vote this week and it appears the vote to remove her immunity was “overwhelming”.
The vote will need to be ratified by the full parliament, but that’s expected to be a formality.
France’s far right National Front leader Marine Le Pen is facing criminal charges for inciting racism
When the parliament’s legal affairs committee first tried to consider the case, Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far right National Front party, failed to turn up.
This week she sent a fellow French MEP in her place.
The move clears the way for the French authorities to pursue a case against the leader, who steered Marine Le Pen’s party to a record 18% showing in the first round of last year’s presidential election.
Marine Le Pen made the remarks at a party rally in 2010 in the southern French town of Lyon.
She said that Muslims using the streets to pray because mosques were overflowing was an “occupation” of French territory.
Praying in the streets was banned in Paris in 2011 in response to growing far right protests.
By some estimates, as many as six million French people, or just under 10% of the population, are Muslims, with origins in France’s former North African colonies.
Their integration has been a source of political debate in recent years, and earlier this year France became the first EU state to ban the wearing of the Islamic veil in public.
About one in 13 people have flexible ape-like feet, US scientists have discovered.
A team studied the feet of 398 visitors to the Boston Museum of Science.
The results show differences in foot bone structure similar to those seen in fossils of a member of the human lineage from two million years ago.
It is hoped the research, published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, will establish how that creature moved.
Apes like the chimpanzee spend a lot of their time in trees, so their flexible feet are essential to grip branches and allow them to move around quickly – but how most of us ended up with more rigid feet remains unclear.
Jeremy DeSilva from Boston University and a colleague asked the museum visitors to walk barefoot and observed how they walked by using a mechanized carpet that was able to analyze several components of the foot.
About one in 13 people have flexible ape-like feet
Most of us have very rigid feet, helpful for stability, with stiff ligaments holding the bones in the foot together.
When primates lift their heels off the ground, however, they have a floppy foot with nothing holding their bones together.
This is known as a midtarsal break and is similar to what the Boston team identified in some of their participants.
This makes the middle part of the foot bend more easily as the subject pushes off to propel themselves on to their next step.
Prof. Jeremy DeSilva said how we might be able to observe whether we have this flexibility: “The best way to see this is if you’re walking on the beach and leaving footprints, the middle portion of your footprint would have a big ridge that might show your foot is actually folding in that area.”
Another way, he added, was to set up a video camera and record yourself walking, to observe the bones responsible for this folding motion.
Most with this flexibility did not realize they had it and there was no observable difference in the speed of their stride.
In addition, Prof. Jeremy DeSilva found that people with a flexible fold in their feet also roll to the inside of their foot as they walk.
The bone structure of a two-million-year old fossil human relative, Australopithecus sediba, suggests it also had this mobility.
“We are using variation in humans today as a model for understanding what this human creature two million years ago was doing,” added Prof. Jeremy De Silva.
Flextone Game Calls, the maker of special hunting calls, is excited about their new product called the Black Rack™ and it nabbed Si Robertson of Duck Dynasty to be the spokesman on the latest commercial.
The Flextone Black Rack dismantles the traditional method of using one full rack to create a rattling sound of two mature bucks going head-to-head for the right rain king of their doe’s. This rattling noise will attract other nearby bucks to come investigate who is fighting and what the prize is at stack.
Flextone Game Calls is excited about their new product Black Rack and it nabbed Si Robertson to be the spokesman on the latest commercial
Flextone saw this as a flaw in that only using one full rack does not fully create the proper sound that will attract some of the big boys in the woods. To address this problem they developed the Black Rack which is made of two full racks designed for maximum long range sounds. Forged from Bone Core Technology for realistic rattling tone. They chose the color black to conceal movements.
With this new product coming soon to the family of products offered by Flextone, they needed to create some buzz in the media so of course they looked no further than Si Robertson of A&E’s Duck Dynasty to endorse and deliver a powerful message of their new product. “IT’S THE BLACK RACK, JACK!”
Watch below the hilarious video of Uncle Si showing how to rattle deer in the right way with the new Flextone Black Rack. Hilarity ensues with every new saying he comes up with.
Duck hunter and reality television star Si Robertson of Duck Dynasty reality series has a net worth of $2 million, according to reports.
Silas Merritt Robertson is one of the stars of A&E’s newest hit show Duck Dynasty.
Si Robertson of Duck Dynasty reality series has a net worth of $2 million
Uncle Si is the younger brother of family patriarch Phil Robertson who was the original inventor and founder of the Duck Commander company.
Si Robertson is an army veteran who served in Vietnam and was retired in 1993 and went to work full time for Duck Commander where he designs the reeds for all the duck calls.
On Duck Dynasty, Si Robertson can be seen with his nephew Willie Robertson and the entire Duck Commander family.
Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly entered into a debate on working mothers this past Friday.
An argument broke out when Megyn Kelly hosted RedState.com editor Erick Erickson, and fellow Fox host Lou Dobbs, in response to a discussion the two men had on Dobbs’ show.
The initial discussion centered on a recent Pew study finding that 40% of working mothers were now the breadwinners in their family.
Erick Erickson found the study troubling, advocating for women to return to their original role in the family.
“When you look at biology, look at the natural world, the roles of a male and a female in society, and other animals, the male typically is the dominant role,” Erick Erickson said Lou Dobbs Tonight.
“The female, it’s not antithesis, or it’s not competing, it’s a complementary role. We as people in a smart society have lost the ability to have complementary relationships in nuclear families, and it’s tearing us apart.”
Megyn Kelly, a working mother herself, had quite the bone to pick with that view during the heated segment.
“What makes you dominant, and me submissive, and who died and made you scientist-in-chief?” Megyn Kelly asked Erick Erickson.
An argument broke out when Megyn Kelly hosted RedState.com editor Erick Erickson, and fellow Fox host Lou Dobbs, in response to a discussion the two men had on Dobbs’ show
Erick Erickson subsequently brings up the fact that three quarters of those surveyed in the poll agreed with his view.
“Just because you have people who agree with you doesn’t mean it’s not offensive,” Megyn Kelly said.
Erick Erickson wrote a follow-up piece in response to his appearance on Lou Dobbs’ show, which Megyn Kelly criticized more. Though she said she doesn’t describe herself as a feminist, Megyn Kelly said she was offended by the piece nonetheless.
“I didn’t like what you wrote one bit,” she said.
Things got especially heated when the conversation turned to Lou Dobbs, who blamed the high divorce rate on working mothers.
“Why are you attributing that to women in the workforce?” Megyn Kelly asked.
“Excuse me, let me just finish what I’m saying if I may, oh dominant one,” Lou Dobbs retorted to a clearly offended Megyn Kelly.
She turned back to Erick Erickson’s blog post where she quoted him writing: “The truth – kids most likely will do best in households where they have a mom at home nurturing them while dad is out bringing home the bacon.”
Megyn Kelly goes on to name four different studies that prove the exact opposite – that children of working mothers turn out just the same as children with stay-at-home mothers.
“I mean, why are we supposed to take your word for it? Erick Erickson’s science instead of all of these experts?”
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have not officially confirmed their split but everybody knows their relation is over.
They haven’t been seen together since months and multiple sources have come forward to confirm that Liam Hemsworth, 23, has ended the engagement.
However, Miley Cyrus, 20, was very much displaying her 3.5 carat sparkler on the relevant engagement finger during a photo shoot in L.A. on Thursday.
Miley Cyrus, who was under the watchful eye of manager Larry Rudolph, showed off her enviable figure in a skintight white lycra two piece.
But it was the ring, and the ever present smile that proved to be more eye catching.
Something about Miley Cyrus’ rictus grin seemed to be a bit forced, suggesting that the young singer and actress may be in denial.
Miley Cyrus was very much displaying her 3.5 carat sparkler on the relevant engagement finger during a photo shoot in LA
But choosing to wear the ring sends out a clear message, if Liam Hemsworth has told her it’s over, she wants him to have a rethink.
Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus are said to be still living together at their Los Angeles home but are now sleeping in separate rooms after Liam told his fiancée their relationship was finished for good.
According to Us Weekly magazine, Miley Cyrus confessed to a friend “we’re done” when speaking about Liam Hemsworth.
Speaking about their living arrangements, another source told the publication: “It’s strange.”
Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus first met on the set of their film The Last Song in 2009 and had been together four years, with The Hunger Games hunk popping the question last June.
But their romance hit the rocks in February amidst rumors Miley Cyrus had become jealous of Liam Hemsworth’s close relationship with actress January Jones.
Liam Hemsworth had been urged by his brother, Thor star Chris Hemsworth, to dump Miley Cyrus because they thought the relationship was unhealthy for him because she was so jealous.
The Australian heartthrob eventually made the decision to end things after deciding he couldn’t cope with the constant drama in his romance with the former Hannah Montana star.
Miley Cyrus apparently still has the 3.5 carat Neil Lane engagement ring Liam Hemsworth gave her and it is not known if he wants her to return the expensive sparkler.
A new series of tornadoes has swept through the state of Oklahoma, killing at least five people, including a mother and child, officials say.
The tornadoes struck near the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, where 24 people were killed by a violent tornado nearly two weeks ago.
The latest storm struck during Friday’s evening rush hour, trapping many people in cars and causing traffic chaos.
More than 60,000 homes lost power and heavy rain has caused severe flooding.
Many streets were flooded – up to 4 ft in some places.
A police spokeswoman said the mother and child who died were in their car on a major highway – Interstate 40 – near Oklahoma City.
Dozens of lorries were overturned on the highway.
Amy Elliott, a spokeswoman for Oklahoma’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, said that two of the deaths occurred in Union City and one was in El Reno, west of Oklahoma City.
The tornadoes struck near the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore, where 24 people were killed by a violent tornado nearly two weeks ago
Dozens of people have been hurt, with five of them in a critical condition.
Among those who took to the roads to flee the storm was 30-year-old Brandi Vanalphen.
“What got me scared was being stuck in traffic with sirens going off,” she said.
“I started seeing power flashes to the north… I started driving on the shoulder. People started driving over the grass.”
Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said: “For reasons that are not clear to me, more people took to the roads, more than we expected. Everyone acted differently in this storm, and as a result, it created an extremely dangerous situation.”
“I think we are still a little shaken by what happened in Moore. We are still burying children and victims, so our emotions are still strong,” he added.
Meteorologists said the tornadoes were less severe than those that struck in May.
Oklahoma is in part of the US Midwest known as Tornado Alley. Some 1,200 tornadoes strike each year, though most are relatively small.
A 3D-printed camera mount that can help photographers take fully interactive, 360-degree videos and photos, has been created by a design team from New York.
The 360Heros Plug & Play mount weighs 1.5 lbs (700 g) and is made from ultra high-resolution craft-grade flexible nylon making it weatherproof and strong.
It can hold up to six GoPro cameras, which can be switched on and off by wireless remote control, and is one of the first projects capable of capturing full, spherical 360-degree images in high resolution.
Because the Plug & Play models are printed using 3D printers and craft-grade nylon they come pre-assembled.
The cameras can be slotted in and out of the mount without any screws.
There are six models available and prices start at $395.
Although the GoPro cameras must be bought separately.
The H6 model can be used for all weather conditions and the cameras are protected making it possible to shoot 360-degree video in bad or harsh weather conditions.
The HC Pro6 uses a wireless remote to turn cameras on and off.
The HC Pro6N can be mounted on a helmet or flat surface like the top of a car.
The HC Pro7 and 7HD are just like the Pro 6N but additionally have a camera holder on the underneath, which allows users to create the full spherical view from a wider range of positions.
Most single cameras can only capture 170-degree views horizontally, and the majority of 360-degree cameras can only capture images up to 120-degrees on the vertical.
Because of the angles at which the cameras are mounted into the 360Heros holder, it can capture 180-degree on the vertical making the video and photos fully spherical and panoramic.
The 360Heros project has also developed a range of online tutorial videos.
Michael Kitner from Orlean, New York designed and built the 360Heros mount and has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for the project.
The campaign is hoping to raise funds to finish the professional video tutorial series on creating video with all the different holders, and help Michael Kitner and his team finish the manufacturing process of the 360 underwater solutions using the Plug & Play domes.
360Heros camera mounts can hold up to six GoPro cameras
These domes can be attached to the holders making it possible to use the 360-degree cameras safely underwater.
Michael Kitner hopes to raise $750,000 before the campaign ends on June 28.
He said: “Using our new 360 Plug & Play holder it allows you to use GoPro cameras and produce amazing 360 interactive videos.
“Our Plug & Play holders are 3D-printed in an ultra high-resolution craft-grade flexible nylon making it extremely strong.
“Our unique designs give the ability to easily plug and play your GoPro cameras on the fly.
“We don’t worry about each camera being absolutely synced at the point of recording.
“This is because each camera has its own audio and when the video stream is stitched together in the post-processing stage, we can analyse the audio and sync the video at the time of stitching.
“The real advantage of the 3D-printed holder is that you can easily change these cameras, or change the batteries, in a matter of seconds with no screws involved.
“You just plug the cameras in and start shooting.
“This is great for concerts or if you want to get closer to the camera because there’s less parallax between the lens.
“With all these holders, the real advantage is all the different mounting points that let the holders attach to a tripod or similar.
“Every one of them has a series of little tiny fishhook holes so you can actually suspend the mount in air.
“And this really makes people wonder how you shot the 360 video or 360 photo because there’s no way to see how the camera was actually suspended.
360-degree shot taken using the 360Heros mount
“Because you can see a full 360 and 180 all around you, and the camera only weighs a pound and a half [700 g] and it doesn’t require a computer or external storage device, we’ve created a whole new paradigm around 360 media recording.
“This is all possible because we’re using the most versatile camera on the planet today – the GoPro.
“Its many features such as the wireless remote, resolutions as high as 4K, shooting in Pro-Tune or RAW allows us to create 360-degree video, and 1-click 360 panoramic photos with resolutions as high as 6,000×3,000 pixels and in full spherical view.”
Once someone buys a 360Heros mount there are online video tutorials to teach owners how to use the system.
The series shows how to set up the 360 content, how to create tours, manage camera files, use the different holders, stitch and sync a video and how to host the content online.
360Heros has also partnered with various companies to create mobile apps, to create interactive mobile viewing on an iPad or other tablet.
Michael Kitner said: “This tool gives such an immersive experience and it’s amazing just to watch the joy and awe in people’s faces when they see 360 video for the first time on the web or mobile devices.”
Over the past three months, 360Heros has been used in various projects including the filming of a Chris Milk gig, hand gliding over Santa Barbara with GPS tracking and Google Earth images.
The team have going skiing on volcanic slopes in Oregon, flew over landmarks and skate parks, rode the zip line down Fremont Street in Las Vegas and went scuba diving in Belize using underwater 360 video solution.
One of the most recent projects that 360Heros took part in was using the mounts to film a gig.
Musician Beck worked with director Chris Milk to create a groundbreaking new interactive site to let viewers see and hear a gig from his point of view.
The Hello, Again site lets you move your point of view so it feels as if you are standing anywhere in the room – whether it’s among the crowd, next to the band or even up on stage with Beck.
And thanks to a bank of specially designed microphones that were dotted around the venue, you hear the music in 3D surround sound, so it comes at you from the direction of the performers.
The special gig was funded by car maker Lincoln as part of an advertising campaign.
“Musicians have been covering, remaking, and remixing classic songs for as long as we’ve been listening,” it said.
“Yet what Beck is doing with David Bowie’s 1977 classic, Sound And Vision, is something well beyond a cover,” the organizers claim.
Over 160 musicians took part in the recording, including an orchestra, a drum line, a row of electric guitarists, a musical saw, modular synthesizers, a Theremin player, a yodeler, 2 different choirs, a harpist, a range of percussionists from around the world, and the Dap-Kings.
Led by conductor David Campbell [Beck’s father], they backed the singer, who was at the centre of the room on a small circular stage.
Three panoramic cameras were mounted around the venue on 360Heros mounts, along with specially built “heads” to capture sound in 3D.
“From the way we arranged the song down to the live performance, we were focused on the idea of immersing the live and online audiences’ audio senses by having the music come at them from every direction,” said Beck.
“It’s difficult to re-create a live concert, but by using this 360-degree approach, it opens up an entirely new kind of experience that will surprise people.”
Working alongside concert production designer Willo Perron, Director Chris Milk transformed Stage 14 at Fox Studios in Los Angeles into a circular, rotating music hall in which the stage surrounds the audience.
As more than 160 different musicians fill the circular stage, they’ll literally rotate around the crowd, creating an immersive sound experience unlike any other.
There are three locations for 360 video and audio, and on the website you can select them and hear exactly what you’d hear if you were there.
360Heros mount prices:
H3Pro 6 and H3Pro6N costs $645 H3 Pro7 and H3Pro7HD costs $745 360H6 (with screws) $395
It was a tough week for Honey Boo Boo as her father, Mike “Sugar Bear” Thompson, was recently hospitalized and the family’s pet dog, China, was struck and killed by a vehicle.
Sugar Bear, 40, collapsed late last week after getting dizzy and was taken to a hospital.
“Mama” June Shannon, 33, said in a Facebook update on May 25 that doctors were “running a lot of tests on his brain”, without any conclusive results.
The posting included the hashtag “#prayforsugarbear” and warned that it could be a “very serious” medical condition.
On Monday, June Shannon posted a message on Facebook saying that China, the family’s pet Chihuahua, was found by older daughter Lauryn, known as “Pumpkin”, and a security staffer when they went to retrieve clothes for the hospitalized Sugar Bear.
China “had been recently hit and left to die” and was suffering spasms when she was found, Mama June wrote.
The family rescued the friendly dog six years on Craigslist.
Honey Boo Boo and her late dog China
“She will b greatly missed alana loved her a lot as all us did,” June Shannon wrote.
In better news, Sugar Bear was released from the hospital and returned home after doctors determined what made him pass out.
Sugar Bear has been ordered to relax and will remain home, June Shannon said in a Facebook posting on Thursday.
Back in September, Sugar Bear had emergency surgery to treat an infection following a mud boggin’ accident.
He also had a quad bike accident last year and paramedics were called when he fell ill during the family’s Christmas toy drive after suffering from high blood pressure.
Sugar Bear was released from a week-long hospital stay in early March after suffering chest and stomach pains and was diagnosed pancreatitis.
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is the popular reality television programme on TLC that chronicles the life of 7-year-old child beauty pageant Alana Thompson and her family in rural McIntyre, Georgia.
Willie Jess Robertson is the CEO and resident prankster of Duck Commander and is best known for his appearances on the hit TV show Duck Dynasty.
He lives in West Monroe, Louisiana, with his wife Korie Robertson and their five children.
Willie was born on April 22, 1972 to Phil Robertson and Marsha Kay Robertson. He is the third oldest brother of Jase, Jep, and Alan Robertson.
As the only one with the business degree, Willie Robertson took the company from a living room operation down by the river to a premiere destination for all things outdoors. He says he honed his skills as a salesman by selling his freshly caught fish at the market with his mom as a young boy. Even then he was always working to negotiate the best price. While Willie Robertson says “being a redneck millionaire has its perks,” including buying new trucks, gadgets and swanky suits, working with kin can be a headache.
As a child, Willie Robertson grew up around hunting and the great outdoors, as well as a small business ran by his father, Duck Commander. As a boy, Willie Robertson handled a myriad of tasks at the company, including building duck calls, and even handling business calls.
Ever since childhood Willie Robertson and his brothers have been interested in the family business started by their father Phil Robertson.
Willie Jess Robertson is the CEO and resident prankster of Duck Commander
Willie Robertson used his business degree from Harding University to take Duck Commander from a family business to a multi-million dollar empire. Duck Commander is the company that generated a great portion of the wealth that he has acquired, and also generated the interest to start the TV show, Duck Dynasty. In 2006, Willie Robertson started another pursuit when he started the company Buck Commander. This company has also created the Buckmen series of DVD’s and the television show Buck Commander: Protected by Under Armour on the Outdoor Channel.
On Duck Dynasty, Willie Robertson is one of the main characters of the show, alongside his brothers Jase, and Jep, his father Phil, and uncle Silas. He is main narrator, and often is the peacekeeper of his business.
Willie Robertson tries to see that as much business gets as done as possible, only to be challenged by his brothers and uncle. His brothers and Uncle Si chastise him for being too busy, but he sees it as necessary for their way of life. From time to time, however, Willie Robertson will participate in the mischief of his coworkers and family.
He is also known for his Christian Faith, and goes about preaching and bringing people to Christ. He is also almost always seen wearing a bandana in the pattern of an American flag on his head, and often wears a white jacket to look more professional.
Willie Robertson is estimated to be worth about $10 millions and is also well known for his ZZ Top style beard.
A new research sheds light on how turtles’ hard shells were formed.
Scientists say the ancient fossil skeleton of extinct South African reptile Eunotosaurus has helped bridge a 30 to 55-million-year gap.
Eunotosaurus, the ancestor of the modern turtle, is thought to be around 260 million years old.
It had significant differences to a recently found fossil relative.
Eunotosaurus was discovered over a century ago but new research in the journal Current Biology has only now analyzed its differences to other turtle fossils.
A turtle’s shell is unique in that it is made up of around 50 bones, with ribs, shoulder bones and vertebrae fused together to form a hard external shell.
How it forms today can be observed in a developing turtle embryo. Ribs broaden first followed by the broadening of vertebrae. The final state is the development of an outer layer of skin on the perimeter of the shell.
“The turtle shell is a complex structure whose initial transformations started over 260 million years ago in the Permian period,” said lead author of the study, Dr. Tyler Lyson from the Smithsonian Institution and Yale University.
Ancient fossil skeleton of extinct South African reptile Eunotosaurus has revealed how turtle’s shell was developed
“The shell evolved over millions of years and was gradually modified into its present-day shape.”
A turtle fossil 210 million years old had a fully developed shell similar to those today, but 10 million years earlier, a fossil discovered in China, named Odontochelys semitestac, had an incomplete top shell, called a carapace.
This fossil has now helped Dr. Tyler Lyson and colleagues compare the modern turtle with its ancestor Eunotosaurus.
Like turtles today, Eunotosaurus had nine pairs of T-shaped ribs. This ancient creature however did not have broad spines on its vertebrae, which both Odontochelys and modern-day turtles do have.
It also lacked intercostal muscles, which are the group of muscles that run between the ribs, and did not have osteoderms – bony scales.
“Eunotosaurus is a good transitional fossil which bridges the morphological gap between turtles and other reptiles,” said Dr. Tyler Lyson.
The evidence between fossil and developmental data shows that first the ribs broadened, then the neural spines of the vertebrae broadened, and finally osteoderms on the outer side of the shell formed. These all sutured together to form the modern-day turtle shell, he added.
“One of the direct consequences of forming a protective shell by broadening and locking their ribs is that turtles cannot use their ribs to breathe.
“Instead turtles have developed a unique abdominal muscular sling that wraps around their lungs and organs to help them breathe.”
Judith Cebra-Thomas, assistant professor from the department of biology at Millersville University in Pennsylvania, who was not involved with the study, said the research was very important in terms of understanding the turtle shell’s evolution.
“The turtle shell is considered an evolutionary novelty, which means that there are no closely analogous structures in related animals.
“That leads to the notion that such things cannot occur through normal evolutionary processes. But, when you examine it in detail, you can see the series of steps, each of them explainable through small changes that gradually add up to the novel structure.”
Turtle’s shell:
The shell’s main function is protection but it can also help a turtle live underwater for longer than any other vertebrate
This is because it stores potassium and magnesium which can help protect it from a buildup of lactic acid
Other animals such as armadillos or various lizards, all form a shell via the acquisition of more and more osteoderms (ossified scales)
