New reports claim that Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have split.
The news comes as Miley Cyrus, 20, had previously insisted that she and her 23-year-old fiancé were still together.
But sources have told the New York Post’s Page Six that Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus have called time on their relationship.
Liam Hemsworth is currently in Australia spending time with his family, including his mother Leonie, whom he was spotted out shopping with on Wednesday.
“He needed to get away from Los Angeles and spend some time with his brother and friends,” a source told Page Six.
“Miley and Liam are done; it’s over. She likes to party really hard and can be pretty wild. It became a problem for him.”
Another source added that the couple parted ways because Miley Cyrus was worried that the actor had a “wandering eye”.
“They have broken up before, and are broken up again now. There was drama because she suspected he had a wandering eye,” the insider claimed.
“And she recently tweeted a denial that he cheated. While Miley has insisted they are still together, right now they are very, very much apart.”
Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus have called time on their relationship
Liam Hemsworth flew to Australia late last week and has since been spotted out with friends and family during his stay.
On Wednesday, he was seen stocking up on supplies at the supermarket with his school teacher mother Leonie.
Liam Hemsworth’s trip to his native country came after it was first reported that even though he was still with Miley Cyrus, he “needed” a break from his fiancée.
A source said at the time: “Liam did fly home to Australia so they could have a break. He has been spending time with his brother Chris, with whom he is very close.
“Miley is still upset with Liam. She took her engagement ring off to make him mad.”
“But, it doesn’t mean that they have split. Miley says they are still together.
“She is crazy about Liam, but sometimes doesn’t treat him great. She likes things her way and tends to play games. Liam is also a strong person and that’s why they often butt heads.”
Reports that there was trouble in paradise first arose after it was alleged that Liam Hemsworth and actress January Jones reportedly got “hot and heavy” at a pre-Oscars party last month.
NASA has reported that its Curiosity rover has made another significant discovery on Mars.
Curiosity has drilled into a rock that contains clay minerals – an indication of formation in, or substantial alteration by, neutral water.
Scientists say the find is one more step towards showing conditions on Mars in the distant past could have supported life.
Many rocks studied previously were probably deposited in acidic water.
While this would not have precluded the possibility of micro-organisms taking hold on Mars, it would have been more challenging, scientists believe.
Identifying clays shows there were at least some locations on the planet billions of years ago where environments would have been much more favorable.
“We have found a habitable environment that is so benign and supportive of life that probably if this water was around and you had been there, you would have been able to drink it,” said John Grotzinger, Curiosity’s project scientist.
Curiosity rover drilled a powdered sample from a mudstone at its exploration site in Gale Crater, a deep impact bowl on Mars’ equator.
This was delivered to the two big onboard laboratories, Sam and Chemin, for analysis.
The rock sample was found to contain 20-30% smectite – a particular group of clay minerals.
Their high abundance and the relative lack of salt are strongly suggestive of a fresh-water environment for the mudstone’s formation.
The presence of calcium sulphates, rather than the magnesium or iron sulphates seen in previous rock analyses at other locations on the planet, adds to the evidence that the sampled rock in Gale was deposited in a neutral to mildly alkaline pH environment.
Mars Curiosity rover has drilled into a rock that contains clay minerals, an indication of formation in, or substantial alteration by, neutral water
Scientists think Curiosity probably drilled into an ancient lakebed.
The analysis also identified sulphur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon – some of the key chemical elements for life.
Additionally, it found compounds in a range of oxidized states, meaning there were electrons moving through the environment. Those could have been co-opted as an energy source by simple life-forms, if they ever existed in Gale.
“What we’ve learned in the last 20 years of modern microbiology is that very primitive organisms – they can derive energy just by feeding on rocks,” explained Prof. John Grotzinger.
“Just like on [a] battery – you hook up the wires and it goes to a lightbulb and the lightbulb turns on. That’s kind of what a micro-organism would have done in this environment, if life had ever evolved on Mars and it was present here.”
Curiosity rover is assembling quite a catalogue of water evidence in the crater.
Already, it has seen the remains of an ancient riverbed system, where water once flowed perhaps a metre deep and quite vigorously.
The picture that seems to be emerging is one where sediments were transported downhill from the eroding crater rim into a network of streams that then flowed into the lake environment represented by the mudstone.
Curiosity is currently working in a small depression known as Yellowknife Bay, about half a kilometre from the location where it touched down last August.
NASA’s original mission plan was to head towards the big mountain that dominates the centre of Gale Crater, but the fascinating science at Yellowknife Bay has delayed this journey somewhat.
In recent days, operations have been slowed by a software glitch, requiring the vehicle to be run off its reserve computer.
There is also the imminent issue of solar conjunction, which will see Mars move behind the Sun as viewed from Earth, blocking communications.
All this means that Curiosity will be at Yellowknife Bay for a while yet.
“Basically, we can’t talk to the rover and the rover [can’t] talk to us for most of the month of April,” said Michael Meyer, the lead scientist on NASA’s Mars exploration programme.
“We’ll do some more science activities though the end of this month, [provided] the engineers confirm it’s safe for us to do those operations. But we will not do a second drill hole until after solar conjunction.”
When the rover does finally get to the mountain, known as Mount Sharp, the expectation, based on satellite imagery, is that it will again find clay minerals.
This will enable the robot to compare and contrast past environments.
The US space agency’s Opportunity rover, which continues to work nine years on from its landing, is also believed to be sitting on top of clay-bearing rocks at its exploration site far to the west of Gale. Opportunity, however, does not have Curiosity’s capability to assess those rocks.
Adrienne Maloof has split from toyboy Sean Stewart after just two months of relation.
Adrienne Maloof, 52, shocked fans of her reality show, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, when it emerged she was dating the rocker Rod Stewart’s son, Sean Stewart, 31.
A source told Us Weekly: “They’ve decided to distance themselves and become friends. Nothing bad happened. They’re still going to hang out as friends, they enjoy each other’s company.”
Adrienne Maloof began her relationship with Sean Stewart just a couple months after finalizing her divorce from her spouse of 10 years.
The insider continued to explain that there are no hard feelings between the pair and they will continue to see each other platonically, adding: “They’re still really good friends and they still hang out.
“She’s not looking to date anybody right now. She’s going to focus on her kids and brands.”
Adrienne Maloof has split from toyboy Sean Stewart after just two months of relation
Adrienne Maloof had previously claimed that the difference in age between her and Sean had no bearing on their connection.
She claimed: “Age is just a number. It’s about how good of a person you are . . . [Sean] is a very funny guy. He’s very giving, he mentors at the mission, works with at-risk children, and gives his time and money to get children off the streets.”
The papal conclave has failed to elect a new pope after first day of voting at Vatican.
Black smoke rising from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel indicated that their ballot had been inconclusive.
The 115 cardinal-electors will vote four times daily until two-thirds can agree on a single candidate.
The election was prompted by the surprise abdication of Benedict XVI. There is no clear frontrunner to take over from him as head of the Church.
The vote was the first held by the cardinals since they entered the conclave on Tuesday afternoon, and was not expected to produce a positive result.
Crowds who had braved rain and storms to watch the start of the conclave on big screens in St Peter’s Square cheered as the black smoke appeared.
The electors will now return to their hotel for the night and go back to the chapel on Wednesday morning to resume voting.
White smoke from the chimney will indicate that a new pope has been chosen.
Pope Benedict’s resignation and the recent damage to the Church’s reputation make the choice of the cardinal-electors especially hard to predict.
At 16:30 local time on Tuesday, 115 cardinal-electors – all under 80, as those over 80 are excluded – entered the Sistine Chapel, chanting the traditional Litany of the Saints.
The papal conclave has failed to elect a new pope after first day of voting at Vatican as black smoke rising from a chimney above the Sistine Chapel indicated that their ballot had been inconclusive
Each man in turn stepped up and placed his hands on the Gospel to swear an oath in Latin.
Afterwards Msgr Guido Marini, papal master of ceremonies, called out the words “Extra omnes” – “Everybody out” – and the chapel doors were locked to outsiders.
From now on the cardinals will eat, vote and sleep in closed-off areas until a new pope is chosen.
Jamming devices in the Sistine Chapel should block all electronic communication and anyone tweeting would in any case risk being excommunicated.
Earlier on Tuesday the cardinals attended a “Mass for the Election of the Supreme Pontiff” in St Peter’s Basilica.
In his homily, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, praised the “brilliant pontificate” of Pope Benedict and implored God to grant another “Good Shepherd” to lead the church.
Brazilian doctor Thaune Nunes Ferreira, faces charges of fraud after being caught on camera using silicon fingers to sign in for work for absent colleagues, police say.
Thaune Nunes Ferreira, 29, was arrested on Sunday for using prosthetic fingers to fool the biometric employee attendance device used at the hospital where she works near Sao Paulo.
She is accused of covering up the absence of six colleagues.
Her lawyer says she was forced into the fraud as she faced losing her job.
The local public prosecutor’s office opened an investigation on Monday.
Brazilian doctor Thaune Nunes Ferreira, faces charges of fraud after being caught on camera using silicon fingers to sign in for work for absent colleagues
Thaune Nunes Ferreira, was arrested by the local police following a two-week investigation in the town of Ferraz de Vasconcelos, and was released on Sunday.
Police said she had six silicon fingers with her at the time of her arrest, three of which have already been identified as bearing the fingerprints of co-workers.
The town’s mayor, Acir Fillo, has also asked five employees of the medical service said to have been involved to step aside, while the local council has launched a public inquiry into the matter.
Brazil’s ministry of health has said it will launch an inquiry of its own into the local hospital.
Acir Fillo says that the police investigation showed that some 300 public employees in the town, whom he described as ”an army of ghosts”, had been receiving pay without going to work.
A council spokesman has said that among those believed to be those “ghost employees” – as Brazilians call informally those who receive regular wages without actually showing up for work – are public workers in the areas of health, education and security.
New York City police officer Gilberto Valle has been found guilty of plotting to murder his wife, and cook and eat other women.
Gilberto Valle, 28, was arrested by the FBI in 2012 following a tip-off by his wife.
The trial heard how Gilberto Valle had taken steps to carry out his plan of abducting, torturing and eating women he knew.
Defence lawyers argued it was merely a role-playing fantasy he had concocted while browsing fetish websites.
But a Manhattan federal court heard how Gilberto Valle had contacted some of the women mentioned in his plans.
He also used a police department database to look up their personal information, emailing and texting them and meeting at least one of them.
Gilberto Valle also used the internet to research the best rope for tying up people and to learn which chemicals render a person unconscious. Search terms found on his computer included “human flesh” and “white slavery”.
New York City police officer Gilberto Valle has been found guilty of plotting to murder his wife, and cook and eat other women
During the trial, Gilberto Valle’s estranged wife, Kathleen Mangan, 27, testified against him.
She said she had found emails detailing his plans to slit her throat and kidnap and kill her friend.
Kathleen Mangan said that in the emails, Gilberto Valle discussed how two other women would be “raped in front of each other to heighten their fears”, and another would be roasted alive over a fire.
Both she and Gilberto Valle wept when the court was shown a picture of him in his police uniform, feeding their newborn daughter.
After Tuesday’s guilty verdict, Manhattan prosecutor Preet Bharara said: “Today, a unanimous jury found that Gilberto Valle’s detailed and specific plans to abduct women for the purpose of committing grotesque crimes were very real, and that he was guilty as charged.
“The internet is a forum for the free exchange of ideas, but it does not confer immunity for plotting crimes and taking steps to carry out those crimes.”
More than 10 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed by the board certified doctors in the United States in 2012, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).
The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) today released their 16thannual multi-specialty procedural statistics.
Americans spent almost $11 billion on cosmetic procedures in 2012. Of that total $6.7 billion was spent on surgical procedures; $2 billion was spent on injectable procedures; $1.8 billion was spent on skin rejuvenation procedures; and over $483 million was spent on other nonsurgical procedures, including laser hair removal and laser treatment of leg veins.
“We are confident that these statistics continue to accurately report cosmetic procedure trends as performed by the physicians who are most likely to perform them,” said Dr. McCafferty, MD. “For the past 16 years, the interest in and demand for cosmetic plastic surgery has risen exponentially, a 250% increase in surgical and nonsurgical procedures, and our comprehensive statistics continue to show that.”
Cosmetic surgical procedures increased more than 3% in the past year, with almost 1.7 million procedures in 2012. Surgery accounted for 17% of all procedures performed representing 61% of total patient expenditures.
Breast augmentation was the most frequently performed surgical procedure (330,631), followed closely by liposuction (313,011), and abdominoplasty: eyelid surgery, rhinoplasty (each performed around 150,000 times).
“In 2012, breast augmentation replaced liposuction as the most popular surgical procedure. This might have something to do with the increased popularity in silicone gel implants since their return to the market in 2006,” said Leo R. McCafferty, MD, President of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. “According to the Society’s statistics in 2006, 383,886 breast augmentation procedures were performed and of those 81% were saline implants and 19% were silicone. In 2012, 330,631 breast augmentation procedures were performed and of those only 28% were saline implants and 72% were silicone.”
Women were by far the biggest clients, with 9.1 million cosmetic procedures performed on them in 2012.
The number of cosmetic procedures for women increased over 252% from 1997. The top five surgical procedures for women were: breast augmentation, liposuction, tummy tuck, eyelid surgery, and breast lift.
Men had only around 1 million cosmetic procedures, including liposuction, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery, breast reduction to treat enlarged male breast, and ear shaping. However, the number of cosmetic procedures for men increased over 106% from 1997.
The most popular nonsurgical procedure was injections of Botulinum Toxin Type A (including Botox and Dysport).
Cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures increased over 10 percent in the past year, with almost 8.5 million procedures in 2012. Nonsurgical procedures accounted for 83% of the total number of procedures performed representing 39% of total expenditures. The top five minimally-invasive procedures were:
• Botulinum Toxin Type A: 3,257,913
• Hyaluronic Acid: 1,423,705
• Laser Hair Removal: 883,893
• Microdermabrasion: 498,821
• Chemical Peel: 443,824
This is the second year this survey asked the doctors for the total number of non-surgical procedures being performed in their practices by both physicians and their physician assistants and nurse injectors. When procedures performed by physician assistants and nurse injectors are included, the total number of cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures performed in the United States in 2012 increases to 12.7 million.
Meanwhile, in the UK, 50 percent of cosmetic surgery claims dealt with botched breast implants, according to Cosmetic Surgery Solicitors, the first firm to establish a practice specializing in cosmetic surgery negligence.
There was a significant increase in patient claims for bad PIP (Poly Implant Prothèse) implants in the last 12 months, according to the law firm, consistent with a slight decline in demand for breast augmentation in 2012 (down 1.6% from the previous year). The most complaints regarding breast augmentation that has gone wrong included gross asymmetry, inappropriately placed scarring and nerve damage.
Almost 10,000 women had breast augmentation last year, still making the breast implants the most common cosmetic surgery procedure performed in the UK.
Cardinals have begun voting to elect a new Pope at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.
The 115 cardinal-electors were locked in the chapel after swearing an oath of secrecy.
They will vote four times daily until two-thirds can agree on a candidate.
The election was prompted by the surprise abdication of Benedict XVI. There is no clear frontrunner to take over from him as head of the Roman Catholic Church.
The 85-year-old Benedict stepped down last month, saying he was no longer strong enough to lead the Church, which is beset by problems ranging from a worldwide scandal over child sex abuse to allegations of corruption at the Vatican Bank.
His resignation and the recent damage to the Church’s reputation make the choice of the cardinal-electors especially hard to predict.
They will weigh pressure for a powerful manager to reform the Vatican against calls for a new pope able to inspire the faithful, our correspondent adds.
At 16:30 local time on Tuesday, 115 cardinal-electors – all under 80, as those over 80 are excluded – entered the Sistine Chapel for the secret conclave to select Benedict’s successor, chanting the traditional Litany of the Saints.
Each man in turn stepped up and placed his hands on the Gospel to swear an oath in Latin.
Afterwards Msgr Guido Marini, papal master of ceremonies, called out the words “Extra omnes” – “Everybody out” – and the chapel doors were locked to outsiders.
From now on the cardinals will eat, vote and sleep in closed-off areas until a new pope is chosen.
Jamming devices in the Sistine Chapel should block all electronic communication and anyone tweeting would in any case risk being excommunicated.
Cardinals were now expected listen to a meditation by elderly Maltese Cardinal Prosper Grech before holding a first vote, after which their ballot papers will be burned.
The smoke that will drift out of the chapel’s chimney early in the evening is likely to be black – meaning no Pope has been elected.
Cardinals have begun voting to elect a new Pope at the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel
From Wednesday, two votes will be held each morning and afternoon – with ballots burned after each session – until one candidate attains a two-thirds majority (77 votes).
Then the smoke will be white, meaning the 266th bishop of Rome will have been chosen.
Earlier on Tuesday the cardinals attended a “Mass for the Election of the Supreme Pontiff” in St Peter’s Basilica.
In his homily, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, praised the “brilliant pontificate” of Pope Benedict and implored God to grant another “Good Shepherd” to lead the church.
He outlined the mission Catholics believe was given by Jesus Christ to St Peter – the first Pope – emphasizing love and sacrifice, evangelization and the unity of the church.
The speech was more measured in tone than the address given in 2005 by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger before he became Pope Benedict, which featured a fiery attack on the “dictatorship of relativism”.
On Tuesday morning several cardinals took to Twitter to say goodbye to their followers before being cut off from the outside world.
“Last tweet before the conclave: May Our Father hear and answer with love and mercy all prayers and sacrifices offered for a fruitful outcome,” South African Cardinal Wilfrid Napier tweeted.
Benedict – now known as Pope emeritus – resigned on 28 February after eight years in office, citing ill health. He was the first Pope in six centuries to do so.
As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in 2005, he was the marked favorite ahead of the conclave and was elected pope after just four rounds of voting.
The vote for his successor is expected to take much longer.
After 10 general congregations open to all cardinals, regardless of age – at which 160 cardinals spoke of the issues facing the Church and the qualities needed by its next leader – no clear frontrunner has emerged.
“Last time around there was a man of stature, three or four times that of any other cardinal,” French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin told reporters.
“That is not the case this time around. Therefore, the choice has to be made among one, two, three, four… a dozen candidates.
“We still don’t really know anything. We will have to wait for the results of the first ballot.”
New York Archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan told his priests there was hope that a new Pope could be chosen by Thursday.
Candidates named as contenders include Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan, Brazil’s Odilo Scherer, and Cardinal Dolan himself – though he told one interviewer anyone who thought he was in with a chance might be “smoking marijuana”.
Conclave in numbers
115 cardinal-electors
Two-thirds – or 77 – need to agree on papal candidate
Four votes per day, two in the morning and two in the evening
Frankfurt airport, Europe’s third-busiest hub, has partially re-opened after heavy snow caused severe travel disruption in north-west Europe.
One of the three runways was operating again for take-offs only, Frankfurt airport operator said.
Hundreds of flights via Frankfurt and Paris have been cancelled.
The Eurostar high-speed train service between London, Paris and Brussels has been suspended until at least Wednesday.
In south-eastern England, hundreds of people were stranded in their cars by the snow as emergency services struggled with road chaos.
There were huge traffic jams in Belgium and northern France too.
Frankfurt airport had received about 12 cm of snow, said Stefan Schulte, a spokesman for the airport operator, Fraport AG.
In Paris, some 300 flights from Charles de Gaulle airport – a quarter of the day’s total – were cancelled, along with a similar proportion from Paris Orly.
Brussels airport was also offering a reduced service on a single runway.
The freezing weather in Belgium and northern France also hit rail services, including the cross-Channel Eurostar, which cancelled trains for the rest of the day.
Heavy snow caused severe travel disruption in north-west Europe
Parts of southern England were coping with a second day of snow and freezing conditions.
Just in the county of Sussex, police dealt with more than 300 traffic collisions in 24 hours.
Among those stranded by snowbound roads was a group of 120 German schoolchildren who had to be put up in Hastings town hall in East Sussex for the night when families due to look after them were unable to reach them.
However, officials said they were steadily clearing roads and conditions were improving during the day on Tuesday.
The Channel Islands have experienced some of their worst conditions in decades, with airports still closed following heavy snow.
Celebrity make-up artist Lisa Eldridge is helping non-celebrities look glamorous at home via her regular video beauty tutorials.
Lisa Eldridge shares her professional expertise with the world via her website, LisaEldridge.com.
Her latest step-by-step guide – how to achieve a glowing, youthful make-up look for mature skin – is proving to be a huge hit as over 160,000 people have logged on to watch her make over 64-year-old model Yvonne Ellis.
Aimed at those over the age of 50, the video shows viewers how to achieve a youthful complexion and coverage of blemishes, without layering on heavy make-up.
“Most women over the age of 50 want to know how to approach foundation so that it won’t emphasize lines and how to make-up their eyes” says Lisa Eldridge, who receives thousands of letters from women every week.
Lisa Eldridge first suggests using a fresh and balmy foundation that can be easily be worked into the skin.
She uses Bobbi Brown Moisturizing Balm to provide a foundation-like coverage without accentuating wrinkles and lines.
Lisa Eldridge suggests: “When it comes to skin, never try to ‘paper over the cracks’ as people say, because it just doesn’t work.
“If you put heavy foundation on, or something that’s drying, it’s going to sit in all the lines, it’s going to emphasize them, and you’re going to make yourself look much much older.”
Under the eyes Lisa Eldridge suggests avoiding lots of light reflecting products as they can look white, and instead uses a small amount of Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer in the corner of the eye to cover any darkness.
If there are any more obvious marks or blemishes, Lisa Eldridge recommends using a heavier coverage specifically on those areas with a small make-up brush, such as Vichy Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation.
Aimed at those over the age of 50, Lisa Eldridge’s beauty tutorial shows viewers how to achieve a youthful complexion and coverage of blemishes, without layering on heavy make-up
In keeping with her emphasis on lighter, more moisturizing products being best for more mature skin, Lisa Eldridge uses a cream blusher, working it in from the apple of the cheek, in a wide circle, and carries it up the cheekbone to achieve “definition without any harsh lines”.
When it comes to eyes, Lisa Eldridge contradicts the often held belief that older women cannot wear much eye make-up, saying: “I think as you get older you actually need more make-up around your eyes in terms of defining make up.”
She uses a mauve color across the whole eye lid and warns that using colors that are too warm may clash with grey hair.
Again the eye shadow is a cream based product to avoid emphasizing lines and Lisa Eldridge follows the Clinique Lid Smoothie with a small amount of a darker mauvy-brown eye shadow from the No7 Stay Perfect Eyeshadow palette to add further definition.
Softly blended eyeliner (Sigma small eyeliner) should be applied to upper and lower lids, sweeping slightly upward to avoid dragging the eye down, followed by curling the lashes and applying mascara.
When it comes to brows, Lisa Eldridge says a soft brow works best on older women, and care should be taken to create subtle matt look on the lips to avoid the “Barbara Cartland” look.
A sweep of bronzer down the sides of the face and across the tops of the cheek bones brightens and completes the look.
Yvonne Ellis looks fresh and radiant in what Lisa Eldridge describes as a “dressy-day look”, but the celebrity make –up artist also shows viewers how to transform the look into an evening make-up.
“I think if you’re going out in the evening, you can up the ante and put on a slightly deeper lip,” she says.
“It’s nice to have a bit of color on your lips as long as it’s not too intense, or drying.”
The video has already been watched more than 160,000 times and has received over 1,600 comments, with some younger women even commented that the video makes them less afraid of aging.
In a new episode of reality show Kourtney And Kim Take Miami, Kourtney Kardashian’s boyfriend Scott Disick is seen admonishing the new mother for not losing weight quickly enough, calling her my “piece of machinery”.
Scott Disick told Kourtney Kardashian: “Last time around you tried to watch what you were eating, after you had Mason… at least you were losing weight.”
“You are so crazy. I’m trying to do it the healthy way,” she replied.
But Scott Disick admonished her: “Just do it faster. You’re my piece of machinery!”
Scott Disick then joked that Kourtney Kardashian was a “problem”, reducing her to tears.
Kourtney Kardashian in tears after Scott Disick picks on her for weighing 115 lbs after Penelope’s birth
Earlier Kourtney Kardashian complained that she was struggling.
“I feel like it’s definitely harder this time to lose the weight,” she said.
Unsympathetic Scott Disick replied: “If I would have fell in love with you a couple of pounds overweight, this would be my ideal weight, but I fell in love with you when you were super skinny.”
He then told the camera: “Right now seems to be probably the heaviest she’s ever been not pregnant.
“When we had Mason I remember her trying to whip herself back into shape pretty quick. This time around it seems like it’s the least of her concerns, and the only thing she thinks about are the kids.
“I just think that she would feel better if she got back into the shape that she feels the most comfortable in.”
And they fell out at the beach when Scott Disick again questioned her about her figure.
“It would be nice if you were in a wild little flossy bikini,” he said.
“It would be nice,” Kourtney Kardashian said before packing up and leaving the beach in a huff.
Oscar Pistorius, who is accused of killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, may be “on the verge of suicide”, according to a close family friend.
Oscar Pistorius, 26, was a “broken man” after rising legal costs forced him to sell his belongings, Mike Azzie said.
Meanwhile, lawyers for the Paralympic champion have filed an appeal to ease his bail restrictions.
Oscar Pistorius, who is on trial for shooting model Reeva Steenkamp at his home last month, denies the charges of premeditated murder, saying he mistook her for an intruder.
The athlete was released on bail on February 22 and is due to appear in court again in June.
Mike Azzie, who has known the athlete since childhood and has been in regular contact with him, said he was worried about his mental and emotional state.
He said the Paralympian had been forced to sell his racehorses to cover the spiralling legal fees.
“He has no confidence in his tone of voice and he is almost like someone that is walking around in circles and doesn’t know where he is going,” Mike Azzie said in the forthcoming BBC3 documentary, Oscar Pistorius: What Really Happened?
“I would say that, just speaking to him, he is a broken man. I would go as far as to say that he could be on the verge of suicide. It really worries me.”
Oscar Pistorius, who is accused of killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, may be “on the verge of suicide”, according to a close family friend
Mike Azzie added that Oscar Pistorius frequently talked about Reeva Steenkamp and her family.
“He just always seems to mention Reeva and asks us to pray for her and her family,” he said in the interview, due to be broadcast on Monday.
“But most of all, you’ve got to understand that we are there for him and we will always be his friend.”
Police said they were still going through a large number of texts recovered from Reeva Reevenkamp’s mobile phone.
Service providers have been asked to make available all records of phone calls and messages exchanged between the model and Oscar Pistorius on the night of the shooting, police said.
Meanwhile, defence lawyers have sought to ease bail restrictions imposed on Oscar Pistorius, according to papers released by his family on Monday.
The court had ordered Oscar Pistorius to hand over his passport, avoid his home in Pretoria and report to a police station between 07:00 and 13:00 every Monday and Friday.
But his lawyers said the conditions were “unwarranted and not substantiated by the facts”.
Evidence presented at the trial showed Oscar Pistorius was not a flight risk, and should be allowed to travel outside South Africa with official permission, they argued.
Reeva Steenkamp, 29, died after the athlete fired multiple shots into the toilet of his apartment in a gated housing complex in Pretoria on February 14.
Oscar Pistorius bail conditions:
Bail set at 1 million rand ($110,000): 100,000 rand in cash up front, and proof that the rest is available
Must turn in passports and any guns that he owns
Cannot leave Pretoria without permission from probation officer, nor can he return to his home
Forbidden to take drugs or drink alcohol
Must report to police station between 07:00 and 13:00 every Monday and Friday
Hungarian parliament has adopted a package of constitutional changes proposed by the ruling conservative Fidesz party which critics say undermine democracy.
Fidesz has two-thirds of the seats in parliament, but the measures were approved overwhelmingly as opposition MPs boycotted the vote.
The amendment tightens up the laws on higher education, homelessness, election campaigns and family rights.
It defies constitutional court rulings.
The EU and US had urged Fidesz to respect democratic checks and balances.
In response, Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused the EU of interfering in Budapest’s domestic affairs.
The lengthy amendment overturns earlier constitutional court rulings and limits the court’s right to challenge laws passed by parliament in future. It also includes:
Restrictions on political adverts in the publicly run media during election campaigns
A rule that university students can only get state grants if they pledge to work in Hungary after graduation
Fines or prison terms for homeless people who sleep on the streets.
It is the fourth amendment to Hungary’s new constitution since it came into force just 14 months ago – a fact which helps underpin criticism that the new constitution was both hurried and flawed.
Critics at home and abroad say the amendment dismantles the architecture of democracy established since the fall of communism, and allows Fidesz to cement its own ideology at the heart of the state.
Several thousand people protested in Budapest on Saturday against the proposed changes.
Hungarian parliament has adopted a package of constitutional changes proposed by the ruling conservative Fidesz party which critics say undermine democracy
Fidesz argues the changes are necessary to make a clean break with the previous constitution, which was adopted in 1989 when Hungary threw off communist rule.
But Viktor Orban is under pressure at least to postpone Monday’s vote until experts from the Council of Europe – Europe’s main human rights watchdog – can examine the amendment.
German MEP Alexander Lambsdorff urged the European Commission to investigate a possible “systematic violation of European values” by the Hungarian government ahead of the vote, the newspaper Der Tagesspiegel reports.
In a separate development, Viktor Orban described as “scandalous” a court decision against the government over state-imposed gas price cuts.
He said he would not accept the ruling scrapping recent 10% price cuts and would instead submit a new proposal to lower prices even further.
The government’s measure is popular with many Hungarians who are struggling to pay their bills, but energy companies have complained that they have to foot the bill.
An Italian court has ordered medical checks to be carried out on Silvio Berlusconi to verify that he cannot attend a trial due to health problems.
Silvio Berlusconi, 76, has been in hospital since Friday because of an eye inflammation.
The former prime minister is on trial in Milan on charges of paying for sex with an underage prostitute and abuse of power.
Meanwhile, prosecutors in Naples are requesting an accelerated trial for Silvio Berlusconi on corruption charges.
Italian law allows for the scrapping of preliminary hearings, which can last more than a year, when evidence of the alleged crime is considered overwhelming.
The judge has 10 days to decide whether to permit an “immediate trial”.
Silvio Berlusconi is accused of paying a left-wing senator 3 million euros ($3.9 million) to defect to his right-wing People of Freedom party (PDL) in 2006.
It weakened the government of Romano Prodi, which collapsed in 2008, and triggered elections that returned Silvio Berlusconi to power.
Last week, Silvio Berlusconi was convicted of breach of confidentiality and sentenced to a year in jail over the illegal publication of a wiretapped conversation by one of his newspapers. He denied the charge and is expected to appeal.
An Italian court has ordered medical checks to be carried out on Silvio Berlusconi to verify that he cannot attend a trial due to health problems
Silvio Berlusconi is currently appealing against a conviction for tax fraud over deals his firm Mediaset made to purchase TV rights to US films. A verdict is expected soon.
On Monday, Silvio Berlusconi’s lawyers told judges in Milan that he was not able to attend his trial for a second day because he had uveitis, an inflammation of the middle layer of the eye. He was also said to be suffering from high blood pressure.
However, prosecutors said Silvio Berlusconi was exaggerating the problem to delay proceedings and the judges ordered medical checks to be made.
They had been due to present their final arguments and make their sentencing requests for the alleged crimes, which date back to 2010.
A verdict in the two-year trial had been expected later this month.
If convicted of paying 17-year-old Karima “Ruby” El Mahroug for sex, Silvio Berlusconi faces up to three years in prison. He could be sentenced to a further 12 years if found guilty of abusing power by putting pressure on police to have Karima El Mahroug released from custody after she was arrested for theft. He has denied both charges.
There was further disruption to Monday’s trial when members of the PDL marched into the court building to demand it be suspended.
Laura Ravetto, a senior party official, told the AFP news agency: “I think there is a judicial plot against Berlusconi.”
The controversy comes weeks after the PDL did better than expected in a general election that provided no clear winner. However, the right-wing coalition looks to be on the margins of efforts to form a new government.
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been heavily criticized over both real and fake photos showing him consoling the grieving family members of late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
During Hugo Chavez’s funeral in Caracas on Friday, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was photographed sympathizing with Elena Frias de Chavez, 78.
While it is not a full embrace, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hugo Chavez’s mother have their faces brushed against each other, with their hands clasped in a moment of shared grief. Several news agencies released photos of the unexpected scene.
Muslim men are by tradition forbidden to touch women who are not members of their close family.
Conservative critics, already irked by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s effusive eulogy for the leftist leader, reminded him that he has not only committed a sin, but also behaved in a way inappropriate for the president of an Islamic state.
They said it was another sign that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was influenced by the “deviant current”, a term used to label his close aides, and increasingly himself, and distance him from the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian government spin doctors tried to deflect the criticism by claiming the photograph was faked.
“They have doctored the picture or took it from an angle that appears to show they (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Elena Frias de Chavez) are in contact. There was no handshake,” said Mohammad Reza Mir Tajeddini, an aide to the president.
During Hugo Chavez’s funeral in Caracas on Friday, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was photographed sympathizing with Elena Frias de Chavez
Then in an intriguing twist, a clearly Photoshopped version of the picture made the rounds on some Iranian websites. It showed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with an old balding man in the very same pose.
The president’s supporters insisted this was the genuine photo, depicting an uncle of Hugo Chavez, while the one with his mother was indeed Photoshopped.
But on close inspection, it’s clear that the so-called uncle is the Egyptian opposition leader and former director-general of the UN nuclear watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei.
In real life, Mohamed ElBaradei is much taller than Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but in the doctored picture he appears significantly shorter than the Iranian president.
In another baffling twist, Entekhab, a website that had earlier chastised Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for the original picture of the president and Hugo Chavez’s mother, issued an unreserved apology to the Iranian president.
It blamed the Daily Telegraph for “Photoshopping the picture amateurishly”.
This was all the ammunition pro-Ahmadinejad websites and blogs needed. A few hours later, Entekhab withdrew its own apology, however.
“After seeing the picture of Ahmadinejad and the old man, one of our reporters thought this was the real photo. Believing that he has made a significant discovery, he published the story without informing his editors. Unfortunately, the photo showing Ahmadinejad and (Mrs.) Chavez is genuine,” read Entekhab‘s statement.
There is also another contentious picture published by anti-Ahmadinejad websites, falsely claiming it shows the president hugging one of Hugo Chavez’s daughters.
The Iranian president’s supporters are claiming a smear campaign to discredit Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his aides as they attempt to retain power in the June presidential election.
Oz the Great and Powerful did not need Dorothy and Toto to conjure up magic numbers at the US and Canadian box office this weekend.
Sam Raimi’s film claimed the top spot with an $80.3 million tally, more than any movie has made on its North American debut so far this year.
Oz was a wiz outside the US and Canada as well, amassing almost $70 million in other territories.
Last week’s top title, Jack the Giant Slayer, came a very distant second.
After topping the North American box office chart last weekend with a $28 million haul, Bryan Singer’s fantasy could only manage $10 million on its second weekend.
Identity Thief also fell down a place to three, earning $6.3 million from its fifth weekend in Stateside cinemas.
Starring Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy, the comedy caper became the first North American release this year to cross the $100 million mark earlier this month.
The only new release in this week’s top 10, revenge drama Dead Man Down, claimed fourth place with an opening three-day tally of $5.3 million.
Oz the Great and Powerful did not need Dorothy and Toto to conjure up magic numbers at the US and Canadian box office this weekend
Ireland’s Colin Farrell appears opposite Sweden’s Noomi Rapace in the film, which reunites the latter with her Girl with the Dragon Tattoo director Niels Arden Oplev.
Starring James Franco, Oz the Great and Powerful also features Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams as a trio of witches he encounters in the magical land whose wizard he becomes.
Many of us believe eating sushi is a good way to get the recommended two portions of fish each week, but most of the products on the market contain very little protein.
The main reason for sushi surge in popularity is its reputation as a healthy meal. Japanese women are among the healthiest in the world, while slender celebrities are all fans of the raw fish dish.
But do sushi’s nutrition credentials – especially the Western version – stack up?
Not always, according to British dietitian Rachel Beller. In her book Eat To Lose, Eat To Win, Rachel Beller says a “light lunch” of sushi may mean you overdose on calories and carbohydrates.
“A typical sushi roll contains 290 to 350 calories and has the carbohydrate equivalent of two-and-a-half to four slices of bread,” she says.
“So a California roll (round rolled sushi, containing a small piece of fish and avocado plus fatty mayonnaise) equals two sandwiches filled with crab sticks (processed fish that is flavored and colored to look and taste like crab), a sliver of avocado and a tiny bit of veg.”
Bear in mind a sushi lunch contains two or three of these rolls, a total of up to 1,050 calories, and it’s easy to see how we’re conning ourselves that we’re enjoying a low-calorie, healthy lunch.
Health experts say a portion of fish should weigh 140 g, but on average, the fish in a California roll or piece of nigiri (rice with fish balanced on the top) weighs just 5 g.
You’d need to eat 28 pieces of sushi to reach your 140 g portion – or more, if you choose a mixed sushi box containing vegetarian varieties.
Many of us believe eating sushi is a good way to get the recommended two portions of fish each week, but most of the products on the market contain very little protein
Boots Shapers Japanese Style Sushi Sampler (80 g) contains just 5 g of fish – less than one king prawn.
Even “fish” sushi boxes don’t contain much. Marks & Spencer Fish Sushi Selection (191 g) has just 36 g of fish, meaning you would have to eat four boxes and consume 1,184 calories to get one of your recommended fish portions.
Sashimi – slices of raw or seared tuna or salmon – is a better option if you’re keen on boosting protein, omega-3 fats, vitamins and minerals. This form of Japanese food is low in processed carbohydrates.
The recommendations for pregnant and breastfeeding women (or those who want to get pregnant) eat no more than two portions of oil-rich fish (salmon, mackerel, trout or fresh tuna) each week as it can contain pollutants that can affect a baby’s development. All other adults should have no more than four portions a week.
Tuna can also contain mercury, a toxin that can affect the kidneys and nervous system.
While it’s fine to eat shop or restaurant sushi when you’re pregnant (by law it must be frozen to kill parasitic worms that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain), the UK Department of Health advises pregnant or breastfeeding women to avoid shellfish, such as shrimps, prawns, crab or scallops, which can contain viruses and bacteria.
Stodgy white rice is the main ingredient in sushi – sometimes making up as much as 75% of the dish. Like long-grain white rice, it is heavily processed, causing it to lose vitamins, minerals and fibre, the last of which is important for maintaining a healthy digestive system – and filling us up.
Sushi rice isn’t just boiled in water, it also has considerable amounts of sugar, plus sugary rice vinegar added to it as flavoring.
Kim Kardashian got a blood facial on Sunday’s episode of her reality show Kourtney and Kim Take Miami.
Kim Kardashian, 32, was seen trying out the latest beauty technique.
“I love trying anything that makes you look and feel youthful,” the reality star said.
A large needle drew blood from her arm before the sample was spun in a machine to remove the platelets.
The blood was then splattered into Kim Kardashian’s face using nine tiny little acupuncture-style needles.
But first she had to slap on some numbing cream in a bid to ease the pain.
“It stings a little,” the doctor who administered the treatment warned.
Kim Kardashian got a blood facial on Sunday’s episode of her reality show Kourtney and Kim Take Miami
Kim Kardashian’s best pal Jonathan Cheban looked like he was about to pass out as he watched her getting the procedure – which he had originally told her about.
The treatment is so-called because it uses the patient’s own blood to make improvements to the skin.
The plasma from the blood is then extracted and used in the non-invasive procedure, with the aim of rejuvenating the skin.
The technique is an updated version of the traditional “vampire facelift”, which involves a series of painful injections into the face.
Ivan Brannan Jr., Jennifer Capriati’s ex-boyfriend, who accused the former tennis champion of beating him up, has also claimed that she stalked him for a year.
Jennifer Capriati, 36, allegedly got into an argument with Ivan Brannan, a former Florida State University golfer, on February 14 at a Palm Beach gym in Florida.
Ivan Brannan, 28, also claims that Jennifer Capriati stalked him and called his work place more than 100 times in a single day last year.
Jennifer Capriati reportedly turned up at Ivan Brannan’s workplace in January and banged on the windows, according to the New York Post.
She has hired lawyer Steve Sessa who said that the police report is “one-sided” and the story which was circulating was an “over-exaggeration”.
Ivan Brannan asked the Palm Beach County Circuit Court for a restraining order against Jennifer Capriati last year. The judge declined the request.
He also says the tennis champion sped through a security gate at his condo building in her Porsche after a guard declined her requests to be let in.
However, Ivan Brannan’s ex-girlfriend has come to Jennifer Capriati’s defense, saying that he also tried to blame her for an attack.
Christine Corley, who starred on Gordon Ramsey’s MasterChef, offered her support to Capriati via Twitter on Saturday, saying that Ivan Brannan called the police on her, saying that she had also stalked and assaulted him.
Ivan Brannan Jr., Jennifer Capriati’s ex-boyfriend, who accused the former tennis champion of beating him up, has also claimed that she stalked him for a year
Florida police are considering charges of battery and stalking against Jennifer Capriati in connection with the incident at Oxygen Health and Fitness gym.
Jennifer Capriati allegedly hit Ivan Brannan’s chest with her fists several times before a yoga instructor intervened. Ivan Brannan then ran into the men’s locker room and called 911.
She fled the scene in her car but was stopped by police a few miles away. They allowed her to go at the time.
Christine Corley, who has a 3-year-old son with Ivan Brannan, tweeted on Saturday: “See I’m not crazy! – this is the father of my child -! HILARIOUS…”
She told Gossip Extra: “He is doing to Jennifer Capriati what he did to me… This man is just a master manipulator.”
Christine Corley added that Ivan Brannan had accused her of hitting him but that no charges were ever filed.
Scientists work on developing new drugs that could help people to live to 150 by slowing the ageing process.
The drugs are synthetic versions of resveratrol, found in red wine, an organic chemical believed to have an anti-ageing effect, by boosting activity of a protein called SIRT1.
GSK, the pharmaceutical firm behind the drugs, is testing them on people with particular medical conditions, namely Type II diabetes and psoriasis, a serious skin condition.
David Sinclair, professor of genetics at Harvard University, said ageing might not actually be an “irreversible affliction”.
He said: “Now we are looking at whether there are benefits for those who are already healthy.
“Things there are also looking promising. We’re finding that ageing isn’t the irreversible affliction that we thought it was.
“Some of us could live to 150, but we won’t get there without more research.”
The new drugs are synthetic versions of resveratrol, found in red wine, an organic chemical believed to have an anti-ageing effect, by boosting activity of a protein called SIRT1
Prof. David Sinclair explained that increasing SIRT1 activity improved how well our cells operated, making them less sluggish. In previous experiments, mice, bees and flies given the SIRT1-boosting compounds lived longer.
Writing in the journal Science, Prof. David Sinclair claimed to have performed experiments which showed these resveratrol-based compounds were having a direct effect on health. Some scientists have argued that the effect was not real, but experimental artifice.
Despite the controversy, there have already been promising results in some trials with implications for cancer, cardiovascular disease and heart failure, Type II diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, fatty liver disease, cataracts, osteoporosis, muscle wasting, sleep disorders and inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis, arthritis and colitis.
Current trials look at how the compounds might help treat these age-related disease.
Prof. David Sinclair believed that in time they would also be examined for their preventative effect. Just as statins are used today to prevent heart disease and strokes, so these compounds could be used to slow a wide-range of diseases.
David Sinclair is a consultant and inventor on patents licensed to Sirtris, the GSK company running the trials.
Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez was known as a Don Juan. He loved women and apparently, women loved him back.
Wherever Hugo Chavez went for his public appearances, women of all ages flocked to him, hoping to get a hug or a kiss.
Hugo Chavez loved to be the center of the scene but particularly when it came to women. It’s said that he grabbed Queen Elizabeth’s arm and took her for a walk and even tried to kiss Queen Sofia of Spain and the former Chilean president, Michelle Bachelet. According to international media, Hugo Chavez also tried to court CNN en Espanol journalist Patricia Janiot, American activist Cindy Sheehan and journalist and TV personality Barbara Walters.
Hugo Chavez had a long list of romances but he was married only twice. The first time he married Nancy Colmenares when he was only 23. Nancy Colmenares is the mother of his first three children: Rosa Virginia, Maria Gabriela and Hugo Rafael. According to Semana Magazine from Spain, theirs was a small, simple wedding ceremony, nothing too extravagant as Hugo Chavez was occupied with the beginning of his military career.
A few years later, Hugo Chavez met Herma Marksman, a revolutionary historian, and had her as his mistress for as long as 10 years while he was married to Nancy Colmenares. Some say Herma Marksman was the woman Hugo Chavez loved most, the one who influenced his ideological training and participation in the preparation of the coup d’ etat of 1992 that put him in jail and the one who visited him there as reported by Spanish publications. In an interview with Televen, Hugo Chavez apologized to his first wife for leaving her alone with their children and no money after the military coup. That was the end of his marriage to Nancy Colmenares.
Meanwhile, Herma Marksman stood by his side while he was in prison but their relationship began to decline before he was released. In the recent years Herma Marksman fiercely opposed the Chavez regime.
Hugo Chavez met his second wife, Marisabel Rodriguez, two years after being released. She was a gorgeous blonde Venezuelan radio journalist. It was love at first sight and they conceived their only child, Rosa Ines, on their very first date according to declarations they made to El Universal diary. Hugo Chavez and Marisabel Rodriguez were married from 1997 to 2004. Their divorce was caused by Hugo Chavez’s affairs and the feeling of hatred in his world, said Marisabel Rodriguez. Hugo Chavez said it was her bad temper that caused their separation.
After the divorce, Marisabel Rodriguez and Hugo Chavez ended up in a legal dispute for custody of Rosa Inés. In his demand for guardianship, Hugo Chavez alleged that his former wife projected an unsuitable image for the integral development of the child. Marisabel Rodriguez replied with strong statements about her former husband, accusing him of domestic violence and harassment.
This was his last marriage.
Hugo Chavez and Marisabel Rodriguez were married from 1997 to 2004
People say Hugo Chavez had a lover in Ciudad Bolivar – whom he visits in the presidential plane; that he had a romance with the Colombian Congresswoman Piedad Cordoba; that U.S. singer Courtney Love melted with his presence and Venezuelan politician Jose Vicente Rangel’s daughter had an affair with him… but again, these are only the rumors.
In 2007 almost all the national and international press published a romance between President Hugo Chavez and supermodel Naomi Campbell as a fact. Naomi Campbell attended an official ceremony in Caracas in commemoration of the Woman National Institute and some days earlier Hugo Chavez had given her an interview for GQ magazine. They had a couple of additional encounters that were uncovered, and when asked her opinion of Hugo Chavez and what was going on, Naomi Campbell answered: “The President is not a gorilla, but rather a bull!”
That was enough for the international press to write for weeks.
Alicia Castro is the former Argentine Ambassador to Venezuela and current Argentine Ambassador in the United Kingdom. Her relationship with Hugo Chavez started when he was still married to Marisabel Rodriguez. Alicia Castro has denied any romantic relationship with Hugo Chavez; she said that her romance is with the Revolution although some critics of Chavez said that there was something stronger than friendship between these two.
The alleged relationship with the Venezuelan actress and former Miss Venezuela World Ruddy Rosario Rodriguez de Lucia sailed around the world. Ruddy Rodriguez was discovered by the press upon her departure from Miraflores but some time later, she invalidated stories with strong declarations. Ruddy Rodriguez said she had met Hugo Chavez to discuss issues about her foundation and not under any romantic scenario.
“He’s not my type of man,” Ruddy Rodriguez said.
In January 2006, President Hugo Chavez also denied the romance and claimed that it was all false.
While there wasn’t an official wife, the second of Hugo Chavez’s four children, 29 year-old Maria Gabriela Chavez plays the role of First Lady of Venezuela.
Hugo Chavez himself agreed she’s his most political daughter. After her dad’s second divorce, Maria Gabriela Chavez stepped to the front of the political scene, accompanying the president in his local and international acts.
His daughters accompanied him and Gabriela Maria performs the functions of first lady in order to maintain order and satisfactory political actions making his presidency an unprecedented family affair.
The United States and South Korea have begun annual military drills amid high tensions with North Korea following the UN sanctions vote.
Pyongyang has strongly condemned the exercises, threatening to scrap the armistice that ended the Korean War.
Seoul says North Korea also appears to have carried out a threat made last week to sever a cross-border hotline.
The drills come days after the UN approved new sanctions on North Korea following its nuclear test in February.
The test last month was the communist country’s third. It followed an apparently successful launch in December of a three-stage rocket, seen as a banned test of missile technology.
North Korea’s neighbors and the US fear it is working to build a nuclear warhead small enough to put on a missile, but believe it does not yet have the capabilities to do so.
The US-South Korea joint drills, which are known as “Key Resolve”, last two weeks and involve more than 13,000 troops. Another joint exercise, known as Foal Eagle, has been under way since the beginning of March.
Both exercises take place every year, usually prompting strong rhetoric from the North.
The US and South Korea have begun annual military drills amid high tensions with North Korea following the UN sanctions vote
In apparent response to the UN sanctions vote, however, North Korea has issued multiple threats, promising to abandon the Korean War armistice, pull out of non-aggression pacts with North Korea and cut cross-border links, including the hotline.
Early on Monday, South Korea’s Unification Ministry said efforts to contact the North via the hotline had been unsuccessful. The hotline, installed in 1971, has been severed on five previous occasions.
North Korea also appears set to carry out its own military drills this week, South Korea says.
Late last week, South Korea’s new President, Park Geun-hye, warned that the security situation on the Korean Peninsula was “very grave”.
The two Koreas remain technically at war, because an armistice was signed at the end of the 1950-53 Korean conflict, rather than a peace deal.
Tensions have boiled over on a number of occasions in the past, most recently in November 2010 when four South Koreans were killed in North Korean shelling on a border island.
North Korea’s Communist Party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, warned on Monday that the situation was unpredictable.
“With the ceasefire agreement blown apart… no one can predict what will happen in this land from now on,” the mouthpiece said.
Ram Singh, a suspect in the notorious rape and murder of a female student in India, has been found dead in prison, his lawyer has confirmed.
Police say Ram Singh hanged himself in Delhi’s Tihar jail, but defence lawyers and his family suspect he was murdered.
Ram Singh, 33, was one of five men being held in the rape and murder case. They all deny the charges.
The attack on the student on a bus in December outraged India and triggered a debate about the treatment of women.
A sixth suspect is being tried by a juvenile court.
Ram Singh’s death comes as a huge embarrassment for the authorities who are already under enormous pressure over the case.
Tihar jail spokesman Sunil Gupta said Ram Singh appeared to have hanged himself with an improvised rope made from a blanket at about 05:00 local time on Monday.
He said an inquiry had been ordered and Ram Singh’s body would be taken for a post mortem examination later on Monday.
Sunil Gupta denied Indian media reports that Ram Singh had been on suicide watch, and said three people were sharing his prison cell.
Police say Ram Singh hanged himself in Delhi’s Tihar jail, but defence lawyers and his family suspect he was murdered
Ram Singh’s lawyer, VK Anand, said he was informed about his client’s death by police.
“This is shocking news. There were no circumstances to suggest that he would commit suicide. He was happy with the trial, it was going on smoothly,” VK Anand said.
Ram Singh’s father, Mangelal Singh said his son had a badly injured hand and could not have hanged himself.
He also said his son had been raped in prison by other inmates and repeatedly threatened by prisoners and guards.
“My son has not committed suicide,” he said.
Ram Singh and the four other adult defendants – his brother Mukesh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma and Akshay Thakur – have been on trial in a fast-track court.
The case was due to resume on Monday. Reporting restrictions mean few details of the trial have been made public.
They face 13 charges, including murder, gang-rape, kidnapping and destruction of evidence. If found guilty they could face the death penalty.
The maximum sentence the juvenile would face if convicted would be three years in a reform facility.
The 23-year-old rape victim, who was not named for legal reasons, was with a male friend when she was attacked on a bus and thrown from the vehicle.
She died in a Singapore hospital on 29 December from massive internal injuries.
Ram Singh was accused of being the driver of the bus.
The case provoked nationwide protests and demands for tougher penalties for rapists, as well as greater protection for women.
Tihar prison, which authorities say is the largest in Asia, is India’s most high-security prison.
The 55-year-old jail houses more than 12,000 inmates although it has an official capacity of about 6,000.
The complex includes nine separate prison facilities.
Media reports quoting the chief of Tihar prison Vimla Mehra say there were 18 deaths in the jail last year, of which two were cases of suicide.
China’s inflation rate hit a 10-month high in February after Lunar New Year festivities drove up food prices.
Consumer prices rose 3.2% from a year earlier, with food prices up by 6%.
Inflation has been a hot political issue in China. There have been concerns that if consumer prices rise too much, it may prompt Beijing to tighten monetary policies, which in turn may hurt China’s growth.
However, analysts said the latest data was unlikely to prompt any such moves.
They argued that the price growth was driven mainly by the Lunar New Year celebrations, which are traditionally associated with an increase in consumer spending.
“We expect limited market and policy impact as investors and officials understand the Lunar New Year distortions quite well,” Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts said in a note after the data was released over the weekend.
“Though policymakers should be wary of inflation later this year with economic growth recovery, it’s too early to call for significant monetary tightening at present,” they said.
After years of experiencing a blistering pace of growth, China has seen its economic expansion slow in recent times.
China’s inflation rate hit a 10-month high in February after Lunar New Year festivities drove up food prices
In 2012, China grew at a pace of 7.8%, its weakest performance in 13 years.
Prompted by slowing growth, China has taken various steps over the past months to spur a fresh wave of economic growth.
It cut interest rates twice last year, to bring down the cost of borrowing for consumers and businesses. It also lowered the amount of money that banks need to keep in reserves in an attempt to boost lending in the country.
On the investment front, Beijing approved infrastructure projects worth more than $150 billion.
Some analysts said that if China continues to pursue easy monetary policies, consumer prices may rise further in the latter half of the year.
“If monetary policy remains at the current loose stance, consumer price index in 2013 will likely be much higher than the 3.5% target set in the National People’s Congress,” said Zhang Zhiwei, an economist with Nomura.
China set a target of 3.5% inflation rate for the current year at the National People’s Congress, its annual parliamentary session, last week.
However, in his final appearance at the congress, outgoing Premier Wen Jiabao warned that keeping prices in check will remain a key challenge for the policymakers.
“There are relatively big inflationary pressures this year, mainly because there are pressures on China’s land, labor, agricultural products and services,” Wen Jiabao said.
“And major countries are stepping up loose monetary policy, so we can’t overlook imported inflationary pressures.”
Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles has confirmed that he will stand in presidential elections on April 14.
In a televised address, Henrique Capriles accused the governing PSUV party of manipulating the recent death of President Hugo Chavez.
Hugo Chavez died on March 5 after a two-year battle against cancer.
Henrique Capriles will stand against Acting President Nicolas Maduro, whom Hugo Chavez named as his favored successor.
Nicolas Maduro went on state television minutes after the opposition leader’s appearance, accusing him of being a “fascist”.
Correspondents say the stage is now set for a bitter presidential campaign.
The opposition boycotted Nicolas Maduro’s swearing-in on Friday, claiming that – under the constitution – the speaker of the National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, should be the one to take over as acting president.
Henrique Capriles – candidate for the umbrella opposition group Table for Democratic Unity (MUD) – called the move fraudulent.
On Sunday, he again accused the socialist PSUV of violating the constitution.
“My fight is not to be president, my fight is for Venezuela to move forward,” he said.
“You [the PSUV] are the ones who became sick by power. You fear losing it.”
Henrique Capriles added: “I am going to fight. Nicolas, I am not going to give you a free pass. You will have to beat me with votes.”
Henrique Capriles, 40, is a lawyer by training and governor of the state of Miranda. He describes his policies as “centrist” and “humanist”.
Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles has confirmed that he will stand in presidential elections on April 14
In his televised address on Sunday, Nicolas Maduro accused Henrique Capriles of inciting hatred, and said he was trying to provoke violence by insulting the late president’s image.
“You have made the biggest mistake of your life,” he said.
Nicolas Maduro announced that he would ask the national assembly to change the constitution on Tuesday to allow Hugo Chavez’s body to lie beside that of 19th Century South American revolutionary leader Simon Bolivar.
Both Nicolas Maduro and his opposition rival must register their candidacies by Monday.
Hugo Chavez – who led Venezuela for 14 years – won last October’s election against Henrique Capriles, polling 54% of the vote to Capriles’s 44%.
Hugo Chavez named his 50-year-old vice-president and foreign minister as his preferred successor following the recurrence of cancer.
Nicolas Maduro’s friendship with Hugo Chavez dates back to when the former president served time in prison for an attempted coup in 1992.
The former bus driver campaigned for Hugo Chavez to be released – which happened two years later.
He has vowed to carry on where the late leader left off but acknowledged that Hugo Chavez would be difficult to follow.
Nicolas Maduro told a crowd on Saturday: “I am not Chavez – speaking in terms of the intelligence, charisma, historical force, leadership capacity and spiritual grandeur of our comandante [commander].”
Hugo Chavez’s body is still lying in state at a military academy in the capital Caracas. Millions of Venezuelans have filed past to pay their respects.
Nicolas Maduro says the former leader’s body will be embalmed “like Lenin and Mao Zedong”.
