The United Nations has announced that the number of Syrian refugees who have fled the conflict has reached a million.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said the number of people seeking haven in neighboring countries had jumped since the beginning of the year.
Half of the refugees were children, the UN said, most of them under 11 and often traumatized by their experiences.
The largest numbers of refugees were seeking shelter in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt.
The figure includes registered refugees and newer arrivals awaiting registration.
“Syria is spiraling towards full-scale disaster,” the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said in a statement, warning that the international humanitarian response capacity was “dangerously stretched”.
“This tragedy has to be stopped,” he added, warning that the influx of people had also stretched the resources of Syria’s neighbors.
The millionth refugee recorded by UNHCR was a 19-year-old mother of two called Bushra.
“Our situation is so bad, everything is so expensive, we can’t find any work… The situation is so bad, I live with 20 other people in one room,” Bushra told reporters in the Lebanese city of Tripoli.
The number of Syrian refugees who have fled the conflict has reached a million
Many of those who have fled conflict now live in difficult conditions, with poor sanitation and insufficient resources to cope with the harsh winters.
In Lebanon, for example, the influx of almost a third of a million refugees since last February has swollen the country’s population by 10%.
Turkey, providing a temporary home for some 184,000 refugees, has spent more than $600 million setting up 17 refugee camps, and was building new ones to meet the increasing need, the UN said.
“These countries should not only be recognized for their unstinting commitment to keeping their borders open for Syrian refugees, they should be massively supported as well,” Antonio Guterres said.
On Tuesday, King Abdullah of Jordan called on world nations to help his country, Turkey and Lebanon to shoulder “the tremendous burden” of caring for the huge influx of people.
UK charity Oxfam says that only 20% of $1.5 billion promised by international donors in January has arrived, “leaving agencies struggling to respond to the urgent needs of refugees”.
The rush of refugees has surprised even UN experts, who had originally estimated that the one million figure would not be reached until the end of June 2013.
In effect, more than 400,000 have became refugees since 1 January 2013.
The UN’s emergency response plan for Syrian refugees, it said, currently lacked 75% of the funding required.
Jordan’s Petra news agency said that a total of 2,257 Syrian refugees had crossed into the country on Tuesday alone.
Some 110,000 of those who have sought shelter in Jordan are living in the desert camp of Zaatari, near its northern border with Syria.
The conflict in Syria began almost two years ago with demonstrations against the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
The protests quickly turned violent as opponents of Bashar al-Assad took up arms to try to resist a brutal crackdown by the authorities.
The conflict has left more than 70,000 people dead and two million internally displaced.
Also on Wednesday, the Commander of the rebel Free Syrian Army, General Selim Idriss, has called for the lifting of the EU arms embargo against Syria, saying it is having a much more negative effect on the opposition than on the Assad regime.
Gen. Selim Idriss said opposition forces desperately needed weapons and ammunition, and that the war would be longer and bloodier if the embargo remained in place.
Jessica Simpson admits on TheEllen show that was a surprise to learn she was expecting another baby when her daughter Maxwell was less than a year old.
“We were definitely extremely shocked,” Jessica Simpson tells Ellen DeGeneres on the Wednesday edition of her talk show.
“Apparently, protection just went out the window. I feel like I’m always pregnant. We’re very happy.
“Maxwell was our focus and then I was puking and lying on the couch,” Jessica Simpson adds, recalling the time she discovered she was pregnant again.
Jessica Simpson, 32, and her fiancé Eric Johnson confirmed they were expecting their second baby back in December.
Since then, reports have suggested Jessica Simpson is expecting a baby boy, something the star hints at on the talk show.
“Well I don’t know,” she says when Ellen DeGeneres quizzes her over the sex of the baby.
“I haven’t said what it’s going to be yet.”
However, Jessica Simpson is forced into a corner when the talk show host holds up two different onesies as a gift for Maxwell, asking Jessica to choose between the “I <<heart>> my baby sister” or “I <<heart>> my baby brother”.
“You can’t have both,” Ellen DeGeneres tells her.
“You can only have one.”
Jessica Simpson admits on The Ellen show that was a surprise to learn she was expecting another baby when her daughter Maxwell was less than a year old
Luckily, Ellen DeGeneres makes the decision for her, handing Jessica Simpson the “brother” outfit telling the star “that’s my guess okay”.
“Maybe I’ll take this one,” Jessica Simpson hints.
“If it’s a girl, she might call him bro.”
Jessica Simpson also reveals that she is finding her second pregnancy much more tiring than her first.
“It’s the complete opposite,” Jessica Simpson says.
“Like with Maxwell, I felt amazing. Like I could do everything, eat everything. Do whatever I wanted.
“I had a lot of energy. This time around, I’m like exhausted. Eating Tums. That’s my snack of choice.”
But Jessica Simpson says she has learned to be healthier in contrast to her pregnancy with Maxwell.
“The first pregnancy I like let loose and I kind of ate everything that I wanted to eat and I just really enjoyed it,” she reveals.
“This time around I think because I was doing Weight Watchers and I felt super healthy.
“I’m not really craving as much and I know how hard it is to get off so I’m trying to make healthier, wiser decisions.”
Despite her weight gain, a glowing Jessica Simpson tells Ellen DeGeneres that “apparently Eric still wanted me. So I can gain as much weight and I will have a husband to be that loves me”.
“Apparently he did,” Ellen DeGeneres responds dryly, gesturing towards Jessica Simpson’s blossoming baby bump.
While promoting her latest movie Oz: The Great and Powerful, Mila Kunis sat down for an interview on Monday with Radio 1’s Chris Stark but she had no idea what she was letting herself in for.
Expecting the usual question and answer session, Mila Kunis, 29, ended up having what she described as “the best interview” after she was invited to watch Watford FC and tuck into some chicken at Nandos.
Getting off to an awkward start as Chris Stark rambled on about his nerves, Mila Kunis did her best to make him feel at ease.
For his first question, Chris Stark asked: “Did you enjoy being ugly for once because generally you’re hot?”
Retaining professionalism, Mila Kunis took on the role of interviewer to help Chris Stark get into the groove of things, telling him: “It’s not that bad, it’s not that scary.”
Feeling much more relaxed, Chris Stark bragged about how jealous his friends would be to find out he had met Mila, before inviting her to his local pub in Watford.
Accepting the offer, Mila Kunis said: “OK, I’m probably not going to do it today as I’m definitely ill but I will maybe come join you.”
Almost three minutes in and realizing that he hadn’t quite asked any questions about Mila Kunis’ latest film, Chris Stark tried to change the subject.
But protesting, Mila Kunis said: “Why? This is way more fun for me I have to tell you. Please?”
Moving on to sport, Chris Stark then outlined to Mila Kunis how a date watching his team Watford FC would go – starting with a trip to Nandos, steak and ale pie at half-time and ending with a few pints.
Mila Kunis sat down for an interview on Monday with Radio 1’s Chris Stark but she had no idea what she was letting herself in for
Cheeky Chris Stark even asked Mila Kunis if she would be his “plus one” to a wedding in June, but the actress said she had to decline as she would be making a film, although she joked that she had a reputation for “saying yes to everything” after accepting US serviceman Sergeant Scott Moore’s invitation to his Marine Corps ball in 2011.
As Chris Stark becomes even more worried that he has jeopardized his job, Mila Kunis, who is currently dating Ashton Kutcher, assures him: “This is the best interview I’ve had today!”
Prior to the video, which has been viewed over 540,000 times Chris Stark admitted that he was nervous to see the final edit of his interview.
On Sunday Chris Stark tweeted: “My interview with Mila Kunis tomo. Genuinely anxious about people hearing it. I panicked haha.”
And still getting to grips with the impact of the clip, on Tuesday Chris Stark wrote: “Well this interview has gone off hasnt it. Crazy. Have I actually made the front page of youtube? Ridic.”
Chris Stark then quipped: “Well… what a weird day. Pub soon anyone?”
Asian stock markets have continued a global rally after New York’s main Dow Jones share index hit a historical record high.
Equity markets in Asia, the US and Europe have been buoyed by central bank attempts to revive economic growth by pumping cash into the financial system.
Analysts said that this has helped ease fears of continuing political problems and slower corporate profit growth.
In Asia on Wednesday, the main indexes in Japan and Australia hit their highest levels since September 2008.
Japan’s Nikkei was 1.1% higher in early trading while Australian shares were up 0.9%. Shares in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore also posted gains.
The dollar eased 0.2% against a basket of key currencies while copper and crude oil prices rose.
The rally on Wall Street means the main US indexes have erased the losses brought on by the global financial crisis.
Dow Jones closed at 14,256 after investors were buoyed by signs of recovery in the US housing market in recent months, and data showing growth in the services sector.
The share index ended the day more than double its low of 6,547 in March 2009.
London’s FTSE 100 closed at a five-year high on Tuesday.
Analysts said sentiment was being boosted mainly because of the stimulus programs being conducted by the US, Europe and Japan.
Asian stock markets have continued a global rally after New York’s main Dow Jones share index hit a historical record high
In the US, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke has engaged in a campaign of massive bond-buying while keeping interest rates at a record low to help support the world’s largest economy after the global financial crisis in 2008.
The program known as quantitative easing or QE3, is in its third phase, and has been made open ended.
“To be sure, it was Bernanke’s reassurance, at last week’s congressional testimonies on monetary policy, to keep QE3 on its present course that turned a worried stock market into a record high,” said analysts at DBS Bank in Singapore.
The European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan have also taken steps to boost liquidity.
However, despite the positive sentiment on the markets analysts said there were risks on the horizon.
China’s move to curb high property prices, the impact of the US spending cuts as well uncertainty after the elections in Italy could still weigh on investors.
These concerns, however, are for now being overshadowed by the notion that central banks will continue to support the fragile global economic recovery.
“That’s fantastic testament to the power of easy money, in the face of doubts about the US economy now that fiscal spending is being cut back,” said Kit Juckes, from Societe Generale.
The European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan and the Bank of England will hold their policy meetings on Thursday.
Most analysts expect the three central banks to continue their policies aimed at spurring growth in their economies.
A Norwegian study has found that people who have trouble drifting off to sleep may be at increased risk of heart failure.
The study, published in the European Heart Journal, followed more than 50,000 people for 11 years.
Scientists found those who suffered several nights of poor sleep were more likely to develop the condition, in which the heart fails to pump properly.
Experts say further research is needed to see if a lack of sleep causes heart failure or the link is more complex.
Scientists at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology looked at more than 50,000 people aged between 20 and 89. At the beginning of the study, none of them were known to have heart failure.
In this condition the muscles of the heart are often too out of shape to do their job properly – they may be too weak or too stiff to pump blood around the body at the right pressure.
People with the disorder may feel increasingly breathless and exhausted.
And as heart failure worsens, it can be difficult to get a full night’s rest – but the Norwegian study is one of few to investigate whether poor sleepers without the condition are at risk of getting it in later life.
A Norwegian study has found that people who have trouble drifting off to sleep may be at increased risk of heart failure
During the research, the participants were asked whether they had any difficulties getting to sleep or staying asleep and whether they felt fully restored after a night’s slumber.
People who had trouble falling asleep and remaining asleep each night were three times more likely to develop heart failure than those who reported no trouble sleeping.
Those who experienced substandard sleep that failed to leave them fully refreshed were also at risk.
And this link between a bad night’s sleep and heart failure remained true despite researchers taking smoking, obesity and other well known triggers of insomnia and heart problems into account.
The researchers say it is unclear exactly why poor sleep and heart failure are associated in this way.
Dr. Lars Erik Laugsand, lead author of the study, said: “We don’t know whether insomnia truly causes heart failure. But if it does, the good thing is it is a potentially treatable condition.
“So evaluating sleep problems might provide additional information in the prevention of heart failure.”
He suggests the lack of sleep may provoke harmful responses in the body.
“When you have insomnia your body releases stress hormones which in turn may effect the heart in a negative way,” he said.
The same team of researchers has previously reported a link between people prone to insomnia and heart attacks.
And diabetes, depression and poor brain function have all been linked to missing restful hours in bed.
Bolshoi Ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko and two other men have confessed to an acid attack on Sergei Filin, the company’s artistic director, say Moscow police.
Pavel Dmitrichenko – the alleged mastermind of the attack – was detained on Tuesday with Yuri Zarutsky, suspected of carrying it out.
A man accused of driving a getaway vehicle is also being held.
Sergei Filin’s eyesight was badly damaged when a masked attacker threw sulphuric acid in his face in January.
After a series of operations on his eyes, Sergei Filin has been moved to Germany, where doctors have expressed hope that months of further treatment may be able to restore good vision.
Sergei Filin, 42, also suffered facial disfigurement during the January 17 attack, outside his Moscow home.
It opened a window into bitter infighting and rivalries inside the Bolshoi theatre, shocking Russians, correspondents say.
Pavel Dmitrichenko’s flat was searched by Moscow police on Tuesday before all three suspects were confirmed as being detained. They have been held overnight.
“At the current time all three have signed confessions and have been placed under arrest,” Moscow police said on Wednesday.
“The necessary investigative work is being undertaken to establish all the circumstances of the crime.”
Bolshoi Ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko and two other men have confessed to an acid attack on Sergei Filin
Confessions are common in Russia, though often the accused later complain of mistreatment.
Pavel Dmitrichenko, who has been with the troupe since 2002, is not one of the half-dozen very senior male dancers at the company, known as premiers, but he is a leading soloist one level down.
He has been performing the lead role in Sergei Prokofiev’s Ivan The Terrible.
It is unclear whether Yuri Zarutsky or the alleged driver, named as Andrei Lipatov, have any connection to the Bolshoi.
Police have questioned several Bolshoi employees as potential witnesses.
They are treating the attack as a premeditated act of grievous bodily harm, motivated by Sergei Filin’s professional activities.
Famously discreet Kate Middleton may have dropped her guard a little on a walkabout yesterday.
According to one member of the crowd, Kate Middleton, who is five months pregnant, appeared to hint she might be having a baby girl.
Sandra Cook, 67, was among the 2,000 wellwishers who greeted Kate Middleton on her visit to Grimsby.
She said: “The lady next to me gave her a teddy bear and I distinctly heard her say <<Thank you, I will take that for my d….>>.
“Then she stopped herself. I leant over and said to her: <<You were going to say daughter, weren’t you?>> She said: <<No, we don’t know!>> I said: <<Oh, I think you do>> to which she replied: <<We’re not telling!>>
“I have been here since 10 a.m. and it was worth every cold minute of the wait to see her. She is just beautiful and so lovely and friendly.”
Kate Middleton, who is five months pregnant, appeared to hint she might be having a baby girl
Diana Burton, 41, who gave the Duchess a teddy, was too shell-shocked to recall the conversation. But Sandra Cook, who works in a local charity shop and lives in Grimsby, was adamant about what she heard.
“I only hope that she doesn’t now give birth to a boy or I’m going to look pretty stupid,” she said.
“But she definitely said <<d——>>.”
St James’s Palace did not comment on the matter, although royal sources insisted Kate Middleton and Prince William had not yet found out the sex of the baby, which is due in July.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has died aged 58, after 14 years in power.
Hugo Chavez had been seriously ill with cancer for more than a year, undergoing several operations in Cuba.
Crowds of supporters gathered outside the Caracas hospital where he died, chanting “We are all Chavez!”
A self-proclaimed revolutionary, Hugo Chavez was a controversial figure in Venezuela and on the world stage. A staunch critic of the US, he inspired a left-wing revival across Latin America.
Following Hugo Chavez’s death, Vice-President Nicolas Maduro will assume the presidency until an election is held within 30 days, Foreign Minister Elias Jaua said.
“It is the mandate that Comandante President Hugo Chavez gave us,” Elias Jaua told state television, adding that Nicolas Maduro would also be the candidate of the governing United Socialist Party (PSUV).
Seven days of national mourning have been declared after Hugo Chavez’s death and his body will lie in state until a funeral on Friday
It was not immediately clear when the election would take place.
Hugo Chavez’s illness prevented him from taking the oath of office after he was re-elected for a fourth term in October.
The exact nature of Hugo Chavez’s cancer was never officially disclosed, leading to continuing speculation about his health, and he had not been seen in public for several months.
Seven days of national mourning have been declared after Hugo Chavez’s death and his body will lie in state until a funeral on Friday.
Opposition leader Henrique Capriles, whom Hugo Chavez defeated in October’s election, called on the government to “act in strict accordance with its constitutional duties”.
Henrique Capriles offered his condolences to Hugo Chavez’s family, saying “we were adversaries, but never enemies”.
The tough and charismatic Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chavez, divided opinion both at home and abroad.
To his many supporters Hugo Chavez was the reforming president whose idiosyncratic brand of socialism defeated the political elite and gave hope to the poorest Venezuelans.
Hugo Chavez’s strident criticism of the United States won him many friends among the “pink tide” of political leaders in Latin America and he effectively used his country’s vast oil reserves to boost Venezuela’s international clout.
But to his political opponents Hugo Chavez was the worst type of autocrat, intent on building a one-party state and ruthlessly clamping down on any who opposed him.
Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias was born on July 28, 1954, in the Venezuelan state of Barinas, one of seven children. His parents were both school teachers and the family lived in relative poverty.
He attended the Daniel O’Leary High School in the city of Barinas before going to the Venezuelan Academy of Military Sciences in the capital, Caracas where, he later said, he found his true vocation.
Hugo Chavez also found time to play baseball and to study the lives of the 19th Century South American revolutionary leader Simon Bolivar and the Marxist Che Guevara.
He graduated with honors in 1975 but had already begun to form the political ideas that he would later put into practice as president, including the belief that the military had a duty to step in if a civilian government was deemed to have failed to protect the poorest in society.
Hugo Chavez was posted to one of the many counter-insurgency units that were tackling the various Marxist groups bent on overthrowing the presidency of Carlos Andres Perez but he saw very little action, spending his time reading a great deal of left-wing literature.
In 1981 Hugo Chavez was assigned to teach at the military academy where he had been a student and found himself in a position to indoctrinate the next generation of army officers with his political ideas.
His superiors became alarmed at the extent of his influence and he was posted to remote Apure state, where, it was assumed, he could do little damage.
Hugo Chavez busied himself by making contact with local tribes in the area, something that would influence his own policies towards indigenous people when he finally came to power.
In February 1992 Hugo Chavez led an attempt to overthrow the government of President Carlos Andres Perez amid growing anger at economic austerity measures that had led to widespread protests.
The revolt by members of the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement claimed 18 lives and left 60 injured before Colonel Hugo Chavez gave himself up.
Hugo Chavez was languishing in a military jail when his associates tried again to seize power nine months later.
That second coup attempt in November 1992 was crushed as well, but only after the rebels had captured a TV station and broadcast a videotape of Hugo Chavez announcing the fall of the government.
To his many supporters Hugo Chavez was the reforming president whose idiosyncratic brand of socialism defeated the political elite and gave hope to the poorest Venezuelans
Hugo Chavez spent two years in prison before re-launching his party as the Movement of the Fifth Republic making the transition from soldier to politician.
With an eye to wider opinion he spent time canvassing a number of political leaders in Latin America finding strong support and friendship from Cuba’s revolutionary president, Fidel Castro.
Hugo Chavez firmly believed in overthrowing the government by force but was persuaded to change his mind and instead became a candidate in the 1998 presidential elections.
Unlike most of its neighbors, Venezuela had enjoyed an unbroken period of democratic government since 1958, but the two main parties, which had alternated in power, stood accused of presiding over a corrupt system and squandering the country’s vast oil wealth.
Hugo Chavez promised “revolutionary” social policies, and constantly abused the “predatory oligarchs” of the establishment as corrupt servants of international capital.
Never missing an opportunity to address the nation, Hugo Chavez once described oil executives as living in “luxury chalets where they perform orgies, drinking whisky”.
Hugo Chavez quickly gained widespread support, not just from the poorest in Venezuelan society but also from a middle class which had seen its standards of living eroded by economic mismanagement. It was these middle class votes that were instrumental in propelling Hugo Chavez into power with 56% of the vote.
Despite the revolutionary rhetoric he employed during the campaign his first government set out on a relatively moderate path appointing a number of conservative figures to political positions.
Hugo Chavez ran the economy largely according to guidelines set down by the International Monetary Fund and made a positive effort to encourage investment from global corporations.
He also began a programme of social reform, investing in the country’s crumbling infrastructure and setting up free medical care and subsidized food for the poor.
In order to stay in touch with his people Hugo Chavez set up weekly shows on radio and television where he explained his policies and encouraged citizens to phone in and question him directly.
In 1999 Hugo Chavez proposed setting up a new constitutional assembly, gaining overwhelming support for the idea in a public referendum, itself an unheard of feature in Venezuelan politics.
In subsequent elections to the new body, Hugo Chavez supporters won 95% of the seats and set about drafting a new constitution which was approved by an overwhelming majority of the population.
One stipulation of the new order was that presidential elections should be held in 2000 which Hugo Chavez duly won with 59% of the vote.
However, he soon faced opposition both from outside and inside Venezuela. Relations with Washington reached a low when he accused it of “fighting terror with terror” during the war in Afghanistan after the attacks on the US on September 11, 2001.
Opposition inside the country came from middle class groups who had seen their political power eroded by Hugo Chavez and who accused him of steering the country towards a one-party state.
In early 2002 the whole country was embroiled in a general strike and Hugo Chavez was pushed from office on April 12 after attempting to take control of the country’s oil industry.
But, just two days later, after his supporters – mainly Venezuela’s poor – took the streets, Hugo Chavez was back in the presidential palace.
The 2006 presidential elections saw Hugo Chavez gain 63% of the vote whereupon he announced that his revolutionary policies would now be expanded.
He brought forward proposals that would allow him to stand for the presidency indefinitely, a measure that was approved in a referendum by 54% of those voting.
Hugo Chavez also created economic and political ties with newly elected left-wing leaders in other South American countries including Daniel Ortega, who came to power in Nicaragua in 2007.
Relations with the US remained strained. While Hugo Chavez congratulated US President Barack Obama on his election victory in November 2008, he strongly condemned western military action in Libya in 2011.
“I am not Obama’s enemy but it’s difficult not to see imperialism in Washington,” he said.
“Those who don’t see it, don’t want to see it, like the ostrich.”
At home, his much-vaunted economic reforms were running out of steam. Domestic support for his “Bolivarian” socialism was being sorely tested by economic recession and inflation soared to 30% eroding the savings of the middle classes.
Hugo Chavez started as a reforming president, intent on addressing the inequalities in Venezuelan society giving food, medical care and, above all, a political voice to the poor.
Venezuela today has the fairest income distribution in Latin America.
President Hugo Chavez has died at the age of 58, Venezuela’s Vice-President Nicolas Maduro has announced.
Hugo Chavez had not appeared in public since he returned to Venezuela last month after cancer treatment in Cuba.
An emotional Nicolas Maduro made the announcement on Tuesday evening, flanked by leading Venezuelan political and military leaders.
He said that long-standing President Hugo Chavez died at 4:25 p.m. local time.
Earlier, Nicolas Maduro said Hugo Chavez had a new, severe respiratory infection and had entered “his most difficult hours”.
One of the most visible, vocal and controversial leaders in Latin America, Hugo Chavez, a former army paratrooper, won the presidency in 1998 and had most recently won another six-year presidential term in October 2012.
Last May, Hugo Chavez said he had recovered from an unspecified cancer, after undergoing surgery and chemotherapy in 2011 and a further operation in February 2012.
However, in December 2012, Hugo Chavez announced he needed further cancer surgery in Cuba, and named his Vice-President, Nicolas Maduro, as his preferred successor should the need arise.
Hugo Chavez remained out of public view, finally returning to Venezuela in February.
Hugo Chavez’s death is expected to trigger a snap election, though the opposition has argued that it should have been held after Chavez was unable to be sworn in on January 10.
The campaigning has already unofficially begun, with VP Nicolas Maduro, who Hugo Chavez has said should succeed him, frequently commandeering all broadcast channels to promote the “revolution” and vilify the opposition.
Bolshoi Ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko has been detained by police, suspected of ordering an acid attack on artistic director Sergei Filin.
Dancer Pavel Dmitrichenko is being held along with Yuri Zarutsky, who is suspected of carrying out the attack, Russia’s interior ministry says.
Sergei Filin’s eyesight was badly damaged when a masked attacker threw sulphuric acid in his face in January.
A third person, suspected of being the attacker’s driver, is also being held.
He has been named as Andrei Lipatov.
It is not clear whether Yuri Zarutsky or Andrei Lipatov have any connection to the Bolshoi.
Pavel Dmitrichenko’s flat was searched by Moscow police on Tuesday before he was confirmed as being detained.
The dancer, who has been with the troupe since 2002, has been performing the lead role in Sergei Prokofiev’s Ivan The Terrible.
A spokeswoman for the Bolshoi Theatre, speaking before Pavel Dmitrichenko was detained, said the company was hopeful that the crime would be solved.
Bolshoi Ballet soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko has been detained by police, suspected of ordering an acid attack on artistic director Sergei Filin
Katerina Novikova said she did not know of any dispute between the dancer and Sergei Filin, Reuters reports.
The mid-January attack shocked the arts world. It came after a period of infighting at the Bolshoi, one of Russia’s most prestigious ballet companies.
Sergei Filin, 42, was released from hospital in Moscow last month for follow-up treatment in Germany. He will have further plastic surgery and a lengthy convalescence.
The artistic director was badly burned during the attack, which happened in the street as he returned to his home in Moscow late at night.
It appears the assailant called out to the artistic director by name, then splashed him before fleeing from the scene.
A security camera apparently captured grainy footage of the event.
Sergei Filin said later he was certain who was behind the attack, but would only speak after an announcement by investigators.
He argued the aim of the attack had been to remove him from his post, adding that he had long been the target of threats.
Police have questioned several Bolshoi employees as potential witnesses.
They are treating the attack as a premeditated act of grievous bodily harm, motivated by Sergei Filin’s professional activities.
German doctors think they can restore some of Sergei Filin’s sight.
A spokeswoman for the Bolshoi said they hoped Sergei Filin would return to the company for their trip to London this summer.
Ikea has decided to withdraw a type of almond cake from its restaurants after samples were found to be contaminated by coliform bacteria.
Traces of the bacteria were found in two batches of the cake that came from a Swedish supplier and went through Ikea’s health checks.
The cake has been withdrawn from 23 countries, said the furniture company.
None of the infected batches had gone on sale, Ikea said.
Ikea added that no pathogenic bacteria, such as E coli – which is considered dangerous to humans – had been found in the affected cake.
Last month Ikea withdrew meatballs from sale in some of its restaurants after it was suspected they contained traces of horse DNA.
The meatballs in 1kg packs were made in Sweden, and labelled as beef and pork.
Ikea has decided to withdraw a type of almond cake from its restaurants after samples were found to be contaminated by coliform bacteria
The latest withdrawal comes after Chinese quarantine officials confirmed that 1,872 kg of chocolate almond cake imported by the Swedish company had been destroyed.
The Swedish company said there was no health risk associated with consuming the contaminated product.
“Traces of coliform bacteria have been found in two isolated production batches of almond cake with chocolate and butterscotch, produced for the Restaurant, from one supplier in Sweden,” said an Ikea statement.
“The production batches have, as per safety and quality routines, been tested for bacteria that can cause health issues, such as E coli, and none of these pathogen bacteria have been found.
“However, since the product does not comply with our strict food quality standards we have decided to withdraw the concerned production batches from sale in the 23 affected countries.”
Ikea has stores in 38 countries. The company’s net profits rose 8% to 3.2 billion euros over the 2011-12 financial year.
President Hugo Chavez is undergoing his “most difficult hours”, Venezuela’s Vice-President Nicolas Maduro has said.
Nicolas Maduro spoke at length in a speech apparently designed to reassure citizens despite the failing health of Venezuela’s leader.
He accused the US of plotting against the Venezuelan government and said a US military attaché would be expelled.
On Monday officials said Hugo Chavez, 58, had a new, severe respiratory infection.
Dozens of people gathered to pray for his health at the hospital where Hugo Chavez is being treated.
He has not appeared in public since he returned to Venezuela last month after being treated for cancer in Cuba.
The address broadcast live on TV from the presidential Miraflores Palace showed Nicolas Maduro surrounded by political and military leaders in a display of solidarity.
Nicolas Maduro accused “enemies of the fatherland” in Venezuela and abroad, particularly the US, of seeking to undermine democracy in Venezuela.
Speaking in a room full of dignitaries including the defence minister and the president’s brother Adan Chavez, Nicolas Maduro said Hugo Chavez’s illness was an “attack” by his enemies and called for this to be investigated.
Nicolas Maduro said the US air force attaché, David Delmonaco, had been spying on Venezuela’s military and had 24 hours to leave the country: A US embassy spokesman said Washington was formulating a response.
President Hugo Chavez is undergoing his most difficult hours
In recent days, the opposition has condemned what they say is the lack of clarity surrounding his condition.
“The lack of precise information worries Venezuelans and fuels rumors,” said Ramon Guillermo Aveledo of the opposition Democratic Unity coalition.
At the weekend, hundreds of Venezuelan students and opposition members marched in Caracas demanding full details about Hugo Chavez’s health.
Information Minister Ernesto Villegas accused Hugo Chavez’s opponents of showing “the same hatred that they have shown towards Chavez all these years.
“It annoys them that he won’t give up and neither will the people!” he wrote on his Twitter account.
On Monday Ernesto Villegas announced from the military hospital where Hugo Chavez is being treated that he had suffered “a worsening of respiratory function” and that his condition continued to be “very delicate”.
He said Hugo Chavez was undergoing “intensive chemotherapy, as well as complementary treatments”.
“The commander-president remains clinging to Christ and to life, conscious of the difficulties that he is facing, and complying strictly with the programme designed by his medical team,” Ernesto Villegas said.
Hugo Chavez, who has been in office for 14 years, is believed to have cancer in his pelvic area, but his exact illness has never been disclosed.
He announced in June 2011 that he had cancer and has undergone four operations since then, as well as chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
The president was re-elected for another six-year term in October 2012, but the Supreme Court ruled that his swearing-in on January 10 could be delayed because of his illness.
Hugo Chavez is said to be taking decisions about the country from the hospital bed but there have been mixed messages from officials on his condition.
Dow Jones share index set a new all-time high on Tuesday, returning to levels not seen since before the global financial crisis.
The Wall Street index reached 14,273 in lunchtime trading, exceeding the previous record intra-day high of 14,198, set in October 2007.
The recovery in the market suggests investors are regaining confidence in the US economy.
That is despite the ongoing fiscal crisis in Washington.
Dow Jones index has more than doubled in value since it plummeted to less than 6,550 points in the depth of the crisis in March 2009.
Investors were encouraged by data released on Tuesday suggesting the US’s non-manufacturing industries, which account for about 90% of the economy, continued to expand last month.
The Institute for Supply Management said its services index rose to 56 in February from 55.2 in January – its highest level in a year.
More broadly investors have been encouraged by signs of recovery in the US housing market in recent months, and a return of consumer confidence.
“Key data is turning supportive. Companies are ready to re-invest and grow profitably. With luck, we will see a recovery take hold in the second half of the year,” said Paul Atkinson, head of North American equities at Aberdeen Asset Management.
“The question now is whether we are seeing a stealth rally in danger of running its course… or whether we have the conditions for further market gains.”
Other US indexes have also rallied in recent months.
The S&P 500 index – a broader index of US shares that is closely watched in the market – has risen by 125% since 2009, reaching 1,538 on Tuesday, but remains some way short of its pre-crisis high of 1,576.
By comparison the FTSE 100 index in London has risen by 68% from its 2009 low, but is some way off its all-time high, set in late 1999.
Dow Jones share index set a new all-time high on Tuesday, returning to levels not seen since before the global financial crisis
US consumer confidence rebounded unexpectedly in February, while data suggesting strong sales of new homes has been particularly encouraging, as housing construction has typically played a leading role in past US recoveries.
There are also signs big businesses are beginning to invest in capital spending rather than build up their cash piles, and are hiring more staff.
Analysts also say the commitment of central banks to quantitative easing (QE) and low interest rates has helped create optimism among investors, and made stocks and shares more attractive than bonds.
On Monday the vice chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen, said the central bank should press on with its QE programme, in which it spends $85 billion a month on buying bonds.
Its actions have outweighed concerns over the continued US fiscal crisis in Washington, where President Barack Obama has warned that “sequester” budget cuts will harm the economy.
Some investors also warn that the US recovery remains sluggish. The economy grew at an annualized rate of just 0.1% in the last three months of 2012, data published last week showed.
Dow Jones also only partially reflects the US economy, as it is made up of only 30 companies.
“What happens when this [QE programme] kind of evaporates or goes away, that’s the major question in the back of my mind,” said Anthony Conroy, head trader at brokerage BNY Convergex.
“But right now, the economy, the market, everything looks fairly healthy. Stocks still look fairly inexpensive.”
Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal has accused Forbes magazine of understating his wealth.
In Forbes 2013 list of the world’s richest people, the magazine estimated Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal’s net worth at $20 billion, putting him in 26th place.
According to reports, the prince estimates his net worth to be $29.6 billionn, which would put him in the top 10.
Forbes said it had examined the prince’s wealth “deeply” following claims he had exaggerated his fortune.
In an article published on its website, Forbes also said that the prince often went to great lengths to affect his ranking and had complained in previous years about the valuation Forbes had put on his wealth.
“Of the 1,426 billionaires on our list, not one – not even the vainglorious Donald Trump – goes to greater measure to try to affect his or her ranking,”Forbes magazine claimed.
Citing former associates of Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, the magazine said his ranking was very important to the prince.
“This is how he wants the world to judge his success or his stature,” an anonymous source was quoted as saying.
The list, published on Monday, saw Mexico’s Carlos Slim retain the top slot for the fourth straight year with a net worth of $73 billion.
The 10th spot on the list went to Bernard Arnault and family of the luxury goods group LVMH, with a net worth of $29 billion.
Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal has accused Forbes magazine of understating his wealth
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal’s office claimed Forbes used flawed valuation methods that were “designed to disadvantage” Middle Eastern investors.
It alleged that Forbes had refused to accept the valuations of the stocks listed on Tadawul, the Saudi Arabian Stock Exchange, while it had accepted valuations of listings on other emerging markets such as the Mexican Stock Exchange.
It said that Forbes had applied “differing standards of proof for different individuals”.
The prince’s office said that it had requested Forbes to remove the prince from its rich list. It added that it had severed all ties with the magazine and would no longer co-operate with the valuation teams.
“We have worked very openly with the Forbes team over the years and have on multiple occasions pointed out problems with their methodology that need correction,” Shadi Sanbar, chief financial officer of Kingdom Holding Company, which the prince owns, said in a statement.
“However, after several years of our efforts to correct mistakes falling on deaf ears, we have decided that Forbes has no intention of improving the accuracy of their valuation of our holdings and we have made the decision to move on.”
Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal’s Kingdom Holding Company, whose shares are traded on the Saudi stock exchange, owns stakes in hotel groups including Four Seasons and Fairmont Raffles and is a part-owner of the Savoy Hotel in London.
The prince is a major investor in News Corporation and, according to Forbes, he bought a 3% stake in Twitter last year for $300 million.
Russian police in Moscow have brought in for questioning a suspect in the acid attack on the Bolshoi Ballet’s artistic director, Sergei Filin.
A brief report on the police website said the unnamed person was “one of the suspects” in the attack on January 17, which shocked the arts world.
“The necessary investigative measures are now being taken,” it added.
Sergei Filin’s eyesight was damaged when a masked attacker threw sulphuric acid in his face.
He was released from hospital in Moscow last month for follow-up treatment in Germany.
Sergei Filin will have further plastic surgery and a lengthy convalescence.
The flat of a Bolshoi ballet dancer, soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko, was searched by Moscow police on Tuesday, a separate brief report on the police website said. There was no suggestion of a link to the detained suspect.
The attack on Sergei Filin came after a period of infighting at the Bolshoi, one of Russia’s most prestigious ballet companies.
Unnamed sources quoted by Russian media say the suspect is a man who was detained early on Tuesday in a town near Moscow. He is not connected to the Bolshoi, the Russian website Life News reports.
Searches are reported to be under way at the suspect’s home and other addresses connected to him.
Sergei Filin’s eyesight was damaged when a masked attacker threw sulphuric acid in his face
Sergei Filin, 42, was badly burned during the attack, which happened in the street as he returned to his home in Moscow late at night.
It appears the assailant called out to the artistic director by name, then splashed him before fleeing from the scene.
A security camera apparently captured grainy footage of the event.
The artistic director said later he was certain who was behind the attack, but would only speak after an announcement by investigators.
Sergei Filin argued the aim of the attack had been to remove him from his post, adding that he had long been the target of threats.
Police have questioned several Bolshoi employees as potential witnesses.
They are treating the attack as a premeditated act of grievous bodily harm, motivated by Sergei Filin’s professional activities.
German doctors think they can restore some of Sergei Filin’s sight.
A spokeswoman for the Bolshoi said they hoped Sergei Filin would return to the company for their trip to London this summer.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released files spanning a decade from 1988 to 1999 detailing three investigations it conducted on behalf of Whitney Houston.
Whitney Houston died in a hotel bathroom on February 11, 2012.
The records, numbering more than 120 pages, were posted online on Monday, showing letters from obsessed fans and an alleged extortion attempt in 1992.
The FBI found no crime actually occurred and there was no evidence of criminal threats in the fan mail.
Following Whitney Houston’s marriage to New Edition singer Bobby Brown in 1992, the files show someone considered to be a close friend and “privy to much personal information” had allegedly attempted to blackmail her to the tune of $250,000, threatening to put private information into the public arena unless she paid out.
Whitney Houston was interviewed by the FBI at the New Jersey offices of her management company about the extortion investigation, but the records are heavily redacted.
A fan in Vermont, New England proclaimed his love through more than 70 letters in a 17-month period, sent to Whitney Houston at the height of her fame.
One letter read: “I tried to ignore what I felt towards her. After five months I had to do something so I started writing letters.”
Later in the same letter, the fan referred to a plan to make his love for Whitney Houston’s public through the press, though he was afraid would hurt the singer’s reputation.
He wrote: “It scares me that I might come up with some crazy or stupid or really dumb idea that might be as bad as that or even worse than that. I might hurt someone with some crazy idea and not realize how stupid an idea is until I have done it.”
The FBI has released files spanning a decade from 1988 to 1999 detailing three investigations it conducted on behalf of Whitney Houston
The FBI decided no law was broken as he had not made any physical threats towards Whitney Houston.
The files were released through a Freedom of Information Act request, but contained no new personal details about Whitney Houston’s life.
In 1999, Whitney Houston received letters and recorded cassette tapes from the Netherlands, which she considered threatening.
In a subsequent FBI interview, the sender made outlandish claims, saying he was President of Europe, had bought Brazil for $66 billion and helped Nelson Mandela’s election campaign in South Africa
Whitney Houston’s death at the age of 48, the night before the Grammy Awards 2012, was as a result of accidental drowning due to cocaine use and heart disease, authorities said.
Dennis Rodman has decided to cancel his whirlwind tour of post-North Korea television appearances, causing curiosity and relief among political commentators and media observers.
The cancellations follow his bizarre and inflammatory interview with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, in which Dennis Rodman called Kim Jung-un a “friend for life” and assured his host that the dictator just wants President Barack Obama to call him.
“He’s very humble,” Dennis Rodman told George Stephanopoulos during his appearance on ABC’s This Week.
“He’s a great guy, he’s a great guy.”
During an interview with the Associated Press after returning to the US Dennis Rodman said: “I love him.”
Dennis Rodman was getting ready to make appearances on ESPN’s Outside the Lines with Bob Ley and CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, but aborted both scheduled interviews with little advance notice and little explanation.
“Rodman was supposed to be interviewed this a.m. by @BobLeyESPN for OTL after his interview w/ @GStephanopoulos but skipped out on @espn,” sports James Andrew Miller tweeted on Sunday at 3:11 pm.
CNN’s John Berman told viewers late Monday morning that Dennis Rodman “decided to cancel” his interview on The Situation Room, as TVNewser reported.
John Berman instead hosted former Homeland Security adviser Frances Townsend and journalist John Avlon, who chastised the retired basketball player for his praise of Kim Jong-un.
Following the news of Dennis Rodman’s trip to North Korea, including speculation as to whether he now has more first-hand knowledge of North Korea’s leader than the CIA, White House spokesman Jay Carney told White House reporters that the U.S. government disapproved of the flashy attempt at diplomacy.
“The United States has direct channels of communication with the DPRK and instead of spending money on celebrity sporting events to entertain the elites of that country, the North Korean regime should focus on the well-being of its own people, who have been starved, imprisoned and denied their human rights,” Jay Carney said Monday.
Dennis Rodman has decided to cancel his whirlwind tour of post-North Korea television appearances, causing curiosity and relief among political commentators and media observers
Since returning from North Korea, Dennis Rodman has been silent on Twitter, despite a promise on Friday to tell his followers “what is true and not true of what you have heard and read”.
Dennis Rodman tweeted several times while he was visiting North Korea with three members of the Harlem Globe Trotters and Vice Media’s film crew to work on an upcoming HBO series that will debut on April 5.
“It’s true, I’m in North Korea.Looking forward to sitting down with Kim Jung Un. I love the people of North Korea. #WORMinNorthKorea,” he tweeted just after 8 am EST on February 26, before meeting with Kim Jung-un.
“I’m not a politician. Kim Jung Un & North Korean people are basketball fans. I love everyone. Period. End of story. #WORMinNorthKorea,” Dennis Rodman tweeted after few minutes.
During his interview with George Stephanopoulos, Dennis Rodman said he may take another trip to North Korea in the future.
“The next time you go back you should take this report from Human Rights Watch and ask him about that,” the ABC host replied.
Adrienne Maloof has confirmed that she is leaving Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills after three seasons.
Adrienne Maloof, 51, took to her Twitter account to make the announcement following rumors that she had been fired from Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills.
In a message to her fans, Adrienne Maloof thanked them for their support and told them to “stay tuned”.
“To my loyal fans . . . It was time to exit RHOBH. The show served as a wonderful platform, stay tuned! xoxoA” she wrote.
Adrienne Maloof also linked to her blog which featured a longer message, stating that she had other ventures in the pipeline.
“The show served as a wonderful platform for all the amazing projects that I have in the works. I am forever grateful to my fans, thank you for your support, and stay tuned! xoxoA” she wrote.
The announcement came after reports suggested that Adrienne Maloof had been fired from the popular reality series after joining the show in season one.
According to sources who told People magazine, producers grew tired of her lateness for filming and her complex issues.
“She was let go,” the insider told the magazine.
“Producers were sick of her constant tardiness and her issues.”
Adrienne Maloof has confirmed that she is leaving Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills after three seasons
However, a friend of Adrienne Maloof’s insisted that it was Adrienne who made the choice to not take part in the upcoming season four.
“It was her decision to leave. Adrienne is very happy,” the friend claimed, who also added that producers were in fact pleading with the business mogul to return.
“The producers were begging Adrienne to come back to the show and the reunion right up until the last minute,” the source told the magazine.
Just a few days ago, it was reported that Adrienne Maloof was still making up her mind up about leaving the show for good.
Another member of the cast said Adrienne Maloof was “considering leaving the show… but has not made a definitive decision as of yet”.
Adrienne Maloof also did not appear for the taping of the reunion show last Friday, Life & Style reported.
“She doesn’t want to deal with the women. They are all going to just hash the same thing over and over again and she needs to be with her kids anyway,” a source told the publication last week.
“She’s headed to Mammoth Mountain in LA for a field trip with her children instead.
“She is always a mom first and foremost,’ added the source, ‘but she is also dodging the Housewives because she knows she’ll be attacked and doesn’t want to deal with it.”
Adrienne Maloof has been caught in a bitter feud and legal battle with castmate Brandi Glanville after the blonde blurted out during a taping last spring that Adrienne had used a surrogate to have her twins Christian and Colin, 6.
She was furious when she discovered Brandi Glanville had divulged the information on camera as she had not yet told her children.
The Bravo network was forced to cut the scenes from the final edit of the show due to legal reasons.
Meanwhile, Camille Grammer is also said to have grown tired of the show and quit.
The family of Oscar Pistorius, who is charged with murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has distanced itself from his father’s comments that guns are needed because of high crime levels.
Henke Pistorius told the Daily Mirror newspaper that his son needed guns because of the government’s failure to protect white people.
Reeva Steenkamp died after he fired multiple shots into the toilet of his top floor apartment in a gated housing complex in Pretoria.
Records in South Africa showed the Pistorius family owned 56 guns, the Daily Mirror reports.
“Some of the guns are for hunting and some are for protection, the hand guns. It speaks to the ANC government, look at white crime levels [sic], why protection is so poor in this country, it’s an aspect of our society,” it quotes Henke Pistorius as saying.
Henke Pistorius told the Daily Mirror newspaper that his son needed guns because of the government’s failure to protect white people
The family was “deeply concerned” about his comments, the family’s publicist said in a statement, AFP news agency reports.
Family spokesman Arnold Pistorius said “the Pistorius family own weapons purely for sport and hunting purposes”, it reports.
“The comments doesn’t [sic] represent the views of Oscar or the rest of the Pistorius family,” he is quoted as saying.
Critics say the government has not done enough to tackle a surge in violent crime since white minority rule ended in South Africa in 1994.
However, the South African government says crime levels have fallen in recent years.
Justin Bieber has angered parents by emerging onstage for a concert at London’s O2 Arena almost two hours late.
While Justin Bieber’s young fans were kept waiting, frantic parents converged on the venue expecting to pick up their children.
It follows reports Justin Bieber’s gig in Nottingham on Saturday also began late.
Fans tweeting from inside the O2 Arena said there were boos from some in the crowd almost an hour before he emerged.
Speaking outside, one fan said: “They were playing Michael Jackson song, after song, after song – it was so annoying.
“Everyone was on edge and as more time passed, everyone was getting more worried and booing.”
Tracey Wilson, from Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire, was at the concert with her daughter.
Justin Bieber has angered parents by emerging onstage for a concert at London’s O2 Arena almost two hours late
She told BBC Radio 5Live that Justin Bieber had been due to start at 20:30 GMT.
“The support acts came on but they ran over until about 8.50 p.m., and then we sat there until 10.20 p.m. for Justin to come on.
“A few of the parents went up to the information desk to complain and they were saying there’s nothing they could do and that <<It’s just Justin Bieber’s production team>>.
“We said that was all well and good, but most of us have to get trains… it was just a shambles. I said we’ve really got to leave at 10.50 p.m. to get the last train,” said Tracey Wilson.
She added that people in the crowd began booing at about 21:30, almost an hour before Justin Bieber’s act eventually started.
Another parent Wayne Parsonage, who said he paid £400 ($600) for three tickets, tweeted that he ended up missing the performance so he could make the last train home, and later added: “Disgusting!! Waste of my time and money…never again.”
No-one connected to the show has commented, but the venue apologized for the late start via its Twitter feed saying: “Justin Bieber is now on stage and apologizes for the lateness of his show.”
On Tuesday morning it tweeted that it will be “exploring all available options to ensure this doesn’t happen again”.
China’s Prime Minister Wen Jiabao promised stable growth, anti-corruption efforts and better welfare provision as he opened an annual session of parliament.
Wen Jiabao, whose work report traditionally begins the session, also called for more balanced development in a lengthy speech on both achievements and plans.
This National People’s Congress will see the final stage of the country’s once-in-a-decade leadership change.
Communist Party chief Xi Jinping will become president, replacing Hu Jintao.
The event will be keenly watched to see who secures other top government posts.
This work report – a 29-page consensus document approved by the leadership – is Wen Jiabao’s last. He is expected to be replaced by Li Keqiang as premier later in the parliament session.
The report set a target of 7.5% for economic growth, unchanged from 2012, with an inflation target of 3.5%, and promised to create more than nine million new urban jobs.
PM Wen Jiabao said boosting domestic consumption was key, calling it a “long-term strategy for economic development”.
Noting that dramatic changes to Chinese society had led to a marked increase in social problems, Wen Jiabao said livelihood issues should be addressed.
“We must make ensuring and improving people’s well-being the starting point and goal of all the government’s work, give entire priority to it, and strive to strengthen social development,” the PM said.
He spoke of improving pension provision for the poor and also focused on the adverse effects of development on the environment, saying: “The state of the ecological environment affects the level of the people’s well-being and also posterity and the future of our nation.”
Corruption – the focus of Xi Jinping’s speech after he was formally appointed to lead the Communist Party in November – was also on the agenda, with Wen Jiabao calling for strengthened “political integrity” and better checks on power.
“We should ensure that the powers of policy making, implementation and oversight both constrain each other and function in concert,” he said.
China’s Prime Minister Wen Jiabao promised stable growth, anti-corruption efforts and better welfare provision as he opened an annual session of parliament
State media also reported that defence spending would rise by 10.7% to 720.2 billion yuan ($115.7 billion), a slight drop from the rise of 11.2% in 2012.
China’s military spending has seen several years of double-digit growth – and observers say actual expenditure is believed to be far higher. But the figure falls well short of US military spending.
Nonetheless, increases to China’s military budget are keenly watched both by the US and neighboring countries with whom Beijing is currently engaged in a raft of territorial disputes.
In his speech, Wen Jiabao promised to “resolutely uphold China’s sovereignty, security and territorial integrity”, drawing applause from delegates.
Around 3,000 delegates are attending the Congress, including members of the military, monks, ethnic minority representatives and business leaders. The majority are members of China’s Communist Party.
Rather than debate policy, the role of the delegates is to ratify decisions already made by party officials behind closed doors, making the Congress essentially a rubber stamp parliament.
They are expected to approve plans to restructure several government departments as well as to amend some long-standing policies on the military, the virtual monopoly of some state enterprises and on individual freedoms.
While the exact schedule has not yet been made public, towards the end of the two-week-long event, Xi Jinping will formally become the country’s new president.
Since his party promotion in November, Xi Jinping has been feted in Chinese media as a man of the people who shuns the usual trappings of his position, as well as a staunch nationalist.
He has also been quoted speaking firmly of the need to stamp out corruption at all levels, warning of civil unrest if party privilege is not tackled.
Also set for promotion is Li Keqiang who, as the replacement for Wen Jiabao, is expected to give a press conference at the end of the gathering.
Security has been tightened for the NPC, with police and other security personnel patrolling in increased numbers around the Great Hall of the People.
China’s new leaders are set to inherit a far more vocal public than their predecessors faced, with social media now forcing them to address public concerns more than they ever have before.
On the eve of the Congress, the country’s media reflected high public expectations, reporting demands for action on corruption, education, social care, the environment and inequality.
And after Wen Jiabao’s speech, many internet users posting on Weibo, Chinese versions of Twitter, appeared frustrated that the premier failed to present specific solutions to looming challenges.
Some highlighted particular concerns, such as reform of the household registration system, or water and air pollution, while others spoke out on the wealth gap.
“Whatever (economic) increase there has been has only benefitted corrupt officials; ordinary people are still poor,” wrote one internet user on Tencent Weibo.
Wen Jiabao’s report on 2013 policy targets:
Chinese economy to grow by 7.5% in 2013, with inflation kept to 3.5%
More than 9 million jobs to be created in towns and cities, while urban unemployment to be kept below 4.6%
Boost consumer spending to make economy less dependent on exports
Implement a “proactive fiscal policy” giving priority to education, healthcare and social security
Complete 4.7 million subsidized urban homes and begin construction on another 6.3 million
Malaysian troops have launched an assault on armed members of a Filipino clan in an ongoing conflict that has left at least 27 dead on Borneo island.
The ground troops are backed by fighter jets, with reports of several explosions near Lahad Datu, where the group of about 180 Filipinos are.
The operation to oust the clan began on Tuesday at 07:00 a.m., the Malaysian government said.
Seven army battalions were deployed to the area on Monday to reinforce police.
Among the aircraft used in the assault were an F-18 and a Hawk fighter aircraft, Malaysian state news agency Bernama reports. Helicopters were also seen flying in the area.
Malaysian National Police Chief Ismail Omar said they achieved their targets in the offensive and that there were no troop casualties.
Ismail Omar did not provide any details about the Filipinos, who he said fired at the Malaysian troops. But a spokesman for the group told Philippine television the men were safe, Reuters news agency reports.
The Filipinos landed at a coastal village in Lahad Datu district on the island of Borneo last month, saying that the territory was theirs.
Calling themselves the Royal Army of Sulu, the clan members said they were descendants of the Sultanate of Sulu in the southern Philippines, which ruled parts of northern Borneo for centuries, and demanded that the Malaysian government pay more money to lease their land.
Malaysia refused their demands and urged the group to return home.
On Monday, the Philippine government appealed to Malaysia to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further bloodshed, and sent Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario to Kuala Lumpur for talks.
Officials said he would request that a Philippine navy ship be permitted to sail to Lahad Datu to bring the clan members home.
Malaysian troops have launched an assault on armed members of a Filipino clan in an ongoing conflict that has left at least 27 dead on Borneo island
In the capital, Manila, protesters are outside the Malaysian embassy, urging a peaceful resolution to the stand-off, reports say.
“We’ve done everything we could to prevent this, but in the end, Kiram’s people chose this path,” Philippine presidential spokesman Ricky Carandang said on Tuesday of clan leader Jamalul Kiram III.
Eight Malaysian troops and 19 clan members have already been killed in the three-week stand-off.
Twelve were killed along with two Malaysian policemen when Malaysian security forces tried to tighten the cordon around the occupied village on Friday.
The incident sparked violence in another area over the weekend, in which seven clan members and six policemen died.
Jamalul Kiram’s brother has said they are not violating any laws because Sabah is “owned by the Sultan of Sulu” and insisted that they have a right to defend themselves if attacked.
However, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said over the weekend that its forces were authorized to “take any action deemed necessary”.
In a statement on Tuesday, Najib Razak said the assault had become necessary because security forces had been killed and Malaysians in Sabah feared for their safety.
“After the first attack, I stressed that the intruders must surrender themselves or the security forces will have to act,” he said in comments carried by Bernama.
Najib Razak said police had held negotiations with the Filipinos in the hope they would leave peacefully, but that “as the intrusion prolonged it was evident to the authorities that the intruders had no intention of withdrawing from Sabah”.
“The government has to take the right action in order to preserve the pride and sovereignty of this country,” he said in his statement.
Najib Razak has come under increasing political pressure in Malaysia to end the incursion, with the opposition criticizing him for allowing it to continue. The Philippine government is also coming under pressure to do more to protect the Filipino clan.
Sabah shares a sea border with the southern Philippines, which is home to a number of Islamic militant and kidnap-for-ransom groups. The journey between the two can take only a few hours.
It formed part of the Sulu Sultanate – which once spread over several southern Philippine islands as well as parts of Borneo – before it was designated a British protectorate in the 1800s.
Sabah became part of Malaysia in 1963, and the country still pays a token rent to the Sulu Sultanate each year.
Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed has been arrested in Male for abuse of office, after months of political tension.
Mohamed Nasheed was detained after failing to attend a hearing and ignoring two arrest warrants, police said.
The former president is accused of illegally ordering the arrest of a top judge – a charge that he says is politically motivated.
That incident sparked unrest which saw Mohamed Nasheed, the country’s first democratically elected leader, resign.
He has announced plans to stand for president again in September but would be barred from standing if given a jail sentence by the court.
Mohamed Nasheed is now due to appear in court on Wednesday, police said.
Former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed has been arrested in Male for abuse of office, after months of political tension
An unconfirmed report spoke of clashes between his supporters and police when they came to arrest him.
Mohamed Nasheed was elected as president of the Indian Ocean archipelago in 2008.
He argues that he was forced to quit in February 2012 under duress after soldiers and police mutinied and overran his party’s headquarters in Male.
But his successor, Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, who had been serving as his vice-president, insists Mohamed Nasheed left of his own accord after opposition-led protests.
Last month, Mohamed Nasheed briefly took refuge in the Indian High Commission in Male. Delhi has tried to mediate in his dispute with Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.
