A new study suggests that fragments of an ancient continent called Rodinia are buried beneath the floor of the Indian Ocean.
Researchers have found evidence for a landmass that would have existed between 2,000 and 85 million years ago.
The strip of land, which scientists have called Mauritia, eventually fragmented and vanished beneath the waves as the modern world started to take shape.
The study is published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Until about 750 million years ago, the Earth’s landmass was gathered into a vast single continent called Rodinia.
And although they are now separated by thousands of kilometres of ocean, India was once located next to Madagascar.
Now researchers believe they have found evidence of a sliver of continent – known as a microcontinent – that was once tucked between the two.
The team came to this conclusion after studying grains of sand from the beaches of Mauritius.
While the grains dated back to a volcanic eruption that happened about nine million years ago, they contained minerals that were much older.
Professor Trond Torsvik, from the University of Oslo, Norway, said: “We found zircons that we extracted from the beach sands, and these are something you typically find in a continental crust. They are very old in age.”
The zircon dated to between 1,970 and 600 million years ago, and the team concluded that they were remnants of ancient land that had been dragged up to the surface of the island during a volcanic eruption.
A new study suggests that fragments of an ancient continent called Rodinia are buried beneath the floor of the Indian Ocean
Prof. Trond Torsvik said that he believed pieces of Mauritia could be found about 10 km down beneath Mauritius and under a swathe of the Indian Ocean.
It would have spanned millions years of history, from the Precambrian Era when land was barren and devoid of life to the age when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
But about 85 million years ago, as India started to drift away from Madagascar towards its current location, the microcontinent would have broken up, eventually disappearing beneath the waves.
However, a small part could have survived.
“At the moment the Seychelles is a piece of granite, or continental crust, which is sitting practically in the middle of the Indian Ocean,” explained Prof. Trond Torsvik.
“But once upon a time, it was sitting north of Madagascar. And what we are saying is that maybe this was much bigger, and there are many of these continental fragments that are spread around in the ocean.”
Further research is needed to fully investigate what remains of this lost region.
Prof. Trond Torsvik explained: “We need seismic data which can image the structure… this would be the ultimate proof. Or you can drill deep, but that would cost a lot of money.”
Mexican actor Emilio Fernández was the model for iconic Oscar statue, which he posed for in 1928.
Emilio Fernández was recruited by Mexican actress, Hollywood star, and future wife Dolores del Rio when then MGM chief art director Cedric Gibbons said he was looking for a model to help design the trophy.
At the time Emilio Fernández was living in Los Angeles after a failed military revolt in Mexico.
Dolores del Rio thought he had the perfect physique for Cedric Gibbons’ vision of a Crusader Knight.
Though initially reluctant, Emilio Fernández was eventually persuaded to strip down and pose with a large sword, giving us the famous golden statue coveted by actors ever since.
It wasn’t given the nickname “Oscar” until 1939.
Emilio Fernández was born in Coahuila, Mexico, in 1904 and worked his whole life in films, acting, directing, and writing for the screen.
He appeared in several classic films including 1947’s The Fugitive, 1964’s The Night of the Iguana, and 1974’s Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia.
Mexican actor Emilio Fernández was the model for iconic Oscar statue, which he posed for in 1928
Jennifer Lawrence was left flustered after tripping up the steps on her way to accept her Oscar for Best Actress.
As Jennifer Lawrence staggered to her feet the star-studded audience leapt up to give the blushing actress a standing ovation, much to her embarrassment.
“Thank you so much,” she told them.
“This is nuts. You guys are only standing up because I fell and you feel bad. That was embarrassing.”
Jennifer Lawrence also thanked her Silver Linings Playbook co-stars, crew and team for their support before wishing her fellow nominee, Amour star Emmanuelle Riva a happy 86th birthday.
Dressed in a stunning off-white strapless Dior Haute Couture gown, Jennifer Lawrence’s accident happened as she rushed to the stage still shocked by her win.
As she fell on her knees Jennifer Lawrence momentarily held her head in her hands, but quickly carried on.
A smiling Hugh Jackman rushed to help Jennifer Lawrence, holding out his hand to escort her safely to the podium.
Despite her initial embarrassment the 22-year-old quickly laughed off the incident and began her stream of thank yous.
Perhaps Jennifer Lawrence’s quick recovery is due to the fact that she’s been in a very similar situation before.
At the Screen Actor’s Guild Awards Jennifer Lawrence’s midnight blue Dior gown appeared to fall apart as she climbed the stairs.
Then Dior explained that the dress was made in layers, with Jennifer Lawrence simply hitching up the top layer to reveal her legs.
This time the unfortunate incident could have been even worse.
The new face of Miss Dior admitted she’d actually cut off six inches from the train of the dress before the show.
“It would have been too insane,” Jennifer Lawrence told Ryan Seacrest on the red carpet.
Jennifer Lawrence was left flustered after tripping up the steps on her way to accept her Oscar for Best Actress
Still, the dress was long enough to hide her feet and high heels, which she said she would love to take off if nobody would notice.
Jennifer Lawrence also revealed she had a very stressful day before the event and admitted she hadn’t had time to eat.
“I’m freaking starving,” she said.
She then pointed longingly to McDonald’s down Hollywood Boulevard and jokingly asked her publicist to swing by and pick her up a burger.
“Today was so stressful. There was everybody in, my family got ready at my house.
“I felt like Steve Martin in Father of the Bride with all the furniture being moved around my house.”
Park Geun-hye was sworn in as South Korea’s president promising a tough stance on national security and an era of economic revival.
Park Geun-hye, who defeated liberal rival Moon Jae-in in December’s general election, took the oath of office in front of tens of thousands of people.
North Korea’s recent nuclear test posed a “challenge to the survival” of the Korean people, she said.
Trust-building was needed to tackle the “extremely serious” security situation.
Park Geun-hye, 61, the first woman to lead South Korea, succeeds President Lee Myung-bak, of the same Saenuri Party, who stepped down as the law required after a five-year term.
She is the daughter of former military strongman Park Chung-hee, who ruled South Korea for almost two decades.
Park Geun-hye takes office amid high tensions on the Korean peninsula in the wake of a North Korean nuclear test, on February 12.
In her inauguration speech, Park Geun-hye said she would “not tolerate any action that threatens the lives of our people and the security of our nation”.
“North Korea’s recent nuclear test is a challenge to the survival and future of the Korean people, and there should be no mistake that the biggest victim will be none other than North Korea itself.”
Calling on North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions, she said that in a challenging security environment South Korea could not “afford to remain where we are”.
A trust-building process was needed, she said, promising to move forward “step-by-step on the basis of credible deterrence”.
“Trust can be built through dialogue and by honoring promises that have already been made,” she said.
“It is my hope that North Korea will abide by international norms and make the right choice so that the trust-building process on the Korean Peninsula can move forward.”
Park Geun-hye was sworn in as South Korea’s president promising a tough stance on national security and an era of economic revival
North Korea’s nuclear test – its third – followed its apparently successful launch of a three-stage rocket to put a satellite into orbit in December. That launch was condemned by the US Security Council as a banned test of missile technology; diplomatic efforts to agree a response to the nuclear test are ongoing.
Ties between the two Koreas chilled considerably under Lee Myung-bak over his move to link aid to concessions on the nuclear issue. Ahead of the election Park Geun-hye had spoken out on the need for more dialogue but the recent nuclear test may make it harder for her to appear conciliatory towards Pyongyang, observers say.
On the economy, Park Geun-hye promised more focus on a “creative economy” founded in “economic democratization” that would expand beyond existing markets and sectors.
South Korea’s economic growth has slowed, the population is rapidly ageing, and demands for a fairer division of wealth are now being voiced on both sides of the political divide.
Policies would be brought in to help small and medium-sized enterprises flourish, Park Geun-hye said.
“By rooting out various unfair practices and rectifying the misguided habits of the past… we will provide active support to ensure that everyone can live up to their fullest potential,” she added, in an apparent nod to resentment towards the country’s giant “chaebol” conglomerates.
She also promised a “clean, transparent and competent government”.
“I will endeavor to shed popular distrust of government and strive to elevate the capital of trust,” she said.
Park Geun-hye:
Daughter of former President Park Chung-hee
Served as South Korea’s first lady after her mother was murdered by a North Korean gunman in 1974
First elected to the national assembly in 1998
First bid for the presidency in 2007
Has promised to redistribute wealth, reform big conglomerates and seek greater engagement with North Korea
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a tough new bill into law banning smoking in public.
Under the new legislation, smoking in restaurants, long-distance trains and housing block entrance halls will be illegal.
The government has made reducing smoking one of the cornerstones of its bid to improve public health.
Russia has one of the highest smoking rates in the world, with more than four in 10 Russians considered smokers.
Parliament passed the bill earlier in February, with only one deputy in the State Duma voting against the legislation.
The law “On protecting the health of citizens from the danger of passive smoking and the consequences of the use of tobacco” will come into force on June 1.
On that date, smoking will be banned within 15 m of entrances to stations, airports, metro stations and ports; in workplaces; in entrances to apartment blocks; and in children’s playgrounds and on beaches.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a tough new bill into law banning smoking in public
Exactly one year later, smoking will be banned on long-distance trains and ships; in hotels; in restaurants, bars, cafes, shops and markets; and on suburban railway platforms.
Under the bill, a minimum retail price will be set for tobacco and its sale and advertising will be restricted.
The legislation meets some of the recommendations outlined in a World Health Organization report on smoking in Russia published in 2011.
According to that report, the retail price of a pack of 20 of the cheapest brand of cigarettes in 2010 was 11 roubles ($0.36; 0.27 euros) while a popular Western brand sold for 48 roubles ($1.6; 1.2 euros).
Cuba’s President Raul Castro has announced he will stand down at the end of his second term in 2018, following his re-election by the National Assembly.
Raul Castro, 81, formally assumed the presidency in 2008 – two years after replacing his ailing brother Fidel.
The Communist assembly, whose members ran for office unopposed, also chose Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez as Raul Castro’s first vice-president.
Miguel Diaz-Canel, 52, is widely seen as Raul Castro’s successor.
On Sunday, 86-year-old Fidel Castro – who was in power for five decades – made a rare public appearance at the opening session of the assembly in the capital Havana.
The Castros have been running Cuba under a one-party system since the 1959 revolution, which ousted the US-backed dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.
Addressing the assembly following his re-election on Sunday, Raul Castro said: “This will be my last term.”
He had earlier called for a two-term limit and age caps for political offices, including the presidency.
But it is the first time he publicly said he would be stepping aside in 2018.
During his years in power, Raul Castro eased some restrictions on personal freedoms by lifting bans on mobile phones and home computers, and abolished the need of citizens to buy expensive exit visas when travelling abroad as tourists.
Cuba’s President Raul Castro has announced he will stand down at the end of his second term in 2018, following his re-election by the National Assembly
However, in his speech, he stressed: “I was not chosen to be president to restore capitalism to Cuba. I was elected to defend, maintain and continue to perfect socialism, not destroy it.”
Cuba has struggled economically since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1991 and now relies heavily on the support of the left-wing government of Venezuela.
Havana’s relationship with the US remains hostile – the two countries have no diplomatic relations and a decades-long American economic blockade is still in effect.
Until his promotion, Miguel Diaz-Canel was one of the eight vice-presidents on the council of ministers.
An electrical engineer by training, he rose through the Communist party ranks in the provinces and at one time served as education minister.
He would succeed Raul Castro if he is unable to serve his second full term in office.
Earlier in the day Raul Castro’s arrival, together with Fidel, and was warmly greeted by more than 600 assembly members.
Foreign press was barred from the opening ceremony.
Before Sunday, Fidel Castro was last seen in public earlier this month. Correspondents say he appeared frail and stooped at the time.
Fidel Castro has given up all his official positions, except his post as the assembly’s deputy leader.
Daniel Day-Lewis has made history at Oscars 2013 after becoming the first person to win the best actor prize three times.
British-born star Daniel Day-Lewis, who had been the runaway favorite, was rewarded for his role in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln.
“I really don’t know how any of this happened. I do know I’ve received much more than my fair share of good fortune in my life,” he said.
Ben Affleck’s Iran-set rescue thriller Argo won the prize for best picture.
In a live broadcast from the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama joined Jack Nicholson to help present the best picture prize at the end of the night.
Argo is the first best picture winner not to have a concurrent nomination for best director since 1989’s Driving Miss Daisy.
But despite Ben Affleck’s omission from the best director category, the film had been widely-tipped to take the top prize.
Oscars host Seth MacFarlane joked at the start of the ceremony: “Argo’s story is so top-secret that its director remains unknown to the Academy.”
Accepting his award alongside fellow producers George Clooney and Grant Heslov, Ben Affleck paid tribute to the “genius” Steven Spielberg who lost out in the same category.
Referring to his previous Oscar success with 1997’s Good Will Hunting, he said: “I never thought I would be back here and I am because of so many of you who are here tonight.”
He added: “It doesn’t matter how you get knocked down in life, all that matters is that you get up.”
The Oscar victory for Daniel Day-Lewis puts him ahead of Hollywood legends Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Dustin Hoffman and Tom Hanks – who all have two best actor wins to their name.
Daniel Day-Lewis, who holds UK-Irish citizenship, previously won for My Left Foot (in 1990) and There Will Be Blood (2008) and has a reputation for immersing himself in his roles.
Jennifer Lawrence won the Oscar for best actress for her role as a troubled young widow in Silver Linings Playbook. The 22-year-old actress, who stumbled over her dress on her way to the stage, joked: “You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell over and that’s embarrassing.”
Surveying the huge audience in Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre, she added: “This is nuts.”
It was the first Oscar win for Jennifer Lawrence, who was previously nominated for best actress in 2011 for her performance in Winter’s Bone.
Anne Hathaway won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role as tragic factory worker Fantine in movie musical Les Miserables.
With her cropped hair and gaunt face, Anne Hathaway’s teary version of I Dreamed a Dream had made her an Oscar favorite.
“It came true,” the actress said when she collected her statuette.
Anne Hathaway’s Oscar was her first, the actress having been previously nominated in 2008 for Rachel Getting Married.
The actress said: “Here’s hoping that someday in the not too distant future, the misfortunes of Fantine will only be found in stories and not in real life.”
Daniel Day-Lewis has made history at Oscars 2013 after becoming the first person to win the best actor prize three times
British singer Adele won the Oscar for best original song for her Bond theme Skyfall, which she also performed during the show.
She struggled through tears to thank the Bond producers and her co-writer Paul Epworth, who collected the award alongside her.
Ang Lee won his second Oscar for directing Life of Pi, the adaption of Yann Martel’s fantasy novel about a boy stranded in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. The film won four Oscars in total, more than any other film.
The Taiwanese-born director, who won previously for Brokeback Mountain (2006), exclaimed: “Thank you, movie god!”
Life of Pi picked up two Oscars in the early stages of the awards for cinematography and visual effects.
Cinematographer Claudio Miranda admitted in an emotional acceptance speech: “This movie was quite a beast to make.”
Later, Mychael Danna picked up the statuette for Life of Pi’s original score.
Christoph Waltz won his second Oscar for best supporting actor in a Quentin Tarantino film, this time as a German bounty hunter in the slave revenge story Django Unchained.
Picking up the first award of the night, Christoph Waltz offered thanks to his character Dr. King Schultz and to “his creator and the creator of his awe-inspiring world, Quentin Tarantino.”
The Austrian actor won his first Oscar as a Nazi colonel in Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds in 2010.
Quentin Tarantino won the original screenplay prize for Django Unchained, adding to the Oscar he won for writing Pulp Fiction in 1994.
“I have to cast the right people to make those characters come alive and boy this time did I do it,” he said.
The best adapted screenplay Oscar went to Chris Terrio for Ben Affleck’s Iran-set siege thriller Argo.
The best short animated film category was won by Paperman, while Pixar’s Scottish adventure Brave won best animated feature.
The award for costume design went to Briton Jacqueline Durran for Anna Karenina. She described the win as “completely overwhelming” and paid tribute to her children who were “fast asleep in England”.
The make-up and hairstyling award went to fellow Brits Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell for Les Miserables. Tom Hooper’s musical also picked up the Oscar for sound mixing.
Unusually, there was a tie in the sound editing category – the Oscar was shared by Zero Dark Thirty and Skyfall.
Searching for Sugar Man, which tells the story of musician Rodriguez who disappeared from public view in the early 1970s but developed a cult following in South Africa, won the Oscar for best documentary.
Producer Simon Chinn said: “Rodriguez isn’t here tonight because he didn’t want to take any of the credit himself.”
Austrian drama Amour won the Oscar for best foreign language film.
The French-language film, directed by Michael Haneke, portrays the indignities of an elderly Parisian couple – Anne and Georges – as they cope with Anne’s wish to die after a stroke.
Host Seth MacFarlane kicked off the ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles with the quip: “I honestly cannot believe I’m here. It’s an honor that everyone else said <<no>>.”
After an exchange with William Shatner, who appeared as Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, the Family Guy creator launched into a satirical song about topless appearances by actresses in the movies.
Almost an hour into the three-and-a-half hour show, Halle Berry introduced a tribute to the James Bond franchise, followed by Dame Shirley Bassey who sang her theme song to the 1960s Bond classic Goldfinger.
The show also featured a salute to movie musicals of the past decade, with Chicago Oscar-winner Catherine Zeta-Jones and Dreamgirls winner Jennifer Hudson joining Les Miserables cast members that included Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe, Helena Bonham Carter and Amanda Seyfried.
During the section of the show that pays tribute to those who died in 2012, Barbra Streisand sang the late Marvin Hamlisch’s The Way We Were, from the 1973 romantic drama in which she starred with Robert Redford. It was Barbra Streisand’s first Oscars performance for 36 years.
Life Of Pi – Four awards, including best director for Ang Lee
Argo – Three awards, including best film
Les Miserables – Three awards, including best supporting actress for Anne Hathaway
Django Unchained, Lincoln, Skyfall – Two awards apiece
CCTV images emerged today appearing to show a smiling Reeva Steenkamp arriving at Oscar Pistorius’ home, just hours before he shot her dead on Valentine’s Day.
The video stills show Reeva Steenkamp, 29, looking happy as she pulled up Oscar Pistorius’ home in Pretoria, according to the respected South African investigative programme Carte Blanche.
Reeva Steenkamp was pictured on a camera pulling into the guarded entrance of the Silver Woods estate in her Mini Cooper car just before 6 p.m. on February 13, the day before Valentine’s Day.
The model was seen holding her right hand against her cheek and right eye, and 10 minutes later Oscar Pistorius himself was pictured arriving in his white BMW, but his facial expression could not be seen.
Despite Reeva Steenkamp’s smiles, her ex-flatmate revealed that she felt so “caged in” by an “impatient and moody” Oscar Pistorius in the early days of their relationship that he was forced to tell him to “back off”.
Cyril Myers, whom Reeva Steenkamp lived with in Johannesburg, told South Africa’s City Press that Oscar Pistorius at first seemed polite but then began to start putting pressure on Reeva.
He claimed it got to the point where Cyril Myers had to intervene. He recalled their first date, shortly after she broke up with her former boyfriend.
“She went with Oscar to a sports-awards evening. And after that he wouldn’t leave her alone. He kept pestering her, phoning and phoning and phoning her.
“Oscar was hasty and impatient and very moody – that’s my impression of him. She told me he pushed her a bit into a corner. She felt caged in. I told her I would talk to him.
“I told him not to force himself on her. Back off. He agreed, but his face showed me what he was thinking: <<Oh, this guy is talking nonsense>>. He did cool down a bit.
“Then they started going out steadily, and she was more at his home. I once talked to her about Oscar’s moodiness. She didn’t answer me.”
CCTV images emerged today appearing to show a smiling Reeva Steenkamp arriving at Oscar Pistorius’ home, just hours before he shot her dead on Valentine’s Day
Oscar Pistorius has been charged with premeditated murder in the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in the early hours of Valentine’s Day.
A text from Reeva Steenkamp to Cyril Myers on the night she was shot revealed that she did not intend to stay the night but changed her mind because she did not want to drive home as it was late.
Oscar Pistorius denies murder, saying he killed her accidentally. He said he opened fire after mistaking Reeva Steemkamp for an intruder in his home.
Meanwhile the brother of Paralympic star, Carl Pistorius, is facing charges over the death of a woman in a car crash in 2010, it emerged today.
Nicos Anastasiades has won the Cypriot presidential election with 57.5% of the vote.
It was a comfortable victory of the centre-right leader over Communist-backed Stavros Malas on 42.5%. Stavros Malas has conceded victory.
Nicos Anastasiades takes power as Cyprus stands on the brink of bankruptcy, hit by the knock-on effect of Greece’s economic woes.
He favors a quick deal with foreign lenders to finalize a bailout of the Cypriot economy.
“It is a clear and strong mandate for change, for reform, for our country to exit this vicious circle of crisis,” Tasos Mitsopoulos, Nicos Anastasiades’s spokesman, told reporters according to Reuters news agency.
Jubilant supporters of Nicos Anastasiades’s Democratic Rally party waved Greek and Cypriot flags, honked car horns and set off firecrackers in the capital Nicosia as the results came in, said reports.
But Stavros Malas warned his party would be “severe critics of anything that diverts from the interest of the people or the country”, said AFP news agency.
The Cypriot economy is in recession and the state has little money in its accounts.
Nicos Anastasiades has won the Cypriot presidential election with 57.5 percent of the vote
Cyprus first asked the EU for a bailout last July to shore up its banks.
Because of the bailout deal for Greece, and the restructuring of its debts, which saw private bondholders suffer big losses, Cypriot banks lost about 75% of their investments.
However, the Cypriot bailout deal has foundered in protracted negotiations.
The new president will have to finalize a deal with the other 16 countries that use the euro and with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Stavros Malas supported a bailout but opposed austerity. Last week’s first round in the presidential election failed to produce a decisive result.
Nicos Anastasiades will aim to exploit massive natural gas finds off Cyprus’s coast, bringing in badly needed income and energy, but risking escalating tensions with Turkey.
He will also be under pressure to reach out to Turkish Cypriots in the north of the island, cut off since Cyprus was formally divided along ethnic lines almost four decades ago.
Who is Nicos Anastasiades?
66-year-old lawyer
A member of parliament since 1981 and leader of his centre-right DISY (the Democratic Rally) party since 1997
Says he would support austerity measures which would accompany an EU/IMF rescue package, saying the election is about “the survival of the country”
Heavy smoker known for straight-talking style – sometimes seen as autocratic
Widely respected despite political humiliation nine years ago when he supported a UN blueprint to reunify the island that was later rejected by the public
Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona kicks off with a fresh tablet from Samsung and a new Android handset from Huawei.
About 1,500 exhibitors are taking part at the MWC in Barcelona.
Samsung’s tablet features an 8 in (20.3 cm) screen with a resolution of 189 pixels per inch (ppi) making it slightly bigger and more detailed than Apple’s bestselling iPad Mini.
Huawei’s Ascend P2 has a 4.7 in screen with 315ppi, and a 13 megapixel camera.
The Chinese firm said it also featured a facility called Magic Touch, which allowed it to be used while wearing gloves – similar to Nokia’s Lumia 920.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0 is being promoted as a device on which users can multi-task – running two apps in split-screen mode – and can act as alternative to “traditional pen and paper” thanks to its included stylus, the S Pen.
The South Korean firm adds that it is light enough to be held by one hand, and can also be used to make phone calls.
According to the research firm IDC, Samsung was the world’s most successful smart device manufacturer in the October-to-December period, accounting for 21.2% of all shipments.
However, that position was secured in large part due to its smartphones, and IDC noted that in the tablet sector Samsung came in second with a 15.1% market share compared to Apple’s 43.6%.
“The Note 8 marks Samsung’s relentless charge to grab a slice of the tablet market from Apple, but also to defend itself from the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7,” said Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight.
“I think there’s a diminishing window of opportunity because Amazon and Google are playing by different rules – they are effectively willing to sell their hardware virtually at cost and then make money through content sales, whereas Samsung is a hardware manufacturer selling something for a margin.
“It’s very difficult for consumers to tell the difference between these products – but what does make Samsung stand out is the fact they are prepared to carpet bomb marketing with an eye-watering budget, which effectively marginalizes some of the other companies trying to get into the tablet space.”
The Galaxy Note 8.0 is being made available in Europe, South Korea, China and a limited number of other countries in the April-to-June period.
Huawei describes its Android-powered Ascend P2 as the world’s “fastest” smartphone thanks to it being the first to include an LTE Cat 4 chip which – in theory – allows 4G download speeds of up to 150 megabits per second,
The device also includes an NFC (near field communication) chip, allowing it to support wireless payments, and is relatively slim measuring 8.4 mm (0.33 in) thick.
However, its screen is lower resolution than recent models from LG, HTC and Nokia, and can display 720p HD video rather than 1080p output. But this may help it last longer between recharges, and the device also features a larger than average 2420 mAh battery.
Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona kicks off with a fresh tablet from Samsung and a new Android handset from Huawei
According to IDC, Huawei accounted for 10.8 million smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter, making it the world’s third-biggest vendor.
However, it could still only claim a 4.9% market share since Apple and Samsung dominated the sector – something the Chinese firm itself acknowledged describing itself as a “brand in the making” at its Barcelona launch.
“Because this is a very aggressively-priced LTE phone, Huawei have a good chance of getting it into operator portfolios for 2013,” said Ben Wood.
“Brand awareness and credibility remain a challenge for Huawei. But this is a company that will never give up.
“Huawei is determined to make inroads into the mobile phone market, though the competitive intensity of this segment means they will need to spend a lot of money to succeed.”
Huawei said the phone was already confirmed to go on sale in France in June, and should launch elsewhere around the globe around the same time.
Other early MWC announcements include:
A 16 gigabyte version of Acer’s budget Iconia B1 tablet.
The Samsung HomeSync – a 1 terabyte hard disk designed to allow families to share content between their Samsung devices and display it on their television.
A marketing campaign from Asus – the maker of the Google Nexus 7 – suggesting it will be the latest to launch a tablet that can also make calls at its event on Monday.
In past year’s Sony Ericsson also held a major press conference on the Sunday ahead of Monday’s official start to MWC.
But the business – which is now controlled in whole by Sony – has opted for a smaller event on Monday this year.
The move reflects it decision to launch its flagship Xperia Z phone earlier in the year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
Other firms have also preferred to hold one-off events, such as Blackberry with its Z10 and Q10 unveiling in New York last month.
It is also notable that Samsung has chosen to hold off updating its key Galaxy S handset until later in the year. It unveiled the Galaxy S2 at MWC in 2011.
Cleotha Staples, a member of the chart-topping gospel group The Staple Singers, has died at the age of 78.
The family group had eight US top 40 singles in the 1970s, including the number ones I’ll Take You There and Let’s Do It Again.
The group enjoyed success on the Stax label and Curtis Mayfield’s Curtom label.
Friend and publicist Bill Carpenter said Cleotha Staples suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Her sister Mavis paid tribute to Cleotha Staples’ “soothing” voice.
“A lot of singers would try to sing like her,” Mavis Staples said in a statement.
“Her voice would just ring in your ear. It wasn’t harsh or hitting you hard, it was soothing. She gave us that country sound.”
Cleotha Staples, a member of the chart-topping gospel group The Staple Singers, has died at the age of 78
The group, which also featured father Pops, sister Yvonne and brother Pervis, began singing in church in Chicago in 1948.
They were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 and received a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2005.
Neil Portnow, president of the Recording Academy, which organizes the Grammy Awards, described them as “one of Stax Records’ most important and successful acts”.
“Their songs spread messages of hope, brotherhood and self-respect through some of R&B’s finest and most passionate voices, and their music remains as vital today as when it was recorded,” he said.
“Music has suffered a great loss, and our thoughts and condolences are with her family, friends and all those who have been moved and influenced by her strong, soulful voice.”
Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Adele and other stars performing on the Oscar show have insisted that they will sing live and won’t cheat by miming.
“They’re all singing live as far as I understand,” declared Cameron Mackintosh one of the producers of the Les Miserables movie.
Cast members from the picture such as Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Helena Bonham Carter, Russell Crow, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks, Amanda Seyfried and Sacha Baron Cohen all sang live at rehearsals for a musical segment that celebrated movie musicals of the last decade such as Dreamgirls and Chicago.
However, Catherine Zeta Jones, who won a best supporting actress Oscar for Chicago eleven years ago, was said by observers not to have sung live during rehearsal sessions at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood where last night’s (Sunday) 85th annual Academy Awards extravaganza was taking place.
Organizers are desperate to avoid what they term a “Beyonce shambles”. A reference to Beyonce’s performance at President Barack Obama’s inauguration where the singer was found to have lip-synched to the national anthem of the United States of America.
The discovery led to a firestorm of criticism and the “Beyonce” topic was endlessly debated on political and entertainment television shows across the US, and there were choruses of disapproval in the UK, too.
Catherine Zeta Jones will dance and sing a number from Chicago, believed to be All That Jazz. It has been described as a major highlight of the Oscar show. It’s not known yet whether the actress, wife of Michael Douglas, will sing live or perform using a track she has already pre-recorded.
However, all singers performing at the Oscar ceremony – including Dame Shirley Bassey and Barbra Streisand – have pre-recorded their songs as a safety net just in case there are technical problems.
During rehearsals though, every performer has sung live, except Catherine Zeta Jones.
“Look, she maybe saving her voice for the official performance. Everybody’s dying to see whether she sings or not,” a source who has been at several rehearsals explained.
Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman, Adele and other stars performing on the Oscar show have insisted that they will sing live and won’t cheat by miming
Academy executives, some voters and actors and agents and producers have been using any old ruse to get into the rehearsals which are being held under tight security.
Onlookers note that Adele has been “indescribably mind-blowing”. Another observer told how at one point the singer performed the Oscar nominated Skyfall title song with no musical accompaniment.
“It was Adele, singing live and knocking it out of the park. Everyone stopped to listen. The carpenters and lighting guys started applauding. It’s impossible to impress those guys but they were bowled over and showed their respect.
“It sounded out of this world unaccompanied and later some of us heard her sing with the full works, the full orchestra and it was one of those rare goose bump moments that you never forget.”
Adele has already won the Golden Globe for best original song. She and co-writer Paul Epworth are front-runners to win the best song Oscar.
Les Miserables has a rival song called Suddenly which was written specially for the film by Herbert Kretzmer, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg.
Cameron Mackintosh paid out of his own pocket to double the chorus taking part in the Les Miserables segment from 24 to 48, flying some in from London and New York.
Others taking part in musical numbers include Jennifer Hudson who will perform a number from Dreamgirls and Norah Jones will sing the nominated song from the comedy Ted.
Oscar is the most coveted award in Hollywood – reducing winners and losers in equal measure to tears when the iconic gold statue is handed out.
But even the stars who don’t win an Oscar at this weekend’s ceremony won’t go home empty handed.
A Los Angeles-based marketing firm will be handing out gift bags worth $45,000 to all the nominees and presenters at the prestigious event on Sunday night.
Known as swag bags, among the items included are trips to Hawaii and Mexico, personal training sessions, condoms, a bottle of tequila, cosmetic treatments, and a one-year membership to London’s Heathrow Airport’s private VIP service.
The confirmation of condoms in this year’s gift bag has raised eyebrows amongst some.
This year’s goodie bags also include a $12,000 trip to Australia, a $600 acupuncture appointment and a package of 10 personal training sessions valued at $850 from marketing firm Distinctive Assets.
In addition there are circus lessons for the nominee’s children worth $400 are also included, as well as a $5,000 face-lift procedure.
They will also be given free hair care products by Phyto, skincare cosmetics by Lierac and, at the lower end of the scale, a $1 bottle of Windex glass cleaning fluid.
The prizes only can be used by the nominees who receive them and cannot be given to friends, according to Distinctive Assets.
“It was a way for us to reach the exact talent we wanted [major nominees] without having to deal with the immense production challenges of the Hollywood/Highland area during Oscar week,” said Distinctive Assets CEO Lash Fary to ABCNews.com.
Those nominated in the major acting categories, Best Director as well as host Seth McFarlane will have the packs delivered to their doors the day after the awards. “Even Hollywood’s most acclaimed stars are disappointed over this particular loss,” said Lash Fary.
“And when our consolation gift shows up the next day, we like to think it is welcome distraction.”
Oscars 2013 swag bags include trips to Hawaii and Mexico, personal training sessions, condoms, a bottle of tequila, cosmetic treatments, and a one-year membership to London’s Heathrow Airport’s private VIP service
Celebrities who receive gifts and free trips at awards shows are expected to declare them to the Inland Revenue Service as income and pay the appropriate taxes.
The Distinctive Assets gift bag is not endorsed by the Academy but has been creating consolation goodie bags for 11 years now. The bags are delivered to the losing nominees to their homes directly or through their agents or publicists.
It has become something of a tradition for A-list stars to receive a treasure chest of goodies at the Oscars.
Brands and manufacturers hope that the celebrities will be seen wearing or using their products and ensure free publicity.
The gift bags have been put together over the past 11 years by US company Distinctive Assets, with the cost of the packages having slowly risen.
In 2003, nominees received $8,000 worth of items, including mobile phones, cameras, designer clothes and jewellery.
The 2004 gift bag included a holiday at a luxury resort in Mexico.
Gwyneth Paltrow, who presented an award at the Oscars that year, was said to have used the holiday for her honeymoon with Coldplay singer Chris Martin.
Actress Calista Flockhart once received a Dritti T-shirt in a gift basket from Distinctive Assets and loved it so much that she wore it for an entire episode of Ally McBeal.
Similarly, another T-shirt designer saw their gifts end up on Beyonce Knowles on the cover of Ebony magazine.
In recent years, stars are said to have been worried about alienating recession-hit fans by being seen with heavily laden gift bags.
However, Lord of the Rings actor Sir Ian McKellen is one of the stars who has spoken of his delight at his gift haul.
“They’re the most wonderful goodies,” Ian McKellen explained.
“They keep you going for a year.”
Lash Fry, founder of Distinctive Assets, said: “It’s first come, first served, because we do offer product exclusivity.
“We’re always looking for new and unusual products, it’s not always about the most expensive.
“We’ve got things at both ends of the spectrum and everything in between, stuff for guys and stuff for girls. More is more is our philosophy.”
The relatives of Betty Ann Ong, a flight attendant who died in the 9/11 attacks, have criticized the film Zero Dark Thirty for using a recording of her last call.
Zero Dark Thirty features the voice of Betty Ann Ong, who was on one of the planes that hit the World Trade Center.
Brother Harry Ong told the New York Times it was “just outrageous”.
The Oscar-nominated film tells the story of the hunt and killing of Osama Bin Laden. Screenwriter Mark Boal told the New York Times Betty Ann Ong was a “national hero”.
Betty Ann Ong, a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11, made a 23-minute phone call to authorities from an onboard phone to give them details of the hijacking.
She is among the victims whose voices are heard during a sequence at the start of Zero Dark Thirty. Her brother said the clip was used without permission.
“I thought it was just outrageous, and totally poor judgment, and an abuse of the voices,” Harry Ong told the New York Times.
The relatives of Betty Ann Ong, a flight attendant who died in the 9/11 attacks, have criticized the film Zero Dark Thirty for using a recording of her last call
Harry Ong has requested an apology be made at the Oscars if the film wins any of the five awards it is nominated for.
He also asked the film-makers to donate to a charitable foundation set up in Betty Ann Ong’s name, include a credit for her and put a statement on its website and DVD release making it clear that the Ong family did not endorse torture, which is depicted in the film.
Mark Boal told the newspaper: “As the 9/11 commission justly proclaimed, Betty Ong is without a doubt one of our national heroes.”
In a statement, film studio Sony and Annapurna Pictures said Mark Boal and director Kathryn Bigelow had been in close contact with the families of victims since releasing the film, which was privately screened for many of them.
“Zero Dark Thirty is, in some small way, a tribute to those forever affected by the attacks,” the statement said.
A link has now been added from the official Zero Dark Thirty website to the Betty Ann Ong foundation, the Voices of September 11th organization and the 9/11 memorial site.
The movie has been at the centre of much controversy since its release, including over its depiction of torture, the links between the film-makers and the CIA and whether it was a propaganda tool for President Barack Obama’s re-election.
Hollywood stars are gearing up for what is likely to be one of the most unpredictable Academy Awards for years.
No film is likely to sweep the board, although the best picture prize is expected to go to hostage drama Argo.
That has overtaken historical epic Lincoln in most predictions. However, Daniel Day-Lewis, who plays Abraham Lincoln, is favorite for best actor.
Les Miserables star Anne Hathaway is tipped for supporting actress, but the other acting categories are more open.
All five nominees for best supporting actor have won Oscars before.
This year, it is thought to be a three-horse race between Robert De Niro for Silver Linings Playbook, Tommy Lee Jones for Lincoln and Christoph Waltz for Django Unchained.
Tommy Lee Jones, who plays radical Republican Thaddeus Stevens, picked up the Screen Actors Guild prize for supporting actor, a possible indicator to Oscars success.
But Christoph Waltz won at the Golden Globes, and 10 out of the last 12 Globe winners in this category have gone on to win the equivalent Oscar, according to Oscar predictions website Gold Derby.
Christoph Waltz won best supporting actor in 2010 for another Quentin Tarantino film, Inglorious Basterds – and some voters may feel it is too soon to honor him again.
Instead, the Academy may feel it is time to reward Robert De Niro again, 21 years after he was last nominated, for Cape Fear, and 32 years since he last won, for Raging Bull. If he triumphs, it will be his third Oscar win.
Alan Arkin (Argo) and The Master’s Philip Seymour Hoffman are the other contenders on the supporting actor list.
Best actress is another unpredictable contest. Emmanuelle Riva, the leading lady in Michael Haneke’s old age drama Amour, could become the oldest actress to win an Oscar. The ceremony falls on her 86th birthday.
Emmanuelle Riva is challenging Silver Linings Playbook star Jennifer Lawrence, who is thought to be the front-runner for that statuette.
Another rival, Quvenzhane Wallis, could potentially be the youngest ever winner at the age of nine for her role in Beasts of the Southern Wild, although she is seen as an outsider.
They are up against Jessica Chastain, who appears as a CIA agent on the trail of Osama Bin Laden in Zero Dark Thirty, and Naomi Watts, for her raw performance in tsunami movie The Impossible.
Hollywood stars are gearing up for what is likely to be one of the most unpredictable Academy Awards for years
Daniel Day-Lewis is thought to be the biggest dead cert to be called to the podium at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.
His turn as the 19th Century US president is universally expected to put him in the Oscar history books by making him the first person to win best actor three times.
Daniel Day-Lewis first win came in 1990 for My Left Foot, followed by a victory for There Will Be Blood in 2008.
Lincoln had also been a hot ticket for best picture before Christmas, but Argo, which tells the story of how the CIA and Hollywood helped rescue US hostages in Iran in 1980, has gained momentum in recent weeks.
The fact it focuses on real-life Hollywood producers saving the day probably has not done it any harm, and it has cleaned up at most major awards ceremonies so far, including the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, Producers Guild Awards and Directors Guild Awards.
But Argo director Ben Affleck was a surprise omission from the Academy Awards’ best director shortlist.
That category is another close race, with Lincoln‘s Steven Spielberg in a duel with Ang Lee for Life Of Pi.
There are outside chances for David O. Russell for Silver Linings Playbook, Michael Haneke for Amour and Benh Zeitlin for Beasts of the Southern Wild.
Adele’s Skyfall could win best original song and Brits are well represented in the best animated feature category with Paranorman, The Pirates! Band of Misfits and Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie, which was made in the UK.
Searching for Sugarman was produced by Man on a Wire’s Simon Chinn, while the UK could perform well in many technical categories – hopes are high for Jacqueline Durran for best costume (Anna Karenina).
It could be 11th time lucky for Skyfall cinematographer Roger Deakins – but after missing out so many times, he will probably not be holding his breath.
Pope Benedict XVI has given his final Sunday blessing at the Vatican before he steps down on February 28.
In his last Angelus in St Peter’s Square, the Pope told thousands of cheering pilgrims his decision did not mean he was abandoning the Church.
Pope Benedict, 85, announced his resignation last week, saying ill-health meant he could not continue.
Cardinals are gathering to choose the next pope amid fears Church sex abuse scandals may overshadow the process.
Speaking from his balcony overlooking St Peter’s Square, Pope Benedict used several different languages to salute the Catholics who had come to bid him farewell at the end of his eight-year reign.
He said he was following God’s wishes in deciding to abdicate.
“The Lord is calling me to climb the mountain – prayer is not an isolation from the world,” he said.
“I am not abandoning the Church and shall continue to serve it in a manner more adapted to my age and strength,” through prayer and meditation, he added.
Pope Benedict will hold his last public appearance as pope in the square on Wednesday before he retires to a life of seclusion and prayer.
Pope Benedict XVI has given his final Sunday blessing at the Vatican before he steps down on February 28
In total 117 Cardinals under the age of 80 from around the world have been called to the conclave to choose his successor.
Some Catholics are calling on Cardinal Keith O’Brien from Scotland and Cardinal Mahony from Los Angeles to refrain from voting in next month’s election.
Cardinal Mahony was stripped of his duties as Archbishop of Los Angeles last month over allegations he protected priests accused of sexual abuse.
Cardinal Keith O’Brien has denied allegations of “inappropriate behavior” going back 30 years.
The Vatican has denounced attempts to condition the freedom of all cardinal electors to choose who they want to lead the Church in future.
On Saturday a statement criticized the media for reporting “misinformation” about alleged intrigue and corruption in the church.
Rapper turned preacher MC Hammer was arrested on Thursday after he was charged with obstructing an officer in the performance of their duties in Dublin, California.
MC Hammer, 50, who legally changed his name from Stanley Kirk Burrell, was booked into Santa Rita Jail on Thursday night before bring cited and released, KTVU TV Oakland reported.
He was arrested after a verbal altercation between him and a policeman at a local shopping centre.
MC Hammer took to Twitter on Friday and then again on Saturday to explain his side of the incident, suggesting he was unfairly treated because he is African American.
“Sometimes in life you choose to <<Fight>> and other times the <<Fight>> chooses you. Dignity is not a crime,” he posted after his release.
According to the star the incident started when a “chubby Elvis looking dude was tapping on my car window, I rolled down the window and he said, <<Are you on parole or probation?>>”.
“While I was handing him my ID he reached in my car and tried to pull me out the car but forgot he was on a steady donut diet.
“It was comical to me until he pulled out his guns, blew his whistle and yelled for help (MallCop)!!! But make no mistake he’s dangerous.”
MC Hammer was arrested on Thursday after he was charged with obstructing an officer in the performance of their duties in Dublin, California
MC Hammer explained he felt threatened and believes he was racially profiled.
“Only thing more dangerous than a scared man with a gun, is a scared man with an agenda, a gun and a badge. I was citied [sic] for obstruction.
“I will now answer his question, contrary to his personal beliefs, all people of color are not on parole or probation fat boy!!!”
MC Hammer, who now travels the world as a Christian preacher, said he was telling people about his experience so they can learn from it.
“Instead of being bitter, I’m taking the opportunity to make this a <<teachable moment>> and <<eye opener>> for my many friends & colleagues,” he tweeted on Saturday.
The rapper also revealed he had been subjected to medical tests when he was booked into jail.
“My biggest concern? What was it that they injected into my arm under the guise of a <<Skin Test>>?”
Ironically MC Hammer was on his way to San Quentin Jail as part of an inmate outreach program that helps inmates transition from incarceration to life post release.
“Disappointment? I was on my way to San Quentin Friday morning to congratulate a group of inmates in The Last Mile,” MC Hammer tweeted yesterday.
The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday refused to release the rapper’s mug shot, KTVU reported.
Michelle Obama showed off her dancing moves during her Friday appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
First Lady Michelle Obama was a crowd favorite on the NBC comedy show and wasn’t afraid to get physical in front of the New York audience at the program’s studio at Rockefeller Center.
While in New York Michelle Obama was also interviewed by Good Morning America host Robin Roberts and health guru Dr Oz, as part of the celebration for the 3 year anniversary of her Let’s Move! campaign to fight childhood obesity.
In his opening monologue for the show, Jimmy Fallon said he planned to ask Michelle Obama if she thought he could pull of bangs, in reference to the hot topic of her new coiffure.
“She’s coming on the show to talk about her Let’s Move! initiative. Next week [New Jersey Governor] Chris Christie will be on the show to talk about his new initiative, Let’s Sit!” Jimmy Fallon joked.
Instead of starting out with an interview, Jimmy Fallon and his famous guest decided to break a sweat.
“In honor of the first lady’s Let’s Move campaign, and to encourage parents everywhere to get up and get moving with their kids, Jimmy Fallon and Michelle Obama present the Evolution of Mom Dancing,” the show’s announcer Steve Higgins said.
Jimmy Fallon donned capri khaki pants and a matronly pink cardigan, with white Keds sneakers and a wig, to get in the mood and show off his dance mom moves with Michelle Obama.
Michelle Obama channeled her mom coolness in black capri jeans, pink ballet slippers and a bright green cardigan.
Michelle Obama showed off her dancing moves during her Friday appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
The mashup of moves performed by the pair included hilarious gestures like “Go Shopping, Get Groceries”, “Raise the Roof”, the “Hip Bump”, “Just the Hands Part of Single Ladies” and the “Driving the Station Wagon”.
After the aerobic exercise, Michelle Obama changed into a brightly colored sleeves, silk dress for her sit down chat.
The first lady dished on her pop culture favorites including her love of Beyoncé and her daughter’s help in introducing her to new music like Elle Varner and Frank Ocean.
Admitting that the Bravo reality show, Real Housewives, is among her guilty pleasures, she did say she has not yet watched Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.
Despite not watching the TLC show, Michelle Obama did praise cast member June “Mama” Shannon – who recently lost more than 100 lbs.
During her interview, Jimmy Fallon inquired after the first lady’s plan once her husband leaves the White House in 2016.
Jimmy Fallon, 38, asked if she would be interested in a Michelle-Hillary ticket for president in 2016, as speculation swirls that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has her eye on the Oval Office.
“You know, I have my eye actually on another job. And I hear that when Jay Leno retires that The Tonight Show position is going to open and I’m thinking about putting my hat in the ring,” she joked.
Jimmy Fallon quipped: “I got my hat in the ring” about replacing the NBC host.
Michelle Obama’s appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s show was the finale to her busy day doing the media rounds.
Sofia Vergara has canceled her Oscar plans, including an appearance at Madonna’s party, as she is hospitalized for an operation.
The nature of the actress’ condition is not yet known.
Sofia Vergara was in good spirits when she was seen dining out with her fiancé Nick Loeb on Friday night in West Hollywood.
The happy couple enjoyed a low-key evening at the famous BOA Steakhouse and Nick showed his chivalrous side as he collected Sofia from the back entrance.
Sofia Vergara was dressed in a little black dress but kept warm with the help of a matching coat with fur-lined jacket.
She has also been busy filming scenes for her hit sitcom over the past few days.
Sofia Vergara has been documenting the events of filming and rehearsing with her co-stars by posting candid photos to her Twitter and Instagram photos.
After a trip to New York, Sofia Vergara was seen arriving in Los Angeles on Monday evening.
Sofia Vergara has canceled her Oscar plans, including an appearance at Madonna’s party, as she is hospitalized for an operation
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are reportedly expecting a baby girl.
A source close to Kim Kardashian told Us Weekly that the couple are over the moon about the news.
An insider close to the family revealed that Kanye West, 35, was particularly excited as he “always wanted a girl”.
“They’re over the moon!” a source told Us Weekly.
“Kanye always wanted a girl.”
And it seems that if the couple are having a daughter, she will be one stylish celebrity offspring.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are reportedly expecting a baby girl
Kim Kardashian, 32, told Jimmy Kimmel on his late night talk show last month that her partner would most likely be splashing out on specially customized outfits for their impending arrival.
“If anyone knows Kanye, they just know how into fashion he is, and I think he’s going to have things specially made,” Kim Kardashian said.
“So I don’t think hand-me-downs are going to work.”
Kim Kardashian also gushed about how cute Kanye West was about the new addition to the Kardashian and West clans.
“He is so excited,” she said.
“It’s really cute how excited he is.”
Kim Kardashian is expected to give birth to her first child in July this year.
Former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o explained again how he had been duped into an Internet romance he had with girlfriend Lennay Kekua he never met.
He did his best to turn the page on an embarrassing chapter by talking football.
This time, Manti Te’o even got to see it play out on live television 12 yards away – where three muted flat-screen monitors were in direct view of Te’o.
Manti Te’o answered every question with thoughtful deliberation and tried to provide clarity on a hoax that turned one of the nation’s most inspirational college football players into the butt of national jokes.
“I cared for somebody. That’s what I was taught to do ever since I was young. Somebody needs help, you help them out,” he said.
Later Manti Te’o added: “People doubted me because I took a while to come out. From our point of view, we wanted to let everything come out first, and then let my side come out. The way we did it, I thought, worked best for me.”
Manti Te’o’s news conference was the most anticipated event of the NFL’s second-biggest offseason weekend, which brought the makeshift media room inside Lucas Oil Stadium to a virtual standstill – twice.
The story began with Manti Te’o’s incredible performances after learning his grandmother and what he believed was his girlfriend had died within hours of one another in September.
Manti Te’o said it inspired him to play his best football all season, and it was so compelling that it helped turn Te’o into a Heisman Trophy contender as he was leading the Fighting Irish to an undefeated regular season and into the national championship game.
Former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o explained again how he had been duped into an Internet romance he had with girlfriend Lennay Kekua he never met
On December 26, Manti Te’o notified Notre Dame officials that he had received a call from his supposedly dead girlfriend’s phone three weeks earlier.
The school investigated and on January 16 – after Deadspin.com broke the story of the fake girlfriend – athletic director Jack Swarbrick announced at a news conference that Manti Te’o had been duped.
Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, 22, later said he created the online persona of Lennay Kekua, a nonexistent woman who Manti Te’o said he fell in love with despite never meeting her in person.
Since then, Manti Te’o had only done a few one-on-one interviews.
On Saturday all that changed as many of the 800 credentialed media members surrounded the podium in rows that went eight deep. Manti Te’o wore a tie-died red-and-black workout shirt.
“It’s pretty crazy,” said Manti Te’o, who has played most of his games on national television and was one of the most recognizable college players last season.
“I’ve been in front of a few cameras before, but never as many as this.”
Only two scenes from the combine over the past 15 years could even compare to what Manti Te’o had to contend with Saturday.
The first came in 2004 when former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett was allowed to participate in the combine after a court ruled he should be allowed to enter the draft after finishing high school only two years earlier.
Carl Pistorius, brother of South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius – who is accused of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp – is also facing trial over the death of a woman.
Carl Pistorius is charged with culpable homicide over the death of a woman motorcyclist in a traffic accident, his lawyer said.
The case has no relation to the charges against Oscar Pistorius over the shooting of Reeva Steenkamp.
Oscar Pistorius – who was released on bail on Friday – denies murder.
The charges against Carl Pistorius over an accident involving his car in which a woman on a motorcycle died date back to 2010 but have only just emerged, local media reports say.
They were confirmed by Pistorius family lawyer Kenneth Oldwage.
The accident took place in the town of Vanderbijlpark, an hour’s drive south of Johannesburg.
Carl Pistorius, brother of South African Paralympic champion Oscar Pistorius, is also facing trial over the death of a woman
Police conducted tests on Carl Pistorius and he was found to have no alcohol in his blood at the time.
Carl Pistorius is due in court at the end of March, which means his trial may end before his younger brother Oscar’s is due to begin on June 4.
Carl Pistorius was a constant presence at his brother’s four-day bail hearing.
Oscar Pistorius admits shooting Reeva Steenkamp at his home on Valentine’s Day but denies murder, saying he mistook her for an intruder.
Oscar-nominated film Silver Linings Playbook took four awards at the Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Saturday.
Silver Linings Playbook – up for eight Oscars on Sunday – won best film, best screenplay, best director for David O. Russell and best actress for Jennifer Lawrence at the indy film awards.
John Hawkes took best actor for the part of the late disabled journalist and poet Mark O’Brien in The Sessions.
John Hawkes said he hoped the film would help change perceptions of disability.
“Mark O’Brien said as a disabled man he felt invisible to people. I hope this film can change that a little bit and we all see each other a little more,” he told the audience in his acceptance speech.
His co-star Helen Hunt – who plays a sex therapist in the film based on an article written by Mark O’Brien in 1990 – won best supporting actress.
Up for the same award at the Oscars, Helen Hunt said backstage: “I’m proud of the movie, I can’t believe we got it made.”
Matthew McConaughey, who was also nominated for best actor for Killer Joe, picked up the best supporting actor prize for Magic Mike, which he stars in alongside his mother.
He praised the process of making indy films: “The vitality you get from not having enough money and not having enough time… that’s what I love about independent films.”
Silver Linings Playbook won best film, best screenplay, best director for David O. Russell and best actress for Jennifer Lawrence at the indy film awards
Best foreign film went to Oscar favorite Amour, directed by Michael Haneke.
“I feel wonderful, it comes as a complete surprise,” he said, after collecting his award.
“No-one would think a film dealing with ageing and death (would do so well).”
Best documentary went to The Invisible War, which addresses rape and sexual abuse in the US military.
Producer Amy Ziering made an emotional speech: “This award says to our service members – you are heard, you are not alone and you are no longer invisible.”
Like Silver Linings Playbook, Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom was up for five awards but went away empty-handed.
Accepting the best screenplay award for Silver Linings Playbook, David O. Russell said: “The last time I held one of these was 19 years ago for best screenplay and best first feature and my son was one year’s old – Matthew’s here today and he gave me this movie.”
David O. Russell’s son has bipolar disorder and was the inspiration for the film, which features Bradley Cooper’s character dealing with the same illness.
Speaking backstage of his Oscar chances, David O. Russell said: “I’m very superstitious so I’m just very happy to be there.”
Beasts of the Southern Wild picked up one award out of a possible four for British cinematographer Ben Richardson.
He said nine-year-old Oscar nominee Quvenzhane Wallis was the reason he took on the job.
“It was incredibly eye-opening, I could just see what she was going to do. Her performance is just incredible,” he said.
The best first feature prize went to Perks of Being a Wallflower, starring Emma Watson.
Presenters included Daniel Radcliffe, Salma Hayek and Jeremy Renner.
