European Union fisheries ministers have agreed to phase out the controversial practice of dumping unwanted fish.
After a tense all-night meeting, ministers said a ban on “discards” should be phased in, starting in January 2014 for certain types of fish.
Ministers agreed some exemptions to the ban – but the European Parliament may still refuse to accept them.
It is a victory for campaigners who have demanded the end of a practice that has brought the EU into disrepute.
The UN says Europe has the world’s worst record of throwing away fish. Almost a quarter of all catches go back overboard dead because they are not the fish the crews intended to catch.
The decision reached early on Wednesday morning was driven by northern European nations.
They prevailed over mainly Mediterranean countries, which were fighting to protect the interests of their fishermen.
The ban will apply to pelagic stocks like herring and whiting from next year and to white fish stocks from January 2016.
European Union fisheries ministers have agreed to phase out the controversial practice of dumping unwanted fish
Spain, France and Portugal managed to cling on to some restricted exemptions, particularly relating to crews operating far from land in mixed fisheries where the cost of landing unwanted fish is deemed to be prohibitive.
These crews will be allowed to discard 9%, shrinking to 7%. This figure is too high for the northern nations and the European Commission, which say the public expects that in a hungry world no fish should be thrown away.
Details of how exactly the discards ban will work in practice with the quota system or its projected replacement will be debated later.
The deal builds on a recent commitment to fish sustainably, and to allow more regional decision making. Many crucial details are still to be resolved over exactly what sustainably means, how the policy is enforced, how fishing crews are supported and how they are helped to buy gear that fishes more selectively.
Elba Esther Gordillo, known as Mexico’s most powerful woman, has been arrested on corruption charges.
Elba Esther Gordillo, who runs the 1.5 million-member Mexican teachers’ union, is alleged to have diverted about $200 million from union funds to personal accounts.
No-one from her legal team has responded to the allegations, but in the past Elba Esther Gordillo has denied any wrongdoing in handling the funds.
The arrest came after major reforms to the education system on Monday.
President Enrique Pena Nieto signed the sweeping reforms, which seek to change a system dominated by Elba Esther Gordillo in which teaching positions could be sold or inherited.
“We are looking at a case in which the funds of education workers have been illegally misused, for the benefit of several people, among them Elba Esther Gordillo,” Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam said.
His office alleges Elba Esther Gordillo, 68, used the money on property, including in the US, private airplanes and plastic surgery.
Elba Esther Gordillo is one of the highest profile figures in Mexican political life, known simply as “la maestra” or “the teacher”.
For more than 20 years she has led the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE).
With an estimated 1.5 million members, the SNTE is considered Latin America’s most powerful union.
Elba Esther Gordillo, who runs the 1.5 million-member Mexican teachers’ union, is alleged to have diverted about $200 million from union funds to personal accounts
Elba Esther Gordillo has held real influence over governments and individual presidents by persuading her union members to vote as a single bloc, our correspondent says.
The teachers were also responsible for manning polling stations on election day.
Her union is very wealthy, and can count on an annual budget of tens of millions of dollars.
It is on claims that Elba Esther Gordillo mishandled those funds, allegedly diverting money intended for the union’s coffers to her personal accounts, that she has now been arrested.
The reforms appeared set to weaken the powerful teachers’ union, which has largely controlled access to the profession.
The union has argued that reforms could lead to massive lay-offs.
Critics also say the changes could signal the start of the privatization of education in Mexico.
Mexico’s education system currently ranks bottom in a list of members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The reforms will require teachers to undergo regular assessments, something that has previously never taken place inside Mexico’s primary and secondary schools.
Many teachers in Mexico are said to have a very low standard of education themselves, with some only having graduated from high school.
Another change is intended to tackle the problem of absent or even deceased teachers receiving wages.
Elba Esther Gordillo has been an outspoken critic of the current education minister and his approach to the reforms.
Former Senator Chuck Hagel has been confirmed by the US Senate as the new Pentagon chief, after four Republicans joined Democrats to approve his nomination.
The former Republican Nebraska senator was confirmed by 58-41.
Chuck Hagel will replace outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who was confirmed by 100-0 in June 2011.
Two weeks ago, Republicans delayed a vote, questioning Chuck Hagel’s past positions on Israel and Iran, and his qualifications for the post.
But they dropped the filibuster stalling tactic, the first time it has ever been used to delay confirmation of a defense secretary, after a week-long recess.
President Barack Obama’s Democratic Party holds a 55-45 edge in the chamber, and Chuck Hagel ultimately only needed 51 votes to be confirmed.
Republican Senators Thad Cochran, Rand Paul, Richard Shelby and Mike Johanns voted in favor of Chuck Hagel’s appointment.
After the acrimonious nomination fight, President Barack Obama said he was pleased there had been at least some bipartisan support for Chuck Hagel.
“I am grateful to Chuck for reminding us that when it comes to our national defence, we are not Democrats or Republicans. We are Americans, and our greatest responsibility is the security of the American people,” said Barack Obama.
Earlier on Tuesday, Chuck Hagel, a decorated Vietnam veteran, passed a crucial procedural vote that needed the support of 60 senators.
Former Senator Chuck Hagel has been confirmed by the US Senate as the new Pentagon chief
Among the sticking points in Chuck Hagel’s nomination process was a remark he made in a 2008 book that the “Jewish lobby” intimidated decision-makers on Capitol Hill.
Republican senators also said they feared the 66-year-old Chuck Hagel would be too lax on Iran.
During his time as a senator, Chuck Hagel angered Republican party leaders when he pilloried former President George W Bush’s handling of the Iraq war.
Ted Cruz, an outspoken conservative first-term senator from Texas, recently suggested without evidence that Chuck Hagel had accepted payments from North Korea.
During his confirmation hearing in January, Chuck Hagel sought to reassure the Senate armed services committee that he was “fully committed” to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
He also apologized for the “Jewish lobby” comment, saying he could not be defined by any single quote.
Chuck Hagel’s Democratic Party supporters produced other remarks and evidence they said showed he would stick to existing US policy on Israel and Iran.
The White House had warned of great risks in leaving the Pentagon without a leader at a time of budget challenges and while the US has troops in Afghanistan.
Senate Democrats blasted their colleagues for the blocking tactics, but some Republicans protested that they needed more time to weigh the nomination.
Others, including several senior Republicans on the armed services committee, said outright that they would not back Chuck Hagel.
Titanic II, the sequel to the doomed liner that sank 100 years ago, was announced on Tuesday – after its designer claimed it would be the “most safe cruise ship in the world” with ample lifeboats.
With hubris akin to that of the 1912 original, Markku Kanerva said that “from a safety perspective” there was no vessel on Earth which compared to the new boat.
Markku Kanerva said that it had more than enough lifeboats and that the hull was stronger than the wooden original because it was made from steel composite.
Despite his confidence the mastermind behind the project, brash Australian mining billionaire Clive Palmer, refused to say it was “unsinkable”.
Clive Palmer said: “I think anything will sink if you put a hole in it. I think you’d be very cavalier to say something like that.
“I think people in the past have done that and lived to regret it.”
The blueprint for the Titanic II was unveiled in New York for the first time along with computer generated images of the inside.
They bear a startling resemblance to the 1997 James Cameron film about the ship, which starred Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio, and show that many of the original features including the famous Grand Staircase will feature in the new boat.
The six-day maiden voyage will take place in late 2016 and will be from Southampton to New York to “complete the journey” started all those years ago.
Just like in 1912 there will be three classes of passenger and those with different tickets will not be able to move between the classes, though there will be more toilets for the lower decks than the original.
Everyone on board will however be provided with early-20th-century-style clothes and undergarments in their cabins to get them in the mood.
Whilst there will be air conditioning there will be no TVs and no Internet in a bid to get back to the “romance” of a bygone age.
Professor Clive Palmer outlined his bold vision in which the Titanic II would be “carrying the hopes and dreams of people everywhere” and represent “the reconciliation of man”.
There will be capacity for 2,435 passengers and 900 crew.
There will also be lifeboats that can carry 2,700 and a life rafts with an additional capacity of 800.
The original Titanic had just 16 wooden lifeboats that accommodated 1,178 people, one third of the total capacity.
Some 1,502 people died when it sank on April 15, 1912.
It was one of the worst peacetime disasters the world has ever seen.
At the launch of Titanic II, which began with a guitar rendition of Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On, Prof. Clive Palmer explained that the ship will be 883ft long, which is three inches longer than the original.
It will have a tonnage of 55,800 tonnes compared to 53,210 of the original.
Titanic II will have a maximum speed of 24 knots, the same as the first Titanic.
Titanic II was announced on Tuesday, after its designer claimed it would be the most safe cruise ship in the world with ample lifeboats
Other original features which will also appear on Titanic II include the Turkish baths, the Cafe Parisien, the two “Millioniare Suites”, the Chart Room, and the quarters belonging to Titanic Master Captain Edward Smith.
For entertainment guests can enjoy the casino, cinema or shopping area.
The blueprint shows that there will even the same “Marconi room” where the Titanic sent out its final SOS.
Whereas the original was built by the famous Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, in a sign of how times have changed the Titanic II is being constructed by state-owned Chinese company CSC Jinling Shipyard.
Prof. Clive Palmer refused to reveal how much he is paying to build Titanic II but claimed there had already been significant interest, including from celebrities.
He said: “40,000 people had registered for tickets on the ship’s website with 16 offering between $750,000 and $1 million to be on the opening voyage.”
Clive Palmer added that on the first trip he would be “in third class twiddling the fiddle like Leonardo Di Caprio did in the film”.
Markku Kanerva, of Finnish boat designers Deltamarin, added: “I can assure you that from a safety point of view it will be absolutely the most safe cruise ship in the world.”
“We are taking into account all of the possible incidents and accidents and we try to simulate all of those occasions.”
“Collision is the most common accident we are talking about.”
The launch, on the USS Intrepid moored on a pier in Manhattan, was met with a mixed reaction by relatives of those who survived the original sinking.
Helen Benzinger, the great granddaughter of Molly Brown, an American heiress who was on board Titanic, said that she was “thrilled” at the new design.
The family of the Capt. Edward Smith however have said the replica is “in bad taste”.
RMS Titanic vs. Titanic II
Measurements:
RMS Titanic: 882 ft 9 in Titanic II: 883 ft
Verdesse, the new A-list diet aid of choice, is a green coffee pill, which is believed to help suppress the appetite as well as encouraging fat burning.
Already believed to be using the pills are Demi Moore, Jennifer Lopez and Katy Perry, while the rest of the Los Angeles glitterati are set to follow suit
Verdesse is made from unripe coffee bean extract, and contains no caffeine – unlike green tea.
Instead, the beans contain chlorogenic acids, including one that happens to be a potent natural fat-buster called 5-caffeoylquinic acid.
“My clients have been going crazy for green coffee bean pills,” a well-respected Hollywood nutritionist revealed in an interview with Grazia.
“They’re taking Tinseltown by storm. In the run-up to the Oscars, actresses do almost anything to look as slender as possible and they’re all fighting it out to have the best body on the red carpet.
“As soon as this pill got a name for itself as being the new miracle weight loss tablet, word spread like wildfire among the Hollywood elite.
“You’re supposed to take 800 mg a day but some are taking 1,600 mg and insisting <<it can’t do any harm>>.”
Although taking double the correct dose isn’t recommended, there is some evidence to support green coffee’s fat-busting reputation.
A study conducted by scientists from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania found that taking the pills can help boost weight-loss by an impressive 10% – even when taken in relatively low doses.
Joe Vinson, who led the study, said: “Based on our results, taking multiple capsules of green coffee extract a day – while eating a low-fat, healthful diet and exercising regularly – appears to be a safe, effective, inexpensive way to lose weight.”
But not everyone agrees with Joe Vinson, and a significant number of health professionals have come forward to outline the downsides of green coffee bean pills which can include anxiety and high blood pressure.
Verdesse, the new A-list diet aid of choice, is a green coffee pill, which is believed to help suppress the appetite as well as encouraging fat burning
“Side effects can include anxiety, high blood pressure and IBS [irritable bowel syndrome],” says Romi Polichino, a London-based nutritionist.
“People have suffered from any of these things, or panic attacks and epilepsy, shouldn’t take them.”
Worse, suppliers outside of Europe and the USA are relatively uncontrolled and some have been found to substitute cheap ephedrine for the expensive coffee extract.
“The quality of these pills can vary,” adds Romi Polichino.
“You can buy them cheaply online but who knows what’s in them? I’ve heard that lots of them have fillers added to bulk them out.”
Banned in the UK, ephedrine is a substance that acts similarly to cocaine when ingested, leaving the user with a racing pulse and making them hyperactive, while also suppressing the appetite.
But even without the potential for ephedrine contamination, nutritionists are concerned that the pills will become popular with women who don’t need to lose weight – and will suffer as a result.
“Women who are already slim shouldn’t be taking these pills,” says Romi Polchino.
“In my view, more rigorous research needs to be carried out before we start putting them in our mouths.”
European markets and politicians have reacted anxiously after Italy’s general election produced a stalemate between centre-right and centre-left blocs.
France and Germany urged continued reform, while Spain described the result as a “jump to nowhere”.
Italian markets fell sharply while others in Europe and around the world opened down.
Centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi said fresh elections should be avoided, and called for a period of reflection.
With all domestic votes counted, Pier Luigi Bersani’s centre-left bloc won the lower house vote but has failed to secure a majority in the Senate. Control of both houses is needed to govern.
A protest movement led by comedian Beppe Grillo won 25%, but the centrist bloc led by current PM Mario Monti came a poor fourth, with about 10%.
The outcome of the election, which comes amid a deep recession and tough austerity measures, was so close between the two main blocs that the margin of victory given in interior ministry figures was less than 1% in both houses of parliament.
The winning bloc automatically gets a majority in the lower house. But the same is not true in the Senate, where seat allocations are decided by region and can conflict with the national vote.
European politicians reacted with a mixture of calm and concern.
European Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly said the EU expected Italy to “honor its commitments” on debt and deficit reduction, and other structural reform.
“We clearly hear the message of concern expressed by Italian citizens,” he said at a news conference.
“The Commission has full confidence in Italian democracy and… will work closely with the future government towards the re-launch of growth and job creation in Italy.”
French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said the result “creates problems” but would not undermine the European single currency.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, meanwhile, urged Italy to continue its reforms, and called for a government to be formed “as quickly as possible”.
But his Spanish counterpart there was “extreme concern” about the financial consequences.
“This is a jump to nowhere with positive consequences for nobody,” Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said, according to Associated Press news agency.
European markets and politicians have reacted anxiously after Italy’s general election produced a stalemate between centre-right and centre-left blocs
Shares and the euro fell as the outcome of the election became clear, amid concern that the reform agenda would be delayed.
Italy’s FTSE MIB index initially fell 4.7%, while London’s FTSE 100 shed 1.5% and share markets in Frankfurt and Paris also fell more than 2%.
In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.55% and Asian markets lost between 0.7% and 2.2%.
The yield on Italian government bonds rose sharply, implying markets are more wary of lending to Italy.
As Silvio Berlusconi conceded to his opponents in the lower house, he said that everyone should now reflect on what to do next so that fresh elections could be avoided.
“Italy must be governed,” Silvio Berlusconi said.
“Everyone must be prepared to make sacrifices.”
He would not do a deal with Mario Monti’s centrist bloc, saying that the prime minister’s poor showing was down to popular discontent with his austerity measures.
Silvio Berlusconi, 76, left office in November 2011, facing claims of economic mismanagement as the eurozone struggled to contain Italy’s debt crisis.
Italians have had more than a year of technocratic government under Mario Monti. But his attempts to reduce spending caused widespread public resentment and his decision to head a centrist list in the parliamentary elections attracted little more than 10% of the vote.
In a surge in support, Beppe Grillo’s anti-austerity Five Star Movement attracted more than a quarter of the vote, making it the most popular single party in the lower chamber.
Correspondents say this was an extraordinary success for the Genoese comic, whose tours around the country throughout the election campaign – hurling insults against a discredited political class – resulted in his party performing well in both chambers.
A study published by South Africa’s Stellenbosch University found that donkey, water buffalo and goat meat have been sold as burgers and sausages in South Africa.
The study found that 99 of 139 samples contained species not declared in the product label.
It found soya and gluten were not labelled in 28% of products tested, undeclared pork in 37% and chicken in 23%
This was mostly in sausages, burger patties and deli meats, it said.
The disclosure comes at a time of a growing scandal in Europe about horsemeat being sold as beef.
On Monday, Swedish company Ikea withdrew meatballs from sale in 14 European countries after tests in the Czech Republic found traces of horsemeat in a batch made in Sweden.
Leading supermarkets in the UK, including Tesco and Sainsbury, have also withdrawn beef products from shelves after they were found to contain horsemeat.
“There’s a fair share of fraudulent meat products on the South African market, according to a new study by meat scientists from Stellenbosch University,”the university reports on its news blog.
“The study found that anything from soya, donkey, goat and water buffalo were to be found in up to 68% of the 139 minced meats, burger patties, deli meats, sausages and dried meats that were tested. In other cases, even undeclared plant matter was detected.”
These ingredients were not declared on the products’ packaging labels, it said.
A study published by South Africa’s Stellenbosch University found that donkey, water buffalo and goat meat have been sold as burgers and sausages in South Africa
The study was done by experts from the Stellenbosch University’s Department of Animal Sciences and the Food & Allergy Consulting & Testing Services in Milnerton, Cape Town.
“Our study confirms that the mislabelling of processed meats is commonplace in South Africa and not only violates food labelling regulations, but also poses economic, religious, ethical and health impacts,” one of the researchers, Louwrens Hoffman, is quoted as saying.
Practicing Muslims and Jews, who constitute significant minorities in South Africa, do not eat pork, in accordance with their religious beliefs.
The products tested were collected from supermarkets and butchers, the university said.
“Our findings raise significant concern on the functioning of the meat supply chain in South Africa,” Louwrens Hoffman is quoted as saying.
“Even though we have local regulations that protect consumers from being sold falsely described or inferior foodstuffs, we need these measures to be appropriately enforced.”
None of the meat mislabelled in South Africa is harmful to humans if consumed, correspondents say.
There’s a world of difference between Delia Smith and Pippa Middleton when it comes to tips about food, but that hasn’t stopped Waitrose ditching the former and giving the latter her own column in its magazine.
Pippa’s Friday Night Feasts will advise on the best meals to start the weekend off with friends.
“It will be an exciting opportunity to share my own passion and enthusiasm for food and entertaining,” said Pippa Middleton, 29.
A picture of a beaming Pippa Middleton features on the front cover of the latest edition of the Waitrose Kitchen magazine.
She said: “I’m delighted to be writing for Waitrose Kitchen, a magazine that’s always been a source of inspiration to me.”
Editor William Sitwell said his latest signing would be “an excellent contributor…bringing with her a wealth of experience of entertaining”.
He added: “Readers will love her relaxed and easy entertaining ideas which will help with the preparation for all sorts of occasions.”
The company refused to issue a copy of the first column due out on March 28.
However, if Pippa Middleton’s book Celebrate is anything to go by readers can expect such illuminating advice as having a bonfire on Bonfire Night and serving pumpkin soup in a hollowed-out pumpkin at Halloween.
The decision by Waitrose to drop Delia Smith earlier this year was met with uproar among many of its customers, who have relied on her cooking know-how for decades.
Pippa Middleton gets food column in Waitrose Kitchen magazine
The deal with Waitrose follows further evidence of how the Middletons appear to be cashing in on their association with the Royal Family.
In December, only weeks after the announcement that the Duchess of Cambridge is expecting her first child, the Middletons’ Party Pieces website presented a range of baby goods.
The “Little Prince” and “Little Princess” party packs are described as suitable for American-style baby showers.
Last year, the website set up by Pippa and Kate Middleton’s mother Carole in 1987, offered paraphernalia themed around the Royal Wedding and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Shoppers will have to pay £1.20 ($1.9) a month for a copy of the Waitrose magazine if they want to discover Pippa Middelton’s advice on feasting, although it is free to those with Waitrose and John Lewis cards.
The column on the magazine appears to be part of a PR strategy to create a Pippa Middleton brand.
She has started using her name and photograph to promote the products sold on the Party Pieces website.
This significant move to boost Pippa Middleton’s own profile occurred in between her holidaying in Mustique with stockbroker Nico Jackson, 35, and then taking off on a skiing trip with him in Zermatt.
Het Arresthuis was one of the Netherlands’ most feared prisons for almost 150 years, but following its closure and something of a makeover, it has been transformed into a luxury hotel.
The 105 prisoner’s quarters have been converted into 40 spacious rooms, including 24 standard rooms, 12 deluxe rooms, and four suites, all of which feature modern furnishings and chic interior design.
All of the rooms are equipped with air conditioning, a flat screen TV, free WiFi, and even a personal coffee and tea machine.
The hotel also features a sauna, fitness centre, central patio with olive trees, and an organic herb garden.
Het Arresthuis opened its doors in 1862 and quickly established a reputation as an intimidating jail.
Despite the prison featuring lots of bars, this place has both kinds – the ones you can’t get past and the ones where you can get a drink.
After being abandoned for a number of years, Het Arresthuis reopened in 2002. But in mid 2007 it closed permanently after which construction of the hotel began.
Het Arresthuis was also called “bolletjesbajes” which translates as stuffer’s prison.
Het Arresthuis was one of the Netherlands’ most feared prisons for almost 150 years, but following its closure and something of a makeover, it has been transformed into a luxury hotel
Het Arresthuis in Roermond is not the only former prison which has been transformed into a hotel.
After closing in 1996, Oxford Prison in UK was transformed into a Malmaison hotel.
Another prison which is now a hotel is the Jailhotel Lowengraben in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Built in 1862, it was used as a prison until 1998, before being converted into a hotel.
Vatican officials announced today that Pope Benedict XVI will be known as “pope emeritus” and will retain the honorific “His Holiness” after he abdicates on Thursday.
He will also continue to be known by his papal title of Benedict XVI, rather than reverting to Josef Ratzinger.
Pope Benedict will wear his distinctive white cassock without any cape or trimmings.
He will surrender his gold ring of office, known as the fisherman’s ring, and his personal seal will be destroyed in the same way as when a pope dies.
Benedict XVI will also give up wearing his specially-made red leather loafers, instead wearing brown shoes hand made for him by a Mexican craftsman during a brief visit to Mexico last year, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said on Tuesday.
His resignation is the first by a pope for some 600 years.
The title “emeritus” is used when a person of status, such as a professor or bishop, hands over their position so their former rank can be retained in their title.
The Pope is to spend his final hours at his Vatican residence saying farewell to the cardinals who have been his closest aides during his eight-year pontificate.
His personal archive of documents will be packed up and, at 20:00 on Thursday, the Swiss Guard on duty at his Castel Gandolfo residence will be dismissed, to be replaced by Vatican police.
Vatican officials announced today that Pope Benedict XVI will be known as “pope emeritus” and will retain the honorific “His Holiness” after he abdicates on Thursday
This will mark the formal end of his papacy and the beginning of the period of transition to his successor, due to be chosen next month.
From March 4, the College of Cardinals will meet in general congregations to discuss the problems facing the Church and set a date for the start of the secret election – or conclave to elect Pope Benedict’s successor.
That successor will be chosen by 115 cardinal-electors (those younger than 80 years old) through ballots held in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.
A two-thirds-plus-one vote majority is required. Sixty-seven of the electors were appointed by Benedict XVI, and the remainder by his predecessor John Paul II.
About half the cardinal-electors (60) are European – 21 of those being Italian – and many have worked for the administrative body of the Church, the Curia, in Rome.
Chris Brown has opened up about his 2009 attack on Rihanna, saying that it is the “greatest regret” of his life.
Although Chris Brown, 23, described the assault as a “mistake” he also admitted that the couple had moved on and Rihanna has “forgiven” him.
Speaking to The Mirror, Chris Brown, who is desperately trying to re-vamp his image, claimed that he has had to work hard for Rihanna’s forgiveness.
“That night was the deepest regret of my life, the biggest mistake,” said Chris Brown, having clearly come to terms with the wrong he did.
“But she loves me – what can I say? I’m forgiven… but, yes, I worked hard for it,” he added, suggesting that the couple had put the incident behind them even if other people hadn’t.
“Sometimes you row, you fight, with the one you love and things get said, stuff spirals,” Chris Brown added.
Chris Brown continues to face a public backlash against his actions, which left Rihanna bruised and battered after he attacked her during an argument back in 2009.
He was sentenced to 5-year probation and six months of community service by a court after admitting to the assault.
Due in part to the fact that the pair have reconciled, they’ve faced a fresh onslaught from domestic abuse campaigners and the general public.
Chris Brown has opened up about his 2009 attack on Rihanna, saying that it is the “greatest regret” of his life
Chris Brown, who spent Monday at Elton John’s Oscar party without Rihanna, seemed unfazed by host Seth MacFarlane’s joke about him during the ceremony.
As he introduced Quentin Tarantino’s violent revenge western Django Unchained Seth MacFarlane described it as, “the story of a man fighting to get back his woman, who’s been subjected to unthinkable violence – or as Chris Brown and Rihanna call it, a date movie”.
The reference to Chris Brown’s 2009 assault of Rihanna drew gasps from the audience in Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre.
Although Rihanna wasn’t at the Oscar party with her other half, the couple holidayed together in Hawaii last week to celebrate her 25th birthday.
Family Guy comedian Seth MacFarlane found himself at the centre of more scandal on Monday in the wake of his controversial hosting of Oscars 2013.
Seth MacFarlane caused outrage among viewers when his Ted alter-ego took to the stage at Sunday night’s ceremony with Mark Wahlberg, and told his co-star that if he “wants to work in this town” he’s got to be Jewish.
His Ted then added to Mark Wahlberg: “I was born Theodore Shapiro and I would like to donate to Israel and continue to work in Hollywood forever.”
But the gags, which came as the pair presented the award for Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing, weren’t received well by many Jewish rights groups, with the comedian labeled “offensive, unfunny and inappropriate”.
Abraham Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, said in a statement: “While we have come to expect inappropriate <<Jews control Hollywood>> jokes from Seth MacFarlane, what he did at the Oscars was offensive and not remotely funny.
“It only reinforces stereotypes which legitimize anti-Semitism. It is sad and disheartening that the Oscars awards show sought to use anti-Jewish stereotypes for laughs.”
The League’s Founder and Dean, Rabbi Marvin Hier, added: “The Oscars are transmitted to every corner of the globe, even to such places where such hateful myths are believed as fact.
“Every comedian is entitled to wide latitude, but no one should get a free pass for helping to promote anti-Semitism.”
The statement continued with the League accusing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of failing to show “greater sensitivity” by allowing the sketch to be aired during the show.
Seth MacFarlane divided opinion with many of his jokes, which saw him take mock Adele’s weight and Chris Brown and Rihanna’s relationship, as well as a sketch which was deemed racist after the comedian used a colored sock to illustrated Denzel Washington.
However, a spokeperson for the Academy said in a statement of Seth MacFarlane’s hosting: “If the Oscars are about anything, they’re about creative freedom.
“We think the show’s producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, and host Seth MacFarlane, did a great job, and we hope our worldwide audience found the show entertaining.”
If Seth MacFarlane’s success is to be judged by the ratings of the show, then controversy rules.
The 85th Oscars cracked 40 million viewers for the first time since 2010 – pulling 40.3 million viewers on ABC, an overall increase of 3% from 2012’s telecast hosted by veteran master of ceremonies Billy Crystal, which drew 39.3 million viewers.
Even better, viewership rose 11% in the important 18-49 demographic with a 13.0 rating over the 2012 show’s 11.7 rating in the same category
However, the show failed to top the 2004 Oscar’s audience of 43.5 million viewers who tuned in to watch Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King take Best Picture.
Despite the success of the show, Seth MacFarlane said on Tuesday that he would not return to host another show.
Retweeting a message from another website asking him if he would reprise his presenting role, Seth MacFarlane replied: “No way. Lotta fun to have done it, though.”
According to the comedian’s sister, Seth MacFarlane had to be reassured at length by his family that things went well after the ceremony.
Speaking on Access Hollywood Live, Seth MacFarlane’s sister Rachael explained: “He’s incredibly, incredibly critical of himself. So we were saying, <<You were fantastic, it was amazing>>. He said, <<I’m always going to find something>>.”
Astronomers have traced the origin of a meteor that injured about 1,000 people after breaking up over Ural mountains region in central Russia earlier this month.
Using amateur video footage, they were able to plot the meteor’s trajectory through Earth’s atmosphere and then reconstruct its orbit around the Sun.
As the space rock burned up over the city of Chelyabinsk, the shockwave blew out windows and rocked buildings.
The team, from Colombia, has published details on the Arxiv website.
Numerous videos of the fireball were taken with camera phones, CCTV and car-dashboard cameras and subsequently shared widely on the web. Furthermore, traffic camera footage of the fireball had precise time and date stamps.
Early estimates of the meteor’s mass put it at ten tonnes; US space agency NASA later estimated it to be between 7,000 and 10,000 tonnes. NASA estimates the size of the object was about 17m (55ft).
Using the footage and the location of an impact into Lake Chebarkul, Jorge Zuluaga and Ignacio Ferrin, from the University of Antioquia in Medellin were able to use simple trigonometry to calculate the height, speed and position of the rock as it fell to Earth.
Astronomers have traced the origin of a meteor that injured about 1,000 people after breaking up over Ural mountains region in central Russia earlier this month
To reconstruct the meteor’s original orbit around the Sun, they used six different properties of its trajectory through Earth’s atmosphere. Most of these are related to the point at which the meteor becomes bright enough to cast a noticeable shadow in the videos.
The researchers then plugged their figures into astronomy software developed by the US Naval Observatory.
The results suggest the meteor belongs to a well known family of space rocks – known as the Apollo asteroids – that cross Earth’s orbit.
Of about 9,700 near-Earth asteroids discovered so far, about 5,200 are thought to be Apollos. Asteroids are divided into different groups such as Apollo, Aten, or Amor, based on the type of orbit they have.
Internet users who illegally share music, movies or television shows online could soon receive warning notices from the nation’s five major Internet service providers.
The Copyright Alert System, organized by the recording and film industry, is being activated this week to target consumers using peer-to-peer software.
Under the new system, complaints will prompt an Internet service provider – such as Verizon or AT&T – to notify a customer whose Internet address has been detected sharing files illegally.
A person will be given up to six opportunities to stop before the Internet provider will take more drastic steps, such as temporarily slowing their connection, or redirecting Internet traffic until they acknowledge they received a notice or review educational materials about copyright law.
Consumers who maintain they have been wrongly accused would be forced to pay $35 to appeal the decision. The fee would be reimbursed if they prevail.
Proponents say the focus is on deterring the average consumer rather than chronic violators.
The director of the organization behind the system, Jill Lesser of the Center for Copyright Infringement, said in a blog post Monday that the program is “meant to educate rather than punish, and direct [users] to legal alternatives”.
The Copyright Alert System, organized by the recording and film industry, is being activated this week to target consumers using peer-to-peer software
Each Internet provider is expected to implement their own system.
The program gives each customer five or six “strikes” after a music or film company has detected illegal file-sharing and lodged a complaint.
The first alerts are expected to be educational, while the third and fourth would require the customer to acknowledge that they have received the warnings and understand their behavior is illegal.
The final warnings are expected to lead to “mitigation measures”, such as slowing a person’s Internet connection speeds.
Officials involved in the effort acknowledge it’s unlikely to stop the biggest violators.
There are ways to disguise an IP address or use a neighbor’s connection that is unlocked.
Public wireless connections, such as those offered at coffee shops, also won’t be monitored.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West posed nude on the cover of French fashion magazine L’Officiel Hommes.
Kim Kardashian, 32, was caught in an expression sure to make her daughter blush as Kanye West reveals his bare back, wrapping his arms around her.
The black and white image features on the spring issue of the men’s magazine, shot by Nick Knight.
Its release comes just days after Kim Kardashian was forced to shut down rumors she is planning her exit from Keeping Up with the Kardashians after season nine.
It had been suggested that Kim Kardashian may want to leave the show following the birth of her first child with Kanye West, after claiming her baby will not appear on television.
Kim Kardashian and Kanye West posed nude on the cover of French fashion magazine L’Officiel Hommes
Kim Kardashian told DuJour magazine: “I think there’s always an evolution of, you know, what you want to do in life. It’s all about finding things that really excite you and motivate you and spark you all over again.
“I’m realizing that no matter what, if you go into something with all these expectations and plans, once you’re actually living it, it could be completely different.”
Kim Kardashian also told the publication that rapper Kanye West has taught her “a lot about privacy”, and after his own reluctance to appear in the series, perhaps it wouldn’t be a surprise if she did decide to bid farewell to the Kardashian bubble.
“I’m ready to be a little less open about some things, like my relationships,” Kim Kardashian added.
“I’m realizing everyone doesn’t need to know everything. I’m shifting my priorities.”
European markets have opened lower, with the inconclusive election result in Italy raising fears that political deadlock will delay economic reforms.
Italy’s FTSE MIB index fell 4.7%, while London’s FTSE 100 shed 1.5% and share markets in Frankfurt and Paris also fell more than 2% at the start.
The yield on Italian government bonds also rose sharply, implying markets are more wary of lending to Italy.
Earlier, stock markets in Asia had closed lower.
Japan’s main Nikkei 225 stock index lost 2.2%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.8% and Australia’s ASX was down 1%.
Oil prices also dropped, hit by worries that uncertainty in the eurozone could hit demand, with Brent crude falling 87 cents to $113.57 a barrel.
With all domestic votes counted in Italy’s parliamentary election, the centre-left bloc won the lower house by a tiny margin, but did not secure a majority in the Senate.
Fears are that a split parliament will make it harder for one group to push through their plans to revive the economy, and that may stall Italy’s process of cutting its public debt levels.
Banks were the biggest fallers on the stock markets, with shares in major banks across Europe down more than 4%.
The yield on Italian 10-year government bonds rose to 4.77% from 4.48%, and the gap between the yield on Italian and German 10-year bonds widened.
European markets have opened lower, with the inconclusive election result in Italy raising fears that political deadlock will delay economic reforms
Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who has conceded the lower house to Pier Luigi Bersani’s centre-left bloc, played down the significance of the spread, and said he was not worried about market reaction to the vote.
But Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said there was “extreme concern” over possible movements in bond spreads as a reaction to the results.
“This is a jump to nowhere that does not bode well either for Italy or for Europe,” he said.
Giuseppe Fontana, professor of monetary economics at Leeds University Business School, said Italian voters had sent a “chilling message” to the markets and policy makers.
Georg Grodzki, head of credit research at Legal & General Investment Management, said the Italian result would leave markets guessing for a while.
“Uncertainty is not good for confidence. It’s not bad enough for an immediate abrupt sell-off but it could well build over the next few months into some crisis,” he said.
With political instability likely to continue at least in the near term, Angus Campbell from Capital Spreads said: “The uncertainty that this causes is enough to make anyone nervous and we are likely to see an interim administration for a number of months before fresh elections, unless a working coalition can be formed.”
For more than a year Italy was led by technocrat Mario Monti, appointed after Silvio Berlusconi’s resignation in November 2011 amid an acute debt crisis.
He was tasked with reforming the economy, and introduced unpopular economic austerity measures, implementing spending cuts and tax rises.
Mario Monti resigned in December after Mr Berlusconi’s conservative party withdrew its support from his government. Although he ran in the latest election, his bloc won only 10% of the vote, with the majority of voters rejecting austerity.
Ishaq Siddiqi, market strategist at ETX Capital, warned of future turmoil in Italy.
“What is more worrying for investors is that the political deadlock in Italy would suggest that even if we do see a market-friendly scenario materialize with a reform-minded government taking control, the fact that Berlusconi managed to gain such an influence with his anti-austerity campaign means that we are likely to see a rise in civil unrest in Italy.”
Investors are now looking towards a testimony later on Tuesday from US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke.
Global markets were shaken last week by an indication from the Fed that it might scale back its strong monetary stimulus sooner than expected.
Oscars 2013, hosted by Seth MacFarlane, attracted a TV audience of 40.3 million, a million more than tuned in to 2012’s broadcast.
According to the ABC network, the show – hosted by Seth MacFarlane, creator of hit TV cartoon Family Guy – drew the largest Oscar audience for three years.
Last year’s show, hosted by comic Billy Crystal, was seen by 39.3 million, while 2011’s was seen by 37.6 million.
Argo won best picture at this year’s event, while Daniel Day-Lewis was named best actor for a record third time.
According to statistics company Nielsen, Seth MacFarlane’s involvement helped boost interest among young men and the 18- to 49-year-old age group.
Figures for the latter demographic, which is much coveted by TV advertisers, were up 11% on last year, while the 18- to 34-year-old male audience saw a 34% increase.
Reaction to Seth MacFarlane’s performance has been mixed, with Rolling Stone saying he resembled a “bumbling rookie” in his first stab at Oscar host.
The New Yorker was no less scathing, saying that watching the three-and-a-half hour ceremony “meant sitting through a series of crudely sexist antics”.
Oscars 2013, hosted by Seth MacFarlane, attracted a TV audience of 40.3 million, a million more than tuned in to 2012’s broadcast
Satirical website The Onion also found itself under fire on Sunday after calling Quvenzhane Wallis, the 9-year-old star of Beasts of the Southern Wild, a “crude and offensive” name on Twitter.
Steve Hannah, the website’s chief executive, apologized to the best actress nominee, saying that “no person should be subjected to such a senseless, humorless comment masquerading as satire”.
It has also emerged that an Oscar-winning producer was briefly ejected from Sunday’s star-studded ceremony for throwing paper airplanes around the auditorium.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, security staff at Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre took issue with Kristina Reed for recreating the action of Paperman, this year’s best animated short.
Life of Pi took home the most awards on Sunday, winning four prizes including a best director accolade for Taiwan’s Ang Lee.
Argo and Les Miserables won three Oscars apiece, with Django Unchained, Lincoln and Bond movie Skyfall receiving two awards each.
German authorities in the northern state of Lower Saxony are investigating allegations of fraud over the mislabeling of eggs as organic.
The authorities have launched an investigation into allegations that 150 farms had mislabelled their eggs.
It is claimed that the hens live in conditions that do not conform to organic regulations.
The farm minister said that if the accusations are proved to be true, it would be “fraud on a grand scale”.
Farm Minister Ilse Aigner said in a statement that the mislabelling of eggs would be “fraud against consumers but also fraud against the many organic farmers in Germany who work honestly”.
German authorities in the northern state of Lower Saxony are investigating allegations of fraud over the mislabeling of eggs as organic
She urged regional governments to ensure the full implementation of tough German and EU laws on organic food production.
The investigations come as Europe’s food industry has been engulfed by a meat processing and labelling scandal after multiple processed meat products labelled as beef were revealed to contain quantities of horsemeat.
An additional 50 farms in two other German states are also under investigation for mislabelling eggs as organic.
Organic food is increasingly popular in Germany and consumers are willing to pay a premium for products they believe conform to strict standards.
Two years ago, a European Union-wide health alert was sparked when German officials said animal feed tainted with dioxin had been fed to hens and pigs, contaminating eggs, poultry meat and pork at affected farms.
A French research team has found that babies can decipher speech as early as three months before birth.
The evidence comes from detailed brain scans of 12 infants born prematurely.
At just 28 weeks’ gestation, the babies appeared to discriminate between different syllables like “ga” and “ba” as well as male and female voices.
Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the French team said it was unlikely the babies’ experience outside the womb would have affected their findings.
The research lends support to the idea that babies develop language skills while still in the womb in response to their parents’ voices.
Experts already know that babies are able to hear noises in the womb – the ear and the auditory part of the brain that allow this are formed by around 23 weeks’ gestation.
But it is still debated whether humans are born with an innate ability to process speech or whether this is something acquired through learning after birth.
A French research team has found that babies can decipher speech as early as three months before birth
The authors of the study in PNAS say environmental factors are undoubtedly important, but based on their findings they believe linguistic processes are innate.
Dr. Fabrice Wallois and colleagues say: “Our results demonstrate that the human brain, at the very onset of the establishment of a cortical circuit for auditory perception, already discriminates subtle differences in speech syllables.”
But they add that this “does not challenge the fact that experience is also crucial for their fine tuning and for learning the specific properties of the native language”.
Their brain scan study was carried out in the first few days following birth, so it is possible that the noises and sounds the newborns encountered in their new environment outside of the womb may have triggered rapid development. However, the researchers doubt this.
French, British, Hong Kong and Japanese nationals are among 19 tourists reportedly killed in a hot air balloon crash near the Egyptian city of Luxor.
The balloon was flying at 1,000 ft (300 m) when it caught fire and exploded, plunging onto fields west of Luxor, officials said.
One witness said people were jumping out of the balloon, “from about the height of a seven-storey building”.
Two people, including the balloon’s pilot, reportedly survived the crash.
Luxor lies on the banks of the River Nile and is home to some of Egypt’s most famous pharaonic-era ruins.
The crash happened on one of the many dawn hot air balloon flights that give tourists an aerial view of Luxor’s famous sites, such as Karnak temple and the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
It was understood that a gas cylinder exploded on board the balloon, bringing it down in an agricultural area just outside Luxor.
Cherry Tohamy’s balloon was landing when she heard an explosion and saw flames from a balloon above.
“Our pilot told us that the balloon had hit a high pressure electrical cable and a cylinder on board exploded,” said Cherry Tohamy, an Egyptian living in Kuwait who was on holiday in Luxor.
“People were jumping out of the balloon from about the height of a seven-storey building.”
She said ambulances were at the scene within 15 minutes.
French, British, Hong Kong and Japanese nationals are among 19 tourists reportedly killed in a hot air balloon crash near the Egyptian city of Luxor
Another witness, US photographer Christopher Michel said his balloon was just about to land when he “heard an explosion and saw smoke”.
NBC News quoted a Luxor health official as saying that the victims include nine from Hong Kong, four from Japan, two from the United Kingdom and two from France, with two yet to be identified.
The British foreign office said it was making urgent inquiries with its colleagues in Egypt to confirm reports of British casualties.
A spokesman from the Hong Kong government confirmed that nine Hong Kong residents were in the crash balloon and a team of immigration officers was being sent to Egypt.
Hot air balloon crashes have happened in Luxor before. Two British women were among 16 injured when their balloon came down in April 2009.
Luxor, like many other parts of Egypt, has seen a sharp downturn in visitor numbers since the uprising in early 2011 that forced long-time President Hosni Mubarak to step down.
Heart disease, diabetes, obesity and poor brain function have all been linked to substandard sleep.
What missing hours in bed actually does to alter health, however, is unknown.
So researchers at the University of Surrey analyzed the blood of 26 people after they had had plenty of sleep, up to 10 hours each night for a week, and compared the results with samples after a week of fewer than six hours a night.
More than 700 genes were altered by the shift. Each contains the instructions for building a protein, so those that became more active produced more proteins – changing the chemistry of the body.
Meanwhile the natural body clock was disturbed – some genes naturally wax and wane in activity through the day, but this effect was dulled by sleep deprivation.
Prof. Colin Smith, from the University of Surrey, said: “There was quite a dramatic change in activity in many different kinds of genes.”
Areas such as the immune system and how the body responds to damage and stress were affected.
British researchers have found that a run of poor sleep can have a dramatic effect on the internal workings of the human body
Prof. Colin Smith added: “Clearly sleep is critical to rebuilding the body and maintaining a functional state, all kinds of damage appear to occur – hinting at what may lead to ill health.
“If we can’t actually replenish and replace new cells, then that’s going to lead to degenerative diseases.”
He said many people may be even more sleep deprived in their daily lives than those in the study – suggesting these changes may be common.
Dr Akhilesh Reddy, a specialist in the body clock at the University of Cambridge, said the study was “interesting”.
He said the key findings were the effects on inflammation and the immune system as it was possible to see a link between those effects and health problems such as diabetes.
The findings also tie into research attempting to do away with sleep, such as by finding a drug that could eliminate the effects of sleep deprivation.
Dr. Akhilesh Reddy said: “We don’t know what the switch is that causes all these changes, but theoretically if you could switch it on or off, you might be able to get away without sleep.
“But my feeling is that sleep is fundamentally important to regenerating all cells.”
Italy’s parliamentary elections have ended in stalemate and the possibility of a hung parliament.
With all domestic votes counted, Pier Luigi Bersani’s centre-left bloc has narrowly beaten ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi in the lower house but has failed to secure a majority in the Senate.
Control of both houses is needed to govern and a Berlusconi official said the election was “too close to call”.
A protest movement led by comedian Beppe Grillo won a quarter of the vote.
Meanwhile a bloc led by current Prime Minister Mario Monti came a poor fourth, with about 10%.
The outcome of the election, which comes amid a deep recession and tough austerity measures, was so close that the margin of victory given in interior ministry figures was less than 1% in both houses of parliament.
“It is clear to everyone that a very delicate situation is emerging for the country,” said centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani as the last of the votes were being counted.
Angelino Alfano, secretary of former PM Silvio Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party, said the result was “extraordinary”, and he urged the interior ministry to wait before declaring a final result.
The interior ministry figures were not official, he argued, and were “inevitably subject to a margin of error”.
With returns from all polling stations processed, the interior ministry figures gave Pier Luigi Bersani’s centre-left bloc 29.54% of the vote for the lower house (Chamber of Deputies), barely ahead of the 29.18% polled by Silvio Berlusconi’s bloc.
Angelino Alfano said the result was “too close to call” given the tight margin between the two blocs.
Votes cast outside Italy are still to be collected.
Pier Luigi Bersani also won the national vote for the Senate, but was unable to secure the 158 seats required for a majority.
As bonus seats are distributed in the upper house according to regional votes, Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right bloc was expected to emerge with a higher number of seats.
Italy’s parliamentary elections have ended in stalemate and the possibility of a hung parliament
Silvio Berlusconi was heading for victory in three of the four big regions – Lombardy in the north, Campania in the centre, and Sicily in the south.
Initial exit polls on Monday afternoon gave Pier Luigi Bersani’s bloc a clear victory, prompting the Milan stock market to soar by nearly 4%.
But as the close result became clear the markets fell back. In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.55% and Asian markets lost between 0.7% and 2.2%.
The apparent split between left and right in the eurozone’s third largest economy is likely to cause great anxiety among leaders in other EU member states.
A period of horse-trading will now follow, and the leading blocs will try in turn to form a coalition.
But, with the electorate apparently so divided, many believe a second election will have to follow in a few months.
Silvio Berlusconi, 76, left office in November 2011, facing claims of economic mismanagement as the eurozone struggled to contain Italy’s debt crisis.
Italians have had more than a year of technocratic government under Mario Monti. But his attempts to reduce spending caused widespread public resentment and his decision to head a centrist list in the parliamentary elections attracted little more than 10% of the vote.
“Some supposed we’d get a slightly better result but I am very satisfied, we are very satisfied,” he said.
In a surge in support, Beppe Grillo’s anti-austerity Five Star Movement attracted 25.54% of the vote.
Correspondents say this was an extraordinary success for the Genoese comic, whose tours around the country throughout the election campaign – hurling insults against a discredited political class – resulted in his party performing well in both chambers.
“We’ve started a war of generations,” Beppe Grillo said in an audio statement on his website which taunted the leaders of the mainstream parties.
“They are all losers, they’ve been there for 25 to 30 years and they’ve led this country to catastrophe.”
As the extent of his success became clear on Monday night, Beppe Grillo’s supporters in his home town of Genoa celebrated early into Tuesday morning.
A video published on YouTube appears to show seven members of a French family, including four children, abducted by Islamist group Boko Haram in Cameroon.
The footage shows an armed man reading a statement in front of two men, a woman and four children.
Claiming to be from the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram, the alleged kidnappers demand the release of prisoners in Cameroon and Nigeria.
The family was snatched last Tuesday by gunmen on motorbikes.
Following the abduction, the French government said it believed the couple, their children aged five, eight, 10 and 12, and an uncle were taken across the border into Nigeria, probably by Boko Haram.
The family lives in the Cameroonian capital, Yaounde, where the father worked for the French gas group Suez. They had been returning from a visit to Waza National Park when they were kidnapped.
On Thursday, France confirmed it had “received information that the group Boko Haram is claiming to be holding the French family”.
“These images are terribly shocking and display cruelty without limits,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement.
A video published on YouTube appears to show seven members of a French family, including four children, abducted by Islamist group Boko Haram in Cameroon
In the video, one of the male hostages said they had been kidnapped by Jamaatu Ahlis Sunna Liddaawati wal-Jihad – the Arabic name for Boko Haram.
One of the alleged kidnappers warned that France had launched a war on Islam.
Behind him, the alleged family is shown flanked by two armed men in camouflage uniforms.
A source close to the family confirmed their identities to the AFP news agency.
Laurent Fabius said it was still trying to verify the authenticity of the video.
Last week, a French minister wrongly confirmed reports that the family had been found and released in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, French nationals have been urged to leave northern Cameroon “as quickly as possible”.
The French foreign ministry said on its website citizens were “officially advised not to go to the far north of Cameroon (the shores of Lake Chad in the South Maroua), and the border with Nigeria, until further notice”.
Boko Haram has staged many attacks across northern Nigeria in recent years, targeting churches, government buildings and the security forces.
Another Islamist group – Ansaru – is also active in the region.
Last Sunday, Ansaru claimed the abduction of seven foreign workers in Nigeria.
Italian, British, Greek and Lebanese workers are thought to be among those held after an attack on a construction project in Bauchi state.
Ansaru also says it is holding a French national, Francis Colump, who was seized in the northern state of Katsina.
After First Lady Michelle Obama wore a red and white check dress by online fashion retailer ASOS.com last year it quickly became a sellout.
Now fashionistas who missed out stealing Michelle Obama’s style the first time round can get their hands on the dress again as it has gone back on sale today.
The cotton skater dress is back in stock and currently available to buy for the bargain price of £55 ($85).
Michelle Obama, who regularly tops lists of the world’s best dressed women, has worn the sleeveless dress herself on more than one occasion.
Then last August when Michelle Obama joined her husband on the campaign trail as he sought re-election, she opted for the ASOS number again, this time wearing it with a wider black belt and ballet flats.
As if endorsement from the First Lady wearing it wasn’t enough, ASOS got even further free advertising when an image of Michelle Obama while wearing the dress while hugging Barack became the most shared picture in history on social networks.
After First Lady Michelle Obama wore a red and white check dress by online fashion retailer ASOS.com last year it quickly became a sellout
Barack Obama’s campaign team posted the image that was taken over the summer on his Twitter and Facebook accounts when it was announced he had won another term as President, along with the caption “another four years”.
The president’ss online campaign manager told Time Magazine the picture was chosen because it summed up the “elation, relief and joy” they were all feeling at that historic moment.
The picture was then retweeted 816,000 times on Twitter shared more than 4 million times on Facebook – breaking records for both social networks.
ASOS was launched in 2000 with the aim of helping twenty-somethings replicate the style of the stars at affordable prices. Now more than a decade on, its success means they’re now setting the trends as well as following them.
