Top World News

Travel Hiring is on increased

2012-01-30T04:01:00.001-08:00

As the economy has begun to improve from its darkest days in late 2008 and 2009, hire in the travel and tourism industry has become one of the bright spots.

The industries - which include hotels, rental cars, airlines and entertainment - shed jobs rapidly as the economy spiraled downward. But in the last year or so, travel businesses have begin to hire again, albeit slowly and carefully.

“Clearly, the travel and tourism industry suffer pretty heavily during the downturn,” said Adrian Cooper, chief executive of Oxford Economics, a London-based economic forecasting advisor with offices in New York. “Now we’re seeing a development in jobs in travel and tourism. It’s one of the healthiest sectors in the United States, and down the supply chain. There is still some way to go, getting back to the peak in 2007.”

In the first half of 2011, the travel industry added 16,000 jobs a month, on normal, though that slowed to an average 2,000 new jobs a month from July to November, said David Huether, senior vice president for economics and research for the U.S. Travel Association. Entire employment reached a low of 7.3 million jobs in December 2009 and since then the travel and tourism industry has gained 224,000 jobs.

Huawei unveils World's Thinnest Smartphone

2012-01-13T23:16:00.000-08:00

Huawei is making its mark at CES, today introducing two new super-thin, 4.3-inch Android 4.0 smartphones, the Ascend P1 and the Ascend P1 S.

At just 0.26 inches thick, Huawei claims the P1 S is the thinnest smartphone in the world (the Droid RAZR, by comparison, is 0.3 inches at its thinnest). Powered by a 1.5-GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4460 Cortex A9 processor, the P1 S should be no slouch when it comes to performance, either.

The International Consumer Electronics show gathered about 150,000 people in Las Vegas this week. These are some of the more significant gadgets that were announced at the show.

The largest trade show in the Americas must be a great place to show off new products, right? Wrong. The International Consumer Electronics Show is quickly becoming a launch pad for products that fall flat.

Huawei’s other phone, the P1, will have the same Cortex-A9 processor, but measures a slightly thicker 5.0 x 2.5 x 0.3 inches.

Both devices sport 4.3-inch, 940 x 560-pixel Super AMOLED screens covered with Corning Gorilla Glass, and come wrapped in metal casings.

We got some hands-on time with both the P1 and P1 S and despite their thin shells, both devices felt very sturdy. Interestingly, the P1 S, while thinner than the P1, feels a bit heavier. For the P1 and P1 S’s exteriors, Huawei eschewed a textured finish and instead chose to use a glossy paint job, which quickly picked up fingerprint smudges and made the phones feel a bit slippery in our hands.

From a performance standpoint, however, both phones were very quick, offering no lag while scrolling through their apps menus or across multiple home screen pages.

Both the P1S and P1 offer 4G connectivity via their HSPA+ antennas. In addition to their dual-core processors, the P1 and P1S also include SGX 540 graphics processors, as well as 1GB of RAM and 4GB of ROM. Storage space is limited to 8GB, although can be expanded via the devices’ microSD card slots.

The P1 and P1 S also include 8-megapixel rear-facing and 1.3-MP front-facing cameras for video chat apps, MHL-HDMI connections, dual noise reduction microphones, and DLNA support. The handsets also come packed with ambient light sensors, as well as the ubiquitous accelerometers and gyro sensors.

Huawei has yet to establish a carrier partner or definitive price-point for its new halo phones, but company representatives say they are estimated to run roughly $400. Both phones are expected to launch around April in the U.S., Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Australia.

Apple Might Launch iPad 3 in March, iPad 4 in October

2012-01-08T23:43:00.000-08:00

Apple plans to launch a new “iPad 3″ with a Retina Display this coming March, and then a second “iPad 4″ model in October -- and ship them with “killer applications.”

Citing unnamed sources from within Apple’s component supply chain, DigiTimes on Friday reported that Apple is prepping both new iPad models for a 2012 launch. The first model, dubbed iPad 3, will feature a QXGA 1,536 x 2,048-pixel HD display and significantly longer battery life, and Apple reportedly has plans to drop the price of its current iPad 2 model to $399 when it launches its new tablet in March.

A second new iPad referred to as the iPad 4 by component suppliers will then launch in October, perhaps alongside Apple’s next-generation iPhone. BGR exclusively reported in December that a redesigned iPhone with an aluminum case will launch this coming fall. Few details surrounding the iPad 4 were provided, though the site did say it would include a 9.7-inch display along with “much upgraded hardware specifications and integrated applications.”

DigiTimes has claimed in multiple reports that Apple plans to launch two new iPads in 2012, but other sources suggest the second model is in fact an early prototype of Apple’s 2013 iPad model. Instead, Apple will reportedly launch a new iPad model in March while maintaining iPad 2 production and selling a single model of the older tablet at a lower price.

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Stop giving Mariah Yeater too much Attention: Justin Bieber

2011-11-24T20:35:00.000-08:00

Teen pop sensation Justin Bieber wants media to stop drawing attention to the woman who has accused him of fathering her child.

California woman Mariah Yeater, 20, hit the headlines earlier this month after sensationally claiming the teenager had impregnated her during a backstage romp at one of his concerts in Los Angeles last year, Daily star reported.

Bieber, 17, who is dating Selena Gomez, voluntarily took a DNA test on November 18 in a bid to put an end to the scandal and he wants the media to stop giving Yeater the spotlight.

"I didn`t have to do it (DNA test), I did it because I wanted to, I just wanted everything to be out in the open and be like, `Listen, there`s no reason for this to even be a discussion`. It shouldn`t even be a discussion. If I have to take it, if I don`t have to take it, I`m gonna take it just because, it just made sense.

"I don`t even know if she`s gonna take it or not, I don`t even know... I`m not even paying attention (to the rumours). I think we`re bring too much attention to this girl who just wanted, you know, (fame)," he said.

Two-Headed Albino Milk Snake Born in Florida

2011-11-07T22:59:00.000-08:00

A University of Central Florida biologist reported that a rare, two-headed albino milk snake was recently born. Daniel Parker told Orlando television station WKMG-TV the snake hatched last week in an incubation container.

Parker says most two-headed snakes have typical coloration. Albino snakes don't have dark pigmentation in their skin. Albino milk snakes appear in bright shades of red, orange and white.

The biologist says two-headed snakes have been documented to live as long as 20 years in captivity. But with two brains giving commands to a single body, Parker says the snake would have a difficult time surviving in the wild.

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Surgeons Reatconstucted Woman's Face Using 358 Leeches

2011-09-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

Swedish surgeons have reattached a woman's face after being attacked by a dog—using hundreds of leeches.

The woman had a large portion of her face bitten off when she was mauled by her pet. The severe wound spanned from her upper lip all the way to her eye. As she was rushed to hospital her relatives managed to keep hold of the torn off skin and keep it chilled.

Doctors at Skane Hospital, in Malmo, southern Sweden, then reattached the flesh with the help of 358 leeches.

"The most important thing was to get blood into the torn-off body part, which we managed to do within an hour of the start of the operation," said Stina Klasson, a surgeon at Skane Hospital.

The leeches were used to force blood to flow through into the damaged skin. "The grower who supplies the hospital with leeches ran out, so more had to be flown in from the UK," she said.

During the complicated operation—which lasted for 15 hours—medics repaired the woman's lip, nose and parts of her cheek.

Doctors said the operation was successful, but the woman, who has not been named, will continue to need reconstructive surgery in the future.

"The results appear to be good. Her whole nose has survived. The patient can breathe, eat and talk," said surgeon Jens Larsson.

The woman's dog has since been euthanized.

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Sonim XP3300 Force Sets Guinness World Record for Toughest Phone

2011-09-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

Lots of phones claim to be tough. Plenty of them are even built to meet military-grade specifications for resistance to water, shock, dust, salt fog, humidity, solar radiation, altitude, and extreme temperature storage. But Sonim can take that claim to toughness one step further, now that the Sonim XP3300 Force has been officially entered into the Guinness World Records.

The previous record was held by the JCB Toughphone, so in order for Sonim’s XP3300 Force handset to beat the record, their handset would have to be able to survive a drop of more than 3.25m. fact the Sonim XP3300 Force survived a very impressive drop of 25m onto solid concrete, which is a little bit taller than a 12-story building. The ultra-rugged XP3300, which PCMag reviewed back in February (see the slideshow below), survived a drop of over 82 feet onto concrete without any operational damage to claim the title. That's higher than a twelve-story building!

The previous world record has been held since 2008 by the JCB Toughphone, for withstanding a drop of 10.6 feet. To fulfill the requirements for inclusion in the Guinness World Records, the XP3300's record attempt was witnessed by independent judges from Guinness World Records, who tested the phone by making a call and sending a text message to confirm it was still working after the drop.

"We wanted to stamp Sonim's name on the World Record, confirming that the Sonim XP3300 Force is the toughest phone in the world," said Sonim CEO Bob Plaschke. "Most mobile phones are drop-tested to a metre, which just isn't enough in extreme environments such as construction sites, oil rigs or in the forest."

He added, "Establishing the Guinness World Record for highest mobile phone drop assures remote and tough workers that their Sonim phone is 'fit for purpose' and can withstand the daily knocks, drops and tumbles."

According to Sonim, the XP3300 surpasses military specifications for ruggedness, and is water and dust proof. It is certified against salt, fog, humidity, transport shock, and thermal shock. It's even water-submersible to 6.5 feet for 1 hour.

At PCMag, we tossed the XP3300 against brick walls and froze it into blocks of ice without a hitch. Our lead mobile analyst, Sascha Segan, got an XP3300 that was encased in seven pounds of concrete, which he proceeded to break out by repeatedly whacking it with a hammer until it crumbled away. Incredibly, the phone still worked, the screen was undamaged, and it was able to make and receive calls, though a few keys were left out of commission. We've even seen its predecessor, the XP1300 Core, survive a dip in antifreeze.

New Zealand Bids Farewell to Lost Emperor Penguin

2011-08-31T02:37:00.000-07:00

Fans turned out in their hundreds Sunday to farewell an emperor penguin which has gained international attention since being found on a New Zealand beach in June.

The penguin, dubbed Happy Feet, loaded aboard the research ship the Tangaroa on Monday and it would spend about four days at sea before being released into the ocean near Campbell Island, a remote subantarctic island.

But first a farewell party was held at Wellington Zoo, with the public encouraged to dress in black and white, make a donation toward the cost of his care and watch his final health checks. Happy Feet will also be fitted with a GPS tracker so his fans can follow his movements once he is released.

Zoo vet Dr. Lisa Argilla, who has nursed the bird back to health, told the Sunday News that Happy Feet was ready to leave.

"He is ready and he's really stroppy [touchy]," she said. "His personality has changed. He's a lot more feisty, he doesn't like us holding him and manhandling him to give him medication. I think he is going to be pretty happy to see the back of us."

Happy Feet has been in the zoo's care since he was discovered on a North Island beach on June 20, more than 1,800 miles from his home in Antarctica.

He was gravely ill when found, which was thought to have been the result of him ingesting large quantities of sand and sticks that he may have mistaken for fish and snow.

Wellington Zoo spokeswoman Kate Baker told the New Zealand Press Association that all up, including the voyage to Antarctica, the penguin had cost about NZ$30,000 (US$25,000) to look after.

Diamond Particles Found in Candle Flames

2011-08-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

Candle flames contain millions of tiny diamond particles, Scottish scientists said Thursday. Researchers successfully removed particles from the center of a candle flame for the first time and found that around 1.5 million diamond nanoparticles are created in the flame every second.

Dr. Wuzong Zhou, from the University of St. Andrews, in eastern Scotland, embarked on the study after a challenge from a fellow academic.

"A colleague at another university said to me, 'Of course no one knows what a candle flame is actually made of.' I told him I believed science could explain everything eventually, so I decided to find out," he said.
Using a new sampling technique, Zhou and his PhD student Zixue Su successfully removed particles from the center of the flame and found that it contained all four forms of pure carbon.

"This was a surprise because each form is usually created under different conditions," Zhou said.

Since the first candle was invented in China more than 2,000 years ago, studies have shown that hydrocarbon molecules are burned at the bottom of the flame and carbon dioxide released at the top -- but what happened during the process in between had remained a mystery until now.

As well as diamond nanoparticles at the center of the flame, the researchers also discovered fullerenic particles, along with graphitic and amorphous carbon.

"Unfortunately, the diamond particles are burned away in the process," Zhou said. "But this will change the way we view a candle flame forever."

It is hoped that the discovery could lead to research into how diamonds could be produced more cheaply.

Villa Vacation in Costa Rica

2011-08-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

Manuel Antonio is the country's well-known national park. It can be described as one equal half of the beachfront and other equal parts of the rainforest, and that’s the reason why people choose a Manuel Antonio Villa for their trip to this gorgeous country.

Costa Rica Villa is the most popular formats in terms of accommodation and supple style. Vacation renters offers you large and opulent homes that sit straight on the beaches, come with private bungalows or beach front services, and which give you everything from daily housekeeping to a private chef. You can also find the right differing situation and find a cozy villa situated up in the hills with a breathtaking view of the sea and yet the calm of the forest at night. There are also a small private house or villas that are maintained by locals who live in the building too.

This is particularly right when heading to some place as amazing as Manuel Antonio. This is the kind of place where you might enjoy a tour of the "canopy" in order to spot rare birds and rainforest mortals. You could also head down to shady riverfront locations put into the forests as well and see the various kinds of mangrove trees and the many unusual plants and animals that live in this environment too. You can also find some accommodations that give you direct right of entry to the incredibly beautiful land and waters of the Manuel Antonio park as well. The primary thing to keep in mind about any Costa Rican vacation is the easy fact that it is one of the supplest and diverse chances available and it all begins with choosing your perfect holiday villa for your getaway.

Leopard killed after Mauling six in India

2011-07-21T02:26:00.000-07:00

A leopard that mauled 11 people in a fierce fight Tuesday with Indian villagers has died of knife wounds after being captured.

The snarling adult male leopard leapt at locals and forest officials as they tried to drive it into a wildlife sanctuary in a village near Siliguri in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district.

Forest official Dharma Dev Rai says villagers used knives, stones and batons to beat back the cat. It injured six villagers, a policeman and four forest guards before being hit with a tranquilizer gun.

The people are recovering from their injuries, mostly swipes from the cat’s claws. Leopards are protected in India, though more are straying into villages for food.

Police were called to the village on the edge of a forest reserve after residents chased the animal into an abandoned house, where it pounced on the back of one officer as he tried to tranquillize it. The animal fled, but was found a few hours later in bushes at the edge of the village.

“The forest guards were able to locate it and as they were approaching the spot in an open-hood vehicle the leopard pounced on them,” said local forest ranger Kanchan Banerjee. “Three policemen were severely injured in the incident that led to a scuffle between the animal and the policemen.”

Mr. Banerjee said police had attacked the animal with knives and batons to free their colleague.

The leopard was eventually tranquillized, but it died later that day. Leopard attacks are increasingly frequent across India as human populations rise and the animal’s traditional wildlife habitat deteriorates.

One of World's Smallest Pit Viper Found

2011-07-18T05:32:00.000-07:00

A new snake species -Protobothrops maolanensis found in China is one of the littlest pit vipers in the world.

During a recent survey of forests in Maolan National Nature Reserve in Guizhou - China, the species was found by Yang and colleagues. At a maximum length of about 2.6 feet (0.7 meter), the new pit viper is the smallest known so far in the country.

Though the grayish brown species easily blends into its habitat, the ground-dwelling species ended up being the most common snake found during the research, noted Yang, of Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou.

Scientists have found two other new pit vipers in China so far in 2011: Sinovipera sichuanensis and Protobothrops maolanensis, he added.

The group of snakes known as pit vipers includes well-known species such as the copperhead, the rattlesnake, and the water moccasin. All known pit vipers are venomous, although their potency varies across species.

The toxicity of the new pit viper species is not yet known, but "kindly local peoples warned me that this snake is very poisonous," Yang added. "They said that some local peoples had been bit by this snake and then got poisoning—one was dead who had not got treatment in time."

Yang's team also found dead snakes that had been killed by people—the Miao, a local minority, believe that a snake encountered in the wild will bring bad luck unless it's killed immediately, he said.

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Radioactive Meat circulating on Japanese Market

2011-07-13T04:49:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, a Japanese health official downplayed the dangers after cesium contaminated meat from six Fukushima cows was delivered to Japanese markets and probably ingested.

Goshi Hosono, state minister in charge of consumer affairs and food-safety, said he hoped to head off any overreactions.

"If we were to eat the meat every day, then it would probably be dangerous," Hosono said at a news conference Tuesday. "But if it is consumed only in small portions, I don't think it would have any long-lasting effects on the human body."

The meat, distributed late last month, has made its way to consumers and most likely has been ingested, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government said Monday evening. This was preceded by another recent discovery of radiation in the meat of 11 cows delivered to Tokyo from the same farm.

The discovery was made when Tokyo's office of health and welfare investigated six deliveries made at the end of June from a Fukushima farm. So far, radiation has been confirmed from three out of the six cows. In one case, radiation reached 3400 Becquerels, which is about seven times the limit set by the government.

When the Fukushima Prefectural Government, on Monday, investigated the farm from which the meat was delivered, cesium was found in cattle feed such as hay, with radiation levels as much as 57 times higher than the ceiling set by the Japanese government.

Up until now, cattle in Fukushima were only subject to a screening test, to inspect for radioactive particles adhering to the skin, and farmers were ordered to self-report how it the cattle feed was being stocked.

Yutaka Kashimura, Fukushima Prefecture's officer in charge of the livestock division, told CNN that the farmer may have given the cows hay that had been exposed to soil containing high levels of radiation. The farm is situated at about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant.

The Fukushima Prefectural government announced that it will check on all the farms in the prefecture to determine if the stored cattle feed is being protected from radiation. More than 500 farms will be inspected before the end of the week and nearly 2,800 by the end of the month.

On Saturday, the health and welfare office at Tokyo Metropolitan government found that meat from 11 cows from a Fukushima farm, which was about to be delivered, contained high levels of radiation. As a precaution, the office was ordered to trace meat from six cows from the same farm and realized that the meat is now circulating not only in Tokyo, but all over Japan.

No health problems linked to the incident been reported, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government told CNN.

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Baidu teams up with Microsoft to Offer English Search

2011-07-05T04:22:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Corp. has signed a deal with China’s leading Internet search engine - Baidu, to offer its English-language search functions to Chinese users.

The agreement, which was announced Monday, comes more than a year after Google Inc. pulled out of China largely over disagreements about censorship and ceded just under half its market share to Baidu.

The Chinese Internet giant has long struggled to match Google’s English search capabilities and is likely to introduce Microsoft Bing by the end of the year, albeit one that will have to stick on to the country’s ever-expanding censorship rules.

To be sure, the overwhelming majority of Baidu users access the search engine for Chinese results. The company commands 83% of the domestic search market in the world’s largest Internet community with over 470 million users.

“It’s a non-trivial matter to build your own index of English pages, so why not partner with someone who already does that well?” said Kaiser Kuo, a spokesman for Baidu. “It’s all about serving the needs of our users.” Kuo said the deal could also make Baidu more competitive in search markets outside of China. “We’ll learn quite a bit,” he said. “And that certainly will help us venture into other markets with our core search product.”

The deal gives Microsoft a huge foothold in China for Bing, whose presence is currently negligible.

Edward Yu, head of Analysys International, a consultancy specializing in the Chinese web industry, said Microsoft is more proficient at navigating Chinese politics than Google ever was.

China's Army develops Video Game to train Soldiers

2011-06-30T02:12:00.000-07:00

China's People's Liberation Army has developed its first online military game, called "The Glorious Mission," to train soldiers in combat skills and technological awareness, the China Daily reported.

The online game is a first-person shooter and players can take part in individual or group missions. The game, which features PLA weaponry and realistic battle scenarios, took 32 months to develop, the newspaper reported.

"I think it is possible the game will be made open online for Chinese military fans to download and play," an unnamed PLA publicity officer was quoted as saying.

The final version of the game was launched on June 20.

China, home to the world's largest Internet market by users, has more than 300 million online gamers, according to government statistics.

China's online game market was worth 8.5 billion yuan ($1.31 billion) in the first quarter.

Tencent Holdings Ltd had a 28.8 percent share of the market, followed by Shanda Games Ltd with 17.7 percent and NetEase.com Inc with 17.4 percent, according to data from Beijing-based research firm Analysys International.

Miss USA 2011 Winner: Alyssa Campanella of California

2011-06-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

A 21-year-old auburn-haired California girl won the Miss USA crown on Sunday night and will represent the nation in this year's Miss Universe pageant in September in Brazil.

Alyssa Campanella of Los Angeles topped a field of 51 beauty queens to take the title at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. She strutted across the stage in a blue bikini with white polka dots and a dark turquoise evening gown with beading on its top.

She also answered a question about legalizing marijuana by saying she didn't think it should be fully legalized as a solution to help ailing economies.

"Well, I understand why that question would be asked, especially with today's economy, but I also understand that medical marijuana is very important to help those who need it medically," she said. "I'm not sure if it should be legalized, if it would really affect, with the drug war. I mean, it's abused today, unfortunately, so that's the only reason why I would kind of be a little bit against it, but medically it's OK."

Miss Tennessee Ashley Durham was the first runner-up, while contestants from Alabama and Texas placed third and fourth.

Campanella replaces Miss USA 2010 Rima Fakih. The Michigan woman teared up as she walked across the stage for a final goodbye.

The pageant had three competitions: swimsuit, evening gown and interview question.

The contestants were whittled to 16 after the show's opening number, in which the beauty queens introduced themselves one-by-one. The top 16 were picked by preliminary judges through competitions and interviews during the week before the telecast. Celebrity judges picked the top eight after the swimsuit competition and the top 4 after the evening gown portion.

Man erects World’s Tallest Sand Castle, Yet again

2011-06-16T23:55:00.000-07:00

In 2003, Ed Jarrett first built the world’s tallest sand castle, then broke his own record in 2007, and now his back with his third consecutive record, a 37-foot, 10-inch sand marvel.

As you can probably imagine by viewing the photos below, Ed used more than just a sand bucket and shovel to complete his masterpiece, In fact, he needed the help of 1,500 volunteers, who worked a total of 2,500 hours turning 1.6 million pounds of sand into a record-breaking castle.

Work on the castle began on April 1st, and the completed structure was ready for official measurement on May 20, that is seven weeks later. According to Laura Ward, public relations official for Jarrett’s Castle, the work was initially supposed to be even taller, at 38 feet and 75 inches, but after a blue bird decided to scrape the top of the castle and meteorologists announced hostile weather conditions, the team hurried to get the sand castle certified before it got even shorter. Still, at 37 feet, 10 inches, Jarrett’s Castle is still easily the tallest sand castle in the world.

Dinosaur Skeletons hit Auction Block in Dallas

2011-06-13T21:34:00.000-07:00

Private collectors have acquired dinosaur bones as part of more than $5.3 million in rare items sold at auction in Dallas.

Heritage Auction says an allosaurus and a stegosaurus, in an offering known as the Fighting Pair, sold for nearly $2.75 million Sunday.

The Dallas-based auction house declined to disclose the buyer, other than saying the bones would head for an overseas museum.

The Dallas Morning News reported Monday that 430 bidders took part in the auction, which also featured a stuffed polar bear, a rare fossilized bird egg and precious gems.

A set of 11-foot-by-9-foot shark jaws did not sell. The items will remain on loan to the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science.

Nintendo Introduces Wii-U -- a Next Generation Touchscreen Console

2011-06-07T21:44:00.000-07:00

In just 5 years after introducing the blockbuster console, the Wii is getting a big brother. Presenting -- the Wii U.

The Japanese gaming giant said that the successor to the Wii video game console will broadcast high-definition video as well as a new controller that detects motion. Unlike the last generation Wii though, this new controller also sports a touch screen with the ability to broadcast video.

Nintendo Co. revealed Wii U during the Electronic Entertainment Expo.

"Up until now, home console games had to occupy the TV screen in order to be played," said Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. "The new controller for Wii U, with its 6.2-inch screen built in, means you won't need to give up your game play when someone else comes in the room and wants to watch a TV program."

The white 6.2-inch touch-screen controller features a directional pad, microphone, dual analog sticks, two speakers, pairs of shoulder buttons and a front-facing camera.

The console itself will use proprietary high-definition optical discs, 1080p HDMI output and internal memory that can be upgraded with USB technology. Nintendo says Wii U will be compatible with Wii games and controllers and the system will be released between April and December next year.

The price of the new system was not announced. The company has been looking to recharge growth after an extended sales slump, as the initial rush for the original Wii has died down while their new 3D handheld, the 3DS was viewed as an overall disappointment.

Nintendo showed only early game concepts that could get the most out of the new touch-screen controller.

"This is going to be able to create what I call a new format or new structure of entertainment," Mr. Iwata told the Wall Street Journal in an interview prior to the E3 presentation. "By taking advantage of this new structure of entertainment, great new ideas can be popped up by developers."The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Twitter Adding a Photo-Sharing Feature

2011-06-03T03:40:00.000-07:00

Twitter is going ahead of 140 characters by including a photo-sharing service. The social network is rolling out an image-hosting aspect to users over the next couple of weeks, CEO Dick Costolo declared on Wednesday at the All Things Digital conference here.

Users will be able to upload photos through Twitter's website to start, with desktop and mobile applications coming later, Costolo said. To construct the service's backbone, Twitter partnered with Photobucket, which already hosts more than 8 billion photos and videos. The Twitter service will accept only still images.

"Photobucket is excited to be chosen to power this extension of Twitter," Photobucket CEO Tom Munro said in an e-mailed statement. "We are confident that together we can seamlessly provide a simple, intuitive photo sharing experience for Twitter users"

Twitter is also in discussion with cellular carriers to enable people to tweet photos using a phone's picture-messaging system, Twitter said in a statement.

The new photo feature coincides with changes to Twitter's search function. Results pages will now include popular photos and videos alongside text. The videos will be pulled from websites such as YouTube and Vimeo.

Several third-party photo services, such as Twitpic and Yfrog, have specifically targeted Twitter users. Costolo said Twitter created its own service to make the process easier for less tech-savvy people.

A survey competed this month by the Pew Research Center says 13% of U.S. adults with Web access use Twitter.

'Oprah Winfrey Show' comes to a Close after 25 Years

2011-05-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, Oprah Winfrey ended her famous talk show by telling her viewers of 25 years that they weren't saying goodbye.

"I won't say goodbye, I'll just say until we meet again," Winfrey said. She hugged and kissed her longtime partner Stedman Graham and shook hands with audience members before walking through the halls of Harpo Studios in Chicago, hugging and crying with her staff.

Winfrey shouted "We did it!" The last shot of the finale showed Winfrey walking away with her cocker spaniel, Sadie. Earlier Winfrey walked on stage to a standing ovation from her studio audience. She thanked the viewers for watching for a quarter of a century. "Twenty-five years and I'm still saying, `Thank you America,"' Winfrey said. "Thank you so much. There are no words to match this moment."
The final "The Oprah Winfrey Show," which was taped in Chicago on Tuesday, opened with a clip from her first show. Winfrey was the only person on stage with little background music and very short flashback clips.

Winfrey announced in November 2009 that she would end her popular talk show after 25 years.

Tuesday's taping came a week after Hollywood A-listers and 13,000 fans bid Winfrey farewell in a double-episode extravaganza at Chicago's United Center. The shows that aired Monday and Tuesday included Aretha Franklin, Tom Cruise, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jordan and Madonna, among other stars of television, music and movies. They were just a few of the approximately 30,000 guests who have appeared on the show over 25 years.

The bare-bones final taping nevertheless had its share of celebrities in the audience including Tyler Perry, Maria Shriver, Suze Orman and Cicely Tyson. None of them joined Winfrey on stage.

There were 404 audience members, according to Harpo Productions. The show received 1.4 million ticket requests throughout its final season, the company said.

Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton's Wedding Rings

2011-05-19T02:58:00.000-07:00

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert may have enjoyed venison harvested by the bride during their Saturday night wedding, but their wedding did have at least one glamorous element: the bling.

The lovebirds, who tied the knot at the Don Strange Ranch in Boerne, Texas, exchanged custom-made rings designed by Beverly Hills jeweler Johnathon Arndt.

According to a release, Arndt created a 5-carat white diamond "Eternity" ring for Lambert, designed to complement her stunning engagement ring. Shelton's wedding band was a bit more unique, based on one of his tattoos.

Arndt first made a sketch of the ink, and then spent 60 days hand engraving the ring, which features a black diamond mounted on the inside -- a special request from Lambert.

As for the bride's wedding day look, Arndt says that she walked down the aisle wearing a $1.2 million three-tier, 30-carat diamond necklace, plus diamond teardrop earrings to match.

For the reception, the country cutie added a $250,000 cocktail ring from Arndt's 2011 "Bombay" collection, a sparkler that boasted 60 carats of multi-colored sapphires set in 18-karat black gold.

Other Interesting Links: Italian suits, Cheap suit, Zoot suit

German wins World Best Beard Title at Norway Contest

2011-05-15T23:59:00.001-07:00

A German hairdresser has won the title of world's best beard at the World Beard and Moustache Championship in Trondheim, Norway.

Elmar Weisser, 47, beat 160 contestants to the prize with his elaborate facial hair sculpture of a moose.

It is the third time Mr Weisser has emerged as champion. In 2005 he won with with a beard styled into the shape of Berlin's Brandenberg Gate, and in 2007 with a representation of London Bridge.

He said he had begun preparing his creation for the Trondheim event at 7am, with the help of his sister.

"When my beard isn't styled, it goes down to my waist. It is sort of folded up," he told the AFP news agency.

The World Beard and Moustache Championship has been running every two years since 1995 and its organisers say it is "the premier event in the international sport of bearding".

Contestants from all over the world compete in 14 categories, including natural goatee, sideburns freestyle, Hungarian moustache and imperial partial beard.

Organisers say the field has traditionally been dominated by Europeans but that the US, which has twice hosted the event, is fast becoming "the world's new facial hair super power".

Microsoft to buy Skype for $8.5 billion

2011-05-10T21:58:00.000-07:00

Skype, the popular VoIP platform first launched in 2003, has been acquired by Microsoft for $8.5 billion. According to reps for both companies, Microsoft will get full access to Skype's range of desktop and mobile apps. Eventually, Microsoft will use Skype to help power in-house products such as the Xbox 360 and the fleet of Windows phones.

"Once the acquisition closes, Skype will become a new business division of Microsoft," Skype CEO Tony Bates wrote on the official company blog. "It is an exciting day for all of us at Skype –– we’ve taken a significant step towards realising our vision of making the world a better, more connected place." Fair enough. The Microsoft-Skype deal is certainly good for Skype. But is it really good for Microsoft?

Over at Wired, Peter Bright questions the thinking behind the buyout. "The purchase price is a phenomenal amount of money to spend on a company that has long struggled for profitability, and it’s hard to believe that it’s truly the most cost-effective way of getting access to telephony and VoIP technology," Bright writes. "Microsoft could build equivalent telephony infrastructure for much less, just as Google is doing for Google Voice."

Other analysts have posited that Microsoft purchased Skype in order to keep the service from being acquired by another tech giant. Google, for instance, had reportedly expressed interest in Skype as recently as this month; Larry Dignan of ZDNet argues that Cisco and Avaya could also have purchased the company, leaving Microsoft with one major-league headache.

China's Largest Unmanned Helicopter V750 makes 1st Flight

2011-05-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

An unmanned helicopter, the largest of its kind in China, has successfully completed its first flight, Xinhua reported.

The unmanned helicopter, with a maximum take-off weight of 757 kg, was launched from the flight-test centre of the Weifang Tianxiang Aerospace Industry Co. Ltd. in Shandong province in east China. The chopper hovered for 10 minutes, performing a few manoeuvres before finishing with a stable landing.

The helicopter has a maximum load capacity of 80 kg. It can fly 500 km nonstop for more than four hours with a maximum speed of 161 km per hour. Its maximum operating altitude is 3,000 m.

China already has small unmanned helicopters with a takeoff weight of about 100 kg. Weifang Tianxiang Aerospace reportedly bought a U.S. aircraft engine company in 2009 with a view to developing medium-sized choppers.

The aircraft can be controlled from within a distance of 150 km or it can be automatically programmed. The helicopter would be useful in surveillance, search and rescue, and scientific exploration for both military and civilian purposes, said Cheng Shenzong, chairman of the Weifang Tianxiang Aerospace Industry Co. Ltd.

Smokey wins Guinness record for Loudest Purr

2011-05-08T01:38:00.000-07:00

A British shorthair cat has set a Guinness World Records title for having the loudest purr in the world.

Smokey the cat, 12, a grey and white tabby from Northampton, has been officially recognized as the world’s loudest purring domestic cat. During the Guinness record test, Smokey’s purr peaked at a record-setting 67.7 decibels, and she has been known to purr at home as loudly as 90 decibels — that's as loud as a lawnmower. Most domestic cats purr at around 25 decibels.

A car horn reaches 110 decibels, and a rock concert 120 decibels, Guinness said. The loudest animal sounds are the low-frequency pulses made by blue whales and fin whales, which can reach 188 decibels.

"It's incredible to think that a cat's purr can be as loud as a vacuum cleaner," said Guinness World Records' editor-in-chief Craig Glenday.

Smokey’s owner, Ruth Adams, adopted the tabby from an animal rescue center three years ago. Adams said that Smokey purrs almost all the time, except for when she is sleeping. Smokey first got into competitive purring when Adams started a loudest purr competition in Northampton to promote a charity called Cats Protection. A local community college recorded the purr and submitted it to Guinness.

BlackBerry's besieged Playbook Tablet deferred again

2011-05-06T00:28:00.000-07:00

The release of BlackBerry's fledgling Playbook tablet to a major U.S. cellular network has been further delayed, AllThingsDigital reported Thursday.

The launch of the much-criticized device -- which was due out on the Sprint network this Sunday -- was indefinitely pushed back, BriefMobile first reported, citing a note from Sprint to its dealers.

While the PlayBook is still available directly from BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) and from a handful of U.S. electronics retailers, it is still not supported by any major cellular carrier -- meaning it has to be connected to a traditional Wi-Fi network to connect to the Internet. Verizon Wireless said last week that it was not yet sure if it would carry the tablet.

Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM has been under siege lately after it warned sales of its flagship BlackBerry smartphones would be weak. That followed mostly negative reviews for the Playbook tablet, which despite buzz at January's Consumer Electronics Show launched last month to a collective yawn from most critics.

Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg said it was "fine for dedicated BlackBerry owners, but it isn't so great for people with other phones."

Air France A330 Cockpit Voice Recorder Recovered

2011-05-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

The cockpit voice recorder from an Air France plane that crashed into the Atlantic two years ago has been found, French investigators have said. The discovery comes two days after the airliner's flight data recorder was also retrieved from the ocean. Both recorders are said to be in good physical condition.

The Airbus A330 was flying from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to Paris when it went down on 1 June 2009, killing all 228 people on board.

"We can now hope to find out what truly happened within the next three weeks," French Transport Minister Thierry Mariani told French radio.

France's Bureau of Investigation and Analysis (BEA) said the so-called black box would be shipped back to France, probably by the end of next week.

"The outside appears to be in relatively good shape," a spokeswoman said, adding it would be possible to see if the recorder was usable only once it was opened in France.

Last week, the French search team found the outer casing and then the memory unit of the flight data recorder. The crucial unit was located on Sunday and delivered to a search vessel. The wreckage was discovered last month after a long search of 10,000 sq km (3,860 sq miles) of sea floor.

Air France flight 447 went down after running into an intense high-altitude thunderstorm, four hours following take-off from Rio de Janeiro. Those on board came from more than 30 countries, though most were French, Brazilian or German.

Experts say the data in the two flight recorders is the only hope of finding out why the plane crashed into the sea. The cockpit voice recorder - one of the so-called "black boxes" - contains vital information about the pilots' reactions The flight data recorder collects in-flight data from the plane's instruments, such as altitude, speed and rudder position.

Osama bin Laden is dead : Sources say

2011-05-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is dead, and the U.S. has his body in its possession, U.S. officials said late Sunday. The U.S. had been waiting for the results of a DNA test to confirm his identity. A senior U.S. official said that Osama bin Laden was killed by the U.S. forces in a mansion outside the Pakistani capital of Islamabad along with other family members.

Further details around his death were not immediately available. U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to address the nation shortly.

The announcement comes nearly a decade after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks which started a tireless hunt for the terrorist mastermind and Al Qaeda leader.US armed forces have been hunting the Saudi terror kingpin for years, an effort that was redoubled following the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon which killed 3,000 people. But Bin Laden always managed to evade US armed forces and a massive manhunt, and was most often thought to be hiding out in Pakistan and Afghanistan border areas.

Royal Wedding Cake: Eight Tiers of Frosted Fruitcake

2011-04-29T23:52:00.000-07:00

PRINCE William and Kate Middleton cut the first slice of a magnificent eight-tiered wedding cake on Friday afternoon as they celebrated their marriage.

The confectionery masterpiece covered in cream and white icing and decorated with up to 900 delicate sugar-paste flowers was centre-stage at the Buckingham Palace reception.

The wedding cake, designed by Fiona Cairns, was accompanied by a chocolate biscuit cake that William had requested made from a royal family recipe. Garland on the cake matched architectural garland in the room, and each of the many varieties of flowers decorating the cake carried a specific meaning.

The wedding cake was made up of 17 individual fruitcakes, with 12 forming the base. The cake was then decorated with cream and white icing using the Joseph Lambeth technique.

The cake was served at a lavish lunchtime wedding reception at Buckingham Palace for 650 close friends and family.

Deadly Tornadoes kill more than 300 in US

2011-04-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, destructive tornadoes swept through a wide swath of the South, leaving at least 300 people dead and making this is the deadliest tornado outbreak since 1974.

The death count rose steadily throughout the day: at least 195 in Alabama, 34 in Tennessee, 32 in Mississippi, 14 in Georgia, 12 in Arkansas, five in Virginia and one in Kentucky. Authorities anticipate the death toll to rise even higher in the next few days.

The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., said it received 137 tornado reports around the regions into Wednesday night.

In Alabama, where as many as a million people were without power, Gov. Robert Bentley said 2,000 National Guard troops had been activated and were helping to search devastated areas for people still missing. He said the National Weather Service and forecasters did a good job of alerting people, but there is only so much that can be done to deal with powerful tornadoes a mile wide.

One of the hardest-hit areas was Tuscaloosa, a city of more than 83,000 and home to the University of Alabama. A massive tornado, caught on video by a news camera on a tower, barreled through late Wednesday afternoon, leveling the city.

The storm system spread destruction from Texas to New York, where dozens of roads were flooded or washed out. The governors of Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia each issued emergency declarations for parts of their states.

President Barack Obama said he had spoken with Bentley and approved his request for emergency federal assistance.

"Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected by this devastation, and we commend the heroic efforts of those who have been working tirelessly to respond to this disaster," Obama said in a statement.

The storms came on the heels of another system that killed 10 people in Arkansas and one in Mississippi earlier this week.

Sony shuts down PlayStation Network Indefinitely

2011-04-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

Gamers who use the Sony PlayStation Network were not able to connect to the service on Monday, the fifth consecutive day of interrupted service, after it was invaded by hackers last week.

On Friday, Patrick Seybold, senior director for corporate communications at Sony, wrote a short post on the company’s Web site stating that the PlayStation Network had been compromised on Wednesday by an “external intrusion.” After the attack, Mr. Seybold said, Sony had turned off the PlayStation service to investigate.

“We are doing all we can to resolve this situation quickly, and we once again thank you for your patience,” Mr. Seybold wrote. “We will continue to update you promptly as we have additional information to share.”

Sony did not respond to a request for comment about the shutdown and whether any of its customers’ personal information was also compromised.

The PlayStation Network connects gamers who use a PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Portable system. The Sony Qriocity service, which is used to stream audio and video to Sony devices, was also compromised in the attack.

On Saturday Sony said it had decided to rebuild its network with the goal of strengthening the system’s infrastructure. “Though this task is time-consuming, we decided it was worth the time necessary to provide the system with additional security,” Sony said in a statement.

Customers became frustrated over the weekend, complaining on Twitter and Sony gaming forums, as the company’s updates remained short and sporadic and there seemed to be no end in sight to the shutdown.

Mr. Seybold wrote a short follow-up post on Monday noting: “Unfortunately, I don’t have an update or timeframe to share at this point in time” regarding when the PlayStation Network would be active again.

Kate Middleton doll largest retail search on Internet

2011-04-24T23:00:00.000-07:00

While there is a great deal of commemorative merchandise for sale to memorialize Prince Charles and Kate Middleton’s wedding next Friday, April 29, at Westminster Abbey, one of the most popular items has been the “Princess Catherine Engagement Doll” by Arklu wearing the same blue dress she wore to announce their engagement.

On sale for £35 the limited edition doll by Arklu is very popular with UK online shoppers. According to the internet search monitoring company Experian for the week ending April 16, the term “Kate Middleton Doll” was one of the largest retail related search terms.

The Franklin Mint is also selling their own doll-like version of a Kate Middleton, also wearing the blue designer “Issa” dress which Middleton wore at the announcement of her engagement to Prince William in November, 2010.

It remains to be seen if any of the dolls will become collectors' items, however the dolls that have been manufactured in the past such as the late Princess Diana doll and the Prince Charles doll are now being sold for up to $1,950 - a piece.

Largest Fossil Spider Ever Found in Volcanic Ash

2011-04-20T20:46:00.000-07:00

The largest fossil spider discovered to date once ensnared prey back in the age of dinosaurs, scientists find.

The spider, named Nephila jurassica, was uncovered buried in ancient volcanic ash in Inner Mongolia, China. Tufts of hairlike fibers seen on its legs confirmed this 165-million-year-old arachnid to be the oldest known species of the largest web-weaving spiders alive today — the golden orb-weavers, or Nephila, which are big enough to catch birds and bats, and use silk that shines like gold in the sunlight.

The fossil was about as large as its modern relatives, with a body one inch (2.5 centimeters) wide and legs that reach up to 2.5 inches (6.3 cm) long. Golden orb-weavers nowadays are mainly tropical creatures, so the ancient environment of Nephila jurassica probably was similarly lush.

"It would have lived, like today's Nephila, in its orb web of golden silk in a clearing in a forest, or more likely at the edge of a forest close to the lake," researcher Paul Selden, director of the Paleontological Institute at the University of Kansas, told LiveScience. "There would have been volcanoes nearby producing the ash that forms the lake sediment it is entombed within."

"There were many large or medium-sized flying insects around at that time on which it would have fed indiscriminately," Selden said.

In modern golden orb-weaver species, females are typically much larger than males. This new fossil was a female, suggesting this trend stretches back at least as far as the Middle Jurassic, Selden said — that is, back before the first known bird, Archaeopteryx, or giant dinosaurs such as Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus.

Although this is the largest fossil spider known to date, it is not the oldest. Two species from Coseley, England, Eocteniza silvicola and Protocteniza britannica, both come from about 310 million years ago.

Selden and his colleagues are now investigating other fossil spiders from China, "as well as those from elsewhere in the world — currently Brazil, New Zealand, Australia, Italy and Korea," he said.

The scientists detail their findings online April 20 in the journal Biology Letters.

Viral Video Sensation: Dead 'Alien' found in Siberia Snow

2011-04-20T03:05:00.000-07:00

Unbelievable video recording has emerged of what a group of Russians claim is the remains of a mangled alien. The lifeless 'body" was allegedly discovered lying in snow in the Irkutsk region of southern Siberia, following reports of a UFO crash last month.

The "extra-terrestrial" appears to have suffered horrific injuries -- including the loss of one limb.

Shocked villagers had told of seeing a pink and blue glowing object hurtling towards the town before the alien was found. The weird reports were taken so seriously, they were investigated by the country's Emergencies Ministry staff.

The mystery deepened when investigators said no aircraft were reported in the area. And search and rescue teams found no evidence of an aircraft crash.

The strange clip of the discovery has now been seen by nearly 1.5 million people in the two days since it was uploaded on April 17. And cynical YouTube viewers claim it is an elaborate fake.

One blogger said: "This has got to be a hoax. Why do all aliens have to be naked?"

"FAIL. Sorry...so fake," another wrote. But the same writer was quick to qualify her comments.

"Do aliens exist? Certainly ... Ibelieve they do. But not in this video."

U.S. storms kill more than 40

2011-04-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

Powerful storms that have ripped across the Southeast killed more than 40 people over the past three days, according to the National Weather Service and reports from several states.

Among the worst-hit places was Bertie County, North Carolina, a rural area in the northeast part of the state. The weather service reported 14 deaths in the county. Zee Lamb, county manager, said there were 11 fatalities. More than 50 people were taken to hospitals in Greenville, and between 50 and 70 homes were destroyed, Lamb said.

"Reports are still incoming," Mike Sprayberry, deputy director of the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management, said Sunday morning. The death toll across six states includes another nine in other parts of North Carolina; four in Virginia; seven in Alabama, two in Oklahoma, seven in Arkansas and one in Mississippi.

For North Carolina, "When the storm count is finalized, this will likely be an historic tornado outbreak," said CNN meteorologist Jacqui Jeras. "It is quite unusual to have this many supercell tornadoes of this intensity strike the area."

North Carolina normally gets about 19 tornadoes a year, according to the National Climatic Data Center. There are 90 preliminary reports of tornadoes in the state in the latest storm system. A single tornado often gets multiple reports, so it is not immediately clear how many there were, Jeras explained. "But regardless, this is an epic event."

In South Carolina, a tornado cut through Berkeley County, destroying a church and injuring six people, the weather service said.

In Virginia, three Gloucester County residents died and 64 suffered injuries from the fast-moving storms Saturday, according to Bob Spieldenner, director of public affairs for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

A tornado also ripped the roof off a school in the county, felled trees that blocked multiple roads and severed power lines, leaving 9,300 people without electricity, according to Spieldenner. The storms were the latest in a round of severe weather that has hit parts of the Midwest and South since Thursday. They left a trail of downed trees and power lines, scattered cars and crushed homes as it moved east and then turned north.

Suicide Blast in Indonesian Mosque injures 28

2011-04-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

A suspected suicide bomber has attacked a mosque in Indonesia, killing himself and wounding 28 people. Most of the injured are police officers, as the attack happened during Friday prayers at a mosque in a police compound in Cirebon, West Java.

It is the first suspected suicide attack in the country in two years but follows a recent spate of letter bombs. A majority of Indonesians are Muslims but the state is secular. Witnesses said the man was sitting among worshippers when he set off the explosives.

"He was praying. From the third row, suddenly there was a blast. I was at the last row," one witness named Anton was quoted as saying by Detik news website. "We suspect it was a suicide bombing," Indonesian police spokesman Anton Bachrul Alam said. "The police have been the most active in fighting terrorism and that is why they are furious with us," he added.

The BBC's Alice Budisatrijo in Jakarta says several high profile militants suspected of involvement in past bombings in Indonesia have recently been arrested or killed by the police.

"It looks like there has been a shift in the extremists' target, from Western to state symbols," Noor Huda, a security analyst, told the BBC. "It's their revenge for what they see as injustice committed against them by the police and other authorities."

In December, one of Indonesia's most-wanted Islamic militant suspects, Abu Tholut, was arrested on suspicion of helping to set up a militant training camp in Aceh province, recruiting militants and raising funds for "terror activities".

The highest-profile arrest has been that of cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, seen by many as the spiritual leader of many of Indonesia's radical groups. He is currently on trial in Jakarta.

In recent years, Indonesia has introduced a combination of new laws, anti-terror training, International co-operation and reintegration measures to tackle militancy.

Dundee academics reconstruct Viking woman's face

2011-04-14T21:20:00.000-07:00

Academics at Dundee University have helped recreate the face of a Viking woman whose skeleton was unearthed in York more than 30 years ago.

The facial reconstruction was achieved by laser-scanning her skull to create a 3D digital model. Eyes were then digitally created, along with hair and a bonnet, to complete the look. The project was part of a £150,000 investment at York's Jorvik Viking Centre.

The Dundee academics were brought in by the centre's owners, the York Archaeological Trust, as part of a project to bring York's Vikings to life. The female skeleton used was one of four excavated at Coppergate in York.

The reconstruction process was carried out using specialist computer equipment which allowed the user to "feel" what they were modelling on screen. The anatomy of the face was modelled in "virtual clay" from the deep muscles to the surface. Dundee University researcher Janice Aitken took the digital reconstruction and added the finishing touches.

She explained: "I use the same sort of software as is used to create 3D animations in the film industry. I digitally created realistic eyes, hair and bonnet and added lighting to create a natural look.

"It is very satisfying knowing that the work we create at Dundee University will be seen by thousands of visitors to Jorvik and being part of a process which can so vividly help people to identify with their ancestors."

The reconstruction now features in York Archaeological Trust's new Investigate Coppergate exhibition, which examines the Vikings' diet and investigates the diseases from which the Vikings suffered.

The exhibition also looks at the final battles of the Viking age in York that heralded the end of the Viking era and the coming of the Normans. It features skeletal remains showing battle wounds and a full skeleton with evidence of severe trauma, alongside discussion about how they died.

China becomes 3rd biggest tourist destination

2011-04-13T02:08:00.000-07:00

China has overtaken Spain on the list of the world's top tourism destinations, becoming the 3rd largest attraction, a senior tourism official said at the weekend.

Man Hongwei, director of the international coordination department at the China National Tourism Administration, said at a press conference that the number of international arrivals staying at least one night reached 55.66 million last year, up 9.4% on 2009.

China's appearance in the top three was its first. It follows France, which had 78.95 million arrivals, and the United States, which had 60.88 million, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

The spending by outbound Chinese tourists ranked fourth-largest worldwide last year. The number of outbound travelers hit 57.39 million in 2010, which was up 20.4% year-on-year. The industry's total revenue maintained an annual average growth of 15% during the past five years, he said.

So now what are you waiting for tourists, visit China and other amazing tourist spots worldwide. Book worldwide vacation rentals.

Michael Shannon to play villain in Superman Movie

2011-04-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

Michael Shannon, who received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role as a mentally troubled man in "Revolutionary Road" two years ago, has been cast as the villain in the upcoming Superman film.

He will play General Zod opposite Henry Cavill's Superman in "Superman: Man of Steel." Zod, like Superman, is from Krypton, where he commanded its armed forces. The character appeared in both 1978's Superman and its 1980 sequel Superman II, where he was played by Terence Stamp.

"Zod is not only one of Superman's most formidable enemies, but one of the most significant because he has insights into Superman that others don't," said Zach Snyder, the director of the new film. "Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role."

Shannon, seen more recently as a stern federal agent in HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," joins a lineup that also includes Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as Martha and Jonathan Kent, the adoptive parents of Superman's alter ego Clark Kent.

Death toll rises to 12 in Brazil school shooting

2011-04-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, a disturbed young Brazilian man on a suicide mission shot dead 10 girls and two boys at his former elementary school in Rio de Janeiro.

Wellington Menezes de Oliveira, 24, also shot and wounded 12 others -- many in the head -- and only stopped firing when he was shot in the leg by a police officer and turned one of his revolvers on himself, officials said.

The death toll was raised late Thursday as a 13-year-old boy had succumbed to his injuries, health officials told local media.

A rambling, religiously themed suicide note was found in his clothes but it shed little light on the motivation of his macabre attack on defenseless young children, aged between 9 and 15, as they arrived for morning class.
Officials said police officers patrolling nearby had averted an even greater massacre at the school, which caters for some 400 pupils.

"If the police had not arrived so quickly the tragedy would have been much worse, because the man had a lot of ammunition and was carrying two handguns," military police spokesman Djalma Beltrame said.

"An officer who arrived at the school injured him in an exchange of gunfire, but the man killed himself with a shot to the head."

Menezes de Oliveira's parents said their adopted son had left home eight months previously. A bizarre letter found on his dead body showed the killer's clearly disturbed mindset and confirmed he had embarked on a premeditated suicide mission.

"They must know that the impure cannot touch me without gloves, only the chaste or those who lost their chastity after marriage and were not involved in adultery will be able to touch me without gloves," it said.
"Nothing that is impure can touch my blood," the letter continued, leaving instructions for his body to be undressed, cleaned and then wrapped in a white shroud he took with him to the school.

The note, which he signed, also expressed his desire to be buried next to his adopted mother and asked that "his tomb be visited by a loyal follower of God to pray before my burial asking God forgiveness for what I have done." His victims had no time to leave a note to their loved-ones.

Rio state health minister Sergio Cortes told national broadcaster Agencia Brasil those killed were nine girls and one boy.

Ozone layer faces record 40% loss over Arctic

2011-04-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

The protective ozone layer in the Arctic that keeps out the sun's most damaging rays — ultraviolet radiation — has thinned about 40 percent this winter, a record drop, the U.N. weather agency said Tuesday.

The Arctic's damaged stratospheric ozone layer isn't the best known "ozone hole" — that would be Antarctica's, which forms when sunlight returns in spring there each year. But the Arctic's situation is due to similar causes: ozone-munching compounds in air pollutants that are chemically triggered by a combination of extremely cold temperatures and sunlight.

The losses this winter in the Arctic's fragile ozone atmospheric layer strongly exceeded the previous seasonal loss of about 30 percent, the U.N.'s World Meteorological Organization in Geneva said.

It blamed the combination of very cold temperatures in the stratosphere, the second major layer of the Earth's atmosphere, just above the troposphere, and ozone-eating CFCs from aerosol sprays and refrigeration.

"This is pretty sudden and unusual," said Bryan Johnson, an atmospheric chemist who works in the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado.

Atmospheric scientists concerned about global warming focus on the Arctic because that is a region where the effects are expected to be felt first.

This year, the Arctic winter was warmer than average at ground level but colder in the stratosphere than normal. Average Arctic temperatures in January range from about -40 to 0 C (-40 to 32 F) and in July from about -10 to 10 C (14 to 50 F).

U.N. officials say the latest losses — unprecedented, but not entirely unexpected — were detected in satellite observations and weather balloons that show at what altitudes the ozone loss is occurring.

Rowling looking into Harry Potter e-books

2011-04-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

J.K. Rowling stimulated a publishing phenomenon with her Harry Potter books. Can she do it again on the e-book market?

The best-selling author is considering making the fantasy books available electronically, her London-based agent said Monday - meaning that Potter fans may soon be able to download the popular series about a boy wizard to their Kindle or iPad.

"We are currently actively looking at all the various options for Harry Potter in this space, that is e-books," Neil Blair, of the Christopher Little Literary Agency, said in an email.

Rowling has so far stayed away from the e-book market, frustrating parts of her fan-base that have converted to the new format. Around 450 million printed copies of the wizard series have been sold worldwide, but fans say those 800 pages long are too heavy. Hence, publishing them in the electronic format will solve that problem.

Rowling has been watching the developing market and waiting for the right moment to release her books in that format, Blair said.

'Hop' tops box office

2011-04-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

The Easter bunny has hopped into the top spot at the weekend box office. Russell Brand's family comedy "Hop" debuted at No. 1 with $38.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

With Brand providing the voice of the reluctant new Easter bunny, "Hop" bound well beyond the expectations of industry analysts, who had figured the movie would debut in the $25 million range. Released by Universal, "Hop" matched the year's best debut, for "Rango," which opened a month ago with $38.1 million.

Jake Gyllenhaal's action thriller "Source Code" debuted at No. 2 with $15.1 million. The haunted-house tale "Insidious" opened at No. 3 with $13.5 million.

A Summit Entertainment release, "Source Code" stars Gyllenhaal as an Army officer tracking down a terrorist bomber by entering the mind of a man aboard a train that's about to be blown up. "Insidious," released by Film District, features Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne as a couple with three young children who encounter an eerie force after moving into a new house.

The previous weekend's top movie, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules," fell to No. 4 with $10.2 million, raising its total to $38.4 million.

While "Hop" was among the year's best openings, it was unable to lift Hollywood out of a box-office slide that has persisted since late last year.

Overall revenues came in at $125 million, solid receipts for this time of year. Yet that was down 30 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Clash of the Titans" had a summer-style blockbuster opening of $61.2 million, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

Revenues so far this year are at $2.3 billion, off 20 percent from 2010, which had an unusual string of hits during a typically slow season for movie theaters.

Despite a slow market, "Hop" might be able to leg it out for a while at theaters, with Easter still three weeks away. A combination of live-action and computer animation, the movie has Brand's runaway bunny finding refuge with a grown-up slacker (James Marsden).

New Ruby-Eyed Snake Discovered

2011-03-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

Seen coiled around a branch in an undated picture, a new species of snake called the ruby-eyed green pit viper (Cryptelytrops rubeus) has been discovered in Southeast Asia, according to a recent study. The snake lives in forests near Ho Chi Minh City and across the low hills of southern Vietnam and eastern Cambodia's Langbian Plateau.

Scientists collected green pit vipers from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia between 1999 and 2003 and examined them in the lab, using physical characteristics and genetics to identify new species.

"We know this species from only a few specimens, and very few people in the world have seen this snake," said study co-author Anita Malhotra, a molecular ecologist at Bangor University in the U.K. "We know very little about what it does, to be honest."

Malhotra and colleagues also discovered a very similar species with striking yellow eyes (not pictured) dubbed the Cardamom Mountains green pit viper (Cryptelytrops cardamomensis), which inhabits southeastern Thailand and southwestern Cambodia. Both new species were described in the January 23 issue of the journal Zootaxa.

Ice-Age Mammoth Bones Found in California

2011-03-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

A worker clearing land for farming has discovered the bones of a juvenile Ice Age mammoth that archeologists are calling the first-ever find of its kind in Monterey County.

State Department of Parks archaeologist Mark Hylkema is calling for a careful excavation of the site near Castroville to search for evidence that the mammoth was brought down by Ice Age hunters.

The bones belong to a Columbian mammoth, an extinct species of elephant with enormous curled tusks that died out about 10,000 years ago.

The Monterey County Herald reports that equipment operator, Martin Jefferson was clearing land in December when his tractor blade scraped against a large tusk. Jefferson also found bones and a large tooth.

Some of the bones have been sent for testing to find out their age.

Sylvester Stallone to Launch Men's Fashion Line

2011-03-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone is to design his own men's lifestyle brand, Sly Inc., which will be launched next year.

The 64-year-old actor famed for his action roles in the 'Rocky' and 'Rambo' movies has teamed up with beauty and retail executive Michael Henry and other unidentified financial backers to create Sly Inc.

The actor told Men's Week that fashion is something that he "always wanted to experiment with".

He said: "Clothes affect one's attitude. I pay a great deal of attention to the way I dress. When men learn to put things together, they start taking care of themselves better."

Stallone added that his film characters Rocky and Rambo form the inspirations for the collection: "Rocky at the end of the day is a love story, while Rambo showcases the other side of masculinity, he's a loner.

The line, set to launch in 2012, will thus feature looks for both “the rebel and the gentleman," including jeans, shirts, and underwear; it will eventually encompass grooming products and athletic shoes, among other items.

Eiffel Tower Evacuated After Bomb Threat‎

2011-03-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

The Eiffel Tower and its nearby area were evacuated for three hours Wednesday because of a prank call about a suspicious package, according to French authorities.

Paris police evacuated the tourist site and set up a security perimeter about 4 p.m. after receiving an anonymous call regarding a package set to explode an hour later. Police found a package at the foot of the tower and determined it was harmless, according to French law enforcement officials.

Authorities said it was the fourth Eiffel Tower evacuation because of a prank call in several months.

U.S. Pokémon Dream World Launch Delayed

2011-03-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

American version of Pokémon Black & White's online functionality is deferred in an effort to "conserve energy resources" in the face of the ongoing disaster in Japan.

While insignificant compared to the suffering endured by victims of the earthquake and subsequent Tsunami in Japan, the recent disaster has had a substantial impact on the videogame industry as well. The latest victim is the American version of the Pokémon Dream World, which was scheduled to arrive at the end of March.

According to “The Pokémon Company”, the delay is part of the need to "conserve energy resources" in the wake of the disaster that hit earlier this month. The ongoing situation at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant has prompted Japanese authorities to schedule periodic blackouts.

The American version of the Dream World was scheduled to go live March 30, but has now been delayed indefinitely. It's one of the key features of Pokemon Black and White, making it possible to upload individual monsters into what amounts to a browser game. Rewards include special berries and Pokemon with unique abilities.

Mercedes-Benz reveals C63 AMG coupe

2011-03-20T21:11:00.000-07:00

Mercedes-Benz announced on Sunday that its 2012 C63 AMG coupe would arrive in dealer showrooms in September, on the same time-line as the revised C63 AMG sedan. The coupe will be shown at the New York auto show next month.

Not surprisingly, the same AMG Development Package available for the sedan appears in the coupe as well, which borrows parts from the more upmarket SLS AMG. The package increases the 6.2-liter V-8’s output from 451 to 481 horsepower and can reportedly propel the coupe to 60 m.p.h. in 4.3 seconds. Tools to manage all those ponies include an AMG sport suspension and high-performance brakes.

Also carried over from the sedan is the 7-speed AMG Speedshift automatic transmission. Its controlled-efficiency mode reportedly helps reduce fuel consumption, while a number of performance modes help with speedy shifts.

Visually, the AMG coupe distinguishes itself from the standard model with a number of dress-up items. The brand’s three-pointed star sits prominently on a single crossbar, whereas the base coupe’s insignia nests between two bars. There are 18-inch painted gray wheels, which replace the standard bright metal units, while a vestigial spoiler and black front and rear aprons subtly — very subtly — suggest the automobile’s sporting potential.

Japan tsunami: Thousands of Seabirds killed near Hawaii

2011-03-16T22:18:00.000-07:00

Thousands of albatrosses and other endangered species at a wildlife sanctuary north-west of Hawaii have been killed by the tsunami which devastated Japan, US officials say.

Thousands of petrels and fish were also killed as huge waves swept over parts of the remote, low-lying Midway atoll. The sanctuary is home to more than two million birds. One lucky survivor was Wisdom, an albatross about 60 years of age, who is the oldest-known bird in the US. The Laysan albatross came to prominence recently when she was spotted with a chick, astounding scientists that she could still raise offspring at age 60-plus.

Midway is one of the most remote coral atolls on earth, developed as a wildlife sanctuary after the US Naval Air facility on Midway Island, closed in 1993. Midway was a key military base for the US during World War II, as well as during the Korean, Cold and Vietnam wars.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service reported that 1,000 adult and adolescent Laysan albatross died when the tsunami generated by last Friday's powerful earthquake off the coast of Japan struck Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Tens of thousands of chicks were also killed.

Waves reaching 5ft (1.5m) high smashed into the atoll just before midnight local time on 10 March and continued for the next few hours. The waves washed over 60% of Eastern Island, an islet of nearly 150 hectares (370 acres) inside the refuge.

Residents at the atoll had four hours' warning and were able to take precautions. One chick in a short-tailed albatross nest was found unharmed about 35m away, after its nest was washed over. Other birds were less lucky - thousands of Bonin petrels were buried alive.

Thousands of dead fish were found in the interior of Eastern Island and the impact on Laysan ducks and monk seals is unknown, the wildlife service said. Two live green turtles were rescued.

PepsiCo reveals Eco-Friendly Bottles

2011-03-15T20:51:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, PepsiCo Inc. unveiled a bottle made entirely of plant material, which it says bests the technology of competitor Coca-Cola and lessens its potential carbon footprint.

The bottle is prepared from switch grass, pine bark, corn husks and other materials. Ultimately, Pepsi plans to also use orange peels, oat hulls, potato scraps and other leftovers from its food business. The new bottle looks, feels and protects the drink inside exactly the same as its current bottles, said Rocco Papalia, senior vice president of advanced research at PepsiCo. "It's indistinguishable."

PepsiCo says it is the world's first bottle of a common type of plastic called PET made entirely of plant-based materials. Coca-Cola Co. currently produces a bottle using 30 percent plant-based materials and recently estimated it would be several years before it has a 100 percent plant bottle that's commercially viable. "We've cracked the code," said Papalia.

The discovery potentially changes the industry standard for plastic packaging. Traditional plastic, called PET, is used in beverage bottles, food pouches, coatings and other common products.

The plastic is the go-to because it's lightweight and shatter-resistant, its safety is well-researched and it doesn't affect flavors. It is not biodegradable or compostable. But it is fully recyclable, a characteristic both companies maintain in their new creations.

Traditional PET plastic is made using fossil fuels, like petroleum, a limited resource that's rising in price. By using plant material instead, companies reduce their environmental impact. Pepsi says the new plastic will cost about the same as traditional plastic.

PepsiCo plans to test the product in 2012 in a few hundred thousand bottles. Once the company is sure it can successfully produce the bottle at that scale, it will begin converting all its products over.

Iraq soldiers killed as suicide bomber hits army base

2011-03-14T21:16:00.000-07:00

A suicide bombing at an Iraqi military base north of Baghdad killed at least 10 people and wounded 25 others Monday, police said.

Most of the dead and wounded were Iraqi soldiers, according to Baquba police, who said the truck bomber ran into a barracks. Police combed through the rubble of the building looking for victims.

The attack took place in the town of Kanan about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of Baquba in Diyala province, which is ethnically mixed.

The province used to be an al Qaeda stronghold, especially during the peak of sectarian violence in the country between 2005 and 2007.

On Monday afternoon, a string of roadside bombings targeted Baghdad communities. One civilian was killed and two others were wounded in western Baghdad's al-Amriya neighborhood after a roadside bomb blast, police said.

Eight other people were wounded earlier Monday when three roadside bombs exploded in Baghdad neighborhoods, the interior ministry said.

About 2,000 Bodies found in Japan's quake-hit Miyagi Prefecture

2011-03-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

On Monday, about 2,000 bodies were found on two shores in Japan's Miyagi Prefecture following last Friday’s destructive Magnitude 9.0 earthquake and massive tsunami, Kyodo News reported.

About 1,000 bodies were found coming ashore on hardest-hit Miyagi's Ojika Peninsula and another 1,000 have been spotted in the town of Minamisanriku where the prefectural government has been unable to contact about 10,000 people, or over half the local population, the report said.

The findings will significantly increase the death toll from the powerful quake and ensuing tsunami. Japan's police authorities have so far confirmed 1,597 deaths and 1,481 people missing across the affected areas in northeastern and eastern Japan.

The Miyagi prefectural government has decided to ask for help from other prefectures as work to cremate bodies is falling behind, according to the report.

World's Most Expensive Purse: $3.8 Million

2011-02-24T19:47:00.000-08:00

The world's most expensive purse, valued at nearly $3.8 Million and encrusted with some 4,500 diamonds, has been unveiled by jewelers in Dubai.

The purse is called the 'The Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse.' It has been certified by the Guinness World Records as the most valuable purse in the world.

The heart-shaped purse, handcrafted from 18kt gold, incorporates 4,517 diamonds (105 yellow, 56 pink and 4,356 colorless) with a total weight of 381.92 carats.

The jewelers will not disclose the buyer, they only said it is a man who bought it for his wife.

'Thunder Thighs' Dinosaur discovered in Utah

2011-02-23T21:07:00.000-08:00

A new dinosaur species, nicknamed "thunder thighs" due to the enormously powerful thigh muscles it had, has been discovered in Utah.

The discovery of fossil remains in a quarry near the Colorado River in Grand County, Utah, has been examined by scientists from the U.K. and the U.S. The scientists said Tuesday that the creature's legs were unusually large.

Researchers deem the species, Brontomerus mcintoshi, used its powerful leg muscles to kick predators or to help it travel over rough, hilly terrain. The shape of the bone signifies that the animal would likely have had the largest leg muscles of any dinosaur in the sauropod family. This is reflected in the name Brontomerus, which literally means "thunder-thighs."

"Brontomerus mcintoshi is a charismatic dinosaur and an exciting discovery for us," said Dr. Mike Taylor, a researcher from University College London.

He added: "When we recognized the weird shape of the hip, we wondered what its significance might be, but we concluded that kicking was the most likely. The kick would probably have been used when two males fought over a female, but given that the mechanics were all in place it would be bizarre if it wasn't also used in predator defense."

Guinness World Records announces top 50 game characters

2011-02-16T19:55:00.000-08:00

Guinness World Records has declared the top 50 video game characters of all time, with Nintendo's Mario was rated top. The Legend of Zelda's Link came second, while Microsoft's enigmatic space soldier Master Chief followed in third place.

Nintendo had 11 characters in the Top 50, followed by Sony and Capcom with six and five, respectively. However, there are several widely recognizable characters that were not feature in the top 50, such as Mario's brother Luigi, Mortal Kombat's Scorpion and Bioshock's Big Daddy.

Gaz Deaves, Guinness World Records gaming editor, said: "The world has seen so many pivotal characters throughout the history of gaming that asking our readers to narrow it down to just 50 was a challenge in itself."

Mr Deaves added that while some of the inclusions could be disputed by gamers, the list will prompt much debate.

Westminster Dog Show 2011: Hickory the Scottish Deerhound wins Best in Show

2011-02-15T21:29:00.000-08:00

The 135th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show crowned a Best in Show Tuesday night (Feb. 15) and it was Hickory the Scottish Deerhound.

The show kicked off with the Sporting group. The breeds singled out were the Pointer, the German Wirehaired pointer, the Curly-Coated Retriever, the Irish Setter, the Black Cocker Spaniel, the English Springer Spaniel, the Irish Water Spaniel, the Weimaraner and the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. The top four in order were: the Black Cocker Spaniel, the Irish Setter, the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon and the Irish Water Spaniel. The Boykin Spaniel was the new breed in the Sporting group, but was not brought down.

The Working group was up next. The dogs brought down were the Alaskan Malamute, the Boxer, the Doberman Pinscher, the Kuvasz, the Portuguese Water Dog, the Rottweiler and the Samoyed. The top four were the Portuguese Water Dog, the Boxer, the Kuvasz and the Samoyed.

The last group of the night is the Terrier group. The breeds singled out are the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Smooth Fox Terrier, the Irish Terrier, the Norfolk Terrier, the Norwich Terrier, the Scottish Terrier, the Seelyham Terrier, the Sky Terrier and the West Highland White Terrier. The top four finish the Smooth Fox, the Norfolk, the Sky and the Westie.

The Best in Show group included from last night the Scottish Deerhound from the Hound group, the Pekingese from the Toy group, the Shar-Pei from the Non-Sporting group and the Bearded Collie from the Herding group. From tonight, we had the Black Cocker Spaniel from the Sporting group, the Portuguese Water Dog from the Working group and the Smooth Fox from the Terrier group, who is the favorite according to odds-makers.

The Best in Show judge, whose first language is not English, said of the win, "Scottish Deerhound ... is exactly the same like I studied in the standard that was about 150 years ago. Outstanding dog! Moving and type was super. All the others were wonderful."

International bridge reopens after crash

2011-02-13T21:34:00.000-08:00

Cornwall Police reopened the Seaway International Bridge on Sunday afternoon, about three hours after it was shut down because of an accident on the Canadian side of the span. The bridge connects Cornwall Ontario to Akwesasne Mohawk Territory before connecting to a second bridge to the US.

Sgt. David Michaud of the Cornwall Police Service said a northbound tractor-trailer and a passenger vehicle in the opposite lane clipped each other. The exact cause of the 10:30 a.m. accident was under investigation.

The tanker truck, which was empty at the time, wound up partially blocking the southbound lane, prompting police to close the bridge in both directions. Both drivers were taken to hospital with minor injuries; there were no passengers in either vehicle.

During the closure police had police urged motorists to seek alternative border crossings, such as the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge or the land crossing at Dundee, Que.

Mitsubishi breaks Five Guinness World Records in 24 Hours

2011-02-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

Mitsubishi is out to reveal that the Outlander and Outlander Sport crossovers have some real SUV capabilities. Recently, the automaker took one of each Outlander’s and made five Guinness World Records within 24 hours.

Stuntman Garvin Cross -- Daniel Craig's stunt double -- was the driver of the vehicles on frozen Ghost Lake near Calgary, Alberta, Canada. With temperatures below freezing, the following records were broken. However it's unclear that how many of the Outlander all-wheel-drive competitors have tried similar feats:

Greatest distance driven by a vehicle in reverse on snow in 30 seconds;
Shortest braking distance by a vehicle on ice;
Most vehicle figure eights on ice in two minutes;
Fastest vehicle slalom relay on ice; and
Fastest driven square lap.

The resulting advertisements will air on twelve network and cable TV stations, including ESPN, Discovery Channel and FX.

Pepsi unveils "Skinny Can" at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

2011-02-09T20:06:00.000-08:00

Pepsi unveiled the slimmed-down "Diet Pepsi Skinny Can" at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to “celebrate beautiful, confident women.

The updated design for the zero sugar, zero calories and zero carb soda will be circulated at New York's Fall Mercedes Fashion Week, from February 10 to 17, and will also be featured in a collaborative art installment designed by fashion commentator Simon Doonan. The newly designed can will hit stores in March.

"Our slim, attractive new can is the perfect complement to today's most stylish looks, and we're excited to throw its coming-out party during the biggest celebration of innovative design in the world," Jill Beraud, Chief Marketing Officer at PepsiCo, said in the statement.

The premiere of the "Skinny Can" comes amidst the ongoing controversy that the fashion industry overemphasizes waif-like body types. Fashion weeks hosted in Milan and Madrid banned "size-zero" models from appearing on the runways amid fears the ultra-thin models promoted eating disorders among young girls.

Trial of Michael Jackson's doctor to be Televised

2011-02-07T20:14:00.000-08:00

Television cameras will be allowed to capture the scene of involuntary manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's doctor next month as long as they do not interfere with proceedings, a judge has ruled.

Los Angeles Superior Court judge Michael Pastor also moved forward the date of Dr Conrad Murray's trial by four days to March 24, when jury selection will begin. The trial is likely to last about six weeks, lawyers for both sides say. Murray was with Jackson at his rented LA mansion on the morning he died - June 25, 2009.

He has confessed giving the 50-year-old singer the powerful anesthetic, propofol, as a sleep aid while he was rehearsing for a series of planned comeback concerts in London. Coroners ruled Jackson's death was caused by an overdose of propofol and a cocktail of sedatives. Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and is free on bail. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

Involuntary manslaughter is defined as unintentional killing without malice and is a lesser charge than murder. Judge Pastor said he wants the "absolute least intrusive placement" of a TV camera in the courtroom and he has sought detailed proposals from local news crews. He also has blocked jury selection from being broadcasted.

Mazda MX-5 Miata Sets New Guinness World Record

2011-02-06T20:32:00.000-08:00

The Mazda MX-5, or Miata as it’s called in certain markets, has just set a new Guinness World Record for the "Best selling two-seat sports car".

Interestingly, the MX-5 initially set the record when production of the car reached 531,890 units in May 2000. Guinness updated the record when production passed 700,000 and, later, 800,000 units. Currently, Mazda is reapplying to have the record updated to 900,000 units.

The 900,000th example of the car was built earlier today in Japan and is intended for a home in Germany. This tally has been growing since the launch of the first generation of the car back in 1989. Since then, it has only undergone two complete product redesigns though a series of upgrades have kept it fresh.

Venomous New Pseudoscorpion Found in Colorado Cave

2011-02-04T21:28:00.000-08:00

Unless you've been living in a cave, you are not likely to run across this new species of poisonous, nearly blind Pseudoscorpion.

The 0.5-inch-long (1.3-centimeter-long) species, Cryptogreagris steinmanni, was discovered recently in high-altitude caverns near Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Pseudoscorpions are essentially scorpions that lack a stinging tail. However, the new species does have long, venom-tipped pincers that likely help it nab agile prey, such as springtails, in the gloom.

The new pseudoscorpion is most likely found only in Glenwood Caverns and Historic Fairy Caves, the study authors say.

"A lot of these caves are islands, almost like an isolated environment where invertebrates ... evolve into being adapted to underground life," said biospeleologist David Steinmann, a zoology department associate with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Steinmann collected the new species after it was discovered in 2000 by tour guide Micah Ball.

With its primitive eyes and pale color, the arachnid is ideally suited to its dark, chilly existence and has probably been scurrying through the passages for millions of years, Steinmann said.

Little is known about C. steinmanni, but it's thought to be rare, relatively long-lived, and able to curl up into a defensive ball when threatened. The animal went unobserved for so long because it blends in well with the rocks—and because few people have been crawling around caves looking for tiny creatures.

Steinmann, an avid caver, has discovered more than a hundred new invertebrate species so far in Colorado caves, including at least seven in Glenwood Springs alone.

'Femme Fatale': Britney Spears new Album

2011-02-03T20:21:00.000-08:00

Britney Spears' new album finally has got a name: "Femme Fatale."

The pop star publicized the title of her seventh studio set through Twitter and posted the cover art, which, similar to the artwork for her "Hold It Against Me Single," is a close-up shot of Spears against a neutral background.

The album is set for release on March 15. Its first single, "Hold It Against Me" reached No. 1 on the Billboard's Hot 100 chart last month but quickly dropped down the chart.

"I've poured my heart and soul into this album over the last 2 years," Spears tweeted of "Femme Fatale." "I've put everything I have into it. This album is for you, my fans, who have always supported me and have stuck by me every step of the way! I love you all!"

WikiLeaks nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

2011-02-02T20:02:00.000-08:00

A Norwegian lawmaker has nominated WikiLeaks for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, stating that the secret-spilling website is one of the most significant contributors to freedom of speech in the 21st century.

Lawmaker Snorre Valen said that by unveiling information about corruption, human rights abuses and war crimes, WikiLeaks is a "natural contender" for the peace prize.

WikiLeaks, founded by Australian Julian Assange, has released hundreds of thousands of classified documents leaked to the website. The documents have included thousands of classified U.S. diplomatic cables, as well as confidential material on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Members of parliament from all nations, political science and law professors, and previous winners may all submit nominations to the Nobel Peace Prize.

Assange is currently free on bail in Britain, while he fights extradition to Sweden for questioning on charges of sexual misconduct.

New Dinosaur named Titanoceratops discovered Accidently

2011-02-01T19:58:00.000-08:00

An ancestor to the horned dinosaur Triceratops wandered the earth millions of years prior to its famous descendant, making it the earliest discovered member of the family, scientists say.

The newly named species, Titanoceratops, weighed in at around 15,000 pounds and had an 8-foot-long skull. The ancient dinosaur existed during the Cretaceous period, about 74 million years ago in the American Southwest.

The finding, which will feature in the journal of Cretaceous Research, suggests the triceratopsian group of dinosaurs evolved its large size five million years earlier than previously thought, according to Nicholas Longrich, the paleontologist at Yale University who made the discovery.

Longrich made the discovery by accident and was searching through scientific papers when he happened upon the description of a partial skeleton of a dinosaur discovered in New Mexico in 1941. The skeleton went untouched until 1995, when it was finally prepared and identified incorrectly as Pentaceratops, a species common to the area.

"When I looked at the skeleton more closely, I realized it was just too different from the other known Pentaceratops to be a member of the species," Longrich said in a statement.

The newly identified Titanoceratops is alike to Triceratops, but with a thinner frill, longer nose and bigger horns. Longrich, hopes the discovery of similar skeletons will help further shed light on the origins of horned dinosaurs. "There have got to be more of them out there," Longrich said.

Fashion Designer Charles Nolan Dies at 53

2011-01-31T19:51:00.000-08:00

American fashion designer Charles Nolan has died in New York after fighting cancer. The 53-year-old Nolan was known to be a fan of classic styles, but he skewed them with a modern edge and personal touch.

Women's Wear Daily first reported his death on its website Sunday. Charles Nolan store vintage buyer Maggie Savage confirmed the report.

Nolan launched his own label in 2004. He previously was the head designer for Anne Klein and Ellen Tracy. But he was almost as well known for his political interest as his work in fashion.

He took a publicized hiatus from fashion in 2003 to work on former Democratic Vermont Gov. Howard Dean's presidential campaign. Dean tells Women's Wear Daily that Nolan was a "wonderful" person.

Train collision in Eastern Germany kills 10

2011-01-30T19:45:00.000-08:00

Ten people were killed and 43 were injured, 18 serious, when two trains collided in eastern Germany late Saturday, a Magdeburg Police spokesman said.

The crash between a regional HarzElbeExpress passenger train and a freight train happened less than two miles from the nearby town of Oschersleben shortly after 10:30 p.m. local time. Portions of the train burned in the snow for about 2 hours.

Video showed rescue workers and investigators combing the wreckage and overturned cars. Officials said many passengers were thrown from the train after the incident. The cause is unknown. Investigators and emergency crews were at the scene early Sunday.

Car Bomb at Baghdad Funeral kills 48

2011-01-27T20:18:00.000-08:00

Around 48 people died and 121 others were wounded in a car bomb blast at a funeral tent in northwestern Baghdad on Thursday, an Interior Ministry source said.

"The new toll for Shula car bombing today is 48 killed and 121 others wounded," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The attack took place in the afternoon when a booby-trapped car parked near a funeral tent in Baghdad's northwestern neighborhood of Shula was set off, the source said. Earlier, the source put the toll at 37 people killed and 78 others wounded.

As a result of deadly blast, dozens of angry residents protested against the security forces, condemning them of failure in protecting the innocent people, the source said. The Iraqi security forces opened fire into air to disperse the protestors, but some armed men responded to the fire and traded fire with the troops, the source added. It was unclear yet whether there was any casualty by the clashes, he said.

The authorities of the area imposed curfew and blocked the neighborhood's entrances, while reinforcement arrived at the area, he added. "The area is under control by the Iraqi forces," he said.

Since early in the day, Baghdad has been the scene for several bomb attacks that killed a total of six people and wounded 21 others, according to police reports.

Violence and sporadic high-profile bomb attacks continue in the Iraqi cities regardless of the dramatic decrease of violence over the last three years.

Rafael Nadal knocked out of the Australian Open by David Ferrer

2011-01-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

Top seed and world number one Rafael Nadal of Spain has been knocked out of the Australian Open by compatriot and "friend" David Ferrer.

Hampered by a thigh strain from the start of Wednesday's quarterfinal, the nine-time grand slam champion was visibly suffering as he went down 6-4 6-2 6-3 at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena to his Davis Cup teammate.

Ferrer's triumph -- his 4th over Nadal from 15 encounters -- will now see the 28-year-old play in just his second grand slam semifinal, following his appearance in the last four of the U.S. Open in 2007.

The world number seven will face Britain's Andy Murray for a place in the final of the opening grand slam of 2011, after the world number five beat unseeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov in the earlier match.

The result also means the end to 24-year-old Nadal's quest to become the first man since Australia's Rod Laver in 1969, to win four consecutive grand slam titles.

Nadal was clearly affected by a thigh problem during the match but, despite receiving off-court treatment after just the third game, refused to blame the loss on his injury.

Nadal showed flashes of his usual brilliance but any chance of a comeback in the second set was suppressed by Ferrer, who after a 10-minute break in proceedings for an Australia Day fireworks display, secured a double break of serve to lead the match by two sets to love.

Ferrer then raced to a 3-0 lead in what was to be the third and final set, before wrapping up the ultimately one-sided contest in just over two and a half hours.

Suicide terror attack shudders Russia; 35 killed

2011-01-24T19:56:00.000-08:00

A Bomb designed to cause heavy casualties was set off inside Russia's Domodedova airport on Monday. President Dmitri Medvedev says it appears to have been a terrorist attack. The lethal blast at Russia's busiest airport on Monday night left 35 dead and over 150 injured.

Speaking on Russian TV, he called for added security at all of Moscow's airports, and announced an emergency meeting of security chiefs at the Kremlin. Medvedev expressed condolences for the victims and their families. Medvedev said, "We need to make sure that all those who suffered get the required support."

Authorities are quoted as saying the explosion occurred in the crowded entrance area of the international arrivals terminal. Russian TV says the suicide bomber packed a homemade device containing metal objects to make it that much more deadly. Witnesses said the bomber shouted: "I will kill you all", before triggering the blast that sent ball bearings and shrapnel across the airport, The Independent reported on its website on Tuesday.

The Domodedova airport is closed to international arrivals, which are being diverted to Moscow's other airports, but departing flights are operating normally.

Little Big Planet 2 Sets Five World Records

2011-01-21T22:21:00.000-08:00

To rejoice the launch of Little Big Planet 2, Sony and Media Molecule organized a special three day event in New York City earlier this week and set various Guinness World Records. These accomplishments will be listed in the Guinness World Records 2011 Gamers’ Edition, which is now available in stores.

The following records were set:

Longest marathon playing Little Big Planet 2
Longest marathon playing a platform video game
Most video game genres played in one video game in 24 hours
Most user-generated video game levels played in 24 hours
Most user-generated video game levels played in a video game marathon

“We’d like to congratulate the dedicated group of gamers and the entire Little Big Planet 2 team on setting five new Guinness World Records, an impressive accomplishment in such a short period of time,” said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Product Marketing SCEA. “With Little Big Planet 2 releasing this week, it’s fantastic to see so many fans embrace this launch, which continues to illustrate the endless fun that this title provides for fans and newcomers, as well as the entire family.”

'Psychic' Octopus Paul Gets Memorial

2011-01-20T20:04:00.000-08:00

Fans of Paul the Octopus can admire a memorial to the mollusk at the aquarium where he became the World Cup prognosticator.

On Thursday, The Sea Life aquarium in Oberhausen made public the 6-foot plastic replica of Paul clutching a soccer ball in his eight arms.

Aquarium spokeswoman Tanja Munzig says Paul's cremated ashes were placed in a gold-leafed urn inside the ball. Paul died 3 months ago. Munzig says fans around the world had asked for a memorial.

Paul accurately tipped the outcome of all seven of Germany's games at last year's World Cup, plus the Spain-Netherlands final. He made his predictions by opening the lid of one of two boxes, each containing a mussel and bearing a team flag.

Google announces the 4th Annual Doodle 4 Google Contest

2011-01-19T22:09:00.000-08:00

Mountain View, California-based Google Inc. has declared on The Official Google Blog about the launch of the fourth annual Doodle 4 Google contest, which allows K-12 students to submit a Google Doodle. The winning doodle will be featured on the Google homepage in the future. In addition, the winner gets a scholarship of $15,000 and a $25,000 grant for his or her school.

The topic for this year is “What I’d like to do someday…” — which is open to many interpretations, thereby allowing participants to exploit their imagination to the maximum. Registration is open until 2nd March. The artworks must be submitted by March 16 of 2011. The winning doodle will be featured on the Google homepage for everyone to see on March 20th.

According to Google, only one doodle per child is allowed. Parents and school are free to register their kids and submit their doodles.

The doodles will be judged by Google employees and guest judges such as actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg, gold medal ice skater Evan Lysacek, and “Garfield” creator Jim Davis.

To know more about the Doodle 4 Google contest, visit http://www.google.com/doodle4google/.

10-year-old wins Toho Cinderella Audition Contest

2011-01-19T21:58:00.000-08:00

A 10-year-old primary school girl has won a major beauty contest whose past winners include Yasuko Sawaguchi, Masami Nagasawa and Maki Mizuno, all of whom later became well-known actresses.

Moka Kamishiraishi from Kagoshima City was awarded the grand prix at this year's Toho Cinderella Audition. She was one among 44,120 entrants, organizer Toho Entertainment Co. said as it revealed the winner in Tokyo on Sunday.

"It is so like a dream that I cannot believe it," a tearful Moka said.

The 10-year-old is the youngest-ever winner of the award, the talent agency said. Judges also gave four special prizes this year, including one to Kamishiraishi’s elder sister Mone, 12.

Johnny Depp talks about 'Lone Ranger' reboot

2011-01-19T01:46:00.000-08:00

Johnny Depp is still planning to star in Disney’s planned big screen version of The Lone Ranger, he tells EW exclusively. “I think it’s going to be good, when we have a chance to put it up on its feet,” says Depp of the project, The actor will play the role of Tonto in the project, which is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer with original Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski attached to helm. “What we’ve got so far screenplay-wise is really great, really funny.”

Depp, who is part Cherokee, feels a special connection to the role of Tonto. “I always felt Native Americans were badly portrayed in Hollywood films over the decades,” he says. “It’s a real opportunity for me to give a salute to them. Tonto was a sidekick in all the Lone Ranger series. [This film] is a very different approach to that partnership. And a funny one I think.” See full article at EW.com.

Scientists plan to re-create Woolly Mammoth

2011-01-17T19:43:00.000-08:00

A group of scientists from Russia, Japan, and the United States anticipates cloning a mammoth, a symbol of Earth’s ice age that ended 12,000 years ago, according to a report in Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun. The researchers say they hope to produce a baby mammoth within six years.

The scientists say they will extract DNA from a mammoth carcass that has been preserved in a Russian laboratory and introduce it into the egg cells of an African elephant in hopes of producing a mammoth embryo.

The team is being led by Akira Iritani, a professor emeritus at Kyoto University in Japan. He has built upon research from Teruhiko Wakayama of Kobe's Riken Center for Developmental Biology, who effectively cloned a mouse from cells that had been frozen for 16 years, to formulate a technique to extract egg nuclei without damaging them, according to the Yomiuri report.

Professor Iritani said he estimates that another two years will be needed before the elephant can be impregnated, followed by the approximately 600-day gestation period.

The U.S. researchers are in vitro fertilization experts. They, along with Kinki University professor Minoru Miyashita, will be in charge for implanting the mammoth embryo into an African elephant, the report said.

"If a cloned embryo can be created, we need to discuss, before transplanting it into the womb, how to breed [the mammoth] and whether to display it to the public," Iritani told Yomiuri. "After the mammoth is born, we'll examine its ecology and genes to study why the species became extinct and other factors."

Miss Nebraska wins 2011 Miss America pageant

2011-01-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

Teresa Scanlan of Nebraska has been crowned as Miss America after besting 52 other pageant hopefuls at Saturday's event in Las Vegas.

The 17-year-old Gering resident and Scottsbluff High School student played the piano during the competition. Her platform issue was tackling eating disorders. She wishes to attend law school, become a judge and eventually a politician, according to the Miss America website.

Scanlan succeeds last year's honoree, Caressa Cameron from Virginia. The 22-year-old Virginia Commonwealth University student is the National Goodwill Ambassador for the Children's Miracle Network.

The other four finalists were Emoly West of Oklahoma, Jacquie Brown of Washington, Jalee Fuselier of Hawaii and Alyse Eady of Arkansas.

Scanlan is the youngest winner since the pageant introduced age requirements -- between 18 and 28 starting in 1938. The age limit was altered again in 1993 to 17 to 24. In 1933, for instance, when there was no upper or lower age limit, 15-year-old Marian Bergeron of Connecticut captured the title.

Judges rate contestants on talent, appearance and demeanor based on performances, interviews and evening wear and swimsuit competitions. This year's contest was the 90th anniversary of the Miss America pageant.

Military unveils name of Marine killed in training exercise

2011-01-16T19:35:00.000-08:00

Military officials have unveiled the name of a Marine who died during a training exercise at California's Camp Pendleton.

On Friday, Sgt. Wesley J. Rice, a 27-year-old from San Antonio, Texas, died when the amphibious assault vehicle he was riding in capsized and sank - the Camp Pendleton public affairs office said.

Rice was an instructor in the training exercise, Camp Pendleton spokesman Lt. Justin Smith said. Three students and two other instructors escaped from the vessel, he said.

Rice served two tours of duty in Iraq and was awarded a Combat Action Ribbon "for having received hostile fire," among other honors, Smith said.

Investigators were still working to determine a cause of death and what caused Friday's accident, Smith said.

Camp Pendleton is along the Pacific Coast between Los Angeles and San Diego.

Pet-Size Dinosaur discovered in Argentina

2011-01-13T19:45:00.000-08:00

Researchers have identified a small but vicious dinosaur that lived 230 million years ago, just as dinosaurs were beginning to emerge. This creature named Eodromaeus, was about 4 feet long and weighed 10 to 14 pounds, according to a study published in the journal Science.

“It was very cute; you’d want it as a pet,” said Paul Sereno, a paleontologist at the University of Chicago and one of the study’s authors. “But it might be best as a guard dinosaur, to keep the dogs away.” That’s because the little dinosaur was also a fleet-footed meat eater, with an agile body and long canines that were ideal for digging into prey.

Based on its structure, it is believed that it was an early ancestor of other theropod dinosaurs, a group that includes Tyrannosaurus rex. Eodromaeus also resembles a dinosaur called Eoraptor in size and structure, but Eoraptor was most likely an early ancestor of sauropods, which included primarily long-necked herbivores.

But both species were small, ran on two legs and lived around the same time, leading the researchers to deem that the common ancestor of all dinosaurs was also just about four feet in length.

“This gives us the earliest snapshot of dinosaurs,” Dr. Sereno said. “They were just a couple million years away from the ultimate ancestor.”

Eodromaeus and Eoraptor were both discovered in the Ischigualasto Formation of northeastern Argentina, where Dr. Sereno has been involved in fossil excavations for 30 years and where some of the oldest known dinosaur remains have been found.

Wikipedia is turning 10 this Week

2011-01-12T19:47:00.000-08:00

Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, is about to turn 10 this week. The website was founded by Jimmy Wales on Jan. 15, 2001, after he became unsuccessful at launching a traditional online encyclopedia called "Newpedia".

"Wikipedia turned out to be more successful than anybody ever imagined or ever even aspired for it to be," Wikipedia's chief executive Sue Gardner told the AFP“. It took on a life of its own and became this hugely popular thing.

Ten years later, the site states it has 440 million unique visitors each month. The popular reference site is available in more than 250 languages and features around 26 million entries. On top of that, it's edited by roughly 100,000 individuals from around the globe.

Now that Wikipedia is a household name in the world, Wales is aiming to find a foothold for Wikipedia in developing countries. Specifically, he's opening an office in India, which will be the site's first branch outside of the U.S.

"Our goal is to reach people all around the world with Wikipedia and to make it possible for them to access the encyclopedia," Gardner said. "We all know that people are coming online in massive numbers, particularly through movie phones, and so we have a new strategic effort to focus our energies on these developing countries so, as those people come online, Wikipedia is there for them to use."

In what you might call a testament to the non-profit's popularity, Wikipedia recently raised $16 million in its shortest fundraiser ever. More than 500,000 donations came in from 140 different countries, with an average donation of $22. That's more than double the 230,000 donations made in 2009. Wikipedia will use the money to fund various infrastructure costs, staffing, program support, grants, and other costs.

Gaelic football star's wife killed on Honeymoon

2011-01-11T19:51:00.000-08:00

Police on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius said Tuesday they were dealing with the death of a Gaelic football star's wife during their honeymoon as murder.

Michaela Harte, a 27-year-old teacher, was found dead in her luxury hotel room on Monday by her husband, John McAreavey. A post-mortem revealed the former beauty queen had been strangled.

Mauritius Police Force Superintendent Yoosoof Soopun said Tuesday that officers had identified six potential suspects. He said police believe robbery might have been a motive and were questioning hotel staff.

Soopun said McAreavey was in the restaurant of the hotel when his wife was killed and is not a suspect.

"She had gone back to the room to get some biscuits to put in her tea, and when she failed to return, her husband went to look for her," Soopun said."When he found her in the room, she had been killed. He tried to help her, but she was already dead." He said the killer used an electronic key card to enter the room.

"This is being viewed with much concern by the police and the government of Mauritius," Soopun said. "We are doing everything we can to find whoever was responsible. The inquiry is progressing, and we are confident it will reach a successful conclusion."

Harte was the daughter of one of the best-known figures in Irish sports, Tyrone Gaelic football manager Mickey Harte. Michaela Harte taught Irish at St Patrick's Girls Academy in Dungannon, County Tyrone, in Northern Ireland. She won the Ulster Rose of Tralee contest and was a former Rose of Tralee contestant.

Messi wins FIFA world player award

2011-01-10T20:08:00.000-08:00

LIONEL Messi's mesmerizing performances for Barcelona overshadowed a disappointing World Cup, guaranteeing the Argentina forward was named the world's best player of 2010.

Messi won the Fifa award for a second straight year, finishing ahead of Barcelona teammates Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez. 'It's a very special day for me,' Messi said through a translator on receiving the award at a gala ceremony in Fifa's home city.

The 23-year-old Messi scored 58 goals last year for an exciting Barcelona team which retained the Spanish league title and leads the standings this season. However, he failed to score in South Africa as Argentina exited in the quarterfinals. Iniesta and Xavi, by comparison, starred for eventual winner Spain.

'I didn't expect to win it today,' Messi said. 'Already it's a source of happiness to be here with my friends and even more to win it.'

Messi obtained 22.65% of the votes cast by coaches and captains of national teams plus invited journalists. The original shortlist featured 23 players. Andres Iniesta finished second with 17.36% and Xavi received 16.48% to finish third for the second straight year.

All three candidates honed their craft at Barcelona's celebrated La Masia youth academy. Barcelona has now provided eight winners in the 20-year history of the Fifa honor. Messi follows former Brazil internationals Romario (1994), Ronaldo (1996 and '97), Rivaldo (1999) and Ronaldinho (2004 and '05).

Pandas come to Britain for first time in 17 years

2011-01-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

On Monday, an historic agreement was signed by Britain with China to bring two giant pandas to Edinburgh Zoo.

Tian Tian and Yangguang, a breeding pair born in 2003, will be the first to live in the UK for 17 years.

"This ... represents the beginning of a program of research, education and partnership and the project has huge benefit for the UK and Scotland, both in supporting giant panda conservation and in enhancing our programs in education, science and conservation," said David Windmill, chief executive officer of the zoo based in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital.

The agreement was witnessed by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and China's Vice-Premier, Li Keqiang, who is in the UK on a four-day visit.

The rest of Li's trip is not likely to be so cuddly -- as the thorny issue of China's human rights record is expected to come up.

Victoria and David Beckham Expecting Baby No. 4

2011-01-09T20:01:00.000-08:00

David Beckham and wife Victoria are expecting their fourth child later this year, the former England captain posted Sunday on his Facebook account.

"I've got some great news to tell you all," Beckham wrote. "Victoria and I are expecting our fourth child this summer. The boys are very excited about the arrival of a new brother or sister."

The couple got married in 1999 and has three sons together: Brooklyn, 11, Romeo, 8 and Cruz, 5.

Fifteen headless bodies found in Acapulco

2011-01-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

The headless bodies of 15 people were found discarded near a shopping center in the tourist city of Acapulco, Mexico, the Guerrero State Public Security office said in a statement Saturday.

The victims are all men between the ages of 25 and 30 years old. The security office said, Police were led to the bodies by a couple of burning vehicles.

A 16th body was found in a nearby car. The victim was a 30-year-old man who was shot to death, the office said.

The bodies were not found in an area frequented by tourists, said a spokeswoman for the security office.

"It's a shopping center where locals go regularly, but it's not that far away from the tourist areas," she said. "They were found on a popular highway used to get to the tourist area." The killings are alleged to be drug related, she said.

According to authorities, more than 28,000 people have died in Mexico in drug-related violence since 2006. Police and military forces have stepped up operations in the region in light of the grisly discoveries.

Aussie car broke World Speed Record

2011-01-07T20:43:00.000-08:00

An Australian car is officially the world's fastest solar-powered vehicle, breaking the previous record of 79km/h.

The solar racer Sunswift IVy (known as Ivy) was designed and built at the University of NSW.

"We've beaten the record by 10kms (per hour) - it reached a speed of 88kms - and we think we can get it over 90kms," a UNSW spokesman told AAP on Friday.

Power-driven by silicon solar cells trapping energy from the sun, the IVy broke the official Guinness World Record in a time trial on Friday. In a race in 2009 from Darwin to Adelaide, IVy hit a top speed of 103km/h and on Friday morning it unofficially broke the record several times in trial runs.

The official speed trial took place at the HMAS Albatross naval base at Nowra on the NSW south coast, with professional drivers Barton Mawer and Craig Davis at IVy's controls.

Vehicles challenging to break the speed record in the category are needed to be powered only by solar cells. IVy normally uses its cells to charge a 25kg battery, but this was detached for the record attempt. At speed, the car produces about 1,200 watts, roughly the same power as a household toaster.

Australia floods cause probably years of damage

2011-01-06T20:00:00.000-08:00

Australia's flood-stricken coal industry may encounter months of disruptions as reports emerge of key rail and road links being washed away, while some infrastructure may take years to repair, authorities said on Friday.

About 200,000 people have been affected by the flooding and three people killed. Damage from the floods, the worst in the state in 50 years, has been anticipated at $5 billion.

Floodwaters were receding on Friday in some areas but fresh flooding was forecast downstream as a result of more monsoon rains. The muddy inland sea has stranded some of Australia's best beef cattle on tiny islands, destroyed wheat and sugar crops, and swept deadly snakes into homes.

Australia's $50 billion coal export industry has been brought to a virtual standstill.

The floods have swamped mines in Queensland State, affecting operations that produce 35% of Australia's estimated 259 million tons of exportable coal. Australia contributes two-thirds of global coking-coal exports, needed to make steel.

One obstacle facing flooded mines from resuming operations is they are only permitted to pump some water out of pits and into the still flooded rivers.

Robert Pattinson to star in "Cosmopolis"

2011-01-05T20:47:00.000-08:00

Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson has signed to star in "Cosmopolis", David Cronenberg's adaptation of the Don DeLillo novel.

The actor will be stepping into shoes that were to be worn by Colin Farrell.

Paul Giamatti and Marion Cotillard are already on board the film, which is eying a mid-May start in Toronto.

The project centres on a 28-year-old financial wizard and billionaire, to be played by Pattinson, as he traverses Manhattan in his stretch limo.

His goal is to get a haircut at Anthony's, his father's barber, but on this day his driver has to navigate a presidential visit, an attack by anarchists and a rapper's funeral. Stuck in traffic, he anxiously monitors the value of the yen on the limo's computer, his fortune in the balance.

Farrell was attached to play the lead but segued to a remake of Total Recall, which also shoots in the spring. - Reuters

Saudi Arabia detains 'Israeli spy' vulture

2011-01-05T20:34:00.000-08:00

A vulture tagged by Israeli scientists was "detained" on suspicion of being a Mossad spy after the bird strayed into Saudi Arabian territory, a media report said Wednesday.

The bird was found in a rural area wearing a transmitter and a leg bracelet bearing the words 'Tel Aviv University', the Daily Mail reported citing Israeli and Saudi media reports.

Although these tags indicate that the bird was part of a long-term research project into migration patterns, residents and local reporters told Saudi Arabia's Al-Weeam newspaper that the matter seemed to be a "Zionist plot".

The accusations went viral, with hundreds of posts on Arabic-language websites and forums claiming that the "Zionists" had skilled these birds for espionage.

The Sinai regional governor last month suggested that a shark that killed and maimed tourists on its Red Sea port may have been released by Israeli agents to disrupt Egypt's tourist industry.

Kyrgyzstan to name mountain after Vladimir Putin

2011-01-04T19:51:00.000-08:00

The new government of the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan has planned to name a mountain after Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The peak, which is 4,446m (14,586ft) tall, is in Chuy region in the north.

The move must be approved by parliament. But Mr Putin would not be the first Russian leader to have his own Kyrgyz Mountain.

Late President Boris Yeltsin had a 3,500m peak near Lake Issyk-kul named after him in 2002. The founder of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin, has the tallest one - a 7,134m-high peak on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border. Kyrgyzstan has also named a mountain after Santa Claus, in a bid to boost tourism.

According to Kyrgyz media reports, Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev signed the draft law to name Vladimir Putin Peak late last year. Parliament is expected to pass it in the near future.

Lindsay Lohan discharged from Rehab

2011-01-03T20:12:00.000-08:00

Lindsay Lohan has made out of rehab once more, and has yet another chance at turning her life around.

On Monday, the actress was discharged from the Betty Ford Center, a source confirms. It's been more than 3 months since Lohan was ordered back to treatment by a judge after failing a drug test.

The troubled star, 24, Tweeted on Saturday that she's going to take things "one step at a time," and quoted Gandhi as a source of inspiration.

Lohan's life after rehab may not be entirely drama-free, however: Moving trucks at her West Hollywood apartment were seen unloading boxes at a new 4-bedroom house in Venice, Calif., directly across the street from where her ex Samantha Ronson's lives.

For now, Lohan will be subject to random drug and alcohol testing and sessions with her psychiatrist until a Feb. 24 court hearing.

"Angry Birds" landing into PlayStation 3 and PSP

2011-01-03T19:50:00.000-08:00

On Monday, Sony unveiled that mobile phone game sensation 'Angry Birds' is heading for the Japanese entertainment giant's PlayStation 3 consoles and PSP handheld videogame devices.

The addictive puzzle game in which players catapult birds to break through structures, protecting egg-stealing green pigs has rocketed to fame since being released by Finland-based Rovio Mobile in late 2009.

"Angry Birds" will include 63 levels, Sony said in a PlayStation blog message listing games set for release in the coming week.

Sony did not mention the price it would charge for "Angry Birds". Angry Birds is available for $0.99 on the iPhone, $4.99 for an HD iPad version, and free on the Android platform.

Discovery Channel Postpones Michael Jackson Autopsy Re-Enactment

2011-01-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

The Discovery Channel has second thoughts regarding some of their programming.

The handlers of the late pop star's estate complained that the show, to be entitled as "Jackson's Autopsy: What Really Killed Michael Jackson", would be offensive and requested for it to be cancelled.

A letter was sent to the program's executives by John Branca and John McClain stating that the program's concept was in "shockingly bad taste." They also accused the network of trying to exploit the singer's death.

On January 1, the Discovery Channel decided to "indefinitely postpone" the January 13-scheduled show that was to be aired in Europe and in the UK.

Discovery Networks International cited the letter and complaints from Jackson's estate in its decision to pull the plug on its TV show. Branca and McClain have said that they are extremely pleased with the network's decision.

Michael Jackson passed away on June 25, 2009 of an overdose. His doctor, who prescribed the medications that led to the 50-year-old singer's death, is currently under investigation despite pleading not guilty.

Conrad Murray, Jackson's doctor, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on January 4 in Los Angeles in order to decide whether or not there is enough evidence to proceed to trial.

Norway bans Fur from Oslo Fashion Week

2010-12-30T20:21:00.000-08:00

Oslo Fashion Week has barred all fur from the runway, Ecouterre reports, becoming the 1st fashion week that we know of to take such action.

The move was spearheaded by Mote Mot Pels (Fashion Against Fur), "an anti-fur initiative that has received the support of more than 220 Norwegian fashion industry insiders who refuse to work with fur, including designers Leila Hafzi, Thomas Ryen of Undorn, and John Erling Vinnem of JohnnyLove, as well as Norwegian Elle, Norwegian Cosmopolitan, KK, and Det Nye," Ecouterre writes. Care2.com also mentioned the involvement of Norwegian animal rights group NOAH and designer Fam Irvoll.

General Manager of Oslo Fashion Week Paul Vasbotten said, "It has been a very natural choice for us because we do not want [Oslo Fashion Week] to appear as an arena in which to promote products based on the treatment of animals [as] prohibited by animal welfare concerns in several countries."

By contrast, Norway's neighbor Denmark has no plans to keep fur off the catwalk. Eva Kruse, the CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week, remarked, "We believe that fur is a central part of fashion and we have no plans to ban fur from Copenhagen Fashion Week, adding, "Fur farms are shut down in Norway, the production would just move to other countries like China. Then we will lose all control of how animals are treated."

Olympic champ Wanjiru on Death threat charges

2010-12-30T20:01:00.000-08:00

Olympic marathon champ Sammy Wanjiru has been charged with death threats to his wife and the illegal possession of an AK47 rifle in his native Kenya.

Wanjiru denied the accusations when he appeared before a court in his home town of Nyahururu, Kenyan television reported Thursday. The court was told that the 24-year-old athlete made the threats after an argument with his wife, Tereza Njeri, the previous night.

He was also charged with threatening to kill a domestic helper, and wounding a security guard. Prosecutors alleged that Wanjiru was drunk when he returned home before making the threats.

Wanjiru was held overnight in a police cell and released on bail, with the case set to be heard in full in February.

Wanjiru accomplished worldwide fame when he became Kenya's first Olympic marathon champion at the Beijing Games in 2008. At 21, he was the youngest gold medal winner at an Olympics since 1932.

After his Beijing triumph, Wanjiru has set about dominating the marathon distance, claiming 2 wins in Chicago and also winning the London marathon last year. It helped him to be crowned as the men's champion in the 2009 and 2010 world marathon majors’ series.

Wanjiru is also a twice world half marathon record holder and would be a favorite to defend his Olympic title in London in 2012.

The New Mercedes-Benz C-Class

2010-12-29T20:13:00.000-08:00

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the first official pictures of the next generation C-Class compact executive car.

The new C-Class has a more striking, dynamic design than its predecessor (a model that has sold over 1 million units since 2007), which is evident from a bolder front bumper, a more prominent grille, and pronounced side sections that extend from the sporty V-shape at the centre of the bumper.

Along with its more dynamic appearance, it has a high-resolution color display screen in the instrument cluster, an elegant new dashboard with grained surface and prominent decorative trim emphasizing the premium character of the interior.

Fuel consumption has been improved by up to 31%. Efficiency-enhancing measures including new engines, the improved 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission and the ECO start/stop function is also featured.

Ten new driving assistance systems ranging from the standard ATTENTION ASSIST drowsiness detection system to the optional DISTRONIC PLUS proximity control system are also now available for this model series for the first time. The new C-Class will be launched in spring 2011.

Lindsay Lohan to Expand Fashion Line

2010-12-29T19:41:00.000-08:00

It seems that Lindsay Lohan has a bit of a career plan after she is released from rehab and it will involve trying to take over the world of fashion.

According to E! News, upon her release from rehab next week, Lindsay is going expand her 6126 fashion brand into footwear.

"She'll finalize everything when she's out," says a rep for 6126, who describes the shoes Lindsay has in mind as "classic, glamorous, and timeless with a sexy flair."

An official announcement is expected early next year and, if all goes according to plan, the line will debut next fall.

Lohan is due to leave a clinic in California next week after serving three months of court-ordered treatment for breaching her probation relating to a 2007 DUI arrest.

Elephant beauty pageant held in Nepal

2010-12-28T20:11:00.000-08:00

The 7th International Elephant Race festival came to an end in Nepal yesterday with the pachyderms winning an array of titles.

In the competition, the first such in the nation, a svelte 28-year-old walked away with the prize after defeating two other finalists.

The mahouts -- the elephants' keepers -- worked hard on their charges' looks. The pachyderms were bathed, their hard skins scrubbed and their foreheads oiled. The mahouts also drew patterns on the elephants' faces and ears.

Of the three finalists, the youngest won. Chanchalkali, 28, which translates as "playful beautiful," looked resplendent in a light red gown that covered her hulk of a body. Her nails were painted different colors and her forehead was covered with red cloth. She was declared the most beautiful elephant by the judges on the basis of hygiene, good health, energy and looks. Dhirendrakali, 35, was named the runner-up.

The event was held in Chitwan district, 175km south of Kathmandu. Some 35 elephants participated in the festival, organized by the government to promote tourism. There are about 95 domesticated elephants in Nepal out of a total population of 200.