Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri holds his weeping son's hand as he returns to Tehran. Source: AFP
Jul 15, 2010
New stars and welcome returns for London Fashion Week - Telegraph
By Hilary Alexander, Fashion Director
Looks from Burberry and Acne AW10 collections (left and right); British designer Giles Deacon, who will be returning to London Fashion Week; and designer Hussein Chalayan
The Swedish design powerhouse, Acne, and the NewGen hot talents, Holly Fulton, David Koma and Michael Van Der Ham, will all make their catwalk debuts at London Fashion Week in September.
The Swedish design powerhouse, Acne, and the NewGen hot talents, Holly Fulton, David Koma and Michael Van Der Ham, will all make their catwalk debuts at London Fashion Week in September.
Iranian scientist was 'paid $5 million by CIA' for nuclear secrets - Telegraph
Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent
Shahram Amiri arrives at Imam Khomini Airport with his wife and son Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Shahram Amiri, who arrived home in Iran today, gave unspecified intelligence in return for the money, the officials claimed.
Shahram Amiri, who arrived home in Iran today, gave unspecified intelligence in return for the money, the officials claimed.
Mr Amiri, who was greeted by his wife, seven-year-old son and government ministers on his return to Tehran airport, denied he knew any secrets or even that he was a nuclear scientist at all.
New Zealand woman sounds Welsh after suffering 'foreign accent syndrome' - Telegraph
Bronwyn Fox, 59, of Invercargill, in the southernmost region of the South Island, told the Telegraph on Tuesday that she has never been to Britain and does not have any British-born relatives.
Japan: 900 Second World War bombs found under restaurant - Telegraph
Construction workers on a road expansion project discovered the explosives with a metal detector and notified police, Kiyotaka Maedomari, a senior police official in Itoman city, said.
Indian rupee gets own currency symbol - Telegraph
Dean Nelson, in New Delhi
Gurpreet Singh shows his artwork depicting the new graphic symbol of Indian Rupee
Until now the rupee has been denoted by the abbreviation 'Rs' or INRs to distinguish it from neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Sri Lanka which also have rupees.
Until now the rupee has been denoted by the abbreviation 'Rs' or INRs to distinguish it from neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Sri Lanka which also have rupees.
Ground Zero excavators find 18th century ship's hull - Telegraph
The vessel probably was used along with other debris to fill in land to extend lower Manhattan into the Hudson River, archeologists said.
Molly McDonald and A. Michael Pappalardo, archeologists, were at the site of the 9/11 terror attacks when workers uncovered the artifacts.
Palin Calls For New 'Revolution' At Tea Party
Mrs Palin has recently released a memoir Going Rogue: An American Life
Speaking to a crowd of 1,100 in Nashville, the former Republican vice-presidential candidate, said: "America is ready for another revolution.""
US Tea Party Link Obama To Hitler In Poster
Locals were outraged by the poster which went up last week in Mason, North Iowa
The sign was put up last week in the town of Mason, Iowa, by a local group of the right-wing Tea Party movement.
The sign was put up last week in the town of Mason, Iowa, by a local group of the right-wing Tea Party movement.
Gorillas 'Cheat' Like Children When Playing Tag, Portsmouth Uni Researchers Discover | Strange News | Sky News
Gorillas apparently playing tag in a German zoo (Pic: Portsmouth Uni)
When playing a game of tag, the apes would hit their playmates and then rush away in order to gain the advantage, researchers at the University of Portsmouth found.
Pakistan skittle Aussies Cricket - The Mercury - The Voice of Tasmania
Tasmanian Tim Paine trudges off Lords after making 7 runs in his Test debut against Pakistan. He batted for 52 minutes. Picture: AFP
BEN DORRIES | July 14, 2010 09.42am
PACEMAN Mohammad Asif rocked Australia as Pakistan took the honours on the first day of the first Test at Lord's today.
And Pakistan's other young quick, teenager Mohammad Aamer, was involved in a physical clash with Australian captain Ricky Ponting after dismissing him.
Australia struggled to 9-229 on a tense first day, with Mike Hussey unbeaten on 39 when bad light stopped play early.
Asif took 3-0 in seven balls with a triple strike that removed Simon Katich (80), Michael Clarke (47) and Marcus North (0).
Danish Kaneria (2-48) knocked over the lower-order, including bowling Mitchell Johnson with a big-turning legbreak that Shane Warne would have been proud of.
North's third-ball duck, bowled through a gaping hole between bat and pad, continued the pressure on the left-hander in the lead-up to next summer's Ashes series
BEN DORRIES | July 14, 2010 09.42am
PACEMAN Mohammad Asif rocked Australia as Pakistan took the honours on the first day of the first Test at Lord's today.
And Pakistan's other young quick, teenager Mohammad Aamer, was involved in a physical clash with Australian captain Ricky Ponting after dismissing him.
Australia struggled to 9-229 on a tense first day, with Mike Hussey unbeaten on 39 when bad light stopped play early.
Asif took 3-0 in seven balls with a triple strike that removed Simon Katich (80), Michael Clarke (47) and Marcus North (0).
Danish Kaneria (2-48) knocked over the lower-order, including bowling Mitchell Johnson with a big-turning legbreak that Shane Warne would have been proud of.
North's third-ball duck, bowled through a gaping hole between bat and pad, continued the pressure on the left-hander in the lead-up to next summer's Ashes series
Death toll from south China floods rises to 135
Heavy rainfall block the traffic in Jingdezhen, east China's Jiangxi Province, July 15, 2010. Jingdezhen receives an average rainfall of 120 millimeters on Thursday. (Xinhua/Zhang Wu)
BEIJING, July 15 (Xinhua) -- At least 135 people had been confirmed dead and 41 are missing, as some of the worst flooding in years continues in south China.
By 4 p.m. Thursday, close to 35.5 million people in 10 southern provinces and Chongqing Municipality had been affected by continuous rainstorms and floods since July 1, the Civil Affairs Ministry said in a notice on its website.
Russia, Germany hail outcome of summit
MOSCOW, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Germany concluded their 12th interstate consultations Thursday at the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, hailing closer ties and business-to-business cooperation.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed a broad range of issues during the consultations, including foreign policy, economy, culture, technology and innovation.
Both sides vowed to practically advance bilateral cooperation in all sectors, with governments, banks and high-tech enterprises from both countries inking cooperative agreements and memoranda of understanding.
At the joint press conference, both Medvedev and Merkel stressed the importance for the two countries of developing their strategic partnership.
Medvedev was positive about the meeting, saying cooperation would "develop in all directions."
He also welcomed German enterprises' participation in the hi-tech hub Skolkovo outside Moscow.
"We hope German businesses' role will be quite active in the large projects to be implemented in Skolkovo," said Medvedev, adding that Moscow had reached an agreement with Brussels on the implementation of a Partnership for Modernization initiative.
Editor: Fang Yang
Libyan aid ship docks in Egypt's El-Arish port
EL-ARISH, Egypt, July 15 (Xinhua) -- The Gaza-bound Libyan aid ship docked in Egypt's El-Arish port around midday Thursday after it was prevented from sailing directly to the Gaza Strip.
Workers are prepared to unload some 2,000 tons of food and medical aid materials on the vessel which reached the port Wednesday night.
Ordination of women a "crime against the faith"
The ordination of women as Roman Catholic priests is a "crime against the faith," the Vatican said Thursday as it issued a raft of new disciplinary rules.
2010 Youth Summer Program, Saipan
SUMMER CAMP: Children taking part in the Karidat House of Manhoben's 2010 Youth Summer Program show their art work-a paper plate wall pocket-right after taking an arts and crafts class under Dora Ada, center, at the Manhoben Center in Chalan Kanoa yesterday morning. The July 15 to Aug. 26 summer program aims to involve children who are 6 to 17 years old in skills development classes including canoeing, bead making, ukulele playing, swimming, bowling, volleyball and basketball. (Haidee V. Eugenio)
Afghans to Form Local Forces to Fight Taliban - NYTimes.com
Allauddin Khan/Associated Press
Afghan police officers on Wednesday secured the perimeter of a police base in Kandahar after an attack on the base on Tuesday.
By ALISSA J. RUBIN
Two-day tsunami awareness workshop course, Saipan
Participants in the two-day tsunami awareness workshop course at Hyatt Regency Saipanís Sandcastle pose for a group photo with officials from the Emergency Management Office, National Weather Service, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and International Tsunami Information Center at the lobby of the Hyatt yesterday. (Haidee V. Eugenio)
Link between Russian spy and British royal family investigated
A gorgeous Russian spy infiltrating the British royal family sounds like a plot of a James Bond film, but this may have happened in real life.
The Sunday Mirror reported Sunday that British intelligence agency MI5 is urgently investigating if Russian spy Anna Chapman has had any contact with the royal family.
The stunning 28-year-old reportedly tried to break into Princes William and Harry's social circles by frequenting famous nightclub Boujis and other London hotspots where the princes were regularly spotted.
Fluent in Russian and English, the Russian lived in London for five years before leaving London for the U.S. in 2007.
In London, she befriended prominent socialites while working at such firms as Barclays Bank and Navigator Asset Management Advisors.
In June this year, Chapmap and nine other suspects were arrested in the U.S for communicating with the Russian intelligence service, the SVR, through a public wireless network.
She faces a charge of acting as a secret spy of a foreign government, with a potential penalty of five years in prison
The Sunday Mirror reported Sunday that British intelligence agency MI5 is urgently investigating if Russian spy Anna Chapman has had any contact with the royal family.
The stunning 28-year-old reportedly tried to break into Princes William and Harry's social circles by frequenting famous nightclub Boujis and other London hotspots where the princes were regularly spotted.
Fluent in Russian and English, the Russian lived in London for five years before leaving London for the U.S. in 2007.
In London, she befriended prominent socialites while working at such firms as Barclays Bank and Navigator Asset Management Advisors.
In June this year, Chapmap and nine other suspects were arrested in the U.S for communicating with the Russian intelligence service, the SVR, through a public wireless network.
She faces a charge of acting as a secret spy of a foreign government, with a potential penalty of five years in prison
Chinese author sues over 'Avatar' storyline
A Beijing court has accepted a Chinese writer's plagiarism lawsuit against U.S. director James Cameron whom he claimed had stolen ideas for the hit sci-fi film "Avatar" from his 1997 fiction.
Zhou Shaomou , the general manager of a Beijing-based hi-tech business, said he spent more than seven years writing Tale of the Blue Crows, a novel which recounts the epic journey of six astronauts to a distant planet, home to a race of blue-skinned beings.
He said 80 percent of the plot and key elements of the movie Avatar are similar to his story, China Daily reported.
The Beijing No. 1 Intermediate People's Court accepted Zhou Shaomou's lawsuit yesterday. Zhou tried to file a suit in March but the court said he had insufficient evidence. He wanted 1 billion yuan ($147.7 million) in compensation, the report said.
He is also scheduled to file a similar lawsuit with a U.S. court.
A staff member with 20th Century Fox's Greater China Region, Avatar's distributor, told Beijing News earlier that the outline for Avatar was in place as early as 1995. Zhou's work was said to have been written in 1997, which the staff said means copyright infringement was impossible.
"Avatar" has taken more than $2 billion at the box office worldwide since it was released late last year, becoming the best selling movie in cinema history. In China, it earned 1.3 billion yuan.
Coincidently, the Beijing court also accepted another case recently against Avatar.
He Dexiang, a Beijing resident, claimed Cameron's movie was based on his 2003 script and asked for an apology and compensation, according to Mirror Evening News.
Paul the octopus offered 46 million
Paul the "psychic" octopus, who made headlines after predicting Spain's victory in the World Cup, has been offered 30,000 euros, or 46 million won, by Spanish businessmen from Carballino, a small village in northwestern Spain.
They say they want Paul to be the mascot at the village's annual gastronomic event on Aug. 8. which focuses on squid dishes.
"We are not going to eat the octopus," assured Manuel Pazo, who owns a fishing business in the village.
The aquarium in Oberhausen, Germany, where Paul resides, has rejected the offer, but the businessmen are reportedly still considering borrowing him for the event.
Unexpected 'stars' of World Cup, Jul 15, 2010
What does a lingerie model have in common with a psychic octopus? Answer: they are among the unexpected stars of this year's World Cup.
Model Larissa Riquelme rose to international prominence when the pictures of her cheering for her home team Paraguay in skimpy clothes circulated on the internet.
Berlusconi asks envoys to ‘bring pretty girls’
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi lived up to his playboy reputation Monday, saying men from Latin countries can "appreciate pretty girls" and asking foreign ambassadors to bring some over.
"Bring some good-looking girls over some time. We would appreciate them because we are Latins," the 73-year-old told a gathering of ambassadors and business leaders from nearly 30 Mediterranean countries in Milan.
"But not playboys, as in my case, I've become a 'play-old,'" he added with a grin.
Last year, Berlusconi's wife filed for divorce over revelations that the media tycoon attended the 18th birthday party of an aspiring model who called him "Daddy."
Berlusconi was also forced to deny paying for sex after a call-girl disclosed publicly she had spent the night with him, recorded conversations with him and filmed his bedroom with her mobile phone. (AFP)
Sexual Revolution Slowly Progressing in Russia - NYTimes.com
James Hill for The New York Times
In Moscow, a sex shop convention, called the X’Show.
By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ
Published: July 14, 2010
Germans still bank with Iran - Washington Times
**FILE** Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki (right) welcomes diplomats representing the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany (left) prior to presenting Iran's package of proposals for new talks with the West in a gathering in Tehran, Iran. (Associated Press)
Asian mass-murderer case in Nepal court
A Frenchman, linked to a series of grisly killings across Asia in the 1970s, is contesting a murder conviction over the death of an American backpacker in 1975.
Charles Sobhraj, 65, could walk free if the court overturns his 20-year sentence over the murder of Connie Joe Bronzich, a tourist who was stabbed repeatedly before her body was burnt and dumped on the outskirts of Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital.
A Kathmandu district court originally sentenced Sobraj, who has been described over the years as a charming conman, to life imprisonment in 2004.
The judgment was later upheld by another district court a year later.
Sobhraj has always maintained his innocence in the case, saying he had never visited Nepal before he was arrested at a Kathmandu casino in 2003.
Film censors run scared from Bin Laden joke
Pakistan’s film censorship board has banned the Indian comedy which was set for release on Friday
The film, which features an Osama lookalike, is a Hindi film about a Pakistani journalist who pretends to score an interview with the elusive al-Qaeda leader.
In the plot, the journalist tries to improve his chances of emigrating to the US by scoring an interview with the Osama bin Laden "lookalike."
By selling his “breakthrough scoop” to news channels he hopes the US will grant him residency.
The ban had been anticipated on grounds that extremists might trigger new attacks in Pakistan, which has already been targeted by al-Qaeda extremists.The 57-member cdensors board in Pakistan is made up of members from the media, public representatives and religious leaders.
Osama bin Laden is believed to be hiding in Pakistan’s tribal areas.BRUNEI NEWS
Cuban dissidents arrive in Spain
Cuban refugee Omar Moises Ruiz Hernandez flashes the victory sign after his arrival with six other political prisoners at Barajas' airport in Madrid yesterday. Picture: AFP
Iranian scientist turns up in US
An image grab taken from Iran's state-run English-language Press TV shows Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri. Picture: AFP
French parade draws flak | The Brunei Times
African war veterans attend the annual Bastille Day military parade, attended by 13 African nations, in Paris yesterday. Picture: AFP
HM of Brunei Sends Congratulatory Message To France
Bandar Seri Begawan - His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has sent congratulatory messages to French President Nicolas Sarkozy and French Prime Miniter Francois Fillon on the occasion of France's National Day today.
In the message to Sarkozy, His Majesty expressed his pleasure at the warm and friendly relations between the two countries and looked forward to continue working closely with the president in the coming year to strengthen the friendship and bilateral cooperation, particularly through the partnership in the Asean-EU Dialogue and Asia-Europe Meeting.
In a similar congratulatory message to Fillon, the monarch expressed his appreciation for the long standing friendly relations shared by the countries and hoped that this goodwill will continue to be strengthened.
His Majesty also conveyed his best wishes to Sarkozy and Fitton.
Meanwhile, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade sent a similar congratulatory message to France's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Bernard Kouchner.
"I have great pleasure in sending my warmest congratulations and best wishes to you and the government and people of France on your National Day," His Royal Highness stated.
"I am delighted with the excellent cooperation our countries continue to enjoy as very close friends over many years and I wish you and our much-valued French community in Brunei a very happy celebration," His Royal Highness added.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times
In the message to Sarkozy, His Majesty expressed his pleasure at the warm and friendly relations between the two countries and looked forward to continue working closely with the president in the coming year to strengthen the friendship and bilateral cooperation, particularly through the partnership in the Asean-EU Dialogue and Asia-Europe Meeting.
In a similar congratulatory message to Fillon, the monarch expressed his appreciation for the long standing friendly relations shared by the countries and hoped that this goodwill will continue to be strengthened.
His Majesty also conveyed his best wishes to Sarkozy and Fitton.
Meanwhile, His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade sent a similar congratulatory message to France's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Bernard Kouchner.
"I have great pleasure in sending my warmest congratulations and best wishes to you and the government and people of France on your National Day," His Royal Highness stated.
"I am delighted with the excellent cooperation our countries continue to enjoy as very close friends over many years and I wish you and our much-valued French community in Brunei a very happy celebration," His Royal Highness added.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times
Human Brains "Evolve," Become Less Monkey-Like With Age
A sedated young rhesus macaque (file photo).
Photograph by Lynn Johnson, National Geographic
Published July 12, 2010
Brain regions that grow the most outside the womb are the same areas that expanded the most during evolution from monkeys to humans, a new study says.
As the human brain matures, it expands in a "strikingly nonuniform" fashion, according to researchers who compared MRI scans of 12 infant brains with scans of 12 young adult brains. (See brain pictures.)
The research revealed that brain regions involved in higher cognitive and executive processes—such as language and reasoning—grow about twice as much as regions associated with basic senses such vision and hearing, said study leader Jason Hill, a neurobiologist at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Jul 14, 2010
Mel Gibson is a bonehead not a racist, says Whoopi Goldberg - Telegraph
Mel Gibson is a bonehead not a racist, says Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg Photo: AP
Goldberg defended the Hollywood actor, who was taped allegedly telling his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva that "if you get raped by a pack of n------ it will be all your fault".
Speaking on The View, Goldberg insisted: "I don't like what he did here but I know Mel, and I know he's not a racist.
Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem have married in a secret ceremony in the Bahamas, it emerged on Wednesday.
Bardem and Cruz, who started dating in 2007, appeared together in the 2008 Woody Allen romantic comedy Vicky Cristina Barcelona Photo: REUTERS
The Oscar-winning Spanish actors, who fell in love on the set of Woody Allen's 2008 romantic comedy "Vicky Cristina Barcelona", tied the knot earlier this month, ending months of speculation over their nuptial plans.
Iranian nuclear scientist Shahram Amiri flies home from US - Telegraph
Shahram Amiri
Shahram Amiri had "left American soil" on and was on his way back to Iran via a third country, a foreign ministry spokesman said.
Before he left the Iranian interests section of the Pakistan embassy in Washington, where he had sought refuge, he gave an interview to Iranian television denying he had gone to America voluntarily, as Washington claims.
TV and movie lovers rejoice:
TV and movie lovers rejoice: Comic-Con takes place this weekend, inviting fans around the world to meet stars from their favorite shows and hear about what it's like behind the scenes. Swarms of fang-bearing True Blood followers, honorary Glee club members -- frequently off-key or tone deaf -- and aspiring wizards from the abundant pool of Harry Potter admirers will descend on San Diego for four days. Heightened anticipation continues to build for the annual convention, which frequently stirs concerns of overcrowding, drawing over 125,000 people last year. Tickets for the gathering have been sold out for months, but Comic-Con is sponsoring a last-chance sweepstakes for tickets. Click here for the entry form; winners will be drawn Friday. [Jaunted]
A new deal for urban explorers promises authentic, cultural day trips in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco, all offered with a two-for-one special. Now travelers can bring a friend for free when they buy an Urban Adventure, including a stroll around Hollywood's most infamous bars and movie locations, a glimpse of New York's immigrant heritage through food tastings in Chinatown and Little Italy, and a walking tour through San Francisco's Mission District and Chinatown, ending with a catamaran cruise around the city's scenic bay . Offers are good through September 1.
Photo: Fans embrace their inner geek-dom at the 2009 Comic-Con, scragz via Flickr.
Eclipse "Frown"
- Photograph by Martin Bernetti, AFP/Getty ImagesThe sun seems to create a frown in the sky over Easter Island as just a small crescent of light remains visible during Sunday's total solar eclipse.
Thousands of people gathered on Easter Island—a UN World Heritage site—to watch the eclipse, billed as one of the most remote that will happen this century.
"The most noteworthy aspect of this eclipse is how little land it crosses and the sparse population areas in the path," eclipse chaser and astronomer Alan Dyer, of the Telus World of Science-Calgary in Alberta, told National Geographic News last week.
Published July 12, 2010
Easter Island Eclipse Watcher
- Photograph by Eliseo Fernandez, ReutersOne of Easter Island's famous stone statues, or moai, seems to turn its back on the total solar eclipse Sunday, while a woman uses a special filter for safe eclipse viewing. (Watch video: "Solar Eclipse to Darken Easter Island.")
Looking directly at the sun—even during an eclipse—can permanently damage human eyes. Eclipse experts recommend wearing sun-safe glasses and watching the spectacle only for short periods.
Published July 12, 2010
Eclipse Halo
- Photograph by Martin Bernetti, AFP/Getty ImagesDuring Sunday's total solar eclipse, the moon covered the sun over Easter Island, so that only the faint, white ring of the sun's upper atmosphere, or corona, was visible.
Eclipse expert and National Geographic grantee Jay Pasachoff, Field Memorial Professor at Williams College in Massachusetts, was on Easter Island to witness his 51st solar eclipse. According to Pasachoff, eclipses offer scientists unique opportunities to study the corona, parts of which are invisible even to sun-watching satellites.
"On the days of eclipses—and only on those days—can we supply high-quality images of the inner and middle corona that fill in the gaps in spacecraft coverage," Pasachoff told National Geographic News last week. "We can learn about the sun's magnetic field and the relation of the sun and the Earth by studying eclipses."
(The National Geographic Society owns National Geographic News.)
Published July 12, 2010
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