Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Mid Day International News

Mid Day International News

Facebook must pay licence fee or face action: Yahoo

Posted:

Yahoo Inc has threatened action against Facebook if the the social networking giant does not pay licence fee for using technologies which the Internet search major claimed come under its intellectual property rights.

"We must insist that Facebook either enter into a licensing agreement or we will be compelled to move forward unilaterally to protect our rights," Yahoo said in a statement.

Yahoo, however, did not disclose which are the specific technologies, for which Facebook should pay. The New York Times had earlier reported that Yahoo is forcing Facebook to license 10 to 20 patents over technologies that include advertising, personalisation of websites, social networking, and messaging.

"Yahoo has a responsibility to its shareholders, employees and other stakeholders to protect its intellectual property. We have invested substantial resources into these innovations. Recognising that, other major web and technology companies have already licensed some of these technologies," Yahoo said.

Meanwhile, Facebook in a statement has reportedly said that "Yahoo contacted us at the same time they called The New York Times and so we haven't had the opportunity to fully evaluate their claims."

Yahoo owns more than 1,000 patents. Interestingly, Yahoo's revenue has been steadily falling during the past three years, while Facebook's revenue has witnessed a significant surge.

New asteroid could hit earth in 2040

Posted:

A new asteroid, identified by NASA, could potentially hit the earth Feb 5, 2040, even though it is much smaller than the one -- nine miles across -- which wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago

The UN Action Team on near-Earth objects, which has taken note of the 460-ft asteroid, placed the odds of its hitting the earth at one-in-625, though that could change nearer the time.

Scientists have not yet been able to work out much more about it than its size as they have only been able to observe it for half its orbit. But between 2013 and 2016 they will be able to monitor from the ground and will make a more detailed assessment.

In 2023 the rock will make a 'keyhole pass' of Earth, which is an area it passes through on the orbit before it would hit Earth. This will be within a mere 0.02 astronomical units of our planet, or 1.86 million miles, according to NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab.

NASA's infrared sky-scans track space objects such as asteroids. A recent scan with the NeoWISE instruments found that there were 19,000 'mid-sized' asteroids within 120 million miles of Earth, the Daily Mail reports.

According to NASA, among the ways of deflecting it are putting a probe onto the rock and using the extra gravity the craft generates to steer the asteroid away over millions of light years. Another option would be sending a probe into it so that the impact has the same effect.

Nuclear weapons have also been discussed, but this would create a shower of rocks instead of just one.

Mid-sized refers to asteroids in a size range between 330 and 3,300 feet wide, which could destroy a city-sized area were they to hit Earth.

Indian worker accused of molesting girl in Dubai

Posted:

A 33-year-old Indian worker has been accused of molestation after he kissed an 11-year-old schoolgirl because she reminded him of his dead daughter

The accused, who was identified as R.M., has denied the charge of molesting the girl when he appeared in court yesterday, the Gulf News reports.

Prosecutors said R.M. hugged and kissed the girl against her will.

Records said police arrested the suspect after he left his mobile number on a 'love letter' that he put in the girl's pencil case.

"I had an 11-year-old daughter who passed away when she was sick. When I saw the claimant, I remembered my daughter... so I hugged and kissed her on the cheek. I didn't molest her," argued 33-year-old R.M. when he defended himself before the Dubai Court of First Instance.

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors accused R.M. of molesting the schoolgirl, R.J. by dragging her towards him and hugging her against her will then kissing her cheeks and lips.

"Sir that's untrue. I did not kiss her lips � I only kissed her like a father kisses his daughter," R.M. contended before Presiding Judge Mohammad Jamal Kamal.

The girl's mother said her daughter had told her over the phone that the school bus had dropped her near the house around 2.30pm.

"I told her to take the stairs. Ten minutes later when she called me, she was crying. She claimed to me that a person chased her and told her that he loved her. Then that person allegedly hugged and kissed her. The building's watchman could not find that man. The next day I discovered in my daughter's pencil-case a love letter with a phone number written on it � the person also instructed my daughter to call that registered number without telling anyone as soon as she goes to school," the mother said.

A judgment will be heard on March 25.


US court upholds sexual discrimination lawsuit against L&T

Posted:

A US court has upheld a class claim of sex discrimination filed against Larsen and Toubro Infotech, a subsidiary of Indian conglomerate L&T, by its former employee who has alleged she was fired from her job after she informed the company she was pregnant.

The lawsuit has been brought by New York attorney Krishnan Chittur on behalf of Deepa Shanbhag and 1,500 past and present women employees.

In the lawsuit, which seeks USD 20 million in damages, Shanbhag had alleged that L&T Infotech discriminated against its female employees on the basis of sex with respect to job assignment, compensation and created a "hostile and abusive climate" for them. It alleges that L&T Infotech "discriminated against her and other employees on grounds of sex and pregnancy". It added that the company "unlawfully or discriminatorily terminated employment of pregnant employees on "false pretences."

Magistrate Judge Patty Shwartz of the District Court in New Jersey allowed the individual claim of intentional sex discrimination, individual and class claims of sex discrimination under New Jersey Law and a class claim of pregnancy discrimination against L&T. The court also allowed Shanbhag's motion to add Larsen and Toubro Limited as a party to the lawsuit.

Shanbhag, a New Jersey resident, has demanded a jury trial in the case. Chittur said L&T would now have to "answer before a jury for its maltreatment of women, and pay these women compensation for what these women had to suffer." Shanbhag was hired by the New Jersey-headquartered company as an independent contractor in October 2010 for three months.

The lawsuit said L&T, pleased with Shanbhag's performance, had offered her a full-time position. Shanbhag joined the company as a full-time employee in January 2011. However, Shanbhag informed the company in March that she was pregnant. A day later and only 38 days after Shanbhag joined as a full-time employee, L&T terminated her employment.

During her employment, Shanbhag alleged in the lawsuit, she was repeatedly subjected to an "unrelenting barrage of sexual harassment" and criticism of other female employees. In one instance, Shanbhag's immediate supervisor had told her she was replacing "a dreadful woman who did not know how to dress."

The court, however, dismissed Shanbagh's class claims for pregnancy, sex and hostile work environment and claims for breach of contract. The court has given L&T time till March 15 to respond. The lawsuit states Shanbhag suffered economic loss, was denied employment benefits and suffered "mental anguish, humiliation and emotional distress" due to the company's discriminatory practices.

It says the company should reinstate all those women employees who wish to rejoin and in future should restrain from engaging in any discriminatory practices and customs.

Beckham posts sexy pictures of Victoria on Facebook

Posted:

David Beckham, who seems to have really liked his wife Victoria's new cover shoot for French Magazine Madame Figaro, has posted the shots on the couple's Facebook account.

The 36-year-old footballer posted the picture along with the caption "Check out Victoria on the cover of Madame Figaro, she looks great! The shots were taken by talented British Photographer, Greg Williams, hope you like them."

In the shots, the 37-year-old fashion designer is pouting and wearing her long hair in a FOB, or faux bob. Dressed in a retro so-SS12 coral-coloured knickerbocker playsuit, there's no doubt she looked hotter than haute, the Mirror reported.

The happily married couple have been wooing each other via their public Facebook account over the last few weeks with Posh posting an amazing shot of herself cupping David's famous Goldenballs on the site.


ISI knew of Osama hideout: WikiLeaks

Posted:

Officials of the Pakistan Army and spy agency ISI knew about al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's hideout in Abbottabad, according to a report by whistleblowing website WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks on Monday published more than five million e-mails from US-based global security analysis firm Stratfor.


Razed to the ground: Osama Bin Laden's home was demolished last
weekend. Pic/AFP

One e-mail from Fred Burton, Stratfor vice-president for intelligence, is quoted as saying, "Mid to senior level ISI and Pak Mil with one retired Pak Mil General that had knowledge of the OBL arrangements and safe house." The e-mail was reportedly written May 13 soon after the killing of the al-Qaeda chief.

Bin Laden was killed May 2 in a unilateral operation launched by US special forces at his mansion in Abbottabad near the Pakistani capital. However, Burton -- considered one of the world's foremost experts on security, terrorism and terrorist organisations -- did not reveal his source, saying only that the source was in Pakistan. He also wrote that less than a dozen people within the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Pakistani military had information on bin Laden.

He asserted that the US intelligence knew about it. The group said it planned to publish the stolen data so people would know the "truth" about Stratfor's operations.


Costa Curse strikes Brother-sister duo

Posted:

Woman whose son was working on Costa Concordia when it capsized was shocked after hearing that Costa Allegra, where her daughter was working, has been cast adrift

A mother is desperately waiting to hear from her daughter who is stranded on the Costa Allegra -- just weeks after her son was caught up in the tragedy involving its sister ship. Jayne Thomas "didn't think disaster could strike twice" after her son James was trapped on the doomed Costa Concordia after it ran aground off the Italian coast in January. The teenage dancer was hailed a hero for acting as a 'human ladder' to help terrified passengers climb to safety.




Disaster strikes twice: Rebecca and James were both caught up in
Costa disasters. Rebecca is still aboard the Costa Allegra that was
stranded in the Indian Ocean after losing power following a blaze. Pic/AFP

Twist of fate
But in a cruel twist of fate, her daughter Rebecca is now adrift on the Costa Allegra, which became stranded in the Indian Ocean following a fire on board yesterday. A blaze broke out in the ship's generator room, leaving the luxury liner without power 200 miles off the coast of the Seychelles. Although the vessel is now being towed to safety, Thomas has had no news from Rebecca, who was working on the Costa Allegra as a dancer, since the fire broke out.

She said, "I didn't think anything like this could happen again to my daughter. I thought it was a one-off and we wouldn't be going through this experience again. Of all the ships that are sailing in the ocean, the two that have come into difficulties in the last few weeks have been the two that my children were on."

No contact
Thomas said she had not heard anything since a message before the fire. "We have no information at all other than what's coming through on the television and press," she said. Even though James was still recovering from the mental trauma he sustained when the ill-fated Concordia ran aground in the Mediterranean, she said she did not feel any ill will towards Costa Cruises, the company that owns both the Concordia and the Allegra.

"I have no feelings towards the company," she said. "I think it's just a twist of fate that they've both been involved in two such unfortunate incidents." The ship was making its way back to Europe when the blaze broke out.

She said James had no wish to return to working on cruise ships since the Concordia disaster, when the ship struck rocks off the west coast of Italy on January 13, leaving a death toll expected to reach 32. "He's fine physically," she said. "Mentally, it's taken its toll." She said she would not try to advise or persuade either of her children against getting back on cruise ships but would leave the decision up to them.

1,049
Number of passengers aboard Costa Allegra, which is 45 years old


At Whitney Houston's funeral, stars sing and fans grieve

Posted:

Some of the biggest names in the music industry gathered to pay tribute to Whitney Houston in New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.

Whitney Houston's former husband Bobby Brown walked to her flower-covered coffin and touched it before walking out.


Sweet send-off: Singer Alicia Keys attended Whitney Houston's funeral
and even performed at the church

Gospel choirs filled the church, where Houston herself performed as a child, while Alicia Keys, described her as an "angel" and a "beautiful human being", also performed.

Meanwhile, actor Kevin Costner, described her during the service as the "greatest pop star in the world".
The death of the star prompted a worldwide outpouring of grief, but her family decided that they wanted her funeral to be a private invitation-only event.

Stevie Wonder also performed, describing it as "such an emotional moment". "I had so much respect for her love for music," he said.

Aretha Franklin was also meant to sing but was too ill to attend.


Meanwhile, fans made a makeshift memorial for her outside the church.
Pics/afp

Describing working with her Costner said Houston was "as beautiful as a woman could be". He went on, "The people didn't just like you Whitney, they loved you."

Thousands of fans of the singer were also gathered outside the church to pay their last respects. Houston's final resting place will be next to her father John at the Fairview Cemetery.

Houston bought drugs 2 days before death
Houston allegedly bought three-and-a-half grams of cocaine two days before she died. The drug dealer concealed the stash in a pen and acted like an excited fan looking for a signature, as Houston partied at a nightclub Angeles days before she was found dead.

Storming out
Houston's ex, Bobby Brown, showed up at the service with an entourage. When he tried to have everyone seated, he was told that he could stay -- but the others had to go.
So he left too.


NIA to probe against Headley's wife

Posted:

A Delhi court on Saturday gave green signal to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe the role of Pakistani-American and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist David Headley's second wife in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

Special NIA Judge HS Sharma allowed the application of the prosecution to issue a letter of request to a competent authority for investigation in Morocco on the role of Faiza Outalha, Headley's second wife.

The NIA told the court that it needed to investigate the role of Outalha, who visited India twice.

NIA had earlier applied for sending a letter rogatory a letter of request to a foreign government for help in the investigation. The court said it would hand over the letter of request on February 29.


Fake US bonds worth $6 trillion seized

Posted:

Italian police on Friday said they seized fake US Treasury bonds with a face value of $ 6 trillion in Switzerland, a media report said.

The bonds, more than a third of US national debt, were found inside makeshift compartments in three reinforced metal crates in Zurich.

US officials confirmed that the bonds, dated 1934, were counterfeit. "These fictitious bonds were apparently part of a plan to defraud some Swiss banks," the US embassy in Rome said in a statement.

Italian prosecutors said criminals had attempted to sell the bonds to emerging markets or use them to get loans from banks.

Eight Italian members of a criminal network were arrested for international fraud and other financial crimes, the police said.


US wants to wean India from Iranian crude

Posted:

After imposing three new sanctions against Iran, the US is now holding talks with India, Pakistan, Russia and China about what they can do to "wean" from Iranian crude.

"We are engaged in conversations with all of these governments with regard to the importance of implementing existing international, national sanctions," the US state department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, told reporters on Friday.

But as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday, "we do assess that the economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran is beginning to pinch them. And you see the fruit of that, and the fact that we, after many months, have Iran suggesting that we go back to the table," Nuland said.

Asked about Pakistan's decision to go ahead with the construction of the gas pipeline between Iran and Pakistan, she said, "We have issues of concern and we've been very clear about those with the government of Pakistan. We think it's a bad idea; we've made that clear."

On Israel blaming Iran's Quds Force for a string of attacks on Israeli diplomats in India, Georgia and Thailand, Nuland said, "I think, we are still where we are, that we wouldn't be surprised if the fingerprints and the trail lead back to Iran. However, we're not in a position to assess until the investigations of the host governments are complete."


Student gets eight month jail term for Facebook hack

Posted:

A 26-year-old British student, who stole sensitive information from Facebook's internal network, has been jailed for eight months.
Glenn Mangham, could have easily brought down the 31 billion pounds empire after he hacked into three of Facebook's servers from his bedroom in the northern England city of York between April and May last year.

Using the code name 'Gamma Ray' he stole the secret code 'that gives Facebook its value' and downloaded it to his hard drive on his home computer, The Daily Mail reports.

The software development student from York downloaded 'highly sensitive intellectual property' including valuable computer 'code' when he hacked the world's largest social network.

According to the paper, Mangham, who it is believed has Asperger's and was said to have 'no social life' claimed that his work was 'ethical hacking' and he breached the security so that he could find vulnerabilities within the site, which the developers could then strengthen.

Mangham said that although he knew he was breaking the law he thought the company would be 'grateful' for his information based on his previous experience.

"It was to identify vulnerabilities in the system so I could compile a report for lack of a better word that I could then bundle off to Facebook and show them what was wrong with their systems," he told the court.

Facebook discovered the security breach during a system check and, despite his efforts to delete his digital footprint, Mangham was arrested by the Met's e-Crime unit last June.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of securing unauthorised access to computer material with intent and one of unauthorised access to computer material.


Aretha, Stevie Wonder to sing for Whitney

Posted:

Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder will sing at Whitney Houston's private service today.



Publicist Kristen Foster also confirmed that invitations went out to Houston's ex-husband, Bobby Brown; her co-star in The Bodyguard, Kevin Costner, and Oprah Winfrey.

Houston's longtime musical mentor, Clive Davis, will speak at the funeral.

The eulogy will be given by gospel singer and longtime family friend Marvin Winans.

To keep away gawkers, police say streets will be shut down for six square blocks around the church.

The funeral service will be streamed live through the website livestream.com/aplive and will be available on some satellite services.

The funeral comes one week after Houston was found in her hotel bathroom. Officials are waiting for the results of toxicology tests that will help them ascertain how the 48-year-old died. Houston was one of the world's best-selling artists from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, selling 170 million records worldwide.


Amanda Knox signs Rs 20-cr book deal

Posted:

The student, who spent 4 years in Italian jail, has inked a deal with HarperCollins for a tell-all

Amanda Knox has a book deal. The young exchange student whose conviction and eventual acquittal of murder charges made headlines worldwide has an agreement with HarperCollins to tell her story.


Set in ink: Amanda Knox will pen a book detailing the terrifying ordeal
of her four years in prison. File pic

The 24-year-old Seattle resident, imprisoned for four years in Perugia, Italy, has not publicly discussed her ordeal beyond a brief expression of gratitude upon her release in October last year.

"Knox will give a full and unflinching account of the events that led to her arrest in Perugia and her struggles with the complexities of the Italian judicial system," HarperCollins said in a statement.

"Aided by journals she kept during her imprisonment, Knox will talk about her harrowing experience at the hands of the Italian police and later prison guards and inmates. She will reveal never before-told details surrounding her case, and describe how she used her inner strength and strong family ties to cope with the most challenging time of her young life."

The book, currently untitled, is tentatively scheduled for early next year.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but an official with knowledge of the negotiations said the deal was worth $4 million (Rs 20 crore) for world rights.

Some 20 publishers were interested in the book and Knox met with seven, all of whom submitted bids during a recent auction.

HarperCollins publisher Jonathan Burnham said Knox, who studied creative writing, would work with a collaborator.

Her editor will be Claire Wachtel, whose other authors have included crime novelist Dennis Lehane, journalist Cokie Roberts and US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas.

The memoir was considered a hot property because the world has yet to hear all the details from Knox , who was found guilty in 2009 of murdering her 21-year-old British housemate, Meredith Kercher, and spent four years in prison.

An Italian court in overturned Knox's conviction in October.

Also cleared was her boyfriend, Rafaele Sollecito, leaving Ivorian drifter Rudy Guede as the only person convicted in a killing investigators believe was carried out by more than one person.

Armed thieves raid Greece's Olympia Museum

Posted:

Greek cultural minister resigns after robbers wearing hoods steal between 60 and 70 items of 'incalculable value' after breaking in, tying female employee

Armed robbers have stolen several dozen artefacts from Greece's Ancient Olympia Museum, which houses one of the most important collections of ancient Greek antiquities, police and reports said.


Robbing greece's pride: According to officials, the armed thieves
made away with around 60-70 items and smashed display cases

Two robbers wearing hoods broke into the museum yesterday before tying up the one female employee on duty at the time, reports from Greece said.

The robbers then used hammers to smash display cases, taking away between 60 and 70 items.

"According to the results of the investigation so far, unknown persons immobilised the guard of the museum and removed bronze and clay objects from the displays, as well as a gold ring," a police statement said.

Police set up roadblocks around the museum. The mayor of Olympia, Thymios Kotzias said that the robbers, who had a gun, first disabled the alarm and then struck as the guard shift was being changed.

"We must wait and see what the local archaeology supervisor will say, but the items were of incalculable value," Kotzias was quoted as saying.

'I quit'
The Greek minister of culture, Pavlos Geroulanos, submitted his resignation following news of the robbery. It was not known whether the resignation had been accepted by Prime Minister Lucas Papademos. The museum is next to the site, about 200 miles west of Athens, where the ancient Olympics were held.

About Olympia museum
The Archaeological Museum of Olympia, one of the most important museums in Greece, presents the long history of the most celebrated sanctuary of antiquity, the sanctuary of Zeus, father of both gods and men, where the Olympic games were born. The best artworks are the sculpture of Hermes by Praxiteles, Nike of Paionius, Miltiades' helmet and the pediments from the temple of Zeus, picturing the myth of Peleus and Hippodameia on one side, and the myth of Apollo, the Centaurs and the Lapiths.

Did you know?
Before every Olympics, the flame is lit near the Temple of Hera, near the museum


Hitler had son with French teen

Posted:

Adolf Hitler had a son with a French teenager while serving as a soldier during the First World War, according to new evidence. Jean-Marie Loret, who died in 1985 aged 67, never met his father, but went on to fight Nazi forces during the Second World War.


Love child: Hitler is said to have had an affair with Charlotte Lobjoie,
16, as he took a break from the trenches in June 1917. File Pic/Getty
Images

His extraordinary story has now been backed up by a range of compelling evidence. Hitler is said to have had an affair with Loret's mother, Charlotte Lobjoie (16), as he took a break from the trenches in June 1917.

Hitler made his way to Fournes-in-Weppe, a small town west of Lille, for regular leave. There he met Lobjoie, who later told their son: "One day I was cutting hay with other women, when we saw a German soldier on the other side of the street.

"He had a sketch pad and seemed to be drawing. All the women found this interesting, and were curious to know what he was drawing. I was designated to approach him."

The pair started a brief relationship, which resulted in the birth of Jean-Marie, who was born in March 1918.

Lobjoie later told Jean-Marie: "When your father was around, which was very rarely, he liked to take me for walks in the countryside. But these walks usually ended badly. In fact, your father, inspired by nature, launched into speeches which I did not really understand."

Lobjoie ended up giving her only son away for adoption in the 1930s to a family called Loret. Just before her death Lobjoie finally told Jean-Marie that his father was arguably the most infamous dictator in human history.

Loret then began investigating his past in great detail, employing scientists to prove that he has the same blood type as Hitler, and that they even have similar handwriting. Photographs of the two also reveal a resemblance.


French to tightrope across Niagara Falls

Posted:

Nik Wallenda gets the green light to be first to attempt 1,800-foot-long walk on a two-inch thick rope

It may not have been the most appropriate choice of phrase. But when Nik Wallenda was told he was to be allowed to attempt a tightrope walk across Niagara Falls, he said: "I'm thrilled to death."


Nerves of steel: Nik Wallenda holds six Guinness World Records and
is delighted about getting permission about walking across the famous
gorge

If the 33-year-old daredevil survives his 1,800 foot-long walk on a two-inch thick rope over the famous site, he will become the first to ever achieve the feat.

After months of campaigning, Wallenda was yesterday given permission by Canadian officials to attempt the death-defying stunt this summer. He had already secured support from the American side of the falls last year.

Wallenda, who comes from a long line of circus performers, will walk across the most powerful waterfall in the world on a wire rope without a safety net.

The stunt will take up to 40 minutes through mist and spray, 220 feet above the bottom of the gorge.

It is the first time anyone has attempted to walk on a tightrope over the actual waterfall " in 1859 the acrobat Charles Blondin crossed the gorge on a tightrope, but his stunt was downstream from the actual waterfall.

Stunts over the iconic attraction, which forms the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of New York, have been prohibited for more than 100 years.

After giving Wallenda permission to perform his stunt, the Niagara Parks Commission insisted it could be attempted only once every 20 years.

Dream come true
Wallenda, from Florida, said, "It's been a dream of mine since I was six years old. I haven't had a chance for it to settle in yet. I'm thrilled to death. This was a dream many told me was impossible. I'm blessed, that's all I can say."

Wallenda, who lives with his wife Erendira and their three children, has been tightrope-walking since he was two.

In 2008, he walked and then cycled across a high-wire suspended from skyscrapers in Newark, New Jersey.
The feat won him a place in the Guinness Book Of Records for the longest and highest bicycle ride on a high-wire.

He currently holds six Guinness World Records.

Family of acrobats
His great-grandfather Karl founded the Flying Wallendas, the family's daredevil circus act. However, he fell to his death aged 73 from a tightrope in high winds in Puerto Rico in 1978.

His great-grandson said, "My family has always been taught to never give up. We've gone through it all, triumph and tragedy. So at no point did I think I would throw in the towel."

Wallenda will wear suede shoes designed to grip the wire in the wet and will train on a full-scale high-wire rig on an airport runway in Pittsburgh, with simulated mist.

"I'll be walking through the mist thrown off by the falls," he added. "I've done walks further and higher. This will be the most iconic."

Last September, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill giving him one year to perform the feat.

Janice Thomson, chairman of the Niagara Parks Commission, said, "This decision was approved in part in recognition of the role that stunting has played in the history and promotion of Niagara Falls.

We have made it clear that this is a very unique one-time situation. It's not an everyday activity and will not be allowed to become an everyday activity."


Mystery shrouds over Charlie Chaplin's nationality

Posted:

Mystery shrouds over Charlie Chaplin's nationality, more than 34 years after the death of the legendary silent comedy film star believed to have been born in Britain in 1889.


Charlie Chaplin

British spy agency MI5 has found no record of Chaplin's birth in north London when they investigated him over links to the Communist Party, de-classified documents have revealed.

In fact, the mystery emerged when the US asked MI5 to look into his background after he left America in 1952 under a cloud of suspicion over his alleged communist links in the erstwhile Soviet Union, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

Despite checking under his supposed alias, Israel Thornstein, investigators found no documents confirming that Chaplin was born in Walworth, south London, on April 16, 1889. So, after scouring the files at Somerset House in London for his birth certificate, MI5 concluded: "It would seem that Chaplin was either not born in this country or that his name at birth was other than those mentioned."

Scotland Yard's Special Branch added to the intrigue by passing on a tip from a source who claimed the actor was born near Fontainebleau, just south of Paris, according to the MI5 files released by The National Archives.
A police memo to MI5 noted: "There may or may not be some truth in this, but in view of the fact that no documentary proof has been obtained that Chaplin was born in the United Kingdom, it may well be that he was in fact born in France." However, one possibility raised by the files was that Chaplin, who died in 1977, could even be of Russian origin, based on claims that he had said of "going back to Russia".

British officials wrote: "This might refer to paying another visit, or it might denote his origin as Russia. Towards the end of the last century large numbers of Jews fled westward from Russian pogroms. If Chaplin is a Jew, he might thus have been a member of a refugee family." However, John Marriott, then head of MI5's counter- subversion branch, was not convinced that the absence of a birth certificate was a matter of concern. He wrote: "It is curious that we can find no record of Chaplin's birth, but I scarcely think that this is of any security significance."


Posted by Harshad at 7:27 AM

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