Mid Day International News |
- Wikipedia to black out tomorrow to protest anti-piracy bills
- Pretty blonde will be your Facebook girlfriend for just $5
- Iran enforces ban against Barbie
- 'Football players are cry babies'
- Concordia: 'Temple of fun' doomed from the start?
- Pak PM Gilani offers to resign
- 41-yr-old woman demolishes factory where dad died
- Three women tortured, killed in El Salvador
- 90 percent British firms have no women bosses
- Radio telescopes to try taking first photo of black hole
- Demanding beer, Russians threaten to bomb shop
- One killed, 30 injured in gas leak
- 320 billion planets larger than Earth discovered
| Wikipedia to black out tomorrow to protest anti-piracy bills Posted: Online encyclopedia Wikipedia will black out its website tomorrow for 24 hours to protest anti- piracy bills under consideration in the US Congress, saying if passed, the "destructive" legislation will "endanger" free speech and impose censorship on international websites. "In an unprecedented decision, the Wikipedia community has chosen to blackout the English version of Wikipedia for 24 hours, in protest against proposed legislation in the United States the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the US House of Representatives, and PROTECTIP (PIPA) in the US Senate," said a statement by Wikimedia Foundation's Head of Communications Jay Walsh. Walsh said the legislation will "harm the free and open Internet and bring about new tools for censorship of international websites in the US." The decision to "go dark" came after three days of discussions by 1800 Wikipedians over proposed actions that the community could take against SOPA and PIPA, illustrating the "level of concern" Wikipedians feel about the proposed legislation. "The overwhelming majority of participants support community action to encourage greater public action in response to these two bills. Today Wikipedians from around the world have spoken about their opposition to this destructive legislation," said Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia. Terming the shut down as an "extraordinary action" for its community, Wales said: "while we regret having to prevent the world from having access to Wikipedia for even a second, we simply cannot ignore the fact that SOPA and PIPA endanger free speech both in the United States and abroad, and set a frightening precedent of Internet censorship for the world." Wikipedia urged citizens to make "your voices heard" by telling their political leaders they want the internet to remain open and free. The California-based Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia. According to comScore Media Metrix, Wikipedia and the other projects operated by the Wikimedia Foundation receive more than 474 million unique visitors per month. Wales wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter "Student warning! Do your homework early. Wikipedia protesting bad law on Wednesday!" As of now, the shutdown is planned only for the website's US visitors. For the 24 hours that the site is down, visitors will see information about the legislation and how they can convey to their political representatives to stop the bills from being passed. The two Congressional bills aim to curtail copyright violations on the Internet but have seen strong protests from the technology industry. It received severe criticism from News Corporation chief Rupert Murdoch who took to Twitter and accused President Barack Obama of giving in. "So Obama has thrown in his lot with Silicon Valley paymasters who threaten all software creators with piracy, plain thievery," he posted on his Twitter feed. Other websites like social news site Reddit and technology blog BoingBoing also plan to black out their sites tomorrow.
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| Pretty blonde will be your Facebook girlfriend for just $5 Posted: A blonde girl has promised to be anyone's girlfriend for 10 days on Facebook for just five dollars. 23-year-old Cathy advertised herself on Fiverr.com, a website which gives out goods and services for 5 dollars. "I'll be your girlfriend on Facebook for 10 days," the New York Daily News quoted her as writing. "I'm Cathy, a 23-year-old student and I live in New York City," the ad read. For the commitment phobic, Cathy offers another option - she'll write on your Facebook wall to aid in the ladies-man image sought by many-a Facebook friend. "There's a second option, by the way: If you want a few messages (3 max.) on your profile to make someone jealous that's also possible. "Just send me the message(s) and the Facebook-link!" she wrote.
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| Iran enforces ban against Barbie Posted: Iran's morality police are cracking down on the sale of Barbie dolls to protect the public from what they see as pernicious western culture eroding Islamic values, shopkeepers said. As the West imposes the toughest ever sanctions on Iran and tensions rise over its nuclear program, inside the country the Barbie ban is part of what the government calls a "soft war" against decadent cultural influences.  "About three weeks ago they (the morality police) came to our shop, asking us to remove all the Barbies," said a shopkeeper in a toy shop in northern Tehran. Iran's religious rulers first declared Barbie, made by US company Mattel Inc, un-Islamic in 1996, citing its "destructive cultural and social consequences." Despite the ban, the doll has until recently been openly on sale in Tehran shops. The new order, issued around three weeks ago, forced shopkeepers to hide the leggy, busty blonde behind other toys as a way of meeting popular demand for the dolls while avoiding being closed down by the police. A range of officially approved dolls launched in 2002 to counter demand for Barbie have not proven successful, said merchants. The dolls named Sara, a female, and Dara, a male arrived in shops wearing a variety of traditional dress, with Sara fully respecting the rule that all women in Iran must obey in public, of covering their hair and wearing loose-fitting clothes. "My daughter prefers Barbies. She says Sara and Dara are ugly and fat," said Farnaz, a 38-year-old mother, adding that she could not find Barbie cartoon DVDs as she was told they were also banned from public sale.
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| 'Football players are cry babies' Posted: 'Harry Potter' star Daniel Radcliffe criticises English players for weeping every time they fall over Daniel Radcliffe yesterday mocked football players for crying when they fell to the ground after being tackled. The 22-year-old announced he had stopped supporting Fulham Football Club and insisted that American footballers were far more athletic.  Cricket mania: Daniel Radcliffe cheers on England during the ICC Twenty20 World Cup match between England and Pakistan in 2009. Radcliffe admits that he is still passionate about cricket and plays games on the computer too. File Pic/Getty Images Radcliffe, who has supported the West London side since his childhood, claimed today's highly paid stars were "cry babies". Not yet a Yankee But he added that despite regularly working in the States he had not been completely converted to American ways and still loved playing cricket. "I really love American football. The athleticism certainly far surpasses English football and it is exciting to watch", he said. "With English football, I am not as into it any more. They fall over and they cry." Radcliffe's comments came after he admitted in an interview last week that he felt "almost guilty" for earning as much as he did for his role in Harry Potter. In the interview, he also discussed his involvement with The Trevor Project, a charity which seeks to prevent young gay people from committing suicide. He said fame was "very useful" in directing attention towards projects and he felt a "moral imperative" to help others. He added, "I got paid so well for doing the Harry Potter films, it's ridiculous. If somebody asked me, 'Did you think you deserve that money?' No, of course I didn't. 'But would you have taken it anyway?' Of course. I happened to have found this industry where people get paid stupid amounts of money. That's the reality. I feel almost guilty for having done so well out of Potter." Describing his passion for cricket he said, "I still love cricket. I play EA Cricket on the computer " I am a nerd." The star also said he was looking forward to his first real holiday for years. "It's the first time in four years that I have had more than a week off. I am really excited."
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| Concordia: 'Temple of fun' doomed from the start? Posted: The Costa Concordia luxury cruise liner, which ran aground off the coast of Italy on Friday, was described by its owners as a floating 'temple of fun' dedicated to entertainment and well-being. Like the similarly ill-fated Titanic, the 17-deck Concordia had its own superlatives: at the time the largest liner ever built in Italy and the flagship of the fleet operated by Costa, Europe's largest cruise company.  But it was also regarded as a cursed ship by superstitious Italian sailors, after the champagne bottle failed to smash when it was thrown against the hull for its christening ceremony. The accident, which occurred on Friday the 13th, was not the first involving the Concordia. In November 2008, as it was entering port in the Sicilian city of Palermo it was hit by large waves, causing damage to its bow, although no casualties were reported. The futuristic liner, which stretches the length of three football pitches, was on a seven-day cruise in the Mediterranean when it ran aground off the Tuscan island of Giglio with more than 4,200 people onboard. Cruise ship death toll rises to six The death toll in the Italian cruise liner disaster has risen to six as investigators looked into reports that the ship's captain might have been 'showing off' when he steered the vessel too close to rocks.
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| Pak PM Gilani offers to resign Posted: Hours after the Supreme Court issued a contempt notice against Yousuf Raza Gilani, he said he was willing to abdicate power to save democratic system and parliament Pakistan slipped into further uncertainty yesterday as Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani offered to resign after the Supreme Court issued him a contempt notice for not implementing a directive to act against President Asif Ali Zardari on corruption.  Escalating crisis: Pakistan's top court deemed beleagured PMYousuf Raza Gilani in contempt for failing to re-open corruption cases against President Zardari, exacerbating a situation likely to force early elections. Pic/AFP Gilani was directed to appear personally before the bench on January 19. Zardari, accused of graft, had been granted amnesty by the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), which was issued in 2007 by then president Pervez Musharraf to facilitate the return of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and her husband Zardari. The NRO was struck down as void by the Supreme Court in 2009. Gilani offered to resign to save democratic system and parliament, according to reports. The prime minister made the offer after a meeting with Zardari. Both leaders discussed the current political situation in the country. Partners of Pakistan's ruling coalition also met and decided that Gilani would appear before the Supreme Court on Jan 19. A seven-member Supreme Court bench had yesterday resumed hearing on the implementation of the NRO, under which the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had withdrawn cases against Zardari. Law Minister Maula Bux Chandio was quoted as saying that the government would talk to lawyers regarding the court's notice and that the next step would be taken in accordance with the law and constitution. Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq told the Supreme Court that he had not got any instructions from the government in response to six options put forward by the court in the case on January 10. The options included taking action against the president for violating the constitution, initiating contempt proceedings against the chief executive and the law secretary for not implementing the NRO verdict, and making them ineligible from the membership of parliament. The apex court had earlier warned the government of action if its ruling on the amnesty law, which granted immunity to politicians and bureaucrats in corruption cases, was not implemented by January 10, 2012. The court had also sought reopening of cases closed under the NRO. It had ordered the government to write a letter to the Swiss authorities to reopen cases against the president and set a seven-day deadline.
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| 41-yr-old woman demolishes factory where dad died Posted: A woman whose father was scalded to death at a Norfolk soup factory said she had gained 'closure' after being given the opportunity to blow it up. Sarah Griffiths (41) triggered the demolition of the former Campbell's factory tower in King's Lynn on Sunday. She said, "The tower is a constant reminder that I have been robbed of my dad. I'm a bit choked up about it because it's a big thing for me to do."  Painful reminder: Sarah Griffiths (below) blew up the 1,000-ton Campbell's tower and said she was relieved that her family would not have to see the tower anymore
Griffiths, a mother of two, won the chance to trigger the tower explosion in a local newspaper. She said, "It's overwhelming to think I've been given this opportunity to bring down this building. There must be other people who have these issues and never get this type of closure I've sought for 16 and a half years. I'm thrilled for me and my family that I'll never have to look at it again." She added, "My dad, he'd have said 'she got there in the end, she's such a determined soul', he'd have been thrilled -- down the pub telling all his friends 'that's my daughter', he'd be so proud." The tower had been part of the skyline for more than 50 years. It was demolished to make way for a new complex, including a hotel, leisure facilities, restaurants, a car showroom a new supermarket. Griffiths is looking forward to the redevelopment of the site. She said, "It'll be lovely to drive past and think of the work that's going on here and the jobs it's going to create for local people. I want to see the positive side, as my dad would have done, from this building and that tragic day."
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| Three women tortured, killed in El Salvador Posted: The bodies of three women who appeared to have been tortured were found inside a ramshackle dwelling east of San Salvador, El Salvador's National Civilian Police, or PNC, said. "The three women were mutilated with knives" at the dilapidated dwelling in Lomas de San Bartolo, Ilopango, located nine km from San Salvador, a PNC spokesperson told EFE. The victims "were between 15 and 20 years old" and were found in an area dominated by the Mara 18 gang, leading investigators to not rule out the possibility that gang members "are involved", the PNC spokesman said. El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in the world, registering an average of 11 murders a day, police figures show. From January to November 2011, 583 women were murdered in El Salvador. Mara 18 and Mara Salvatrucha are El Salvador's two largest violent youth gangs, known as "maras". Mara Salvatrucha is a criminal organization that evolved on the streets of Los Angeles during the 1980s, with most of its members young Salvadorans whose parents fled their nation's erstwhile civil war for the United States. Because many of the gang members were born in El Salvador, they were subject to deportation when rounded up during immigration crackdowns in California in the 1990s.
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| 90 percent British firms have no women bosses Posted: Around 90 percent of Britain's top companies have no women bosses, according to a parliament report. A parliament written answer obtained by former Treasury spokesman Matthew Oakeshott said there was no woman executive director in 310 of the top 350 companies in the country, The Sun reported. Only 43 women are working in other senior roles. Oakeshott, a Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords, said: "Britain's big businesses are an old boys' club."
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| Radio telescopes to try taking first photo of black hole Posted: A radio telescope project that would connect up to 50 telescopes scattered around the globe could help photograph a black hole for the first time, scientists have said. The radio telescopes would include those on the Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii and also a dish at the South Pole, the Daily Mail reported. The project, called the Event Horizon Telescope, could capture the first images of the huge black hole -- four million times the mass of the sun -- at the centre of the Milky Way galaxy. Event horizon refers to the boundary at the edge of a black hole beyond which the laws of physics cannot describe what happens. It is a point of no return, from which no light or radiation can escape. Because of it, black holes are invisible from Earth, the report said. The idea of black holes was first raised by Albert Einstein in his General Theory of Relativity, and has been confirmed by decades of measurements and observations of space. "Nobody has ever taken a picture of a black hole. We are going to do just that," said Dimitrios Psaltis, an associate professor of astrophysics at the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory. "Even five years ago, such a proposal would not have seemed credible. Now we have the technological means to take a stab at it," said Sheperd Doeleman, assistant professor at MIT and principal investigator of the project. Black holes pull in light and all other energy and no radiation reaches Earth. They appear as blank space to telescopes. But a glow round the outside could let scientists see the outline. By imaging the glow of matter swirling around the black hole before it goes over the edge of the point of no return, scientists can see the outline of the black hole, also called its shadow. Black holes remain among the least understood phenomena in the universe. Most if not all, galaxies are believed to harbour a supermassive black hole at their centre, and smaller ones scattered throughout. The Milky Way is known to be home to about 25 small black holes ranging from five to 10 times the sun's mass.
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| Demanding beer, Russians threaten to bomb shop Posted: Two men in Russia's St. Petersburg have been held for allegedly robbing beer from a shop by threatening the shop assistant with a hand grenade. "After they got two beer bottles, the men put the grenade on the counter and ran off," a police spokesman said Monday. The two were detained soon afterwards. This was the second time a grenade was used in the city in recent days. Last week, a man set off a hand grenade in a conflict, leaving one man injured.
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| One killed, 30 injured in gas leak Posted: One person was killed and nearly 30 were injured after carbon monoxide gas leaked in a steel company in northeast China late Monday night, said local authorities. The leakage occurred in Harbin, capital city of Heilongjiang province at around 10 p.m. in Acheng Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Xinhua quoted a government official as saying and adding that the injured were receiving treatment at hospitals and 10 of them were in serious conditions. According to the company's website, the company is the the province's largest steel producer.
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| 320 billion planets larger than Earth discovered Posted: Are we alone in the Universe? Though we are no closer to finding the answer, a recently conducted study could be an important step in that direction. On January 12, Nature magazine published findings of a group of researchers, led by Arnaud Cassan of the Paris Institute of Astrophysics, which said that our galaxy, the Milky Way, is teeming with hundreds of billions of planets. In an exclusive interview at the Institute of Astrophysics, Professor Cassan tells Dhananjay Khadilkar the significance and implications of these startling results Could you tell us about your findings? Will it be fair to say that Earth may not be unique after all and that there could be numerous habitable planets in our neighbourhood? What is the significance of this discovery? Your study determines the presence of numerous super Earth planets. Were these planets orbiting the Sun like stars? Did you find any Earth-like planets?
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