LG Optimus Vu Heading To Europe This September

LG Optimus Vu

LG has finally revealed that its over-sized smartphone, the LG Optimus Vu, will be coming to Europe and other markets this September.
Originally announced and launched in Korea, the LG Optimus Vu is a beast of a phone, offering a 5-inch 4:3 aspect ratio display, Nvidia Tegra 3 performance and an Ice Cream Sandwich OS.
Here is a review of this amazing gadget.

Cnet: Top 5 Features You'll Want In Iphone 5

Here are the top must-have iPhone 5 features, as voted on by CNET readers.

Cholera Outbreak In Sierra Leone Hits Emergency Levels

Many dead as Cholera levels surge in Sierra Leone.

An outbreak of cholera in Sierra Leone has infected more than 10,000 people and killed at least 176, authorities said as they appealed for international assistance.

Underscoring the severity of the situation in the West African country, President Ernest Bai Koroma declared the outbreak an "emergency issue" on Thursday. Minister of Health and Sanitation Zainab Hawa Bangura told The Associated Press that Koroma has set up a task force to prepare a budget that will be needed to stem the outbreak.

"All of this is the aftermath of the 11 years rebel war when we had a huge rural-to-urban migration and a huge population clustered in the urban area where adequate provision has not been made for water and sanitation. This is what we have been witnessing today, " she said.

She said that in the capital, Freetown, there have been about 100 deaths during the past month, especially in congested areas where there is the problem of water and sanitation.

"It is important to request help from the international community in order to spread the mobilization of resources," she said.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said there has been a spike in reported cholera cases since mid-July and the onset of the rainy season. Over the past 5 weeks, 6,000 cases alone have been confirmed and many other cases might not been officially reported.

"This current outbreak of cholera has the potential to be devastating and is proving very difficult to control," said Amanda McClelland, IFRC Emergency Health Coordinator. "We are particularly concerned by the rising numbers in Freetown which suffers from overcrowding, poor sanitation and lack of safe water access — all factors which contribute to this deadly disease."

Cholera is an infection of the small intestine, contracted by eating or drinking contaminated food or liquids, that can cause acute diarrhea and vomiting and can kill within hours. Neighboring Guinea, parts of Mali and Niger have also been affected by the outbreak, the Red Cross said.


Via Global News

Teen Raises $115K With Lake Ontario Swim To Send Kids With Cancer To Camp

14-year-old Annaleise Carr swam across lake Ontario to raise funds for cancer kids.

As metre-high waves crashed down upon 14-year-old Annaleise Carr in the chilly waters of Lake Ontario in the middle of the night, the money she was raising to send kids with cancer to camp kept her going.

The Ontario teenager, believed to be the youngest person ever to swim across the lake, raised $115,000 with her 27-hour swim from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Toronto for Camp Trillium.

Less than 20 hours after she emerged from the water after her marathon swim, Carr stood before a bank of television cameras to talk about her feat.

"As I got into the water on Saturday I just kept thinking about Camp Trillium and what I was doing it for," she said.

"I didn't want to give up when I thought about how much the kids at Camp Trillium have been through and what they have to go through their entire lives."

Through the night the water started to become wavy and the swim got tougher and tougher, Carr said. When the morning light broke a pacer helped lift her spirits by making funny faces, she said.

"Then I started getting updates on how much money I'd raised and it was going up like crazy," Carr said.

"I got told $50,000 and I was already over my goal and I started swimming harder. I got told $60,000 and I didn't want to stop."

The tally kept climbing and Carr said she knew she couldn't stop.

"When I was about a kilometre away I could hear everyone and start seeing lights. At that time the current was really, really bad and it felt like I was going nowhere," she said.

"That's when I heard that I had gotten over $100,000. I was like really excited."

Donations for Carr's swim will send 115 children to camp for 10 days.

Carr, who is from the tiny community of Walsh in southern Ontario, said it took a while to convince her parents to let her do the 52-kilometre swim.

She wanted to help kids at Camp Trillium, but volunteers had to be 18 years old. The idea to swim across Lake Ontario started as a joke, but her parents got behind it once they saw how many rules and regulations were attached, she said.

Via Global News

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi Dies

Ethiopia's Deceased Prime Minister Meles Zenawi

Meles Zenawi, Ethiopia's long-time ruler who held tight control over this East African country but was a major U.S counter-terrorism ally, died of an undisclosed illness after not being seen in public for weeks, Ethiopian state television said Tuesday. He was 57.

Meles died Monday just before midnight after contracting an infection, state TV announced Tuesday. Hailemariam Desalegn, who was appointed deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs in 2010, is now in charge of the Cabinet, state TV said.

Meles hadn't been seen in public for about two months. In mid-July, after Meles did not attend a meeting of heads of state of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, speculation increased that his health problems were serious.

Ethiopian officials gave no details and said the prime minister was in "very good" health and would return to office soon, but international officials said quietly it was unlikely he would recover.

State TV on Tuesday showed pictures of Meles as classical music played in the background.

Born on May 8, 1955, Meles became president in 1991 and prime minister in 1995, a position that is both the head of the federal government and armed forces.

The U.S. has long viewed Meles as a strong security partner and has given hundreds of millions of dollars in aid over the years. U.S. military drones that patrol East Africa — especially over Somalia — are stationed in Ethiopia.

Though a U.S. ally, Ethiopia has long been criticized by human rights groups for the government's strict control. Dissent is met with a strict government response.

During Meles' election win in 2005, when it appeared the opposition was likely to make gains, Meles tightened security across the country, and on the night of the election he declared a state of emergency, outlawing any public gathering as his ruling party claimed a majority win. Opposition members accused Meles of rigging the election, and demonstrations broke out. Security forces moved in, killing hundreds of people and jailing thousands.

In 2010 Meles won another five years in office while receiving a reported 99 per cent of the vote. Meles is the longtime chairman of the Tigray People's Liberation Front and has always identified strongly with his party.

"I cannot separate my achievements from what can be considered as the achievements of the ruling party. Whatever achievement there might have been, it does not exist independent of that party," Meles once said when asked what he thought would be his legacy.

Meles grew up in the northern town of Adwa, where his father had 13 siblings from multiple women. He moved to the capital, Addis Ababa, on a scholarship after completing an eight-year elementary education in just five.

State TV said funeral arrangements would be announced soon.

Via Global News

Eight Killed In Turkish Car Bombing

Fire fighters work in Gaziantep where at least seven people were killed and dozens wounded when a car bomb blew up on August 20, 2012 in the centre of Turkey's south-eastern city of Gaziantep (AFP Photo / Ihlas News Agency)

Eight people have been reported killed and dozens wounded by a bomb attack close to a police station in southeastern Turkey.

Officials said the blast in the town of Gaziantep near the Syrian border on August 20 was caused by a remote-controlled car bomb.

U.S President Threatens To Attack Syria

US President Barack Obama

US President Barack Obama has a stern warning for the country of Syria. In an address made early Monday, the commander-in-chief confirmed that he has not ruled out an offensive strike on Bashar al-Assad and his regime.
Speaking from the White House, President Obama said that if Syria is able to procure chemical or biological weapons, the United States will follow through with its threat of launching an attack.

Belarus Declared No Kite-Fly Zone

Reuters

Launching a handmade kite may get you in trouble today in Belarus, where it could be considered a national security threat by the military, which is on constant alert after the “teddy-bear assault” carried out by Swedish activists last month.

Anonymous Hackers Take Down UK Government Websites In Assange Protest.

AFP Photo / Joel Saget

Several British governmental websites, including the Ministry of Justice, have been attacked by hacktivists in retaliation for Britain’s handling of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
Under the campaign, which was branded “#OpFreeAssange,” Anonymous undertook a mission to take down justice.gov.uk and number10.gov.uk, the official site of the British Prime Minister’s Office. The websites are now operating normally once again.

U.S Man Charged With Nearly Decapitating Brother With Sword, Laying With Brother's Dead Corpse For Two Days

Charles Masters charged for murder.

Charles Masters, a 33-year-old Nashville man was jailed Friday after he allegedly murdered his brother with a sword, then laid next to his brother's body for several days hoping that the brother would "wake up."

According to Metro Nashville Police, officers received a call from Masters around 10:30 p.m. stating that he had a dead body in his apartment.

Cnet: Top 5 Phones To Avoid.

Sneak Peek Video Of BlackBerry 10

Nasa's Curiosity Rover Prepares To Zap Martian Rocks

NASA's Curiosity rover.

In a BBC report, Nasa's Curiosity rover is getting ready to zap its first Martian rock.

A small stone lying just to the side of the vehicle at its landing site on the floor of Gale Crater has been selected as a test target for the ChemCam laser.

The brief but powerful burst of light from this instrument will vaporise the surface of the rock, revealing details of its basic chemistry.

Dubbed N165, the object is not expected to have any science value, but should show ChemCam is ready for serious work.

"I'd probably guess this is a typical Mars basalt - basaltic rocks making up a large fraction of all the igneous rocks on Mars," Roger Wiens, the instrument's principal investigator, told BBC News.

"A basalt, which is also common under the ocean on Earth, typically has 48% silicon dioxide and percent amounts of iron, calcium and magnesium, and sodium and potassium oxides as well. We're not expecting any surprises," said the Los Alamos National Laboratory researcher.

Curiosity touched down in its equatorial crater two weeks ago.

Its mission is to investigate the rocks at its landing site for evidence that past environments could have supported life.



The rover carries a suite of instruments for the purpose, but its Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) experiment has probably garnered most attention because nothing like it has ever been flown to Mars before.

ChemCam sits high up on the rover's mast from where it directs a laser beam on to rocks up to 7m (23ft) away.

The spot hit by the infrared laser gets more than a million watts of power focused on it for five one-billionths of a second.

This produces a spark that the instrument observes with a telescope. The colours tell scientists which atomic elements are present in the rock.

ChemCam is going to be a key part of the process of selecting science targets during Curiosity's two-year mission.

If the laser shows up an interesting rock, the vehicle will move closer and deploy its other instruments for a more detailed investigation.

Assuming the test with the 7cm-wide N165 object goes well, ChemCam will move on to its first science target.

This will be rock exposed on the ground next to the rover by the rocket-powered crane used to lower the vehicle to the crater floor.


Exhaust from this descent stage scattered surface grit and pebbles to reveal a harder, compact material underneath.

The crane made four scour marks in the ground - two either side of Curiosity. These have been dubbed Burnside, Goulburn, Hepburn and Sleepy Dragon.

The names, all related to fire, are taken from ancient rock formations in Canadian North America.

Goulburn Scour will be zapped by ChemCam.

"There's bedrock exposed beneath the soil with interesting patterns of colour," said John Grotzinger, Curiosity's project scientist.

"There're lighter parts; there're darker parts, and the team is busy deliberating over how this rock unit may have formed and what it's composed of. We'll aim the ChemCam [at Goulburn Scour], as well as taking even higher resolution images."

Curiosity has not moved since landing on 6 August (GMT). That is about to change.

The rover is going to roll forward briefly to test its locomotion system in the next few days. A reverse manoeuvre is planned, also.

Researchers want eventually to drive several kilometres to the base of the big mountain at the centre of Gale Crater to study sediments that look from satellite pictures to have been laid down in the presence of abundant water.

This journey to the foothills of Mount Sharp is going to have to wait a few months, however, because the science team intends first to go in the opposite direction.

Several hundred metres to the east of Curiosity's present position is an intersection of three geological terrains.

Again, this location has been given a name - Glenelg. And, again, it is taken from the geology of North America.

The intersection is intriguing and a good place to compare and contrast with the bedrock exposed in Goulburn Scour.

In addition, it may provide access to older, harder rocks. These could make for a first opportunity for Curiosity to use its drill.

"Even though it is in the opposite direction from the path to Mount Sharp, it's the one place we can go to to capture a lot of the information that's persevered in our landing [location]," Prof Grotzinger told BBC News.

U.S President Barack Obama Considers Releasing From US s Oil Reserves

U.S strategic oil reserves.

The US is studying plans for a potential release of oil reserves to dampen rising gasoline prices and avoid the negative effect from its sanctions against Iran.
An report from Reuters cites "a source with knowledge of the situation " who says that the president is "dusting off old plans " to release crude oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
The US officials will be monitoring market conditions to see if gasoline prices go down after the September 3 Labor Day holiday, as they historically do, said the source.

Egypt's President Accused Of News Censorship

Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi slammed for censorship.

Egypt’s president has come under fire for censoring news outlets over charges of 'fueling sedition.' The ruling Muslim Brotherhood party’s move to stifle critics has sparked fears they are adopting the repressive tactics they pledged to abolish.
State prosecutors filed lawsuits against two journalists this week, and an entire issue of opposition newspaper al-Doustour was pulled by state censors.

U.S Woman Faces Charges For Feeding Poor Children

Angela Prattis may be fined $600 for each day she provided free food to poor children.

A woman may be fined $600 for each day she provided free food to children in a poor Philadelphia neighborhood for the past few months.
Angela Prattis, 41, of Chester Township has been distributing free healthy lunches in a neighborhood that has a per capita income of $19,000 a year.
Prattis made no money from the meal distribution, and gave out food provided by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The “lunch lady” ran the charity out of her garage, to which about 60 children came, five days a week.

Police To Track Cell Phones In US Without Court Warrants

Police allowed to track cell phones in US without court warrants. Image credit RT

The US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Americans have no reasonable expectation of privacy when carrying cell phones, allowing police to track GPS signals without a warrant or probable cause.
The decision came the court ruled in United States v. Skinner that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) abided by the Constitution by using a drug runner’s cellphone data to track his location and determine his identity.

eBay Bans Sales Of Potions, Spells And Curses

Spell book on sale at ebay.

Cursing an enemy with a hex or finding a charm to make your lover forever faithful has just become a little harder, as eBay has banned the sale of all forms of 'magic' through the online auction site, beginning in September.
“eBay regularly reviews categories and updates our policies based on customer feedback. We are discontinuing a small number of categories within the larger metaphysical subcategory, as buyers and sellers have told us that transactions in these categories often result in issues that can be difficult to resolve,” the company announced in a statement.
Still, eBay has plenty to offer buyers with unusual tastes, with users hawking everything from vintage sneakers to fossil bones. Even the weirdest items up for auction often find buyers who are willing to pay out huge sums for strange finds.
Earlier this year, a blob of glue slightly resembling the head of cartoon character Homer Simpson sold for $235,000 on eBay.

Record Producer Carl Davis, Dies At The Age of 77

Davis produced the Chi-lites 1972 hit Oh Girl and Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So), sampled by Beyonce.

Record producer Carl Davis, who helped shape the sound of Chicago soul, died last week at the age of 77.

Davis, who produced the legendary chart-topper Duke of Earl, was at the centre of the Chicago music scene during the 1960s and 70s.

His reputation as a talent spotter saw him work with Curtis Mayfield, Major Lance and Jackie Wilson, with whom he recorded the hit (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.

He died at his home in South Carolina.

"Like Berry Gordy, he understood the modern recording industry of the 60s and 70s, and really understood how to make hit records," said Robert Pruter, music journalist and author of Doowop: The Chicago Scene.


Davis was born in Chicago on 19 September 1934, but in spite of the fact that most of his family were musically gifted, Davis "couldn't play a note" - according to his brother, George.

But his gift for recognising hits quickly became apparent when he took a job alongside the DJ Al Benson in the mid-1950s.

His defining success came with Duke of Earl, whose vocal riff he first heard during a rehearsal session by the Dukays. The Gene Chandler hit went on to top the charts in 1962 for five weeks and sold more than one million copies.

In the same year, Davis was offered a job at Columbia Records subsidiary Okeh, where he worked with Major Lance on popular hits including The Monkey Time and Hey Little Girl.

In 1965, he moved to the Brunswick label where he once again collaborated with Gene Chandler and found further chart success with Wilson's Higher and Higher.

He also produced the Chi-Lites' 1972 hit Oh Girl and Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So), which was more recently sampled in Beyonce's Crazy in Love.

Latterly he founded two labels: Dakar and Chi-Sound, but the success of Chicago soul began to falter in the 1980s.

In later years, he found himself variously working as a security guard and a chauffeur - although Chi-Sound was revived in 2007.

He is survived by his wife, Dedra, and seven children.

Via BBC.co.uk

Air France Flight Beg Passengers For Gas Money At Landing In Damascus

A plane of French company Air France.

An awkward emergency landing in Syria was bad enough, but the crew of Air France Flight 562 was forced to beg passengers for money to buy more fuel.
The plane, heading from Paris to the Lebanese capital with 185 people on board, was diverted over tensions near the Beirut International Airport. Low on fuel, the flight made an emergency landing in Damascus.
Sanctions against Syria increased the cost of the refueling, an Air France spokesperson said. The asked passengers for cash only as a "precautionary measure" because of the "very unusual circumstances," they said.

Taliban Claim Infiltration Of Afghan Forces

Members of  terrorist group, Taliban.

The spiritual leader of the Taliban said the group's insurgents have succeeded in foisting the ranks of the Afghan security forces, allowing them to attack their fellow NATO service members. The admission comes amidst a rise in friendly fire attacks.
“Mujahideen have cleverly infiltrated the ranks of the enemy according to the plan given to them last year,”

France Bandits Rob ATMs Of Millions Using Forks.

Million stolen in cash from ATM using forks. Image credit RT.

French police are searching for an organized crime ring that has stolen more than 1,000,000 Euros in cash from ATM machines, using only a fork.
Investigators were shocked by the simplicity and ingenuity of the countrywide rash of ATM heists: The gang managed to make the thefts by jamming a fork into the machines' cash dispensers, exploiting a previously unknown security flaw.

South Africans Protest 'Apartheid'-like Violence

Strikers near the South African Marikana platinum mine. Image credit  Reuters, RT/Siphiwe Sibeko

Thousands of protesters gathered at the South African Marikana platinum mine to demand justice after police shot and killed 34 miners. Many demonstrators said the shootings recalled violence from the country's Apartheid era.
The protesters demanded an explanation for why police fired automatic rifles, pistols and shotguns at striking miners on Thursday. Relatives of those killed also complained that police and the mine's management failed to produce a notarized list of those killed.

Band Member's Husband Condemns Pussy Riot Prison Sentences

The seven members of the Rock band, Pussy Riot.

The husband of one of the members of Russian punk rock band Pussy Riot imprisoned for hooliganism in Moscow is leading a chorus of condemnation after a conviction decried as an attack on free speech.
Three young women, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich, were sentenced to two years in prison Friday after being convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred.
They were arrested after performing a song critical of President Vladimir Putin in one of the Russian Orthodox Church's most important cathedrals in February, a flash mob-style act that outraged many of the country's faithful.