Link Chronicle: News

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May 12, 2014

London real estate shows how expensive property can be

London's real estate market is booming with an incomplete apartment selling for a record US$237 million.

The property, which was sold to a foreign national, has 16,000 square feet of floor space and sits on a prime site overlooking Hyde Park in central London.

Once furnished and renovated, the apartment is expected to be worth much more.

The high-profile transaction has brought attention to the London property market, which has been overheating by any standard.

House prices in the city have increased by nearly 18% over the last year.

People living in the city have complained about the prices being paid for top end properties, saying they are being priced out of the market to the benefit of rich international investors. The typical home in London now costs 458,000 pounds ($770,000).

Overseas investors, especially from Russia and China have been parking excess funds in London property, often to capitalise on tight supply and strong demand through low interest rates and government incentives.

Foreigners are also attracted to the city because of its vibrant culture and business.

The housing boom in London has been stoked by low interest rates, a strengthening UK economic recovery and aggressive government incentives.

A government Help to Buy program has led to a rush of mortgage lending.

A software that turns text into music

NEW YORK: Researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have used a first-of-its-kind software to translate the emotions of the written word into music. The work could transform the way people interact with literature and spark new ways to visualise information, such as audiovisual e-books that generate music according to the emotions on the page or novel music apps, researchers said. "Given a novel in an electronically readable form, our system - called TransProse - generates simple piano pieces whose notes are dependent on the emotion words in the text," said Saif Mohammad, a computer scienti...

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Google will overhaul Gmail to look more like Google+

Geek.com reveal that Google will revamp its email system with a layout that replaces the sidebar with a slide-out panel and adds a repositioned "compose" button, moved to the bottom-right corner, and a "snooze" feature, which will send emails to the top of a user's inbox later, allowing them to return to the marked emails when they're ready to read them. Overall in appearance, the leaked screenshots of the updated Gmail service look a lot like Google+ or the Gmail Android app. Another feature that makes us think this is legit is the new Reminders tool that alerts users about dates in the fut...

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Eminem reaches to mom on Mother's Day [VIDEO]

LOS ANGELES -- Rapper Eminem released a video for his latest single, Headlights, in which he says he forgives his mother for their difficult past. Eminem's mother, Debbie Mathers, has long been fodder for some of the rapper's songs, including Cleaning Out My Closet, which he mentions in the latest release. He released the video for Headlights, fittingly, on Mother's Day, indicating a bit of regret for perhaps being a bit to harsh on his mother in his music. "Never thinking about who what I said hurt, in what verse My mom probably got it the worst The brunt of it, but as stubborn as we are Did I take it too far? Cleaning Out My Closet and all them other songs But regardless I don't hate you 'cause, Ma, You're still beautiful to me, 'cause you're my mom," the song says. In the lyrics, he says he was angry when he wrote Cleaning Out My Closet and he cringes every time he hears it on the radio. -
Check out the video for Headlights below:

Video of Solange Attacking Jay Z in an Elevator

Video footage of what appears to be Solange attacking Jay Z in an elevator has just surfaced. Obtained by TMZ, in the video Jay, Solange, and Beyoncé are all packed in the elevator along with what looks to be a security guard , and are all still dressed in their formal wear. Solange begins kicking and hitting Jay repeatedly, while he backs up towards one side of the elevator.
After leaving the Met Gala after party, Jay went solo in one limo, and Beyoncé and Solange in the other.

The Standard Hotel in NYC's Meatpacking District has sent an official statement:
"We are shocked and disappointed that there was a clear breach of our security system and the confidentiality that we count on providing our guests. We are investigating with the utmost urgency the circumstances surrounding the situation and, as is our customary practice, will discipline and prosecute the individuals involved to our fullest capacity."

Update: Here is the full video of the elevator incident:

Sep 5, 2013

Michael Jackson death trial takes bizarre twist

A testimony in Michael Jackson wrongful death trial has revealed that the co-author of a study on propofol addiction funded by AEG Live and used in their defence trial lost his medical license for writing illegal drug prescriptions.

It was revealed that Dr. Torin Finver was hired to help with the concert promoter study after he lost his job at a pizza parlor and took a job driving a Goodwill truck, CNN reported.
The revelation was an odd twist in the trial of the billion-dollar lawsuit filed by Jackson's mother, Katherine, and three children, which is being heard by a Los Angeles jury.

UK has new evidence of Syria chemical arms use, says David Cameron

Britain said it has fresh evidence of the use of chemical weapons in Damascus even as China joined Russia in opposing military strikes on Syria, saying it would push up oil prices and create an economic downturn. In a related development, Pope Francis urged the Group of 20 leaders on Thursday to abandon the "futile pursuit" of a military solution in Syria and laid out its case for a negotiated settlement that guarantees rights for all minorities, including Christians. British Prime Minister David Cameron told the BBC as he arrived in Russia for the G20 summit that scientists at the Porton Down laboratories have been "examining samples" from Syria's capital and concluded they had tested positive for the sarin nerve agent, he said. Meanwhile, on the eve of the G20 summit, the leaders of the two opposing camps - the US and Russian presidents - set out their positions. US President Barack Obama said he was convinced that the chemical attack in Damascus last month was the work of the Syrian government and the world was obliged to react - with or without UN backing both to prevent further attacks and also to prevent the entire system of "international norms" and rules from being further flouted. Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed as "absolutely absurd" the idea that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would risk retaliation by using chemical weapons. Putin added that unless convincing evidence, gathered independently and endorsed by the UN, was forthcoming, any claims against the Assad regime made by the US remained groundless. The Russian foreign ministry warned that any US military retaliation without UN approval would be a "gross violation" of them and "have all the attributes of aggression". The Chinese deputy finance minister, Zhu Guangyao, told a pre-G20 briefing: "Military action would have a negative impact on the global economy, especially on oil prices it will cause a hike in the oil price." The UN special envoy on Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, is rushing to the summit to update G20 leaders on the state of stalled peace talks. In a sign of tensions before the summit, Putin called the US secretary of state a liar for claiming al-Qaida did not have a significant presence in Syria. He said US bombing of Syria could lead to highly dangerous attacks on Syrian nuclear reactors. EU leaders have expressed concern at the pace of the drive to war. The president of the European commission, Jos Manuel Barroso, said consensus in the international community was needed on Syria and argued that efforts should be focused on a political solution. U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power lashed at Russia at the United Nations, accusing Moscow of holding the Security Council "hostage" by blocking against Syria. Power blamed the structure of the Security Council, which lets five major nations hold veto power Russia, the United States, China, France and Britain. Russia has consistently used its veto power to block action against President Bashar Assad's regime. Power said Russia "Russia continues to hold the Council hostage and shirks its international responsibilities." British Foreign Secretary William Hague reiterated Britain's support for Syrian rebel groups as fresh doubts emerged about whether it was possible to identify a moderate rebel grouping in the event of the fall of Bashar al-Assad. "The people of Syria should be in no doubt that the UK stands fully behind the Syrian National opposition the sole legitimate representatives of the Syrian people," Hague said following a meeting with Ahmad Al-Jarba, the president of the Syrian National Coalition. In a letter on Thursday to the G20 host, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pope Francis lamented that "one-sided interests" had prevailed in Syria, preventing a diplomatic end to the conflict and allowing the continued "senseless massacre" of innocents. "To the leaders present, to each and every one, I make a heartfelt appeal for them to help find ways to overcome the conflicting positions and to lay aside the futile pursuit of a military solution," Francis wrote as the G20 meeting got underway in St Petersburg.

Sep 3, 2013

Miley Cyrus says people are overthinking her VMAs performance

Miley Cyrus says she wanted to "make history" with her raunchy performance at the MTV Video Music Awards show in New York last week.
"I don't pay attention to the negative because I've seen this play out so many times ... Madonna's done it. Britney's done it. Every VMA performance, that's what you're looking for; you're wanting to make history," the 20-year-old former Disney Channel star told MTV Monday.
"Me and Robin [Thicke] the whole time said, 'You know, we're about to make history right now,'" Cyrus said.
The former "Hannah Montana" star was seen scantily clad, grinding against Thicke and making vulgar gestures with a foam finger throughout her performance at the VMAs.
"They're overthinking it," Cyrus said of those who criticized her song and dance routine. "You're thinking about it more than I thought about it when I did it. Like, I didn't even think about it 'cause that's just me."

Sep 2, 2013

Zendaya spotted on Follow Back List - Tweevelop

The Guys and Girls at #Tweevelop must be proud to see another young Celeb using their free #FollowbackList . Their most famous Celeb Justin Bieber joined Tweevelop a few months ago and the Developers of Tweevelop went Crazy, '' We´ve never aspected someone like Justin Bieber to use our little platform'' , says Garrett Mitchell Developer of Tweevelop. Well their ''little'' platform doesn´t seem to be so little anymore, over 2000 Users already added their Twitter Account to the list and it´s getting more and more each Day.
One of the newest Accounts on that list is from Zendaya , who is known mononymously as Zendaya, is an American actress, singer and dancer. As of 2013 she stars on the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up as Rocky Blue.

There must be something about Tweevelop that make celebrities want to add their Twitter Account to it and gain more followers for free.

Aug 29, 2013

It's a burger! It's a pizza! It's ... Megaburgerpizza?

KYOTO, Japan —If you've ever wrestled with deciding between burgers and pizza, there's a Japanese pizzeria that understands your dilemma.

The Pizza Little Party chain of restaurants is offering the best of both worlds with its Megaburgerpizza, which goes on sale Sept. 1.
The menu item promises more than ¾ pound of ground beef sandwiched between two 11-inch pizzas.
The Megaburgerpizza is also topped with meat sauce and a special cheese blend, in addition to classic burger toppings such as ketchup, onions, pickles and mustard.
The 2.65-pound Megaburgerpizza will cost $26, which is near the average pizza cost for Japan, and will remain on the menu until Nov. 22.

Security Council fails to agree to military strike against Syria

UNITED NATIONS/DAMASCUS .The U.N. Security Council failed to reach an agreement Wednesday on a British-proposed resolution to authorize the use of military force against Syria, as the U.N. chief pleaded for more time for diplomacy.

The UK has put a suggested resolution to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council "authorising all necessary measures to protect civilians" in Syria.
It calls for military action against what Britain has termed Syria's "unacceptable" use of chemical weapons.
U.S. officials, including Vice President Joe Biden, have charged that Assad's government used deadly chemical weapons near Damascus last week.
The U.S. has not presented concrete proof, and U.N. inspectors currently in Syria to investigate alleged chemical attacks have not endorsed the allegations.
The five permanent members of the Security Council met in a closed-door, informal meeting to discuss the U.K. resolution Wednesday morning, with Russia and China leaving after an hour and the U.S., France and the U.K. remaining for another hour.
None of the countries' representatives, including U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power and British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant, commented on a plan to move forward.
After the ambassadors met, the draft resolution was being sent back to their governments for consultations, according to a Western diplomat, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the discussions were private.
The diplomat said Russia reiterated its objections to international intervention in the Syrian crisis.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said no action should be taken until the U.N. chemical weapons inspectors finish their work.
"Let them conclude ... their work for four days and then we will have to analyze scientifically" their findings and send a report to the Security Council, he said.
The U.N. said the analysis would be done "as quickly as possible."
Ban also pleaded for more time to give diplomacy another chance to end the more than two-year conflict that has killed more than 100,000 people.
But the secretary-general added that the Security Council must not go "missing in action."
Meanwhile, U.N. chemical weapons experts on Wednesday took biological samples from several victims of last week's purported attack, activists said Wednesday.
British Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that his government's National Security Council agreed "unanimously that the use of chemical weapons by Assad was unacceptable - and the world should not stand by" on Twitter.
The Prime Minister has met with military chiefs
Wedday to discuss military action in Syria, in response to suspected chemical attacks last week that killed over 350 civilians.
Cameron chaired the 90 minute National Security Council meeting at Downing Street to discuss possible military plans drawn up in response to the alleged chemical weapons attack.
A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said the NSC had agreed on a specific recommendation that would be put to government ministers on Thursday morning before parliament debated and voted on Britain's response.
Cameron's office declined to detail what this recommendation was, but a government source said a military strike was one of the options being considered by the NSC.
Turkey has now placed its armed forces on alert to guard against threats from Syria as Western allies weigh military action against President Bashar al-Assad, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced.
The Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi has hit back in response to threats of military intervention on state television, accusing the West of fabricating reasons to launch an attack.
"Western countries, starting with the United States, are inventing fake scenarios and fictitious alibis to intervene militarily in Syria," he said.
United Nations Security Council, international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said that it seemed "some kind of substance" had been used near Damascus on 21 August killing hundreds of people, but that he awaited evidence from Western powers as well as UN inspectors currently visiting the sites.
Fear of a dramatic escalation in the two-and-a-half-year conflict prompted some 6,000 Syrians to flee into Lebanon over a 24-hour period, or more than six times the average daily flow.
More than 100,000 people are estimated to have died since the civil unrest erupted in Syria in March 2011.

Aug 25, 2013

Summer weight loss is a myth fitness experts say

Temperatures hovering past 40 degrees centigrade are being hailed as good news by outdoor fitness enthusiasts who believe that heat has multiple benefits.

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It's all about timing in the battle of the smartwatch

Samsung , the gadget will have a 2.5-inch screen, smartphone-like engine power, will run apps and will even sport a camera. Whether or not it works independently as a phone, the device will be designed to work closely with smartphones and tablets.But the Galaxy Gear smartwatch will not just compete against Apple's yet-unnamed wrist gadget, it will also go head-to-head with a number of existing smartwatch devices Here are four you can buy now.

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Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook hunt for five billion new friends: Can we trust Silicon Valley's do-gooders?

Out of America: First Bill Gates's malaria mission, now Mark Zuckerberg's global ambition. Philanthropy from profits seems to be the way forward ...

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*NSYNC fuels VMA reunion rumors on Twitter

Could it be? Will *NSYNC perform at the VMAs Sunday night? The boy bander's Twitter account seemed to hint at it. Boy band *NSYNC has joined Twitter a decade after splitting up and one day before a rumored MTV Video Music Awards reunion."Mic check, mic check one.. two... is this thing on?!" read the lone tweet sent out Saturday afternoon.The *NSYNC account, verified a few hours after the tweet was posted, adds fuel to the fire that Justin Timberlake, J.C. Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick will take the stage together during the televised Aug. 25 event. (The *NSYNC official...

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How to find clarity in face of trauma

A new research has claimed that the best method to make sense of a tragedy is to turn away from reports in the news and social media and adopt a more simple understanding of the event.

According to new research from The University of Texas at Austin, in the wake of a negative event, people are more likely to find clarity by considering the larger picture.
Lead author Jae-Eun Namkoong, marketing graduate student in Red McCombs School of Business, said that such a firm understanding helps to diffuse negative emotions and the feeling of a lack of control.
He said that certainty about what causes tragic events not only helps people feel better, but also gives them a sense of direction for action.
Namkkong said that people launching petitions for government actions, constituents voting for policies, or even consumers boycotting against products that malfunction are all motivated by their certainty of the causes behind negative events.
As part of the study, the researchers presented 196 participants with information about the Sandy Hook shooting and altered their sense of time by framing the incident around different reference points.
For example, the shooting appears to be much more recent when compared with the Sept. 11 attacks of 2001. But in comparison with a similar incident that occurred just two weeks prior, the Sandy Hook shooting seems much farther away.
According to the results, the participants who perceived the shooting as farther away in time were more confident in their understanding about why the event happened.
Marlone Henderson, assistant professor of psychology and co-author of the study, said that as time passes, people naturally gain more certainty about events.
He said that if a person is trying to give themselves a feeling of meaning, they can distance yourself from the incident with time and space. And this also applies to personal problems, such as troubles at work, a broken appliance, or even a bad breakup.
In another experiment, the researchers presented 202 participants with a list of potential causes of the Sandy Hook shooting that were frequently mentioned in the media and public discourse (e.g., suspect's poor social support, weak security in elementary schools, shooter's personality disorder, loose gun control). They were then asked to assign a percentage value to each cause.
The results: Those who perceived the shooting as a distant memory were likely to attribute the event to one or two possible causes. However, the participants who perceived the incident as much closer in time associated the causes to a multitude of factors.
The study has been published online in Social Psychological and Personality Science. (ANI)

Gaga turns love letter into song

Pop star Lady Gaga's upcoming album "Artpop" features a "love letter" she wrote to Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace.

"The song 'Donatella' is my love letter to Donatella Versace," aceshowbiz.com quoted Gaga as saying.
She described the song as "an incredible, crazy fun pop song with really raising electronic beats that I did with producer Zedd.
"It's about being a fearless female and not caring what people say about you, being proud of who you are, and walking the walk no matter what," the 27-year-old added.

Goldankauf

Thai action star enters Hollywood - Fast And Furious 7

Thai martial artist Tony Jaa has joined the cast of "Fast And Furious 7", marking his debut in Hollywood. This is also his first English language movie.

"I have been a big fan of the 'Fast And Furious' franchise. The films are fast-paced, fun and keep the audience involved," the actor told hollywoodreporter.com.
"There is a great mix of humour and action, something I really appreciate. There is no better film to be involved in for a first US studio production," he added.
Director James Wan, who made "The Conjuring", has cast Jaa in a role that remains unknown.
Meanwhile, Jaa, best known for starring in "Ong-Bak" series, is delighted to team up with Vin Diesel and wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson in "Fast And Furious 7".
"Having a chance to work with Vin Diesel and The Rock (Johnson) already makes me a winner," he said.

Deion Sanders Jr.s visit with Lil Wayne scrutinized

Southern Methodist University is trying to determine how a player -- the son of NFL great Deion Sanders -- got backstage at a Dallas Lil' Wayne concert.

Deion Sanders Jr. was photographed with Lil' Wayne last week wearing an SMU shirt, NFL Draft 365 reported. The photo turned up online.
Under National Collegiate Athletic Association rules, college players cannot use their status to get any kind of benefit.
Cynics, however, suggest that Sanders Sr.'s celebrity and friendship with Lil' Wayne were what got his son backstage, the report said.
The elder Sanders, nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion," spent 16 years in the NFL and is now in the Hall of Fame. In an unusual career path, he also played for several Major League baseball teams.
His son, however, is entering his freshman year at SMU in Dallas and has not yet played for the Mustangs.
"We don't expect to find anything amiss, but it's our responsibility to check stuff like this out," Brad Sutton, sports information director for SMU, told College Football Talk.

Mar 17, 2013

Greek footballer handed life ban for Nazi salute after scoring winning goal

ATHENS (GREECE): AEK Athens midfielder Giorgos Katidis has been banned from any Greek national team for life after giving a Nazi salute while celebrating a goal in the Greek league.

Greece's football federation said Sunday in a statement that the player's gesture "is a deep insult to all victims of Nazi brutality".

The 20-year-old Katidis gave a Nazi salute after scoring the winner in AEK's 2-1 victory over Veria on Saturday. His action provoked an immediate and overwhelmingly negative response on social media. Katidis apologized on TV and Twitter, pleading ignorance about the meaning of the salute.

AEK and the Greek league are also considering separate sanctions. AEK could also be penalized.

Hardcore AEK fans have issued a statement demanding Katidis' dismissal from the team.

Katidis has played for Greek junior teams.