
Siemens has issued a fix for the software loopholes used by the notorious Stuxnet worm. Stuxnet was discovered in 2010 after investigations into malfunctions at many industrial plants and factories. Iran’s nuclear enrichment efforts were hit hard by Stuxnet which targeted the devices that control delicate industrial processes. The fix comes as reports circulate of a fresh cyber attack on Ir…

…struggle say the authors. Responding to a request from the United Nations’ committee on world food security, a group of experts in the field looked at the projected effects of climate change on 22 of the world’s most important agricultural commodities. They predict that the world’s three biggest crops in terms of calories provided – maize, rice and wheat – will decre…

IKEA has said it “deeply regrets” the use of forced labor by political prisoners in communist East Germany. The Swedish furniture giant asked accountants Ernst & Young to look into the matter, dating back to the 1970s. The study, now published, indicates that political and criminal prisoners were involved in manufacturing for IKEA suppliers. It also said that IKEA representatives…

Star Wars creator George Lucas has sold his film production company Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Company in a deal worth $4.05 billion. George Lucas said: “It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of film-makers.” In a statement announcing the purchase, Disney said it planned to release a new Star Wars film, episode seven, in 2015. That will be followed by e…

…unts in June, to the tune of $105,949.14 and $10,278.94. In documents filed on Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, lawyers for Prince say a judge vacated that original judgement in October, 2011, thereby erasing his debt to the production company. Prince is suing to get back his $116,228.12 plus interest. The singer had an estimated net worth of between $100 million and $250 million in…
Oct 21 2012 | Posted in
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his year about possible food shortages as drought has hit grain crops in the US Midwest, Europe and central Asia. The FAO also forecast a decline in global cereal production this year. It now predicts 2.286 billion tons of cereal to be produced, slightly down from the 2.295 billion tons it estimated a month ago. The current forecast would mean a 2.6% fall in cereal production from 2011′s rec…

…ket worn by Randolph Scott in a Western movie the designer says he remembers fondly from his childhood. A sherling coat, corduroy wrap dress and a bevy of cowboy boots also feature. However, more than 20 of the items have already sold since the site went live on Thursday. The site also features a “Bring It Back” program, where users can vote for a list of iconic products they would like to see bro…
Nov 20 2012 | Posted in
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…consumption – and trigger weight loss. In his new book Fat Chance, Professor Lustig explains that leptin resistance – and sugar – is at the root of the obesity epidemic. He believes 1.5 billion overweight or obese people in the world suffer from this condition – and is convinced that the problem can be tackled by targeting insulin. In his studies, many participants took in…
Jan 1 2013 | Posted in
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Fashion designer Jeremy Scott has created three limited edition models for Smart Car, titled Smart ForJeremy. Jeremy Scott, 38, whose trademark wings have adorned Swatch watches and high-top Adidas sneakers worn by the likes of Kanye West since 2008, has taken on a larger creative project with the Smart Car. Made of transparent fiberglass, rocket-shaped wings serve as the car’s brake lights…
Apr 24 2013 | Posted in
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…given an antidote. Sarin, or GB, or Isopropylmethanefluorophosphonate, is an organophosphorus compound with the formula [(CH3)2CHO]CH3P(O)F. It is a colorless, odorless liquid. Sarin was discovered in 1938 in Wuppertal-Elberfeld in Germany by two German scientists attempting to create stronger pesticides; it is the most toxic of the four G-agents made by Germany. The compound, which followed the d…

Amazon and its UK-based subsidiary LoveFilm are to put to the public vote on their websites 14 pilot shows, including Alpha House and Zombieland. Viewers can submit feedback influencing which shows get made into full series. The 14 shows are made by independent production companies and produced by Amazon Studios, the film and series production arm of Amazon. “This is the first time Amazon S…
Apr 19 2013 | Posted in
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…thinking, <<I’ve got to do everything I can to save my skin>>. I’ve tried everything!” Other celebrity fans of the Master Cleanse include Gwyneth Paltrow and Beyoncé, who lost 20 lbs in just two weeks ahead of filming her movie Dreamgirls by sticking to the plan. Beyoncé said of the diet: “I lived on water, cayenne pepper and maple syrup for 14 days. It was tough; everyone…

…d remain in control and stop. China is the biggest market for Volkswagen. Volkswagen has decided to recall 384,181 cars in China to replace a part of their gearboxes The recall, which starts on April 2, includes the Passat, Bora, Touran and Golf models amongst others, the company confirmed. Volkswagen currently has two production joint ventures with China’s SAIC Motor and FAW Group. The Ger…
Mar 20 2013 | Posted in
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…rom Avon is said to be so effective it has convinced women not to have cosmetic surgery In tests, 69 women aged between 35 and 59 used the ANEW Clinical Pro Line Eraser Treatment cream twice a day for 11 weeks. All claimed their wrinkles had been reduced, with some improvements noticeable in a week. Some even decided against cosmetic surgery after using it, the firm said. Dermatologists used a 3D…
Sep 12 2012 | Posted in
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Scientists say they are a step closer in the difficult journey towards developing a male contraceptive pill, after successful studies in mice. A contraceptive pill for women has been around for decades, but an equivalent for men has proved elusive. A US study, published in the journal Cell, showed a drug could make mice temporarily infertile without hampering their sex drive. Experts said the fin…

A new male contraceptive pill could be developed after researchers in Edinburgh, UK, have identified a gene critical for the production of healthy sperm. Experiments in mice found that the gene, Katnal1, was vital for the final stages of making sperm. The authors of a study in PLos Genetics said a drug which interrupts Katnal1 could be a reversible contraceptive. A fertility expert said there was…

…the turn of the century. When the banking system came close to collapse, withdrawals were banned. The peso dropped in value, leading to high inflation, after Argentina defaulted on its public debt in 2002. Recent reports have pointed towards English currency printer De La Rue as a possible source of new drachma banknotes. Director of marketing for De La Rue, Rob Hutchison, will not comment on spe…

British researchers have raised the tantalizing prospect of treating a range of brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, all with the same drug. In a study, published in Nature, researchers prevented brain cells dying in mice with prion disease. It is hoped the same method for preventing brain cell death could apply in other diseases. The findings are at an early stage, bu…

Anna Nicole Smith left behind one lasting legacy to her angelic appearance in the form of her daughter Dannielynn Birkhead, who is now five years old, and a beauty just like her mother. The little girl is growing up fast, and is the spitting image of her mother, who was aged just 39 when she was found dead in a Florida hotel room. Dannielynn Birkhead was named after her half-brother Daniel, who d…
May 7 2012 | Posted in
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Rich Ross, the head of Disney film-making studio, has resigned as chairman a month after the film John Carter became one of the company’s biggest flops. The 15-year Disney veteran revealed his move by email: “I no longer believe that the chairman role is the right professional fit for me.” Rich Ross, 50, became chairman in 2009. He was previously the president of the Disney Chan…
Apr 21 2012 | Posted in
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Republicans are calling for a boycott of HBO’s fantasy series Game of Thrones after the creator’s “despicable” decision to include former US President George W. Bush’s severed head in several scenes. In the tenth episode of the first season, George Bush’s decapitated head is seen impaled on a wooden spike, covered in filthy long hair and slathered in dirt. HBO and the show…

Lindsay Lohan was back to work last night, hours after being found non-responsive in her room in Ritz Carlton Hotel in Marina del Rey. Lindsay Lohan, 25, took to Twitter, telling fans she had worked 85 hours in four days. The actress was on a night shoot at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Center in Hollywood last night, where she was again in character as Elizabeth Taylor. She tweeted: “Note…
Jun 16 2012 | Posted in
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US consumers are facing higher gasoline prices at the pump as wholesalers sell crude oil onto them at rising prices, Lundberg Survey has said. The Lundberg Survey said the national average price of self-serve, regular gas was $3.51 on July 27, up from $3.41 on June July 13. The survey of 2,500 gas stations, that comes out every other or every third week, indicated that the rise was the first in t…

French car maker Peugeot has reported a loss of 819 million Euros ($1 billion) for the first half of the year and has detailed 1.5 billion Euros of cost savings. The company said sales in the six months to the end of June had fallen by 5.1%. Peugeot, which made a profit of 806 million Euros in the first half of 2011, said it would not break even until 2014. The firm, which is Europe’s secon…
Jul 25 2012 | Posted in
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Hollywood producer Richard Zanuck has died aged 77 after suffering a heart attack at his Beverley Hills home. Dick Zanuck, as most people called him, was best known for his work on films such as The Sound of Music, Driving Miss Daisy and Jaws. Son of Hollywood royalty, he became the youngest studio head in history when he took over 20th Century Fox aged 28. His friend Steven Spielberg called him…
Jul 14 2012 | Posted in
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