Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez's Hot Canadian Vacation
Justin Bieber must have been taking lessons! He gives girlfriend Selena Gomez a huge kiss on the way to the beach. (Bauer Griffin)more pics
Justin Bieber (FlynetPictures.com) Judging from the pictures, Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez had a blast in Hawaii, where they jet skiied, made out in public and frolicked in the surf. But the warmth is a thing of the past, as the Biebs has taken his girlfriend to Canada to meet his family! The Canadian pop star and his girlfriend were joined at the Swiss Chalet restaurant in his home town on Stratford, Ontario yesterday. For a couple of mega stars, the trip to Stratford must have been a bit of culture shock, given the town has a population of just 35,000.
Selena not only got to spend time with Justin's mother, but she also got to meet Bieber's cousins, uncles and aunts. You know a relationship is getting serious when you're bringing your girlfriend to meet the EXTENDED family.
For someone as wealthy and successful as Bieber, we expected him to take Gomez to a better restaurant than Swiss Chalet, but then again, the place is pretty damn Canadian, so maybe he just wanted to show her how its done in the land of moose, maple syrup and hockey
17 die in clashes in Mogadishu main market: official
Updated 17 hours ago
MOGADISHU: Clashes pitting Somali government forces and their African Union allies against Islamist rebels for control of Mogadishu's main market left at least 17 civilians dead on Thursday, officials said.
Many of the victims died when stray artillery fire hit a bus station where people were waiting.
"At least seventeen civilian dead have been counted so far and nine of them were killed after artillery fire struck a bus station near Arafat hospital," Ali Muse, head of the Mogadishu ambulance service, told media
Many of the victims died when stray artillery fire hit a bus station where people were waiting.
"At least seventeen civilian dead have been counted so far and nine of them were killed after artillery fire struck a bus station near Arafat hospital," Ali Muse, head of the Mogadishu ambulance service, told media
Endeavour undocks from ISS
Updated 4 days ago
WASHINGTON: The US space shuttle Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station late Sunday, NASA said.
UN pressed to lift Afghan sanctions
Updated 4 hours ago
LONDON: Britain and the United States are pressing for United Nations sanctions against 18 former senior Taliban figures to be lifted later this month in the strongest indication yet that the western powers are looking for a negotiated peace with the Taliban, British newspaper said in a report.
According to the report, candidates include the controversial former head of the regime's religious police, Mohammed Qalamuddin.
Officals believe the move would send a clear signal to insurgents that reintegrating into Afghan society is possible if they put down their arms.
The sanctions were imposed in 1999, when the Taliban were in power, and were expanded after the 9/11 attacks on America. They ban about 140 individuals from travelling or holding bank accounts. Removing the restrictions has been a key demand of insurgents in Afghanistan and has long been supported by the Afghan government.
Other candidates include well-known figures who have acted as intermediaries in contacts between the Afghan government and the insurgents in recent years such as Arsala Rahmani, a former Taliban education minister.
An Afghan minister also said that lifting the sanctions on such men would facilitate the establishment of a political office for the Taliban in a third country as it would allow key intermediaries, mainly former senior figures in the movement now living in Kabul, to travel
According to the report, candidates include the controversial former head of the regime's religious police, Mohammed Qalamuddin.
Officals believe the move would send a clear signal to insurgents that reintegrating into Afghan society is possible if they put down their arms.
The sanctions were imposed in 1999, when the Taliban were in power, and were expanded after the 9/11 attacks on America. They ban about 140 individuals from travelling or holding bank accounts. Removing the restrictions has been a key demand of insurgents in Afghanistan and has long been supported by the Afghan government.
Other candidates include well-known figures who have acted as intermediaries in contacts between the Afghan government and the insurgents in recent years such as Arsala Rahmani, a former Taliban education minister.
An Afghan minister also said that lifting the sanctions on such men would facilitate the establishment of a political office for the Taliban in a third country as it would allow key intermediaries, mainly former senior figures in the movement now living in Kabul, to travel
Rare tornadoes hit Massachusetts, 4 dead
Updated
NEW YORK: Massachusetts was under a state of emergency after at least two tornadoes hit the northeastern US state late Wednesday, leaving four people dead, officials said.
Governor Deval Patrick declared the state of emergency "in response to the impacts of the tornadic activity and severe weather," his office said.
"The severity and magnitude of the tornadoes we saw today is unprecedented in Massachusetts," Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency spokesman Scott MacLeod told.
"On an annual basis, we expect to see one, two or three tornado watches or warnings but certainly the impacts we've seen as a result of today tornadoes is extremely severe," he said, confirming the four deaths due to the twisters.
In response to the declaration, the state's national guard activated 1,000 service members to assist in response and rescue efforts.
The governor "will bring whatever state resources to bear necessary to ensure the safety of all Massachusetts residents," Patrick's state of emergency declaration said, adding that non-emergency employees of the governor's office should not report to their workplaces Thursday as clean-up continues.
The severe weather and tornadoes "produced high winds, property damage and widespread power outages in communities" throughout the state, his office said, urging residents to take shelter due to ongoing weather warnings.
About 20 communities throughout the state reported tornado touchdowns, according to MacLeod.
The National Weather Service was working to confirm the strength and severity of the twisters across the state.
The tornadoes came just over a week after a massive funnel cloud struck the Missouri town of Joplin, killing 134 in one of the worst tornado strikes to hit the United States. (AFP)
Governor Deval Patrick declared the state of emergency "in response to the impacts of the tornadic activity and severe weather," his office said.
"The severity and magnitude of the tornadoes we saw today is unprecedented in Massachusetts," Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency spokesman Scott MacLeod told.
"On an annual basis, we expect to see one, two or three tornado watches or warnings but certainly the impacts we've seen as a result of today tornadoes is extremely severe," he said, confirming the four deaths due to the twisters.
In response to the declaration, the state's national guard activated 1,000 service members to assist in response and rescue efforts.
The governor "will bring whatever state resources to bear necessary to ensure the safety of all Massachusetts residents," Patrick's state of emergency declaration said, adding that non-emergency employees of the governor's office should not report to their workplaces Thursday as clean-up continues.
The severe weather and tornadoes "produced high winds, property damage and widespread power outages in communities" throughout the state, his office said, urging residents to take shelter due to ongoing weather warnings.
About 20 communities throughout the state reported tornado touchdowns, according to MacLeod.
The National Weather Service was working to confirm the strength and severity of the twisters across the state.
The tornadoes came just over a week after a massive funnel cloud struck the Missouri town of Joplin, killing 134 in one of the worst tornado strikes to hit the United States. (AFP)
US tornado toll at 134, no more missing
Updated 10 hours ago
CHICAGO: Officials have located all the people reported missing in the wake of the deadliest single tornado to strike the United States and 134 victims have been identified, Missouri's governor said Wednesday.
The mile-wide May 22 twister reduced a third of the Missouri town of Joplin to rubble, tearing apart homes, businesses, a hospital and schools along a four-mile (six-kilometer) path of destruction.
With phone services knocked out and families scattered in search of a safe place to sleep, the governor asked the state patrol to help sort through thousands of request for help finding missing loved ones.
"Our troopers worked 24/7 to locate these individuals and to bring relief to the families of the living, and closure to the families of those who died," Governor Jay Nixon said Wednesday.
But while there is no one left on the official list of the missing, crews continue to search the rubble for victims or even survivors even as they shift their focus to cleanup 10 days after the tornado struck.
"We have not given up hope. We will proceed with the hope of a miracle occurring," said Mark Rohr, city manager of Joplin.
Although 146 sets of human remains were discovered, the final death toll may be lower because some of the partial remains could be from the same individuals, officials have said.
Some 268 missing persons reports were filed with the highway patrol and 144 of those people were found alive. The remaining 124 were found among the dead at a makeshift morgue.
Ten other victims died in hospital or were taken to funeral homes after the storm which also injured more than 900 people.
President Barack Obama toured the damaged city Sunday and promised residents the country would stand by them "every step of the way" as rebuilding efforts begin
The mile-wide May 22 twister reduced a third of the Missouri town of Joplin to rubble, tearing apart homes, businesses, a hospital and schools along a four-mile (six-kilometer) path of destruction.
With phone services knocked out and families scattered in search of a safe place to sleep, the governor asked the state patrol to help sort through thousands of request for help finding missing loved ones.
"Our troopers worked 24/7 to locate these individuals and to bring relief to the families of the living, and closure to the families of those who died," Governor Jay Nixon said Wednesday.
But while there is no one left on the official list of the missing, crews continue to search the rubble for victims or even survivors even as they shift their focus to cleanup 10 days after the tornado struck.
"We have not given up hope. We will proceed with the hope of a miracle occurring," said Mark Rohr, city manager of Joplin.
Although 146 sets of human remains were discovered, the final death toll may be lower because some of the partial remains could be from the same individuals, officials have said.
Some 268 missing persons reports were filed with the highway patrol and 144 of those people were found alive. The remaining 124 were found among the dead at a makeshift morgue.
Ten other victims died in hospital or were taken to funeral homes after the storm which also injured more than 900 people.
President Barack Obama toured the damaged city Sunday and promised residents the country would stand by them "every step of the way" as rebuilding efforts begin
Google reveals Gmail hacking, says likely from China
Updated 2 hours ago
SAN FRANCISCO: Suspected Chinese hackers tried to steal the passwords of hundreds of Google email account holders, including those of senior U.S. government officials, Chinese activists and journalists, the Internet company said.
The perpetrators appeared to originate from Jinan, the capital of China's eastern Shandong province, Google said. Jinan is home to one of six technical reconnaissance bureaus belonging to the People's Liberation Army and a technical college that U.S. investigators last year linked to a previous attack on Google.
Washington said it was investigating Google's claims while the FBI said it was working with Google following the attacks -- the latest computer-based invasions directed at multinational companies that have raised global alarm about Internet security.
The hackers recently tried to crack and monitor email accounts by stealing passwords, but Google detected and "disrupted" their campaign, the world's largest Web search company said on its official blog.
The revelation comes more than a year after Google disclosed a cyberattack on its systems that it said it traced to China, and could further strain an already tense relationship between the Web giant and Beijing.
Google partially pulled out of China, the world's largest Internet market by users, last year after a tussle with the government over censorship and a serious hacking episode.
"We recently uncovered a campaign to collect user passwords, likely through phishing," Google said, referring to the practice where computer users are tricked into giving up sensitive information.
"The goal of this effort seems to have been to monitor the contents of these users' emails."
It "affected what seem to be the personal Gmail accounts of hundreds of users, including among others, senior U.S. government officials, Chinese political activists, officials in several Asian countries (predominantly South Korea), military personnel and journalists."
Google did not say the Chinese government was behind the attacks or say what might have motivated them.
But cyberattacks originating in China have become common in recent years, said Bruce Schneier, chief security technology officer at telecommunications company BT.
"It's not just the Chinese government. It's independent actors within China who are working with the tacit approval of the government," he said.
The United States has warned that a cyberattack -- presumably if it is devastating enough -- could result in real-world military retaliation, although analysts say it could be difficult to detect its origin with full accuracy.
Lockheed Martin Corp, the U.S. government's top information technology provider, said last week it had thwarted "a significant and tenacious attack" on its information systems network, though the company and government officials have not yet said where they think the attack originated.
"We have no reason to believe that any official U.S. government email accounts were accessed," said White House spokesman Tommy Vietor.
A spokesman at South Korea's presidential office said the Blue House had not been affected, but added they did not use Gmail. South Korea's Ministry of Strategy and Finance said it had warned all staff "not to use, send or receive any official information through private emails
The perpetrators appeared to originate from Jinan, the capital of China's eastern Shandong province, Google said. Jinan is home to one of six technical reconnaissance bureaus belonging to the People's Liberation Army and a technical college that U.S. investigators last year linked to a previous attack on Google.
Washington said it was investigating Google's claims while the FBI said it was working with Google following the attacks -- the latest computer-based invasions directed at multinational companies that have raised global alarm about Internet security.
The hackers recently tried to crack and monitor email accounts by stealing passwords, but Google detected and "disrupted" their campaign, the world's largest Web search company said on its official blog.
The revelation comes more than a year after Google disclosed a cyberattack on its systems that it said it traced to China, and could further strain an already tense relationship between the Web giant and Beijing.
Google partially pulled out of China, the world's largest Internet market by users, last year after a tussle with the government over censorship and a serious hacking episode.
"We recently uncovered a campaign to collect user passwords, likely through phishing," Google said, referring to the practice where computer users are tricked into giving up sensitive information.
"The goal of this effort seems to have been to monitor the contents of these users' emails."
It "affected what seem to be the personal Gmail accounts of hundreds of users, including among others, senior U.S. government officials, Chinese political activists, officials in several Asian countries (predominantly South Korea), military personnel and journalists."
Google did not say the Chinese government was behind the attacks or say what might have motivated them.
But cyberattacks originating in China have become common in recent years, said Bruce Schneier, chief security technology officer at telecommunications company BT.
"It's not just the Chinese government. It's independent actors within China who are working with the tacit approval of the government," he said.
The United States has warned that a cyberattack -- presumably if it is devastating enough -- could result in real-world military retaliation, although analysts say it could be difficult to detect its origin with full accuracy.
Lockheed Martin Corp, the U.S. government's top information technology provider, said last week it had thwarted "a significant and tenacious attack" on its information systems network, though the company and government officials have not yet said where they think the attack originated.
"We have no reason to believe that any official U.S. government email accounts were accessed," said White House spokesman Tommy Vietor.
A spokesman at South Korea's presidential office said the Blue House had not been affected, but added they did not use Gmail. South Korea's Ministry of Strategy and Finance said it had warned all staff "not to use, send or receive any official information through private emails
UN denounces Libya war crimes, NATO extends air blitz
Updated 12 hours ago
TRIPOLI: The UN Wednesday accused Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's regime of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity while trying to crush a revolt, as NATO extended its Libya air war by three months.
Libyan Oil Minister Shukri Ghanem announced in Italy meanwhile that he had resigned and left Libya to join the uprising against Kadhafi "to fight for a democratic country."
And on the ground in Libya, a huge car bomb rocked a major hotel in Benghazi, the Libyan rebels' capital in the east of the country, but caused no casualties, witnesses and police said.
In Geneva, a commission of inquiry set up by the UN Human Rights Council accused Kadhafi's regime of carrying out systematic attacks on the population, saying that it committed not only war crimes but also crimes against humanity.
While it found fewer reports of violations by the opposition, the commission also found that rebel forces committed acts that constituted war crimes.
"In accordance with its mandate to look also at crimes committed in Libya, the commission has ... reached the conclusion that crimes against humanity and war crimes have been committed by the government forces of Libya," said the commission in a statement.
"The commission received fewer reports of facts which would amount to the commission of international crimes by opposition forces, however did find some acts which would constitute war crimes," it added.
The 47-member UN Human Rights Council set up the investigation into suspected crimes against humanity in February after Kadhafi's regime dispatched Libya's army and air force to fire on civilians.
Hours after NATO-led aircraft launched new raids on Tripoli early Wednesday, ambassadors of the military alliance meeting in Brussels decided to renew the mission for another 90 days to late September.
"This decision sends a clear message to the Kadhafi regime. We are determined to continue our operation to protect the people of Libya," said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
"We will sustain our efforts to fulfil the United Nations mandate" to defend civilians from Kadhafi's forces, he said in a statement, adding: "We will keep up the pressure to see it through."
NATO, whose current campaign expires on June 27, has intensified its air raids in recent weeks with daily strikes on command and control bunkers in Tripoli to prevent Kadhafi from crushing a revolt that began in mid-February.
Wednesday's decision would give individual nations time to prepare their contributions for the next 90 days, a NATO diplomat said.
"There were very positive signs that nations will extend with the appropriate number of resources," the diplomat said.
Oil minister Ghanem, the head of the state-run National Oil Corporation (NOC), told journalists in Rome that he had joined the rebellion, following weeks of rumours and denials about his defection.
"I can't work in this situation so I have left my country and my job to join the choice made by young Libyans to fight for a democratic country," he said.
Ghanem, who has been Libya's representative at the OPEC oil cartel for years, said his country was "moving towards a total block on oil production."
"There is a lot of internal and external pressure in Libya right now... There could be many solutions, including a peaceful solution," he said.
Italy's foreign ministry denied any role in arranging Ghanem's presence in the country but welcomed the announcement, after eight Libyan military officers this week announced their defection at a press conference in
Libyan Oil Minister Shukri Ghanem announced in Italy meanwhile that he had resigned and left Libya to join the uprising against Kadhafi "to fight for a democratic country."
And on the ground in Libya, a huge car bomb rocked a major hotel in Benghazi, the Libyan rebels' capital in the east of the country, but caused no casualties, witnesses and police said.
In Geneva, a commission of inquiry set up by the UN Human Rights Council accused Kadhafi's regime of carrying out systematic attacks on the population, saying that it committed not only war crimes but also crimes against humanity.
While it found fewer reports of violations by the opposition, the commission also found that rebel forces committed acts that constituted war crimes.
"In accordance with its mandate to look also at crimes committed in Libya, the commission has ... reached the conclusion that crimes against humanity and war crimes have been committed by the government forces of Libya," said the commission in a statement.
"The commission received fewer reports of facts which would amount to the commission of international crimes by opposition forces, however did find some acts which would constitute war crimes," it added.
The 47-member UN Human Rights Council set up the investigation into suspected crimes against humanity in February after Kadhafi's regime dispatched Libya's army and air force to fire on civilians.
Hours after NATO-led aircraft launched new raids on Tripoli early Wednesday, ambassadors of the military alliance meeting in Brussels decided to renew the mission for another 90 days to late September.
"This decision sends a clear message to the Kadhafi regime. We are determined to continue our operation to protect the people of Libya," said NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
"We will sustain our efforts to fulfil the United Nations mandate" to defend civilians from Kadhafi's forces, he said in a statement, adding: "We will keep up the pressure to see it through."
NATO, whose current campaign expires on June 27, has intensified its air raids in recent weeks with daily strikes on command and control bunkers in Tripoli to prevent Kadhafi from crushing a revolt that began in mid-February.
Wednesday's decision would give individual nations time to prepare their contributions for the next 90 days, a NATO diplomat said.
"There were very positive signs that nations will extend with the appropriate number of resources," the diplomat said.
Oil minister Ghanem, the head of the state-run National Oil Corporation (NOC), told journalists in Rome that he had joined the rebellion, following weeks of rumours and denials about his defection.
"I can't work in this situation so I have left my country and my job to join the choice made by young Libyans to fight for a democratic country," he said.
Ghanem, who has been Libya's representative at the OPEC oil cartel for years, said his country was "moving towards a total block on oil production."
"There is a lot of internal and external pressure in Libya right now... There could be many solutions, including a peaceful solution," he said.
Italy's foreign ministry denied any role in arranging Ghanem's presence in the country but welcomed the announcement, after eight Libyan military officers this week announced their defection at a press conference in
