Pope Benedict XVI formally resigns to become 'pilgrim'

 

The Pope left the Vatican in a motorcade before boarding a helicopter to the papal retreat 

Pope Benedict XVI has officially resigned, saying that he now "will simply be a pilgrim" starting his last journey on earth.

The pontiff, aged 86, was earlier flown by helicopter from the Vatican to his retreat at Castel Gandolfo, near Rome.
The college of cardinals, headed by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, is now in charge of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics until a new pope is elected.
Benedict vowed "unconditional obedience and reverence" to his successor.
He stepped down after nearly eight years in office - the first pontiff to do so in 600 years.

A cardinal, who was inside the Clementine Hall of the Vatican to take his leave of Pope Benedict, told me it was one of those moments one can only describe as "electric with emotion".
He said he felt "the gratitude, the appreciation and the love that was flowing between the Pope and the cardinals".
But another Vatican insider admitted that the next pope has to continue the work started by Benedict to counter sexual abuse by clergy.
"Speaking as a Catholic priest myself", he told me, "it's something that blights our Church, that affects our whole role as priests in the Church.
"It's clear that there's a long way to go before healing occurs and before the whole issue is consigned to the past."

'Pope emeritus'

Benedict officially ceased to be the Pope at 20:00 local time (19:00 GMT).

The resignation was marked by the papal Swiss Guards stepping down from their posts at Castel Gandolfo to return to the Vatican. The protection of Benedict was taken over by Italian police.
In his retirement, Benedict will wear a simple white cassock rather than his papal clothes, and swap his famous red shoes - the colour is symbolic of the blood of the early Christian martyrs - for brown.
His "Fisherman's Ring", the special signet ring which contains the Pope's name and is impressed to validate certain official documents, is expected to be destroyed along with the lead seal of the pontificate.
The German pontiff, who was born Joseph Ratzinger, will continue to be known as Benedict XVI, with the new title of "pope emeritus".
The long-time theologian is expected eventually to retire to a monastery on a hill inside Vatican City, with officials saying he will not be able intervene publicly in the papacy of his successor, though he may offer advice.
The conclave of 115 cardinals is expected to meet at the Vatican on Monday morning to start planning the election of the next pope.
Joy and sadness Earlier on Thursday, bells of St Peter's rang across the Vatican as Benedict boarded the helicopter for a short flight to Castel Gandolfo.

Pope Benedict XVl: "Thank you and good evening"

Before that, the pontiff was greeted for the last time by top officials in the Curia - the administrative body that runs the Holy See.
Benedict then appeared at a window overlooking the public square in Castel Gandolfo to bless a cheering crowd.
"Thank you very much for your friendship," Benedict said.
"I will simply be a pilgrim who is starting the last phase of his pilgrimage on this earth.
"Let's go forward with God for the good of the Church and the world."
Some in the crowd were in tears listening to what could be Benedict's final public words as pope.
"What a joy to see him, but how sad to think it is for the last time," local resident Giuseppina was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.
In a final posting before his @Pontifex account was suspended and all its entries archived, Benedict tweeted: "Thank you for your love and support. May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the centre of your lives."

Continue reading the main story

Castel Gandolfo retreat

• The traditional lakeside summer home of the popes is a picturesque "castle town" in the Alban hills, 15 miles (24km) south-east of Rome
• The papal palace dates back to the 17th Century and its gardens occupy the site of a residence of the Roman Emperor Domitian
• Benedict XVI is expected to spend two months resting in the residence as his successor at the Vatican is chosen and installed
• He will have a staff of two secretaries and four women helpers, drawn from a Catholic lay organisation
• Vatican police officers will guard the former pope, who lost his Swiss Guards when his resignation took effect

The Vatican now enters the Sede Vacante - or period of transition between two pontificates.

Benedict's successor must focus on reforming the Vatican bureaucracy which has often been overly hesitant to react to the various crises which have arisen during Benedict's papacy, the BBC's David Willey reports from the Vatican.
Beset by scandals On Thursday morning, the Pope received the cardinals at the Vatican's Clementine Hall, warmly embracing Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who passed on best wishes on behalf of those gathered.
"Among you there is also the future pope to whom I promise my unconditional obedience and reverence," the pontiff said.
"The Church is a living being," he added, but it "also remains always the same".
In his public farewell speech on Wednesday, Benedict hinted at Vatican infighting.
His decision to resign has been openly criticised by Australia's top Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, who questioned his leadership skills.
The Church has been beset by scandals over sexual abuse by priests and leaked confidential documents revealing internal corruption and feuding.
An estimated 150,000 people packed into St Peter's Square on Wednesday to hear Benedict speak in his last address there.

Shell suspends Arctic drilling for 2013

  Environmentalists have protested against Shell's activities in the Arctic 

Royal Dutch Shell has said that it will suspend its offshore drilling programme in the Arctic for the rest of 2013 in order to give time to ensure safety.

The decision to pause drilling for oil in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off Alaska was widely expected, following a catalogue of problems last year.
The US Department of Justice is looking into safety failures at one rig.
The move "will give us time to ensure the readiness of all our equipment and people", said Marvin Odum of Shell Oil.
"We've made progress in Alaska, but this is a long-term programme that we are pursuing in a safe and measured way," he added.
'Good decision' Shell first obtained licences from the US Department of the Interior in 2005 to explore the Arctic ocean off the northern and north-western coasts of Alaska.
It has since spent $4.5bn (£3bn), culminating in two exploratory wells completed during the short summer drilling season last year.
But Shell ran into multiple problems during the drilling programme:

• the company failed to have a spill-response barge on site before the drills reached oil-bearing zones, as it had promised, and a containment dome was damaged during testing
• drilling in the Chukchi Sea had to be called off less than 24 hours after it began on 9 September due to a major ice floe
• a fire broke out on the Noble Discoverer rig that Shell had hired for the Chukchi Sea drilling, and the US Coast Guard discovered 16 safety violations on board, which have now been passed to the justice department
• the Kulluk, a circular drilling barge, broke away from its towing vessel and ran aground on its way to a shipyard in Washington State in late December

The decision to abort drilling this year may in part be due to the fact that both drilling rigs are likely to be stuck in East Asia, undergoing repairs.
Shell has also faced widespread opposition to its activities from environmental activists.
"This is the first good decision we've seen from Shell," said Mike le Vine of Oceana, a group which focuses on ocean conservation.
"Given the disastrous 2012 season, our government agencies must take advantage of this opportunity to reassess the way decisions are made about our ocean resources and to reconsider the commitment to explore for oil in the Arctic Ocean."
US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has said his department will carry out a high-level assessment of what when wrong with Shell's operations last year.

Kanye West rants on stage, mentions Taylor Swift

 

The 35-year old rapper, who is known for his outlandish and often revealing performances, took to the stage to get some things off his chest while crooning his new G.O.O.D. music song, "Clique." This time, he took aim at his peers in the music industry ... again.
"Taylor Swift beat Beyonce at the Grammys? Beyonce be dancing in heels and [expletive]," he said, according to MTV News.
In 2009, West caught flack for famously interrupting Swift's acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards, hinting at the fact that he thought Beyonce should have won in the Best Female Video category. He later apologized, and Swift even sported a shirt from his clothing line in her March 2012 photo shoot for Australia's Harper's Bazaar.
The famed music producer, who is expecting his first child with Kim Kardashian, also talked about a new topic - his friend Jay-Z, who sometimes goes by Hov, and his collaboration with Justin Timberlake.
"I got love for Hov, but I ain't [expletive] with that 'Suit & Tie,'" the rapper said. Jay-Z is featured on the song which marks Timberlake's long-awaited comeback, and the pair performed the tune recently at the 55th annual Grammy Awards (See photo). "The Blueprint" rapper and Timberlake are also set to embark on a nationwide tour which kicks off on July 17.
In 2011, West and Jay-Z debuted their collaborative studio album, "Watch the Throne," and toured the album worldwide.
The rapper continued his performance with an improvised tune about corporations, going on to call out celebrities who earn money by using their likeness to sell drinks.
"Can I sell your drink for you please? So you can help me put on a better show," West said. In December 2012, Beyonce announced her $50 million collaboration with beverage giant Pepsi. The deal marks a multi-year promotional partnership, and will see the performer featured in print and in-store ads as well as her face displayed on Pepsi cans.
This isn't the first time that the famed rapper has used the stage as a platform to express his feelings. In 2010, West expressed empathy for former President George W. Bush and sang about Swift during a performance in New York.
"Everyone wants to use people and villainize people," West said at the Bowery Ballroom concert. "Even if you take the concept of George Bush, there is no leader in history that has been villainized in that way and didn't' get killed at war or commit suicide. So any man who lives through it deserves one moment of redemption."
In 2005, West drew criticism for saying that Bush "doesn't care about black people", while slamming the U.S. leader's handling of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. West said in a November interview on "The Today Show" that he was frustrated at the time and did not have the "grounds" to call Bush racist.

Why we know so little about Hugo Chavez’s health

Supporters of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez take part in a rally in Caracas on February 27. (AFP/Juan Barretojuan)

CNN Chile reported the death of long-ailing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez last night, news that the country has braced for since he disappeared from the public eye in December. But even as social media erupted with the news, other sources — including CNN’s corporate parent — said the report couldn’t be verified. Multiple sources now say that it’s false.

These mistakes happen, of course, especially in a news cycle that moves at the speed of tweets. But the mix-up seems especially telling in Venezuela, where very few know Chavez’s health status.
The president left the public eye in December, when he went to Cuba for medical treatment. The Post’s Juan Forrero reports from Caracas that while officials have claimed Chavez is closely involved in the government’s day-to-day operations, opposition leaders have grown increasingly suspicious.
Venezuelans still don’t know what kind of cancer Chavez has or what his prognosis is. And Chavez was too ill to attend his own inauguration on Jan. 10, leaving a leadership vacuum in his wake. In fact, the president’s most public appearances these days are on Twitter, where he sends messages like this one: “We have returned again to the Venezuelan homeland. Thank God!! Thank you beloved homeland!! Here we continue treatment.”

The CNN Chile report relied on the word of Guillermo Cochez, Panama’s ex-ambassador to the regional Organization of American States. According to Cochez, Chavez had been brain-dead and on life support since Dec. 31, and died on Feb. 23 after his daughters asked to remove his breathing tube.
“I challenge the Venezuelan government to refute me,” Cochez told CNN Chile, asking them to present Chavez publicly if he is, in fact, still alive.
But there are plenty of reasons to doubt Cochez, as Gideon Lichfield has pointed out at Quartz. For one thing, Cochez has made these kinds of claims before. And a photo of Chavez and his daughters released in mid-February doesn’t appear to show a man on life support.
This morning, NBC Latino quoted sources in Venezuela saying Chavez is alive and hospitalized in Caracas, with “no change” in his condition. Vice President Nicolas Maduro told the Telegraph that he recently had a five-hour meeting with Chavez, and that the president’s poor health has not stopped him from “giving orders on all aspects of the economic, social and political life of our country.”
Cochez had one thing right: Until Chavez makes a public appearance, it’s very difficult to know for sure.

BP 'egregious' for drilling Macondo oil spill well

BP has already agreed huge payouts in the wake of the spill 

BP has been accused of disregarding evidence during drilling that the Macondo oil well was unstable.

Expert witness Alan Huffman told the third day of the New Orleans trial over the Gulf of Mexico spill that BP should have heeded a "kick" in the well.
"It is truly egregious to drill that extra 100 feet, knowing you could lose the well in the process," he said.
BP accepts partial responsibility for the oil spill, but claims other firms at the trial share the blame and costs.
These include Transocean, the operator of the Deepwater Horizon rig being used, and Halliburton, who provided cement for lining the Macondo well.
Both firms have sought to apportion all the blame for the 2010 oil spill on BP.
The Macondo explosion killed 11 men and released an estimated four million barrels of oil into the Gulf over 84 days. Since the leak was plugged, the debate over who was responsible has raged on.
If BP loses, it could face a huge fine, despite having already agreed in 2012 to pay $4.5bn (£2.9bn) to settle criminal charges.
An unfavourable trial verdict could see the firm liable for the biggest civil fine in history, of up to $17.6bn.

It has also paid out $7.8bn in a settlement with people and businesses affected.
'Tremendous pressure' Mr Huffman, chief technology officer for Fusion Petroleum Technologies Inc, was called to the trial by the plaintiffs.
The geophysicist, who has worked for Conoco and Exxon, said the kick during drilling in 2009 - a year before the spill - was evidence of gas or oil intrusion.
He said it should have made plain to BP employees that the pressure under the well was unstable, making the well "dangerous and fragile", and that drilling should have stopped immediately.
The lawyers bringing the action on behalf of the US Department of Justice and the various US states affected by the spill have accused BP of putting profits ahead of safety.
Earlier in the day, the court heard recorded testimony from former chief executive Tony Hayward, and from the former head of drilling operations, Kevin Lacy, who appeared to contradict one another.
In a 20-minute excerpt from hours of examination carried out in 2011, Mr Hayward insisted that cost-cutting at BP had not affected its drilling operations.
Mr Lacy, in contrast, said that $250m-300m had been cut from his budget in 2008-09, while production increased by over 50%.
"I was never given a directive to cut corners or deliver something not safely, but there was tremendous pressure on costs," he said.
Mr Lacy resigned from BP a few months before the spill, because of his concerns about safety.
The day began with another BP executive, exploration and production head Lamar McKay, who finished his live testimony, repeating the line he gave on Tuesday that others shared the blame with BP.
"We've agreed that we're part of the responsibility for this tragic accident," he said. "We've apologised for that."
Cross-examining Mr McKay, lawyers acting for Transocean got him to agree that Deepwater Horizon had been "a very safe operating rig" but only "up until the accident".
Halliburton's lawyer produced an email sent by BP engineer Brian Morel to colleagues on the day of the well blowout that said: "Just wanted to let you know that the Halliburton cement team they sent out did a great job."

Pope Benedict XVI recalls joy and 'choppy waters'

Pope Benedict XVI: "Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I'm really moved"

Pope Benedict XVI has admitted he faced "choppy waters" during his eight years at the helm of the Roman Catholic Church, but says he was guided by God and felt his presence every day.

The Pope, 85, will retire on Thursday - the first pope to abdicate since Gregory XII in 1415.
Thousands of pilgrims gathered in St Peter's Square in the Vatican for Pope Benedict's final general audience.
His successor will be chosen in a conclave to take place in March.
Pope Benedict told the crowd his papacy had been "a heavy burden" but he accepted it because he was sure that God would guide him.
At times he "felt like St Peter with his apostles on the Lake of Galilee", he said, making reference to the Biblical story when the disciples were battling against heavy waves and Jesus Christ appeared to them.
The Church has been beset by scandals over sexual abuse by priests and leaked confidential documents revealing corruption and infighting in the Vatican.
'Serenity of spirit' The Pope thanked his flock for respecting his decision to retire and said he was standing down for the good of the Church. David Willey BBC News, The Vatican

Pope Benedict XVI's swansong - his final public appearance at a general audience in St Peter's Square - was a bittersweet affair.
A shy and retiring person in private life, he relaxed his guard, something he has rarely done in public during his eight-year pontificate.
The papacy had been "a great weight" upon his shoulders, although he had never lost faith.
Although Pope Benedict had kind valedictory words for his top cardinals with whom he has been working inside the Vatican, professional Vatican watchers were aware that the "difficult moments" to which Benedict referred in his farewell speech were code for the scandal and infighting that have gone on inside the Vatican, often without his being properly informed.
The next pope will have to give priority to a reform of the Vatican bureaucracy, the central government of the Roman Catholic Church, which has often been overly hesitant to react to the various crises which have arisen during Benedict's papacy. 

"I took this step [resignation] in full awareness of its gravity and novelty but with profound serenity of spirit," he said in his address.

As a result of his surprise announcement, the Church has now amended its laws to bring forward the election of a successor.
A conclave beginning in mid-March would have left little time to have a new pope installed for one of the most important periods in the Catholic calendar, Holy Week, leading up to Easter, which begins on 24 March.
The BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome says that on Thursday the Pope will travel by helicopter to his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, about 15 miles (24km) south-east of Rome. He will cease to be Pope at 20:00 local time.
After Benedict XVI steps down, he will become known as "pope emeritus".
He will retain the honorific "His Holiness" after his abdication and will continue to be known by his papal title of Benedict XVI, rather than reverting to Joseph Ratzinger.
He will wear his distinctive white cassock without any cape or trimmings, but will surrender his gold ring of office and his personal seal will be destroyed.

Nuns and monks were among thousands running into the square to take their place in history

He will also give up wearing his red shoes.
"On the one hand I felt that since the decision that he would leave office and resign became public, Pope Benedict is relieved," said the head of the German bishops' conference, Archbishop Robert Zollitsch.
"But he also now feels the sympathy of the people for him, and therefore he will have a sense of melancholy and nostalgia, a bit of sadness."
Farewell The title "emeritus" is used when a person of status, such as a professor or bishop, hands over their position, so their former rank can be retained in their title.

Timeline to Thursday's resignation

• Thursday 1000 to 1115 GMT: Cardinals gather in the Vatican to bid farewell to Pope Benedict
• About 1515 GMT: Benedict is driven to a helipad within the Vatican
• About 1600 GMT: Papal helicopter flies to Castel Gandolfo near Rome
• About 1700 GMT: Pope appears at a window overlooking the public square in Castel Gandolfo to bless a crowd
• About 1900 GMT: Benedict ceases to be pope; Swiss guards at the entrance to Castel Gandolfo leave their posts 

The Pope is to spend his final hours at his Vatican residence saying farewell to the cardinals who have been his closest aides during his eight-year pontificate, says the BBC's David Willey at the Vatican.

His personal archive of documents will be packed up and, at 20:00 (19:00 GMT) on Thursday, the Swiss Guard on duty at his Castel Gandolfo residence will be dismissed, to be replaced by Vatican police.
This will mark the formal end of his papacy and the beginning of the period of transition to his successor, due to be chosen next month.
From 4 March, the College of Cardinals will meet in general congregations to discuss the problems facing the Church and set a date for the start of the secret election, or conclave, to elect Pope Benedict's successor.
That successor will be chosen by 115 cardinal-electors (those younger than 80 years old) through ballots held in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.
A two-thirds-plus-one vote majority is required. Sixty-seven of the electors were appointed by Benedict XVI, and the remainder by his predecessor John Paul II.
About half the cardinal-electors (60) are European - 21 of them Italian - and many have worked for the administrative body of the Church, the Curia, in Rome.

Were you in St Peter's Square to see Pope Benedict XVI's final general audience? Send us your comments using the form below.

European markets fall after Italian election deadlock

 

Data delayed by 15 mins 

European stock markets have fallen, with the inconclusive election result in Italy raising fears that political deadlock will delay economic reforms.

Italy's FTSE MIB index fell 4.4%, while London's FTSE 100 shed 1.3% and share markets in Frankfurt and Paris also fell by more than 1.5%.
The yield on Italian government bonds also rose sharply, implying markets are more wary of lending to Italy.
Earlier, stock markets in Asia had closed lower.
Japan's main Nikkei 225 stock index lost 2.2%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 0.8% and Australia's ASX was down 1%.
Oil prices also dropped, hit by worries that uncertainty in the eurozone could hit demand, with Brent crude falling more than a dollar to $113.37 a barrel.
With all domestic votes counted in Italy's parliamentary election, the centre-left bloc won the lower house by a tiny margin, but did not secure a majority in the Senate.
Fears are that a split parliament will make it harder for one group to push through their plans to revive the economy, and that may stall Italy's process of cutting its public debt levels.
'Jump to nowhere' 

Banks were the biggest fallers on the stock markets, with shares in major banks across Europe down more than 4%.

Italy's short-term borrowing costs rose at an auction of six-month bonds, which were sold at a gross yield of 1.24%, up from 0.73% at a similar auction a month ago.
The yield on Italian 10-year government bonds rose to 4.77% from 4.48%, and the gap between the yield on Italian and German 10-year bonds widened.
Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who has conceded the lower house to Pier Luigi Bersani's centre-left bloc, played down the significance of the spread, and said he was not worried about market reaction to the vote.
But Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said there was "extreme concern" over possible movements in bond spreads as a reaction to the results. "This is a jump to nowhere that does not bode well either for Italy or for Europe," he said.
'Chilling message' European Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly said: "Markets are free to react the way they want.

IG's Brenda Kelly: "Election results a face-off against Brussels and Berlin."

"As far as the Commission is concerned, we would like to underline our full confidence in the Italian authorities in their capacity to find and establish a political majority that will continue to deliver a growth and jobs agenda, which is what Italy needs to reduce the unsustainable level of its debt."
Italy's public debt stood at 127% of GDP in 2012 and is expected to rise to 128% in 2013 - the second highest level in Europe after Greece.
Giuseppe Fontana, professor of monetary economics at Leeds University Business School, said Italian voters had sent a "chilling message" to the markets and policy makers.
"It is not difficult to speculate that this morning markets and policy makers are asking the big question - what is the future of the euro area?" he told the BBC.

Analysis

Nigel Cassidy Business correspondent, BBC News

Political deadlock in the Rome Senate, consternation in European capitals. The conflicting and confused messages just sent by voters in eurozone's third largest economy seem set to trigger more than the initial plunge on the Milan stock market and an overnight hike in bond yields.
It was after all only the reformist policies being pursued by Mario Monti's outgoing technocratic government which were standing between Rome and unaffordable borrowing costs. The Monti reforms were also underpinning the European Central Bank's fragile grip on monetary stability throughout the currency area.
Yet now the voters have rejected those very policies, the ECB may be forced to ride to Italy's rescue. The reality is that a weak centre-left government in Italy will find it even harder to enact the kind of reforms that stand any chance of improving productivity and competitiveness, or lifting Italy out of its seemingly endless recession.
The outcome of Italy's election is a strong signal that the euro debt crisis is far from over. For some, the only possible silver lining is that this latest popular backlash against Brussels-imposed austerity may force Germany and other EU partners to reconsider the pace of reforms.

Italy election: Europe jitters over result deadlock

European politicians and markets have reacted anxiously after Italy's general election produced a stalemate between centre-right and centre-left blocs.

France and Germany urged continued reform, while Spain described the result as a "jump to nowhere".
Italian markets fell sharply while others in Europe and around the world opened down.
Centre-right leader Silvio Berlusconi said fresh elections should be avoided, and called for a period of reflection.

The horse-trading will now begin. Pier Luigi Bersani has enough votes to dominate the lower house. That is not the case in the Senate. Even if he were to join forces with the former Prime Minister Mario Monti he would not be able to command a majority there.
He may try to operate a minority government but that will clearly be unstable. There may be an attempt to form a wider coalition to govern the country at a time of economic crisis but it is unlikely to survive the summer.
One unanswered question is whether Beppe Grillo will be open to a deal. Would his movement support, say, a centre-left coalition in exchange for widespread reforms of the political system? We don't know. Buoyed up by success he has only promised to clear out the political class.
Sooner rather than later the country will hold another election. 

The BBC's Alan Johnston in Rome says he was hinting at the possibility of considering what would be a very awkward alliance with his opponents on the centre-left.

With all domestic votes counted, Pier Luigi Bersani's centre-left bloc won the lower house vote but has failed to secure a majority in the Senate. Control of both houses is needed to govern.
A protest movement led by comedian Beppe Grillo won 25%, but the centrist bloc led by current Prime Minister Mario Monti came a poor fourth, with about 10%.
The outcome of the election, which comes amid a deep recession and tough austerity measures, was so close between the two main blocs that the margin of victory given in interior ministry figures was less than 1% in both houses of parliament.
The winning bloc automatically gets a majority in the lower house. But the same is not true in the Senate, where seat allocations are decided by region and can conflict with the national vote.

'Jump to nowhere' European politicians reacted with a mixture of calm and concern.
European Commission spokesman Olivier Bailly said the EU expected Italy to "honour its commitments" on debt and deficit reduction, and other structural reform.
"We clearly hear the message of concern expressed by Italian citizens," he said at a news conference.
"The Commission has full confidence in Italian democracy and... will work closely with the future government towards the relaunch of growth and job creation in Italy."
French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici said the result "creates problems" but would not undermine the European single currency.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, meanwhile, urged Italy to continue its reforms, and called for a government to be formed "as quickly as possible".
But his Spanish counterpart there was "extreme concern" about the financial consequences.
"This is a jump to nowhere with positive consequences for nobody," Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said, according to Associated Press news agency.
Shares and the euro fell as the outcome of the election became clear, amid concern that the reform agenda would be delayed.

Beppe Grillo's platform

Beppe Grillo's Five Star Movement is now the largest faction in the lower house, and he may have a kingmaker role in the Senate. Many of his policies are vague, but some of his aims include:

• New electoral system, based on proportional representation; halving number of MPs; end of public funding of parties
• His MPs will only take part of their salary, and will serve a maximum two terms
• Support for renewable energy, free internet provision
• Voting age reduced to 16 (from 18) and 18 for the Senate (from 25)
• Referendum on leaving euro 

Italy's FTSE MIB index intially fell 4.7%, while London's FTSE 100 shed 1.5% and share markets in Frankfurt and Paris also fell more than 2%.

In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.55% and Asian markets lost between 0.7% and 2.2%.
The yield on Italian government bonds rose sharply, implying markets are more wary of lending to Italy.
'Sacrifices' BBC economics correspondent Andrew Walker says it will be difficult to form a new government with an agreed economic programme.
As Mr Berlusconi conceded to his opponents in the lower house, he said that everyone should now reflect on what to do next so that fresh elections could be avoided.
"Italy must be governed," Mr Berlusconi said. "Everyone must be prepared to make sacrifices."
He would not do a deal with Mr Monti's centrist bloc, he added, saying that the prime minister's poor showing was down to popular discontent with his austerity measures.
Mr Berlusconi, 76, left office in November 2011, facing claims of economic mismanagement as the eurozone struggled to contain Italy's debt crisis.
Italians have had more than a year of technocratic government under Mario Monti. But his attempts to reduce spending caused widespread public resentment and his decision to head a centrist list in the parliamentary elections attracted little more than 10% of the vote.
In a surge in support, Beppe Grillo's anti-austerity Five Star Movement attracted more than a quarter of the vote, making it the most popular single party in the lower chamber.
Correspondents say this was an extraordinary success for the Genoese comic, whose tours around the country throughout the election campaign - hurling insults against a discredited political class - resulted in his party performing well in both chambers.

Are you in Italy? Did you vote? You can share your thoughts and experiences using the form below.

Jennifer Lawrence Talks Oscars Fall During Booze-Fuelled Interview: 'I Thought'

Just when we thought it wasn't possible for us to love Jennifer Lawrence any more, she went and fell up the stairs whilst accepting her Academy Award! During a post-Oscars press room interview, the actress opened up about THAT trip that we all saw, saying that when she was down there she simply thought 'f**k.'
She may be a Hollywood superstar, but Jennifer Lawrence is just as down to earth as the rest of us, it seems, as she's spoken out about her trip in front of a whole host of A-Listers and everybody watching at home.
When asked in a press room interview, posted by Perez Hilton, the 'Silver Linings Playbook' star simply said that she thought of a "bad word starting with F" as she tripped on her Dior dress whilst making her way up the stairs, after saying that she "stepped on the fabric whilst making her way to collect the award."
Jen also admitted that she'd "had a shot" just before she'd come to the interview.
When speaking about her 'getting ready' process, Lawrence said: "The process today was so stressful, I felt like Steve Martin in 'Father of the Bride', I was being torn apart, my whole family was getting ready - it was fun but mostly chaotic."
Before going on to say that her process included "having a shower, putting on makeup etc."
What a joker!

Jennifer Lawrence Talks Oscars Fall During Booze-Fuelled Interview: 'I Thought F**k!'
Jennifer Lawrence has joked about her fall at the Oscars (Photo: WENN)
After beating the likes of Jessica Chastain to the coveted prize, Jen told reporters backstage at the ceremony how she hopes the now award-winning movie will help break taboos about mental health: "I don't think we're going to stop until we get rid of the stigma for mental illness," she said in the press room interview.
Adding, "I know [director] David O Russell won't, and I hope that this helps."
"It's just so bizarre how in this world if you have asthma, you take asthma medication. If you have diabetes, you take diabetes medication. But as soon as you have to take medicine for your mind, it's such a stigma behind it."
Jennifer Lawrence, Anne Hathaway And More Glam Up For Vanity Fair's Oscar After Party
Russell Crowe And Other Oscar Stars Defend Host Seth MacFa

NASCAR's redesigned race cars receive rave reviews

 

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  The new Chevrolet SS racing is displayed at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013, in Daytona Beach, Fla. Chevrolet might have pulled …more 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow is a thing of the past.

Designed primarily to improve driver safety following the death of Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 Daytona 500, the car has been kicked to the curb, left in the rearview mirror and turned into scrap metal.

The redesigned replacements — at least so far — are a huge hit with drivers, owners, auto manufacturers and fans.

The new cars, dubbed "Generation 6," look considerably closer to the ones sold on showroom floors. It's NASCAR's way of putting the "stock" back in stock-car racing and possibly making the cars stars once again.
"It matters because it's the image we portray," defending Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski said. "I wear a fire suit with a helmet and a full seat around me. You can't see me. What you are seeing is this car going around the race track and the sponsors and the car construction, styling, etc. So that is what you see as a fan or as an ambassador of the sport. Absolutely it matters."
Cars used to be as iconic as drivers in NASCAR.
In the mid-1950s, race cars were virtually indistinguishable from production vehicles. Sure, they had some rudimentary safety equipment and numbers on the doors, but they often still had license plates and working headlights.
Against other real production cars, the very first Chrysler 300 was dominant. That set the stage for the next five decades of racing.
Fireball Roberts and his No. 22 black and gold Pontiac Catalina were mainstays in Victory Lane in the early 60s. Richard Petty's blue Dodge Charger was a series staple.
The Charger became so important to Petty that NASCAR extended the car's eligibility through the 1977 season, an unprecedented move for the sanctioning body. And few have forgotten Bill Elliott's sleek Ford Thunderbird or Earnhardt's stylish Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the late 1980s.
"People want that kind of connection with the car they're driving," NASCAR team owner Chip Ganassi said.
NASCAR hasn't had that in years.
The CoT debuted in 2007 after extension research and development. The driver's seat moved more toward the center of the car, which was longer and wider.
The result was a boxy car that was indistinguishable from make to make; NASCAR needed just one template to check every car during inspections. Maybe more troubling was that it was considerably less racy than its predecessor.
Drivers hated it, fans ripped it and NASCAR officials dismissed the backlash while continuously pointing to the car's safety record.
"It was something that's never happened in history, where manufacturers were basically treated like mushrooms — kept in the dark and under a pile a crap by the organizing bodies," said Lee White, president and general manager of Toyota Racing Development. "Now it's an opportunity for the manufacturers to become front and center."
Indeed.
With Chevrolet leading the way, and fellow manufactures Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. gladly following its lead, the auto giants demanded change. By some accounts, Chevy even threatened to leave NASCAR if the on-track cars didn't become more relevant.
NASCAR listened, and allowed the three manufacturers to develop unique versions of the Gen-6 car. That led to cars that closely resemble the Chevrolet SS, the Ford Fusion and the Toyota Camry.
Grills and body lines are similar. Silhouettes are within millimeters of their showroom counterparts.
"This is stock-car racing," said Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North America. "Everything is supposed to be stock or at least as close as you can get to stock. NASCAR knew it. The manufacturers knew. The fans knew it. Everyone could feel things were off. We're trying to appeal to a whole new generation of people, and when the car's not relevant, it gets really hard because everyone starts aging. We did this as much for the sport as we did for the brand."
Still, the ol' "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" mantra is what auto makers really would like to get back to.
"It's been a long time coming, and it's finally here," said NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick, who owns car dealerships across the country. "I've never seen this much energy about the car. We have the drivers as stars, and we used to have the cars as stars. Now I think we've got them both again, and I think that's the neatest part of this deal."
Feedback has been purely positive after two tests in January and through the first few days of Speedweeks.
Still, complete results won't really be known until the car makes its debut at superspeedways, short tracks and the all-important 1 1/2 mile ovals.
"The previous car was the ugliest car of all time," driver Jamie McMurray said. "I thought it was horrible. I think this is the best looking car we've ever been in. ... It's cool that we have some brand identity. If you're a Chevy fan, you have something to pull for. Before, the cars just had different decals on them. They are actually different now, which is cool."
And NASCAR isn't done making the race cars more closely mimic those on the streets.
The sanctioning body moved to ethanol-blended fuel in 2011 and then replaced carburetors with fuel-injection systems last year. Electronic power steering and glass dashboards could be next.
"It's our job to bring racing to fans in a format they can understand, that's relevant and not based on the past, but on the future," Reuss said.

IGN Expands Across Platforms With Launch Of Dedicated App On Roku Streaming Devices

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- IGN Entertainment, the leading video games media company, today announced the launch of a new IGN app on Roku® streaming devices. The new IGN channel on Roku gives customers easy access to hours of IGN's content, from original series to video reviews and game help videos, to exclusive live streams and more.
An important part of IGN's multi-screen strategy aimed at reaching users beyond desktop and mobile web, Roku joins iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, YouTube and Xbox Live, as well as a recently-launched channel on Pulse, as the latest platform on which to enjoy IGN's content.
Featuring 'instant access' to previews, reviews, game guides and game help walkthroughs; live-streamed events like the IGN Pro League and the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3); and IGN's extensive catalog of popular shows, including "The Daily Fix," "Strategize" and more – the app allows users to quickly view gaming-related content on the biggest screen in the house.
"With this new app, we continue our mission to reach gamers wherever they are, across all platforms, services and devices.  Now Roku owners will be able to enjoy IGN's content – on TV and on demand," said Todd Northcutt, VP of Product, IGN Entertainment.
The IGN app is available free of charge to all Roku users across all currently supported Roku player models in Canada, Republic of Ireland, UK, and US.
To add the IGN channel to a Roku device directly from your desktop, visit: http://www.roku.com/channels#!details/20574/ign.

About IGN Entertainment

A division of Ziff Davis, the leading digital media company in tech and gaming, IGN Entertainment is the world's largest video games media brand. Its network of video game-related properties (IGN.com, 1UP.com,GameSpy and others) is the #1 source for video game information. IGN's network also includes leading men's lifestyle site AskMen.com and entertainment site UGO.com.  Ziff Davis reaches a global audience of 53 million monthly unique users. Ziff Davis is a subsidiary of j2 Global, Inc.

Google looks for Glass explorers, shows off functionality

Google is looking for people who want to test Glass, its upcoming computerized eye glasses, and tell developers how they would use them.
The company today issued a call for applicants to become what it called "explorers" at the same time it released a video showing multiple clips of Google's Glass in action. The clips included pictures and video taken as users are doing everything from hot air ballooning to figure skating, to playing with their kids and riding a roller coaster.
The video also gives potential users a first look at the Glass interface. A translucent pane on the right eye glass shows options for taking photos, shooting videos, getting directions, sharing, search and showing maps with graphic overlays.
The glasses, now called Glass rather than Google Glass, also enable users to activate all these options with voice control.
"Last year, we showed Glass to the world for the first time," said Vic Gundotra, senior vice president if engineering at Google, in a blog post on Google+.
"We're developing new technology that is designed to be unobtrusive and liberating, and so far we've only scratched the surface of the true potential of Glass. Now we want you to get involved and that's why today we're expanding our Glass Explorer Program," he said.
Gundotra went on to say that Google wants people to apply to become part of a small group of what they're calling explorers.

"We're looking for bold, creative individuals who want to join us and be a part of shaping the future of Glass," wrote Gundotra. "We'd love to make everyone a Glass Explorer, but we're starting a bit smaller."
Becoming an explorer won't be cheap.
Every explorer must pre-order a Glass Explorer Edition for $1,500 plus tax and attend a special pick-up experience, in person, in New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles.
To apply, people can use either Google+ or Twitter to say in 50 words or less what they would do if they had Glass. They must use the hashtag #ifihadglass, be at least 18 years old and live in the U.S.
Applicants can include up to five photos and a video of no more than 15 seconds. Google will contact winners directly via +ProjectGlass on Google+ or @projectglass on Twitter.
Applications are available until27  February. 
"Glass is still in the early stages, so we expect there will be some twists and turns along the way," wrote Gundotra. "While we can't promise everything will be perfect, we can promise it will be exciting."
Google has been fairly public about the development of the computerized glasses.
At last year's Google I/O developer's conference, Glass stole the show with a wild demo that had two men jumping out of a plane flying over San Francisco and parachuting to the roof of the Moscone Center where the conference was being held. They were wearing the glasses and streaming live video of their jump from them.

Sony's PS4 is a win - with reservations

Sony's high-octane presentation of its next-generation PlayStation 4 gaming system mostly impressed observers.

FORTUNE -- On Wednesday night, Sony launched the latest version of the Playstation to thumping music, lasers, and a giant screen that wrapped around the audience. The company hopes the super-charged PS4 will help it retake the top spot among console makers and prove its relevance in the changing games market. The games maker touted slick graphics and new features such as the ability to share videos and photos of gameplay on the web.
What do analysts think? Many were impressed with Sony's (SNE) presentation, but overall it's a mixed bag. The lack of price -- not to mention an actual look at the box -- leave a lot to speculation. Here's a summary:
Streaming games have plusses and minuses.
Seth Sigman, Credit Suisse
The negative: (1) the PS4 will not play old PS3 physical games, a potential negative for console adoption given consumers' demand for backwards compatibility. (2) Downloading functionality has improved, per Sony. (3) Streaming features will allow users to demo games before purchasing, which may raise concerns as to whether that evolves to full game streaming.
Shiro Mikoshiba, Nomura Equity Research
Although the PS4 is primarily targeted at heavy gamers, the company also sees a role for it as a home server, sharing music and video data with a wide range of other devices. Seamless sharing of data with smartphones and tablets would be a positive step forward for Sony's network strategy, in our view.
The price -- and the cost of setting up infrastructure to support all its new network features -- will matter a lot.
Yasuo Nakane, Deutsche Bank
We will be watching for 1) the price announcement (possibly around $450 to avoid per-unit losses), 2) how it will utilize existing models such as the PS3, 3) the emergence of synergy effects with other products including TVs, VAIO, and DSCs, and 4) expenditure on servers and software to beef up its network services.
Kota Ezawa and Takahide Kasai, Citi Research
We expect concern over the use of a CPU and laser diodes that cost several hundred dollars, and the high power consumption that dogged the PS3 will unlikely be an issue for the PS4. We expect modest initial losses on hardware, and substantial profits on the software side. If the shelf price is around $300, we would expect the PS4 to incur operating losses of ¥20bn in FY3/14 and ¥57bn in FY3/15. 
The games looked great.
Macquarie Research
The PS4 event impressed us, though post the flurry of pre-event speculation, there were few surprises. The biggest one for us was the announcement that Bungie's Destiny would be coming to the PS4; our U.S. colleagues Ben Schachter and John Merrick note that Activision played a surprisingly large role in wrapping up Sony's presentation.
Eiichi Katayama, Bank of America
Just about all PS4 games will be playable on the PS Vita, and we think this is epoch-making. In the future it will also be possible to reissue PS1-3 software. However, this concept involves playing games in the cloud, supported by PS4, so theoretically it should be possible to play PS4 on smartphones as well.
The biggest surprise? The PS4 is a (really) good thing for AMD.
Srini Pajjuri and Ryan Goodman, CLSA Credit Agricole Securities
Sony unveiled the PlayStation 4, and it is now confirmed that AMD (AMD) has won the integrated CPU+GPU socket. AMD's design win is somewhat expected, but the announcement is still a positive development and could contribute ~$250m in revenues in 2013.

Jobs, inflation data favor easy Fed policy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More Americans than expected filed new claims for jobless aid last week and consumer prices were flat in January, supporting the argument for the Federal Reserve to maintain its very accommodative monetary policy stance.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 20,000 to a seasonally adjusted 362,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday.
It said in a second report that consumer prices were flat for a second consecutive month in January. The data comes amid growing signs of divisions at the Fed over its bond buying program aimed to stimulate the sluggish economic recovery.
"The job market is gradually improving but not fast enough for the Fed to remove accommodation. We still think a Fed rate hike is a late 2014 to early 2015 event," said Jacob Oubina, a senior economist at RBC Capital Markets in New York.
Concerns over tepid job growth prompted the U.S. central bank last year to embark on an open-ended bond buying program. It said it would keep up the program, which it hopes will push down borrowing costs, until it saw a substantial improvement in the outlook for the labor market.
The Fed also has committed to hold interest rates near zero until unemployment reaches 6.5 percent, provided inflation does not threaten to push over 2.5 percent.
However, minutes of the January 29-30 policy meeting published on Wednesday showed some Fed policymakers feel the central bank may have to slow or stop the asset purchases before it sees an acceleration in job growth because of concerns over the costs of the program.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected first-time jobless applications to rise to 355,000. Last week's data covered the survey period for the February nonfarm payrolls report. Claims were up 27,000 between the January and February survey periods.
But this probably does not suggest any material change in the pace of job growth given that claims been very volatile since January because of difficulties smoothing the data for seasonal fluctuations.
With inflation pressures well contained and the labor market only gradually improving, a shift in Fed policy is unlikely.
Last month, the Consumer Price Index was held back by weak gasoline prices and food prices, which were unchanged after rising over the past months, the Labor Department said.
Economists polled by Reuters had expected the CPI to edge up 0.1 percent. In the 12 months through January, consumer prices rose 1.6 percent, the smallest gain since July. They had advanced 1.7 percent in December.
However, consumer prices excluding food and energy rose 0.3 percent - the largest gain since May 2011. The so-called core CPI had increased 0.1 percent in December.
In the 12 months through January, core CPI increased 1.9 percent after rising by the same margin in December. That is just below the Fed's 2 percent goal.
Gasoline prices fell 3.0 percent after dropping 1.9 percent the prior month. But the decline in gas probably has run its course as prices at the pump have increased 44 cents so far this year.
Elsewhere, apparel prices increased 0.8 percent after gaining 0.1 percent in December. New motor vehicle prices rose 0.1 percent after advancing 0.2 percent the prior month.
Prices for used cars and trucks rose 0.2 percent after six consecutive months of declines. Airline fares rose for a fifth month in a row.
Housing costs edged up, with owners' equivalent rent rising 0.2 percent.
(Additional reporting by Richard Leong in New York; Editing by Andrea Ricci)

Forget the Death Cross, Gold Is a Buy: Pento

Rates are rising, and lawmakers are brawling over budget cuts. Fear is in retreat, and gold is getting kicked to the curb. Even the chartists are piling on the precious metal today, noting the occurrence of gold's first death cross in over a year, as the spot price dips below $1600 an ounce. As ominous as all of this seems, at least one gold bug says he is undeterred.

"I'm a fundamental guy. I care nothing about golden crosses or death crosses or anything of the kind," says Michael Pento, founder and president of Pento Portfolio Strategies. While he currently holds about 15% of his portfolio in gold and admits he's "not happy," he's confident his bullish call will vindicate him in the near future.
"The central bank has adopted an inflation target, and I believe Mr. Bernanke will hit that target — and exceed it," Pento adds.
Some readers will surely protest that inflation fears, while rampant, have yet to materialize. However, Pento says a combination of growing money supply, a mushrooming balance sheet at the Fed, our burgeoning Federal debt and deficit, a devalued dollar and global central bank demand for gold all bode well for the metal's second coming. Pento predicts this "huge advance" will drive gold to a record $2300 an ounce over the next 12 to 18 months.
As he sees it, gold is simply consolidating at this level after its previous monstrous rally took it from $250 to $1900. He adds that he would "use this pullback as an opportunity to accumulate" gold and gold mining stocks (GDX) and that this momentary stall is "not a reason to slit your wrists."

Clive Davis responds to Kelly Clarkson: 'I had every fact checked'

The cold war of words between longtime music mogul Clive Davis and pop star (and former Davis charge) Kelly Clarkson got a new chapter yesterday.
To recap: In his new autobiography The Soundtrack of My Life, Davis told a handful of stories about the former American Idol champ, which included her weeping during a meeting and not wanted to release smash hits “Since U Been Gone” and “Behind These Hazel Eyes.”
Clarkson responded yesterday with an open letter to her fans, noting that Davis’ “stories and songs are mixed up.” She also said that the only time she ever cried in front of Davis was when he told her he hated the song “Because of You.”
Davis, not accustomed to letting someone else have the last word, shot back on Twitter. “As anyone who has read The Soundtrack of My Life knows, I think Kelly Clarkson is a tremendous vocal talent and performer,” he wrote. “In the book, I provide an in-depth look at our years together during which we shared major multi-platinum success, as well as a few creative differences. I am truly very sorry that she has decided to take issue with what I know to be an accurate depiction of our time together. Before the book was published, I had every fact checked with five independent individuals who were present on a daily basis throughout it all. The chapter as it is written was thoroughly verified by each and every one of them. I stand by the chapter as written in my book. At the same time I wish, and will always wish, Kelly’s talent and her career to soar to ever new heights.”

Ashley Morrison husband Rob Morrison in court; anchor accused of choking wife

February 20, 2013 (STAMFORD, Conn.) -- Before he went into a Stamford, Connecticut, court Tuesday, 44-year-old New York City anchor Rob Morrison told reporters he had ''never laid hands'' on his wife Ashley Morrison.

But the judge said the police report indicates ''a serious incident'' and the ''likelihood of a serious history.'' The judge ordered Rob Morrison to stay 100 yards away from his wife, except in the workplace. The two both work as news anchors at CBS News in New York - she anchors CBS MoneyWatch. Ashley Morrison was not in court.
"She wanted an order of protection in this point in time with respect to herself but not with respect to work. She feels very comfortable if they're working together," said Steven Mandel, Ashley Morrison's attorney. The couple has a 7-year-old son. Police say he was not involved in the incident. Both Morrisons used to work at WVIT in Hartford, Connecticut. CBS2 in New York has not commented about when the Morrisons will be back on air; they've said it's a "personal matter."
An alleged death threat was revealed in a court document released during Tuesday's arraignment. Meanwhile, New York City police said they were called to the couple's former Manhattan home on West 90th Street 11 times between 2004 and 2009 because of domestic disputes. They said one call resulted in an arrest, but that case was sealed. In the 10 cases that did not result in an arrest, the calls involved verbal disputes and harassment, with no allegations of physical violence, the police said.
In the Stamford case, a police officer wrote that Morrison said "he would kill his wife" if he were released. Rob Morrison is charged with strangulation, threatening and disorderly conduct. His lawyer says the allegations have been exaggerated.
Morrison's lawyer, Robert Skovgaard, did not enter a plea at the arraignment. He said afterward a plea would come "at the appropriate time." Skovgaard did not immediately return a call about the New York incidents.
Outside the courthouse, Morrison said: "I did not choke my wife. I've never raised my hands to my wife." Morrison was released Tuesday on the $100,000 bond he posted Sunday. He is due back in court in Stamford on March 26.
Rob Morrison, who has been a combat correspondent and was a reporter and anchor for WNBC-TV, anchors WCBS-TV's news programs "This Morning" and "News at Noon." Ashley Morrison worked for Bloomberg Television before joining "CBS MoneyWatch."
Skovgaard said that because of the order of protection, Rob Morrison "will not be going home tonight."

Girl catches fire in hospital room: 'I woke up to fire'

PORTLAND, Ore. – At just 11 years old, Ireland Lane has spent plenty of time in a hospital room. She had already survived cancer and was back in the hospital to treat a head injury when bad luck struck again earlier this month.

Ireland was cleaning up with hand sanitizer in her hospital room at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital on February 2 when she suddenly caught fire.

Her father, Steve Lane, was napping in the room when he woke up to his daughter saying she was burning.

“I told the nurses I’d take a nap because I was up with her all night. I woke up to fire.” Steve said. “All I saw was the back end of her going out the door and I was right behind her. Nurses had her down, trying to put her out. One yelled ‘put a fire blanket over her.’ I laid across her back and put the fire out.”

Steve said he ripped off a rubber decal on his daughter’s shirt that was melting as the nurses rushed to treat her. She suffered burns from her neck down to her stomach and also on her arms.

The fire marshal is still investigating how the fire started. It’s possible the hand sanitizer, which is flammable, played a role, although fires with sanitizer are incredibly rare.

“They couldn’t find any sources,” Steve said. “No machinery, I’ve never smoked, no lighters, matches, nothing that would cause fire.”

Steve said his daughter just recently learned about static electricity and at one point was goofing around with the sheets watching the sparks when she touched something.

"I've been in medicine going back 30 years now and never heard anything like this. And hopefully I never will again," Dr. Stacy Nicholson, Assistant Chief at Doernbecher Children's Hospital, said on Sunday evening.

Ireland had been cleaning up after an art project when the fire started. It was the day she was supposed to be discharged and she was making a box as a thank you gift for her nurses. She used the hand sanitizer to clean the table.

She frequently used hand sanitizer ever since being diagnosed with cancer. Her cancer is currently in remission.

Ireland has had one skin graft since suffering the burns. She will have a second on her 12th birthday this coming Thursday. She’ll likely have scars, but otherwise is expected to make a full recovery from the burns.

Her father praised the hospital staff for their quick reaction. He said despite everything that has happened to her, Ireland remains upbeat.

“She’s still happy – a kid smiling and playing,” Steve said. “She takes everything so well.”
 

Taylor Swift Sued for $2.5 Million Over Canceled Canadian Concert

Did Taylor Swift take the money and run?
The 23-year-old songbird is on the receiving end of a lawsuit for allegedly taking a $2.5 million advance fee to headline last August's Capital Hoedown music festival in Ottawa, Canada, only to keep the cash after the event was canceled.
According to the complaint filed in federal court in New York and obtained by E! News, Florida-based ticketing company FIRE USA Inc. accused Swift and her management, the Austin-based Messina Group, of accepting the payment, then refusing to perform "and/or reschedule a new appearance" which "amounted to a breach" of her contract. Bethenny Frankel Bares Skin on Vacation

FIRE said it was suing the country crooner after being slapped with a lawsuit by Evo Merchant Services, a Big Apple-based credit card payment processing company that was reportedly on the hook for refunds after numerous credit card firms submitted requests on behalf of disappointed ticket holders.
Evo is seeking $1.8 million to cover losses suffered after claiming FIRE refused to cough up the dough in violation of their contract. That suit forced the ticketing company to take legal action against Swift to recoup the performance fee from the "I Knew You Were Trouble" singer.
A rep for Swift was unavailable for comment. But Taylor's camp reportedly told TMZ that Swift never made a deal with FIRE and hasn't seen the suit.

Clive Davis, Whitney Houston mentor, reveals he's bisexual

02/19/2013 by Corinne Heller

Clive Davis, an 80-year-old music executive and producer who served as a mentor to the late Whitney Houston, gets personal in his new book -- he reveals publicly for the first time that he is bisexual.
In the autobiography "The Soundtrack of My Life," which was released on Tuesday, February 19, he also recalls how he discovered the troubled pop star and the concern he felt and expressed to her personally about her drug abuse.
Davis, who has been married twice to women and divorced twice and has three sons and a daughter, recently discussed his new book in an interview with ABC's "Nightline" that aired on Monday. He told host Cynthia McFadden that he dated both women and men when he was single.
"I'm not lying and [bisexuality] exists," he said. "For over 50 years I never had sex with a male. It wasn't repressed. I had very good sexual relationships with women."
"I never felt shame, no," he added. "I never felt shame. I felt puzzled. This subject of bisexuality really needs much more discussion because the answer was ... that it does exist. I dated. I dated a few women and a few men and I met a man that I'm currently in a relationship with."
Davis and his partner have been together for seven years. He is not named in the book. Davis said the man is "very much" part of his life and also spends time with his family.
In 1967, at age 35, Davis became the president of Columbia Records and signed acts such as Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, Pink Floyd and Neil Diamond, according to his official bio. In 1974, he founded Arista Records and signed Barry Manilow, who later released the hit ballad "Mandy."
Davis later founded J Records and is currently the chief creative officer of Sony Music Entertainment. In recent years, he has produced albums for the likes of Kelly Clarkson -- who took to her WhoSay account on Tuesday to rant about Davis' book, which she says includes false information about her.
Whitney Houston's "skeletal figure"
Davis discovered Houston when she was 19 years old, at a nightclub. The iconic singer, best known for her songs from the 1992 film "The Bodyguard," which marked her film debut, died at age 48 on Feb. 11, 2012 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. The cause -- accidental drowning in a bathtub, spurred by cocaine use and a preexisting heart condition (see more details from the Whitney Houston autopsy report).
In a 2001 letter reprinted in the book, Davis expresses his concern about her "skeletal" appearance at Michael Jackson's 30th Anniversary Special concert in New York City -- which celebrated 30 years of the solo career of the King of Pop, who died himself on June 25, 2009 (Check out OTRC's coverage of Michael Jackson and his former doctor Conrad Murray's death trial.
"After I saw her as a skeletal figure at the Michael Jackson Madison Square Garden concert ... from my heart, I wrote her a letter that it was time to deal with clearly a drug problem that she could no longer ignore," Davis said on "Nightline" about Houston.
"She did not reply," he added. "I do know that she got the letter. I do know when I brought this subject up to her personally ... I think it was the year 2000 and Bobby Brown was actually in jail and advised her that she must get rehab treatment intensely and she was not ready."
Brown, who was married to Houston for 15 years until 2007, has battled substance abuse and has undergone rehab himself. He served several weeks in jail for a probation violation.
Houston's mother Cissy had written in her own recently-released book that she believes "it would have been easier" for her daughter to "get sober and stay sober" had she not stayed with Brown, who she says "wanted to party" and "never seemed to be a help to her in the way she needed."
Brown has not commented, while his and Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina says she is boycotting her grandmother's book.
Houston died at the same hotel where Davis was set to host his annual pre-Grammy Awards party. The bash took place as scheduled, with top performers such as Alicia Keys, and Davis dedicated it to the singer, while coroner's office officials worked inside her room, alongside her lifeless body, to gather evidence to determine how she died.
"Going through the event that night ... was a no brainer," Davis told CNN in an interview released on February 8. "Whitney was here not to perform but it was her favorite night of the year, so that whether it was the Grammy party or whether it was the Grammy Awards show the new night, there was never a question that we would not celebrate music in her honor."
"I was personally shattered," he added. "The audience, I know, was feeling an emotional devastation. But I would say 99 percent of the calls that I got [were like] 'Don't leave us alone, we want to be with each other, we don't want to sit in our hotel rooms having come from either Europe or across from the East Coast. We want to be with our musical brothers and sisters.'"
Following Houston's death, Chaka Khan said on the TV show "Piers Morgan Tonight" that the decision to hold the party was "complete insanity."
"There might have been a few people who did not want to attend and of course, that's their prerogative," Davis told CNN. "There are no rights or wrongs when such a tragedy occurs but the room was packed. It was standing room only from beginning to end. We did justice to Whitney's musical heritage and I am really the bearer of her flame."
(Pictured above: Whitney Houston is seen with music producer Clive Davis, in 1983, shortly after signing a contract with Arista Records. / President of Arista Records Clive Davis, center, is flanked by singers Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown on Sept. 14, 1995, during a dinner to honor Davis in New York. Davis was honored by the T.J. Martell Foundation, the music industry's largest supporter of leukemia, cancer and AIDS research. / Credit: AP Photos / Paul Hurschmann)
Watch Clive Davis' interview on ABC's "Nightline" below.

Bonnaroo 2013 Lineup: 20 Acts To Catch At The Music Festival

Bonnaroo 2013 announced its headliners and initial lineup Tuesday. The three-day festival will take place on June 13-19 at Manchester, Tenn., and here are 20 acts you should check out at Bonnaroo.

 

As previously reported on IBTimes, the Bonnaroo Music Festival announced its 2013 lineup and will feature headliners Paul McCartney, Mumford & Sons, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Bjork as well as some great acts including Wilco, Pretty Lights, R. Kelly, Wu-Tang Clan, The National, The Lumineers and plenty more. While the top of the lineup sells tickets, the middle is where you can find some of the best new music, and it’s a great way to discover some new artists.

For Bonnaroo 2013, seeing David Byrne and St. Vincent is a must. The duo put on a great live show, complete with choreography, as well as songs from their album, “Love This Giant,” as well as songs from Talking Heads and St. Vincent’s discography. Bjork always offers a rare spectacle with interesting art direction. Wilco is one of the best American rock bands and have a great discography with plenty of songs to choose from. If Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers are two acts that you're looking forward to at Bonnaroo, Iceland’s Of Monsters and Men should also be added to that list.

Digging deeper, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are a surprise sensation, topping the charts while being unsigned. Their Bonnaroo appearance is one of 11 scheduled shows in America. Tame Impala’s blend of garage rock and psychedelia are a perfect complement to the hot Tennessee sun, and Billy Idol will be a fun throwback to the 1980s. There are plenty of great British bands to check out at Bonnaroo as well, including Alt-J, winner of the 2012 Mercury Prize, Foals, Django Django and Charli XCX.
Hopping back to America, Local Natives, Haim, Milo Greene and Matthew E. White are just a few of the exciting young acts to check out at Bonnaroo while Canada also gets some attention with Purity Ring and The Sheepdogs.
If you want to get out of your comfort zone, Death Grips are sure to put on one chaotic show while Araabmuzik will be a great electronic act to see, in addition to A-Trak.
The 20 acts are just a few that you may not know and there are plenty of great acts that will be at Bonnaroo. There are plenty of great comedy acts, such as Daniel Tosh and “Weird Al” Yankovic, as well as veteran indie bands, such as Passion Pit, The xx and Grizzly Bear, and exciting rap and hip hop from Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky. Like any music festival, discovery is much of the fun.
The playlist of the 20 artists to check out at Bonnaroo can be streamed below.

Michael Jackson's Son Prince Lands TV Job

Michael Jackson's eldest son has started work as a television showbiz reporter.

Prince Michael, 16, is working for Entertainment Tonight, a daily tabloid TV show that claims it is the "most watched entertainment news magazine in the world".
His first assignment saw him interviewing the stars of Oz The Great And Powerful - the upcoming remake of The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz.
"I'm looking to become well-rounded as a producer, director, screenwriter and actor," he said after being mentored through interviews with James Franco, Zach Braff and director Sam Raimi.
The Wizard Of Oz is close to his heart as his father, who died in 2009 at the age of 50, played The Scarecrow in the 1978 feature film The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical Wonderful Wizard Of Oz, directed by Sidney Lumet.

Prince Michael with his sister Paris (L) and aunt LaToya (R)

Entertainment Tonight correspondent Brooke Anderson, who gave the younger Jackson some on-screen tips on interview techniques, said he seemed so much wiser and older than 16.
"That's what most of my people say. That was all thanks to my Dad. He raised me right," said the teenager.
Prince Michael said he now wants to interview Peter Jackson, the director of The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
He explained: "I just love the way he shoots (and how) he brings things and depicts it back to life.
"I used to study his movies with my Dad, put the volume off and just watch it, just the shots to see how he put it together."
Michael Joseph "Prince" Jackson is the eldest of the King of Pop's three children, along with Paris and Blanket.
Paris launched her acting career last year at the age of 13 with the family fantasy Lundon's Bridge And The Three Keys.

Lil Wayne Claims NBA Banned Him From Events

Lil Wayne is not a fan of the Miami Heat.
In video obtained by TMZ, the rapper is seen at his Houston concert Sunday night saying the NBA banned him from all events because the Miami Heat asked them too.
“When I say f–k, you say NBA.. When I say f–k, you say the Miami Heat,” he said. He also claimed he slept with Miami Heat’s Chris Bosh’s wife.
A representative of the NBA denied Lil Wayne has been banned.
Neither Bosh nor his wife Adrienne Bosh have publicly commented on the rapper’s accusation. Adrienne has retweeted several positive comments from friends and followers on Twitter including Gabrielle Union, wife of fellow Miami Heat player Dwyane Wade.
“Some people attack those who have the peace & joy they wish they had! Pay them no mind! Live your dream, strut & wave,” Union tweeted.
Lil Wayne’s explicit rant is his latest attack on the Miami Heat. The rapper claimed he was kicked out of the Miami Heart/Los Angeles Lakers game Feb. 10 for rooting for the Lakers.
“So I’m @ da Heat game right, rootin 4 da Lakers kuz dats my team & would u believe they got police 2 make me leave?! Wow! F#€k da Heat,” he tweeted.
A representative for the Heat did not immediately respond to ABCNews.com’s request for comment, but a spokeswoman told USA Today the rapper was not kicked out and that he chose to leave.

Chuck E. Cheese killer faces execution in Colorado appeal denial

DENVER — A Colorado judge can schedule the state's first execution in 15 years after the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from an inmate who killed four people at a Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in 1993.
The high court's rejection ends Nathan Dunlap's guaranteed appeals and sends the case back to Colorado's 18th Judicial District, where a judge will set a timeframe for execution, said Carolyn Tyler, spokeswoman for the state Attorney General's office.
Dunlap was a 19-year-old former employee of the restaurant when he killed the night manager of the restaurant and three teenage employees. They all died from shots to the head.
Another employee was wounded but survived and identified Dunlap as the killer. A jury convicted Dunlap in 1996.
The Supreme Court's decision comes as Democrats control the state Legislature and are considering introducing a bill to abolish the death penalty.
Dunlap, 38, is one of three men on Colorado's death row.
The state's last execution was in 1997 when Gary Lee Davis was put to death for his conviction in a 1986 slaying. Before that, Colorado had gone 30 years since its last execution, in part because of a 1972 U.S. Supreme Court decision that led to a moratorium on the death penalty.
Colorado reinstated the death penalty in 1984. But in 2003, three inmates had their death sentences commuted to life in prison without parole after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that juries, not judges, should impose capital punishment.
Dunlap's death sentence was handed up by a jury, which convicted him of eight counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, robbery, theft and burglary.
The Colorado Attorney General's office had opposed his appeal to the Supreme Court. His attorneys can file a motion to delay the process in Colorado and can also file a clemency application to Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper, asking that Dunlap's life be spared and instead that he be sentenced to life in prison, Tyler said.
Phil Cherner, Dunlap's appellate attorney since 1998, said in a statement that Dunlap should spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Hugo Chavez returns to Venezuela after Cuba cancer care

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Information Minister Ernesto Villegas: "He's back! Bravo! Commander Chavez has returned" 

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has returned to the country after receiving treatment for cancer in Cuba.

In three messages posted on Twitter, Mr Chavez, 58, thanked Cuban President and ex-leader Raul and Fidel Castro.
He also thanked Venezuelans for their support and said he would continue treatment in his home country.
He has been president for 14 years and was re-elected for another six-year term in October 2012, but his swearing-in was delayed because of his illness.
Mr Chavez went to Havana for surgery on 11 December, his fourth operation in an 18-month period for cancer first diagnosed in mid-2011.
Last week the first images of him since the operation were broadcast by Venezuela's government.
He was pictured smiling as he lay in bed reading a newspaper, with his two daughters by his side.
Thanks and praise Mr Chavez announced his return to Venezuela to his 3.9 million Twitter followers in a series of tweets that were bombastic in tone but short on detail.
"We have arrived back in the land of Venezuela. Thank you Lord!! Thanks to my beloved people!! We will continue our treatment here."

 

There was no information about when or why he returned, and no details about whether he would actively take up the duties of office.

He is yet to be sworn in for his new term, and doubts remain about whether his health will allow him to return to active politics.
Instead he thanked Cuba's leaders and people and said he had confidence in his doctors.
"Onwards to victory!! We will live and we will overcome!!!" he wrote in his final tweet.
Local media quoted Vice-President Nicolas Maduro as saying that Mr Chavez landed at 02:30 local time (06:30 GMT) before being transferred to the Military Hospital in Caracas.
State TV later confirmed his return, proclaiming the president's repatriation in joyous terms: "He's back! Bravo!" said one presenter. "Commander Chavez has returned!"
Those sentiments were echoed on the streets of Caracas, where supporters headed towards the hospital and the central Bolivar Square.
Waving banners and carrying portraits of their idol, the crowds of red-clad "Chavistas" spoke of their hero in similar terms: "We're all Chavez", one man told the Associated Press.
The extent of Mr Chavez's illness is shrouded in mystery, but it is understood to be serious. Mr Maduro described it as a "continuous battle".
During his treatment the Venezuelan leader is reported to have had tumours removed from his pelvic region.
He has also undergone prior rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Vice-President Nicolas Maduro has been the key player in Venezuela with Chavez out of the country

Mr Maduro has effectively been running Venezuela since Mr Chavez went to Cuba, and the opposition has demanded clarity about who is in charge.
Delaying the inauguration scheduled for 10 January, the Venezuelan Supreme Court ruled that Mr Chavez could be sworn in at a later date.
But the opposition argued that National Assembly Speaker Diosdado Cabello should take over and new elections should be held.