Dame Helen Mirren showed up at the White House correspondents’ dinner with purple gown, a purple tattoo near her collarbone and a plan to honor Prince.
The hand-drawn symbol is temporary, but the actress still wanted to honor the legendary singer, who died suddenly last week at age 57. “I admire great artists and he was a great artist,” she said, according to The Post’s Roxanne Roberts.
Mirren says she wishes the drawing had a cooler story. “I’d love to say that Prince himself did it in 1988 or something, instead of me in the bathroom this morning,” Mirren told The Post’s Emily Heil.
Lord knows, she didn’t have to make such an effort to get attention. From the time she arrived on the WHCD party scene Friday night, the Oscar winner was perhaps the most sought-after A-lister in town. At the dinner itself, she had a prime table with both Joe Biden and John Kerry. I mean, she is Dame Helen Freakin Mirren.
This isn’t the first time Mirren has arrived in Washington with a visible message: The actress showed up at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2005 with a t-shirt over her dress as a tribute to Hurricane Katrina victims:
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Hindu man hacked to death in Bangladesh
At least two unknown assailants have hacked a Hindu tailor to death in central Bangladesh, police say, amid a rise in attacks on religious minorities in the South Asian nation.
Police officials said they were investigating whether Saturday's killing in Tangail was linked to religious groups suspected of a series of minority killings, or was tied to a family dispute.
"They came on a motorcycle and attacked him as he sat on a roadside. They hacked him on his head, neck and hand," Aslam Khan, deputy chief of Tangail district police, told AFP news agency.
Bangladesh is reeling from a series of attacks on members of minority faiths, secularists, foreigners and intellectuals in recent months, including two gay activists and a liberal professor in the past eight days alone.
Many of the killings have been blamed on or claimed by groups such as al-Qaeda or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.
Police said local Muslims had filed a complaint against Joarder, who owned a tailoring shop, to police in 2012 for making comments about Prophet Muhammad.
He was charged with hurting religious sentiments and spent three weeks in jail.
"But the trial did not proceed after the complainants withdrew the charges," Abdul Jalil, the police chief of Gopalpur sub-district, told AFP.
ISIL threat
Another police official said that the dispute appeared to have ended peacefully, adding that the victim's family said he was also being threatened by a relative.
The murder came less than a week after attackers hacked to death two gay-rights activists in the capital Dhaka, saying they tried to promote homosexuality in the deeply conservative nation.
In February suspected ISIL supporters decapitated a top Hindu priest inside a temple complex in a northern district.
However, the government denies that international groups such as ISIL or al-Qaeda have a presence in the country.
Hindus make up around nine percent of Bangladesh's population.
Police officials said they were investigating whether Saturday's killing in Tangail was linked to religious groups suspected of a series of minority killings, or was tied to a family dispute.
"They came on a motorcycle and attacked him as he sat on a roadside. They hacked him on his head, neck and hand," Aslam Khan, deputy chief of Tangail district police, told AFP news agency.
Bangladesh is reeling from a series of attacks on members of minority faiths, secularists, foreigners and intellectuals in recent months, including two gay activists and a liberal professor in the past eight days alone.
Many of the killings have been blamed on or claimed by groups such as al-Qaeda or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.
Police said local Muslims had filed a complaint against Joarder, who owned a tailoring shop, to police in 2012 for making comments about Prophet Muhammad.
He was charged with hurting religious sentiments and spent three weeks in jail.
"But the trial did not proceed after the complainants withdrew the charges," Abdul Jalil, the police chief of Gopalpur sub-district, told AFP.
ISIL threat
Another police official said that the dispute appeared to have ended peacefully, adding that the victim's family said he was also being threatened by a relative.
The murder came less than a week after attackers hacked to death two gay-rights activists in the capital Dhaka, saying they tried to promote homosexuality in the deeply conservative nation.
In February suspected ISIL supporters decapitated a top Hindu priest inside a temple complex in a northern district.
However, the government denies that international groups such as ISIL or al-Qaeda have a presence in the country.
Hindus make up around nine percent of Bangladesh's population.
Kate Poses For Front Cover Of Vogue Magazine
The Duchess of Cambridge has for the first time taken part in an exclusive photoshoot for a magazine.
The 34-year-old royal is appearing on the front cover of British Vogue to mark 100 years of the well-known fashion publication.
Prince William's wife was snapped by British photographer Josh Olins in the Norfolk countryside in a series of pictures wearing casual clothing rather than more formal attire.
Mr Olins said she was "a joy to work with, a natural".
For the cover photo, she wears a coat and shirt by Burberry and the vintage hat from Beyond Retro.
In another image, she wears a top by Petit Bateau and trousers from Burberry
Seven photographs will appear in the centenary June issue of Vogue, and two of those are being displayed in the exhibition Vogue 100: A Century of Style, which is being held at the National Portrait Gallery.
A spokesperson for the royal said: "Since 1916, Vogue has been a leading champion of British portraiture.
"The Duchess was delighted to play a part in celebrating the centenary of an institution that has given a platform to some of the most renowned photographers in this country's history.
"She is incredibly grateful to the team at Vogue and at the National Portrait Gallery for asking her to take part.
"The Duchess had never taken part in a photography shoot like this before.
"She hopes that people appreciate the portraits with the sense of relaxed fun with which they were taken."
Alexandra Shulman, editor-in-chief of British Vogue, said: "To be able to publish a photographic shoot with HRH The Duchess of Cambridge has been one of my greatest ambitions for the magazine.
"I'm delighted the Duchess agreed to work with us and the National Portrait Gallery.
"And as a result of this unique collaboration we have a true celebration of our centenary as well as a fitting tribute to a young woman whose interest in both photography and the countryside is well known."
Josh Olins added: "It's a privilege to have been chosen to photograph HRH The Duchess of Cambridge for the Centenary issue of British Vogue and an honour that two of those portraits will hang in the National Portrait Gallery in London.
"This was the Duchess's first sitting for a magazine and she was a joy to work with, a natural."
Prince William's mother Princess Diana also posed for Vogue, but the US edition, as well as several other major fashion magazines.
The exhibition Vogue 100: A Century of Style opens from Sunday 1 May at the National Portrait Gallery.
Calvin Harris rules out working with Taylor Swift
Calvin Harris is working on "a bunch of stuff" including projects with Rihanna, Ellie Goulding and John Newman.
But the one person not on his list is his girlfriend, Taylor Swift.
The Scottish DJ says: "We haven't even spoken about it, but I can't see it happening. She is about to take a long break."
On Friday, he premiered his current track with Rihanna - That Is What You Came For on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show with Nick Grimshaw.
It is the second time Calvin has worked with Rihanna, five years after We Found Love was released
Protesters storm Baghdad's Green Zone and parliament
Hundreds of supporters of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have stormed Baghdad's Green Zone and some entered the Iraqi parliament building after lawmakers failed to convene for a vote on overhauling the government.
The protesters, who had gathered outside the heavily fortified district housing government buildings and foreign embassies, crossed a bridge over the Tigris River on Saturday chanting, "The cowards ran away!" in apparent reference to lawmakers leaving parliament, a witnesses told Reuters.
Kenya To Light World's Biggest Ivory Bonfire
More than 100 tons of ivory will be burned later in a gesture Kenya hopes will shock the world into ending the trade in elephant tusks.
Eleven pyres of tusks have been piled up, ready to be set alight in Nairobi's national park.
The estimated 105 tons of ivory and 1.4 tons of rhino horn is believed to be seven times the size of any stockpile burned before.
It will mean the vast majority of the Kenya's ivory collection is destroyed.
On the black market, such a quantity of ivory could sell for more than $100m (£68.5m), while the rhino horn could raise as much as $80m (£55m).
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta will be the first to ignite the tusks at a ceremony attended by a number of African heads of state.
They are expected to burn for several days.
Speaking at a Giants Club wildlife summit on Friday, Mr Kenyatta demanded a "total ban" on trade in ivory to prevent the extinction of Africa's embattled elephant and rhino populations.
"The future of the African elephant and rhino is far from secure so long as demand for their products continues to exist," he told the meeting of African leaders and conservationists.
"To lose our elephants would be to lose a key part of the heritage that we hold in trust. Quite simply, we will not allow it," he said.
"We will not be the Africans who stood by as we lost our elephants."
The estimated 16,000 tusks and pieces of ivory due to be set alight represent just a fraction of the 30,000 elephants believed to be killed in Africa every year.
Demand for ivory, most recently in Asia, where raw tusks sell for around $1,000 (£685) a kilo, has resulted in the number of elephants on the continent plunging from 1.2 million in the 1970s to around 400,000 today.
There are now fewer than 30,000 rhinos.
The ivory trade was banned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1989.
China, however, allows the resale of ivory bought before the ban.
Activists say this serves as a cover for illegal imports.
Conservationists warn elephants could become extinct in the next 50 years.
Two casualties feared in aircraft crash in North Yorkshire field
A light aircraft has crashed in North Yorkshire with it is believed two casualties on board, police said.
Emergency services were called to the scene near Castle Howard in the Ryedale area at about 10:40 BST.
The aircraft crashed in fields between Castle Howard and the A64, North Yorkshire Police said.
Weasel Shuts Down Large Hadron Collider
The world's most powerful atom-smasher has been shut down after a weasel chewed through its wiring.
The animal died after biting through a wire connected to a 66,000-volt transformer powering the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) near Geneva, Switzerland.
The £3.74bn machine, which was used to prove the existence of the Higgs Boson - also known as the God particle, will be shut down for a few days while repairs are carried out.
In an in-house report, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), which runs the 17-mile circuit under the Swiss-French border, said it was "not the best week for LHC!"
It said the weasel caused a "severe electrical perturbation", damaging the machine's transformer connections.
CERN spokesman Arnaud Marsollier said the creature did not survive the encounter, and there were few remains of it left.
In 2009, the LHC was shut down in a similar incident, when it is thought a bird dropped part of a baguette on a compensating capacitor.
The giant lab works by racing protons around its tunnels at just below the speed of light.
The energy released when they collide is used to spark the creation of new particles.
With the ability to tap into higher energy, scientists hope to explore the mysterious realms of "new physics" that could yield evidence of hidden extra dimensions and dark matter.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Kenya flooding: Search for building collapse victims
Rescuers in the Kenyan capital Nairobi are searching for dozens of people feared trapped after the collapse of a six-storey building in heavy rain.
TV coverage from the scene showed a crowd gathering at the Huruma residential estate as rescuers dug for survivors. At least three people are known to have died.
The Red Cross criticised "chaotic scenes" as rescuers arrived.
It is unclear how many people are trapped beneath six floors of concrete.
The rainfall in addition has caused landslides, washed away houses and flooded roads.
The Huruma neighbourhood is a poor district on the outskirts of Nairobi made up of narrow streets, meaning firefighters struggled to get to the scene and were delayed by large crowds.
After some time, the army took charge of the rescue - with the help of the Kenyan Red Cross.
"We can still hear voices of people who are still inside," Red Cross spokesman Venant Ndigila said.
"[So far] we [have] managed again to rescue at least 12 people - and there are signs that there are still some people who are still alive."
Residents said that the building shook violently in the rain before collapsing.
Poor building standards are a fact of life in Kenya, correspondents say. A survey carried out last year found that more than half the buildings in the capital were unfit for habitation.
The high demand for housing in Nairobi has led to some property developers bypassing building regulations to reduce costs and increase profits.
There has however been some good news for the rescuers who extracted a number of children from the wreckage throughout Friday.
President Uhuru Kenyatta last year ordered an audit of all the buildings in the country after a spate of collapses.
Meanwhile two boys are missing in another part of the flood-hit country after going herding, according to the Red Cross.
UK joins IMF and World Bank to cut Mozambique aid
The UK government says it has suspended financial aid to Mozambique over an alleged "serious breach of trust" relating to undisclosed debts.
This follows similar action from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.
The IMF halted funding 10 days ago when it found Mozambique had not declared debts of more than $1bn (£700m).
The government says the liabilities relate to guaranteeing loans taken out by two mostly state-owned companies.
The UK said in a statement that it was now "working closely with other international partners to establish the truth and coordinate an appropriate response".
The IMF is currently carrying out an analysis to see if Mozambique has a sustainable level of debt, and the World Bank is waiting for its outcome before it approves any more loans.
Mozambique's Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario went to the IMF headquarters in Washington DC last week to explain the government's position.
The government has admitted that it acted as guarantor for a $622m loan taken out by state-owned Pro-Indicus, and another loan of $535m by Mozambique Asset Management. Both are involved in the maritime industry.
Mozambique has had one of Africa's fastest growing economies in recent years with oil and gas discoveries buoying its prospects and attracting a lot of investment.
The mechanics of this are the same as with a personal loan.
If you take out a loan from a bank, the bank always asks you about your other liabilities. Do you have other debts? It will also want to see a payslip.
From the bank's point of view, it is all to do with risk. Can you make the payments on their loan, if you have a lot of other debt as well?
And it is the same with countries. So, when the IMF lent money to Mozambique, it would have asked about the country's other liabilities.
As the Mozambique government failed to disclose that it guaranteed the two large loans, it has put the IMF loan in jeopardy.
The IMF is now worried that Mozambique will not be able to meet its liability commitments with this extra debt on its books.
Clinic In Syria Hit By Another Airstrike
A Syrian clinic has been hit by an airstrike, the second time this week a medical facility has been struck, officials said.
The strike on the Al-Marja neighbourhood of rebel-held Aleppo wounded several people, the civil defence, known as the White Helmets, said.
Several other strikes appeared to target mosques in rebel-held areas.
At least one child died and five people were injured in the strikes, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
In separate attacks, insurgents killed at least 15 worshippers as they left Friday prayers.
Another 30 are thought to be injured after rockets struck Malla Khan mosque, according to Syrian state TV.
Earlier this week, the Al-Quds hospital and nearby flats were hit in rebel-held Sukkari neighbourhood.
The death toll from that bombing has since risen to 50 people, including six medical staff and patients, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders has claimed.
The head of the organisation's Syria mission said "the city, consistently at the frontlines of this brutal war, is now in danger of coming under a full offensive, no corner is being spared."
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has warned that targeting medical facilities could "amount to war crimes."
Overall, airstrikes on rebel-held areas of Aleppo have killed more than 200 civilians over the last week.
The strikes come as the UN called on the US and Russia to salvage the "barely alive" two-month truce.
Russian state media said the "regime of silence", agreed by Russia and the US, will apply for 24 hours in Damascus and Aleppo and 72 hours in Latakia.
But the Syrian army declared that a temporary truce would affect Damascus and Latakia - but not in Aleppo.
The ceasefire brokered by the US and Russia in February has been crumbling, as casualty figures from government and opposition violence escalates.
FBI Arrests Three In San Bernardino Inquiry
The FBI has arrested three people over an alleged marriage fraud conspiracy uncovered during the investigation into last year's mass shooting in San Bernardino.
Federal agents detained the gunman's older brother, his Russian immigrant wife and her sister during raids on Thursday morning in the Californian cities of Corona and Ontario.
Syed Raheel Farook, 31, his wife Tatiana Gigliotti, also 31, and her sister, Mariya Chernykh, are accused of conspiracy to make a false statement to immigration officials while under oath.
Chernykh, 26, who was wed to another suspect in the terrorism investigation, is also charged with fraud and two counts of making false statements to federal agents.
In the 2 December mass shooting at San Bernardino, California, Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and his wife Tashfeen Malik, 29, shot dead 14 people before being killed by police.
Chernykh is married to Enrique Marquez, a former neighbour of the San Bernardino attackers.
Marquez was charged in December with conspiracy to support terrorism and lying about the purchase of the assault rifles used in the shooting.
He was also accused of entering into a sham marriage with Chernykh, who lives in Ontario.
On Thursday, investigators said that marriage was for Chernykh to obtain immigration benefits that she could not access because she lacked legal status in the US.
Federal agents had already searched the Corona home of the gunman's brother in February.
Neighbours had reported seeing agents carrying out papers, manila envelopes and computer equipment from Raheel Farook's house.
No one was arrested on that occasion.
Miley Cyrus is Not Entirely Wrong About Her Tat
Miley Cyrus and Galileo Galileihave a lot in common. OK, Miley Cyrus and Galileo Galilei don’thave a lot in common. But give them this: at one point in their lives they both got punked by Saturn.
For Miley, it happened on April 28, when she Instagrammed a picture of a new tattoo on her left arm—a tattoo which was clearly a picture of Saturn—and captioned it #lilbbjupiter, for “li’l baby Jupiter.” (She later corrected the post, deleting the Jupiter reference.) And then everyone on Instagram did what everyone on Instagram always does, which was to engage her in polite conversation and gently correct her mistake. Oh, and practically set the tips of their thumbs on fire typing back snark.
For Galileo, it happened one evening in 1611, when he climbed to the top of his favorite tower in Padua and turned his little two-foot telescope toward Saturn and noticed for the first time that the planet had…he didn’t know what. Ears, maybe. “Ears” was actually the word he wrote in his notebook, which makes it a very good thing they didn’t have Google Docs then because all of the other people in Padua could have hacked his password, seen what he wrote and made fun of him. It wasn’t until 1654 that Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens, who had a better telescope, discovered that the ears were rings. Galileo, as it happened, was dead by then, so he went to his grave thinking that Saturn looked slightly like Prince Charles.
But the point is, planets can be confusing and what you think is true about them isn’t always true. So you can make fun of Miley all you want for calling a ringed planet Jupiter, but guess what: Jupiter does have rings. And so does Uranus and so does Neptune.
Neptune’s five rings were discovered in 1968 when Earth-based telescopes first noticed that starlight near the planet seemed to flicker on and off as if something was getting in the way of the light now and then. In 1989, Voyager 2 flew by Neptune and discovered that that something was a set of fine rings—so fine in fact that they were more like arcs. Uranus’ rings were discovered the same way—first by so-called “stellar eclipsing” in 1977 and then by Voyager 2.
For Jupiter, it was both Voyagers 1 and 2, which flew by the planet in 1979 and discovered four rings. None are as vivid as Saturn’s, but all are big enough and distinct enough to have been later observed by the Hubble Space Telescope and to have earned some evocative names: the halo ring, the main ring, the Amalthea gossamer ring and the Thebe gossamer ring.
Call them anything you want, but the rings are there, astronomers know they’re there—and they’ve known since 13 years before Miley Cyrus was even born. It’s entirely possible Miley wasn’t thinking about the Amalthea gossamer ring and the history of the Voyager probes when she posted her picture. And the rest of the text that accompanied it—”permaaaa skinnnnn arrrrrttttt by daaaa mosssst bad a$$”—might need some vetting before she submits it for peer review.
But sorry snarkers and haters, this time Miley may know something you don’t. So, nice tat Miley, and if you’re considering another one, I vote for l’il baby Pluto. That guy’s just adorable.
Huge Haul Of Roman Coins Unearthed In Spain
Workers laying pipes in a southern Spanish town have stumbled upon thousands of bronze and silver-coated coins dating as far back as the third century.
Culture officials have described it as a "unique historic discovery", which is now being looked after by Seville's archaeology museum.
Workers came across 19 Roman amphoras - a type of storage jar - containing the coins while carrying out routine work in a park in Tomares.
They were found just under a metre underground, and the coins are stamped with the inscriptions of emperors Maximian and Constantine.
It is thought they had been newly minted and stored to pay soldiers or civil servants, with little sign of wear and tear.
Ana Navarro, head of the Archaeological Museum of Seville, told a news conference: "It is a unique collection and there are very few similar cases".
"I could not give you an economic value, because the value they really have is historical and you can’t calculate that."
The museum has contacted counterparts in the UK, France and Italy, and believes the find is one of the most important from the period.
Construction work has been suspended in the park while archaeologists investigate further.
Culture officials have described it as a "unique historic discovery", which is now being looked after by Seville's archaeology museum.
Workers came across 19 Roman amphoras - a type of storage jar - containing the coins while carrying out routine work in a park in Tomares.
They were found just under a metre underground, and the coins are stamped with the inscriptions of emperors Maximian and Constantine.
It is thought they had been newly minted and stored to pay soldiers or civil servants, with little sign of wear and tear.
Ana Navarro, head of the Archaeological Museum of Seville, told a news conference: "It is a unique collection and there are very few similar cases".
"I could not give you an economic value, because the value they really have is historical and you can’t calculate that."
The museum has contacted counterparts in the UK, France and Italy, and believes the find is one of the most important from the period.
Construction work has been suspended in the park while archaeologists investigate further.
Driver Killed In Crash Between Two Ambulances
Colleagues of an emergency service driver killed when his vehicle was in a collision with another ambulance say they are "absolutely devastated" by the tragedy.
The Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust (WAS) said the crash involving two ambulances - one an urgent response vehicle and the other a patient transport service - happened on the A499.
Seven teams of paramedics, including two air ambulances, three ambulances by road and two rapid response cars, went to the scene where the driver of the non-emergency vehicle was pronounced dead.
Three people who were travelling in the 999 ambulance are being treated in hospital following the fatal crash in Pwllheli, Gwynedd, shortly before 3pm on Thursday.
WAS head of operations in North Wales, Sonia Thompson, said: "We were all absolutely devastated to hear about this tragic accident, and our thoughts are with everyone involved.
"We're doing everything we can to support our affected colleagues, and are working hard to understand what happened."
Richard Lee, the WAS's director of operations, added: "As an ambulance service we deal with road traffic accidents on a daily basis.
"These are always difficult for our staff to deal with, but even more so when they involve our colleagues."
The WAS said it had been overwhelmed by the "humbling and deeply touching" reaction, adding: "Out of adversity comes strength.
"We are truly stronger together. Thank you."
Fellow emergency services posted their support on social media.
London's Metropolitan Special Constabulary said their thoughts were with all those involved at the WAS as part of the "#999family".
The Northern Ireland College of Paramedics tweeted: "Our thoughts are with our @WelshAmbulance colleagues and their families this evening."
West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "Our deepest sympathies go out to our colleagues in @WelshAmbulance who lost one of their own in a crash today. #RIP."
Jim Hancox, from Midlands Air Ambulance's Strensham base, wrote: "Words can't express the sadness and loss our @WelshAmbulance colleagues will be feeling tonight.
"We stand shoulder to shoulder with you ..."
The Dublin Fire Brigade tweeted: "Thinking of our colleagues in @WelshAmbulance and everyone affected by today's tragic events #999family."
TOWIE Star's Sister Hands Back Marathon Medal
The sister of The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE) star James "Arg" Argent is to return her London Marathon finisher's medal after allegations of cheating.
Natasha Argent was recorded as completing the 26.2 miles in three hours 44 minutes but it was soon noted that she had appeared to run the second half of the race faster than elite athletes.
Members of the public flagged up that her results showed her as running the final 20km in under an hour.
Earlier this week organisers of the event told Sky News the results were "extremely questionable".
Argent's results have now been wiped from the official London Marathon website.
Hugh Brasher, event director, said: "Our results team has been in touch with Natasha Argent, along with a small number of other runners, to request an explanation for the missing split times in her results from Sunday's Virgin Money London Marathon.
"At her request, we have removed her results from the system and she will be returning her finisher's medal to us."
Argent's results page showed she started Sunday's race at 10.16am and had completed the first 20km by 12.33pm.
However, her timings for the next 20km were not visible on the site.
She then reappeared at the 40km mark at 1.21pm and finished at 2pm.
Organisers said there are a number of suspect times every year and around 20 out of 39,000 entrants are being investigated this year.
James Argent completed the London Marathon in 2012 with a time of just over six hours.
On Sunday he congratulated his sister on Twitter for her achievement but the tweet was later deleted.
Sky News has contacted his representative for a comment.
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Why billionaire Carl Icahn just dumped every share he has in Apple
Apple has had a tough week after reporting that its quarterly revenue fell for the first time since 2003. Things got worse Thursday when billionaire investor Carl Icahn announced that he had sold his shares in the company.
The news sent Apple stock, already depressed by the disappointing earnings report earlier this week, down another 3 percent. Apple's stock, one of the most widely held in the world, is now down about 10 percent this week, erasing about $56 billion from its market value.
Icahn has been one of Apple's most prominent — and vocal — investors. In 2014, he suggested that Apple was undervalued and was worth more than $1 trillion. Icahn has also repeatedly tussled with the firm about a program for buying back its stock, which could raise its value. The company eventually relented.
But, Icahn said on CNBC Thursday afternoon, he has now sold all of his shares in the company and made a $2 billion profit.
"We obviously made a great deal of money," Icahn said.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Apple is a "great company," Icahn said. Icahn said he called Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, to alert him to the news. "He seemed sort of sad to hear that," Icahn said.
Apple reported its earnings earlier this week, revealing that its revenue dropped from the previous year for the first time in 13 years. It also reported its first ever decline in iPhone sales from year to year — Apple sold 51.2 million phones in its latest quarter, down from 61.2 million the previous year.
The report ended a remarkable run that helped the tech firm become the world's most valuable company.
In Apple's latest earnings call, Cook called the current situation a "pause" in Apple's growth. Yet with a majority of its revenue wrapped up in the slowing smartphone market, any perception that the iPhone is weakening has enormous repercussions.
Apple, like every other smartphone vendor, has watched consumer appetites for smartphones shrink during the past several quarters. That slowing growth seems to have caught up with the company this quarter, particularly in the critical market of China. Apple reported that revenue was down 26 percent from the same period last year, making it the region of the world where the firm saw the greatest downturn.
That appears to be behind Icahn's decision to sell his shares in the company, which were once valued at more than $5 billion. "China could be a shadow for [the company], and we have to look at that," he told CNBC.
The news sent Apple stock, already depressed by the disappointing earnings report earlier this week, down another 3 percent. Apple's stock, one of the most widely held in the world, is now down about 10 percent this week, erasing about $56 billion from its market value.
Icahn has been one of Apple's most prominent — and vocal — investors. In 2014, he suggested that Apple was undervalued and was worth more than $1 trillion. Icahn has also repeatedly tussled with the firm about a program for buying back its stock, which could raise its value. The company eventually relented.
But, Icahn said on CNBC Thursday afternoon, he has now sold all of his shares in the company and made a $2 billion profit.
"We obviously made a great deal of money," Icahn said.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Apple is a "great company," Icahn said. Icahn said he called Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, to alert him to the news. "He seemed sort of sad to hear that," Icahn said.
Apple reported its earnings earlier this week, revealing that its revenue dropped from the previous year for the first time in 13 years. It also reported its first ever decline in iPhone sales from year to year — Apple sold 51.2 million phones in its latest quarter, down from 61.2 million the previous year.
The report ended a remarkable run that helped the tech firm become the world's most valuable company.
In Apple's latest earnings call, Cook called the current situation a "pause" in Apple's growth. Yet with a majority of its revenue wrapped up in the slowing smartphone market, any perception that the iPhone is weakening has enormous repercussions.
Apple, like every other smartphone vendor, has watched consumer appetites for smartphones shrink during the past several quarters. That slowing growth seems to have caught up with the company this quarter, particularly in the critical market of China. Apple reported that revenue was down 26 percent from the same period last year, making it the region of the world where the firm saw the greatest downturn.
That appears to be behind Icahn's decision to sell his shares in the company, which were once valued at more than $5 billion. "China could be a shadow for [the company], and we have to look at that," he told CNBC.
White House Fence Height To Double Under Plan
The US Secret Service is proposing a "taller and stronger" White House fence that would almost double its current height from 6ft to 11ft 7in.
A PowerPoint slide presented as part of the proposal shows pictures of the tall iron fence outside Buckingham Palace in London.
"Intrusion detection technology" and "anti-climb features" are built into the Secret Service-backed new design for the new White House barrier.
It is not clear how much the upgraded fence would cost, but the plan is for it to go ahead by 2018.
The Secret Service is awaiting the approval of the National Planning Commission.
The plan is being put forward because of an increasing number of people trying to breach security round the presidential mansion.
Only on Tuesday afternoon, a man was arrested after jumping over a fence at the White House complex.
The suspect, Steven Cox, 30, had earlier groped a female student and robbed others of a mobile phone and purse.
Bomb Hoaxer In Panda Onesie Shot At Fox News
A man wearing an animal onesie has been shot by police after threatening to blow up a Fox News affiliate in Baltimore.
The 25-year-old suspect entered the WBFF-TV offices on Thursday afternoon demanding the news station broadcast a story about a purported government conspiracy, according to Fox 45.
Police said the Maryland white male was wearing a surgical mask, sunglasses and a panda onesie.
But the so-called device turned out to be chocolate bars wrapped around tin foil with wires hanging out, police said.
Fox 45 reporter Shelley Orman reported earlier there was a "man inside the lobby saying he has a bomb strapped to him".
Baltimore police spokesman TJ Smith told reporters at the scene they shot the suspect after he walked out of the station and refused to follow their orders.
He said snipers pulled the trigger because the man had ignored commands to take his hands out of his pockets.
The man was seen lying wounded in the street after up to seven shots rang out.
Authorities sent a robot to get closer and communicate with the suspect.
Video posted online showed police removed the man's outfit before loading him into a police van.
He was taken to hospital where he is being treated for his injuries.
The suspect's vehicle was found set on fire in the TV station's car park.
WBFF-TV was evacuated during the incident.
All employees were said to be safe and accounted for.
UK: Labour suspends Ken Livingstone in 'Zionism' row
Britain's opposition Labour Party has suspended Ken Livingstone, the former mayor of London, after he argued that Adolf Hitler was a supporter of Zionism.
Amid an escalating row over alleged anti-Semitic rhetoric among its members, the Labour Party said on Thursday that it had suspended Livingstone "pending an investigation, for bringing the party into disrepute."
In an interview with BBC radio, Livingstone had defended Labour member of parliament Naz Shah, who was suspended on Wednesday for sharing allegedly anti-Semitic posts on social media.
During the course of the interview he made controversial comments about Israel, and made an obscure reference to Adolf Hitler "supporting Zionism before he went mad."
"When Hitler won his election in 1932 his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews."
Naz Shah, was suspended on Wednesday after she was caught having shared a graphic with a map of Israel superimposed on a map of the US, bearing the caption "Solution for Israeli-Palestine conflict: Relocate Israel into United States." She added the comment "Problem solved."
She was also found to have used the hashtag #IsraelApartheid above a quote saying "Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal".
Labour member of parliament John Mann, who was later filmed chasing Livingstone and calling him a "Nazi apologist," was also reprimanded by party officials for his "completely inappropriate" public confrontation.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said later on Thursday that his party "won't tolerate racism."
More than 20 Labour MPs had earlier called on Corbyn to suspend Livingstone following his BBC interview.
Sadiq Khan, Labour's candidate to become the next London mayor, condemned Livingstone's remarks, saying they were "appalling and inexcusable."
"There must be no place for this in our party," said Khan, who looks set in the polls to become the British capital's first Muslim mayor.
Amid an escalating row over alleged anti-Semitic rhetoric among its members, the Labour Party said on Thursday that it had suspended Livingstone "pending an investigation, for bringing the party into disrepute."
In an interview with BBC radio, Livingstone had defended Labour member of parliament Naz Shah, who was suspended on Wednesday for sharing allegedly anti-Semitic posts on social media.
During the course of the interview he made controversial comments about Israel, and made an obscure reference to Adolf Hitler "supporting Zionism before he went mad."
"When Hitler won his election in 1932 his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews."
Naz Shah, was suspended on Wednesday after she was caught having shared a graphic with a map of Israel superimposed on a map of the US, bearing the caption "Solution for Israeli-Palestine conflict: Relocate Israel into United States." She added the comment "Problem solved."
She was also found to have used the hashtag #IsraelApartheid above a quote saying "Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal".
Labour member of parliament John Mann, who was later filmed chasing Livingstone and calling him a "Nazi apologist," was also reprimanded by party officials for his "completely inappropriate" public confrontation.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said later on Thursday that his party "won't tolerate racism."
More than 20 Labour MPs had earlier called on Corbyn to suspend Livingstone following his BBC interview.
Sadiq Khan, Labour's candidate to become the next London mayor, condemned Livingstone's remarks, saying they were "appalling and inexcusable."
"There must be no place for this in our party," said Khan, who looks set in the polls to become the British capital's first Muslim mayor.
Corbyn: Labour Will Not Tolerate Anti-Semitism
Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour will not tolerate anti-Semitism following the row over comments made by former London Mayor Ken Livingstone.
The Labour leader said the remarks were being investigated and would be dealt with by the General Secretary and the National Executive.
Backbencher John Mann had also been given a dressing down after launching a face-to-face attack on Mr Livingstone in which he accused him of being a "Nazi apologist".
Speaking during a visit to Hull, Mr Corbyn denied Labour has a problem with anti-Semitism as some have claimed.
"No, there is not a problem," he said. "We are totally opposed to anti-Semitism in any form within the party.
"The very small number of cases that have been brought to our attention will be dealt with swiftly and immediately, and they will be."
Mr Livingstone was suspended for "bringing the party into disrepute" after he took to the airwaves for a series of interviews in an attempt to defend Bradford West MP Naz Shah from allegations of anti-Semitism.
Ms Shah was suspended on Wednesday pending an investigation into controversial social media posts about Israel which she made before becoming an MP.
Mr Livingstone insisted that while her remarks were "over the top", she was not anti-Semitic and that he had never encountered anti-Semitism in 40 years in the Labour Party.
He sparked fury among colleagues by going on to claim that Hitler had supported Zionism "before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews".
Within minutes of his BBC London interview, Labour MPs - including several members of the shadow cabinet - were demanding his suspension or removal from the party.
Labour's London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan described his comments as "appalling and inexcusable", while shadow cabinet member Chris Bryant told MPs he was "sick and tired" of people trying to explain away anti-Semitism, adding: "Yes, I'm talking to you, Ken Livingstone."
The chairman of the left-wing Momentum group of Corbyn supporters, Jon Lansman, said it was time Mr Livingstone "left politics altogether", adding: "All political lives end in failure and he should now depart voluntarily."
Mr Livingstone was harangued by Mr Mann when the pair arrived to give separate interviews at broadcast studios in Westminster.
As the former London mayor attempted to give a radio interview, the Bassetlaw MP jabbed his finger at him and accused him of being a "Nazi apologist" and attempting to "rewrite history".
The party later said in a statement the chief whip had "made it absolutely clear to John Mann that it is completely inappropriate for Labour Members of Parliament to be involved in very public rows on the television".
A number of Jewish groups have also called for Mr Livingstone's immediate expulsion from Labour.
Gideon Falter, chairman of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: "He is a hardened politician who has spent his political career accommodating anti-Semitic extremists and making anti-Semitic gaffes."
Jonathan Arkush, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: "Ken Livingstone's comments were abhorrent and beyond disgraceful. He denies anti-Semitism in Labour when the evidence is there for all to see."
Baroness Neuberger, crossbench peer and senior rabbi to the West London Synagogue, has called on Mr Corbyn to set up a crossparty commission to investigate anti-Semitism in the Labour party.
She told Sky News: "I think he has to set up a serious commission to look at this within the Labour party more broadly. I think he has to bring in more people, not Labour, into that Commission or it can be accused of being a whitewash."
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