Bolshoi Ballet Boss Describes Acid Attack

The Bolshoi Ballet's artistic director has described the horrific acid attack which left him with third-degree burns and could leave him blind.

Sergei Filin, 43, was attacked by a masked man who threw acid into his face as he got out of his car outside his home in Moscow.

Filin, who is currently being treated at a burns unit in the Russian capital, secured the highly coveted artistic director position in March 2011 after dancing at the Bolshoi for 18 years.

Sergie Filin said he feared he would be shot

But in recent weeks, he has been plagued with anonymous threats, which colleagues have said may be due to jealousy from those who lost out on the position.

Heavily bandaged and speaking from his hospital bed, Filin told the Russian Ren TV station how he feared for his life during the attack.

He said: "I got scared, to be honest, I thought he would shoot me. I understood the (courtyard) door didn't open after I dialled the code and I turned away to run but he was faster and got ahead - I had a jacket hood on - and he splashed something into my face from below.

Happier times: Filin with the cast of a Bolshoi's production

"He turned to me, he had his face covered up to his eyes like this, it was a scarf or some bandage, like a mask, a hood and something like a mask, only eyes uncovered."

He added: "Since December 31, I had these attacks, there were calls on my mobiles one after another, and the phones were blocked for any normal contacts.

"So there were continuous calls, it was obviously happening on someone's request, so it served like a warning." 

The theatre's general director, Anatoly Iksanov told Russian TV's Channel One that Filin's personal email account had also been hacked and personal messages were published in an attempt to discredit him.

An insulting Facebook page was also created in the former dancer's name and his tyres were slashed.

Filin dances during a Bolshoi production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake

Katerina Novikova, the theatre's press secretary, told Channel One: "Sergei was constantly receiving threats after he took up this post and his predecessors were under attack before him."

Prior to the attack, Filin was offered a bodyguard by a relative, however his assistant said he turned it down assuming that the threats would not turn violent.

But Filin grew more concerned and on the day of the attack he told Iksanov: "I have a feeling that I am on the front line."

A theatre official has said Filin is likely to be sent overseas for treatment and his recovery may take up to six months.

Since the Bolshoi Theatre's long-standing artistic director Yuri Grigorovich left in 1995 after 30 years, filling the position has proven difficult.

Five artistic directors have been appointed in the last 15 years, of which, one has been fired, two have not had their contracts renewed and one is rumoured to have been pressurised into resigning.

Alexei Ratmansky, the Bolshoi's artistic director from 2004 until 2008, posted on his Facebook page: "The Bolshoi has many ills.

"It's a disgusting cesspool, of those developing friendships with the artists, the speculators and scalpers, the half-crazy fans, ready to bite the throats of the rivals of their favourites, the cynical hackers, the lies in the press and the scandalous interviews of staff."

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Boeing Dreamliner Deliveries Halted

Boeing 787 Dreamliner Timeline

Updated: 1:50am UK, Saturday 19 January 2013

The turbulent history of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner:

Jan 19, 2013: Boeing says it is stopping deliveries of the Dreamliner to airlines.

Jan 18, 2013: US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials arrive in Japan to examine a 787 and its melted battery pack after an All Nippon Air (ANA) emergency landing two days earlier

Jan 17, 2013: The European Aviation Safety Agency,  FAA and Qatar Airways ground Dreamliners under their regulatory control

Jan 16, 2013: Japan Air Lines Co Ltd (JAL) follows suit and suspends Dreamliner flights from Japan over safety concerns

Jan 16, 2013: ANA grounds all 17 of its 787s after four of its aircraft suffer problems

Jan 16, 2013: ANA 787 Dreamliner makes emergency landing in Takamatsu, Japan, after smoke appears in cabin

Jan 11, 2013: The Federal Aviation Authority announces a review of the 787 design and systems

Jan 11, 2013: ANA discovers engine oil leak after a domestic flight lands at Miyazaki

Jan 11, 2013: A separate ANA flight to Matsuyama reported a crack appearing in the pilot's window

Jan 9, 2013: ANA cancels a Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight due to a brake problem

Jan 8, 2013: Japan Air Lines (JAL) grounds a jet at Boston Logan International Airport after a 787 leaks 150 litres of fuel

Jan 7, 2013: A fire erupts in a battery pack in another JAL Dreamliner at Boston

Dec 13, 2012: Qatar Airways grounds one of its Dreamliners because of a faulty generator

Dec 5, 2012: The FAA orders inspections of all 787 Dreamliners in service in the US

Dec 4, 2012: A United Airlines 787 is forced to make an emergency landing in New Orleans after a generator fails

July 23, 2012: ANA grounds five Dreamliners due to an engine component issue

Feb 22, 2012: Boeing says around 55 Dreamliners may be affected by a flaw in the fuselage

Oct 26, 2011: The Dreamliner makes its maiden flight with paying passengers on board an ANA jet

Sep 26, 2011: Boeing delivers its first 787 Dreamliner to Japan's ANA, three years late

Jun 23, 2010: Boeing postpones the first flight of the Dreamliner because of a structural flaw

Dec 15, 2009: The passenger jet 787 Dreamliner takes off on its maiden test flight

Apr 9, 2008: Boeing says there will be a revised plan for the first 787 flight and initial deliveries

Dec 11, 2008: Boeing announces further delays due to strike action by machinists Sept-Nov

Oct 19, 2007: Boeing says there will be a six-month delay to deliveries due to assembly issues

Jul 8, 2007: The first assembled 787 goes on display to media, employees and customers

Jul 18, 2006: Boeing says it is making "solid progress" on the 787 Dreamliner programme

Jan 28, 2005: Boeing gives its new commercial airplane an official model designation number - 787

Jan 29, 2003: Boeing announces the launch of a new aircraft called the 7E7

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Swank Becomes Victim Of Paris Smash-And-Grab

Oscar-winning US actress Hilary Swank had her handbag snatched in Paris by thieves who smashed the window of the taxi she was in.

The three smash-and-grab robbers pounced on the taxi as it got stuck in traffic in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis on Friday morning, a police source said.

They broke the window of the back seat and snatched Swank's designer bag from her hands.

Drivers and passengers are said to often fall victim to robberies in the Paris suburb which suffers from regular traffic jams.

Swank, 38, has been awarded two Academy Awards for her role in the 1999 film Boys Don't Cry and the 2004 movie Million Dollar Baby.

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Bank Of Canada Notes Use 'Wrong' Maple Leaf

The Bank of Canada has blundered by using a Norway maple leaf instead of the country's native variety on its new banknotes, plant experts claim.

Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Centre botanist Sean Blaney first highlighted the difference between the leaf on new $20, $50 and $100 notes and the North American sugar maple.

He said: "It's really hard to deny the image is of a Norway maple."

He said the Norway maple has more lobes - or sections - and has a more pointed outline than the sugar maple, and the lobe that rises in the centre is shorter than the sugar maple's.

The Norway maple was imported from Europe and is now also common in North America. But Mr Blaney said it should not be on the Canadian currency.

The maple leaf is Canada's most famous symbol

"We wouldn't think of putting a palm tree on the Canadian currency or a tiger or baboon or something that doesn't occur in Canada as a native species and the same should go for Norway maple," he added.

Canada's central bank said the image on the new bills was purposefully designed not to represent any specific species but rather to be a combination of various kinds.

But another expert criticised the bank's move, saying it was wrong.

"I would have said immediately that it would be best to make it look more like a native maple leaf. I mean this to me is just ... wrong," said Julian Starr, a botany professor at the University of Ottawa.

The bank note designers created the image with the help of a dendrologist, a botanist who specialises in trees and shrubs.

The Bank of Canada had to apologise in August after news broke that it had replaced the picture of an Asian lab assistant on its new $100 bank note with a woman who looked more Caucasian.

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Manti Te'o Denies Role In Dead Girlfriend Hoax

American college football star Manti Te'o has insisted he played no role in the hoax involving his 'imaginary girlfriend'.

In his first interview since the scandal erupted, the Notre Dame linebacker said he was tricked by three people who have confessed they were behind the deception and apologised.

But Te'o accepted he did lie to his father about meeting the 'girl' because he was embarrassed they had never met - and to cover that up, he lied to everyone else.

"I wasn't part of this," he told ESPN . "When they hear the facts they'll know. Two guys and a girl are responsible for the whole thing."

Te'o's virtual relationship began when a girl calling herself 'Lennay Kekua' sent him a friend request on Facebook. In the months that followed the pair had sporadic contact on the internet and over the phone.

Te'o: 'I wasn't part of this. Two guys and a girl are responsible'

But whenever he tried to speak to her on Skype, the picture was always blocked. On several occasions he arranged to meet her in person, but she would always call off the meeting or sent others in her place.

Te'o referred to Lennay as his girlfriend several times, but he denies creating 'Lennay' or her 'death' to boost his career.

After he received a message from someone who claimed 'Lennay' had died of leukaemia, Te'o admitted he misled the public about the nature of their relationship because he was too embarrassed to admit he had never met her in person.

Te'o publicly referred to Lennay as his girlfriend several times

He said: "That goes back to what I did with my dad. I knew it was crazy that I was with somebody that I didn't meet so I tailored my stories so people would think, 'yeah, he met her before she passed away'."

Te'o insisted he did not know 'Lennay' was not real until two days ago, when he claims he was contacted by a 22-year-old man who confessed he was the perpetrator, along with one other man and a woman.

He said their relationship intensified after 'Lennay' told him her father had died.

"She told me her dad passed away, and I was there. I was that shoulder to cry on, and I kind of just naturally cared for the person," he said.

But je insisted he wasn't aware she wasn't real until two days ago

He was also once told 'Lennay' had been in a car accident and was in hospital in a coma.

"I would ask to talk to her, and the only communication I had was through Noah, her brother," he said. "He would put the phone right next to her mouth and I could hear the ventilator going and she would be breathing.

"They said every time I was on the phone the nurse noticed that she must have recognised the voice because she would breath quicker and I could hear it on the phone."

When asked why he did not visit 'Lennay' in hospital, Te'o said: "It never really crossed my mind. I don't know. I was in school."

When asked what he thought should happen to the alleged perpetrator, Te'o replied: "I hope he learns, I hope he understands what he's done. I don't wish an ill thing to somebody. I think embarrassment is big enough."

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Armstrong: I Deserve To Compete Again

Lance Armstrong believes he should be given the opportunity to compete again, saying his life ban feels like a "death penalty".

The 41-year-old Texan has confessed to using performance-enhancing drugs during all seven of his Tour de France victories. He was stripped of all results from August 1, 1998 and banned from sport for life.

Armstrong was competing in triathlons, mountain bike events and marathons before he was sanctioned and believes he deserves that opportunity in the future, suggesting a life ban is not right.

In the second part of their television interview, he told Oprah Winfrey: "I can't lie to you. I'd love the opportunity to be able to compete, but that isn't the reason that I'm doing this.

"Frankly, this might not be the most popular answer, but I think I deserve it (to be able to compete again).

Armstrong competing before he was sanctioned

"I deserve to be punished. I'm not sure that I deserve a death penalty."

Eleven of Armstrong's former team-mates gave evidence against him in exchange for six-month suspensions.

He added: "If you look at the situation, if you look at that culture, you look at the sport, you see the punishments. I could go back to that time ...you're trading my story for a six-month suspension.

"That's what people got, what everybody got. I got a death penalty. I'm not saying that that's unfair, necessarily, but I'm saying it's different."

After years of denials, Armstrong confirmed that during his record run, from 1999 to 2005, he used blood-boosting agent EPO, blood doping, testosterone, cortisone and human growth hormone.

Armstrong, who was last October stripped of all results dating from August 1, 1998 and banned from sport for life, denied doping during his comeback from retirement in 2009, when he finished third in the Tour, and 2010.

He has also refuted suggestions he paid off cycling's world governing body, the UCI, to cover up a positive test in 2001.

In hindsight he wishes he had co-operated with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)investigation which proved his downfall.

Co-operation could have meant a lesser penalty.

Armstrong's long-time sponsors each deserted him in quick succession following the publication of the USADA report, but he said the most challenging moment was when his own Lance Armstrong Foundation, the charity known now as Livestrong, distanced itself from him.

"The foundation is like my sixth child and to make that decision, and to step aside, was big," said Armstrong, who expressed his wish the charity can thrive without being associated with him.

"I wouldn't at all say [I was] forced out, told to leave. I was aware of the pressure. It was the best thing for our organisation, but it hurt like hell. That was the lowest [moment]."

The full interview will be shown on Discovery at 8pm on Saturday

Asked if he feels disgraced, Armstrong said: "Of course, but I also feel humbled. I feel ashamed - this is ugly stuff. It's a process. And I think we're at the beginning of the process."

Armstrong confirmed he has been undergoing therapy to deal with his demons.

His competitive desire remains, though. Asked whether he believes his life ban should be overturned, he said: "Selfishly, yes. But realistically I don't think that's going to happen. And I have to live with that."

Winfrey asked Armstrong: "Did anyone know the whole truth?"

"Yeah," he replied, but there was no follow-up to ascertain who.

Armstrong was emotional when discussing his 13-year-old son Luke, with tears welling up in his eyes and hesitated in giving answers, his voice croaking.

He had discovered Luke was defending him at school and had to address the matter.

Armstrong said: "That's when I knew I had to tell him. He'd never asked me. He'd never said 'Dad, is this true?' He trusted me. He heard about it in the hallways.

"I said: 'Don't defend me anymore'. I said: 'If anyone says anything to you, do not defend me. Just say my dad said he was sorry'.

"He said: 'Look, I love you, you're my dad, this won't change that'."

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Kim Dotcom To Launch New File Sharing Megasite

What Are Cyberlockers?

Updated: 12:48pm UK, Saturday 19 January 2013

Cyberlockers are also known as cloud storage or file storage services, which enable users to keep files, or back them up, on the Internet.

Users can access files from these virtual storage lockers, which operate on remote servers, from any computer with an internet connection, often more quickly than on personal computers.

Many of these sites offer limited free storage, and users can pay for more capacity through subscriptions.

:: What are they used for?

Like cloud storage services, users can use cyberlockers to store photos, documents, music and video files, which are often too large to save on personal computers.

Users can grant access to these files at their discretion, while many sites enable users to search for content.

Many cloud storage services are promoted as a business tool to enable several people to access shared files, while cyberlockers often refer to services for individual use. Both are interchangeable in their uses.

:: Why are they controversial?

The entertainment industry has been a vocal opponent of cyberlockers containing copyrighted films and music, arguing that it is illegal to distribute such material without their consent.

Site operators say they cannot be held responsible for any illegally obtained content as it is impossible for them to monitor the massive number of files stored on their servers.

They say they do not knowingly enable users to store and share illegal material.

Sites offer a "take-down" feature which enables copyright holders to order cyberlocker users? Or the locker operator?  to remove unpermissioned content. The understanding is that any delay or refusal to act may make the cyberlocker?? liable for such content.

:: What role does encryption play?

Encrypted files feature a code designed to stop the file being hacked. Some cyberlockers offer this feature to guarantee users privacy of their files.

Many in the technology and security industries see considerable merits to file encryption, as it would secure large files, including government documents, stored on offshore servers.

While protecting the privacy of files, encryption also enables users to conceal them. Mega, Kim Dotcom's cyberlocker to be launched on January 20 features a file encryption system which will enable users to encode their files before storing them on the Mega servers.

Once the file is encrypted and stored, they are accessible only using a decryption key which the fileholder alone will control.

As a result, Dotcom claims that the fileholder will be solely responsible for the content stored on Mega, and that the
site operator cannot be held liable for content as it will nothave access to any of the files stored in the cyberlocker.

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James Hood: American Civil Rights Pioneer Dies

A US civil rights pioneer who was among the first black students to enrol at the University of Alabama in defiance of racial segregation has died.

James Hood died in his home town of Gadsden, Alabama, at the age of 70.

He was made famous by his fight to attend college at the height of the civil rights movement.

Mr Hood and Vivian Malone tried to register for classes at the university in 1963 but were blocked by then-governor George Wallace's infamous "stand in the schoolhouse door" policy.

They were prevented from registering by several state troopers.

President John F Kennedy ordered the Alabama National Guard to escort Mr Hood and Ms Malone into the building so that they could register for classes and pay fees.

George Wallace stood in the doorway to block the two from enrolling

Mr Hood remained at the university only for a few months and then moved to Michigan. But he returned later in life to earn a doctorate.

After Mr Hood's death on Thursday, University of Alabama president Judy Bonner praised him as a man of "courage and conviction".

Mr Hood was the last survivor among the major figures in the schoolhouse door incident.

Mr Wallace died in 1998 and Ms Malone in 2005.

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Russian Orthodox Believers Take Icy Plunge

Thousands of people have jumped into freezing waters all across Russia to mark the Russian Orthodox Epiphany.

In Moscow, according to Orthodox tradition, priests first blessed the water in a hole cut in the frozen Moscow River before believers could take the holy bath.

The ritual commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River, or the Epiphany, which the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates on January 19, in the middle of winter.

By bathing on this day, believers symbolically wash off their sins, but many also believe the cold water is good for their health.

"In the beginning, you go in and it's cold," said one man, dressed in a white robe and wearing a cross.

"But after getting in the water becomes hot immediately. In general the water is hot, not cold," he said after coming up from his plunge in the river's icy water.

Elena, a Muscovite, said she liked the way she felt after taking the icy plunge. "Well, it's cold, but then it becomes great, really light in your spirit and warm," she said.

Russians have long believed in the beneficial effects of bathing in freezing water. Many do so throughout the winter, earning them the nickname of "morzhi," or walruses.

Temperatures in Moscow on Saturday hovered around minus 13C.

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Algeria: 'Seven Hostages Die As Stand-off Ends'

The hostage situation at an Algerian gas plant has been brought to an end with more deaths, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has said.

Seven hostages were reportedly killed and 16 others freed amid reports of a "final assault" by Algerian special forces on the complex that was taken over by Islamist militants.

Foreign Secretary William Hague says fewer than 10 British nationals were still at risk after a four-day stand-off.

He warned that the country needed to prepare for more "bad news" as the Algerian state news agency APS said seven foreign hostages had been killed by the militants.

Their nationalities have not been specified.

Mr Hammond, speaking during a news conference with US counterpart Leon Panetta, said: "The hostage situation has been brought to an end by a further assault by Algerian forces which has resulted in further loss of life."

A police checkpoint near the In Amenas gas installation

He said the loss of life was "appalling and unacceptable and we must be clear that it is the terrorists who bear sole responsibility for it."

A local source told the Reuters news agency that 16 other hostages, including two Americans, two Germans and one Portuguese national, were free.

Reuters also reported that the plant has been mined by the terrorist group and is being cleared by Algerian troops.

The country's special forces are said by APS to have stormed the natural gas complex in the middle of the Sahara desert in a "final assault".

Some 11 of the militants holding out inside the plant were reportedly killed in the attack, but the agency said the rebels had already taken the lives of seven of the remaining hostages.

The siege took place at the gas complex in eastern Algeria

Algerian authorities estimate that around 30 militants took over the In Amenas site on Wednesday.

With 18 already reported dead, the latest numbers appeared to indicate that the hostage crisis was over.

Mr Hague was cautious in his comments on Saturday afternoon, stressing: "This situation is still going on. It remains a very difficult and dangerous situation."

He continued: "Of course our priority remains the welfare of British nationals caught up in this incident. The large majority of British nationals originally caught up in it are now safe and accounted for.

"As of now, there are fewer than 10 British nationals at risk or unaccounted for but that of course means we must of course continue to prepare ourselves for bad news."

Addressing the wider terrorist threat, he added: "This whole incident underlines the scale and ruthlessness of the terrorist threat that we and other nations face.

"We underline our resolve to deal with that and to defeat such terrorism and murder, working with allies across the world and including in North Africa."

Mr Hague chaired an emergency Cobra meeting earlier on Saturday and a second will be held later today.

A consular team is now on the ground to help the Britons who have escaped and ambassador Martyn Roper is travelling to the area.

Sky's Political Correspondent Sophy Ridge said the SAS are also on standby.

In Amenas in eastern Algeria is near the border with Libya

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