Stephen Hawking dead at 76

Legendary scientist Stephen Hawking has died at the age of 76, a spokesman for the family said early Wednesday.

Hawking, whose work in the field of physics was celebrated around the globe, died at his home in Cambridge in the early hours of Wednesday morning, his family said.

His children released a statement following his death.

“We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today,” read the statement from children Lucy, Robert and Tim.

“He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years.”

Hawking probed the mysteries of the universe explaining the complex theories space, time and black holes.

He suffered from a rare neurological disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, which kept him bound to a wheelchair.

Despite his ailment, Hawking went on to become the Lucasian Professor at Cambridge in 1979 — the chair once held by Isaac Newton in 1663.

He sought to bring advanced scientific theories to a general audience with “A Brief History of Time,” the book which became an international best seller, making him one of science’s biggest celebrities since Albert Einstein.

Hawking was involved in a mythical quest to find a “unified theory.”

Such a theory would resolve the contradictions between Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, which describes the laws of gravity that govern the motion of large objects like planets, and the Theory of Quantum Mechanics, which deals with the world of subatomic particles.

Hawking said finding a “theory of everything” would allow mankind to “know the mind of God.”

He followed up “A Brief History of Time” in 2001 with the more accessible sequel “The Universe in a Nutshell,” updating readers on concepts like super gravity, naked singularities and the possibility of an 11-dimensional universe.

Hawking said belief in a God who intervenes in the universe “to make sure the good guys win or get rewarded in the next life” was wishful thinking.

“But one can’t help asking the question: Why does the universe exist?” he said in 1991. “I don’t know an operational way to give the question or the answer, if there is one, a meaning. But it bothers me.”

The combination of his best-selling book and his almost total disability — for a while he could use a few fingers, later he could only tighten the muscles on his face — made him one of science’s most recognizable faces.

He made cameo television appearances in “The Simpsons” and “Star Trek” and counted among his fans U2 guitarist The Edge, who attended a January 2002 celebration of Hawking’s 60th birthday.

His early life was chronicled in the 2014 film “The Theory of Everything,” with Eddie Redmayne winning the best actor Academy Award for his portrayal of the scientist. The film focused still more attention on Hawking’s remarkable achievements.

Some colleagues credited that celebrity with generating new enthusiasm for science.

His achievements, and his longevity, also helped prove to many that even the most severe disabilities need not stop patients from living.

With Wires

Multiple car crash kills 10 people in Abuja

Ten persons reportedly died yesterday at Nyanya, a suburb of Abuja, following multiple road crashes that happened at 9.30am, close to the popular Nyanya Tipper Garage, involving truck belonging to a soft drink company and two others belonging to a construction company.



An eyewitness told Saturday Telegraph that the accident might have been caused by a brake failure of the truck heavily loaded with clippings and was descending the Kugbo hill. The eyewitness, who craved anonymity, said the truck lost control and hit several other vehicles.

Indian husband ‘pours acid on sleeping wife because she gave birth to daughters and he wanted boys’

An Indian man poured acid over his wife, on International Women’s Day, after she gave birth to a baby girl in Moradabad, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The victim, Farah Biwi, 25, suffered burns injuries to her face, hands and stomach after her husband Siraj Biwi, 32, allegedly threw acid over her.



The couple were married for eight years and have two children together, both girls. Police are searching for the alleged attacker, and hope to arrest him for voluntarily causing grievous harm.

Russian spy latest: Up to 180 military personnel deployed to Salisbury to aid investigation into nerve agent poisoning

Specialist chemical and biological warfare units from the military are investigating the graves of Sergei Skripal’s wife and son after being deployed to Salisbury.

The investigation into the nerve agent attack on the former Russian double agent and his daughter Yulia intensified as up to 200 military personnel from the Army, Royal Marines and RAF moved in.

Counter-terror police, who are leading the probe, said they requested help to remove “a number of vehicles and objects from the scene in Salisbury town centre as they have the necessary capability and expertise”.

Targets included Mr Skripal’s car, an ambulance, air-ambulance helicopter and police vehicle, which were covered by people wearing protective gear and driven away on military lorries.

Officers wearing hazmat suits were seen placing a blue forensic tent over a memorial stone for the former spy’s son, Alexander, and nearby grave of his wife Liudmila.

They were both thought to have died of natural illnesses but the cause of their deaths – in 2017 and 2012 respectively – have come under renewed focus following the brazen attempt on Mr Skripal’s life.

CHRIS BROWN Vegas Battery Accuser RECORDS SINGLE ABOUT SETTLEMENT

The woman who accused Chris Brown of punching her in the face in a Vegas hotel has turned her experience into a single that takes a ton of jabs at Chris.

We've got audio from Liziane Gutierrez's "Seventy Grand" -- and while Gutierrez never names Brown specifically -- the song's lyrics are an exact recount of Brown's alleged attack.

"What is that you've been smoking? Does everybody know that you been getting high, getting high? I guess that's why you wanna fight. I end up with a black eye."

Gunman, three hostages dead after hours-long standoff in California veterans home

A gunman and three hostages were found dead inside the country’s largest veterans home on Friday night after an eight-hour standoff with police.

The suspect, identified as Albert Wong, 36, of Sacramento, Calif., slipped into a going-away party at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville shortly before 10:30 a.m., Napa County Sheriff John Robertson told reporters.

Wong, a former Army infantryman who had been treated at the facility for post-traumatic stress disorder, held a clinical worker, psychologist, and executive director hostage in one room, according to State Sen. Bill Dodd.

When authorities entered the facility around 6 p.m. local time, they found Wong, along with three women — identified as Jennifer Golick, Jennifer Gonzalez, and Christine Loeber — dead inside the 600-acre facility.

“This is a tragic piece of news, one that we were really hoping we would not have to come before the public to give,” said CHP Assistant Chief Chris Childs.

On Friday morning, the gunman slipped into the facility's Pathway Home, a privately run program treating veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

20-year-old sues Dick’s, Walmart over new gun policies

An Oregon man filed suits Monday claiming Dick's Sporting Goods and Walmart discriminated against the 20-year-old when they refused to sell him a rifle.

Dick's and Walmart restricted gun sales to adults 21 and older in the wake of the Florida high school massacre. The 19-year-old accused in the school slaying bought the AR-15 used in the attack legally.

Oregon law allows residents to buy shotguns or rifles starting at age 18.

Tyler Watson's lawsuits filed against the retailers in two separate counties claim he faced age discrimination from Dick's and Walmart, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. The lawsuit is believed to be the first filed over the new gun policies enacted on Feb. 28.

Arsenal players don't want 'arrogant' Mikel Arteta to replace under-fire Arsene Wenger (video)

Arsenal players have made their feelings known about who to replace Arsene Wenger - and they don't want Mike Arteta as their next boss.

The Spaniard has been mooted as a possible successor, with the fledging coach impressing as coach at Manchester City.

But The Sun report the members of the dressing room are not keen on the former Arsenal midfielder taking over.

They report that 35-year-old is understood to not be popular in North London after five-years at the Emirates, with many thinking he's 'arrogant'.

Man shot dead in an attempt to ‘test’ a bullet-proof vest

Houston police say a man who put on a bulletproof vest at a party has been killed after another man attending the party fired a shot at him. Police are now searching for the man who fired the fatal shot early on Sunday morning.

Investigators say forensic tests will determine if the gunshot went through the vest or struck an uncovered area.

Police believe about six to eight people were attending the party. Houston Homicide Sgt. Mark Hollbrook says while it’s unusual for people to put on body armor and play with guns at a party, “these things happen sometimes.” The name of the victim hasn’t been immediately disclosed.

Rapper Rick Ross is back home, four days after hospitalization

MMG CEO and rapper, Rick Ross has reportedly been discharged from the hospital, four days after he was hospitalized for pneumonia.

The 42-year-old rapper was placed on life support at the hospital following the state of health.

According to a TMZ report, the rap mogul returned home in the wee hours of Monday morning, and he's still receiving medical care at his residence.

The report comes just after Rick Ross shared a photo to his Instagram followers of his VVS jewelry, including a snazzy Rolex time-piece flashing on his wrist and three dazzling bracelets.

He captioned the photo: 'Florida Boy.'

Son of parents slain in CMU dorm a "good kid," family friend says

A suburban Chicago couple whose 19-year-old son allegedly shot them to death at his college dormitory in Michigan raised him and their two other children well, a family friend said Sunday. James Eric Davis Sr. -- who went by his middle name -- and his wife, Diva, were "doting parents" and raised James Eric Davis Jr. "phenomenally," said Jordan Murphy, who worked from 2004 to 2008 with Davis Sr. in Chicago as Illinois Army National Guard recruiters.

Utica College on lockdown after getting threats

NEW YORK, March 5 (Reuters) - Utica College in upstate New York ordered students to shelter in place on Monday after it received threats from a person saying he was armed with a weapon, school and police officials said.

Police had found "no substantiation to any reports of an active shooter or shots fired on campus" but were continuing to investigate, Utica's police department said in a statement.

‘Drug dealer’ buried himself alive to try and escape police

 

A suspected drug dealer ran from cops and buried himself in mud after being pulled over in a car full of cocaine and crystal meth. Joe Hobson Jr was pulled over on Interstate 20 near Conyers, Ga., Thusday on suspicion of drug trafficking – but fled shortly after the traffic stop.
Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office set up a perimiter, and two hours later the convicted felon was found with his feet sticking out of a muddy drainage creek. He had buried himself there in an attempt to evade capture, only to become stuck. Photos posted to Conyer PD’s Facebook page after show a sheepish-looking Hobson staring up from the mire, with officials working to help him up from the mud pit.

Alien hunters are convinced a mysterious object spotted on Google Earth on a remote island is a crash-landed spaceship

Alien hunters are convinced a mysterious object spotted on Google Earth is a crash-landed spaceship.

The unidentified mass was discovered near Antarctica on the remote South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic Ocean, where just 20 people live.

Web theorists at well-known alien site Secureteam10 used satellite mapping to zoom in and get a closer look at the alleged spaceship near the 10,000ft tall Mount Paget.
Bizarre tracks can be seen running up behind the object, suggesting it slid through the snow for some distance before coming to a halt.

Footage of the strange mass published on YouTube on Saturday has been viewed more than 150,000 times.

Police identify Alabama man who killed himself near White House

Authorities have identified the man who fatally shot himself in front of the White House. Police say it was 26-year-old Cameron Ross Burgess, recently of Maylene, Alabama, who approached the fence along the north side of the White House and fired several rounds from a handgun shortly before midday Saturday.

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump were in Florida at the time, and the Secret Service says no member of the first family was at the White House then.
Authorities say none of the shots appeared to have been directed toward the White House.

Media outlet Al.com reported that an Auburn University spokesman told it that Burgess graduated from the school in 2013. The newspaper reports that state records for Burgess revealed no criminal history.

North Korea reportedly 'laundered' coal through Russia in an apparent breach of sanctions

In 2017, North Korea sent coal to Russia, before it was delivered to South Korea and Japan, in an apparent breach of sanctions.
The coal was effectively "laundered" through Russia, according to a report from The Washington Post.
The UN and US ban the export of coal from North Korea to prevent funds being used to develop weapons.

North Korea reportedly "laundered" coal through Russia on its way to South Korea and Japan, according to a report from The Washington Post.

The Post reports at least four ships delivered North Korean coal to a port in Kholmsk, Russia, during August and September 2017. They were quickly followed by more ships that picked up parts of the load and sold it as Russian coal.

Oscars 2018 winners: the complete list,How it all went down

On Sunday night at the 2018 Oscars, the big winner was a love story involving a fish-man, which beat out a revenge comedy centered on the death of a teen girl and a horror flick featuring body-snatching Caucasian people.

Heading into the night, Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water led the field with 13 nominations, and it ended up winning four Oscars, including major categories Best Picture and Directing, as well as Production Design and Original Score.

The other big winners of the night were Jordan Peele, who won Best Original Screenplay for Get Out; Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell, Best Actress and Supporting Actor (respectively) for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri; James Ivory, who won Best Adapted Screenplay for Call Me by Your Name; Gary Oldman, who won Best Actor for The Darkest Hour; and Allison Janney, for Best Supporting Actress for I,Tonya.

Man plunges to his death from Gatwick Airport North Terminal car park

A man plunged to his death at Gatwick Airport. The man, in his 20s, was waiting between connection flights at the London airport when he fell from the sixth floor of a multi-storey car park at the North Terminal, police confirmed on Friday.

The victim landed at Gatwick on an earlier flight and had been booked to board another aircraft to a European destination when he was believed to have deliberately jumped from the top floor of the car park at 4pm yesterday/on Thursday. Police and paramedics rushed to the North Terminal but there was nothing they could do to save the man’s life. His body was removed by the ambulance crew and taken to the mortuary at the East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, where a post mortem examination was due to be carried out to establish the exact cause of his death.

Student in custody after allegedly shooting parents at Central Michigan University dorm

2 shot at Central Michigan University, suspect at large: Police
A 19-year-old Central Michigan University student officials accused of fatally shooting his mother and father on campus was taken into custody just after midnight Saturday after a nearly day-long manhunt.

More than 100 police officers spent the afternoon and evening searching the Mount Pleasant area for James Eric Davis, who authorities described as armed and dangerous, after he allegedly shot his mother and father, an Illinois police officer.

Rapper Rick Ross 'hospitalised after being found unresponsive at home'

    

Rapper Rick Ross has been hospitalised with a mystery medical condition, according to TMZ.

The Aston Martin Music musician has been the subject of multiple reports about his health after he was found unresponsive at home in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The news site reports that Rick was taken to a Miami hospital after someone called the emergency services at around 3.30am on Thursday when they found him 'in distress' and "slobbing out the mouth".

Arsene Wenger has "overstayed his welcome" at Arsenal - Gunners boss

Former Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood believes it is time to call an end to Arsene Wenger's tenure.

The Arsenal boss has come under increasing pressure this week following back-to-back 3-0 defeats to Manchester City.

Wenger has refused to discuss his future but his position is set to be reviewed in the summer, in the biggest threat to his reign.
Hill-Wood appointed Wenger as Gunners boss in 1996 before stepping down in 2013.

Picasso portrait sells for record £49.8 million

A Picasso artwork has sold for nearly £50 million - the highest auction price for any painting ever sold in Europe in pounds.

The artist's portrait of Marie-Therese Walter, known as his "golden muse", sold for £49.8 million at Sotheby's London on Wednesday evening.

The 1937 painting has never been sold on the market before, having previously been part of a private collection.

Femme au beret et a la robe quadrillee was painted in the same year as the artist's famous Guernica.

Prescription Opioids Increase Risk of Serious Infection

Taking prescription opioids may significantly increase a person’s risk of developing dangerous infections that could lead to meningitis and pneumonia, according to a new study out today.

Doctors have known for years that prescription opioids can suppress the immune system. But they weren’t sure exactly which infections these patients were at increased risk of contracting.

In a new study published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers from Vanderbilt University found evidence that people taking prescription opioids are more at risk for developing certain dangerous bacterial infections.

The researchers used the Tennessee Medicaid database and the Active Bacterial Core surveillance system to see what links they could find between opioid use and bacterial disease.

Popular Egyptian singer sentenced to prison for joking about the cleanliness of a river

A popular Egyptian singer has been sentenced to six months behind bars for joking about the cleanliness of River Nile.

Sherine Abdel Wahab, a judge on the Arabic version of The Voice, was filmed telling a fan that drinking from the river could give them parasites. "Drink Evian instead," she joked in a video which surfaced online last November.

Sherine was asked to sing Mashrebtesh Men Nilha, which reportedly translates to 'have you drunk from the Nile?'

Although the singer has since issued an apology for the offensive joke.

Germany investigates cyber-attack 'by Russians'

Germany is investigating a security breach to its defence and interior ministries' private networks, a government spokesman has confirmed.

A notorious Russian hacking group known as Fancy Bear, or APT28, is being widely blamed in German media.

They are thought to be behind a number of cyber-attacks on the West, including breaches in the 2016 US election.

The hack was first realised in December and may have lasted up to a year, the DPA news agency reported.

The group is reported to have targeted the federal government's internal communications network with malware.

Bears with keyboards: Russian hackers snoop on West
Is Russia really interfering in European states?
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