Nessie hunter, George Edwards, has waited 26 long years..working up to 60 hours per-week to discover the Loch Ness Monster. Now a new Loch Ness photo could substantiate his hard work. On November 2, 2011 at 9 a.m., Edwards snapped a picture of mysterious dark hump he saw in the water moving towards Urquhart Castle.
“It was slowly moving up the loch towards Urquhart Castle and it was a dark grey color,” Edwards said. “It was quite a fair way from the boat, probably about half a mile away but it’s difficult to tell in water.”

The Nessie hunter watched the intriguing object up to 10 minutes before it sank below the water’s surface and didn’t re-emerge.

Still, there’s no real proof that the Loch Ness Monster does exist, but it’s an intriguing story, without a doubt. George Edwards believes there’s not just one monster out there, but several others based on recorded sightings spanning years. Experts agree with the Nessie hunter that the image isn’t that of a sturgeon.

UN human rights chief Navi Pillay has called for an independent investigation following claims of abuses by security forces in Burma’s Rakhine state.

Thousands of Rakhine people are living in temporary accommodation after fleeing violence

Ms Pillay said forces sent to quash violence in the northern state were reported to be targeting Muslims.

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says about 80,000 people have been displaced following inter-communal violence.

The agency says most of those displaced are living in camps and more tents are being airlifted in to help them.

The latest violence in Rakhine state began in May when a Buddhist ethnic Rakhine woman was raped and murdered by three Muslims.

On 3 June, an unidentified mob killed 10 Muslims.

Ms Pillay’s office says that since then at least 78 people have been killed in ensuing violence but unofficial estimates are higher.

“We have been receiving a stream of reports from independent sources alleging discriminatory and arbitrary responses by security forces, and even their instigation of and involvement in clashes,” Ms Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said.

“Reports indicate that the initial swift response of the authorities to the communal violence may have turned into a crackdown targeting Muslims, in particular members of the Rohingya community.”

She welcomed a government decision to allow a UN envoy access to Rakhine state next week, but said it was “no substitute for a fully-fledged independent investigation”.

‘Scared to return’

The UNHCR says that about 80,000 people had been displaced in and around the towns of Sittwe and Maungdaw.

Spokesman Andrej Mahecic said that many were too scared to return home while others were being prevented from earning a living.

“Some displaced Muslims tell UNHCR staff they would also like to go home to resume work, but fear for their safety,” he said.

Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi recently called for laws to protect the rights of ethnic minority groups.

In her first statement in parliament, she said such laws were important for Burma to become a truly democratic nation of mutual respect.

Burma has undergone a series of political reforms initiated by the military-backed government.

But some parts of the country are still hit by conflict and unrest, most recently Rakhine state.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has set a deadline of July 25 for Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf to submit a compliance report in National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) implementation case.

The Supreme Court Thursday heard the NRO implementation case and ruled that Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf must write the letter to Swiss authorities to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

The SC ruling said: “The Prime Minister of Pakistan / Chief Executive of the Federation shall cause a report to be submitted before this Court regarding compliance of the directions (in July 25th hearing).”

If the PM fails to implement the order, the court can take any action against him in accordance with the constitution.

The apex court in its order stated that the new Prime Minister (Raja Pervaiz Ashraf) was also bound to implement the order given to former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who had to face ouster after being disqualified by the Supreme Court on contempt charges.

The Supreme Court had earlier ordered the then prime minister Gilani to implement its verdict without any consultation. When Gilani failed to implement the order he was issued a contempt notice and was then convicted by the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court also made note of the Wednesday’s news conference of Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira in which he said that the constitution did not permit the writing of the letter.

Earlier during proceedings Attorney General Irfan Qadir informed the apex court that the federal cabinet would evaluate the matter of implementation after the opinion of the Law Ministry was received. The AG requested the court to adjourn proceedings till after summer vacations.

Cosi, a luxury slow fashion and home accessories brand, has just opened a shop-in-shop for the first time in Australia.

The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered a fifth moon circling the dwarf planet Pluto.

The new moon, visible as a speck of light in Hubble images, is estimated to be irregular in shape and between 10km and 25km across.

Scientists are intrigued that such a small world can have such a complex collection of satellites.

The moon – known only as P5 – could help shed light on how the Pluto system formed and evolved.

According to one idea, all the moons are relics of a collision between Pluto and another large icy object billions of years ago.

“The moons form a series of neatly nested orbits, a bit like Russian dolls,” said Mark Showalter from the Seti Institute in Mountain View, US, the leader of the team that discovered the new moon.

Pluto’s largest moon, Charon, was discovered in 1978. Hubble observations in 2006 uncovered two additional small moons, Nix and Hydra.

In 2011, another moon, known as P4, was found by Hubble.

Provisionally named S/2012 (134340) 1, or P5, the latest moon was detected in nine separate sets of images taken by Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 taken during June and July.

New Horizons, an unmanned Nasa spacecraft, is currently en route to Pluto, with a flyby of the object scheduled for 2015.

It will return the first ever detailed images of the Pluto system, which is so small and distant that even Hubble can barely see the largest features on its surface.

Discovered in 1930 by the American Clyde Tombaugh, Pluto was regarded as the ninth planet in the Solar System until its demotion in 2006.

The decision to recategorize Pluto as a “dwarf planet” was driven by a recognition that it is one of several large, icy objects that reside in the Kuiper Belt, a region just beyond the orbit of Neptune.

Boos from residents and occasional gunfire from rebel forces in nearby mountains greeted the arrival Wednesday of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in the southwestern town of Toribio, a rebel zone.
Santos, who arrived at noon, was in town to meet with villagers over their demands that both government soldiers and members of the rebel group Armed Revolutionary Front of Colombia leave the area.
Before Santos’ noon arrival, Armed Revolutionary Front of Colombia, or FARC, guerrillas fired continuously from mountains surrounding the war-torn town and a heavy explosion jolted the area near the police station.
The explosion occurred 150 meters from where a group of Colombian politicians had gotten out of a helicopter after landing there for a meeting. Witnesses initially said the blast appeared to be a guerrilla attack, but indigenous authorities said the blast may have been an army-controlled explosion of a guerrilla explosive device.
In a display of its muscle, FARC set up a checkpoint of 10 guerillas just outside Toribio and controlled access through the primary route into and out of the town. A FARC commander of the Special Forces of the 6th Front told CNN that “Santos’ war hasn’t helped anyone here in this zone. He wants to increase the army and the police, which will not bring any benefit to the people or Toribio.”
Santos’ war hasn’t helped anyone here in this zone. He wants to increase the army and the police, which will not bring any benefit to the people or Toribio
FARC commander
The commander said that if the government were to remove its soldiers from the zone, “FARC would have no reason to remain there,” but promised the group would remain as long as the military is there.
Santos walked openly through the town square, where he was met by boos and shouts of “Get out! Get out!” From a distance, bursts of sporadic gunfire could be heard.
“It is good that the president will hear these shots around us as then he will see what it is like for us here every day,” said Sigifredo Pavo, president of the Nasa Indigenous Authority.
Santos then met privately with representatives of the indigenous group, a move that outraged some villagers despite Santos’ promise to meet with them later.
Dissatisfied with both the president and the FARC, hundreds of members of the local Nasa tribal community split into two groups, one of which marched to the FARC checkpoint and the other to a military compound two hours away by foot. Each carried the same message: Get out of Toribio.
Above the military compound, they raised a white flag of peace and their own indigenous flag.
Santos has seen his ratings among Colombians drop in recent weeks because of the widespread perception that the security situation has gotten out of control during his leadership.

“The January-June period was the warmest first half of any year on record for the contiguous United States. The national temperature of 52.9°F was 4.5°F above the 20th century average.”
While those of us who work in the field of environmental policy and sustainability management believe that human-induced climate change is partially responsible for these trends, let’s ignore for a moment the causes of this problem and start thinking about what to do about the impact of extreme weather events.

Steven Cohen

Not only does NOAA report that we are experiencing more extreme weather events, but the UN’s Internal Displacement Monitoring System reports that those events are having a greater impact than ever before. This is because the planet has more people than it used to. When I was growing up in the 1960s, we had about three billion people living on Earth. Today, we have more than seven billion.
People are living in places they did not live in before, and some of the places that we live are quite vulnerable to destructive weather. Additionally, with over half the planet residing in cities, we are living under conditions of higher population density. This means that when floods, fires, winds and earthquakes hit, more people are in harm’s way.
Extreme weather: Expect to see more of it, scientists say
Dairy cows seek relief from extreme heat Storms, heat causing problems nationwide
Even if the storms were not getting more intense, our growing population and patterns of development would guarantee that the costs of weather-related damage will continue to grow.
We see the impact of new patterns of land use out West where wildfires have been raging for weeks. Many of the homes that have been lost recently are in places where people didn’t live a century ago.
In the beach community where I have a summer home on the south shore of Long Island, people are now building lavish homes close to the beach. In the old days, homes were built farther from the ocean to reduce the odds of damage from storms. We seem to think we are invulnerable to the forces of nature, at least until we learn the hard way that even modern buildings can be destroyed by storms, fires and earthquakes.
The policy implications of these trends are obvious.
We should pay more attention to natural processes when we decide where to build our homes, businesses and infrastructure. Here in New York, the parkways we built by streams and rivers flood and must be closed during many storms. (Commuters who drive on the Bronx River Parkway and the Saw Mill River Parkway know what I mean.)
Dog days of summer
Photos: Wildfires devastate Western states
Photos: Extreme heat strikes U.S.
We need to devote more public resources to pay for emergency response and reconstruction from weather-related catastrophes. In fact, we should no longer deal with these events as if they are emergencies, but start to see them as routine events, requiring standard, programmed responses. This includes setting aside funds for fires and floods each year, just as Northern cities budget for blizzard clean-up.
Extreme heat in your area? Share with us on CNN iReport
We will also need to require homeowners and businesses to purchase higher levels of insurance coverage for weather-related damage. In this era when people seek smaller government and lower taxes, private insurance will be needed to pay the costs of reconstruction.
These proposals and analyses do not require you to agree with the compelling scientific evidence that human activity is producing climate change. It could simply be a coincidence that the past six months were the hottest months on record.
On the other hand, even if you are not one of the more than 100 Ph.D. level climate scientists that work at Columbia University’s Earth Institute and even if you do not understand the physics of climate change or the computer models predicting global warming, common sense alone might lead you to think that human beings and their machines are making the planet warmer.
News: Wildfire victims face more than one tragedy
If you doubt me, come to midtown Manhattan during an August heat wave and feel the blast of hot air from vents on buildings and the street. Feel the heat generated by the engines of a truck or car traveling down Broadway, and just multiply it by a billion, which according to Ward’s Auto, is the number of motor vehicles now on the roads of our planet. Do you really think all these machines have no impact on this planet’s resilient but still fragile ecosphere?
I do not want to turn off these machines. I like air conditioning, autos and digital media as much as anyone. But a prudent response to the extreme weather we are already experiencing would be to be to see it as a warning. We need to accelerate the transition to a sustainable, renewable economy. We need to build our communities’ capacities to predict and respond to weather emergencies and to rebuild after they are over.

Our picks of the best suites you’ll find on a cruise ship aren’t necessarily the biggest at sea (though spacious digs on ships, where standard cabins typically rival a cheap London hotel for sheer meanness of size, are indeed a luxury).

All of these—and I’ve stayed in them—are superb for a variety of reasons, including an elegant ambience, fun tech toys, lavish bathrooms, walk-in closets, and extra services of butlers and other handlers. We also considered location. It’s an odd truism that on some ships the most elaborate suites back right up onto public deck pool areas and sports courts with no privacy at all.

Queen Anne Suite

Cunard’s Queen Mary 2

What works: Spacious, yes, but the Queen Anne suite is also cozy, featuring a living room/dining room combo with a table that seats four, a separate bedroom, one and a half—all marble—bathrooms and the all-important walk-in closet. But what I loved most was the view; the suite stretches halfway across the ship’s bow and from its bay-like windows you can see forever.

The Queen Anne Suite’s starting price for a 2012 seven-day transatlantic crossing is $11,895 per person, plus government fees & taxes and fuel supplement, if applicable.

The Haven

Norwegian’s Epic, Gem, Jade, Jewel, Pearl

What works: This is the best suite at sea for families, perfect for passengers who want small-ship pampering with big-ship entertainment and kids’ clubs. There are a variety of categories within the Haven on each ship, but some villas feature a living room/dining area, kids’ bedroom for two, with its own television and bathroom. There’s a separate master bedroom/bath combo with a fabulous whirlpool tub that’s tucked next to full windows.

From $2,999 per person double occupancy.

Wintergarden Suite

Seabourn’s Odyssey, Sojourn, Quest

What works: The Wintergarden, the largest suite you’ll find on Seabourn’s new trio of Odyssey-class ships, is perfectly pleasant, offering a Scandinavian design scheme, dining table for six, huge flat-screen TVs in living room and bedroom. There’s even a charmingly outfitted balcony with a dining table for alfresco meals. But the spot that will make you swoon is its conservatory, utterly unique, which sports a glassed-in solarium. Soaking in the egg-shaped tub while the ship is cruising is a marvelous feeling (er, in port you’ll need to draw the Venetian blinds), and the adjacent day bed is a wonderful spot for an afternoon nap.

From $10,200 per person based on double occupancy. Rates vary according to itinerary, and are subject to change and availability.

All suites, Uniworld’s S.S. Antoinette

What works: Whether you’re talking about its lavish public rooms, its airy spa, its cinema, or its staterooms, S.S. Antoinette is not only the most gorgeous riverboat afloat, it’s also quite possibly the most beautiful ship anywhere. Its suites are magnificent. All have different themes but share in common Savoir beds, original artwork, silk-lined walls, and, particularly unusual, a walk-out balcony that can be converted, in inclement weather, to an indoor conservatory with the flick of a switch.

Royal Suite (pictured): From $3,725 per person above the base cruise price ($2,249–$3,499 per person).

Owner’s Suites

Oceania Cruises’ Marina

What works: Marina’s trio of Owner’s Suites are a cross between a private yacht and a glamorous New York apartment in a 1940s flick. At 2,000 square feet apiece, they’re huge, but it’s the décor that wows, with touches like an ebony baby grand piano in the foyer and wraparound teak-covered verandas tricked out with a hot tub (with its own flat-screen television), dining table, and comfy chaises. Furnishings and bedding come from the Ralph Lauren Home Collection. The Riviera, launching in April, will have similar suites.

Prices vary based on the length of the cruise and the itinerary. Some sample prices: $6,999 per guest (basis two) for a seven-day Caribbean cruise; $14,999 per guest (basis two) for a 12-day Mediterranean cruise.

Penthouse Suites, Crystal’s Serenity

Crystal’s Serenity

What works: After a complete refurb, Crystal’s penthouse suites are the most stylish at sea. Layout-wise, the suite’s a huge L-shaped space but you can pull a voluminous (and sound-reducing) curtain to cordon off the bedroom. Butlers serve course-by-course meals; residents can also order off menus from alternative eateries Piero Selvaggio’s Prego and Nobu’s Silk Road.

Until December 31, 2011, “Book Now” fares for early-2013 itineraries range from $1,360 for a 10-day Miami-Lisbon Transatlantic leaving March 19, 2012, to $48,905 for a 2012, 94-day World Cruise round-trip from L.A.

Spa Suite

Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa

What works: If you want to experience exotic itineraries—and at the same time maintain, if not improve, your wellness regimen, the four spa suites on Hapag-Lloyd’s Europa offer balance in the word’s best sense. They don’t just offer a pseudo-organic ambience as do most cruise lines with a trendy spa suite concept. Passengers booked here get lots of spa extras, from nutritional sessions to customized massage treatment plans.

More than six decades after being freed from a Japanese prisoner of war camp, a Utah veteran was compelled to relive the horrors and triumphs of his World War II experience this month when he received a mysterious package containing seven military medals, including the Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star.

The medals have become a source of pride for retired Army Capt. Tom Harrison, 93, since they arrived in a box with nothing more than a packing slip from a logistics center in Philadelphia on Nov. 4, which happened to be his 65th wedding anniversary. But they have also refreshed painful memories of the Bataan Death March, POW camps and the comrades he lost during the war or in the years since.

Harrison can talk at length about his time as a soldier in the Philippines. But he talks about it much like he talks about golf, focusing on small details — be it the flight of a well-hit tee shot or the day he met Gen. Douglass MacArthur — and the people that surrounded him. He doesn’t dwell on his own valor.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor forced the United States into the war, Harrison spent months fighting the Japanese before American and Filipino troops surrendered at the Battle of Bataan. He eventually survived, without lasting physical injury, the Bataan Death March and three-plus years as a Japanese prisoner of war.

“It brings back memories, but also makes you feel like somebody appreciated your service,” Harrison said while sitting in his living room with the medals. “It also reminds me of the people I served with in the Philippines. I’m the only survivor from my unit now. I’ve lost most of my friends.”

About 20 years ago, Harrison “shook the cobwebs loose” on his war experiences by writing a book called “Survivor.” That has made it easier — but not easy — to talk about the suffering, the disease and the starvation that defined the years of imprisonment.

The medals prompted new interest from his family about the war, Harrison said, although he is reluctant to talk at length about his personal experiences. Instead, Harrison holds up a Presidential Unit Citation as one medal he was particularly pleased to receive because it recognized the soldiers he served with and trained.

His leadership and bravery earned him two of the Army’s highest honors, the Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star. While those medals are only given for extraordinary acts of selfless valor, Harrison said he doesn’t remember — or is reluctant to explain — what he did to earn them.

“I don’t like to talk about what makes a hero. It’s not something I like to broadcast,” Harrison said. “But my kids are impressed, and my grandkids say they (the medals) are ‘awesome.’”

It hasn’t been uncommon for World War II veterans to receive medals decades later because relatively few were actually given out during or immediately following the war, said retired 1st Sgt. Dennis Meeks, a customer service manager for the South Carolina-based Medals of America, a company that works with military officials to distribute medals to veterans.

Instead, veterans were given ribbons because precious metals such as bronze and silver were needed for more pressing wartime needs, Meeks said. Additionally, a number of medals were granted in the years after service members were discharged.

That means many veterans needed to apply to receive their medals, and a strong majority of them did not.

“The Greatest Generation just put this war to the side when it ended,” Meeks said. “They had other concerns, like starting families and careers.”

As for Harrison’s medals, however, it remains a mystery as to who actually requested them. His son, Peter Harrison, said nobody in the family has taken credit for doing it, although they have celebrated the medals with a family dinner.

Army officials didn’t respond to email requests for comment and weren’t available on Friday because of the Veterans Day federal holiday.

Eventually, the medals will be displayed in Tom Harrison’s modestly decorated but spacious home, which is about 50 yards from the 7th hole of the Salt Lake Country Club. They will serve as reminders of a well-lived life for him, his wife and his family.

“They add excitement to an otherwise sedentary life,” he said. “I can still remember it all, even after such a long time. I don’t like to bring it up, but I’ll talk about it if asked.”

Yesterday he tweeted: ‘So, I found out how to enable Panorama is the iOS Camera app. Set the key ‘EnableFirebreak’ to YES in com.apple.mobileslideshow.plist.’

Several other hackers have since found the hidden mode, too.

To turn it on, though, your iPhone would have to be jailbroken or you will need to have developer access.

Apple does not recommend jailbreaking – where the phone’s file system is broken open to allow for modifications – which some users do so that they can download apps not available on iTunes.

It said: ‘Apple’s goal has always been to ensure that our customers have a great experience with their iPhone and we know that jailbreaking can severely degrade the experience.

‘As we’ve said before, the vast majority of customers do not jailbreak their iPhones as this can violate the warranty and can cause the iPhone to become unstable and not work reliably.’

It’s thought that the panorama camera mode is currently undergoing testing before being enabled for general use.