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Horror of Syrian massacre unfolds; government blamed

Security Council singles out "government artillery and tank shelling" in massacre "Severe physical abuse," gunfire also blamed Syria says the statement leaves blame ambiguous, promises to investigate But Germany says the deaths bear "a clear footprint of the government" (CNN) -- The U.N. Security Council on Sunday condemned the weekend massacre of more than 100 civilians in Syria, with members casting blame on government forces for the deaths. U.N. military observers said the toll from the Friday assault on the village of Houle included dozens of women and children. After consultations Sunday afternoon, Security Council members condemned "attacks that involved a series of government artillery and tank shellings on a residential neighborhood," as well as the killings of civilians by close-range gunshots and "severe physical abuse." "Such outrageous use of force against the civilian population constitutes a violation of applicable international law and of the commitments of the Syrian government under United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2042 and 2043 to cease violence in all its forms, including the cessation of use of heavy weapons in population centers," said Azerbaijan's Deputy Ambassador Tofig Musayev, who presided over the meeting. The members demanded that Syrian troops immediately pull its troops and heavy weapons back from cities in accordance with an April cease-fire. Bashar Jaafari, Syria's U.N. ambassador, told reporters the statement wasn't blaming his government for all the killings, since the statement left the cause of most deaths ambiguous. He said most of the deaths were caused by gunfire, and the council statement did not specifically assign blame for those fatalities. And Russia, a longtime ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, believes "it still remains unclear what happened and what triggered what," as Russian charge d'affaires Alexander Pankin put it. But German Ambassador Peter Wettig said there was "clear evidence" connecting the government to the deaths. "The evidence is not murky, and there is a clear footprint of the government in this massacre," Wettig said. And Martin Brines, the French deputy ambassador, said a briefing by the head of the U.N. observer mission in Syria "clearly shows the responsibility of the Syrian government in failing to protect its civilians as well, as attacking them directly." U.N. observers in Syria said the toll from the Houle massacre had risen to 108 on Sunday, including 34 women and 49 children under the age of 10, said Sausan Ghosheh, the observer mission's spokeswoman. Horrific images of the bodies in Houla spread across the internet, fueling fresh protests by Syrian opposition groups in several cities. Videos posted Sunday on YouTube show demonstrations in cities around the country, including Damascus, Daraa, Idlib, and the suburbs of Hama. "Oh Houla, we are with you until death," protesters chanted in Daraa. And a demonstration in Idlib showed a U.N. vehicle among protesters. In the Hama suburbs, demonstrators called for President Bashar al-Assad to step down. But the 14-month-old clampdown continued, with opposition activists reporting another 26 people -- including five children and three women -- killed across the country on Sunday. Opposition activists said killings began with a mortar bombardment following Friday prayers, followed by a rampage by government-allied militias. Video posted over the weekend showed opposition activists displaying the bloodied remains of more than 10 children, including some with limbs blown off or skulls torn open. In another, medics treated a crying infant whose chest was covered in bandages. Syria has denied its troops were behind the bloodbath in Houla, and Jafaari denounced what he called a "tsunami of lies" against his government. He called the deaths "an appalling, horrific unjustified and unjustifiable crime" and vowed Syria's government had launched a national commission to investigate them. "Whoever committed these crimes will be held accountable by the Syrian authorities, by the Syrian govenrnment's law," he said. On state-run media, the Syrian regime said "al Qaeda-linked terrorist groups committed two horrible massacres against a number of families in the towns of al-Shumariyeh and Taldo in the countryside of Homs province." The state report also showed gruesome images of children spattered with blood. But CNN can not independently confirm details from Syria nor the authenticity of videos, however, as the Syrian government strictly limits access by foreign journalists. But Alex Thompson, a reporter for Britain's ITV television network who was in Houla, said its residents appeared to be voting with their feet. "There are lots of civilians in the rebel-held areas. They are not apparently frightened of the fighters. They are speaking openly to the United Nations," Thomson told CNN. "In the areas of the town held by the army, there is nobody -- it's a ghost town." U.N. officials say more than 9,000 people, mostly civilians, have died and tens of thousands have been uprooted since the uprising began in March 2011. Opposition groups report a death toll of more than 11,000 people.

Haneke wins his second Palme d'Or

Austrian director Michael Haneke wins his second Palme d'Or prize, this time for Love.

Haneke wins his second Palme d'Or

Austrian director Michael Haneke wins his second Palme d'Or prize, this time for Love.

Beryl poised for landfall on Southern Atlantic coast

Tropical storm conditions were forecast Sunday for areas of the Atlantic coast from northeastern Florida to southern South Carolina as Subtropical Storm Beryl approached, forecasters said.

Lady Gaga Cancels Indonesia Show Amid Threats of Violence

Lady Gaga has canceled her concert in Jakarta Indonesia after Islamic hardliners threatened violence the Associated Press reports The concert scheduled for June 3rd at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium had sold out its 52000 tickets though it has been a question for some time whether Lady Gaga would receive the...

Lady Gaga cancels Indonesia show after threat from Muslim extremists

Lady Gaga is canceling her sold-out show in Indonesia over security concerns after Muslim hard-liners threatened violence if the pop diva went ahead with her "Born This Way Ball."

Meet The New Boss, Worse Than The Old Boss? | thetrichordist.wordpress.com | Apr. 15, 2012 | 44 Minutes (11,071 words)

The Internet was supposed to liberate artists and replace the traditional businesses that had been disrupted by digital distribution. Musician David Lowery (Camper Van Beethoven, Cracker) says the math still isn't working: "I was like all of you. I believed in the promise of the Internet to liberate, empower and even enrich artists. I still do but I’m less sure of it than I once was. I come here because I want to start a dialogue. I feel that what we artists were promised has not really panned out. Yes in many ways we have more freedom. Artistically this is certainly true. But the music business never transformed into the vibrant marketplace where small stakeholders could compete with multinational conglomerates on an even playing field. "In the last few years it’s become apparent the music business, which was once dominated by six large and powerful music conglomerates, MTV, Clear Channel and a handful of other companies, is now dominated by a smaller set of larger even more powerful tech conglomerates. And their hold on the business seems to be getting stronger."

Rebel Syrian army calls for retaliatory attacks

Members of the rebel Free Syrian Army say the U.N.-backed peace plan is "dead," with some vowing to retaliate against government forces after a gruesome massacre.

Japan: Americans held in Irish student's death

Police have detained two American men as part of an investigation into the strangling death of an Irish exchange student in Tokyo, local authorities said Sunday.

Memorial Day - More Than a Day at the Beach - Huffington Post

We are filmmakers in our late 20s and, like most everyone in our generation, we take a lot of things for granted. Past Memorial Days have simply been a day off from work, a trip to the beach and a barbecue in the backyard. This one is different. Over the past two years we've had the opportunity to interview dozens of World War II veterans for our feature-length documentary that is premiering Honor Flight this August at Milwaukee Brewers baseball stadium to a crowd of tens of thousands -- including hundreds of WWII vets. The Honor Flight program flies veterans to see the memorial built in their honor in Washington, D.C., at no cost to them. The WWII Memorial wasn't built until 2004, 60 years after World War II. Throughout the Honor Flight trip, vets begin to share their war stories -- sometimes for the first time ever. After the trip, many vets say it was one of the greatest days of their lives. For those in their late 80s and early 90s, Honor Flight is their first visit to Washington, D.C., and the very last trip they'll ever take. It's a race against time. But not everyone can go on an Honor Flight. So we're bringing it to them: Through social media and film, we can show these living heroes, one last time, just how grateful we are for the freedom and opportunity they've left us. Last Memorial Day we asked people for 50,000 views on the film's trailer to show vets our support. They responded with 4.5 million. Perhaps more importantly than what we can do for the vets through this project, is what the veterans can do for us... again. Filming Honor Flight has been a transformational experience. It's forced us to grapple with the issues of gratitude, family and freedom in our own lives. We've come to realize that shaking a vet's hand or calling grandpa on Memorial Day isn't the point. The only way we can bring honor to the lives of WWII vets, is through our own. Knowing what the Greatest Generation did for us to have the lives we enjoy today, both in war and in life, we must strive for greatness in our lives worthy of their sacrifices. That means different things for different people but the question for everyone is the same: "Am I fully taking advantage of the freedom and opportunity I've been gifted in the United States of America? Am I living like 'every day is a bonus'?" That phrase, "every day is a bonus," is the motto of one Honor Flight chapter. It was coined by Joe Demler, a WWII vet who was captured in the Battle of the Bulge and sent to a Nazi prison camp. When Joe was rescued, he weighed less than 80 lbs and is chronicled in Life magazine as "The Human Skeleton." When the reporter asked Joe how he was feeling, he responded with "every day is a bonus." Joe and his fellow WWII veterans who barely made it out of the war alive know that every day is a bonus all too well. Today, in the last sentence of the last paragraph of the last chapter of their lives, they're confronted with mortality again. Through Honor Flight, we hope to ensure their message lives on.

House explosion injures 6 in Wisconsin

A house explosion in a northern suburb of Milwaukee on Saturday injured six people, including a firefighter and a police officer, fire officials said.

Beachgoers in Southeast brace for rain, wind from Beryl

A tropical storm warning is in effect from Florida to South Carolina due to subtropical storm Beryl, which should bring rain this Memorial Day weekend.

Beachgoers in Southeast brace for rain, wind from Beryl

A tropical storm warning is in effect from Florida to South Carolina due to subtropical storm Beryl, which should bring rain this Memorial Day weekend.

Investigation continues after arrest in Patz case

A day after Pedro Hernandez was charged in the killing of 6-year-old Etan Patz, prosecutors are now faced with task of corroborating his confession

Space crew enter Dragon capsule

"Like the smell of a brand-new car" were the words of International Space Station astronaut Don Pettit on Saturday after he carefully opened the hatch and entered the Dragon capsule for his first glimpse inside.

Space crew enter Dragon capsule

Humperdinck kicks off Eurovision

Britain's Engelbert Humperdinck will open the proceedings as 26 countries compete in the final of this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan.

Man arrested in Vatican documents leak

The Vatican has confirmed the arrest of a non-clerical staff member on suspicion of leaking confidential documents to an Italian journalist.

Syrian opposition: Scores slaughtered

Syrian opposition activists are begging for international help in stopping the government's sustained slaughter after regime forces devastated a town Friday, killing 88 people -- mostly children, an opposition group said.

Humperdinck kicks off Eurovision

Britain's Engelbert Humperdinck will open the proceedings as 26 countries compete in the final of this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan.

Isaac's Live Lip-Dub Proposal

On Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012, I told my girlfriend to meet me at my parent's house for dinner. When she arrived I had stationed my brother to sit her in the back of an open Honda CRV and give her some headphones. He "wanted to play her a song"... Wha

Syrian activist's plea: 'Do something'

Syrian government forces pounded the central province of Homs on Friday, killing more than 50 people including children, opposition groups said.

Isaac's Live Lip-Dub Proposal

Brazil president vetoes part of forest bill

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff on Friday vetoed 12 articles of a controversial forest bill approved by Congress last month, which was promoted by the powerful agriculture lobby but slammed by environmentalists.

U.S. sailor is 3,000th Afghan war death

A U.S. sailor who died last week of medical complications was the 3,000th death among coalition forces in the Afghanistan war, according to CNN's count based on information provided by the U.S. Defense Department and the International Security Assistance Force.

The Oldest Musical Instruments Ever Found Are 43,000-Year-Old Mammoth Tusks [Science]

Scientists have found the oldest musical instruments ever recorded, which are carbon dated from 42,000 to 43,000 years old, and have turned up just in time to ask your dad if they're what he listened to on the radio as a kid. More »

Jailed punk band pushes free speech limits in Russia

Here's a quick way to get arrested in modern Russia: Walk into a cathedral wearing a neon mask and carrying a guitar, stand on the pulpit and scream punk songs with lyrics like "Virgin Mary drive Putin away!"

Every Song You Download Here Helps Charities

The World at Work is powered by GE. This new series highlights the people, projects and startups that are driving innovation and making the world a better place. Name: FairShareMusic Big Idea: UK online store FairShareMusic sells millions of songs and vows to give at least half of its net profits to charities that address major issues such as world hunger, cancer research and endangered species. Why It’s Working: The website infuses philanthropy into music fans’ lives. The more a user downloads songs, the more donations are made to charities all over the world. What if you could help make the world a better place with the click of a button? With FairShareMusic, you can. Since 2010, the London-based company has offered top songs for download in its online music store. And with one click of the “Buy” button, consumers simultaneously get their favorite tunes and donate money to charity. It’s simple: You pick the songs, you pick the charities, and a portion of your payment goes to an issue that you care about. FairShareMusic, which donates 50% of its net profits to charities, touts its selection of more than 18 million tracks, with Carly Rae Jepsen’s viral hit “Call Me Maybe” currently listed among the top downloads. The songs integrate into your iTunes or Windows media libraries seamlessly, with no extra software required. “We stimulate change in giving by promoting social action, connecting people and charities through music.” “We stimulate change in giving by promoting social action, connecting people and charities through music — making it easier for people to give directly to a cause through something they’re passionate about, whilst promoting further a culture of giving and increasing the amount existing donors give to charity.” co-founder Lee Cannon told Mashable. FairShareMusic has seen steady growth in the past 12 months with sales and customer numbers increasing. “Unique visits are converting into registrations at approximately 6%, with 98% going on to purchase. 62% of registered customers have bought more than once, and our average basket size is almost double the UK average at £7.20,” Cannon says. FairShareMusic is optimizing the store for mobile and will eventually release Android and BlackBerry apps. Here’s how the company divvies out your money to British and international charities, such as Amnesty International, British Red Cross, Centrepoint, Friends of the Earth, Oxfam, Teenage Cancer Trust and World Wide Fund for Nature, among others: FairShareMusic pledges to always donate at least 4% of each track’s price. The other portions of the cost get doled out to the “tax man,” record label, music publisher and bank. Cannon says the larger charities do well, as do the ones with strong associations with music such as War Child, TCT, Youth Music and Nordoff Ronbins. He and Jonny Woolf launched the store, which operates in pounds and pences, in June 2010 after having dipped their toes in other music and charitable ventures. Would you use FairShareMusic? Let us know in the comments. Series presented by GE The World at Work is powered by GE. GE Works focuses on the people who make the things that move, power, build and help to cure the world. More About: charity, features, mashable, Music, Social Good, World at WorkFor more Business coverage:Follow Mashable Business on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Business channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Muslim Brotherhood: Runoff in Egypt

Egypt: Muslim Brotherhood best organized? NEW: Partial results put Mohamed Morsi ahead in several provinces, state TV reports The counting of votes is under way in Egypt's historic presidential election The Muslim Brotherhood predicts its candidate will make it into a run-off A top Egyptian election official reports 50% turnout through the second day of voting Cairo (CNN) -- Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood predicted Friday that its presidential candidate Mohamed Morsi will contest a run-off vote with former regime figure Ahmed Shafik, as counting in the country's landmark election got under way. Early results from nine of Egypt's 27 provinces, reported by state-run Egyptian TV, give a mixed picture but suggest Morsi has the advantage. He leads in five of the nine provinces, with Shafik, Amre Moussa, who previously served as foreign minister and headed the Arab League, Abdelmonen Abol Fotoh, a moderate Islamist running as an independent, and Hamdeen Sabahy, a leftist dark-horse contender, splitting poll position in the others. Results of the first round could come as soon as the end of Friday. A statement on the official Facebook page of the Freedom and Justice party, the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, indicated that Morsi had received 30.8% of the votes cast to 22.3% for Shafik. The Muslim Brotherhood said it had observed the counting of 51% of the vote. If no candidate gets a majority of the vote in the first round, a second round will be held June 16-17. There were 13 candidates on the ballot, although two withdrew from the race after ballots were printed. Electoral officials monitor voting in Namul, a village north of Cairo, on Thursday, May 24, 2012, the second and final day of voting in Egypt's historic presidential election. Egypt is holding its first presidential election since last year's toppling of Hosni Mubarak, part of the wave of Arab Spring uprisings. Egyptian women wait in line Thursday to cast their vote outside a polling station in Cairo. If no candidate gets a majority of the vote in the first round of voting, a second round will be held June 16-17. An election worker checks the identification of a voter at a polling place Thursday in Namul as Egyptian soldiers stand guard. A soldier stands watch in the Egyptian capital on the second day of voting. A pervasive fear exists that the powerful military, which has run the country since Mubarak's fall 16 months ago, could try to hijack the election. An Egyptian man waits to cast his ballot Thursday north of Cairo. The vote is considered Egypt's first free and fair presidential election in modern history. An Egyptian man drops off his ballot at a polling station Thursday in Cairo. The voting marks the first time Egypt has held a presidential election in which the results aren't known beforehand. An Egyptian woman holds up an ink-stained finger after casting her ballot in Cairo on Wednesday, May 23, 2012, the first day of voting in the historic election. A voter studies her ballot Wednesday in Cairo. Thirteen candidates are competing in the wide-open race, but two withdrew after ballots were printed. Egyptian men fill out their ballots Wednesday in Cairo. Results of the first round of voting are not expected before the weekend. An Egyptian man casts his ballot at a Cairo polling station. Some Egyptians told CNN that they waited up to four hours Wednesday to vote. Egyptian men shield themselves from the hot sun outside a Cairo polling station Wednesday. Egyptian men line up to cast their vote Wednesday in Cairo. Some 30,000 volunteers fanned out to ensure voting is fair, said organizers with the April 6 youth movement, which has campaigned for greater democracy in Egypt. Egyptian men fill out their ballots at a Cairo polling place. Presidential candidate Hamdeen Sabahy, a leftist dark-horse contender, flashes a sign of victory as he waits to vote at a Cairo school. Presidential candidate Abdelmonen Abol Fotoh, a moderate Islamist, casts his ballot Wednesday in Cairo. An Egyptian Coptic nun drops her ballot at a Cairo polling station Wednesday. Egyptian women wait outside a polling station in Cairo. Many Egyptians seem uncertain of their loyalties to any particular candidate. Egypt holds historic vote Egypt holds historic vote Egypt holds historic vote Egypt holds historic vote Egypt holds historic vote Egypt holds historic vote Egypt holds historic vote Egypt holds historic vote Egyptian holds historic vote Egypt holds historic vote Egypt holds historic vote Egypt holds historic vote Egypt holds historic vote Egypt holds historic vote Egypt holds historic vote Egypt holds historic vote Egypt holds historic vote 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Egypt holds historic vote Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf on Egypt election Investors eye Egypt election Tensions at Egypt's U.S. consulate About half all Egypt's roughly 50 million registered voters had cast ballots by the end of Thursday, the second and final day in the nation's historic presidential election, said Farouk Sultan, head of the Higher Presidential Committee. Amid worries by some that Egypt's current military rulers might somehow hijack the election, Sultan detailed the vote counting process -- including checks and balances aimed at insuring credibility. According to the committee head, votes will be tallied in the various polling locales by a judge and in the presence of representatives of the candidates. Each final count will be announced aloud, then an official report will be filed that can be viewed by nonprofit groups, the media and candidates, said Sultan. The provinces where Morsi leads are Aswan, Qina, Fayoum, Wadi Gadeed and Bani Swaif, according to Egyptian TV. Abol Fotoh leads in Damietta, Shafik in Dakahlia, Moussa in Southern Sinai and Sabahy in Red Sea province, the state-run channel reports. Morsi is an American-educated engineer who vows to stand for democracy, women's rights, and peaceful relations with Israel if he wins the Egyptian presidency. He's also an Islamist figure who has argued for barring women from the Egyptian presidency and called Israeli leaders "vampires" and "killers." The Muslim Brotherhood had originally pledged not to seek the presidency. Shafik, a former Air Force officer with close ties to Egypt's powerful military, is seen as representing the interests of the old guard -- those who lost out when former President Hosni Mubarak was ousted. Government employees were given a day off work to vote on who will be Egypt's first president since Mubarak, who led the North African nation for 30 years before resigning amid a popular outcry. He is awaiting the court's verdict and could potentially face the death penalty after going on trial for corruption and allegedly ordering the killing of anti-government protesters. The voting is a monumental achievement for those who worked to topple Mubarak in one of the seminal developments of the Arab Spring more than a year ago. And it could reverberate far beyond the country's borders, since Egypt is in many ways the center of gravity of the Arab world. "Egypt has always set trends in the Arab world and for Arab political thought. Trends spread through the Arab world and eventually affect even non-Arab, Muslim-majority countries," said Maajid Nawaz, the chairman of Quilliam, a London-based think tank. Egypt's election "bodes well for the rest of the Arab world and particularly those countries that have had uprisings," said Nawaz, a former Islamist who was imprisoned in Egypt for four years for banned political activism. Many protesters are upset at what they see as the slow pace of reform since Mubarak's ouster. Some are also concerned that the country's military leadership is delaying the transition to civilian rule. Worries about the powerful military possibly swaying this week's vote persist despite the insistence of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces that it will hand over power to an elected civilian government. The military leaders put armored personnel carriers on the streets with loudspeakers broadcasting a message that they will relinquish power, but that did not convince doubters. Nawaz said Egypt probably is not heading toward a simple case of the military either giving up control or rejecting the results of the election. Instead, he anticipated, there will be an "unhappy settlement" where the military remains "ever-present, in the shadows," influencing the civilian government without controlling it. In January, two Islamist parties -- the Freedom and Justice Party with 235 seats and the conservative Al Nour party with 121 seats -- won about 70% of the seats in the lower house of parliament in the first elections for an elected governing body in the post-Mubarak era. The rest of the assembly's 498 seats were divided among other parties. CNN's Amir Ahmed and Richard Allen Greene contributed to this report.

Egypt to pick Islamist or military man as president

CAIRO (Reuters) - The Muslim Brotherhood said on Friday its candidate in Egypt's first free presidential vote had won through to a run-off next month against ex-air force chief Ahmed Shafiq, who was deposed leader Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister. This week's first-round vote has polarised Egyptians between those determined to avoid handing the presidency back to a man from Mubarak's era and those fearing an Islamist monopoly of ruling institutions. The run-off is planned for June 16 and 17. The election marks a crucial step in a messy and often bloody transition to democracy, overseen by a military council that has pledged to hand power to a new president by July 1. The second round threatens further turbulence. Opponents of Shafiq have vowed to take to the streets if he is elected. But to supporters, Shafiq's military background offers reassurance that he can restore order on the streets, a major demand of the population 15 months after Mubarak's ouster. A Shafiq presidency would also mean smoother relations between the head of state and the powerful military. "It is clear that the run-off will be between (the Brotherhood's) Mohamed Mursi and Ahmed Shafiq," a Brotherhood election official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters. The Brotherhood's Guidance Office, its top body, was meeting to mull a campaign "to galvanise Islamists and Egyptian voters to face the bloc of the 'feloul'," he said, using a scornful Arabic term for "remnants" of Mubarak's order. Official results are not due to be announced until next week, but representatives of the candidates are allowed to watch the count, enabling them to compile their own tally. The Brotherhood official said that with votes counted from about 12,800 of the roughly 13,100 polling stations, Mursi had 25 percent, Shafiq 23 percent, a rival Islamist Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh 20 percent and leftist Hamdeen Sabahy 19 percent. No comments from any of the dozen candidates or state election officials were immediately available. Election committee officials had said late on Thursday as counting began that turnout was about 50 percent of Egypt's 50 million eligible voters. The Brotherhood official, however, said about 20 million votes were cast, or about 40 percent. The Brotherhood, Egypt's most organised political group, has already secured the biggest bloc for its party in parliament after an earlier vote. Long repressed and banned under Mubarak, the 84-year-old Islamist group has a broad grassroots base. Many Egyptians, including those who saw the revolt against Mubarak as a matter of national pride not religion, fret about Islamist gains since his fall. Christians, who form a tenth of the population and who already complain of discrimination, worry that Islamists in power could marginalise them further. "We are confident that the next president of Egypt is Mohamed Mursi," said Essam el-Erian, a senior official in the Muslim Brotherhood's party, said after early counting. If Mursi becomes president, Islamists will control most ruling institutions - but not the military - in Egypt, the most populous Arab nation, consolidating electoral gains made by fellow-Islamists in other Arab countries in the past year. The powers of Egypt's next president remain undefined because of a tussle over who will write the new constitution. He could be restricted by generals determined to retain their privileges and influence, even after the promised handover. First-round voting was held in a calm atmosphere over two days with polls closing late on Thursday. Monitors did not report any major infringements that would invalidate the vote, although some candidates grumbled about their rivals' conduct. A page on Facebook, a medium used to devastating effect in the revolt against Mubarak, was launched on Thursday and threatened a "revolution" if Shafiq or another former minister under Mubarak, Amr Moussa, was elected.

After raising 5 million euros in Series B funding: What the future holds for tape.tv

It is already a well-established name on the Berlin startup cityscape – and now tape.tv has taken the next step with the €5 million Series B funding round. With the social music video platform already reporting revenue of €20 million a year, the team behind it is definitely onto something. CEO and co-founder Conrad Fritzsch is a man inspired to make TV better, and he knows exactly how he wants to achieve that: “Content is king, everybody knows it, but packaging is God.” Participants in the funding round include Atlantic Capital Partners GmbH, Dario Suter, Christoph Daniel and Marc Schmidheiny (DCM), Christophe Maire and the Investitionsbank Berlin (IBB) through the VC Fonds Kreativwirtschaft Berlin. Alongside international expansion, the investment will go towards further scaling the business, investing in technology and improving the service across all devices. Founded in July 2008 by Conrad and COO Stephanie Renner, Berlin-based tape.tv provides users with personalised music television. It is the leading German online music video streaming platform, having negotiated its way through the country’s complex licensing process, and there are more than 3.4 million users watching a catalogue of 45,000 videos. It counts major German media outlets such as Bild.de, Spiegel.de and ZDF.kultur – with whom it produces a regular show – as well as Facebook, Spotify and Last.fm among its strategic partners. In announcing the investment, Conrad revealed the startup’s aim of combining Internet and TV in the form of SmartTV as it seeks a “creative solution for mobile usage of TV.” And when he sat down with Silicon Allee earlier this year, he revealed the ethos behind tape.tv. ‘MTV Was Crap’ The idea for the company arose from his love of TV and his frustration at the state of television in the late 1990s: “I would sit and watch, nothing would be interesting to me. The whole concept of TV was not working for me.” Even MTV didn’t satisfy him – “it was crap; there was hardly any music on it” – and when YouTube came along, he was left to his own devices as he tried to find interesting content. “So I thought, why don’t we take the intelligence of the net, all the things we can do in the digital world, and combine it with the easiness of TV? I wanted to use these two things to bring music into the digital age.” And with tape.tv, he is looking to do exactly that. “In the future,” he added, “we can foresee a product where it never matters where I am, or who I’m with, I’ll get the perfect TV experience, and TV experience defines the digital age… Music is something which reflects our zeitgeist. With Spotify, for example, I as a user have to do all the work. Help me, please! The big answer is curation. The question is, who curates me – and this is the answer which we have found.” Individualising and packaging the content for users – remember, content may be king but packaging is God – is the future tape.tv is planning for music TV, and now it seems the resources are in place for the team to press forward with their plans. This story originally appeared on Silicon Allee.

Harvard alumni group apologizes for Unabomber entry in directory

Kaczynski is escorted into the federal courthouse in Helena, Mont., April 4, 1996. (AP/File) Harvard University's alumni association has issued an apology for references made by Ted Kaczynski, a graduate of Harvard's Class of 1962, in the school's latest directory. A spokesman for Harvard told Boston.com that Kaczynski, the so-called "Unabomber," submitted the entry for the directory himself. "While all members of the class who submit entries are included, we regret publishing Kaczynski's references to his convictions and apologize for any distress that it may have caused others," the Harvard Alumni Association said in a statement on Wednesday. Kaczynski was convicted in 1998 of killing three and injuring 23 in a mail-bombing spree spanning three decades. The alumni report issued before the class' 50th reunion listed Kaczynski's occupation as "prisoner," "8 life sentences" under the "Awards" section and home address as his Colorado prison cell: "No. 04475-046, US Penitentiary—Max, P.O. Box 8500, Florence, CO 8126-8500." "It's funny," Gary Peterson, a fellow graduate of the Class of '62, told the Harvard Crimson. "He's more famous than anyone else in our class." While other Harvard alums, like Peterson, were amused by the listing, Kaczynski's victims were not. "It's very chilling," David Gelernter, a Yale professor who lost a hand and eye to one of a Kaczynski's mail bombs, told the Boston Herald. "He's an unrepentant terrorist murderer who cut people, and slashed people to death in their kitchens, leaving them to bleed, while he hid in a shack somewhere in the West. For some institution to lend authority to him, well, I can't believe such things happen in the United States." Gelernter added: "The new criminals here are the publishers of this 'Red Book,' for their passive collusion with this murderer." • iFound you: Woman posts pictures from her stolen iPhone on Facebook

President Obama tweets his pitch to the public

It was a mini Twitter town hall.

Google tackles piracy by removing millions of URLs

A new Google report shows that piracy and copyright infringement are growing exponentially, with 1.2 million URL removal requests per month, and Microsoft seems to be a particular complainant. [Read more]

Airplane door falls onto golf course

The FAA is investigating what caused a private jet to lose its door as it flew over a Florida golf course.

Blind activist Chen gives TV interview

Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng gives his first in-depth interview to CNN.

Steve Aoki Premieres New ‘Steve Jobs’ Music Video [EXCLUSIVE]

Steve Jobs tributes may occasionally seem like gimmicks, attempts to ride a trend. But electronic musician Steve Aoki’s new track, called “Steve Jobs,” is an homage to a man he calls a “revolutionary.” “Whether I’m producing music or I’m playing out, whether I’m connecting with my fans through social media, without Steve Job’s creations, it would be a completely different place for me,” he says. The track “Steve Jobs” was already written when the co-founder of Apple died on Oct. 5, 2011. However, Aoki calls the decision to devote the track to the late Jobs “an epiphany,” mainly because he’s never devoted a track to anyone before. “I buy probably four or five laptops a year because I’m DJing and destroying my computers when I’m playing,” Aoki tells Mashable. “My first computer was an Apple computer. I have an iPad, an iPhone — I’m an Apple geek. I love Steve Jobs and what he’s done for the future.” Steve Aoki‘s new video for the track, which appears on his album Wonderland, shows footage of a recent performance at New York City’s Roseland Ballroom, to be released as a concert film later this year. The video demonstrates the relationship between performer and attendee, what Aoki calls “a synergy and a language.” But he acknowledges that the connection must extend beyond the confines of a concert hall. Citing Twitter, Instagram and YouTube — where he constantly posts video updates — Aoki attempts to maintain this important bond, and credits his fans with his success. He also acknowledges Jobs, not with creating the technology, but with making it easy to use. “From producing music to playing shows, and also connecting with fans and keeping it as convenient as possible. What he did was make it more accessible,” he says. Mashable is exclusively premiering the video for “Steve Jobs” by Steve Aoki. Check it out and let us know what you think. More About: apple, Entertainment, Music, steve jobs, VideoFor more Entertainment coverage:Follow Mashable Entertainment on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Entertainment channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Elton John hospitalized with infection

Elton John checked into a Los Angeles hospital Wednesday, where doctors diagnosed the 65-year-old singer with a serious respiratory infection, his publicist said Thursday.

Sale of alleged Reagan blood canceled

A vial purportedly containing dried blood from former President Ronald Reagan following a 1981 assassination attempt will not be auctioned online, but donated to Reagan's presidential foundation, officials said Thursday.

Man in custody in 1979 Etan Patz case

Investigators in New York have a man in custody who has implicated himself in the 1979 disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz, Commissioner Ray Kelly of the New York Police Department said Thursday.

Minogue movie the talk of Cannes

A French film in which Kylie Minogue makes a cameo appearance has emerged as a dark horse contender to win the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Bethenny Frankel Talks About Her Past As A Personal Assistant On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' (VIDEO)

Bethenny Frankel has parlayed reality television stardom into genuine success with her Skinnygirl brand. But it wasn't always that way, as revealed on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" (Wed., 12 a.m. ET on ABC). Frankel was there to talk about her new book and her upcoming talk show, scheduled for a limited run this summer in syndication.But she found herself talk about her inauspicious beginnings as a personal assistant. Frankel worked for Jerry Bruckheimer's wife, and talks about such glamorous responsiblities as buying tickets and holding seats for Mrs. Bruckheimer at the movies. Then, her boss would arrive before the movie started and it was time for Frankel to go.When Frankel laughed that revealing this would keep her from making any guest appearances in Bruckheimer's upcoming films, Kimmel retorted that there was a silver lining, though.Read More...More on Reality-Free

Ex-nanny sues Sharon Stone

Sharon Stone's former nanny filed a lawsuit Wednesday accusing the actress of violating labor laws and making derogatory comments about her ethnicity.

Phillips crowned American Idol

Phillip Phillips, a 21-year-old singer and guitarist from Georgia, wins the American Idol talent show, with viewers casting a record number of votes.

6 Spotify Apps for Finding New Music

Nick Cicero is a social media strategist at On Ideas, an integrated creative agency. Follow him @nickcicero. In the never-ending quest to keep our ear buds satisfied, Spotify has emerged as a leader in bringing the social graph to the music listening experience. And with the introduction of Spotify Apps in November, developers were given the option to create new and exciting ways to make that experience even better. The result? A host of great apps that will enhance how you discover music. Here are six we like. 1. We are Hunted The science of social music, We are Hunted pulls in sentiment data from social media, blogs, P2P networks, and message boards to create a playlist of the 99 most talked about songs from emerging and mainstream artists. Click here to view this gallery. More About: contributor, features, online music, spotify, Spotify apps

Gregg Allman Reveals Engagement to 24-Year-Old Woman

Gregg Allman revealed in an interview on CNN last night that he is now engaged to a 24-year-old woman named Shannon Allman confirmed the engagement in an interview with Piers Morgan who questioned the Allman Brothers Band musician about the relationship on camera When asked what his fiancée thought of becoming...

Donna Summer's Funeral -- Packed with Music Legends

Donna Summer's funeral is underway right now in Tennessee -- and TMZ has learned, several legends in the music biz are present including famed producer David Foster.In addition to producing several tracks for Donna Summer -- Foster has worked…

10 Google Moog Doodle Recordings to Rock Your World

You’ve probably noticed today’s interactive Google Doodle — a playable, recordable synthesizer in honor of Robert Moog’s 78th birthday. It’s also no coincidence that productivity has likely been down this morning. Internet users have already shown a wide range of talented, creative Moog Doodle examples, as YouTube user FableA2 shows us in the video above. Some have created their own covers and original songs, but this one impressively syncs with the Doctor Who theme song. SEE ALSO: Google’s Moog Doodle: The Inside Story There’s a very helpful demonstration video with tips on how to make the most of the fun synthesizer. We’ve gathered 10 exceptional covers of popular songs created by web users. Think you can do better? Share your best song in the comments. 1. The Godfather Mashable reader Nick Cicero shared his version of The Godfather theme song.Click here to view this gallery. More About: Google, google doodle, movie theme songs, Music, robert moog, trending, YouTubeFor more Entertainment coverage:Follow Mashable Entertainment on TwitterBecome a Fan on FacebookSubscribe to the Entertainment channelDownload our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad

Arts A-list gathers for the Queen

Sir Derek Jacobi, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Paul McCartney and David Hockney are among the leading cultural figures joining the Queen at a reception in London.

Radioheads OK Computer i 8-bit. Hele albummet :) {Musik}

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