Lance Armstrong's Tour de France victories will not be reallocated
Lance Armstrong's seven Tour de France titles will not be awarded to any other riders, the International Cycling Union has announced.
Armstrong was stripped of his yellow jerseys for doping by cycling's governing body on Monday.
"The management committee decided not to award victories to any other rider or upgrade other placings in any of the affected events," said a UCI statement.American Armstrong crossed the line first every year between 1999 and 2005.
The UCI acknowledged that "a cloud of suspicion would remain hanging over this dark period - but that while this might appear harsh for those who rode clean, they would understand there was little honour to be gained in reallocating places".
The body has also ordered Armstrong and others to pay back all prize money from this period, and has commissioned an independent investigation into the whole Armstrong affair. Pending the results of the report, defamation proceedings against Paul Kimmage, a former cyclist and Sunday Times journalist, have been suspended.
The statement added: "The committee agreed that part of the independent commission's remit would be to find ways to ensure that persons caught for doping were no longer able to take part in the sport, including as part of an entourage."
Armstrong, 41, and his United States Postal Service team ran "the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen", a 1,000-page United States Anti-Doping Agency report concluded.
In the report, it was also claimed that Armstrong paid the UCI $100,000 (£62,300) for the fight against anti-doping.
Floyd Landis, a former colleague of Armstrong's who now admits to using drugs, claims this was hush money to cover up a positive test for the banned substance EPO that was collected from Armstrong during his victory at the Tour of Switzerland in 2001.
The UCI admitted it received money from Armstrong in 2002, but said in 2010 that this was not part of a cover-up.
BBC Sport understands that at Friday's UCI management committee hearing there was an attempt by more than one member to force honorary president Hein Verbruggen to resign, but it did not gain enough support and failed.
Verbruggen and president Pat McQuaid, who has been asked to resign in an open letter by America's three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond, have come under intense pressure to stand aside in the wake of the Armstrong scandal. There was no attempt to get McQuaid to quit.
McQuaid said the governing body are "determined to turn around this painful episode in the history of our sport".
"We will take whatever actions are deemed necessary by the independent commission and we will put cycling back on track," said McQuaid.
"Today, cycling is a completely different sport from what it was in the period 1998-2005.
"Riders are now subject to the most innovative and effective anti-doping procedures and regulations in sport.
"Nevertheless, we have listened to the world's reaction to the Lance Armstrong affair and have taken these additional decisive steps in response to the grave concerns raised."
World anti-doping body Wada said it backed the UCI's decision to create an independent review commission.
British Cycling president Brian Cookson said: "The UCI has taken another worthwhile step in its response to the Usada investigation into Lance Armstrong.
"I can assure everyone that my UCI management committee colleagues and I are unanimous in our determination that this independent commission will just be the start of the process and nothing will be off the agenda.
"Cycling must and will learn the lessons of the Armstrong era."
Jessica Biel becomes JT: 'I really won the jackpot of names'
There are now two JTs in showbiz.
“Yes, I'm changing my name,” Jessica Biel told People Magazine.
The 30-year-old “Total Recall” star, who wed Justin Timberlake, 31, on October 19 in a custom pink Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown, told the magazine she’ll still be known as JB professionally.
“[B]ut for life, yes, I think it sounds great,” she added. “I think I really won the jackpot of names.”
The actress will next appear as Vera Miles in “Hitchcock,” which is expected to open in limited theaters on November 23.
The Rolling Stones play impromptu gig
The Rolling Stones performed an impromptu, warm-up gig at a small Paris club on Thursday night.
The band tweeted about the secret show just hours before they took the stage at La Trabendo, writing that 350 tickets were up for grabs at €15 a pop.
According to a press release, 600 fans were in attendance to see Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood.
The Stones kicked off the intimate show with "Route 66," before launching into "It's Only Rock and Roll."Mixed in with the classics was the recently released "Doom and Gloom," the band's first new song together in seven years. They recorded the track in Paris and shot a video with Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, Jagger tweeted Wednesday.
Closing their set with "Midnight Rambler," they returned for an encore playing both "Jumping Jack Flash" and "Brown Sugar."
The Rolling Stones are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year with four arena shows; they'll perform at London's O2 arena on November 25 and 29 before taking the stage at the Newark Prudential Center on December 13 and 15.
Here's the complete set list:
"Route 66" "It's Only Rock and Roll" "Shattered" "When The Whip Comes Down" "Champagne and Reefer" "Doom and Gloom" "Miss You" "Tumbling Dice" "Start Me Up" "Midnight Rambler" "Jumping Jack Flash" "Brown Sugar"
Michael Jackson no longer highest paid dead celebrity
Michael Jackson is no longer the world's highest earning dead celebrity, according to Forbes.
Actress Elizabeth Taylor has overtaken the star pulling in $210 million (£130m), much of it from the auction of her jewels.
It means Jackson's earnings are now in second place in the annual top earning dead celebrities rich list.
The singer's earnings totalled $145 million (£90m), compared to Liz Taylor's $210 million (£130m)It is expected Michael Jackson will move back to the top spot.
His estate owns a substantial stake in Sony's ATV catalogue, which includes artists like Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and The Beatles.
The estate also earns cash from the Cirque du Soleil show The Immortal Tour.
The total amounted to $90 million (£51.8m), outranking Elvis Presley who took in $55 million (£34m).
In addition to the Elizabeth Taylor auction, which totalled $184 million (£114m), the actress also earned $75 million (£46.5m) from sales of her perfume White Diamonds.
She died in 2011 at the age of 79.
Top 10
Other dead celebrities in the top 10 include Elvis Presley in third place, bringing in $55 million (£34m).
Cartoonist Charles Schulz, who created the Peanuts comic strip, came in at number four.
Reggae singer Bob Marley is in fifth position after making $17 million (£11m), while The Beatles' John Lennon is in sixth with $12 million (£7m) Others in the list are Marilyn Monroe ($10 million £6.2m), Albert Einstein ($10 million £6.2m), Children's book Dr. Seuss creator Theodor Geisel ($9 million, £5.5m) and film star Steve McQueen ($8 million, £4.9m).
Forbes analysed the dead celebrities' earnings between October 2011-2012.
Century of calypso recording
A constellation of calypso stars shone brilliantly on Wednesday night when icons of the art form attended the gala, Celebrating 100 Years of Calypso Recording, at the Lord Kitchener Auditorium of the National Academy for the Performing (NAPA), in Port-of-Spain.
Produced by the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation, (Tuco), the event was graced by the presence of President George Maxwell Richards, his wife Dr Jean Ramjohn-Richards and Minister of the Arts and Multiculturalism Dr Lincoln Douglas.
Also in attendance was Pan Trinbago president Keith Diaz. Proceedings were opened with prayers by Tuco marketing manager and former National Calypso Monarch Franz Lambkin (Delamo), followed by a poignant and stern opening address by Tuco chairman Lutalo Masimba (Bro Resistance), punctuated by applause from a captive and appreciative audience which held on to his every word.
The chairman took the electronic media and successive administrations to task for not insisting on a much higher quota of calypso and pan music on the airwaves. Also addressing the audience were President Richards and Douglas.
In his comprehensive 30-minute speech on the history, state of the art form, and aspirations its administrators ought to pursue, Richards quoted a line from Bally’s 1991 composition, Mih Music, stating, “Trinidadians only miss calypso when they go abroad.”
He also urged T&T nationals, while appreciating and enjoying the music, to begin making a more salient and indepth look at the art form and its practitioners. On yet another occasion at this prestigious Frederick Street showplace, what was supposed to be an evening of excellent performances was marred by a less than adequate sound system, causing guests to have to exert every ounce of their auditory abilities to discern the lyrics of the calypsos performed.
Notwithstanding this sore point, the performers gave it their stoic best, ably backed by Kelly Green & Harmony. Bro Valentino (Emrold Phillip) provided the programme, hosted by former Miss Universe Janelle Penny Commissiong-Chow and rapso artiste Omari Ashby, a powerful opening, performing his classic, Where Kaiso Went...?
The performances were interspersed with the distribution of awards to deserving stalwarts in the art form. Recipients included Chalkdust (Dr Hollis Liverpool); Fortunia Ruiz; Melina Bascome; Trinidad Bill (Paul Trotman); Bomber (Clifton Ryan); All Rounder (Anthony Hendrickson); Composer (Fred Mitchell); Funny (Donric Williamson); Singing Francine (Francine Edwards); Earl Rodney; Franklin Agarrat; and Eric Michaud.
Posthumous honours went to the late Melody (Fitzroy Alexander) and Spoiler (Theophilus Phillip), while media practitioners Deborah John, Dave Elcock and Kenny Phillip also received awards.
In addition to reigning National Calypso Monarch Duane O’Connor rendering his winning ditty, The Hunt is On, with Ta’zyah O’Connor, 17 vintage kaisoes were performed by a cast of handpicked calypsonians, including Devon Seales, KV Charles, Timel Rivas, David Bereaux, Joseph Williams, Organiser (Leydon Charles), Alicia Jagessar, Selvon Noel, Sharlon Bailey, Sheldon Reid, Super Blue, Erphaan Alves, Temeika Darius. Chucky (Roderick Gordon), and Tobago Kitchener (Curtis John).
Songs to capture the audience’s fancy included Growling Tiger’s Motorcar Horn; Roaring Lion’s Papa Chunks; Lord Melody’s Shame and Scandal, and Sparrow’s Jean and Dinah.
Minshall’s work mesmerizes
Paul Ceglia charged with trying to defraud Facebook
A New York businessman has been charged with trying to defraud Facebook by claiming he was owed a 50% share of the social media company, prosecutors say.
Paul Ceglia is accused of fabricating and destroying evidence in a lawsuit asking for half-ownership of the firm.
Arrested at his home in Wellsville, New York, Mr Ceglia was due in court on Friday afternoon.
US Attorney Preet Bharara said the entrepreneur had been chasing a "quick payday based on a blatant forgery".
In 2003, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, then a Harvard University student, agreed to do programming work for Mr Ceglia and his fax business, say prosecutors.
Mr Ceglia later filed his lawsuit claiming that he and Mr Zuckerberg had signed a two-page contract awarding him a 50% stake in Facebook.
But Mr Zuckerberg said he had not yet conceived the idea for the social network at the time.
Facebook's lawyers said the contract that Mr Ceglia and Mr Zuckerberg signed in 2003 was to develop street-mapping software.
Mr Ceglia subsequently doctored the document to insert Facebook references, it is alleged.
Nintendo's Wii U games console will be sold at a loss
Nintendo has confirmed that it will lose money on every sale of its Wii U console at launch.
The Japanese firm's president revealed the news after the firm cut its profit forecast.
"We had to book a loss on the hardware, which is currently in production and will be sold below cost," said Satoru Iwata.
The firm might ultimately make money through add-on sales and by cutting its manufacturing costs at a later stage.
It marks a change in the company's business strategy.
Ahead of the launch of the original Wii console in 2006 Nintendo's US boss, Reggie Fils-Aime, told Reuters: "We will make a profit on the entire Wii proposition out of the box - hardware and software... That really is a very different philosophy versus our competitors."
Sell now, profit later
The decision to abandon the prospect of immediate profits in order to maximise later earnings is part of a growing trend in the tech world.
Researchers at IHS iSuppli estimated that Sony lost $300 (£186) on every 20GB model of its original PlayStation 3 console in 2007. Although the company never confirmed the figure, it did acknowledge that it was not until 2010 that the machine became profitable.
Microsoft pursued a similar strategy with its Xbox 360.
More recently Amazon's chief executive Jeff Bezos revealed to the BBC that it sold its new Kindle tablets and e-readers at break-even prices.
IHS iSuppli has also suggested that Google is selling the 8GB Asus-made Nexus 7 tablet for the same price it costs to manufacture, ship and advertise the machine.
Troubled by tablets
Nintendo might have altered course to take advantage of the fact that neither Microsoft nor Sony have announced their next-generation consoles yet.Its pursuit of the more casual gamer means it has also had to take account of the keenly priced tablet market which attracts a similar consumer.
In addition to taking a cut of software sales, the firm might also benefit from users' desire to buy add-on hardware.
The cheapest model of the Wii U will be sold for about £250 in the UK when it launches at the end of the month, but only includes one of its new touchscreen GamePad controllers.
If users want a second GamePad they face paying more. A standalone controller costs more than £100 in Japan, but is not available for pre-order elsewhere yet.
"Nintendo's move is an acknowledgement of a wider reality that smartphones, tablets, connected televisions and other non-dedicated devices now offer excellent game playing experiences," Ed Barton, director of digital media at Strategy Analytics, told the BBC.
"There simply wasn't the level of competition in terms of hardware last time round, and on the new devices you can now buy games at a fraction of what a top-end Wii U console game will cost."
One silver lining in Nintendo's earnings update was news that its handheld Nintendo 3DS console had become profitable.
However, investors remain concerned that the firm posted its first ever annual loss in April and has predicted it would only make a net profit of 6 billion yen ($75m; £47m) in its current business year.
Spain jobless rate hits new high in third quarter
About a quarter of working-age people in recession-hit Spain are unemployed, new figures have shown.
The unemployment rate rose to 25% in the third quarter, from 24.6% in the previous three months, Spain's National Statistic Institute said.
Among workers aged 16-24, the jobless rate was flat at about 52%.
The figures confirm those by the EU statistics agency, which has said that unemployment in the eurozone is at a high of 18.2 million.
"In the space of just five years, unemployment in Spain has risen from 8% to now just over 25%," said the BBC's Tom Burridge in Madrid. "In parts of southern Spain, one in three of those looking for a job can't find one."
"An increase in the number of people out of work means less money circulating in a recession-hit Spanish economy. It also makes it harder for the Spanish government to balance its finances, as it pays more out in unemployment benefits, and takes less revenue in."
Spain is trying to restore confidence among international investors in Madrid's ability to repay its debts, which have been made harder by the fact that Spain is currently in a deepening recession.The Spanish government has found itself in financial difficulty since the 2008 global financial crisis caused a big crash in the country's over-heated property market, and many fear that it will need a full bailout on top of the banking loan that has already been agreed.
It has introduced highly unpopular spending cuts and tax rises as it attempts to reduce the country's deficit.
But with a shrinking economy and unrest in the country, reducing the deficit with further austerity measures may prove a difficult task for the government.
The government is still hoping to avoid requesting a bailout from the eurozone rescue funds, but many think this is inevitable.
At least five regions of Spain's 17 have requested help from Madrid's 18bn-euro Regional Liquidity Fund, including Valencia and Catalonia.
Jamaican QC expected in T&T tomorrow to take Clico brief
Jamaican lawyer Vincent Nelson, QC, will arrive in T&T tomorrow. Nelson is the newly-appointed lead counsel in the Ministry of Finance’s legal team at the Clico/HCU Commission of Enquiry. Along with Jagdeo Singh and Roger Kawalsingh, he replaced fired attorneys Fyard Hosein, SC, and Michael Quamina.
Hosein and Quamina were terminated by e-mail earlier this month. No reason was given for their removal. They were replaced initially with Law Association president Seenath Jairam, SC, and COP chairman Joseph Toney and Singh. After public outcry, Toney and Jairam returned their briefs and Nelson and Kawalsingh were chosen to replace them.
Nelson was scheduled to attend the enquiry last Thursday but was stranded in his home country when Hurricane Sandy pounded the island on Wednesday. Asked yesterday when he would arrive in T&T, a commission source said “Sunday.” A graduate of the University of Birmingham, he spent the first 12 years of his legal career as adviser and senior executive of several top United Kingdom companies.
This was followed by a thriving practice specialising in large-scale, multi-party commercial litigation and since 1992, he has regularly instructed in high-profile commercial disputes involving some of the UK and United States’ most well-known names, his profile said.
The Advocacy Training Council of England and Wales ranked Nelson a Grade A trainer of lawyers and he was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2001. He is the author of a leading standard legal textbook, The Law of Broadcasting and Entertainment.