Windows 8 Boss Steven Sinofsky Exits Microsoft

The head of Microsoft's Windows division is leaving just weeks after the new generation of the computer operating software was launched.

Microsoft did not explain why Windows president Steven Sinofsky was departing, but Windows 8 has had a mixed reception since its launch on October 26.

Chief executive Steven Ballmer said: "I am grateful for the many years of work that Steven has contributed to the company.

"The products and services we have delivered to the market in the past few months mark the launch of a new era at Microsoft.

"To continue this success it is imperative that we continue to drive alignment across all Microsoft teams, and have more integrated and rapid development cycles for our offerings."

Products launched in recent months include Windows 8, new Windows-powered mobile phones, a Surface tablet computer and the Halo 4 video game that is exclusive to Microsoft's Xbox 360 console.

Mr Sinofsky launched the Surface tablet as well as Windows 8

Mr Sinofsky's duties are being divided between a pair of executives who will answer directly to the CEO.

Julie Larson-Green has been promoted to lead Windows software and hardware engineering, while chief financial officer Tami Reller will run the business side of Windows in addition to her current duties.

"It is impossible to count the blessings I have received over my years at Microsoft," Mr Sinofsky said in a written statement.

"I am humbled by the professionalism and generosity of everyone I have had the good fortune to work with at this awesome company."

Mr Sinofsky joined Microsoft in 1989 as a software engineer and became head of the Windows team in 2009.

Microsoft kicked off sales of its revamped Windows 8 system and Surface tablet late last month as it accelerated its efforts to compete in a market shifting rapidly from PCs to mobile devices.

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Royal Tour: NZ Man 'Planned Manure Attack'

A man has appeared in court in New Zealand accused of planning to throw a bucket of horse manure over the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall.

Castislav Bacanov, 76, pleaded not guilty at Auckland District Court to a charge of preparing to commit a crime in a public place.

He was arrested on Monday, about 50 minutes before Charles and Camilla arrived at the quayside in Auckland to meet hundreds of well-wishers during a walkabout.

The 76-year-old was remanded on bail on condition he keep at least 500 metres away from the royal couple, who are touring New Zealand as part of the Queen's diamond jubilee events.

He is due to return to court on November 27.

Castislav Bracanov listens during court proceedings

Charles and Camilla are on a seven-day visit to the Commonwealth country, the last leg of their Pacific tour which has already taken them to Australia and Papua New Guinea.

The royal couple took a break from official duties on Tuesday and are believed to have gone walking - they are known to be keen walkers.  

The Prince will celebrate his 64th birthday on Wednesday in the New Zealand capital Wellington with some of the country's most prominent figures.

The heir to the throne shares his birthday with the country's Governor General Sir Jerry Mateparae, and Bronagh Key, wife of the Prime Minister John Key, and the trio will be joined by 64 specially chosen New Zealanders also born on November 14.

During the day, the Prince will be given a behind the scenes look at the new blockbuster movie from Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, visiting a workshop that created special effects for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

The heir to the throne will meet Mr Jackson and be shown make-up props worn by actors including The Office star Martin Freeman, who plays Bilbo Baggins - the lead role in The Hobbit.

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Greece Forced To Borrow More From Markets

Debt-laden Greece has been forced to tap the financial markets further to avoid bankruptcy after Eurozone finance ministers delayed a crucial aid payment.

The country, which faced a bond repayment on Friday it could not afford, was banking on Eurozone finance ministers releasing a long-delayed 31 billions euros (£23.5bn) to meet the bill.

But at a meeting on Monday night the ministers said they would have to gather again on November 20 to make a decision because there was still work to do on finalising the details of the bailout.

Eurogroup head Jean-Claude Juncker said Greece had made progress on its commitments to reduce debt and the public deficit - and insisted there would be no problem for Athens in rolling over the debt.

He said: "I will do all I can to make sure that a decision is taken on November 20. I won't tell you how but there won't be a problem on November 16 (Friday)."

European Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn explained that Greek banks would be able to take part in a government sale of treasury bills, providing the money Athens needs to cover the debt repayment.

That was completed on Tuesday morning when it raised 2.762.5 billion euros in one-month Treasury bills at an interest rate of 3.95% and a further 1.3 billion euros in three-month bills at 4.2%.

If Athens had been disappointed by the further delay to its bailout funds, a proposal to extend its debt reduction deadline by two years to 2016 was accepted despite strong reservations about the sustainability of Greek debt raised by the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde.

The IMF, which makes up the so-called Trioka of international lenders to Greece along with the European Central Bank (ECB) and European Commission, is worried about the extra cost the extension would impose.

A draft report by the Troika on Greek austerity efforts, seen on Monday, put the additional cost at nearly 33 billion euros (£26.3bn), with the bill rising as the economic outlook darkens.

Greece's debt mountain - now nearly 190% of GDP - is supposed to come down to 120% by 2020 and Madame Lagarde insisted that target be maintained though Mr Juncker believes it should also be extended by two years.

The 17 eurozone finance ministers have joined their 10 non-euro colleagues today for another meeting, expected to focus on how to boost the slumping economy and the bloc's hotly contested 2014-20 budget.

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John McAfee: Anti-Virus Guru Flees After Murder

Millionaire software company founder John McAfee has gone on the run following the killing of his neighbour on an island off the coast of Belize.

The 67-year-old, who amassed a $100m (£63m) fortune developing anti-virus software, said he buried himself in the sand with a cardboard box over his head so he could breathe to evade police when they came to question him about the murder of Gregory Faull.

The head of the country's anti-organised crime brigade, Marco Vidal, said Mr McAfee was wanted for homicide.

However, in an interview with technology magazine Wired - which was apparently given while on the run in the Central American country - Mr McAfee denied killing his neighbour and claimed the Belize government had a vendetta against him.

He said he ran because he feared Mr Faull had been killed by mistake and he had been the real target of the shooting.

In the telephone interview he said: "I thought maybe they were coming for me. They mistook him for me. They got the wrong house. They killed him. It spooked me out."

He described how he had hidden from police under the sand and claimed that if the Belize police found him they would kill him.

Mr Faull, 52, a retired builder, was found dead inside his two-storey home north of San Pedro, on the island of Ambergris Caye, on Sunday morning.

There was a gunshot wound to his head and a single 9mm Luger case was found at the scene.

It is known that Mr Faull had been unhappy about Mr McAfee's dogs and had filed a formal complaint with the mayor in San Pedro last week.

Mr McAfee claimed in his communications with Wired magazine that the dogs had been poisoned on Friday. But he said he did not suspect Mr Faull, just the Belize authorities.

Last April, Belize police raided Mr McAfee's home looking for drugs and guns, but he was released without charge after being detained for a few hours.

He said: "Under no circumstances am I going to willingly talk to the police in this country. You can say I'm paranoid about it, but they will kill me, there is no question.

"They've been trying to get me for months. They want to silence me. I am not well-liked by the prime minister. I am just a thorn in everybody's side."

Mr McAfee moved to Ambergris Caye in 2008, where he had armed guards patrolling his property. He sold his stake in the software company in the 1990s, and reinvented himself as a yoga teacher.

He said he lost all but $4m of his $100m fortune in the financial crisis.

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China Braced For New Glamorous First Lady

China is preparing for its new president, and one of the most glamorous First Ladies world politics has ever seen.

Peng Liyuan is one of the best known singers in China.  Now she is about to take on an entirely new role as the wife of President Xi Jinping.

The 18th Communist Party Congress will close with the confirmation of Xi Jinping as China's leader for the next ten years. 

And that means a change of career for Peng Liyuan.

The entertainer is already a household name. For 25 years she has sung and acted for the Chinese people. 

She is even a Major General in the People's Liberation Army.

In 2011 she took a starring role in the celebrations to mark the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party - performing in front of China's powerful ruling elite including her husband Mr Xi.

Xi Jinping will be confirmed as China's leader for the next ten years

But as the second wife of Xi Jinping her career will have to take a back seat - or worse.

It is extremely difficult to buy CDs or DVDs of her recordings anywhere in Beijing.

It appears they have disappeared from the shelves as it became clear that Mr Xi was destined for the top job.

The Communist Party does not like personality politics and Peng Liyuan's status seems to be shifting from colourful performer to Mother of the Nation.

But on the streets of Beijing people queuing to buy freshly made buns told us how proud they are to have such a talented First Lady.

One lady told Sky News: "Of course a singer can be a leader's wife - what's wrong with that? I admire her voice very much. 

"I like her a lot and she's well respected."

Another said: "I'm really looking forward to her becoming China's First Lady. I think she will improve the image of Chinese women around the world."

A man standing in the queue added: "She's just as good as any foreign leader's wife.

"People love her because she has her own career and she sings for the people."

China's out-going President Hu Jintao was usually seen in public without his wife. 

It is not clear whether the Communist Party of grey suits is quite ready to parade a dazzling First Lady to match the likes of Michelle Obama.

Politicians' wives are often referred to as their secret weapon - helping to promote their spouses through their own charm and personality.

People in China clearly see Peng Liyuan as one of their country's greatest asset as they go into a new era of politics hoping to become a powerful and influential nation in every way.

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Italy Floods: Bridge Collapse Kills Three

Severe rainfall in Italy has claimed the lives of at least three people after the car they were in fell off a collapsed bridge in Tuscany.

Severe flooding has devastated the region and neighbouring Umbria over the past two days, with rivers breaking their banks in several areas.

The trio, who have not been identified, were killed near the town of Grosseto.

It is not clear if their vehicle drove off the bridge or was caught on it when it collapsed.

Venice, pictured here on November 11, has also been hit by heavy downpours

One man died on Monday and more than 100 were forced to flee their homes and take refuge in emergency shelters.

Thousands have been left without power after the towns of Albinia and Orbetello were cut off by rising waters.

The governor of Tuscany, Enrico Rossi, has asked for help from the army to tackle the flooding.

Parts of northern Italy, including the historic city of Venice, have also been hit by heavy rain which has placed a severe strain on drainage systems and other infrastructure.

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Petraeus' Successor John Allen In Email Probe

Petraeus Affair Scandal: Timeline

Updated: 9:33am UK, Tuesday 13 November 2012

The end of General David Petraeus' career has raised several questions about when the affair began and who knew about it. Here is a timeline of events according to officials involved in the investigation.

:: Spring 2006 Paula Broadwell meets Gen Petraeus at Harvard University, where she is a graduate student. Petraeus is a lieutenant general working on a manual about counterinsurgency and is invited to give a speech about his experiences in Iraq.

:: January 2007 Gen Petraeus is confirmed as the commanding general of US troops in Iraq.

:: 2008 Ms Broadwell begins to study his leadership, and he invites her on a run with him and his team along Washington's Potomac River.

:: October 2008 Petraeus is named commander of US Central Command, based at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, where Jill Kelley and her husband attend social events alongside the area's military elite.

:: June 2010 Gen Petraeus is confirmed as the new commander of the war in Afghanistan and Ms Broadwell expands her research to become an authorised biography, making multiple trips to the country and getting unprecedented access to Gen Petraeus and his staff.

:: September 2011 He is sworn in as CIA director with his wife, Holly, by his side. Mr Broadwell keeps in contact and is invited to his office for events, including a meeting with Angelina Jolie. In November of that year, the pair begin an extramarital affair, according to retired Army Colonel Steve Boylan.

:: January 2012 Ms Broadwell's biography is released and she tells her local paper, the Bismark Tribune, that he is an inspirational figure.

:: May 2012 Ms Kelley, a socialite, starts to receive harassing emails and an FBI probe begins. They later determine the email trail leads to Ms Broadwell. Emails between Gen Petraeus and Ms Broadwell suggest an affair.

:: July 2012 The affair ends, according to Col Boylan, a friend of Gen Petraeus. The FBI has concluded there was no security breach, but continues to look at whether Gen Petraeus had any involvement in emails sent to Ms Kelley.

:: October 2012 By the end of the month, Ms Broadwell and Gen Petraeus have acknowledged the affair following questioning by the FBI. He is urged to resign by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.

:: November 8 Gen Petraeus asks Barack Obama if he can resign, on the day the president returns from election celebrations in Chicago. Mr Obama accepts the resignation a day later.

:: November 9 Ms Broadwell's husband emails guests to cancel her 40th birthday party, scheduled for that weekend.

:: November 10 Ms Broadwell's biography of Gen Petraeus jumps to 111th place on Amazon, up from 76,792nd the day before as her identity becomes known.

:: November 12 Members of Congress demand to know more details about the sequence of events and FBI agents begin searching the North Carolina home of Ms Broadwell.

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Smuggled Cobras Seized By Thai Customs Officials

Thai customs officials have seized 600 deadly cobras after stopping a vehicle at a checkpoint in a central region of the country.

The reptiles came from Malaysia and were being shipped through Thailand for use in traditional medicine or for food in another country, according to customs officials.

They were apparently destined for Laos.

The cobras were packed into mesh bags inside around 100 plastic baskets and put inside a truck for the long slow journey up from Malaysia. Some of them died on the way.

Working on a tip-off, the authorities set up a specialist X-ray checkpoint in Pranburi, about 230km south of Bangkok, to seize the shipment of venomous animals.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested and the snakes were put into the care of Thailand's Department of National Parks and Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

"It's a lot (of snakes)," said the head of Thai customs, Benja Louichareon.

"The Bureau of Investigation and Suppression have been tracking this case for a year," she added.

Thailand is a major transit country for wildlife trafficking and this seizure follows that of 4,300 cobras in May. Tigers and pangolins are also among recent finds by police.

Officials estimate that the haul was worth around 500,000 baht (£10,500) to the smugglers.

The snakes that survived the ordeal will be released into the wild.

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Model Katy French's Friends Admit Drug Charges

Two friends of the top Irish model, Katy French, have admitted possessing cocaine with intent to supply on the weekend she collapsed at their home almost five years ago.

The 24-year-old socialite slipped into a coma after visiting the home of Kieron Ducie and Ann Corcoran, and died in hospital four days later.

Traces of cocaine were found in her system and a post-mortem examination revealed she suffered brain damage.

The model and socialite Katy French

Appearing at Trim District Court, Ducie, 43, and Corcoran, 31, admitted the drugs charges, which date back to December 1, 2007, when Miss French visited their Kilmessan home, in Co. Meath, days after celebrating her 24th birthday.

Her parents John and Janet and sister Jill maintained a bedside vigil as the model lay critically ill on a life support machine at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan.

Her mother and sister were in court to hear the former couple plead guilty to the charges, and left without speaking about the case.

They are expected to return when Ducie, who was dressed in a dark suit and yellow tie, and Corcoran, who wore a long dark coat, are sentenced on February 5 next year.

Judge Leonie Reynolds was told a second charge of recklessly supplying Miss French with drugs and failing to get medical assistance quickly enough had been dropped.

Miss French became a tabloid darling in the two years before her death.

She was born in Switzerland and had moved with her family to Ireland when she was a young girl, settling in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.

Before her death she revealed she had used cocaine, branding it part of the Dublin social scene, but claimed she had quit the drug, warning others of its dangers.

The Olympic champion swimmer, Michelle de Bruin, Irish rugby star, Shane Byrne, and the singer, Chris de Burgh, were among hundreds of mourners at her funeral.

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'Idiot' Driver Wears Sign As Punishment

A woman who was caught on camera driving on a path in Cleveland has served the first of two hour-long humiliations, standing in the cold holding a sign warning people about idiots.

Shena Hardin served out her highly-public sentence for an hour on Tuesday, with the second hour to come on Wednesday.

Shena Hardin begins her punishment

The 32-year-old was bundled up against the harsh weather, puffing on a cigarette, wearing dark glasses and avoiding comments as passing vehicles honked their horns.

Her handwritten sign read: "Only an idiot would drive on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus."

Satellite TV trucks streamed the event live.

Hardin repeatedly drove across across a path, rather than wait behind a parked school bus as it unloaded its passengers.

The bus driver captured her in the act on his mobile phone and then contacted police.

Hardin's licence was suspended for 30 days and she was ordered to pay $250 in court costs.

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