Taiwan’s Fair Trade Commission (FTC) has fined Apple US$666,700 for restricting the prices charged by local telecom carriers for their iPhone contracts, the first time Apple has been fined for such practices.
The regulator said that Apple Asia, a unit of the Cupertino-based company, required carriers to obtain its permission before setting contract prices on iPhones, which it found to be in violation of Taiwan’s free-trade laws.
A terrorist attack in the Russian city of Volgograd has killed at least 14 passengers on a trolley bus. The explosion comes a day after a suicide bombing in the city which killed 17 people and injured scores of others.
Read RT’s live updates on the terrorist attacks in Volgograd.
Mike Shanahan is out as the Washington Redskins’ coach and executive vice president.
The team fired him after a meeting Monday morning, one day after the Redskins finished a controversy-filled 3-13 season with a 20-6 loss to the New York Giants.
Rapper Kayo Redd, younger brother of hip-hop star Waka Flocka Flame, died yesterday in Atlanta.
Redd recently released a mixtape, Redd Kisses, and promoted it just hours before he died. The cause of his death has not been officially released; conflicting reports pin it to a shooting in his old neighborhood or suicide. The latter has been reported with an alleged, distraught tweet from Waka that is no longer visible in his feed.
Suicide rates among middle-aged Americans have risen sharply in the past decade, prompting concern that a generation of baby boomers who have faced years of economic worry and easy access to prescription painkillers may be particularly vulnerable to self-inflicted harm.
More people now die of suicide than in car accidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which published the findings in Friday’s issue of its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. In 2010 there were 33,687 deaths from motor vehicle crashes and 38,364 suicides.
Attention, “Seinfeld” fans. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul announced via his Twitter account that he is honoring “Festivus” by “airing his grievances” against D.C. on Monday.
Festivus, the holiday fabricated by the hit TV sitcom, has lived on as an annual staple in popular culture. The sort-of holiday is celebrated Dec. 23 with traditions that include an unadorned aluminum pole, the “airing of grievances” and “feats of strength.”
Supervolcanoes are giant volcanoes that blast out more than 1,000 cubic km of volcanic material when they erupt. They are different from the more familiar straddle volcanoes because they aren’t as obvious to the naked eye and affect enormous areas.
The inventor of the iconic AK-47 assault rifle, Mikhail Kalashnikov, has died at the age of 94. His ingenuity earned him widespread admiration, but his legacy became more controversial when his weapons were used in some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts.
“Mikhail Kalashnikov’s entire life is a shining example of dedication to serving your country,” said a statement from Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu.
North Korea sent a fax to South Korea’s defense ministry on Thursday, threatening “a merciless retaliation without warning” in response to an anti-North Korean demonstration that had taken place in Seoul. This is Pyongyang’s first such threat via fax.
The story is humorous and revealing for several reasons. First, the idea of scolding the South Korean government for a popular demonstration that occurred within South Korea betrays either a total misunderstanding of how democratic societies function or simply that Pyongyang thought this would be a sufficient excuse for its latest threat.
“The essence of my happiness is fighting for the happiness of others. It’s strange, why is it that in grammar, the word “happiness” can only be singular? That is counter to its meaning, after all. … If it turns necessary to die for the common happiness, then I’m ready to.” -Roza Shanina
Roza Shanina was a Soviet sniper during World War II, credited with fifty-four confirmed hits, including twelve soldiers during the Battle of Vilnius. Praised for her shooting accuracy, Shanina was capable of precisely hitting moving enemy personnel and making doublets (two target hits by two rounds fired in quick succession). She volunteered to serve as a marksman on the front line.
Allied newspapers described Shanina as “the unseen terror of East Prussia”. She became the first Soviet female sniper to be awarded the Order of Glory and was the first servicewoman of the 3rd Belorussian Front to…
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Brain Cage 