Genes from nowhere: Orphans with a surprising story

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Taiwanese gets life sentence for election rally shooting

TAIPEI: Taiwan's supreme court ruled on Thursday that a man who opened fire at an election rally, killing one person and injuring a politician's son, must serve a life sentence.

The top court confirmed a decision last year by the high court, which convicted Lin Cheng-wei, 48, of attempted murder and illegal possession of firearms and sentenced him to life.

The high court had increased a 24-year sentence passed by a district court.

Lin, who had a criminal record, was arrested at the scene after opening fire at a campaign rally of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) party in November 2010 near Taipei.

Lin claimed he had intended to shoot a KMT candidate with whom he had a personal dispute, but that he accidentally shot Sean Lien -- son of former vice-president Lien Chan -- in the face while he was on the stage.

Lien denied Lin's claim, insisting he himself was the target.

A man in the crowd was hit by the same bullet and died on the spot, only hours before voters went to the polls in local elections.

Lien was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery and released after ten days of treatment.

The incident revived painful memories of another election-eve shooting in 2004, when then-president Chen Shui-bian and his deputy Annette Lu were shot while campaigning for re-election.

Critics alleged that the 2004 shooting was staged to win sympathy for Chen, who eventually won by a razor-thin margin in a disputed election that plunged the island into political turmoil for months.

- AFP/xq

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Apple still in the dog house with Wall Street

Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiling the iPhone 5.

(Credit:
James Martin/CNET)

It appears Wall Street is still suffering from an Apple hangover.

Last night, Apple posted its fiscal first-quarter results and got hammered for it. It's the morning after, and investors are still running for the hills. Shares are down nearly 10 percent to $463.65 in pre-market trading today.

The results themselves weren't bad. In fact, they were quite good: record sales of iPhones and iPads, nearly $55 billion in revenue and $13.4 billion in profit.

But investors aren't looking at how Apple did, and instead are more interested in how it will do. It's here where the legitimate concerns of slowing growth begin to pop up. In particular, a new policy on a supposedly more accurate estimate range for revenue suggests that Apple won't be blowing away its projected numbers in the coming quarters.

"We believe the reason Apple is doing this is to more aggressively manage Street expectations in an effort to prevent wildly out of consensus thinking," said Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray.

Looking at CEO Tim Cook's tenure over the last few quarters, and the company has been doing anything but beating expectations. The last few months have seen investors readjusting their expectations of the company, realizing that its tremendous growth trends may be at an end.

Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Ittai Kidron issued a note titled, "Just one of the guys," and said that people will need to start seeing Apple as just another high-flying technology company -- good for everyone else, but a disappointment relative to the stellar and dominant run it has had over the past few years.

Apple executives didn't really help their case on yesterday's conference call with analysts. In answering a question on where Apple sees market share in the high-end smartphone market, Cook responded by saying the company only cares about making good products -- an answers that seemingly elicited a laugh from the analyst. Cook seemed to dance around questions about future demand and how it would respond to the competition's aggressive roll out of larger phones.

While Apple dodging questions is par for the course, the lack of answers at a time when there is heightened scrutiny around the company doesn't give investors a lot of optimism at a time when their confidence is already shaken.

"Apple will undoubtedly fight the perception its iPhone franchise is slowing after posting a third straight middling quarterly result and outlook," said Matthew Hoffman, an analyst at Cowen & Co.

Still, while the tone among analysts have been negative this morning, there are still many who keep their "buy" rating on the stock, with many suggesting that the current sell-off may present a buying opportunity for investors looking for a bargain.

"The medium-term risk-reward is attractive," said Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty, although she noted that in the immediate future, she doesn't see much upside. But she, like many other analysts, are banking that a new line of products in the summer will provide a much-needed catalyst for growth.

It's the question of whether Apple can deliver like it used to that has so many investors scratching their heads.

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Deformed Dolphin Accepted Into New Family

In 2011, behavioral ecologists Alexander Wilson and Jens Krause of the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Germany were surprised to discover that a group of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus)—animals not usually known for forging bonds with other species—had taken in an adult bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).

The researchers observed the group in the ocean surrounding the Azores (map)—about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) off the coast of Lisbon, Portugal—for eight days as the dolphin traveled, foraged, and played with both the adult whales and their calves. When the dolphin rubbed its body against the whales, they would sometimes return the gesture.

Among terrestrial animals, cross-species interactions are not uncommon. These mostly temporary alliances are forged for foraging benefits and protection against predators, said Wilson.

They could also be satisfying a desire for the company of other animals, added marine biologist John Francis, vice president for research, conservation, and exploration at the National Geographic Society (the Society owns National Geographic news).

Photographs of dogs nursing tiger cubs, stories of a signing gorilla adopting a pet cat, and videos of a leopard caring for a baby baboon have long circulated the web and caught national attention.

A Rare Alliance

And although dolphins are known for being sociable animals, Wilson called the alliance between sperm whale and bottlenose dolphin rare, as it has never, to his knowledge, been witnessed before.

This association may have started with something called bow riding, a common behavior among dolphins during which they ride the pressure waves generated by the bow of a ship or, in this case, whales, suggested Francis.

"Hanging around slower creatures to catch a ride might have been the first advantage [of such behavior]," he said, adding that this may have also started out as simply a playful encounter.

Wilson suggested that the dolphin's peculiar spinal shape made it more likely to initiate an interaction with the large and slow-moving whales. "Perhaps it could not keep up with or was picked on by other members of its dolphin group," he said in an email.

Default

But the "million-dollar question," as Wilson puts it, is why the whales accepted the lone dolphin. Among several theories presented in an upcoming paper in Aquatic Mammals describing the scientists' observations, they propose that the dolphin may have been regarded as nonthreatening and that it was accepted by default because of the way adult sperm whales "babysit" their calves.

Sperm whales alternate their dives between group members, always leaving one adult near the surface to watch the juveniles. "What is likely is that the presence of the calves—which cannot dive very deep or for very long—allowed the dolphin to maintain contact with the group," Wilson said.

Wilson doesn't believe the dolphin approached the sperm whales for help in protecting itself from predators, since there aren't many dolphin predators in the waters surrounding the Azores.

But Francis was not so quick to discount the idea. "I don't buy that there is no predator in the lifelong experience of the whales and dolphins frequenting the Azores," he said.

He suggested that it could be just as possible that the sperm whales accepted the dolphin for added protection against their own predators, like the killer whale (Orcinus orca), while traveling. "They see killer whales off the Azores, and while they may not be around regularly, it does not take a lot of encounters to make [other] whales defensive," he said.

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N. Korea Vows More Nuke Tests Targeting U.S.

In a bellicose statement singling out the United States as the "sworn enemy" of the Korean people, North Korea today announced plans for a third nuclear test and continued rocket launches.

The move is seen as a disappointment to those who hoped the country's new leader, Kim Jong-Un, might take a less aggressive path than his predecessor and father, Kim Jong-il.

It is also seen as a direct challenge to President Obama and South Korea's newly elected president, Park Geun-hye, who takes office next month.

The statement from North Korea's National Defense Commission read:

"Settling accounts with the U.S. needs to be done with force, not with words as it regards jungle law as the rule of its survival."

The renewed threats come in response to the U.S. backed resolution tightening sanctions against North Korea after its December rocket launch.

At that time, North Korea repeatedly insisted that the launch was simply part of its peaceful space program. The recent statement made no mention of that.

It read: "We are not disguising the fact that the various satellites and long-range rockets that we will fire and the high-level nuclear test we will carry out are targeted at the United States."

South Korean officials analyzed debris from the December launch that, they say, indicates North Korea built and tested crucial components for a missile that can fly further than 6,200 miles.

Analysts say that preparations at the Pungyee test site in northeastern North Korea are underway and that a new underground test could take place on short notice.

Within the international monitoring community it is not believed that North Korea currently has the capability to launch a long-range rocket with the capacity to reach the United States or the technology to mount a nuclear warhead on a long-range missile. But the U.S. is not pleased with North Korea's plans. Glyn Davies, the top U.S. envoy to the region, said in Seoul, "We hope they don't do it. We call on them not to do it."

China, North Korea's main ally in the region, is also urging restraint. China backed the U.S. resolution at the United Nations and today the Foreign Ministry cautioned North Korea not to take further steps to increase tension.

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See ya, latex: Reinventing the condom

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China urges restraint on N Korea, cites possible nuke test

BEIJING: China called for restraint on Wednesday after the United Nations tightened sanctions on North Korea as punishment for a rocket launch, citing the possibility of another nuclear test by its wayward ally.

"The DPRK's (North Korea's) satellite launch as well as the possible nuclear test highlight the urgency and importance of settling relevant issues on the Korean peninsula," foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters.

"We hope all parties will bear in mind peace and stability of the Korean peninsula, exercise calmness and restraint and avoid actions that might escalate tension."

China backed a Security Council resolution passed on Tuesday in response to last month's long-range rocket launch. The UN expanded the list of North Korean entities on the UN's sanctions list but stopped short of imposing new penalties.

The North reacted defiantly, vowing to strengthen its nuclear and missile capabilities and fuelling speculation about a possible third nuclear test.

China is the North's sole major ally and its leading energy supplier and trade partner. It is seen as one of the few nations able to influence Pyongyang's behaviour.

Communist Party chief Xi Jinping called for dialogue and consultations to achieve the Korean peninsula's denuclearisation and long-term stability.

Speaking with a visiting envoy of South Korean president-elect Park Geun-Hye, Xi said China expects an early resumption of long-suspended six-nation talks on the peninsula's denuclearisation, the official Xinhua news agency said.

State media in China also called for talks to resolve tensions, even after the North rejected dialogue on its atomic programme following the UN move.

"The ultimate way to restore lasting peace and stability on the Korean peninsula is to build trust among key parties through dialogue and consultation," Xinhua said in a commentary.

The agency described the UN move as "a clear response to Pyongyang's violation of Security Council resolutions, which the DPRK as a UN member should abide by".

"It is worth noting that the long-stalled six-party talks remain the most viable platform for dialogue," Xinhua said.

The talks are chaired by China and also involve the two Koreas, the United States, Japan and Russia.

The aim has been to entice Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear programme in exchange for aid and security guarantees, but the process has been moribund since the North abandoned the forum in 2009.

Beijing has long touted the talks as the best way to reduce tensions.

- AFP/xq

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LG Optimus G Pro to debut this April

LG's Optimus G Pro smartphone will reach consumers in April, at least those in Japan.

Japanese provider NTT DoCoMo announced the news yesterday. A Google-translated version of the company's press release revealed early April as the launch date for the successor to LG's popular Optimus G.

A DoCoMo slideshow page reveals a host of details about the phone, but only for people who can read Japanese. The PDF slideshow is protected, making it impossible to copy and paste the text for translation.

Specs published by Japanese media site Impress Group point to a 5-inch display with a 1,920x1,080 pixel resolution. The phone integrates its glass surface with the touch sensor to generate a thinner display and body.

Equipped with
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the phone will be powered by a 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon Pro chip, offer 32GB of storage, and include 2GB of internal memory. Adding a microSDXC card can add as much as 64GB of additional storage.

A 2.4 megapixel camera will grace the front, while a 13 megapixel camera will take the rear position. The 3,000 mAh battery supports fast charging but is not removable.

No details have been revealed as to when the phone might reach other countries. The current Optimus G is available in Japan, South Korea, Canada, and the United States.

CNET contacted LG for comment and will update the story when the company responds.

(Via Boy Genius Report)

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The Promise and Perils of Mining Asteroids

Encouraged by new space technologies, a growing fleet of commercial rockets and the vast potential to generate riches, a group of entrepreneurs announced Tuesday that they planned to mine the thousands of near-Earth asteroids in the coming decades.

The new company, Deep Space Industries (DSI), is not the first in the field, nor is it the most well-financed. But with their ambition to become the first asteroid prospectors, and ultimately miners and manufacturers, they are aggressively going after what Mark Sonter, a member of DSI's board of directors, called "the main resource opportunity of the 21st century." (Related: "Asteroid Hunter to Be First Private Deep-Space Mission?")

Prospecting using miniaturized "cubesat" probes the size of a laptop will begin by 2015, company executives announced. They plan to return collections of asteroid samples to Earth not long after.

"Using low cost technologies, and combining the legacy of [the United States'] space program with the innovation of today's young high tech geniuses, we will do things that would have been impossible just a few years ago," said Rick Tumlinson, company chairman and a longtime visionary and organizer in the world of commercial space [not sure what commercial space means].

"We sit in a sea of resources so infinite they're impossible to describe," Tumlinson said.

Added Value

There are some 9,000 asteroids described as "near-Earth," and they contain several classes of resources that entrepreneurs are now eyeing as economically valuable.

Elements such as gold and platinum can be found on some asteroids. But water, silicon, nickel, and iron are the elements expected to become central to a space "economy" should it ever develop.

Water can be "mined" for its hydrogen (a fuel) and oxygen (needed for humans in space), while silicon can be used for solar power systems, and the ubiquitous nickel and iron for potential space manufacturing. (See an interactive on asteroid mining.)

Sonter, an Australian mining consultant and asteroid specialist, said that 700 to 800 near-Earth asteroids are easier to reach and land on than the moon.

DSI's prospecting spacecraft will be called "FireFlies," a reference to the popular science fiction television series of the same name. The FireFlies will hitchhike on rockets carrying up communication satellites or scientific instruments, but they will be designed so that they also have their own propulsion systems. The larger mining spacecraft to follow have been named "DragonFlies."

Efficiencies

It all sounds like science fiction, but CEO David Gump said that the technology is evolving so quickly that a space economy can soon become a reality. Providing resources from beyond Earth to power spacecraft and keep space travelers alive is the logical way to go.

That's because the most expensive and resource-intensive aspect of space travel is pushing through the Earth's atmosphere. Some 90 percent of the weight lifted by a rocket sending a capsule to Mars is fuel. Speaking during a press conference at the Santa Monica Museum of Flying in California, Gump said that Mars exploration would be much cheaper, and more efficient, if some of the fuel could be picked up en route. (Related: "7 Ways You Could Blast Off by 2023.")

Although there is little competition in the asteroid mining field so far, DSI has some large hurdles ahead of it. The first company to announce plans for asteroid mining was Planetary Resources, Inc. in spring 2012—the group is backed by big-name investors such as Google's Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, filmmaker James Cameron, and early Google investor Ram Shriram. DSI is still looking for funding.

Owning Asteroids

While these potential space entrepreneurs are confident they can physically lay claim to resources beyond Earth, there remain untested legal issues.

The United Nations Space Treaty of 1967 expressly forbids ownership of other celestial bodies by governments on Earth. But American administrations have long argued that the same is not true of private companies and potential mining rights.

While an American court has ruled that an individual cannot own an asteroid—as in the case of Gregory Nemitz, who laid claim to 433 Eros as a NASA spacecraft was approaching it in 2001—the question of extraction rights has not been tested.

Moon rocks brought back to Earth during the Apollo program are considered to belong to the United States, and the Russian space agency has sold some moon samples it has returned to Earth-sales seen by some as setting a precedent.

Despite the potential for future legal issues, DSI's Gump said his group recently met with top NASA officials to discuss issues regarding technology and capital, and came away optimistic. "There's a great hunger for the idea of getting space missions done with smaller, cheaper 'cubesat' technology and for increased private sector involvement."

Everyone involved acknowledged the vast challenges and risks ahead, but they see an equally vast potential—both financial and societal.

"Over the decades, we believe these efforts will help expand the civilization of Earth into the cosmos, and change what it means to be a citizen of this planet," Tumlinson said.

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Te'o Tells Couric He Briefly Lied About Girlfriend

Manti Te'o briefly lied to the media and the public after discovering his online girlfriend did not exist and was a part of an elaborate hoax, he admitted in an exclusive interview with ABC News' Katie Couric.

The star Notre Dame linebacker, who has been hounded by the reporters since the story broke Jan. 16, told Couric in a taped interview Tuesday that he was not lying up until December. Te'o said he was duped into believing his online girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, died of cancer.

"You stuck to the script. And you knew that something was amiss, Manti," Couric said.

"Katie, put yourself in my situation. I, my whole world told me that she died on Sept. 12. Everybody knew that. This girl, who I committed myself to, died on Sept. 12," Te'o said.

Te'o said he received a phone call Dec. 6 from a woman claiming she was Kekua, even though Kekua had allegedly passed away three months earlier.

"Now I get a phone call on Dec. 6, saying that she's alive and then I'm going be put on national TV two days later. And to ask me about the same question. You know, what would you do?" Te'o said.

See more exclusive previews tonight on "World News With Diane Sawyer" and "Nightline." Watch Katie Couric's interview with Manti Te'o and his parents Thursday. Check your local listings or click here for online station finder.

Te'o, 21, was joined by his parents, Brian and Ottilia, in the interview.

"Now many people writing about this are calling your son a liar. They are saying he manipulated the truth, really for personal gain," Couric said to Te'o's father.

Man Allegedly Behind the Manti Te?o Dead Girlfriend Hoax Watch Video

Manti Te'o Girlfriend Hoax: The Man Accused of Elaborate Prank Watch Video

"People can speculate about what they think he is. I've known him 21 years of his life. And he's not a liar. He's a kid," Brian Te'o said with tears in his eyes.

Click here for a who's who in the Manti Te'o case.

Diane O'Meara told NBC's "Today" show Tuesday that she was used as the "face" of the Twitter account of Manti Te'o's online girlfriend without her knowledge or consent.

O'Meara said that Ronaiah Tuiasosopo used pictures of her without her knowledge in creating Kekua.

"I've never met Manti Te'o in my entire life. I've never spoke with him. I've never exchanged words with him," O'Meara said Tuesday.

The 23-year-old marketing executive went to high school in California with Tuiasosopo, but she says they're not close. Tuiasosopo called to apologize the day Deadspin.com broke the hoax story, she said.

Timeline of Manti Te'o girlfriend hoax story

In an interview with ESPN last week, Te'o said he had received a Twitter message from Tuiasosopo apologizing for the hoax.

The Hawaiian also spoke to Tuiasosopo on the phone the day the Deadspin report came out, according to ESPN.com. He found out that "two guys and a girl are responsible for the whole thing," he said.

But he did not know the identities of the other individuals involved, other than the man he says was Tuiasosopo.

Tuiasosopo, a 22-year-old resident of California, has not admitted involvement publicly. Tuiasosopo graduated from Paraclete High School in Lancaster, Calif., in 2007 and has posted dozens of videos online signing Christian songs.

Those who knew him say he was a devout Christian and a good athlete. His former football coach Jon Flemming described him as gregarious, and from a "good loving family." Flemming said Tuiasosopo is the kind of guy who gives you a hug when he sees people he knows.

"He's doing good. Wishing everyone would go away," Flemming told ABC News Wednesday after a recent correspondence with Tuiasosopo.

Flemming said Tuiasosopo is "somebody I'd want my kid to grow up like. He's responsible, respectful, disciplined, dedicated."

Tessi Toluta'u, a Polynesian beauty queen, told ABC News this weekend that "Lennay Kekua" reached out to her in 2008 about entering pageants.

When visiting Los Angeles in 2009, Toluta'u was supposed to meet Kekua, but she failed to appear. Tuiasosopo met Toluta'u instead.

"[It's a] sick joke that went way too far," Toluta'u said.

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