Discovery Channel defends dramatized shark special 'Megalodon'

Did Discovery Channel jump the shark?

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The Discovery Channel is facing criticism for a shark week special
• It explored whether the prehistoric megalodon could still exist today
• Disgruntled viewers poked fun at the show online
• However, the special also brought in record ratings

 -- With all of the fake sharks flying around TV lately, some viewers wish the Discovery Channel would stick just to the facts.

On Sunday, the network kicked off its popular predator-infested extravaganza, Shark Week, with the premiere of a dramatized special that explores the existence of prehistoric sharks called megalodons.

Discovery billed the special, "Megalodon: The Monster Shark That Lives," as taking viewers "on a search for a massive killer great white shark responsible for a rash of fatalities off the coast of South Africa." Viewers were expecting to watch shark experts and scientists examine evidence that the massive creatures could still be swimming around somewhere.

The only problem is that, as National Geographic notes, the megalodon has been extinct for millions of years, and viewers have complained they weren't presented with any evidence to the contrary.

"Dear discovery channel, your fake documentary that you are trying to pass off as reality is upsetting," tweeted one viewer. "The director of blair witch just tweeted that the #megalodon show is the worst thing he has seen since the blair witch project," said another.

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David Shiffman, a doctoral student studying shark ecology and conservation at the University of Miami's Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, told Nat Geo that he wouldn't expect this kind of programming from Discovery.

"If this megalodon special had aired on the Syfy Channel, I probably would have loved it," he said. "But Discovery bills itself as the premier science education television station in the world, and they're perpetuating this utter nonsense."

The executive producer of Shark Week, Michael Sorensen, points out that Discovery aired three disclaimers for "Megalodon," including that "none of the institutions or agencies that appear in the film are affiliated with it in any way, nor have approved its contents."

Additionally, the network warned that "certain events and characters in this film have been dramatized," and that "legends of giant sharks persist all over the world; there is still debate about what they may be."

It seems the point of "Megalodon" was to raise questions more than present answers.

"With a whole week of Shark Week programming ahead of us, we wanted to explore the possibilities of Megalodon," Sorensen said. "It's one of the most debated shark discussions of all time, 'can Megalodon exist today?' It's (the) ultimate Shark Week fantasy. The stories have been out there for years and with 95 percent of the ocean unexplored, who really knows?"

It's clear that TV audiences are interested in finding out. The "Megalodon" show brought in record ratings for Discovery, with 4.8 million viewers tuning in. In the 26-year history of Shark Week, "Megalodon" is the highest-rated and most-watched Shark Week episode to date.

The Calling singer Alex Band says his abduction is not a hoax

The Calling singer: 'I was scared'

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Alex Band: "I'll admit it, I was scared, and I was pleading for my life"
• Singer suffered a fractured spine, 15 stitches to chin, broken teeth, bruises, spokesman says
• The singer told police he was "assaulted, robbed and dropped off on another street"
• News of the incident comes as the group announces a comeback after a decade

Los Angeles (CNN) -- The Calling's lead singer, Alex Band, told police he was abducted, beaten and robbed Sunday, just hours before his group announced a comeback effort.

Band suffered "a fractured lower spine, 15 stitches to lower chin, three broken teeth and is bruised on his side and stomach from the baton beating," his publicist said Monday.

The singer countered speculation that the attack was related to his drug use or a hoax.

"This just happened to me. I didn't kidnap myself, or beat the crap out of myself. So the whole hoax thing is honestly kind of disgusting to even think about, or hear," Band told CNN.

He told investigators he was walking down a street in downtown Lapeer, Michigan -- where his group had just performed at a music festival -- about 3 a.m. Sunday when two men forced him into a blue minivan, according to a police statement.

The Calling singer says he was abducted

"Alex was grabbed by his shirt and hit from behind and lost his footing," publicist Brad Taylor said. "He was beaten with a police baton with a gun pointed to his face demanding Band's 'Hollywood money.' After Band fought back, he was cornered in the van with gun to his face."

Band picked up the story from there.

"At this point, I was crying, I'll admit it, I was scared, and I was pleading for my life, but then it occurred to me. I was like, 'You know, I just found like a couple of weeks ago that I'm going to be a dad,'" he said.

The assailant responded, "It's your lucky day," Band said.

"He kicked me out of the car onto the train tracks, and that's when I hit the tracks and I fractured the bone in my lower spine, and I was unconscious and they left," said the singer.

According to his publicist, Band was left for dead at a local railroad track in Lapeer.

Earlier, Band issued a statement to CNN about the incident.

"I never thought my unborn child would be my savior," Band said. "I am grateful to be alive and I know that I am destined for bringing my music back to my fans."

The singer "reported being assaulted, robbed and dropped off on another street," according to Lapeer Police Sgt. Craig Gormley.

Another band member picked Band up and took him to the emergency room at McLaren Lapeer Region hospital, Gormley said. He was treated and released, he said.

Police, who interviewed Band at the hospital, are investigating, Gormley said.

Word of Band's alleged abduction hit online celebrity websites Monday morning at the same time entertainment reporters received an e-mail from a publicity firm announcing that The Calling is coming back "stronger than ever" after "fighting through trials and addictions."

The singer has "brought together a new band and has a fresh look on his past hits like 'Wherever You Will Go,'" the news release said.

Band "was at the height of music stardom in the early 2000s pop world but took a severe, almost death drop on a roller-coaster of a ride by almost dying from drug abuse combined with the struggle of personal relationships," the release said.

"Having a global hit was amazing, but due to my personal struggles and relationships, I was robbed of the enjoyment of being on the top of a musical high of a career," it quotes Band as saying. "I dropped everything to fight for my ailing wife, followed by a divorce, which equaled with a substance abuse problem that almost took my life. Coming out of my addiction with yet another struggle is something of a freedom. This second chance and has given me great fodder for our new music."

The rock/pop group is "in the midst of signing a major record deal and are setting up a global tour to bring forth their music to a worldwide fervent fan base," it said.    

"He is jumping back into finishing the record to help in the healing process and is resting for optimal healing," his spokesman said.

The comeback announcement would normally get little attention in the media, but coverage of Band's alleged abduction put The Calling back into the headlines.

Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial

Photos: Key players in Jackson wrongful death trial

Katherine Jackson: Michael's mother, 82, was deposed for nine hours over three days by AEG Live lawyers. As the guardian of her son's three children, she is a plaintiff in the wrongful death lawsuit against the company that promoted Michael Jackson's comeback concerts.

Ben Affleck to play Batman in next Superman movie

Lewis Wilson is famous for being the first actor to play Batman in live action in 1943's "Batman." He was the youngest and also the least successful of all the Batmen. Click through to see other actors who have played the Caped Crusader of Gotham City.

Robert Lowery became the second person to portray the character in the 1949 movie serial, "Batman and Robin." Although he never played the character in another movie, he did guest star on an episode of "The Adventures of Superman." This was the first time a Batman actor and a Superman actor shared the screen.

"Holy smokes, Batman!" Adam West is possibly the best known of the Batmen. His campy, over-the-top portrayal of the Worlds Greatest Detective led to the popularity of the 1966 to 1968 Batman television series and the first full-length feature film, "Batman: The Movie" in 1966. Later West would voice the character in "The New Adventures of Batman" and "Super Friends."

Twenty years after Adam West's Batman came Michael Keaton in Tim Burton's 1989 "Batman." He played more of a dark, explosive Batman, the opposite of West's goofy type. Keaton's performance received favorable reviews, and he became the first actor to reprise the role in 1992's "Batman Returns" with Danny DeVito as the Penguin.

When the franchise changed directors, it also changed actors. Val Kilmer became one of the more forgettable of the Batmen in 1995's "Batman Forever." Kilmer was described as "childish and impossible" to work with. He was destined to be a one-termed caped crusader and left the Batcave for good, instead of filming "Batman & Robin."

The handsome, up-and-coming actor George Clooney was cast as the caped crusader in 1997's "Batman & Robin." The film received some of the worst reviews, and Clooney once joked that he helped to kill the franchise. Although the film did nothing to hurt Clooney's career, it frequently ranks among one of the worst films of all time. Pictured is Clooney as Batman and Chris O'Donnell as Robin.

After the disaster of "Batman & Robin," the franchise was destined to remain a joke. That is until director Christopher Nolan came along to reinvent the role and finally make the Dark Knight, well, dark. Christian Bale became the new Batman in 2005's "Batman Begins," 2008's "The Dark Knight" and finally "The Dark Knight Rises" in 2012. While the films were extremely successful, Bale's voice was considered ridiculous and would get even more gravelly and bizarre throughout the three films.

• It will be the sequel to Snyder's "Man of Steel" blockbuster
• The studio plans a July 2015 release for the movie
• Internet immediately responds, and not in a good way

(CNN) -- Holy backlash, Batman!

Warner Bros. announced Thursday that Ben Affleck will play Batman in the sequel to the Superman movie "Man of Steel."

Rumors about who'll star as the Caped Crusader in the yet-to-be-named film have been swirling ever since "Man of Steel" director Zack Snyder announced at Comic-Con last month that the two superheroes would appear together in the sequel -- their first pairing on the big screen.

Affleck's name wasn't even on The Hollywood Reporter's list of possible Batmans two weeks ago, when it speculated Ryan Gosling or Josh Brolin were likely candidates.

Is Ben Affleck a good 'Batman' choice?

Needless to say, the Internet went nuts -- and not in a good way.

Are the worries justified?

Affleck's stint as Daredevil was a major flop. Plus, he's just getting his movie street cred back from that other disaster, "Gigli." But he has numerous awards to his name and received critical raves for his role as Superman star George Reeves in "Hollywoodland."

Affleck will star opposite British actor Henry Cavill, who Warner Bros. said will reprise his role as Clark Kent and Superman.

Affleck as Batman? 'No, nyet, never!'

Snyder's reimagining of Superman in "Man of Steel" broke the record for the biggest June opening when it appeared in theaters this year, taking in $125.1 million in its first weekend.

"It's beyond mythological to have Superman and our new Batman facing off, since they are the greatest superheroes in the world," Snyder said at Comic-Con.

Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane also return for the new film, Warner Bros. said.

Christian Bale, who starred as Batman in three film installments of "The Dark Knight," told CNN partner Entertainment Weekly last month that he wouldn't be starring in a fourth. "Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan also said he wasn't opting for a fourth movie in the franchise, the magazine said.

Nolan will, however, have a hand in the upcoming Superman-Batman film -- he's serving as one of the executive producers, Warner Bros. said.

Warner Bros. and DC Comics, the publisher of "Superman" titles, are both units of Time Warner, CNN's parent company.

global markets shudder

When he speaks, global markets shudder

Ben Bernanke, chairman of the US Federal Reserve. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

When US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke whispers, the world seems to hang on his every word. Stocks across the globe flinch if Bernanke so much as hints at a change to US monetary policy.

Signs of a healthier economy could lead the US Federal Reserve to slow its bond purchases.

But stock market sage, prognosticator or saviour isn’t exactly the role of the Fed — or any central bank for that matter. So how, exactly, did the global economy reach the point that one person seems to hold so much power over markets — where even concern over what might possibly be said can send stocks in Asia into decline hours before Bernanke and his Fed colleagues have even hit the snooze button on their alarm clocks?
It wasn’t always this way. Sure, the US economy has long been a powerful force in the world economy — the adage that when America sneezes, Europe catches a cold has been around since the Wall Street Crash of 1929 when the stock market crash that occurred before the Great Depression drastically impacted Europe.
But, as business has become increasingly global, the way money moves around the world via bank lending and equity markets have also become much more highly intertwined. That was infinitely evident during the global financial crisis and the housing market collapse, which were felt acutely in the US before quickly spreading to economies and markets around the world.
“In recent times, markets have gone up and down together,” said Barry Bosworth, economist at the Brookings Institute. “Money flows across borders and interest rates move together. Trade and finance have converted a set of (separate) international economies to a global economy.”

The obsession that equity markets have with the Fed right now is irrational. — Aswath Damodaran

Never mind that the US Fed’s real mandate is simply to keep prices stable and unemployment low in the US. The US Fed controls the price of money, or inflation, by setting interest rates, essentially controlling the cost to borrow in the US. Interest rates, which also determine exchange rates, are integral to worldwide trade.
“The US economy is roughly 20% of the global economy — whatever happens in the US influences the global economy,” said David Joy, chief market strategist of Ameriprise Financial, Inc.
What, exactly, does the Fed do? How did it accidentally get into the stock market saviour business? And what’s next on the Fed whisper chain? Great questions.

The all-powerful easing
The Fed controls the money supply in the US, the same way the European Central Bank does in the eurozone.
The Fed sets short-term rates, but with that rate at a bottom of 0.25% since December 2008, the Fed has used quantitative easing to increase the money supply. In short, the Fed buys bonds or, more recently, mortgage-backed securities, in an effort to lower long-term rates. Low rates, in turn, encourage investors to buy riskier assets like stocks and that drives up asset prices.
When riskier assets, like equities, increase in value, investment portfolios get fatter. In turn, people feel better about the future. That “wealth effect” prompts consumers to spend, said Ryan Sweet, a director at Moody's Analytics.
Lower long-term rates also sparked the US housing market recovery. “The US housing market directly and indirectly affects over one-third of the US economy, so creating demand in the housing market has ‘big bang for the buck’ if you are a central banker,” wrote chartered financial analyst Jason Voss, content director at the CFA Institute, in an email.

Dangerous obsession?
What does all this focus on the Fed and interest rates have to do with stock market — in the US or abroad? It’s part mystery, part unhealthy obsession, say experts.
Fundamentals, like growth and risk, are what should drive corporate earnings and in turn, stock prices, said Aswath Damodaran, professor of finance at New York University’s Stern School of Business. But, you wouldn’t know it from the hair-trigger reaction that equities have to Bernanke and other Fed officials.
“The obsession that equity markets have with the Fed right now is irrational. (It) makes no sense — it’s misplaced and dangerous,” Damodaran said.
Nevertheless, markets across the globe have reacted to Bernanke’s words — even when they are vague. Just this week, concerns that the Fed would begin tapering its bond purchases later this year sent US stock futures down Wednesday before the market opened and also weighed on Asian markets.
Many experts say the Bernanke market jitters are silliness. First off, a rise in interest rates would signal the US economy doesn’t need as much handholding to keep growing. The Fed will eventually let the bonds and mortgage-backed securities purchased through three rounds of quantitative easing roll off its balance sheet — something it says it will do when unemployment and inflation are heading in the right direction. Some stock market observers say it’s the fear of this unwinding that has the market roiled when Bernanke speaks. But it will take time for the Fed to offload the securities it has purchased, said Sweet. At first, the Fed will simply buy less each month until it stops buying securities altogether. But it could take a decade for Fed to unwind its balance sheet.
Exactly when this tapering will begin is a bit of a mystery — and may be one reason markets are so sensitive to even the slightest whispers of change from Bernanke or other Federal Reserve officials.
Of course, the macro economy is complex and multilayered. That’s one reason it’s so hard to discern when small changes will create large ripples in the market or otherwise, said Damodaran.
“These days, there’s no big hedge except to be as diversified as possible,” Bosworth said. “It’s a trade off between the rate of return and risk.”

Dreamliner Grounding 'Cost Carrier ANA £53m'

As All Nippon Air hits turbulence because of rising fuel prices, it reveals the grounding of its Boeing 787 fleet cost it £53m.

Japan's All Nippon Airways (ANA) has said the grounding of its Boeing Dreamliner fleet has cost it 8bn yen (£53m).

The announcement comes after the carrier made a second-quarter loss of 6.6bn yen (£44m).
It reversed a small year-earlier profit, despite a 4.4% rise in revenue to 358.3bn yen (£2.38bn).
"The primary reason for the increase in operating expenses was a rise in fuel costs due to the weakening of the yen," it said in a statement.
"Operating revenues were also held back by the suspension of Boeing 787 services for part of the period."

In early January a Japan Airlines (JAL) plane caught fire in Boston

ANA and domestic rival Japan Airlines, which reports its quarterly results Wednesday, were sideswiped by the grounding of Boeing's new aircraft that began in January.
After a long-running probe the planes were allowed to fly again in June.
The carriers at the time operated about half the Dreamliners in service and had to cancel hundreds of flights in the wake of the crisis, which was caused by problems with the plane's lithium battery.
The carrier and Japan Airlines have said they will seek compensation from Boeing having lost a combined total of more than 22.5bn yen (£149m) in revenue.

The fire at Heathrow was suspected to have been caused by a beacon battery

"The impact of the problems was bigger than originally expected," Kei Yamamura, an aviation analyst with SMBC Friend Securities, said.
"But this factor will fade toward the end of the fiscal year as long as these issues don't come up again."
Although issues related to the auxiliary power supply lithium battery appear to have been resolved, emergency locator transmitters (ELT) used by Boeing now appear to be under scrutiny.
A fuselage fire on an Ethiopian Airways 787 at Heathrow airport on July 12 was pinpointed to the ELT manufactured by Honeywell.
The US Federal Aviation Administration advised on the emergency beacon wiring being checked.
Boeing has subsequently told airlines up to 1,200 aircraft across a range of models have the ELTs fitted.

Video Game Lets China Seize Islands From Japan

Players can shoot Japanese soldiers as they defend the disputed islands in a Chinese army training game released to the public.

 

 

Video Game Lets China Seize Islands From Japan

Players can shoot Japanese soldiers as they defend the disputed islands in a Chinese army training game released to the public.

6:58pm UK, Friday 02 August 2013

A gamer plays Glorious Mission in an office in Shanghai

The islands are under Japanese control

China has released a computer game originally designed to train its army which allows players to defend contested islands in the East China Sea.

The  Diaoyu islands, or Senkaku to the Japanese, have been at the centre of a decades-long dispute between the two Asian powers and there are regular skirmishes off its coasts.
To celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) the Chinese have released an online game called Glorious Mission Online.
Players can shoot Japanese soldiers, who drop dead shooting up a small Japanese flag with its red sun styled to resemble a bullet wound.
Glorious Mission Online was developed by Giant Interactive Group, a Chinese developer and publisher, in collaboration with the PLA for use in training simulations.

Japanese and Chinese vessels near the disputed islands

"Players will do battle alongside the PLA, with guns in hand, and tell the Japanese: 'You will not violate our sovereign territory!'" says a statement on the game's website.
The PLA was interested in having a 3D interactive game for simulations with virtual replicas of their weapons, said Richard Chiang, a spokesman for Giant Interactive.
Mr Chiang said: "The military was 100% behind this game. Rather than playing the same foreign games like Call Of Duty and being American Marines shooting Russians or whatnot, Chinese can actually play as Chinese soldiers."
The row over the uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, which has been administered by Japan since 1971,  has badly affected relations between Beijing and Tokyo.
Japan's defence ministry declined to comment on the game's release.