Icetruck

To take photos is a great art and skill. Photographers work hard on every small detail so that they can produce effective results. But giving the best possible pose is not less than an art or mastery. The skills of giving write poses and the way you present yourself matters the most. In this article, we will highlight some of the major mistakes you often make while posing for the shots. An important point to keep in mind while posing for shots is to maintain certain body angles and postures. We at Born Realist highlights the mistakes that you should avoid in order to look great in pictures.

12. Do Not Cross Your Arms:

Image credits: Shutterstock

One of the common mistakes we usually make while posing for photos is crossing the arms. When you cross your arms, it conceals the whole expression of your body. This mistake will not define your body line clearly which eventually results into a blur and tedious image. So while posing for photos avoid crossing arms. Instead put your arms down and slightly apart. It will define your neck shape giving the clear outline and better expression.

11. Watch Your Posture:

Image credits: Shutterstock

Another mistake people make is having an undefined posture. It usually happens when you are leaning your whole weight against the object or not resting on your spine.It makes you look fat and also shortens your neck. It will not look appealing at all in that way. What you should do instead, is to rest on your spine and stand half turned to the camera. If you are sitting then bend back at your waist instead of leaning on the chair. It will give a definite look to your snaps.

Image credits: Shutter stock

10. Change The Angle:

Image credits: iStock

Changing angle can greatly affect your photos. While giving a shot, do not sit your knees facing the camera. It will make your body look shorter and silhouettes look extra bulky. To fix this problem, you should turn away from the camera in order to fix the angles. It will help you give a proper tilting shape. Putting your one leg above the other will avoid your legs blending together.

9. Put Your Chin Forward:

Image credits: iStock

An important point should be kept in mind while taking photos, is to make your neck visible. When you tilt your head way too forward, it hides your neckline. It will result in undefined images not giving a perfect look. To avoid such mistake first, do not tilt your head and keep your head straight and equal to your body.In this way, your overall image will be defined.

8. Keep Your Body In Frame:

Image credits: Shutterstock

Do not turn your body away from the camera. If you will turn your body more than needed, it will make your shoulder look more narrow and rounded. Also, it will make your waist look wider. The solution to this is that turn your body three quarters towards the camera. It makes you look much slimmer and your overall expression will be improved.

Image credits: Shutter stock

22 Photos That Show Our Grandparents Were Cooler Than Us

7. Your Arms Position:

Image Credits: iStock

If you are taking a shot while sitting down, then be aware of the position of your arms. Cross arms give rough and foul expressions. So in order to look elegant, you should rest your elbows on your leg. Your one leg should be placed over the other and then your elbows resting on your knees. Then your one elbow should be placed on your neck vertically and other resting on the knees horizontally.

6. Create Visual Lines:

Image Credits: iStock

In order to have good photos, you have to create some visual line that can maintain and define your pose. e-g standing straight with your arms loosely will not define your body language. So in order to correct this mistake try to create visual and just to be creative while giving a shot.It will highlight what really matters.

5. Combine Curved And Straight Lines:

Image Credits: iStock

In order to enhance your photo quality, play with your angle and postures. Play with your curve and straight lines. For example, sit in semi- profile position facing the camera, place your hands on your knees and look onto the other side of the space giving a candid smile. This will highlight your expression and body in an effective way.

4. Avoid Baggy Stuff:

Image Credits: iStock

In order to have a vibrant click, be selective in your clothing. Baggy stuff will hide your body details and make your body difficult to spot. But in case if you have worn baggy clothes, place your hands on side of your belly. Put your one hand slightly above than other so your wrists could be highlighted. It will refine your shot.

3. Imitate Touching:

Image Credits: iStock

Imitate touching such as putting your palm on your face is not appealing at all. Imitate expressions, in general, can contribute to your shot a lot but if the hand’s positions are correct. The gestures should be made in such a way so that it should not hide your facial expressions.

2. Emphasize Your Face:

Image Credits: iStock

Placing fistful hand against your head will make your pose look really unnatural and rough. So in order to avoid this, place your extended fingers giving a gentle touch to your face. To make your fist relaxed just place them freely and gently beneath the chin.

1. Avoid Placing Elbows:

Image Credits: iStock

Keep in mind that never show your elbows while giving a shot. Pointed arms look short and unnatural. And never place your elbow on your shoulder. It gives an image a burdened tiring and heavy look. So if you want to avoid this, place your hands in a plain side and then highlight the area which you want to be focused. So here are the 12 tips and tricks in order to take good shots. We hope that it will help you effectively and you will have better snaps for the next time.

LIKED THIS? READ THIS: Movies That Are Always Amusing No Matter How Many Times You Watch Them

ARTICLE BY BORN REALIST

The post 12 Mistakes You Should Avoid In Order To Look Great In Photos appeared first on Born Realist.

Source – bornrealist.com

Apple shares hit record as iPhone X launches

Apple shares have risen to a record high as the tech giant's iPhone X hit shelves around the world.

The launch coincided with strong results for Apple, with sales increasing by 12% to $52.6bn (£40bn) for the three months to September.

The tenth anniversary iPhone, which retails for £999, is Apple's most expensive handset yet.

Analysts said Apple was now closer to becoming the first trillion dollar company, as shares rose 2%.

The California-based firm, which also sells computers, iPads and makes revenue from apps, is now valued at nearly $900bn (£690bn).

• iPhone X: Why did people queue overnight?

With iPhone 8 and X handsets now on sale, Mr Cook predicted Apple's "biggest quarter ever" in the three months to the end of the year.

Shoppers queued up at Apple stores in dozens of countries, as the high-end iPhone X launched on Friday.

The iPhone X abandons the signature "home" button and can be unlocked with face-scanning technology, among other new features.

"A trillion-dollar market cap may now be in Cook's sights in light of these results and guidance around iPhone X," said Daniel Ives, an analyst at GBH Insights.

Mr Cook said the company was "firing on all cylinders", thanks to a sales rebound in China, record purchases through the App Store and robust demand for its latest iPhone models.

It sold more than 46.6 million phones in the July to September period, up 3% year-on-year. That produced $28.8bn, or more than half of its revenue.

Other products, including the Mac, iPad and Apple Watch, also did well, growing in the double digits.

The firm got another boost from its services division, which includes the App store, Apple Pay and its music subscriptions service.

That unit made $8.5bn in the quarter, up 34% year-on-year, thanks in part to a one-time adjustment.

Though its costs increased, Apple said profits were $10.7bn in the quarter, increasing 18%.

Augmented reality future?

Apple said it expects to make between $84bn and $87bn in revenue in the upcoming quarter – a record for the company.

Mr Cook said the iPhone X positioned Apple ahead of the curve when it comes to new augmented reality or AR technologies.

He said the technologies were poised to "change everything". For example, he said, shoppers will be able to see how furniture looks in their living rooms before making a purchase.

"I view AR as profound, not today… but what it will be, what it can be," he said. "I think it's profound and I think Apple is in a really unique position to lead in this area."

Source – bbc.com

'Thor: Ragnarok': Recaps of last 16 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies

WATCH 'Captain America: Civil War': Stars Visit 'GMA'

Believe it or not, "Thor: Ragnarok," which hits theaters this weekend, is seventeenth film that is connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Even more incredible? Nearly a decade has passed since the debut of "Iron Man," meaning there's more than 10 years' worth of material to stay on top of.

However, if you haven't seen any of the other films, don't sweat it: Here is what you need to know about all the Marvel Cinematic Universe films dating back to 2008.

As always, especially at the bottom, beware of spoilers!

1 – "Iron Man" (2008)

Hero — Iron Man, played by Robert Downey Jr.

Villain — Obadiah Stane, a.k.a. the Iron Monger, played by Jeff Bridges

Arms dealer Tony Stark is in the Middle East, where he is attacked and taken captive. He builds an arc reactor to power a magnet to keep shrapnel in his heart from killing him. That reactor will later power the Iron Man suit. After escaping, Stark Becomes a superhero, which forces him to have a change of heart about selling weapons of destruction. But his mentor Stane wants this suit, his arc and him out of the company. Actually, he's the one who paid the insurgents to kill Stark in the first place. Stane, with his own iron suit, and Stark face off at the end of the film.

How it ends — Iron Man prevails, and after Tony Stark tells the world "I am Iron Man," Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, recruits him for the Avengers Initiative.

2 – "The Incredible Hulk" (2008)

Hero — The Hulk, played by Ed Norton

Villain — Abomination, played by Tim Roth

Scientist Bruce Banner was hit with gamma radiation, which turns him into a green, raging monster when he gets angry and his heart rate is elevated. General Ross, played by William Hurt (He's also in "Civil War"), wants this technology for the military. Banner just wants to be left alone, but is also in love with Ross' daughter Betty. Roth's character starts taking a Super Soldier serum to catch the Hulk, but takes too much and turns into an evil Hulk, known as Abomination. After Abomination starts destroying the city, Ross wants the Hulk to fight and stop him. Hulk subdues the monster and runs away to live far away from people he may hurt or kill.

How it ends — In the post-credit scene, you see Stark run into Ross at a bar and ask about the Hulk in order to recruit him for the Avengers.

3 – "Iron Man 2" (2010)

Heroes — Iron Man; Lt. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine, played by Don Cheadle; and Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson

Villains — Whiplash, played by Mickey Rourke

Six months after his "coming out" as Iron Man, Tony Stark's superhero career has him on the top of the world, having "successfully privatized national security." However, the technology that's keeping Stark alive is also killing him. Stark does battle with the twin demons of palladium poisoning and the bottle, only to have to face Ivan Vanko/Whiplash, a Russian physicist with an ax to grind against the Stark family and a fearsome supersuit powered by a homebrew copy of Stark's arc reactor. Vanko finds a deep-pocketed ally in arms dealer Justin Hammer, and uses his resources to build a drone army to try to destroy Stark and his legacy.

How it ends — After Iron Man and War Machine take down Whiplash, we see a hammer in the middle of the desert — Thor is coming.

4 – "Thor" (2011)

Hero — Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth

Villain — Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston

Loki is jealous of his older brother Thor, who is set to become the next king of Asgard after his father Odin retires. But after an attack on his home, Thor disobeys his father and is banished to Earth, minus his powers and his hammer. While on Earth, he falls in love and learns humility. Loki also tries to kill him, but Thor regains his power and returns to Asgard to fight and conquer his misguided brother. Thor vows to watch over Earth, where Loki fell to after the final battle scene.

How it ends — Nick Fury recruits a doctor friend of Thor's to work on alien technology — the tesseract. But Loki is lurking in the shadows!

5 – "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011)

Hero — Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, played by Chris Evans

Villain — The Red Skull, played by Hugo Weaving

World War II has broken out and all that tiny Steve Rogers wants to do is enlist and fight the Nazis. But he's too fragile and doesn't meet requirements. So, the government experiments on him with a Super Soldier serum and it works! He's athletic, strong and ready to take down the bad guys. After he is mainly used for propaganda, he breaks command and rescues his best friend Bucky Barnes from Hydra, a Nazi-like organization also bent on taking over the world. He eventually meets and faces off against the Red Skull towards the end of the war and thwarts his plan. Bucky is presumed dead in this movie, but we later find out in "The Winter Soldier" that's not the case.

How it ends — Cap lands his plane in frozen ice after taking the Red Skull out. He is found and thawed out 70 years later. In the post-credit scene, Nick Fury approaches Cap about a mission, now in the year 2012.

6 – "The Avengers" (2012)

Heroes — Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, Thor, Black Widow and Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner

Villain — Loki and his alien army

Loki makes a deal to work with this alien army to take over Earth after he failed to conquer Asgard. The Avengers unite — while bickering and fighting with each other at times — and band together to fight Loki and this army. The catalyst is when Loki kills SHIELD's Agent Coulson, a snarky, yet lovable ally. They win and go their separate ways, vowing to protect Earth or at least "Avenge" it.

How it ends — We find out who gave Loki his power to try and conquer Earth — it's Thanos, possibly the most powerful villain in all of the Marvel universe.

7 – "Iron Man 3" (2013)

Heroes — Iron Man and War Machine

Villains — The Mandarin, played by Ben Kingsley, really played (we find out later) by Guy Pearce

The Avengers’ Battle of New York has left Tony Stark wracked with PTSD. He spends his sleepless nights tinkering with a legion of armored suits in a frantic attempt to protect his one true love, Pepper; a mere “man in a can” in a dangerous new world of gods and aliens. A new threat arises closer to home, however, when the mysterious Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) launches a series of terror attacks, leaving Stark’s former life in ruins. Stranded without access to his suits and only his wits to rely on, Tony discovers Mandarin is merely an actor under the employ of Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), a scientist with a grudge against Stark, and access to the terrifying super soldier serum known as Extremis. Killian kidnaps Pepper to blackmail Tony into perfecting the deadly tech, leading to an epic showdown — and Stark’s realization that even without his armor, he’s still Iron Man.

How it ends — Funny scene where Stark tells Bruce Banner, a.k.a. the Hulk, his story in a therapy-like session.

8 – "Thor: The Dark World" (2013)

Hero — Thor

Villain — Malekith the Accursed, played by Christopher Eccleston

Jane Foster, Thor's girlfriend, is cursed with a dark matter called the Aether, which will eventually kill her. But Malekith wants the Aether to take over the world. After Thor and Loki's mother is killed, the estranged brothers unite against Malekith, and Loki ends up sacrificing himself to save his brother. After Loki's apparent death, Thor is able to defeat Malekith by banishing him. Thor tells his father he doesn't want to be king after the victory and would rather watch over Earth. But it's not his father, it's Loki in disguise, who actually survived.

How it ends — A link to "Guardians of the Galaxy." Thor's friends visit the Collector to give him an infinity stone to hold for safe keeping.

9 – "Captain America: Winter Soldier" (2014)

Heroes — Captain America, Nick Fury, Black Widow and the Falcon, played by Anthony Mackie

Villains — Winter Soldier, played by Sebastian Stan, and Alexander Pierce, played by Robert Redford

Marvel’s red, white, and blue hero finds himself increasingly ill at ease with his employer S.H.I.E.L.D.’s shades of grey, especially after Steve Rogers discovers Project Insight: a plan to eliminate the agency’s enemies before they strike. “This isn’t freedom. This is fear,” Cap sums up to S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury – who is felled by a mysterious assassin known only as The Winter Soldier. After the agency targets Rogers, he and Black Widow go on the run, and discover Hydra has been festering inside S.H.I.E.L.D. for decades — and that The Winter Soldier is none other than Cap’s old friend Bucky Barnes, thought killed in World War II, but brainwashed to be a triggerman for the evil group. Along with Sam Wilson AKA Falcon, former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill, and Widow, Rogers vows to burn down both Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. — and save his former friend.

How it ends — We get our first look at Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, who are locked up in cells in a Hydra bunker, where they are being enhanced by the power in Loki's staff.

10 – "Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014)

Heroes — Starlord, played by Chris Pratt; Gamora, played by Zoe Saldana; Drax, played by Dave Bautista; Groot, played by Vin Diesel; Rocket, played by Bradley Cooper

Villains — Ronan, played by Lee Pace; Thanos played by Josh Brolin

Everyone is after one of the infinity stones, which all wield immeasurable power. Ronan plans to destroy a planet he's been at war with by using the stone. But the gang bands together and defeats Ronan. In the process Starlord survives holding one of the stones, which is impossible for a human. There is reason to believe he's part alien, something ancient.

How it ends — The Collector's home where he keeps his treasures is destroyed and we see Howard the Duck for the first time in 20 years on screen.

11 – "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015)

Heroes — Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch and Vision, played by Paul Bettany

Villain — Ultron, played by James Spader

Iron Man and the gang take down Hydra and recapture Loki's scepter. But Tony uses the stone inside the weapon to create artificial intelligence, Ultron. This backfires and Ultron wages war against the Avengers and the human race. You start to see a real break in the team between Cap and Iron Man on their beliefs. They eventually take down Ultron, but at the cost of countless lives after the city of Sokovia is destroyed.

How it ends — After countless failures to get him the Infinity Stones, Thanos is seen vowing to get them himself.

12 – "Ant-Man" (2015)

Hero — Ant-Man, played by Paul Rudd

Villain — Yellowjacket, played by Corey Stoll

Scott Lang is a convict who was jailed after he was doing what he thought was right. He gets recruited by Hank Pym, the original Ant-Man to get his shrinking technology out of the hands of his former protege, Darren Cross, who eventually creates a suit of his own. The two battle and Rudd defeats Cross. In the middle of the film, Rudd has a run-in with Falcon at the Avengers facility. This ties into the post-credit scene.

How it ends — After Rudd impressed Falcon, they are looking for another Avenger to help out with a mission. It's explained to Lang that they want the Ant-Man.

13 – "Captain America: Civil War" (2016)

Hero – This is a tough one. This film is hero vs. hero.

Villain – Baron Zemo, Crossbones and depending on whose side you are on, maybe Captain America or Iron Man.

After the events that kick off this movie and past events like "Age of Ultron," world governments are sick of the Avengers dropping buildings and cities on innocent people. And who could blame them.

A document called the Sokovia Accords gives the U.S. government the right to control the team before they go into a war zone to save the world and such. Iron Man thinks the Avengers need to be put in check. Captain America believes in people, not governments.

Zemo does his best to tear the team apart and Cap sides with his friend, Bucky, aka the Winter Soldier, over Iron Man. This leads to an all-out battle between the two heroes and their allies that ends up splitting the team. In the end, Cap walks away from Tony, but later sends him a note that he'll always be there for him despite their differences.

We meet a few newbies in this film too. Tom Holland's Spider-Man joins Iron Man in his big battle against Cap, and Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther also makes his flashy debut.

14 – "Doctor Strange" (2016)

Hero – Doctor Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch

Villains – Kaecilius, played by Mads Mikkelsen

Benedict Cumberbatch plays Stephen Strange, a well-respected doctor, whose career is ruined after a tragic car accident.

He hunts down The Ancient One, who teaches him to use his inner power via the mystic arts. After The Ancient One dies, Strange leads his allies against Kaecilius and his fanatics who follow Dormammu, a powerful being who has the ability to take over and destroy the world. Don't you hate when that happens.

How it ends – Strange succeeds and becomes the Sorcerer Supreme. He is key, because the mystic arts are important for the impending war the Avengers will have with Thanos, possibly the most powerful villain in Marvel. That movie is set for 2018 and expect Strange to play a big part.

Also his partner in the battle, Mordo, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, no longer believes in The Ancient One or Strange. He thinks he's seen the light and basically turns bad, looking to take out all the other sorcerers.

15 – "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" (2017)

Heroes — Starlord, played by Chris Pratt; Gamora, played by Zoe Saldana; Drax, played by Dave Bautista; Groot, played by Vin Diesel; Rocket, played by Bradley Cooper; Yondu, played by Michael Rooker

Villains – Ego the Living Planet, played by Kurt Russell; Ayesha, played by Elizabeth Debicki

The gang is back! They have made a go of saving the galaxy time and again and are getting good at it. Until Rocket steals something from Ayesha and her people, which has them running for their lives.

Eventually the team splits up as Star-Lord's father, Ego, finds him and offers to take him back to his planet. The team eventually finds out Ego is a bad guy who plans to take over the galaxy.

How it ends – Good guys win and Peter finds out that it takes more than just having a kid to be a father. In fact, Yondu, who raised Peter, becomes that figure for him and he couldn't have been happier. Ego is destroyed and the galaxy is safe once again.

"I had a cool dad," Peter says at the end of the film after Yondu sacrifices himself to save his boy.

This is another movie that has ties to the universe but really lives in its own reality. The team will unite with the Avengers and more for "Infinity War" in 2018, that much is for sure! We also meet Adam Warlock in a post credit scene. He's a character with a rich history in Marvel and is very powerful. This might only play into "Guardians 3" though.

16 – "Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017)

Hero – Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland

Villain – The Vulture, played by Michael Keaton

Peter Parker has been dying to fight crime and become an Avenger ever since the events of "Captain America: Civil War." But Tony Stark has other plans. He wants the kid to remain a kid and learn before going up against real villains.

Meanwhile, Michael Keaton's Vulture is angry with the Avengers for causing havoc in New York City and not thinking of the little guy in the process. Keaton goes on an all-out crime spree and Spider-Man steps in to stop him … or at least he tries.

How it ends – Spidey wins the day and wins the respect of Stark in the process. But in the end, he agrees with Tony's original assessment and turns down a spot to be in the Avengers to remain everyone's favorite "friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."

ABC News and Marvel are both part of parent company Disney Co.

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The Latest: Lawyer: Bergdahl appeal to note Trump statements

The Latest on the sentencing hearing for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl (all times local):

1:20 p.m.

Bowe Bergdahl's defense lawyer has told reporters after sentencing that his client "has looked forward to today for a long time."

Eugene Fidell added, "Sgt. Bergdahl is grateful to everyone who searched for him in 2009, especially those who heroically sustained injuries."

Fidell told reporters that he looks forward to the appeals court reviewing Trump's statements as a candidate, which he appeared to reaffirm on the day Bergdahl pleaded guilty Oct. 16.

Addressing reporters before Trump tweeted about the sentence, Fidell said Trump had already caused one of the "most preposterous" legal situations in American history.

He said he looks forward to the appeal, adding: "We think there's an extremely strong basis for dismissal of the case."

———

1:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump says a judge's ruling that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will serve no prison time is a "complete and total disgrace."

The president's comment on Twitter came Friday, less than an hour after the White House declined to comment on the sentence.

Bergdahl is the Army sergeant who walked off his post in Afghanistan and triggered a search that wounded some of his comrades.

He was captured by the Taliban and held for five years, until President Barack Obama traded Taliban prisoners to bring him back.

A military judge ruled Friday that he should not serve prison time.

Trump issued his tweet from Air Force One on Friday as he embarked on the first leg of his trip to Hawaii and Asia.

The president has long been a critic of Bergdahl. During the presidential campaign, Triump called him a traitor who deserved serious punishment.

———

1:05 p.m.

President Donald Trump says Bowe Bergdahl's sentence for leaving his post in Afghanistan is "a complete and total disgrace to our Country and to our Military."

The president's comment on Twitter came Friday, less than an hour after the White House declined to comment on the military sentence given to Bergdahl.

A military judge in North Carolina ruled Friday that Bergdahl should serve no prison time for endangering his comrades by walking off his Afghanistan post. The judge also gave Bergdahl a dishonorable discharge, reduced his rank to private and said he must forfeit pay equal to $1,000 per month for 10 months.

While campaigning for president, Trump repeatedly called Bergdahl a traitor who deserved serious punishment.

———

12:25 p.m.

The White House says it has no comment on the sentence given to Bowe Bergdahl for leaving his post in Afghanistan.

Instead, White House officials referred back to a previous statement from several weeks ago.

The statement said President Donald Trump "expects all military personnel who are involved in any way in the military justice process to exercise their independent professional judgment, consistent with applicable laws and regulations."

A military judge in North Carolina ruled Friday that Bergdahl should serve no prison time for endangering his comrades by walking off his Afghanistan post. The judge also gave Bergdahl a dishonorable discharge, reduced his rank to private and said he must forfeit pay equal to $1,000 per month for 10 months.

———

11:40 a.m.

A military judge has found that Bowe Bergdahl should serve no prison time for endangering his comrades by walking off his Afghanistan post.

The judge also gave Bergdahl a dishonorable discharge, reduced his rank to private and said he must forfeit pay equal to $1,000 per month for 10 months. The judge made no other comments.

Bergdahl appeared tense, grimaced and clenched his jaw. His attorneys put their arms around him and one patted him on the back.

Bergdahl pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy and had faced up to life in prison. The judge had wide leeway because Bergdahl made no deal with prosecutors to limit his sentence.

Prosecutors had sought stiff punishment because of wounds to service members who searched for Bergdahl after he disappeared in 2009. He was held captive by Taliban allies for five years.

The defense sought to counter that evidence with testimony about Bergdahl's suffering during five years as a captive of Taliban allies, his contributions to military intelligence and survival instruction and his mental health problems.

———

9:25 a.m.

A military judge has resumed his deliberations on Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's punishment for endangering comrades by leaving his post in Afghanistan in 2009.

Col. Jeffery Nance called Bergdahl and lawyers for both sides into court briefly Friday to let them know that he was returning to his chamber to continue deliberations. He didn't give an indication of when he would hand down Bergdahl's sentence.

The 31-year-old Bergdahl, who faces up to life in prison, appeared tense during the short court session. He clenched his jaw as if grinding his teeth, then grimaced and looked at the floor when he walked out of the courtroom.

The judge began deliberating Thursday after hearing closing arguments by defense attorneys, who asked for no prison time, and prosecutors who are seeking 14 years behind bars.

2:45 a.m.

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was held for five years by Taliban allies after walking off his post in Afghanistan, will soon learn his punishment after pleading guilty to endangering his comrades.

A military judge began deliberating Thursday after hearing closing arguments by defense attorneys, who asked for no prison time, and prosecutors who are seeking 14 years behind bars.

Army Col. Jeffery Nance said he would open court again Friday morning to continue deliberating. It wasn't clear when he would deliver the sentence.

Bergdahl faces up to life in prison for desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. In closing arguments, prosecutors cited serious wounds to service members who looked for Bergdahl.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

Bergdahl spared any prison time, gets dishonorable discharge

Bowe Bergdahl, the soldier who walked off his post in Afghanistan and triggered a search that left several comrades severely wounded, will serve no prison time, a military judge ruled Friday at the end of the politically divisive case that stirred debate during the president campaign.

President Donald Trump, whose campaign-trail criticism loomed over the case, quickly called the sentence a "disgrace."

The charges centered on a decision by one soldier that affected many other lives. Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban and held for five years, until President Barack Obama traded Taliban prisoners to bring him back. As a presidential candidate, Trump called for Bergdahl to face stiff punishment. He could have received up to life in prison.

The judge also gave Bergdahl a dishonorable discharge, reduced his Army rank from sergeant to private and ordered him to forfeit pay equal to $1,000 per month for 10 months.

The judge gave no explanation of how he arrived at his decision, but he reviewed evidence including Bergdahl's time spent in captivity and the wounds suffered by Army searchers.

In court, Bergdahl appeared tense, grimaced and clenched his jaw. His attorneys put their arms around him and one patted him on the back.

His defense lawyer Eugene Fidell told reporters after sentencing that his client "has looked forward to today for a long time."

Bergdahl "is grateful to everyone who searched for him in 2009, especially those who heroically sustained injuries," Fidell added.

Trump's tweet came about 90 minutes after the sentence was announced. "The decision on Sergeant Bergdahl is a complete and total disgrace to our Country and to our Military," the president wrote.

Bergdahl pleaded guilty last month to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. The judge had wide leeway in deciding the sentence because Bergdahl made no deal with prosecutors to limit his punishment.

Prosecutors had sought a stiff penalty because of wounds suffered by service members who searched for Bergdahl after he disappeared in 2009.

The defense sought to counter that evidence with testimony about Bergdahl's suffering as a captive, his contributions to military intelligence and survival training and his mental health problems. The argument for leniency also cited harsh campaign-trail criticism by Trump.

The dishonorable discharge threatens to deprive Bergdahl of most or all his veterans' benefits, but it also triggers an automatic appeal to a higher military court. Before that, a general who can lower, but not increase, the sentence will also review it.

Fidell told reporters that he looks forward to the appeals court review of Trump's statements as a candidate, which he appeared to reaffirm on the day Bergdahl pleaded guilty Oct. 16.

As a candidate, Trump "made really extraordinary reprehensible comments targeted directly at our client," Fidell told reporters Friday, calling the situation "one of the most preposterous states of affairs" in American legal history. He said the defense team sees "an extremely strong basis for dismissal of the case."

During the multiday sentencing hearing, Bergdahl testified that he was sorry for the wounds suffered by searchers. He also described brutal beatings by his captors, illness brought on by squalid conditions and maddening periods of isolation.

A psychiatrist testified that his decision to leave his post was influenced by a schizophrenia-like condition called schizotypal personality disorder that made it hard to understand the consequences of his actions, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder brought on partly by a difficult childhood.

Prosecutors, who had asked for a sentence of 14 years in prison, did not speak to reporters when they left court. But one of them, Maj. Justin Oshana, said during closing arguments Thursday that Bergdahl "does not have a monopoly on suffering as a result of his choices."

The sergeant already has a job offer from an animal sanctuary, and a military official who helps design survival training said he would like to use Bergdahl as a part of lectures to service members on how to survive captivity.

The 31-year-old soldier from Hailey, Idaho, was brought home by Obama in 2014 in a swap for five Taliban prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. He has been stationed at a military installation in San Antonio.

At the time of Bergdahl's release, Obama said the U.S. does not leave service members on the battlefield. Republicans roundly criticized Obama, and Trump went further while campaigning for president, repeatedly calling Bergdahl a traitor who deserved serious punishment.

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Follow Drew at www.twitter.com/jonldrew .

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Source – abcnews.go.com

Great Pyramid's previously hidden 'void' hailed by some scientists, dismissed by Egyptian experts

WATCH Great Pyramid's previously hidden 'void' hailed by some scientists, dismissed by Egyptian experts

Egypt's antiquities ministry says researchers should not have rushed to publicly announce this week the "discovery" of a hidden chamber inside the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Mostafa Waziri, the secretary general of Egypt's Ministry of State of Antiquities, released a statement Thursday saying scientists with the ScanPyramids project, a collaborative scientific mission launched in 2015 by the Heritage Innovation Preservation Institute, Cairo University and the Egyptian government, were mistaken to suddenly declare the so-called new discovery to the public before discussing the findings with the ministry's archaeologists.

"The Ministry of Antiquities believes that the research team should not have rushed to address public opinion at the current stage and use … promotional terms for the project, such as 'discovery' and 'find a room or void inside the Great Pyramid," Waziri said, noting that additional research and extensive study must be done.

The Great Pyramid in Giza on the outskirts of Cairo was built about 4,500 years ago as a royal burial chamber and is the last surviving wonder of the ancient world.

Nature Publishing Group and ScanPyramids mission/AFP/Getty Images

In an article published earlier Thursday in the journal Nature, ScanPyramids researchers revealed they had found a nearly 100-foot void hidden deep within the pyramid above its Grand Gallery using cosmic-ray imaging. Their paper was peer-reviewed before appearing in the international scientific journal, and the results were confirmed by other research teams.

Scientists involved in the scanning at the monument, also known as Khufu's Pyramid, described the discovery of the large space, dubbed "ScanPyramids Big Void," as a "breakthrough" that "constitutes the first major inner structure found in the Great Pyramid since the 19th century," according to their paper.

"This is a premier," Mehdi Tayoubi, co-founder of the ScanPyramids project and president of the Heritage Innovation Preservation Institute in Paris, told The Associated Press on Thursday. "It could be composed of one or several structures… maybe it could be another Grand Gallery. It could be a chamber, it could be a lot of things."

"It was hidden, I think, since the construction of the pyramid," Tayoubi added.

Scan Pyramids Mission/EPA

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Zahi Hawass, a famed archaeologist and Egypt's former antiquities minister, was dismissive of the apparent find, telling The Associated Press that the area in question was "not a discovery."

"If you understand how the pyramid was built, you will know that inside the pyramid there is many hollows and many gaps. A void doesn't mean a room, a void doesn't mean a discovery, what they have been announcing today is not a discovery," Hawass told The Associated Press on Thursday.

"Now to build the Grand Gallery inside the Great Pyramid, they cannot build the Grand Gallery with a solid structure, they have to have hollows around it to build it. And therefore, the 30-meter void is already existent. It's already mentioned by Dieter Arnold 25 years ago," Hawass added.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

iPhone X: Why did people queue up overnight?

The new £999 iPhone X has hit shelves in more than 50 countries – but what drove fans to line up in the middle of the night for it?

The queue was already 100-strong when Nick Davies arrived at Apple's flagship UK store at 02:30.

It wasn't the painfully early start or the night-time cold that people minded. It was the lack of portaloos.

"Everyone is desperately looking for a toilet at 4 or 5 o'clock," he says.

There were queues outside Apple stores the world over in the early hours of Friday for the launch of the tenth anniversary iPhone.

Apple is predicting that big demand for its most expensive phone to date will help revenue hit a new record high.

If it is a big hit, the US tech firm could even become a trillion dollar company, according to some analysts.

There is always fanfare for a new Apple phone – but Brady Daniels, who joined the queue at 06:00 in London, says the "hype is high" for this one.

It's largely because of the edge-to-edge screen – with no "home" button – and the Face ID, which unlocks the phone with a selfie, he says.

"People have been pretty excited. Now people are getting cold and a little grouchy because the line is moving slower than expected, but people are pretty happy," he says.

The phones were available to order in the UK from 27 October – but plenty missed out, and so queued up on Friday to be among the first to get their hands on one.

The queue for the Regent Street store in London was still stretched round the corner and down the road just after 10:00 when the shop opened.

But not everyone was happy with the launch.

The problem, for Nick at least, was that the store quickly ran out of the version of the phone with more memory – the iPhone X 256GB.

"It's difficult because you're loyal to the brand but the launches are pretty bad.

"This is their loyal customer base. It's just nice if Apple would show a little bit of loyalty to them," he says.

Others came up with intrepid, time-saving ways of getting the phone.

Aaron paid someone £30 a hour to queue from 06:00. He then arrived and took over the place in the queue at a more leisurely 09:30.

"I've always been a little bit of an Apple geek," Aaron says.

He failed to reserve one, but rather than wait for a month he thought he'd try to get it from the shop.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook is predicting the iPhone X will help the company record its "biggest quarter ever" in the three months to the end of the year.

His guidance – and strong sales of other products – led Daniel Ives, an analyst at GBH Insights, to say "a trillion-dollar market cap may now be in Cook's sights".

There won't be many in the iPhone X queues who would disagree with that.

Source – bbc.com

It has been a wretched few years for the Russian economy.

Following the downturn in oil prices in 2014, Russia – which is heavily dependent on exports of oil and gas – suffered the longest recession in two decades, its economy contracting by 2.8% in 2015 and by 0.2% last year.

That slump was, of course, exacerbated by international sanctions that followed Russia's annexation of Crimea and its military interventions in Ukraine.

The rouble slumped in value as international investors rushed to sell Russian assets in response to the sanctions and the Central Bank of Russia was forced to prop it up by interventions in the currency markets and by raising interest rates to 17% at one stage.

Banks had to be rescued and it was arguably only thanks to the efforts of the central bank and its governor, Elvira Nabiullina, that a full-blown financial crisis was averted.

Thanks to a rally in oil and gas prices, the Russian economy has crawled out of recession this year, while this week brought evidence that some investors may be rediscovering their appetite for Russian assets.

The evidence for this is in demand for shares of En+, an energy and aluminium company controlled by Oleg Deripaska, one of Russia's richest men.

Mr Deripaska, a close confidant of President Vladimir Putin, is best-known in Britain for inviting George Osborne for drinks on his yacht in 2008 – an invitation that sparked accusations, furiously denied, that the former Chancellor (now editing the Russian-owned Evening Standard) had sought to tap him up for a donation to party funds.

En+ on Friday priced its shares, which are floating in Moscow and in London, at $14 each, giving the overall business a value of $8bn (£6bn).

It is the first major primary listing by a Russian company in London since sanctions were imposed on Moscow, although neither En+ or Mr Deripaska himself have been subject to sanctions and the company has raised $1.5bn in the flotation.

The valuation was at the bottom end of the company's expectations – it had hoped to be valued at $10bn (£7.6bn).

However, as Maxim Sokov, the chief of En+ noted, this still represents one of the biggest IPOs on the London Stock Exchange this year and the biggest anywhere in the world in the metals, mining and utilities sectors.

It is also the biggest flotation of a Russian business in London since Sberbank came to market in September 2012, since when other Russian companies – including potash producer Uralkali, housebuilder PIK Group and the mining company Nordgold – have all delisted from London.

Mr Sokov said: "We are very pleased with the level of interest and support… that we have received from the global investor community."

So, does this mark a new appetite for Russian assets?

It's difficult to tell. The only investor which is known for certain to have invested in En+ is Singapore-based Chinese investor AnAn Group, which has put in $500m (£382m), although Reuters reported on Thursday that both the Qatar Investment Authority and US Capital Group have also participated.

It's certainly hard to say whether some investors who might have been considering putting in money were deterred by events this week in which Paul Manafort, a former campaign manager for Donald Trump and who previously enjoyed close ties to Mr Deripaska, was charged with money laundering.

But there has been queasiness in some quarters about the IPO because the proceeds are going to be used to pay down company debts, mostly to Russian banks that supported the business during an earlier Russian recession in 2008 and which are subject to sanctions.

So, in a roundabout way, investors are helping Russian institutions get around those sanctions.

Yet Mr Deripaska's success in getting this flotation away, particularly on a day when two other companies – the ready meals maker Bakkavor and the television masts operator Arqiva – have postponed their own IPOs, may now encourage more Russian companies to dip their toe in the London market.

And you can be sure the Kremlin will have watched this stock market listing with satisfaction.

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Sales of iPhone X begin: Can Apple live up to the hype?

WATCH People around the world line up for iPhone X

Apple's iPhone X went on sale Friday, as the company scrambles to meet demand for a marquee device that sports a lush screen, facial-recognition skills and a $1,000 price tag .

Most analysts have predicted Apple won't be able to catch up with demand until early next year.

But the company is optimistic. "As we approach the holiday season, we expect it to be our biggest quarter ever," CEO Tim Cook told Wall Street analysts Thursday. He added that the company is increasing its iPhone X production capacity every week.

Apple is now giving delivery times of three to four weeks, down from five to six weeks, for those ordering online. Lines formed outside stores in New York, Chicago, Hong Kong, Milan, Italy, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, among others, as customers came to pick up orders or to grab one of the limited numbers available for same-day sales Friday.

Shares rose 2.8 percent to $172.89 in midday trading Friday.

Apple had said Thursday that iPhone sales rose 3 percent, to 46.7 million, in the July-September quarter, a period that saw the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus come out in the final weeks. Sales could have been higher if many customers hadn't been waiting for the iPhone X.

As with recent quarters, one of the main sources of Apple's growth is coming from its services, which are anchored by an app store that feeds the iPhone and other devices.

Revenue in that division surged 34 percent to $8.5 billion during the July-September period. All told, Apple earned $10.7 billion on revenue of $52.6 billion, compared with a $9 billion profit on revenue of $46.9 billion a year earlier.

Nonetheless, the just-ended quarter largely became an afterthought once Apple decided to release the iPhone X six weeks after the iPhone 8.

"The Super Bowl for Apple is the iPhone X," GBH analyst Daniel Ives said. "That is the potential game changer."

But it also brings a potential stumbling block. While conspiracy theorists might suspect that Apple is artificially reducing supply to generate buzz, analysts say the real reason is that Apple's suppliers so far haven't been able to manufacture the iPhone X quickly enough.

Making the iPhone X is proving to be a challenge because it boasts a color-popping OLED screen, which isn't as readily available as standard LCD displays in other iPhone models. The new iPhone also requires more sophisticated components to power the facial-recognition technology for unlocking the device.

Even with the iPhone X's delayed release, Apple is still struggling to catch up.

Apple is counting on the iPhone X to drive even higher-than-usual sales during the first nine months of next year — a scenario that might not play out if production problems persist and impatient consumers turn instead to phones from Google or Samsung.

"What Apple needs to do is manage consumer expectations so they don't get frustrated having to wait for so long for a new phone," Ives said.

Analysts believe Apple can pull off the juggling act.

Forrester's Julie Ask said would-be buyers aren't likely to switch to Android just because they can't get an iPhone X right away. At most, Ask said, it will delay when Apple gets revenue.

They are expecting the company to sell 242 million iPhones in the fiscal year ending in September 2018 — the most in the product's history. The previous record was set in 2015 when Apple shipped 231 million iPhones, thanks to larger models introduced just before the fiscal year began. By comparison, Apple shipped nearly 217 million iPhones in its just-completed fiscal 2017.

If Apple falters, investors are likely to dump its stock after driving the shares up by 45 percent this year on the expectation that the iPhone X will be the company's biggest hit yet.

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Tali Arbel reported from New York. Jon Gambrell in Dubai contributed to this story.

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Source – abcnews.go.com

By Sunita Patel-Carstairs, Business Reporter

The economy picked up steam in October thanks to rising new orders, according to new figures for Britain's dominant services sector.

Monthly purchasing managers' index (PMI) data from Markit/CIPS UK Services showed higher than expected growth in the industry with a reading of 55.6 – up from 53.6 in September.

A reading above 50 indicates growth. Economists had forecast a figure of 53.2 for the sector, which represents more than three-quarters of output.

It follows strong performances in both the manufacturing and construction sectors, with the report saying the UK economy was on track for a 0.5% expansion in the final quarter of this year, edging up from 0.4% in the third quarter.

The latest services growth is the fastest since April, it said, supported by "improved order books and resilient client demand".

However, job creation slipped to a seven-month low amid "squeezed margins" and a dip in confidence about the economic outlook.

Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit, said: "While an upturn in business activity growth adds some justification to the Bank of England's decision to hike interest rates for the first time in a decade, a deeper dive into the numbers highlights the fragility of the economy and points to downside risks for the outlook.

"A downturn in business optimism about the year ahead, fuelled mainly by Brexit-related uncertainty, suggests that risks are tilted to the downside as far as future growth is concerned."

The data comes a day after the Bank of England raised interest rates by 0.25 percentage points to 0.5%.

:: Why the Bank of England has raised interest rates

Governor Mark Carney signalled that Brexit was at the heart of weaknesses in the economy – driving up inflation through the fall in the pound since the referendum and holding back growth just as expansion elsewhere in the world is accelerating.

He said the Bank's next move would be heavily influenced by the progress of talks on Britain's departure from the European Union.

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